Rong Rong’s heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

She felt a deep urge to prove her worth to Yuan Bao, especially since it seemed that the Crown Prince had such an unshakeable place in his heart.

As she watched Yuan Bao’s reaction to the feast she prepared, she couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

The spread was more lavish than usual, with a variety of dishes that showcased her skills and dedication.

She hoped that this breakfast would not only satisfy Yuan Bao’s appetite but also reaffirm her special place in his life.

Yuan Bao’s eyes widened as he took in the array of dishes before him.

He looked up at Rong Rong with a mix of delight and surprise. “Auntie, did you make all this?”

Rong Rong nodded, trying to keep her voice steady. “Yes, I made it all just for you. I wanted to make sure you have a delicious breakfast.”

Yuan Bao’s face lit up with a big smile. “Thank you, Auntie! This looks amazing!”

As the servants set the table and began to serve the dishes, Yuan Bao eagerly reached for the food.

The moment he took a bite of the crispy fried fish strips and the delicate Eight Immortals Tofu Soup, his eyes sparkled with delight. “This is so good! You’re the best cook, Auntie!”

Rong Rong felt a wave of relief and happiness.

Seeing Yuan Bao so pleased made all the effort worth it.

She sat down beside him, watching him eat with a contented smile.

“Yuan Bao, you eat well,” she said, her voice soft. “And remember, if you ever need anything or just want to talk, I’m always here for you.”

Yuan Bao nodded, his mouth full of food. “I know, Auntie. I’m really happy you’re here.”

Rong Rong’s heart swelled with emotion.

Despite her fears and uncertainties about the future, these moments with Yuan Bao made her feel that all was not lost.

She had to keep nurturing their bond and continue to find ways to ensure Yuan Bao’s happiness and security.

As they enjoyed their breakfast together, Rong Rong felt a renewed determination to make the best of the situation and hold on to the precious moments with Yuan Bao.

The challenges ahead were daunting, but for now, she would savor this happiness and focus on strengthening her place in Yuan Bao’s life.

“Rongrong, why did you make so much? Did you make all of this yourself?”

Seeing Yuanbao’s pleased expression, Rongrong felt a bit proud inside.

What mother wouldn’t want her child to love her cooking?

“You were hungry for so long this morning; you should eat more.”

Although Yuanbao had waited a long time, he was of course delighted to see so much delicious food.

Although Rongrong had cooked for him before, it was usually just one or two dishes.

Yuanbao, not wanting to tire her out, had never asked for more.

Today, all the dishes were made by Rongrong herself, so he was very pleased.

He tasted each dish with a chopstick, and indeed, they were all delicious.

“Aunt Rongrong, you haven’t eaten either. Come sit down and eat with me.”

Rongrong was, of course, happy to eat with Yuanbao.

Since the Crown Prince wasn’t here today and only Wang An was moving in and out of Yuhua Palace, it was no problem.

It was natural for a mother to dine with her child!

Rongrong agreed immediately.

Rongrong sat in the position usually occupied by the Crown Prince, facing Yuanbao.

She served him a bite of food and he served her a spoonful of porridge.

They were eating happily together.

As they were eating, Wang An entered the room.

Seeing Rongrong and Yuanbao eating together, he wasn’t very surprised.

“Your Highness, someone from the palace has arrived. The Empress Dowager heard that the Crown Prince is not in the Eastern Palace and is worried about you being alone, so she has sent the Jinyiwei to take you to the palace.”

The Empress Dowager wants to take Yuanbao to the palace?

Indeed, it was inappropriate for the Crown Prince to leave Yuanbao alone in the East Palace.

“I don’t want to go to the palace. Tell them that my father wants me to stay here and wait for him obediently.”

This child really knows how to speak.

Rongrong looked at Yuanbao and was secretly amazed.

“Your Highness, those Jinyiwei are here with the Empress Dowager’s decree, so…”

Yuanbao frowned: “I haven’t finished my meal yet!”

Wang An lowered his head and dared not speak.

Despite Yuanbao’s young age, Wang An never dared to be cunning in front of him.

He knew that this young master was not someone easily deceived.

“I’m still angry with my grandmother. I don’t want to go to the palace now. Just tell them exactly what I said!” Yuanbao said confidently while eating his preserved vegetable and pork bun.

He spoke with such conviction and certainty.

Wang An knew that Yuanbao definitely wouldn’t go to the palace, so he could only retreat.

“Relay my message word for word.”

“Yes.”

After Wang An left, Rong Rong worriedly asked, “Is this okay? Won’t your grandmother be very angry?”

“Aunt Rongrong, don’t worry. Grandmother will be a bit unhappy, but she won’t get very angry. This afternoon, she’ll have Aunt Anru come personally to pick me up.”

Seeing that Yuan Bao was so confident, Rong Rong didn’t know what to say.

In Rong Rong’s memory, the Empress was a figure that everyone in the palace feared.

Even the favored Imperial Concubine wouldn’t dare to act up in front of her.

Would Yuan Bao really not upset the Empress?

Rong Rong was anxious, but Yuan Bao was quite indifferent, eating more than half of the full table of dishes.

After finishing the meal, Yuan Bao insisted on playing cuju (an ancient Chinese soccer-like game), and Rong Rong hurriedly stopped him.

“Just after eating, you can’t start playing cuju right away. You need to wait at least fifteen minutes.”

Yuan Bao pouted, “Aunt Rongrong, you sound just like Father.”

Rong Rong blushed and gently said, “That’s because Auntie likes Yuan Bao just like the Crown Prince does.”

In fact, Rong Rong wanted to say that she liked Yuan Bao even more than the Crown Prince.

After all, Yuan Bao was her only child, while the Crown Prince would have many more.

“Okay,” Yuan Bao said, satisfied. “Then I’ll go watch them play at the field first, and after fifteen minutes, I’ll join in.”

Such a reasonable request made Rong Rong agree without objection.

She changed Yuan Bao into more convenient clothes, and they went to the field together.

The grass field in the East Palace wasn’t very big, but it was spacious enough for children like Yuan Bao.

Wang An instructed someone to set up an umbrella for Rong Rong and Yuan Bao to sit under while watching.

At the sound of a gong, eight young eunuchs started competing in cuju.

It was Rong Rong’s first time seeing cuju and she didn’t understand the rules.

Yuan Bao explained them to her in detail and pointed out which young eunuchs played well and which didn’t.

“When did you learn to play cuju, Yuan Bao?”

“When I was three, Father taught me.”

Yuan Bao spoke proudly, but Rong Rong felt quite discouraged.

He was good at cuju, and it seemed like she could never surpass him.

After the young eunuchs on the field scored three goals, Wang An reminded her that fifteen minutes had passed.

“Aunt Rongrong, just watch me,” Yuan Bao said, and then ran onto the field.

Yuan Bao was really good at cuju.

Even though he was the youngest on the field, he ran fast and no one could take the ball away when it was at his feet.

While Rong Rong was watching in a daze, Wang An tapped her on the shoulder.

“Miss, there is a young lady named Zhen Zhen outside looking for you. She says she is from the Jing Ning Marquis’s residence.” Wang An paused, “But she came by herself, not sent by the Marquis’s residence.”

Zhen Zhen has come?

Since the Lantern Festival night, Rongrong hadn’t seen Zhenzhen again.

“Where is she?”

“If the young lady wants to see her, I can have her brought to the Crane Pavilion.”

“Thank you, Uncle Wang. But…” Rongrong glanced at Yuanbao, who was kicking a football.

Uncle Wang immediately understood, “You go ahead first. I’ll inform His Highness Yuanbao later when he takes a rest.”

“Thank you.” Rongrong waved to Yuanbao, who was playing on the grass field, and hurried off to the Crane Pavilion to see Zhenzhen.

Though it had been a while since she last saw Zhenzhen, it wasn’t too long.

So, Zhenzhen hadn’t changed much—still graceful and charming.

“Zhenzhen, why did you come over? Did something urgent happen?” Rongrong called out before even reaching the Crane Pavilion.

Zhenzhen, who had been staring blankly at the cranes outside, quickly walked over to greet Rongrong.

“Sit, let’s sit.” Rongrong guided Zhenzhen to sit down.

Zhenzhen examined Rongrong for a moment, her gaze shifting slightly. “You seem to be hiding your happiness. I assume you’re doing well in the Eastern Palace?”

It was indeed good, but Rongrong’s happiness today wasn’t because of her status in the Eastern Palace.

It was because she had found her son.

However, she couldn’t share this with Zhenzhen.

“Yuanbao likes the food I make, and the people in the Eastern Palace treat me similarly to how we were treated in the previous residence.”

“Didn’t something big happen on the street yesterday? Yuanbao wasn’t hurt, was he? I’m on leave today and didn’t know what to do, so I wanted to chat with you. I was stopped by the palace guards at the East Palace gate and wasn’t allowed in. Fortunately, I met a kind-hearted eunuch who agreed to pass on the message.”

“Yuanbao is fine. He’s playing football right now!” Rongrong poured tea for Zhenzhen.

As she was greeting her, she hadn’t noticed before, but now she saw that Zhenzhen’s eyes seemed a bit puffy.

She might not have been crying, but she hadn’t slept well. “Zhenzhen, did something happen? If there’s anything, you can tell me directly.”

“It’s a good thing you weren’t in that carriage yesterday,” Zhenzhen lowered her head, pressed her lips together, and spoke very softly. “It’s nothing serious, just that the young master…”