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"Sister-in-law," Li Xia walked in.

Mrs. Lu wiped her tears and greeted her, "Sister."

"Sister-in-law, when have you decided to leave? I'll come to see you off then," Li Xia inquired about Mrs. Lu's departure date.

"I'll leave the day after my elder brother and the Chang'an Princess get married," Mrs. Lu stated the date.

"Have you packed everything? It's more northerly there, and the winters are even colder than in the Capital City. You should bring more warm clothes," Li Xia said with concern.

"Mother has arranged for everything to be packed," Mrs. Lu replied. It was Mrs. Lu's thoughtfulness that allowed her to make the decision to entrust Li Pan'er to her care. If it were left to Auntie An to raise her, Mrs. Lu would never have agreed.

Seeing Li Xia enter the room without picking her up and talking to others, Lu Liucheng started crying. Li Xia got up and picked up Lu Liucheng. He hugged Li Xia's neck, opened his mouth, and nibbled on Li Xia's face, then started laughing. This was his favorite thing to do, leaving his mark on Li Xia's face.

Mrs. Lu also picked up Li Pan'er, who was nearby, and looked at Lu Liucheng in Li Xia's arms, feeling a hint of envy. She envied Li Xia for having a son as her firstborn. Mrs. Lu had been so sure she was having a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

Auntie An had frowned immediately and said unpleasant things, though Mrs. Lu had stopped her. But in the year since Pan'er's birth, Auntie An hadn't come to see her once. Mrs. Lu had completely given up on Auntie An.

Lu Liucheng, after staying in his mother's arms for a while, didn't want to sit inside anymore. He pointed outside, wanting to go out. Li Xia had to carry Lu Liucheng to the courtyard.

At this time, Mrs. Lu walked back into the courtyard. Seeing Lu Liucheng, she happily came forward to hold him. Lu Liucheng wasn't shy and was happy to be held by anyone. He didn't cry or fuss in Mrs. Lu's arms.

"Such a good boy," Mrs. Lu was very fond of the soft and cuddly Lu Liucheng.

"He's well-behaved now, but when he starts fussing, it's unbearable," Li Xia said, feeling a headache just thinking about Lu Liucheng's crying fits. She had never seen a child who could cry so much.

"It's good when children fuss. You should worry when they don't," Mrs. Lu said, looking at Lu Liucheng in her arms with loving eyes. Lu Liucheng had inherited all the good features from both Lu XuanNing and Li Xia. His blinking big eyes and chubby cheeks made people want to pinch them.

"He's too fussy," Lu Liucheng seemed to understand his mother's complaint and wasn't having it. He opened his mouth and started crying, reaching out for Li Xia. Li Xia extended her arms to take the child, holding him and comforting him for a few moments. The child then fell asleep in Li Xia's arms.

Looking at Li Xia, who complained verbally but acted gently and lovingly, Mrs. Lu sighed at how much Li Xia had changed.

Li Xia and Lu XuanNing didn't return to the Marquis Mansion but stayed in the Orchid Courtyard of the Li Residence. At night, Li Xia pulled Lu XuanNing to sit on the roof, enjoying the moonlight.

"Everyone dies eventually. I'm not afraid of death," Li Xia said. In the apocalyptic world, she had seen many people living in fear. For them, death was a release.

"Xia Xia, I'm very selfish. I hope you can live," Lu XuanNing tightened his grip on Li Xia's hand.

Li Xia let Lu XuanNing hold her hand tightly, "Now I'm quite scared. I'm afraid that after I die, Cheng Cheng will be bullied without a mother, afraid that my mother will be sad, and afraid that you will suffer for life."

She sighed and continued, "I've become a coward. But I quite like this cowardice. So, Lu XuanNing, don't panic. I will try my best to live well for all of you."

Lu XuanNing hugged Li Xia tightly, unable to express his feelings at that moment with any words.

On the day of Li Hui's wedding, Cao Fugui came over early. Mrs. Lu asked about Li Xin's condition. Li Xin had been suffering from severe morning sickness since becoming pregnant and was advised by the imperial doctor to rest in bed.

Mrs. Lu, busy with Li Hui's wedding arrangements, couldn't go to the Cao Mansion and could only send someone every other day to check on the situation.

Hearing Cao Fugui's reply that she was much better and had even had a bowl of porridge that morning, Mrs. Lu felt slightly relieved, thinking she should visit her daughter at the Cao Mansion in two days.

Both Cao Fugui and Lu XuanNing were part of the wedding party to receive the bride. They went to the palace to escort the Chang'an Princess back to the Li Residence.

Typically, a Princess Mansion would be built for a princess marrying a commoner, and the princess and her consort would live there after marriage. However, Chang'an requested not to build a Princess Mansion. After years of interaction, the Chang'an Princess understood Li Hui better. To win Li Hui's heart and ensure a more harmonious marriage, Chang'an decided to marry into the Li family and live on Qingyue Street.

Mrs. Lu appreciated the sacrifice made by the Chang'an Princess. To ensure Chang'an could live better in the Li family, Mrs. Lu spent a large sum to buy the neighboring four-courtyard residence and connect it to the Li Residence. Separated by a garden, it formed a larger Li Mansion.

After their marriage, Li Hui and Chang'an lived in the newly renovated courtyard. This gave Li Hui and the Chang'an Princess more private space. The palace maids, nannies, and eunuchs in Chang'an's entourage could also be separated from the original servants of the Li family.

Mrs. Lu's actions dispelled the dissatisfaction of the Emperor and Empress, who had been somewhat displeased by the Chang'an Princess's unwillingness to build a Princess Mansion.

Li Xia, carrying Lu Liucheng, walked into the new Songtao Courtyard, which had doubled in size. Chang'an, assisted by her maids, had changed out of her wedding dress. Seeing Li Xia and Lu Liucheng, she smiled and walked over, "Cheng Cheng, I've missed you so much. Did you miss auntie?" She said, kissing him on the cheek.

"He should call you aunt-in-law now," Li Xia's words made Chang'an realize that she was now Li Hui's wife.

"Then, Sister Xia, should you call me sister-in-law now?" Chang'an said somewhat mischievously.

"Sister-in-law," Li Xia changed her form of address, causing Chang'an to blush. She looked herself up and down, turned around, and took a piece of jade from the dressing table as a "name-changing fee".

"This jade was specially carved by my elder brother to give to you. And now you're giving it back to me," Li Xia laughed, looking at the jade in Chang'an's hand.

Chang'an hurriedly took back the jade, looked at the dressing table, and picked up a hairpin, "This can be the name-changing fee."

"There's no need to rush, you can give it tomorrow," Li Xia didn't accept it, instead handing Lu Liucheng to Chang'an.

Chang'an took him, carefully adjusting her posture to hold Lu Liucheng. He seemed to like the smell on Chang'an and started sniffing and moving around on her.

"Sister Xia!" Chang'an called out in panic.

"Don't be afraid, my son is giving you practice. When you become a mother in the future, you won't be flustered," Li Xia laughed from the side, not stepping forward to help. Chang'an carefully restrained Lu Liucheng, not letting him move around. After a while, her face was covered in sweat.

"Sister Xia, is this how hard you work every day taking care of children?" Chang'an sighed, realizing how difficult it was to be a mother.

"That's not necessary. Usually, the wet nurse and maids take care of her," Li Xia said, mostly just playing with her for a while.

"But you just said you wanted me to get familiar with her, yet you don't even look after her yourself," Chang'an Princess pouted. She had really been so nervous about this.

"I wanted you to relax," Li Xia's words made Chang'an Princess smile. From this morning until now, she had been tense the whole time. She felt joy about her upcoming marriage to Li Hui, but also worried that Li Hui might not like her. She was also concerned about not gaining Mrs. Lu's approval, among other jumbled thoughts.