“Auntie, look, I’ve learned how to control the kite!” Yuanbao said proudly and began demonstrating for Rong Rong.

He first pulled the kite to the left and then to the right.

Flying kites is quite challenging, but Yuanbao had quickly learned to make the kite move left and right in a short time, which made Rong Rong unable to stop herself from applauding him.

As the sun rose higher, Yuanbao started to sweat.

Wang An wanted to step forward with an umbrella, but the umbrella blocked Yuanbao’s view, making him unhappy.

Helplessly, Wang An signaled to Rong Rong for help.

Rong Rong understood.

The Crown Prince had been practicing martial arts in the temple since he was young and never thought sweating in the sun was a big deal, so he didn’t think to bring Yuanbao inside.

Rong Rong, on the other hand, was worried about Yuanbao catching a cold from his sweat and also didn’t want to fly kites with the Crown Prince.

She moved closer to Yuanbao and said, “Yuanbao, the sun is a bit strong right now. How about we go back and rest for a while? We can come out to fly kites again in the evening.”

Yuanbao was having a great time and didn’t want to go back inside.

But when he turned around and saw Rong Rong’s forehead glistening with sweat, he asked with concern, “Auntie, are you hot? Then…” Yuanbao hesitated.

The Crown Prince’s voice drifted over lightly, “Come here, I’ll teach you how to make the kite soar forward.”

Earlier, Yuanbao had seen his father’s kite skillfully knock the butterfly kite away.

Though he thought his father was being mean, he was impressed by his skill. Hearing the Crown Prince say this, Yuanbao was immediately tempted.

“Auntie, if you’re hot, you can go back inside. Father and I aren’t afraid of the heat. We’ll play a bit longer.”

Rong Rong knew the Crown Prince was determined to provoke her and didn’t want to confront him directly.

She decided to ignore it and went back inside.

Yuanbao was worried seeing Rong Rong leave so quickly.

“Father, is Auntie angry? Maybe you should teach me in the evening instead.”

“She won’t be angry with you, no matter who she’s upset with,” the Crown Prince replied with a smile.

Hearing his father’s words, Yuanbao immediately felt proud, “Yes, Auntie loves me the most and won’t be angry with me. But, Father, aren’t you afraid that Auntie will be angry with you? She hasn’t been talking to you lately.”

The Crown Prince smiled and remained silent.

It’s better for her to be angry with me than to ignore me completely! Let’s see what else she can come up with.

Rong Rong was indeed very angry and also felt a lingering fear.

The Crown Prince was clearly trying to provoke her, and it was evident he wouldn’t give up easily after not getting his way that night.

For the past few days, she had ignored him, and he had remained indifferent, and everything had been peaceful.

Today, he was deliberately causing trouble with the kites, which clearly indicated he was up to something.

Seeing that his injury was nearly healed, she wondered what he might do next and felt helpless.

Thinking back to the events of that night, she wanted nothing more than to leave the East Palace immediately.

But… what about Yuanbao? Rong Rong felt an overwhelming sense of distress and confusion.

Leaving the Eastern Palace seemed inevitable. Even if she remained completely innocent, the Crown Princess would never tolerate her presence once she entered.

Furthermore, the relationship between her and the Crown Prince wasn’t exactly pure.

Not to mention the past entanglements, just considering the present, she had seen and touched things she shouldn’t have.

Claiming purity seemed too pretentious.

Admitting impurity, however, left her unwilling, as she had no expectations of the Crown Prince anymore.

Having met him, loved him, she likely wouldn’t love anyone else in this lifetime.

Yet, she didn’t want to continue living under such hardship.

The only thing she couldn’t bear to part with was Yuanbao.

Rong Rong felt inexplicably melancholic.

Even though she considered Yuanbao her son, it was ultimately just her own assumption.

Since her own child was lost so early, even if she were reincarnated, how could he truly recognize her?

Perhaps Yuanbao was just her own delusion.

This thought made Rong Rong even more troubled.

Maybe she just missed her son so much that she treated Yuanbao as her own.

Rong Rong paced anxiously in her chambers, fearing that the Crown Prince would barge in at any moment.

She had decided to return home after hearing Xie Yuanchu talk about his family matters.

She left as soon as she said she was going, and the Eastern Palace people didn’t dare stop her. By the time the news reached the Crown Prince and Yuanbao, she had already left the Eastern Palace.

“Father, should we go after Auntie?” Yuanbao asked anxiously.

The Crown Prince remained silent, not out of calm indifference but because he was at a loss for words.

Seeing Rong Rong had left, Yuanbao felt empty and uncomfortable.

He urgently said, “Father, let’s go after Auntie now. You can catch up with her on horseback.”

The Crown Prince’s brows twitched.

It was just knocking down her kite, and she was this angry.

Go after her?

Impossible!

This woman dotes on Yuanbao so much, she would definitely come back on her own.

However…

Seeing that Yuanbao was almost in tears, Fu Quan quickly reassured him, “Miss Rong said she was going to visit her grandmother, so she’ll likely return soon.”

“When will Auntie come back?” Yuanbao asked.

“The servants didn’t mention that, but I think if she didn’t say, she’ll be back soon.”

Yuanbao wanted his father to go after Rong Rong, but seeing his father not move even after he asked twice, he knew the Crown Prince wouldn’t go after her.

Losing interest in kite flying, he threw the spool of thread on the ground in frustration and ran back to the hall.

---

When Rong Rong reached home in Wutong Lane, she didn’t take the Eastern Palace carriage.

Instead, she hailed a sedan chair on the street and took it back home.

As she arrived at Wutong Lane, the house was preparing dinner.

The door was opened by Feicui, who was momentarily surprised to see Rong Rong, then called inside, “Miss is back.”

Chunxing, who had just taken a seat, immediately ran to the door with joy.

Rong Rong nodded to Feicui and entered the courtyard with Chunxing.

Grandma Xue was being helped out of the house by Xue Xiaoshan.

When she saw Rong Rong, tears immediately welled up, “My granddaughter has come back?”

“Grandmother.” Rong Rong saw that the bandages on Grandma Xue’s head had been completely removed.

Though she still looked a bit weak, she seemed in good spirits.

Rong Rong quickly went forward to bow.

Grandma Xue hurriedly embraced Rong Rong, touched, “Good child, don’t bow, get up quickly. If it weren’t for you, this old life of mine would have gone to see Yama long ago.”

“Grandmother, you speak so kindly. You’ll live to a hundred.”

Seeing the grandmother and granddaughter both on the verge of tears, Xue Xiaoshan, happy to see Rong Rong back, said, “You’ve come back at just the right time. The dishes are just set up, so let’s eat and talk.”

The dishes were all simple: stir-fried shredded meat, stir-fried greens, radish soup, and the usual daily chicken soup.

“Chunxing’s cooking is excellent. Rong Rong, make sure to eat more.”

“Mm, Grandmother, don’t worry about me. You should drink your chicken soup first.”

Rong Rong was used to eating luxurious dishes in the Eastern Palace, but these simple meals felt like a return to basics.

However, dining with the Xue family was enjoyable and relaxed.

She didn’t have to constantly worry about Yuanbao’s picky eating or avoid the Crown Prince’s disapproving gaze.

Even simple fare tasted delightful.

As the family enjoyed their meal, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Grandmother Xue remarked, “What’s going on today? The house is quite lively.”

“It might be Yang Tong,” Xue Xiaoshan said, glancing at Rong Rong. “He’s come by several times when you weren’t here.”

Rong Rong felt a bit embarrassed hearing this and put down her bowl. “I’ll go see who it is.”

She thought she should clarify things with Yang Tong, in case he had misunderstood the situation as well.

However, when she opened the door, expecting to find Yang Tong, she was shocked to see a pouting little figure.

“Yuanbao, what… what are you doing here?”

“Auntie doesn’t want me anymore.” Yuanbao was deeply upset.

His father had made Auntie leave, and since he didn’t chase after her, it seemed like Auntie had abandoned him too.

Seeing Yuanbao’s distressed state made Rong Rong’s heart ache.

She quickly picked him up, saying, “Who said I don’t want you? Of course, I want you.”

She couldn’t bear to lose Yuanbao, but she also felt she had no standing to claim him.

“Rong Rong, who is it?” Grandmother Xue called from inside the courtyard.

Yuanbao sniffled, snuggling into her arms, and said pitifully, “Auntie, are you eating? I’m hungry.”

“You haven’t eaten?”

Yuanbao shook his head, looking dejected. “I’m angry with Father and didn’t want to eat with him.”

Rong Rong glanced outside and saw Wang An standing by a carriage in the distance. With so many people at home, Wang An couldn’t come inside, so Rong Rong waved to him from afar and closed the door behind her, holding Yuanbao.

“Oh, this… whose child is this? He’s so adorable!”

Yuanbao’s face was round and white, and his large, bright eyes made him look like a child from a traditional painting.

“Grandmother, this is the child from my household. I usually take care of him,” Rong Rong explained.

Xue Xiaoshan had explained to the old lady about Rongrong’s situation, and though she had some doubts before, seeing the treasure (yuanbao) in Rongrong’s arms made her doubts vanish.

“So, how did he…”

Rongrong replied, “He couldn’t be away from me, so he came to find me.”

“Oh,” the old lady said, looking at how the treasure clung to Rongrong.

She nodded.

Children are like that; they become attached to whoever is nice to them.

She had heard that children from wealthy families are closest to their wet nurses.

Although Rongrong wasn’t a wet nurse, she must have taken good care of the child, so it makes sense the child likes her.

Xue Xiaoshan curiously observed the treasure but thought differently from the old lady. “Young master, do your family know you’re here?”

The child clearly came from a wealthy family. If he suddenly appeared in their house, wouldn’t his family be worried?