Wang Qingyao often rubbed her chin, observing Xiao Mo and Feng Jiangduo. The two of them didn't seem like a couple in love at all. When they met on the boat, they merely nodded in greeting, as if they were barely acquainted.
Wang Qingyao worriedly said to Xiao Yun, "Will Xiao Mo ever fall in love? I was just trying to fool the King of Dingnan with my words; I hope it doesn't actually come true."
Xiao Yun replied, "If he truly couldn't, would he have managed to abduct the young lady?"
Xiao Yun had full confidence in Xiao Mo.
One day, the boat docked for repairs. Wang Qingyao and the others went to a nearby town to purchase daily necessities and enjoy the feeling of solid ground beneath their feet.
After drifting on the river for more than ten days, even if Wang Qingyao and the others didn't get seasick, they were still unaccustomed to it.
Having agreed on the time for departure, the group split up to handle their tasks.
Wang Qingyao, intending to create opportunities for the couples, paired Xiao Mo with Feng Jiangduo, and Yin Zhu with Jin Tiao. She herself was naturally paired with Xiao Yun.
Zhen Zhu and Yuan Bao were a pair, tasked with protecting Xiao Yun and Wang Qingyao.
The only one left was Yin Piao, looking dejected.
"Your Majesty, you're slaughtering dogs!" oγg
Wang Qingyao said with a heavy heart, "Keep slaughtering, and you'll get used to it."
Xiao Yun beckoned to Jin Doudou, who had been hiding in the shadows.
"Here, you and Jin Doudou are a pair. You won't be lonely now, will you?"
Yin Piao: "..." Why was everyone else paired with a young lady, and he had to be with a man?
He glanced at Jin Doudou with disdain.
Jin Doudou naturally didn't give him a pleasant look either. Hmph, if it weren't for the Prince's orders, he wouldn't bother accompanying a grown man shopping!
With no one to serve her, Wang Qingyao picked out many bags and packages, which Xiao Yun had to carry.
Watching him carry the items, Wang Qingyao smiled and said, "In our world... I mean, in the world of my dreams, when couples go shopping, it's like this, with the boyfriend carrying bags and all sorts of things for his girlfriend."
"In your world... I mean, in the world of your dreams, have you ever dreamt of being with other men?" Xiao Yun asked cautiously.
Wang Qingyao replied indifferently, "No. Women in my world marry late and have children late; it's normal to get married at thirty."
Xiao Yun's mouth suddenly fell open, and he stumbled as he walked. "Married at thirty?"
"Yes, if you wish, you can get married at forty or fifty."
"What kind of world is this?" Xiao Yun sighed. "At thirty, if you're quick, you could be a grandmother in our world."
"It's different. Here, a woman's greatest career is marriage, childbirth, and raising a family. In my world... I mean, in the world I dreamt of, women have things to do. Women have their own careers, they go out to work just like men, earn their own money, and spend it themselves. They are no less capable than men."
Xiao Yun clicked his tongue.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked, and soon returned to the boat.
Jin Tiao and Yin Zhu had also returned. Xiao Mo and Feng Jiangduo were the last to arrive.
Feng Jiangduo was holding a bouquet of blooming red plum blossoms, which made her fair and smooth face glow, as if she were a celestial being descended to earth. Even her usually cool expression seemed to be illuminated by the red blossoms, with a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth and eyes.
She appeared a bit more gentle than usual.
Xiao Mo stood with his hands behind his back, his face as impassive as ever, yet a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
He looked, well... subtly flirtatious!
"Oh ho!" Wang Qingyao crossed her arms and appraised them from head to toe. "What's going on? Did Xiao Mo give them to you?"
Feng Jiangduo nodded. "He picked them from a tree. Do they look good?"
"They look wonderful, wonderful," Wang Qingyao said with a smile, glancing at Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo held his head high with pride, as if to say, "Don't you think I have no romantic flair and can't coax girls anymore?"
The red plum blossoms were just the beginning. On the rest of the journey, Wang Qingyao truly witnessed what it meant to be an "iceberg CEO doting on his wife."
In the middle of the night, the boat echoed with a mournful wail, like a water ghost's lament. It wasn't a water ghost claiming a life, but Xiao Mo singing love songs to his beloved.
Every morning, Feng Jiangduo would find a reed or an iris at her door, sometimes even green algae, specially arranged in the shape of a heart.
Xiao Yun expressed his utter contempt.
"Xiao Mo is so embarrassing. What girl would like green leaves, and green algae? It's slimy and hard to preserve, hahaha, it's hilarious..."
Wang Qingyao propped her chin on her hand. "Xiao Mo is so romantic!"
Xiao Yun: "Hmph!"
The next day, Wang Qingyao also found two reeds at her door.
One was from Xiao Yun to Wang Qingyao.
The other was from Jin Tiao to Yin Zhu.
Yin Piao: "Heh, the sour smell of love..."