Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

The next morning, everyone gathered at the breakfast table. Li Chenyang lowered his head, unable to sleep, and finally buried his face in the porridge. Li Wenmin was busy stuffing his cheeks like a hamster, while Li Xueyue and Duchess Wang Qixing ate breakfast quietly and carefree.

The only person in a gloomy mood was the Duke, who had just walked to the table and was mumbling. He slumped in his chair and gave the Duchess a nasty look. "I still can't believe you did this to me!" He complained to his wife, who stopped and turned her head towards him.

"Oh, dear!" she said angrily, "You look like you didn't sleep well last night... How pitiful!"

Wang Li Chenyang frowned at her obvious mockery. "Wife, how could you guess? Is it because I sleep in a bad posture on the sofa, or is it because of lack of sleep that caused the bags under my eyes?"

“Well, your complexion is just ugly overall, so…” Duchess Wang Qixing just shrugged.

“How does it feel to be married to this ugly face for more than 20 years?” He gritted his teeth and poured himself a cup of tea, only to find that the teapot was empty.

"I think I am the most generous woman in the world! I have been doing charity for more than 20 years." Duchess Wang Qixing argued while waving at Jinxia.

King Li Chenyang gave her a sharp look. "Oh, really? Is marrying me a charity?" He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Then who is that woman who wants to marry a rich and powerful person--"

"You talk too much nonsense early in the morning. This tea can wake you up!" Duchess Wang Qixing clasped her hands together, put them close to her face, and smiled brightly.

King Li Chenyang froze when he heard her words. "I take it back, my precious, lovely, beautiful wife! Please let us drink this delicious tea together as a family, and then-"

"Oh no no, this tea is specially made for you! All of us good children stood up when we heard the announcement and are enjoying your favorite chrysanthemum tea." Duchess Wang Qixing chuckled, and Jinxia poured the bitter tea with a dark and mysterious color.

"How disgusting." Lord Li Chenyang sighed as he smelled the various herbs brewed in the tea.

"But it's good for your health. Don't pout like a baby, drink it all! Otherwise you'll never sleep." Duchess Wang Qixing rested her chin on the table and clasped her fingers together.

Her smile widened as the Duke raised his glass to her and gave her a pleading look.

"To get the most out of it, drink it while it's hot!" She waved.

Li Chenyang was a little dead inside. He held the handleless teacup with both hands, closed his eyes tightly, and forced himself to drink the tea that seemed poisonous.

Li Xueyue couldn't help but giggle at this scene. Her laughter was as sweet as wind chimes on a sunny day, making the Duchess, who turned around to face her, feel itchy.

Duchess Wang Qixing's smile softened when she saw Xueyue. "You are so cute, dear." She sighed contentedly and watched Xueyue eat happily.

"She's only cute if she stops stealing my boiled eggs—hey!" Li Wenmin cried as she took the last one and deliberately bit half of it just to irritate him. "Mom, you see! She's not cute at all!"

"Ouch!" Li Wenmin was hit on the back of the head, screamed, and hit his head against the hot-tempered Li Chenyang.

"Someone wants to sleep here!" He hissed at his brother, but Li Wenmin pointed at the table.

"Uh, hello?! You should eat breakfast, not sleep, idiot! Who told you to sleep so late?" Li Wenmin sneered, and when he saw Li Chenyang's angry face wrinkled into an unhappy roar, he laughed.

"Maybe if you stopped snoring like a well-fed pig, I'd be able to get the best sleep possible." Li Chenyang rolled his eyes and Li Wenmin gasped.

“I’m not a piggy!!?

"any."

"I am a proud—"

"Yeah, yes, hahahahahahaha..." Li Chenyang snorted and picked up a small pork bun.

"Chenyang, as a brother who is a few minutes younger than you, I still want some respect - humph!" Li Chenyang stuffed the bun into Li Wenmin's mouth.

Li Wenmin didn't seem to mind, nodded in appreciation, and finished the bun in two bites. "Wow, this tastes so good!"

"And your attention span is as short as a pig." Li Chenyang rolled his eyes and finally buried his head in eating.

Li Xueyue smiled to herself, enjoying the gentle morning quarrel. It was a far cry from her life at the Bai family. Even when she did eat, it was always in her dark, desolate, strange-smelling room.

"After breakfast, Xueyue, would you like to go to the garden with me? We can prune the hydrangeas!" Duchess Wang Qixing offered. "I know you are very bored because of being 'bedridden'. What do you think?"

"Actually..." Li Xueyue's voice gradually faded away, "Can I go to your place after I come back from the palace?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

Li Xueyue looked around awkwardly. "Look, when Yu Zhen took me to the trade market yesterday, I ran into Wen Jinkai."

As soon as the name was mentioned, Li Chenyang frowned. "If he was a real man, he would keep it a secret."

Li Xueyue bit her lower lip. "If I had dinner with him, he promised to keep it a secret."

"This is ridiculous!" Li Wenmin retorted, slamming his empty bowl on the table.

"I know." Li Xueyue nodded. "That's why I'm willing to meet the emperor and the empress. If I agree to Wen Jinkai's request once, who can say he won't keep a secret from me again?"

Li Chenyang's eyes widened briefly. He hadn't expected that she had come up with this plan all by herself. "He could still say that he saw you in the capital on the day you were supposed to be bedridden."

Li Xueyue nodded in agreement. "The emperor will not miss any opportunity to make fun of my recovery. I will simply tell him that I recovered yesterday afternoon and it is past the time I was supposed to see him. I just came to the capital to breathe some fresh air." Before meeting Wen Jinkai.

Li Chenyang nodded in agreement. "Xueyue, this plan is well thought out. How did you come up with this plan?"

“Oh, I just like to overthink and overanalyze every possible detail,” Li Xueyue joked, although this was half true and half false.

King Li Chenyang blinked, noticing another similarity between her and the Li family. But then again, it was a common trait…was he reading too much into the situation?

“In that case, Chenyang will accompany you to see the emperor,” Lord Li Chenyang ordered. He could do it himself, but he was overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of work that was supposed to be done by the emperor. Instead, the ruler was too busy wasting time on his personal interests.

Li Chenyanggong glanced at his wife. He recalled Li Chenyang’s question about loyalty. Indeed, which side would she stand on? The Li family with her beloved children, or the Wang family with her beloved mother and brothers and sisters? He didn’t want his wife to make a choice, but sometimes, emotions must be stretched to see fine lines…

"I have no objection to this." Li Chenyang nodded and looked at Li Xueyue, who also nodded.

"If it's not too much trouble," she pointed out.

"of course not."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Now that you ask, it might be a little troublesome..." He snickered when she rolled her eyes, knowing full well that he would never be too much trouble to help her.