“Your Highness, Behave.”
After the wei hour in the afternoon, the guests gradually began to depart.
Lu Rongshen hurried over to Chu Yuan, the braised sauce at the corner of his mouth not yet wiped clean.
“Third Sister-in-Law, Third Sister-in-Law, my residence is finished now. Another day, I will invite you over to have a look.”
Chu Yuan smiled and indulged him. “It is not convenient for you to leave the palace. If your residence lacks anything, tell me, and I will help furnish it.”
Lu Rongshen nodded repeatedly, deeply moved. Then a thought struck him and he said, “Almost everything has already been furnished. Third Sister-in-Law has good taste, so help me choose some paintings and flowers instead.”
“You would do better to ask Miss Bai what she likes. She will be the mistress of the residence in the future. Everything should be arranged with her first.”
Lu Rongshen had long since asked Bai Qingyu. Last time, he had even invited her to go out with him to choose furnishings. Hearing Chu Yuan say this, his face immediately fell.
“Third Sister-in-Law, you may not believe it when I say it, but Qingyu previously chose two giant wolf-toothed iron hammers to put in the residence. I can barely lift those things.”
Chu Yuan: “...”
“Tell me, how does a young lady like things so unlike everyone else? I gave her bracelets and embroidered handkerchiefs, and she did not want them either.” Lu Rongshen scratched his head, his eyes full of sweet distress.
Chu Yuan lowered his head and smiled lightly, then motioned with his eyes for him to look behind him.
Lu Rongshen turned around and saw Bai Qingyu standing right behind him. One look at her expression made it obvious she had heard every word he had just said.
Lu Rongshen immediately lost his nerve. He hurried over to Bai Qingyu’s side with an ingratiating smile, showing a mouthful of small white teeth.
“Qingyu, I did not say the things you like were bad. I also like giant wolf-toothed iron hammers very much.”
Bai Qingyu hid the smile in his eyes and asked softly, “Truly?”
“Truly, truly. When I get back, I will use them to train my arm strength. When we marry, I will certainly be able to carry you.” Lu Rongshen spoke with solemn confidence, his expression at once ridiculous and earnest.
Bai Qingyu drew a pink embroidered handkerchief from his sleeve, upon which delicate lotus blossoms and stamens were stitched. He pulled Lu Rongshen over and carefully wiped the braised sauce from the corner of his mouth.
Lu Rongshen caught Bai Qingyu’s wrist, his eyes bright as the stars. “This is the handkerchief I gave you. So you did not throw it away.”
Bai Qingyu let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “If you gave it to me, I would not throw it away.”
Lu Rongshen laughed, happy as a little fool.
Once everyone else had left, only the Nie family and Lu Rongshen’s group remained in Apricot Garden.
Jiang Ni had just taken Chu Yuan’s pulse and confirmed that the child in his belly was safe and well. He had softly instructed him in a few more matters and was about to rise when Chu Yuan caught at his sleeve.
“Uncle Jiang.” Chu Yuan tipped his head up, his eyes moist and warm, their pupils brimming with a smile.
“I have already thought over that question from before.”
Jiang Ni looked at him, tense with anticipation and a touch of nervousness.
Chu Yuan tilted his head to look at Lu Ronghuai. Lu Ronghuai nodded at him, his smile gentle.
Chu Yuan smiled, then turned back to Jiang Ni. “This one has spoken with His Highness. Thanks to the kindness of Uncle Jiang and the Nie family, Xingyi is willing.”
Jiang Ni was overjoyed beyond words and immediately pulled Chu Yuan into an embrace.
“Wonderful, truly wonderful. Uncle Jiang is so happy.”
Nie Xuxing stepped forward and tugged the excited Jiang Ni back with a smile, an arm around his shoulder. “Enough now. The children are all here. Do not get so happy that you cry.”
Jiang Ni shot him a reproachful glance, then held Chu Yuan’s hand and turned to look at Nie Chouwen.
“Father,” he called, unable to hide his excitement.
Nie Chouwen walked over. Lu Ronghuai had already ordered a table and tea to be set out.
There in Apricot Garden, they performed a brief ceremony. The Nie family sat in the places of honor with Nie Chouwen at the center, and Nie Xuxing and Jiang Ni seated on either side of him.
A kneeling cushion had been placed on the ground. Chu Yuan knelt upon it, his back held straight. Slowly, he bent forward and bowed to the three of them, knocking his head three times in one smooth, flowing motion. Then he lifted the tea from the tray and respectfully presented it to Nie Chouwen.
“Grandfather, please drink tea.”
The sternness had long since vanished from Nie Chouwen’s face, replaced with kindness and warmth.
He accepted the tea from Chu Yuan’s hands, took a sip, and set the lid back over the cup. “Good.”
Nie Chouwen drew out a bulging red packet from within his robes and stuffed it straight into Chu Yuan’s wide sleeve.
“Keep it safe. This is Grandfather’s first gift to you.”
Chu Yuan grinned, his smile radiant. “Good. Xingyi thanks Grandfather.”
Then he lifted the tea again and offered it to Nie Xuxing.
“Father, please drink tea.”
Nie Xuxing accepted it with a smile full of delight, then also pulled out a large red packet and stuffed it into Chu Yuan’s hands.
“Never did I think that in this life I would gain another son, and one so outstanding at that. I can die without regret now.”
Chu Yuan smiled, warmth spreading gently through his heart.
At last, he looked toward Jiang Ni and, lifting the tea with both hands, softly and solemnly called, “Ah-Die, please drink tea.”
As Jiang Ni gazed at that face, which resembled Jiang You by seven parts, tears rose in his eyes without his intending them to. He nodded repeatedly. “Good, good, good child. From now on, treat the Nie family as your own home. We are all your family.”
“Mm.” A soft catch came into Chu Yuan’s throat.
Jiang Ni rose from his chair and crouched down before Chu Yuan. Lifting a hand, he gently stroked Chu Yuan’s head, his voice low and soft. “Thank you for being willing to accept us. Your mother will forever remain the dearest person to you. Later on, we will go together to pay our respects to him.”
“All right.”
“There is me too. Ah-Yuan didi, I have even prepared my red packet already. Quick, call me gege.” Nie Siran bent over with a smiling face, red packet in hand.
The tips of Chu Yuan’s ears turned red. Still, he did not fuss over it. “Gege.”
“Ai.” Nie Siran’s face bloomed with delight.
Lu Ronghuai came forward and elbowed him aside. Helping Chu Yuan to his feet, he saw that the corners of Chu Yuan’s eyes had already gone red, so he ordered Xian Yu to bring hot water. After wetting a cloth, he began wiping Chu Yuan’s face.
At first, Chu Yuan did not think much of it. When the two of them were at home, Lu Ronghuai often wiped his hands and face for him. It was only a moment later that it dawned on him belatedly that so many people were watching them.
“Your Highness... do not wipe anymore.” Chu Yuan stole a glance around. Seeing everyone looking at him with smiles, warmth rose immediately in his face.
He buried his head in Lu Ronghuai’s chest and hid there like an ostrich.
Lu Ronghuai laughed under his breath, the laughter rumbling through his chest. That unconstrained sound irritated his delicate little spouse, who secretly found the flesh at his waist and gave it a fierce twist.
“Hiss...” Lu Ronghuai bared his teeth. Lu Ronghuai sucked in a sharp breath, his handsome face contorting for a moment.
Lu Rongshen, not understanding what had happened, asked loudly, “Third Brother, what is the matter with you?”
Bai Qingyu coughed lightly. “Eighth Highness, there is a turtle in the pond over there. Would Your Highness like to go look at it?”
“Ah? Oh, yes, let us go then. Let us go look.” Seeing Bai Qingyu take the initiative to ask him, Lu Rongshen became overjoyed and instantly forgot the question he had just asked. He eagerly followed Bai Qingyu to the pond to look at turtles.
Xian Feng came in from outside and walked to Lu Ronghuai’s side.
“My lord, His Majesty summons you into the palace at once.”
Lu Ronghuai was displeased. “Today is Ah-Yuan’s birthday. This Prince is going nowhere.”
“...” Xian Feng pointed outside the courtyard gate. “That will likely not do. The commander of the Jinlin Guards is standing outside.”
Lu Ronghuai: “...”
He laughed, half in anger, half in resignation, the vein at his temple pulsing. “My wife has this one and only twentieth birthday. Early would not do, late would not do, and he insists on choosing this exact moment. Is he not doing it on purpose just to make me unhappy?”
Xian Feng’s forehead broke out in sweat. “The commander said His Majesty has urgent business with my lord.”
“He has urgent business, what does that have to do with me?” Lu Ronghuai swore irritably. “Am I the only son he has left? He seeks me out for everything. On what grounds should I obey his summons?”
After those treasonous words came out of his mouth, no one present dared comment on them.
Except Nie Chouwen.
His tone gave away neither joy nor anger as he slowly walked over with his hands clasped behind his back. “Your Highness has quite the temper. Even His Majesty’s words go unheeded. Then in this world, who is left who can command Your Highness?”
“In this world, the only person who can command This Prince is naturally Ah-Yuan.” Lu Ronghuai lifted his brows high and spoke with a face full of triumph.
Jiang Ni smiled and called Chu Yuan’s name.
Chu Yuan lifted his head, his gaze obedient and gentle. “Your Highness should go quickly into the palace. Do not keep Father Emperor waiting long.”
Lu Ronghuai: “?”
“I am not going. Today is your birthday. I want to stay with you,” Lu Ronghuai said firmly.
Nie Siran fanned himself and remarked from the sidelines. “Oh? And who was it just now who spoke so grandly of listening to Ah-Yuan didi? So it was all deception after all.”
Chu Yuan smiled softly, his eyes bright and lively with mischief. “Your Highness, behave.”
Lu Ronghuai: “...”
“Ah-Yuan has his natal family with him now, and they have all joined forces to bully me.”
A laugh flashed through Chu Yuan’s black-and-white eyes, and he said brightly, “That is right. In future, Your Highness must not bully me. Otherwise, I shall return to my natal family.”
“........”
Jiang Ni nodded, in deep agreement. “Quite right. If Your Highness treats Yuanyuan poorly, Yuanyuan will come back to live with us. We will look after him.”
Nie Siran added, “And my precious little nephew too. We will raise him together.”
Lu Ronghuai nearly leapt to his fee. He restrained his emotions with great effort, the vein at his temple jumping, he said, “You may as well dream. This Prince is Ah-Yuan’s husband and the father of his child. The three of us are the family.”
“All right, all right. Your Highness should hurry into the palace now. Go early and come back early.” Seeing him childishly quarrelling with Nie Siran, Chu Yuan quickly began pushing him outward.
Lu Ronghuai shouted for Xian Yu, “Come over here and attend the Prince Consort. Do not let the Nie family carry him off.”
His Highness Prince Li finally left, a thousand times unwilling, his very back brimming with resentment.
The Nie family stayed with Chu Yuan and chatted. Su Ruhe had originally also meant to leave, but that fellow Nie Siran would not allow it, so he sat quietly at the side drinking tea alone.
Not long after, Lu Rongshen and Bai Qingyu returned as well.
The group sat in the cool pavilion drinking tea and talking.
With Lu Ronghuai absent, everyone’s tongues loosened, and the conversation turned lively and easy.
Lu Rongshen looked across at the Nie family, popped a candied hawthorn into his mouth, and said around it, “Say, how is it that Uncle Nie and Uncle Jiang are both Third Sister-in-Law’s fathers?”
Outsiders did not know Jiang Ni and Nie Xuxing’s relationship. To the outside world, Nie Chouwen said Jiang Ni was his adopted son. Moreover, the sight of Nie Xuxing and Jiang Ni travelling together had never struck anyone as strange.
Nie Xuxing had once still been in the capital years ago, but after getting together with Jiang Ni, he rarely returned, so the younger generation in the capital were not very familiar with either of them.
Lu Rongshen had wanted to ask ever since Chu Yuan kowtowed earlier, but because his third brother had been present, he had held it in until now.
Hearing that, Nie Siran smiled. “The two of them are close in affection. I am the Nie family’s only son in any case. Since they are all my family, what does one form of address matter? It changes nothing.”
Lu Rongshen nodded stupidly. “You are right. Uncle Nie and Uncle Jiang both treat Third Sister-in-Law very well. Third Sister-in-Law now has two fathers to back him up. Ah, heh-heh, Third Brother is really miserable.”
Nie Siran held back a laugh. “Eighth Highness, your delight in another’s misfortune is a little obvious.”
Lu Rongshen waved a hand in denial and spat out the hawthorn pit from his mouth. “I did not do any such thing. Do not speak nonsense. Be careful my Third Brother does not have you assassinated.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu dog: While I am away, you all seem to be chatting quite happily, hm? (draws sword)
Yuanyuan: Your Highness, behave.
Lu dog: Woof!
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