After Doctor Liu left, the servants withdrew like a tide, leaving only Fucheng and Jin Wang in the room.
No, there was still one more person. Xiaobao was also there.
Hong Chou tried to take Xiaobao away but was deterred by Jin Wang, who was lying there in the way, so she could only let him stay behind.
Jin Wang opened his eyes and glanced at Fucheng.
Fucheng hurriedly leaned forward to help him sit up.
A small part of Jin Wang’s current miserableness was feigned, but a larger part of it was his actual current condition.
“Not bad.”
Fucheng laughed. Once his laughter rescinded, he said with a bit of worry, “This servant doesn’t know whether madam can think this matter through.”
As soon as his words fell, he felt someone staring at him. When he turned to look, he saw a small person sitting there.
Fucheng looked carefully, up and down. The more he looked, the happier he was. The more he looked, the more he liked him.
This was the young master of their manor. Why didn’t he realize before that the young master was so lovely, white, fat, and cute? No baby in the world could compare to his little master.
Fucheng’s old face smiled like a chrysanthemum, and stretched out his hand, “Young master, give this old servant a hug.”
Upon hearing this, both Jin Wang and Xiaobao stiffened.
He forgot about Xiaobao!
Jin Wang slowly turned around and looked at Xiaobao who was sitting on the inside of the bed.
To be honest, he had made up his mind a long time ago to accept him. Although she was considering her face, deep down in his heart, he still couldn’t bring himself to like this child. Now that he used a different gaze to look at him, Jin Wang suddenly felt an indescribable feeling.
Guilt, shame, distress. All these emotions turned into sourness. Something came up and filled his eyes.
Jin Wang closed his eyes. When he recovered his calm, he said, “I didn’t expect that you little brat is actually the prince’s seed. No wonder this prince thinks you’re pleasing to the eye.”
Xiaobao made a face and saliva spurted out. Unfortunately, he was too far away so his spit didn’t reach the intended target.
Fucheng smiled so hard that his eyes couldn’t be seen. “The young master is so smart. He even spits people in a unique way.”
Xiaobao really wanted to spit Turtle Fu in the face. What did he mean by spitting in a unique way?! He avoided Fucheng’s hand and crawled away. Reaching the bedside cabinet, he pulled out the bamboo basket with toys inside.
As he pulled the bamboo basket over, a lot of things fell out. Xiaobao sat in his original spot again, picked up the toys and threw them over.
There were rattles, small wooden horses, small cloth balls, metal rings, and wicker boxes. All sorts of bits and pieces were smashed at Jin Wang and Fucheng and the toys rained down on them.
Once he chucked everything, Xiaobao started crying under the blank gaze of Jin Wang and Fucheng.
His cries sounded throughout the courtyard. Yu Chan soon came over.
After a hurried salute, she said, “Madam said to bring the young master to her.”
Before Jin Wang could speak, Xiaobao crawled over and stretched out his small chubby hand to Yu Chan.
Xiaobao was then taken away by Yu Chan.
“Humph!” Fucheng looked sour, “The little master is quite clever. He must’ve not wanted to see this old servant!”
He didn’t dare to say that Xiaobao didn’t want to see Jin Wang. But even though he didn’t say it, Jin Wang still didn’t look too good.
Yaoniang asked people to clean up the east side of the Rongxi Courtyard.
This cozy pavilion was rarely used. Only in winter would it be used more often. The interior was beautifully decorated without seeming too extravagant. There was a large rosewood Kang¹ by the window. To its left and right were seats whose backrest, pillow and cushion were all made with scarlet red satin, embroidered with pythons.
Yaoniang asked the servants to remove everything that was on top of the Kang. Then she had it covered with a lake-blue satin mattress and a primrose satin bedsheet.
Yaoniang planned to live here for now. Seeing Xiaobao being carried over with tears on his pink and tender face, she knew that her son was arguing with that person again. This wasn’t an uncommon scene.
Before, she would’ve felt fear from offending Jin Wang then joy and gratitude as she realized he didn’t mind. But now, her feelings were hard to describe.
Ever since Xiaobao entered Jin Wang Mansion, Yaoniang had been worried about all sorts of things. Only today was she told that there was no need to feel that way. Her son wasn’t someone that needed to depend on others’ mercy to live under their roof. He deserved all this.
And she, who had been a wet nurse for both her lives in Jin Wang Mansion, understood how much Jin Wang valued the little princess. She knew how Side Consort Hu’s prestige and power were all because of her daughter. In her previous life, she had suffered all kinds of hardship under the hands of Side Consort Hu.
But now she was told all of that was fake!
So what if it was fake? Since it happened, it can’t be so easily erased!
Yaoniang felt that if she continued to think about it, she would end up jealous and resentful. If she lost her peace of mind, she would no longer be like herself. After placing Xiaobao on the Kang, she climbed onto the Kang herself and played with her son.
The toys they normally played with were all in her old room. Xiaobao had nothing to play with, so Yaoniang could only ask Hong Chou to go get them.
So the ill Jin Wang and the loyal Fucheng saw the maid next to Yaoniang coming over to get some things. Then she returned to get another batch of things. Gradually, fewer and fewer things belonging to Yaoniang remained in this room. Soon, only her smell lingered in Jin Wang’s nose.
He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, tired.