Chapter 18: She Even Felt the Pain in His Butt for Him

Fei Yan hadn’t originally planned to personally deliver Tang Chaoyang’s dowry to the General’s estate.

But being a meticulous person by nature, even though he believed that Tang Chaoyang’s complaint to the prefectural yamen and the Censor’s impeachment were merely coincidental, he still wanted to test things out for himself.

---

At the General’s Estate

Tang Chaoyang lived in Lanting Courtyard in the west wing.

Several large osmanthus trees were planted in the courtyard, their branches adorned with clusters of tiny blossoms. The whole area was suffused with a faint, fragrant scent of osmanthus.

Fei An’an, with his short little legs, clung tightly to the trunk of one of the trees, arms wrapped around it, huffing as he tried to climb upward.

But the thick layers of his clothing made his movements awkward and cumbersome.

By the time he reached halfway up, he was already feeling exhausted.

The two maids assigned to care for him watched anxiously from below, not daring to speak for fear of distracting the little master and causing him to fall.

Tang Chaoyang rushed over from the small kitchen and just happened to see Fei An’an stuck motionless on the tree trunk.

From afar, he looked like a fluffy cotton ball stuck to the tree.

She sighed helplessly and walked over, reaching up with both hands to support him.

At his height, even climbing the tree only brought him up to the top of her head.

“An’an, climbing trees like this is dangerous. Be careful you don’t fall and knock yourself silly.”

“Mother, hold me tightly,” Fei An’an said, releasing his hands and feet. Tang Chaoyang caught him and gently set him on the ground.

The little fellow clasped his hands behind his back and sighed. “Mother, An’an is useless.”

Tang Chaoyang hadn’t planned on laughing, but seeing her son say that so seriously, she couldn’t help but chuckle twice.

Fei An’an tilted his little head and looked up at her. He was clearly heartbroken—why was his mother laughing?

Quickly suppressing her smile, she squatted down, tilted her head, and asked,
“Why did An’an want to climb the tree?”

Fei An’an puffed out his small chest.
“Today, the teacher told us about Records of Food and Commerce. He said, ‘Return the people to farming, each person relying on their own labor.’ Mother, I’m trying to be self-sufficient. I wanted to eat osmanthus cake!”

Tang Chaoyang blinked and looked up at the osmanthus blossoms in the tree, not sure whether to praise her son.

Oh well, praise him first.

“An’an already understands self-reliance. That’s very good. But if An’an got hurt climbing the tree, Mother would be heartbroken. Mother would cry. We must protect ourselves first before doing other things, okay?”

Fei An’an tilted his head seriously and considered her words.
“An’an doesn’t want to make Mother sad.”

As the mother and son made a pinky promise, Nanny Wu approached and came to Tang Chaoyang’s side.
“Miss.”

Tang Chaoyang stood up. “What is it, Nanny?”

Nanny Wu glanced at Fei An’an and deliberately lowered her voice.
“The Prime Minister’s residence has returned the dowry. Lord Fei is also here—he wants to see you.”

Tang Chaoyang didn’t know why Fei Yan had come to see her, but she wasn’t afraid of him either.
“There should be some snacks ready in the kitchen. Take An’an there for a treat.”

The maids took Fei An’an away, and Tang Chaoyang straightened her clothes before heading toward the main hall.

Nanny Wu looked at her mistress’s simple attire and asked,
“Miss, do you want to change into something else?”

Tang Chaoyang had dressed plainly on purpose, since she had just been in the kitchen preparing snacks for Fei An’an.

She shook her head.
“No need.”

She used to dress in luxurious finery whenever meeting Fei Yan. Nanny Wu probably still hadn’t adjusted to her new way of doing things.

---

Fei Yan stood in the main hall, hands clasped behind his back.

When he saw Tang Chaoyang enter the room wearing a plain dress, her hair casually tied back with a silk ribbon, his gaze faltered briefly.

Tang Chaoyang walked in and leisurely sat down in a chair.

Seeing that Fei Yan remained standing, she gave him a glance and raised her brow slightly.
“Prime Minister Fei, please take a seat. May I ask what brings you here today?”

Fei Yan spoke calmly,
“There was no need for you to file a complaint with the prefecture about your dowry. You know what kind of person my mother is.”

“If I had been at home at the time, I would’ve made sure you took your dowry without trouble.”

Tang Chaoyang didn’t rush to respond. She didn’t believe this man came all this way just to deliver such a bland remark.

Lifting her teacup, she said again,
“It’s rather uncomfortable having Prime Minister Fei standing while I sit. It’s putting a lot of pressure on my neck.”

Her tone was light, but carried a delicate touch. No matter whether she was angry or playful, her voice always carried a bit of that soft lilt—something she couldn’t change.

Fei Yan, expression unchanged, finally sat down.

Tang Chaoyang smiled faintly and sighed.
“The Old Madam went too far. She wanted me to trade An’an for my dowry. Of course I was furious. Naturally, I went to the prefecture for justice.”

“After all, I’m just a cast-off woman, unloved by father or mother.”

“Fei Yan—An’an is my life.”

Her tone was gentle, but her expression was calm and resolute.

Fei Yan could tell from her face that she meant every word.

So, it was because the Old Madam had tried to use An’an as leverage to keep the dowry—that’s why she got angry and filed the complaint?

Fei Yan stood up. Despite his calm expression, sitting had been painful on his injured backside.

Before leaving, his gaze drifted to Tang Chaoyang’s plain attire, and he frowned.
“Does the Su family not even prepare decent clothes for you?”

Tang Chaoyang sneered at his fake concern.
“The reason I’ve ended up like this—isn’t it you and Dong Xinrui’s doing? Don’t come here pretending to care.”

Fei Yan wasn’t angry. He merely gave her a faint look and said,
“Stop provoking Xinrui. She’s not someone you can afford to offend.”

With that quiet warning, he turned and left.

Tang Chaoyang muttered under her breath,
“Who let that dog in to bark?”

Fei Yan, whose hearing was sharp, paused for a moment but kept walking, face cold and handsome.

Knowing someone is dangerous yet still seeking them out—if that’s not foolishness, what is?

---

After Fei Yan left, Tang Chaoyang leaned back in her chair, finally relaxed.

What a suspicious man, she thought. He clearly came to test her, probably thinking she had someone powerful backing her.

When she had returned from the prefecture at noon, her grandfather had already informed her that the Censor had impeached Fei Yan for failing to discipline his brother Fei Gang, who had forcibly seized a family recipe and caused someone’s death. The Emperor had punished Fei Yan with caning.

She had also told her grandfather about her complaint regarding the Prime Minister’s residence seizing her dowry, just to keep him informed.

On her way back from her grandfather’s, she had guessed that Fei Yan might come to her.

In her past life, she had studied Fei Yan’s thoughts for twenty years—she understood him at least somewhat.

But she hadn’t expected him to show up the very same day. Just thinking about how he sat down so nonchalantly despite his injuries—she felt the pain in his butt on his behalf.

---

Just as Fei Yan exited the General’s estate, Guard Cheng, after ensuring the surroundings were safe, lowered his voice and said,
“My Lord, our people discovered that someone delivered a slip of paper to the Censor.”