Originally, Prince Rui intended to directly ask Madam Chen whether she truly had him in her heart. But when he saw her worried eyes and the hidden fear deep within them, he suddenly no longer wanted to ask.
What difference did it make?
As long as she remained by his side, that was enough. As long as she stayed like this and never changed, that would be enough. With time, he would eventually warm her heart—wouldn’t he?
Yet even as he thought this, another face surfaced in his mind. That person’s eyes had always been filled entirely with him, as if he were her whole world.
Unconsciously, he compared that person with the Chen before him—and then abruptly came back to his senses, shaking his head hard.
How could he compare Qiao-shi with Chen-shi? There was simply no basis for comparison.
“Your Highness?” Seeing his reaction, Madam Chen grew even more uneasy. What was wrong with him?
Prince Rui snapped back to reality and pulled the woman tightly into his arms. This was the woman he had decided to protect for the rest of his life. He shook his head lightly in her embrace.
“Nothing. I just missed you.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen’s face instantly turned red, and she lowered her head without speaking.
Prince Rui chuckled softly and pressed his forehead against hers teasingly.
“You’re already shy from just that?”
His low voice had a fatal allure for her, but she forced herself to suppress the flutter in her heart. She could not fall for him. In this deep inner courtyard, the one who fell first was always the one who suffered. She had always understood this.
But what she didn’t know was that some feelings could not be controlled simply by willpower.
After lingering affection for a while, Prince Rui suddenly said, “A-Yun, I won’t come over tonight. I need to go to Haitang Courtyard to see Little Five.”
As he spoke, he quietly observed her reaction, secretly hoping she would respond as he wished. But Madam Chen only smiled gently and agreed.
“Alright.”
Still so gentle, still so understanding.
Yet his burning heart cooled in an instant.
She clearly understood what he meant. Going to Haitang Courtyard to see Little Five could also mean staying there for the night. Any other woman in her position would have been jealous and tried to keep him, but she showed no reaction at all.
He felt hurt, frustrated—and even angry at her emotional indifference.
“Five is sick right now. It’s indeed appropriate for Your Highness to visit him. I’m sure Qiao-meimei will be very happy as well,” Madam Chen added lightly.
She could sense his probing, but she pretended not to understand.
Prince Rui took a deep breath and stood up coldly.
“Then rest on your own.”
With that, he left immediately.
Madam Chen rose calmly and said, “This concubine sees Your Highness off.”
The two maidservants, Yu Shu and Yu Xi, were practically dying of anxiety watching this. Their mistress was clearly pretending not to understand the prince’s intentions. If she had just spoken up, he would never have gone to Haitang Courtyard.
But Madam Chen simply picked up her tea and took a sip.
Yu Shu finally couldn’t hold back. “Mistress, why didn’t you keep His Highness? If you had asked, he definitely wouldn’t have gone to Haitang Courtyard. Fifth Young Master is already awake and no longer in danger. His Highness only said that to test you…”
“Enough. I know what you’re thinking,” Madam Chen interrupted calmly. “But this is the inner courtyard. There isn’t only me. His Highness should divide his attention fairly. We should just live our own lives. We cannot—and should not—ask for more.”
Hearing her stern tone, both maidservants fell silent.
They were just worried. If the prince went elsewhere tonight, it would be one thing—but tonight he was going to Haitang Courtyard. And who lived there?
The acknowledged number one beauty of the entire residence—Qiao Rongjin. With such looks and such grace, winning back the prince’s favor would be effortless. And now that the Fifth Young Master was ill, she could easily use that excuse to keep him there.
But they did not know Madam Chen’s true thoughts.
No one understood better than she did her own position in the prince’s heart. In fact, the prince had already developed feelings for her—so much so that even he himself had not fully realized how deep they were.
To deepen that affection further, she could not act impatiently. Qiao-shi was not worth her attention at all. After all, hadn’t Qiao-shi’s status already been lowered repeatedly, nearly dying from Lady Ye’s schemes?
She understood men well enough—what cannot be obtained is always the most precious.
So her rule was simple: she must never fall first.
What she wanted was not fleeting favor, but long-lasting love and attention—so that she and her child could survive in this ruthless inner courtyard.
As for tonight, she was certain: the prince would not stay in Haitang Courtyard.
Haitang Courtyard.
After sending off Madam Zhang and the others, Qiao Rongjin happily took little Qi You’s hand and led him into the side room.
Looking at the warm and comfortable room, she smiled. “Baby, do you like this place?”
Qi You looked around at the clean and elegant room and nodded. “I like it.”
Because she was here.
“Will you be afraid sleeping alone?” she asked.
Qi You quickly shook his head. “I’m not afraid. I can sleep by myself.”
He was afraid that if he answered too slowly, his mother would insist on sleeping with him—and he felt that was very possible.
Qiao Rongjin relaxed. “Good. Our baby is so brave.”
Qi You secretly let out a breath of relief. Although his body was that of a four-and-a-half-year-old child, his soul was not.
“Greetings, Your Highness!”
Just as they finished looking around, Qing Lian and Zhu Yun’s voices came from outside.
Qiao Rongjin frowned slightly. Why was the prince here? Hadn’t he already visited Qi You this morning?
Still, she quickly took Qi You’s hand and went out to greet him.
This was their big boss—their provider.
From the moment Prince Rui stepped into Haitang Courtyard, he felt a slight daze. Everything here was exactly as he remembered. Because this had once been A-Yun’s residence. He had come here countless times. These haitang trees had been planted for her. Here, they had first met, first known each other, first fallen into each other’s lives.
Countless memories surged forward.
Qiao Rongjin walked out and saw him standing outside the hall, not moving—just… spacing out.
Was he spacing out?
And considering this was once Madam Chen’s residence, and also the place where the male and female leads first met and fell in love, she quickly guessed—he was probably lost in old memories.