The Crown Prince

The man was tall and slim, his fair fingers resting on the black sandalwood table, quietly watching her.

After three years of marriage, Sang Yao still felt nervous in front of Xie Yun at times.

Even when nothing had started yet, the young girl’s fair cheeks would turn red.

Under the man’s silent gaze, Sang Yao moved over slowly, lowering her head to change the subject. “…Why are you so harsh on Jiu Jiu?”

Xie Yun held her waist, his thumb lightly caressing her slender waist through the thin fabric.

He spoke slowly, “She doesn’t listen.”

“She’s already two years old. You shouldn’t spoil her too much.”

As he spoke, the man skillfully unbuttoned her clothes.

It was summer, the fabric was thin, and the room was dim.

The faint sunlight coming in did little to brighten the dark room.

The girl’s bare shoulders seemed to glow white in the darkness, her black hair tied up.

Xie Yun could clearly see her slender and delicate neck as he lowered his head.

In just a moment, the pink outer garment was piled on the floor.

Xie Yun stood up straight, wrapped his arms around Sang Yao’s waist, and turned her around.

Sang Yao’s waist touched the hard edge of the table, and Xie Yun’s hand grabbed her leg from below, easily placing her on the dark sandalwood table.

Sang Yao was no stranger to this position.

Xie Yun leisurely untied the delicate ribbon behind her, serious and extremely slow. Every time he did this, Sang Yao felt even more ashamed when she saw his restrained and cold face.

Sang Yao just wants Jiu Jiu to grow up healthy and happy, but Xie Yun treats Jiu Jiu like a little prince, with very high demands.

The clothes were piled around Sang Yao’s waist, and she shrugged her shoulders, subconsciously wanting to lean on Xie Yun to block some of it.

However, Xie Yun held her shoulders, lowered his eyes to observe carefully, and then exclaimed, “So beautiful.”

“… “

It was as if he was seeing it for the first time.

Sang Yao felt a bit tormented by this. She said, “Stop looking.”

She added, “She’s still young, you don’t need to praise her.”

Xie Yun said, “What’s there to praise? She doesn’t even understand people’s expressions.”

He and Sang Yao hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and even when they were sleeping at night, there was a little radish in between, which wouldn’t satisfy anyone.

But Sang Yao wasn’t very happy.

What was Xie Yun talking about?

At two years old, she couldn’t even speak clearly, so how could she understand people’s expressions? It’s amazing he could say that.

Sang Yao frowned, trying to remember when she was two years old, but she couldn’t remember anything.

She only knew that when she was four or five years old, she still liked to squat and play with mud, not knowing what understanding people’s expressions meant.

On the other hand, Jiu Jiu, a two-year-old child, couldn’t speak clearly but could recite many poems.

After reciting a poem, she would happily come to her and proudly say, “Jiu Jiu can recite poem, want a reward!”

Sang Yao would ask her, “What reward do you want?”

Most children would take this opportunity to go out and play or ask for some snacks, but Jiu Jiu would look up at Sang Yao with her small face and then extend her chubby little hand, tapping her own white cheek, and seriously say, “Want Mommy to kiss.”

Thinking of this, Sang Yao couldn’t help but raise her lips.

However, at this moment, the man suddenly pinched her chin.

Sang Yao was forced to raise her head, and the man squinted his eyes and said discontentedly, “Are you daydreaming?”

Because Xie Yun was pinching her cheeks, the girl’s red lips involuntarily pouted lightly. She said inarticulately, “I’m not.”

Xie Yun snorted coldly and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Sang Yao raised her hand and held Xie Yun’s wrist.

He wasn’t using much force, so when Sang Yao struggled slightly, Xie Yun let go.

The man’s hand stopped at Sang Yao’s chin, and his thumb touched her moist lips. Sang Yao subconsciously stuck out her tongue and licked them.

Xie Yun’s movements paused slightly, and Sang Yao whispered to him, “Of course, I’m thinking about you.”

Sang Yao let go of his hand, then actively straightened her back and hugged his neck, wanting to kiss him.

Because Xie Yun was tall, when she sat on the table, Xie Yun had to lower his head slightly for her to kiss him.

But today, Xie Yun unexpectedly didn’t cooperate.

Sang Yao could only touch his chin. She frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

Xie Yun lowered his eyes to look at her, and said slowly, “I’m angry.”

But he didn’t look angry at all, and his hand movements didn’t stop.

Sang Yao asked, “…Why are you angry?”

Xie Yun said, “You could have slept with me yesterday, why didn’t you send her away?”

Not just yesterday, the day before yesterday as well.

He had been back from his business trip for nearly five days.

Others said absence makes the heart grow fonder, but since he returned, Sang Yao hadn’t been willing to part with Jiu Jiu every night.

So, it wasn’t until today that she finally sent Jiu Jiu away.

Every night, they would sandwich a chubby child between them, sometimes hugging Sang Yao, sometimes hugging him.

Despite being young and not very articulate, she could chatter away for an hour.

“Do you miss me?”

Sang Yao: “…”

Sang Yao didn’t not miss him, but in the few days since Xie Yun’s return, she had seen him every day and could occasionally hug and kiss him, so her longing was quickly relieved.

But Xie Yun seemed to think otherwise.

He was probably someone who wouldn’t give up until he achieved his goal, and his longing might need to be relieved by sleeping.

Sang Yao knew him like the back of her hand.

Arguing with him was futile; she couldn’t win no matter what.

She leaned against Xie Yun’s chest and changed the subject, saying, “It’s getting dark.”

After a moment of silence, Xie Yun seemed unaffected by her hint and continued, “Don’t be in a hurry, and please don’t try to evade my question.”

Ignoring him, Sang Yao raised her hand and let her fingers fall on the man’s chest. She said, “…Don’t you want to cherish the time?”

Xie Yun’s grip on her wrist tightened slightly, his Adam’s apple rolling, but he still didn’t make a move.

“You–“

Before she could finish her sentence, Sang Yao’s hand, which was on his chest, accurately landed where it shouldn’t have.

Xie Yun immediately grabbed her delicate wrist.

Sang Yao, indifferent, said, “Only you can tease me, but I can’t tease you?”

Xie Yun’s face darkened. “You’ll get your turn later.”

Sang Yao couldn’t stand his leisurely teasing anymore. She took the opportunity to hug him, and with a gentle touch of her slender leg, she looked up and whispered, “Won’t you really kiss me?”

…

When Sang Yao woke up, it was already early morning of the next day.

Xie Yun had already left early to go to the palace and hadn’t returned yet. As she sat up in bed, she felt a soreness and stiffness in her body, especially her legs.

She frowned and cursed Xie Yun in her heart.

After washing up, the door was knocked on loudly. A young girl’s voice came from outside, “Mother, Mother!”

“Lazybones, it’s time to get up!”

Huai Meng got the response she wanted and opened the door, saying, “Miss, you’re up so early today.”

Jiujiu raised her head and said, “Good morning, Aunt Huaimeng!”

Huaimeng’s heart melted, her smile becoming even warmer. “Come in quickly, Miss.”

Sang Yao sat in front of the bronze mirror and saw Jiujie, like a snowball, running towards her in the mirror.

She couldn’t help but smile.

Turning around, Jiujie ran into Sang Yao’s arms and said, “Mother, you’re up late today.”

Sang Yao replied, “Mother accidentally overslept.”

Glancing at the rising sun outside, Jiujie said, “It’s okay, Mother doesn’t have to study today. You can be a lazybones.”

Sang Yao squatted down and pinched Jiujie’s chubby cheeks, asking, “What are your plans for today, little Jiujie?”

With a pouting face, Jiujie said, “I have to memorize books.”

She complained, “Dad is so annoying. Peach said that when she was two years old, she could play outside every day.”

The two-year-old child was like a little chatterbox.

She touched her own right cheek and said, “Dad didn’t even kiss me before he left yesterday. I’m so sad.”

“If Mother can make up for it, it would be great.”

Sang Yao kissed Jiujie’s cheek and comforted her, “Dad might have been busy and forgot. He loves Jiujie the most.”

Jiujie generously said, “Then I forgive him!”

“Later when Dad comes back, I want to…”

Before she could finish, Jiujie blinked her big round eyes and saw the red mark on Sang Yao’s neck.

The child’s eyes quickly turned red.

She pursed her lips and whispered, “Mother is hurt.”

Sang Yao was taken aback, her face slightly embarrassed.

She hugged Jiujie and said, “I’m not hurt.”

“It was a very fierce mosquito that bit me last night. It doesn’t hurt.”

Jiujie thought to herself that it couldn’t be painless with such a red mark.

She held back her tears and asked, “Did the big mosquito run away?”

Sang Yao replied, “It ran away.”

Jiujie, feeling angry, said, “You should have killed it!”

“If it were Jiujie, you would have caught it.”

“Dad is useless!”

Before she could finish her sentence, the door suddenly opened, revealing Xie Yun in black clothes, standing tall at the doorway.

Jiujie immediately fell silent.

She quietly moved closer to Sang Yao and whispered, “Dad, you’re back.”

“Both Mother and I missed you a lot.”

Xie Yun glanced at her and asked, “Is that so?”

Jiujie nodded, “Yes.”

Xie Yun walked in, gently pinched Jiujie’s chubby cheek, and said, “Didn’t you think I was useless?”

Jiujie: “…”

She didn’t say anything and quietly held Sang Yao’s hand.

Sang Yao smiled and said, “Why are you scaring her?”

She helped Xie Yun take off his heavy coat and asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

Xie Yun kissed Sang Yao’s lips and said, “I had some things to take care of, so I came back early.”

Sang Yao pushed him away and whispered, “The child is still here.”

Xie Yun looked down at Jiujie and asked her, “Have you learned all the characters you were taught yesterday?”

Jiujie nodded proudly, “Yes, all learned. It’s so simple.”

Xie Yun nodded and said naturally, “In that case, finish the remaining half of the book today.”

Jiujie: “…Don’t want to.”

Xie Yun, skillfully, said, “Jinglian.”

Jinglian immediately stepped aside and stood at the door.

He loved taking the little miss out to play the most. He could play with the child and take the opportunity to slack off.

He smiled and said, “Miss, let’s go.”

Jiujie held onto Sang Yao and refused to let go, unhappy.

She said, “Mother…”

Sang Yao frowned and said to Xie Yun, “She just came over. Why are you asking her to leave?”

Xie Yun whispered, “Something came up.”

Sang Yao whispered, “Jiujie, why don’t you go out and play with Uncle Jinglian first?”

Jiujie always listened to Sang Yao. After hesitating for a moment, she reluctantly agreed.

Once Jiujie left, Xie Yun took Sang Yao out. Sang Yao had never seen Xie Yun speak to her so seriously before.

She felt a bit nervous and asked, “What’s the matter?”

As they spoke, they walked through the corridor and stopped in front of a warm pavilion. Xie Yun pushed open the door.

Sang Yao stood behind Xie Yun and saw a child lying on the bed.

He was a boy, very small and thin, with a wax-yellow complexion, looking even younger than Jiujie.

He was curled up, sleeping uneasily.

Sang Yao widened her eyes and said, “This…”

Xie Yun said, “His father is the crown prince.”

It was like a thunderbolt.

As far as Sang Yao knew, Lu Li and Ming Rong had no children.

Since Ming Rong became the crown prince’s consort, Sang Yao hadn’t seen her for a long time.

Initially, it was just a rumor that the crown prince’s consort was weak and bedridden, and two years later, she passed away directly, leaving no trace.

Xie Yun continued, “His biological mother was from the pleasure quarter, unsuitable for the royal family. Her encounter with Lu Li was an accidental incident. Shortly after giving birth to him, that woman passed away, and Lu Li was unaware of his existence.”

“In these years, he was raised by an old man. After the old man passed away, Lu Li coincidentally learned of his existence.”

In recent years, Lu Li had changed his previous impression, acting cautiously and without attracting attention.

Because of his previous gentle character, the emperor also trusted her greatly.

If this child were to be brought back to the Eastern Palace, it would inevitably cause a stir. At this critical juncture, it was not a good thing.

Lu Li had no feelings for this child, and the accident back then was not what he wanted.

In the royal family, being soft-hearted was the most taboo.

So, if they wanted to be safe, the most direct way was to be ruthless and eliminate the potential trouble.

He did indeed spare the child’s life, but Xie Yun stopped him at the last moment.

Perhaps it was because of Jiujie, Xie Yun, who had always been cold and ruthless, felt a twinge of compassion for this child who was almost the same age as Jiujie.

Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs.

If not for the circumstances, Lu Li would not have harmed a two-year-old child.

Now that Xie Yun was willing to help, it was undoubtedly the best outcome.

“I want to send him to a branch of the Xie family in the north, but his identity…”

Sang Yao stared at the child’s thin, yellow face, feeling complicated.

She sighed and said quietly, “It’s a good thing you saved him.”

The child’s identity was a problem.

If he was sent elsewhere in secret and something happened to him in the future, leading to accusations against the crown prince, it would be better to end him today.

So, the best solution was to keep him in the Xie family, where it was safest under their watchful eyes.

Even if someone suspected something, with the Xie family and the crown prince in control in the capital, they would not be able to find evidence.

Since Xie Yun had saved him, he had a certain responsibility towards him and the crown prince.

He couldn’t be careless.

Sang Yao said, “As for his identity, why don’t we just say he’s our child for now?”