Chapter 339

Qing An had never seen his sister like this before; he instantly straightened his body and hid behind his brother.

The attendants and palace maids withdrew on their own.

Qing Wei let out a soft sigh, reached out to shield him behind him, and said in a reproachful tone: "Why did you scare him?"

Ruo Ya didn't respond to that, walked to the edge of the sofa and sat down, raised her hand to gently rub her brow, and said calmly: "Little brother, I have a question for you."

"Go on." Qing An answered obediently.

"Do you have any feelings for Mingxi, or not?"

One sentence, blunt with no reservation.

Qing An blinked, obviously not expecting his sister to ask such a simple question, his eyes flickered, and he instinctively replied: "Of course I do!"

His answer was too blunt, even tinged with eagerness.

Ruo Ya's eyes instantly lit up, and the oppressive aura around her faded by half.

She reached out and lightly tapped the sofa armrest, her voice full of relief: "That's wonderful! Qing An, you've finally come to your senses! I knew that since you dote on her so much, you must have some feelings..."

Qing Wei beside them also raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of surprise appearing on his stern face: "Really?"

He and Ruo Ya had been plotting for a long time; Princess Mingxi is of noble status and also Mu Xin's younger sister.

Intelligent and beautiful, with a pure and kind nature; moreover, she is a child watched over by the M Guo royal family, close to them without reservation.

With Mingxi's status, she is more than worthy of Qing An, and more than worthy of the M Guo royal family.

If Qing An could marry Mingxi, it would not only fulfill the bond between the two children, but also deepen the ties between M Guo, Y Guo, and the Mu Family.

Both publicly and privately, it would be the best outcome!

They had thought Qing An had never harbored any romantic thoughts; hearing his answer now, how could they not be delighted?

Before the two could continue questioning, Qing An stepped out from behind Qing Wei, waving his small hand: "Really, really! Youbao is my most beloved sister, my only sister, no different from a blood sister."

As his words fell, the side hall that had just been filled with joy fell into an eerie silence.

The light in Ruo Ya's eyes faded bit by bit, replaced by a helpless, headache-inducing expression.

Upon hearing that answer, she had already figured out how to deal with Jiang Liangjin.

Ruo Ya took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, walked up to Qing An, and softened her tone: "Qing An, I didn't mean that."

"Not that?" Qing An became even more confused, tilting his head with a puzzled look: "Then what were you asking, sister?"

Seeing her brother's completely clueless expression, Ruo Ya felt both annoyed and amused, and finally said patiently: "I mean, regarding romantic feelings between a man and a woman, do you want to marry her and make her your queen?"

From the first time she saw Mingxi, she took a liking to her and began to treat her with the affection of a sister.

Lively and pure, she couldn't help but offer her the best of everything, a nature completely unlike Ai Luoxiu's.

If such a child could someday be with Qing An, it would be a blessing for the M Guo royal family and for Qing An himself.

Over these years, she has watched Qing An dote on Mingxi with all his heart, wishing to present the world's finest things before her.

She had merely thought it was a youth's unconscious stirring of the heart; today she finally decided to ask outright, but she never expected such an answer.

Qing Wei also spoke, his voice steady: "Mingxi is good in every way; if she could become your queen, it would be wholly beneficial to you and to anyone."

"More importantly, I, your sister, and our parents all sincerely like her and wish for her to become part of our family; I imagine you feel the same."

Qing An finally understood this time, his face showing disbelief: "Marry Youbao? Become queen? Sister, what are you talking about? Why would I marry her? It's fine enough for her to be my sister; she already has A Jin!"

"My feelings toward her are the same as Mu Xin's toward her; wouldn't that be incest?"

The two were left stunned by his words.

"What do you mean by incest?"

Qing An seemed to suddenly recall something, his eyes lighting up as he instantly cast aside the previous topic.

"Right, you didn't mention it, but I almost forgot—next door, Xun Li recently held a special banquet, announcing to the world that he recognized Youbao as his blood sister."

"Again recognizing a sister, again granting a princess title with privileges, again enfeoffing a castle, even recording it in the royal genealogy."

He spoke with a hint of indignation: "Xun Li did all that; how could our M Guo fall behind? We are the people closest to Youbao here!"

Qing Wei had already regained his composure, looking at his brother's earnest expression, he said lightly: "So?"

Qing An: "I think we should also hold a grand banquet?"

Ruo Ya followed his lead and asked: "What kind of banquet?"

"A recognition banquet." Qing An blurted out: "I want to formally recognize Youbao as my blood sister, in the name of the M Guo royal family, announcing to all of M Guo that she is my sister, and no one may slight her."

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, waving his arms and legs, completely unaware of Ruo Ya and Qing Wei's growing helpless expressions.

Ruo Ya's eyes were full of frustration.

She had originally intended to matchmake her brother with Mingxi, so they could stay together for life.

As it turned out, her brother's sole focus was on being someone's brother, and he wanted to hold a grand recognition banquet.

Qing Wei watched his brother's stubborn yet endearing demeanor, spoke in a low voice, trying to persuade: "Qing An, Mingxi herself is already a princess conferred by Y Guo, and the Mu Family holds tremendous power; there's no need to rely on the title of an M Guo princess for added prestige."

Actually, back then they had privately asked Mu Xin whether he would be willing to become an adopted son of M Guo, to add another layer of kinship between the two nations.

But he was politely refused.

Conferring princess status on Mingxi wouldn't be impossible, but... the M Guo royal family has too many enemies, and they've provoked quite a few in recent years, fearing that doing so would bring trouble to Mingxi.

"That's not the same!" Qing An said earnestly: "Xun Li did it, so I want to do it too! And I want to hold it even more grandly and magnificently than he did!"

Whatever others can give to their sisters, he can also give!

Ruo Ya looked at her brother's stubborn expression and finally softened her heart.

Being recognized as a little princess by the royal family is fine too; that also counts as family.

That way, Mingxi would still be her nominal sister, and she could still grow close to those from Y Guo.

Moreover, her brother's thoughts are pure; having finally found something he likes, she couldn't bear to pour cold water on it.

Ruo Ya fell silent for a moment, then lifted her gaze to Qing An and spoke slowly: "Holding a banquet is fine, but does little Mingxi consent? She might not enjoy such a grandiose occasion."

Qing Wei also nodded, thoughtful: "Right, we also need Ai Luoxiu and Xian Qi's consent, and it would be best if the relatives who came with her this time also agree."

Rashly proposing to recognize kin—if those people refuse, it would be embarrassing at best, and could seriously harm our mutual affection.

Qing An didn't care at all, saying, "It's fine, don't bother with them! The little sister is what matters most."

Jun Chenling, that sly fellow, when he first recognized Youbao as his sister, also acted first and asked later—he didn't even tell Youbao's grandfather beforehand.

In the end, didn't it still work out smoothly?

He also wants to do it that way.