"Momo, can you call me brother again?" Ye Jingguang looked at the little dumpling with burning eyes.
The two turned a corner, and the gazes behind them disappeared.
Su Yunmo let go of his arm: "I won't call you that."
Ye Jingguang's eyes widened: "Why?"
The little dumpling glanced at him with disdain, pushing his approaching head away: "Because you're too noisy."
Ye Jingguang immediately felt wronged.
Didn't you say that just now?
"Just call me once, just once," Ye Jingguang circled the little dumpling.
The little dumpling stepped towards the front hall: "No."
"Call me, call me."
"No."
"Come on, come on."
"So noisy!"
The little dumpling quickened her steps, leaving him behind. Ye Jingguang felt even more wronged.
Upon entering the hall, most people had already gathered.
The low tables had been moved to the sides, and a red carpet with felt had been laid in the center of the hall.
Ye Jingguang chased after her from behind and almost bumped into her. He instinctively braked hard.
Su Yunmo dodged, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Wuwu... Momo, you're so heartless, can't you catch me?" He got up from the ground with a mournful face, dusting himself off.
The hall was lively, and everyone was sitting in their seats chatting.
"The banquet is about to start," Ye Jingguang glanced at the sky. "I need to go back to my seat. Momo, you should go find the General's wife too."
He paused, looking a little worried: "Do you need me to escort you?"
The little dumpling shook her head: "I've found her."
"Oh, then hurry up. Father Emperor will be out soon." Ye Jingguang didn't insist when he heard her say that and returned to his prince's seat.
Su Yunmo took a deep breath and walked towards Zhou Wanyou, sweetly calling out "Mother."
Zhou Wanyou beckoned her: "Momo, sit here."
"Okay~" The little dumpling was well-behaved, then turned to look at the person next to her who was munching on melon seeds, and politely smiled: "Sister, you're in the wrong seat."
Ye Ningyuan spat out the melon seed shell, clapped her hands, and moved her butt to the side a bit: "Come on, there's enough space for you to sit."
Su Yunmo: "..."
"I want you to go back to your own seat!"
What a show-off!
Ye Ningyuan rested her elbows on the table, propping her cheeks with her hands: "No, I just want to sit with you."
Su Yunmo silently took out the small hammer for cracking walnuts from the table: "What did you say? I didn't hear clearly."
Ye Ningyuan's face immediately filled with grievance, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"I don't have any friends outside of the capital. I just want to be friends with you. Momo, do you hate me because I did something wrong?"
Su Yunmo remained silent.
Doesn't she know what she did?
She pounced and hugged the little dumpling: "Momo, don't hate me, okay? I just want to play with you, wuwuwu..."
The little dumpling was pushed onto the table, hitting her back against it. She gasped: "Let go! Let go!"
What is this person doing?
"I won't! Unless Momo agrees to let me sit here, I'll cry for you to see!" Ye Ningyuan rubbed against her chest desperately, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
The little one's body was so soft. Sleeping while hugging her would surely be comfortable in this weather. She must try it sometime.
"Alright, you two, stop fooling around. His Majesty will be here soon." Zhou Wanyou dotingly rescued the little dumpling from Ye Ningyuan's grasp.
Ye Ningyuan looked at her with a sad expression.
Zhou Wanyou's heart skipped a beat at that look, and she felt helpless.
Although Si Yuan said this county princess liked Momo very much, she didn't expect the two little ones to be so close after knowing each other for only a few days.
"If the County Princess wants to sit here, you can, but you need to get your father's consent." Zhou Wanyou smoothed out the wrinkles on the little dumpling's clothes.
Ye Ningyuan's eyes immediately lit up: "My father has already agreed. He's also very happy that I've made a new friend."
"Is that so?" Zhou Wanyou subconsciously looked across.
Prince Yunyi, holding a wine cup, sat alone at a table with an air of seniority. Feeling Zhou Wanyou's gaze, he looked up and nodded in acknowledgment.
Zhou Wanyou received his gaze, returned a smile, and then turned her attention back to Ye Ningyuan: "Then the County Princess can sit here."
"Thank you, Madam!" Ye Ningyuan was delighted.
"Mother, I don't want to!" The little dumpling protested.
The two said almost simultaneously.
Zhou Wanyou rubbed the little dumpling's head: "Momo, be good, don't be so impolite. Get along well with the County Princess. The County Princess is very lonely in the capital."
Ye Ningyuan nodded vigorously.
Su Yunmo gritted her teeth secretly.
She's not lonely at all!
"Momo, if you don't listen, Mother will get angry." Zhou Wanyou put on a stern face.
The little dumpling immediately softened her tone and said meekly: "Mother, don't be angry, Momo will be good."
"That's my good child." Zhou Wanyou kissed her little face and carried her to the adjacent seat.
Ye Ningyuan squeezed in next to her, took a piece of pastry, broke it in half, and offered one half: "Momo, eat this."
She swallowed the word 'don't eat' and Su Yunmo, glancing at her mother's expression, took the pastry: "Thank you, Sister Ningyuan."
Ye Ningyuan's eyes lit up, she quickly leaned over and kissed her on the cheek: "You're welcome."
The little dumpling immediately bristled.
After stealing a kiss, Ye Ningyuan quickly retracted, a sly look on her face.
Deep, displeased eyes fell on the two of them.
Su Yunmo wiped the saliva from her face and sighed, not daring to look up.
Ye Ningyuan, however, looked up and met Ye Jingyu's gaze accurately, giving him a provocative glance.
Ye Jingyu frowned fiercely.
On the other side, Ye Jingkun noticed the interaction between the three and lowered his eyes with a deep gaze.
"His Majesty and the Empress have arrived!"
As the eunuch's loud announcement echoed, Emperor Ye Yao and Empress Luo Yun'e entered from outside the hall.
Everyone immediately knelt to pay their respects.
Emperor Ye Yao took his seat and gestured for everyone to rise.
After everyone was reseated, Emperor Ye Yao spoke: "Where are the envoys from Southern Xinjiang?"
Hu Bao stood up and cupped his hands in salute.
Ye Ningyuan lowered her voice: "I heard that the envoys from Southern Xinjiang are here this time because there's some internal trouble in Southern Xinjiang, and they've come to ask Yao for help."
Su Yunmo glanced at the two people exchanging pleasantries and asked curiously: "How do you know?"
"Momo, you underestimate me. I'm not a county princess for nothing. As long as you ask about matters within the imperial palace, there's nothing I don't know," Ye Ningyuan said proudly, tilting her head.
"Moreover, many people are paying close attention to Southern Xinjiang's visit this time. Knowing this is nothing special; I know even more private matters."
Su Yunmo ate half of the pastry, smacked her lips, feeling a little dry in her throat. She poured herself a cup of tea and casually asked: "What private matters?"
Ye Ningyuan stared at her for a moment, then smiled playfully and gossiped: "There's a concubine in the palace who's cuckolding the Emperor. She was rolling in bed with three guards in one night."
"One of the guards had black spots on his... thing."
Su Yunmo: "Pfft! Cough cough..."