10 – He’s so handsome, what a pity he’s a cripple.
“I’m not tying your legs down. You’re free to go wherever you want.”
Zong Zheng Ye said indifferently, glancing sideways at the person beside him.
Lu Xiao Ning nodded happily. “Then it’s fine. Your Highness, you must be tired from the journey. Please rest well.”
After speaking, she turned around and immediately left as if smoke were rising from her feet.
However, as soon as she went downstairs and was about to leave, Gan Song strode over and pointed at his watch.
“Imperial Consort, it’s almost noon. According to the rules, you should stay and have lunch with His Highness.”
These tedious rules!
Everyone in the imperial retreat strictly adhered to the rules. It was easy to imagine what a rigid and boring person Zong Zheng Ye was.
Lu Xiao Ning pouted and replied, “Mm, okay.”
A few minutes later, she was invited into the dining room.
The circular dining room had a ten-meter-high ceiling visible at a glance.
The ceiling was made of glass. At night, it must be very romantic.
One could enjoy delicious food while gazing up at the stars.
Not bad, quite refined taste.
Only then did Lu Xiao Ning nod in satisfaction, and her appetite improved considerably.
Over the past month, her meals at the imperial retreat had been varied in style.
But no matter how many variations there were, none suited her taste.
Every time she ate, a dedicated nutritionist was present.
There were strict regulations on how much and what types of food she needed to consume daily.
So over this month, Lu Xiao Ning had lost quite a bit of weight—purely from hunger.
Looking at the fixed meal set before her, portioned like cat food, Lu Xiao Ning sighed.
She had thought the food would improve after Zong Zheng Ye returned.
As she sat quietly waiting, the elevator chimed.
Wen Jing pushed Zong Zheng Ye, who had changed into new clothes, out of the elevator.
He wore a striped shirt paired with light-colored trousers.
Every gesture and movement exuded elegance.
Undeniably, he was a walking clothes hanger.
No matter what color or style of clothes he wore, they seemed tailor-made for him.
What an exceptional handsome man, it’s just a pity…
Sigh…
Lu Xiao Ning sighed softly and looked up, meeting Zong Zheng Ye’s icy cold eyes.
He had noticed her pitying gaze.
This damn girl had been looking at him like that since the first time they met.
Damn it!
Zong Zheng Ye was furious inside, but on the surface, he showed no expression.
After taking his seat, he picked up his utensils, his voice devoid of warmth.
Lu Xiao Ning sat in the seat farthest from him, as if he were a ferocious beast.
“Come sit here.”
“Oh.”
Lu Xiao Ning shifted one seat over.
This woman, does she not understand human language?
Zong Zheng Ye’s face instantly darkened as he glared coldly at her.
Only then did Lu Xiao Ning stand up again and move to sit beside him.
Actually, she thought there was no need to sit so close while eating, right?
They weren’t familiar with each other.
Sitting close felt awkward.
“Your Highness, is this okay now?” Lu Xiao Ning asked with a smile.
Zong Zheng Ye’s face remained sour. “Do you enjoy calling me ‘Your Highness’ so much?”
“Well… isn’t that how all the citizens address you? Could it be that you don’t like this title? Do you have some strange preference? Something like… Little Ye Ye?”
“Cough cough…”
“Pfft.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the attendants nearby made strange sounds one after another, all stifling their laughter, afraid to laugh out loud.
Seeing Zong Zheng Ye’s sour face turn as black as the bottom of a pot, everyone abruptly restrained their expressions.
Don’t laugh. Even if it causes internal injuries, don’t laugh!
Yet, the culprit Lu Xiao Ning still wore an expression of “I don’t understand, what are you all laughing at?” She blinked and continued, “Isn’t it Little Ye Ye? Then what is it?”
“Lu Xiao Ning!” Zong Zheng Ye finally couldn’t hold back. Was this woman truly foolish or just pretending?
Couldn’t she read the room or interpret people’s expressions?
Couldn’t she tell he disliked this kind of cold joke?
Lu Xiao Ning, of course, knew—she was simply doing it on purpose.
Teasing this grumpy lord was quite amusing.
Pretending to be afraid of him, she quickly covered her mouth, blinked her eyes, and put on a repentant expression.
Only then did Zong Zheng Ye breathe a sigh of relief and say calmly, “From now on, address me as Third Master.”
“Alright… Third Master…” Lu Xiao Ning nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick.
“Enough, let’s eat.” Zong Zheng Ye no longer wasted words on her and spoke coldly.
As soon as he mentioned eating, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned strange.
The attending palace servants froze like statues, unmoving.
Everyone in the room even slowed their breathing.
And Zong Zheng Ye didn’t make the slightest sound while eating!
Lu Xiao Ning picked up her chopsticks and began chewing freely as she pleased.
Sure enough, as soon as she made noise, she immediately drew the attention of those around her, each looking at her as if she were a monkey.
The royal family had a rule: no sound could be made while eating, and each bite of food must be chewed exactly ten times before swallowing.
What an absurd rule!
Lu Xiao Ning guessed that those living in the royal family probably weren’t very happy, were they?
Finally, she couldn’t hold back and put down her chopsticks.
“Your Highness, there’s a bug in our dining rules!”
The man who had been eating elegantly suddenly looked up.
His sharp gaze was lethal, intending to make her shut up.
But Lu Xiao Ning refused and continued, “The Japanese Oral Hygiene Committee published the ‘Proper Chewing Project,’ which stipulates: 1. Each bite must be chewed 30 times before swallowing.
When you want to swallow, chew another 10 times.
Chew until the shape of the food disappears.
Mix it with saliva to savor the flavor, then swallow. The above content isn’t something Lu Xiao Ning made up—it’s a real thing.
Through this chewing method, people of any age can achieve health benefits.
However, these rules are even more absurd than the T Royal Family’s rules!
Lu Xiao Ning looked at the man before her with a playful expression, blinking her eyes repeatedly and sending out powerful electric currents.
No one in the room dared to speak; everyone was stunned by this bizarre content.
According to these rules, the food that ends up in the stomach would not only be mushy but also disgusting.
“So, Your Highness… Third Master, we should chew more. I think an hour for a meal isn’t enough; it definitely needs at least two hours. Three meals a day would be six hours. Subtracting eight hours for sleep, oh dear, most of the day would be gone.”
Lu Xiao Ning continued chattering nonstop.
Zong Zheng Ye put down his utensils, instantly losing his appetite.
“Lu Xiao Ning, it seems you know quite a bit?”
“Hehe, I found it all in your study, Third Master.”
“Very well, your attitude toward learning is commendable.”
Zong Zheng Ye said “good” with his mouth, but in his heart, he thought this girl was a bit clueless.
“So, our royal family’s rules indeed have a bug. Should we revise them?”
Lu Xiao Ning blinked.
Zong Zheng Ye felt so angry his chest tightened. He pushed his wheelchair away. “Take your time eating. I need to adjust to the time difference.”