No matter how cold Ling Lihua’s heart was, it instantly softened when she heard her daughter’s gentle, comforting words, and her eyes grew wet with tears.
She turned and patted her daughter on the head, feeling that she was actually quite lucky.
What else could she ask for when she already had such a good and sensible daughter?
At that moment, the hatred that she had buried all those years in her heart seemed to become insignificant.
“Come, let’s go back first.” With a tug of the reins, Ling Lihua steered the horse and started riding in the direction of the city gates.
The horse trotted leisurely as Chu Jiu followed them on foot.
“Mother, Grandmother’s alone at home now, and she’s already old. I’m worried about her, but I can’t leave the palace so often. Can you move into the Grand Duke Mansion just to keep her company?” asked Lu Liangwei.
She was genuinely concerned about her grandmother.
Although Grandmother was in good health, she was already old, after all. Now that Father and Big Bro were not around, she could not help feeling worried.
Hearing this, Ling Lihua was a little hesitant. “But…”
“Dad’s not around, anyway, so you don’t need to be so uneasy. Besides, Grandmother’s always talking about you. Can you do it for the sake of keeping her company, please?” Noticing that she was already being swayed, Lu Liangwei nudged her further.
Ling Lihua sighed and agreed, “All right then.” The Dowager Duchess was indeed kind to her and treated her no different from her daughter.
Lu Liangwei finally relaxed when she heard this. Hugging her mother, she rubbed her face against her back gently. “You’re so sweet, Mother.”
“Silly girl!” Ling Lihua’s heart melted into a puddle.
The moment they entered the city, their horse was stopped by Long Chi.
Not recognizing him, Ling Lihua frowned and said, “Who are you, and why are you stopping our horse?”
Long Chi glanced at her and saw that her face was covered with a veil. Although her appearance was indiscernible, her eyes exposed outside the veil were undoubtedly gorgeous.
He was puzzled. Who was this person?
What’s more, Lu Liangwei was riding with her. Judging from their intimate posture, they seemed to be pretty close.
Suppressing the doubts in his heart, he said to Lu Liangwei behind her, “Weiwei, Royal Uncle ordered me to wait for you here.”
Lu Liangwei was already disgusted to see him, and when she heard what he called her, she was even more repulsed.
“I believe that your royal uncle didn’t allow you to call me that, did he?” she said bluntly.
When Long Chi saw the irritation on her face, his lips curved upward into a fond smile.
“What does it matter? We’re not that far apart in age. If I really were to call you Royal Aunt, you’d be uncomfortable too.”
Appalled at his shamelessness, Lu Liangwei said sarcastically, “Do you plan to rule the kingdom with skin as thick as the city walls in the future?”
Hearing this, Long Chi slightly lost his composure. “Weiwei, why have you become…”
“Crown Prince, you’re the Heir Apparent. Didn’t the Grand Mentor teach you how to address your elders? Please address me as Royal Aunt. If the imperial censor finds out that you don’t even know how to address your elders, he’s probably going to report you in court.”
Long Chi’s face was livid, but he suddenly thought of something, and regaining his cool, he looked at her a little helplessly. “I know that you’re still bitter about what happened in the past. Yes, I admit that I made a mistake, but do you have to hold onto the past so firmly?” He cast her an implicative glance.
Lu Liangwei almost threw up.
Did this sleazy Crown Prince have some kind of delusional disorder?
“As I said, Crown Prince, if you’re ill, you should seek treatment from an imperial physician. Otherwise, if your illness keeps acting up like this, you’re going to bring disgrace to the imperial family when you go out.”