And just as Long Xuanmo hurried back, he happened to see Yang Mengchen gently kissing the two little rascals on their foreheads. Although it was just a peck, it still made his heart surge with jealousy. He strode over to Yang Mengchen's side, "Ah Jiu, I'm back!" His gaze was tender, his voice intoxicated.

"Oh? Good." Yang Mengchen looked surprised. Qing Qing had said that Long Xuanmo wouldn't be back for a few days, so why had he returned today? Although she was puzzled, Yang Mengchen did not let it show and pointed to the two children, "Prince, these are my two younger brothers, Xiao Huaichen and Xiao Yichen, nicknamed Pingping and Anan. They are adorable, aren't they?"

In her heart, she regarded her brothers more like her own children, which was why she gave them all her affection and took great care to look after them.

Of course, where strict discipline was required, she did not indulge them, especially when it came to the education of her brothers as they grew more sensible and mature.

Long Xuanmo responded indifferently, "Mm." Yet, when he looked at the two little rascals, there was a flash of disdain and warning in his eyes.

The moment passed so quickly that no one caught the depth of Long Xuanmo's gaze toward the children. Yang Mengchen's attention was fully on the two, so she didn't notice it either. Only the two little ones caught it.

Perhaps because Lady Xiao had taken spiritual medicine during pregnancy, the two little ones were quite perceptive. It seemed they could sense that the man before them did not like them, so they glared back at Long Xuanmo with wide-open eyes.

This was the beginning of their 'enmity,' leading to an intense competition over Yang Mengchen for a long time to come, during which Long Xuanmo suffered quite a few setbacks from the two little ones. But, of course, that's a story for later.

Seeing that it was about time, Yang Mengchen signaled Xiao Hongtao and Sister Ke to carry the children inside for milk, and she followed to help. She couldn't help it; after the children drank their milk, they needed her to coax them to sleep.

Long Xuanmo didn't follow them but walked into the room opposite (Qing Qing had sent a message that Ah Jiu had moved downstairs for convenience in caring for the two little rascals, into the room opposite Lady Xiao). He went straight to the bathroom to wash up, changed into clean clothes, and then lay down on the soft couch, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

Everyone else went about their own business.

Sister Jin fished out the auspicious items from the bathtub, had Bai He and Mu Jin record them in the ledger, and put them away in Yang Mengchen's storeroom.

When Yang Mengchen returned to her room, she saw Long Xuanmo fast asleep on the couch, with furrowed brows and a haggard face. She wondered what he had been doing to wear himself out to such an extent. Yang Mengchen tiptoed over to the desk, sat down, and began to write and draw on paper and parchment.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Long Xuanmo suddenly opened his eyes with a fleeting look of alertness. As he realized where he was, especially at the sight of Yang Mengchen sitting by the desk, his tense nerves instantly relaxed, and he smiled slightly. Watching the focused Yang Mengchen, his gaze was warm and intense.

"The Prince is awake." Sensing the gaze from the couch, Yang Mengchen's brow furrowed slightly.

He got up and sat down next to Yang Mengchen, picking up a few drawings from the desk to inspect. Long Xuanmo didn't understand, "What is Ah Jiu drawing?"

A printing press." Putting down her pen after finishing the last drawing, Yang Mengchen answered: "If this machine can be successfully built, it will not only save time and effort but also prevent my aunt and the workers from straining their eyes. Moreover, it can be used to print a wide variety of patterns on the cloth in large quantities."

Long Xuanmo's eyes lit up, "This machine sounds excellent."

"Prince, don't get too excited yet. The process to create such a machine is complex, I'm not sure we can really make it," Yang Mengchen said, dousing his excitement with a splash of cold water.

"I have faith in Ah Jiu!" Long Xuanmo stared unblinkingly at Yang Mengchen, his bright pupils shimmering like stars, which made Yang Mengchen's heart flutter in confusion. She used organizing the blueprints as an excuse to avoid his gaze, causing Long Xuanmo's eyes to dim instantly. Soon after, he raised his voice to order Mo Yun to come in.

Taking two small cloth bags from Mo Yun, he handed them to Yang Mengchen, "Ah Jiu, see if these are of any use?"

Yang Mengchen opened one bag and looked inside but didn't recognize anything. In the other bag, there were five smaller bags, each opened to reveal what seemed to be seeds. "What are these?"

"Seeds." Seeing Yang Mengchen roll her eyes, Long Xuanmo chuckled and said, "The people below learned that you like all sorts of exotic things. They happened to come across a merchant from Anqing Country and bought these from him. In this bag, there's a kind of green vegetable that looks like a flower.

And in the other bag, there are red, angular fruits called Fairy Honey Fruits, as well as starfruit, mangosteen, persimmons, and longans."

Mo Yun, who had just reached the doorway, stumbled upon hearing this and almost fell, silently lamenting in his heart.

It was clearly the Prince himself who had ordered his subordinates to go to great lengths to purchase these seeds, yet the Prince credited his subordinates with the deed. How will he ever win Ms. Yang's favor like this?

Broccoli? Dragon Fruit?

Upon hearing Long Xuanmo's description, Yang Mengchen immediately thought of these two fruits and vegetables.

"Please convey my thanks to them on my behalf, Prince. I really like them. If I manage to grow them successfully, I'll definitely send some for them to taste first," Yang Mengchen said, tucking away the bags, "Of course, my thanks to you as well, Prince." If it hadn't been for Long Xuanmo's orders, those people wouldn't have made the effort to get them for her.

Hearing Yang Mengchen's first statement, Long Xuanmo felt a surge of jealousy and regret. But upon hearing the last statement, his mood immediately lightened. He thought to himself whether he should send someone to Anqing Country to buy more new and exotic seeds: "As long as you're happy."

"What exactly is Anqing Country like, with all its novel items? I really want to see it," said Yang Mengchen, her face full of longing and curiosity.

"You mustn't go!" Long Xuanmo objected without a second thought and, seeing Yang Mengchen look at him, he calmed the inexplicable unease in his heart and explained, "Anqing Country is surrounded by the sea on all sides, and the seas are unpredictable and mysterious. Since ancient times, very few people from inside have come out, and outsiders can hardly get in.

I wouldn't be at ease if Ah Jiu went alone. Unless I'm accompanying you."

As far as Long Xuanmo knew, Anqing Country enjoyed springtime weather all year round, like a paradise on earth, especially as a nation known for its peaceful and united court. He feared that once Ah Jiu went there, she might become so enamored she wouldn't return. What would he do then?

Yang Mengchen's eyelids drooped slightly, hiding the faint ripples in her eyes, "I was only talking. My roots are here, and so is my family. Of course, I would never stray far from my homeland and my loved ones."

Long Xuanmo pretended not to understand the deeper meaning in her words.

The next day, Yang Mengchen handed over the six types of seeds and their cultivation methods to Yang Chengrong, leaving him in charge.

The fruit wines were a big hit as soon as they were introduced. Many merchants from other regions sought out Yang Chenghong to purchase them in large quantities. However, Yang Chenghong followed his sister's advice and only sold them in limited quantities.

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