16: I never care about etiquette with you.

This was Mo Yingqi's second time entering the palace, and his mindset was noticeably more relaxed. However, unlike last time, he was not greeted by Eunuchs, but by four palace maids.

Although Mo Yingqi had never seen them before, their walking and standing posture were identical to those of Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning's maids he had encountered last time.

"Imperial Son-in-Law, the Eldest Princess is waiting for you," the leading maid said respectfully, her head bowed. "The Second Princess was called away by someone from the Grand Empress Dowager's palace. You can wait in the Anning Palace, where The Two Highnesses reside, for a moment."

The Emperor was not born of The late Emperor's empress. His birth mother fell ill and passed away when he was still a prince. The current Grand Empress Dowager is the former empress, and also The Emperor's stepmother.

"May I ask, young lady, this... never mind."

Mo Yingqi had originally wanted to say that it was not in line with protocol, but he had already slept in the princess's bed. What was the point of saying such things now? It was strange, though; these maids kept their heads bowed all the way, and when Mo Yingqi occasionally asked them questions out of curiosity, they remained silent.

"Are the rules of this imperial palace... that strict?"

Mo Yingqi muttered softly and simply stopped asking questions. It wasn't until they reached Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning's residence in the palace that the four palace maids quietly took their leave, and they left... extremely hurriedly.

"Is it because I'm a Flying Fish Guard that I'm not well-regarded? It doesn't seem like it..."

Mo Yingqi watched their almost running backs, his heart filled with even more doubt. Little did he know that after the four maids ran out, they hid around a corner and all let out a sigh of relief.

"You scared me to death. None of you said an extra word to the Imperial Son-in-Law just now, did you?" The leading maid asked quickly, gently patting her chest. "Remember, do not speak to the Imperial Son-in-Law, and do not even glance at him!"

"Sister, you say it so easily. When The Two Highnesses and the Imperial Son-in-Law get married, we'll have to serve him every day!" one of the maids said, feeling wronged. "Surely, when the Imperial Son-in-Law wants tea, we can't just pretend to be deaf and mute about such a small matter?"

"What happens in the future, we'll talk about then. If you're not afraid of The Two Highnesses, you can go and say a few words to the Imperial Son-in-Law right now!"

"...I'd rather not. I don't want to be beaten to death by Her Highness!"

The Two Highnesses usually treated them very well. Moreover, these maids were all trained by Partridge Sky and were sworn protectors specifically for Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning.

There was only one rule: they absolutely could not harbor any presumptuous thoughts towards the Imperial Son-in-Law, not even speaking an extra word or glancing at him.

After all, these two Legitimate Princesses were not as refined, gentle, and charming as they appeared on the outside. Only their personal maids knew how crazy and ruthless these two were deep down... Although Mo Yingqi was not visiting for the first time, he still seemed a bit awkward, especially when he thought about last night's events, his heart suddenly began to pound inexplicably.

"Yingqi, why are you standing outside?"

The curtain was drawn aside, and Luo Yongan, dressed in a white gown, gave him a gentle smile, extending her right hand: "Come, Yingqi, come to your Sister."

Mo Yingqi, however, did not simply walk over boldly. Instead, he bowed in salute: "Your Humble Servant greets Her Royal Highness."

"I've already told you, don't bother with such formalities," Luo Yongan smiled helplessly. "Although you are a subject and I am a princess, we will be married soon. There's no need for this between husband and wife, alright?"

As she spoke, Luo Yongan walked over and gently pulled Mo Yingqi up. Looking at the younger brother who had grown so tall, Luo Yongan felt a sense of her own cub finally growing up.

Now that he's grown up, can he... be eaten?

With this thought, Luo Yongan held Mo Yingqi's hand, unwilling to let go, her peach blossom eyes gazing foolishly at the handsome man before her.

"Um, Your Highness..."

Before Mo Yingqi could finish, Luo Yongan's left hand gently covered his lips: "From now on, when we are alone, just call me Yongan. Let's be like we were in the past, alright?"

Mo Yingqi felt his face burning. He had already dreamed for almost an entire night, and that dreamlike sensation had left him somewhat unable to control himself. At this moment, Luo Yongan completely disregarded the impropriety between men and women, being so intimate.

"Sister Yongan, don't be like this." Mo Yingqi instinctively wanted to retreat, but Luo Yongan was also a martial artist, and her strength was considerable. He couldn't break free from her. "This, this isn't appropriate. We're not married yet..."

"Weren't we like this in the past?" Luo Yongan looked at him with some confusion. "Besides, marriage is just a matter of time. The end of the month will be here soon, so there's no need to care about these things."

"Even so, it's not proper..." Mo Yingqi nervously looked around. "If someone were to spread rumors, it would be bad for Your Highness... bad for Sister Yongan's reputation!"

"So obedient, you know what to call me now." Luo Yongan seemed to have only heard him call her name. "I said there's no need to care. Inside this Anning Palace, everyone is a trusted confidant of Yongning and me; no one will speak of it. Alright, let's not talk about these things anymore. I've prepared food for you. You must not eat well working at the Pacification Bureau, right?"

Saying this, Luo Yongan pulled him towards the room. Mo Yingqi wanted to say something more, but for some reason, the words got stuck in his throat.

His body obediently followed her in. Mo Yingqi couldn't understand why he was suddenly so compliant. When he was little, running around the snowy mountains of the Northern Territory with the two sisters, he was never like this!

Is it because of the dream? Mo Yingqi thought of that dream, then looked at Luo Yongan still holding his hand, and his face grew even hotter.

They had just reunited, and that very night... Although Mo Yingqi had always carried a sense of longing and an indescribable emotion for the sisters, this was truly unbelievable for him.

Or was it... that he truly cared about them this much, and he just never realized it?

"What's wrong, Yingqi?" Luo Yongan asked with concern when she saw Mo Yingqi in a daze. "Are you unwell? I've noticed you look a bit tired since you came in. Aunt Ying Hong told me about what happened last night. Did the Young Marquis of the Xu Family make things difficult for you?"

"No, I just didn't sleep well." Mo Yingqi lowered his head guiltily when she asked. "Maybe I ate supper last night and my stomach is uncomfortable?"

Luo Yongan appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, she couldn't help but smile. Not to mention that for the past year, his every move had been under her and Luo Yongning's control. She knew he hadn't eaten supper last night, and she knew exactly what time he arrived home and what time he left home this morning.

"This silly boy, he's probably just shy, isn't he?"

"So cute, Yingqi is so handsome no matter what, I like you, like, like, like..."

Suppressing her wild affection, Luo Yongan suddenly reached out and gently stroked his cheek: "Don't work too hard. If you're too tired, after we get married, I'll talk to Father Emperor and have you leave the Pacification Bureau. You can stay at our home, and Yongning and I will always be with you, alright?"

Before Mo Yingqi could refuse, Luo Yongan gave a self-deprecating smile: "I forgot, you have your own things to do. You joined the Pacification Bureau because you still hate the Zhang Family, don't you?"

"I'm sorry, Sister Yongan, I won't leave the Pacification Bureau." Mo Yingqi shook his head. "Some things I must do myself. Actually, after you left, I returned to the Zhang Family for a while, just to find an opportunity to kill that beast, but I never had the chance. He protected himself and his eldest son, whom he cherishes, very well. I'm not afraid of death, but I've never had an opportunity to strike."

Although Mo Yingqi was skilled in martial arts, probably few could match him in the entire capital, no matter how high his kung fu, he didn't have the ability to fight against his father's hundreds of soldiers alone.

He felt that this person was utterly shameless to a certain extent. To prevent being assassinated by him, he had even bought the neighboring courtyard with a large sum of money and prepared bows and crossbows, guarding himself strictly.

"Alright, don't think about these things anymore." Luo Yongan reached out and gently embraced his waist. "I've prepared your favorite dishes for you. They'll get cold if you don't eat now. Oh, and I specifically instructed the small kitchen to make fish soup for you, brought back specially from the Northern Territory's ice lake."

"Sister Yongan, this really isn't appropriate..." Mo Yingqi felt a flush of heat spread across his body, which tensed up. "This, this isn't in line with etiquette..."

"It's alright, Yingqi, for you, I never care about these formalities." As Luo Yongan spoke, she pressed herself closer. "I miss you so much, Yingqi, so, just take pity on me..."

"Kiss me, okay?"