Chapter 32: Who’s the Outsider

“Brother Shizi, he speaks so awfully. His blood must be stinky too. If it gets on your clothes, you’ll have to take another long bath again.”

Every time Xie Yixing went out, or even just got something on himself, he would spend a long time bathing alone in his room.

Even someone as slow as Yao Yao could tell—whenever he came out of the bath, his skin was red from all the scrubbing, as if he wanted to rub a whole layer off.

Her heart ached so much.

Yao Yao stared wide-eyed at Xie Yixing, unable to suppress the worry in her eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Xie Yixing didn’t speak, but calmly sheathed the dagger back into the scabbard at his waist.

Yaowu was scared out of his wits. Especially when that sharp blade had directly touched his skin—for a moment, it was like all the blood in his body had stopped flowing, even his heartbeat seemed to skip.

Thank goodness Xie Yixing withdrew.

He was still alive.

But he couldn’t understand—why would a Shizi listen to a little servant girl like that?

Once Yaowu recovered, the fear on his face instantly turned into anger and confusion.

“Hey.” He furrowed his brows and glared hard with his triangular eyes at Xie Yixing, his tone still arrogant and rude. “Your surname is Xie. You’re part of the Xie family. Why are you siding with an outsider?!”

Hearing him still unrepentant, the coldness in Xie Yixing’s eyes deepened.

Outsider? He was the outsider.

Old Madam Xie heard her grandson’s response and added sternly, “Xing’er, don’t turn your back on your own. Don’t listen to your mother so blindly. You’re the eldest grandson of the Xie family. You’ll inherit this whole Marquis residence in the future. You have no siblings, so you must treat your two younger cousins even better. Especially Yaowu—he’s so smart, he picks things up instantly. Why don’t you try competing with him?”

Hearing the old madam say this to her son, Madam Wei couldn’t help but put a hand to her forehead.

Having such a mother-in-law must be the result of bad karma from eight past lives.

Before she could even speak up for her son, Yao Yao immediately jumped to defend him, “Brother Persimmon is the smartest! No way Yaowu is smarter than Brother Shizi!”

Whenever Yao Yao talked about Xie Yixing, she was full of praise.

After all, Xie Yixing read and wrote with her every day, gave her delicious pastries, even tucked her in at night and made her longevity noodles.

Since coming to the Marquis residence, the two of them hadn’t been separated for even a day.

Even Madam Wei felt that her son treated Yao Yao better than he treated her.

But she wasn’t angry—she was just grateful her son could live like a normal person.

Yao Yao had helped her son recover. Why would she be jealous of a child?

In fact, Madam Wei loved Yao Yao just as much as her own son.

If she were still able to give birth, she would’ve hoped for a daughter just like Yao Yao.

Thinking about how Yao Yao had been abandoned on the roadside by her own mother made Madam Wei furious.

Such a wonderful child—even if her own home were barren, she wouldn’t give her up.

Even Granny Zhao began thinking: there was no need to look far for a foster daughter—why not just raise a little granddaughter like Yao Yao instead?

When they left the Marquis residence and retired to their estate, having such a sweet little granddaughter at her knee would be such joy.

But how many children in the world could be as cute as Yao Yao?

Just look at the two grandsons raised under Old Madam Xie’s roof: one cowardly and silent in the face of trouble, the other arrogant and rude. Neither brought joy like Yao Yao did.

Even the Marquis of Chengming found it irritating. Back when letters from home constantly praised how outstanding and well-mannered these two nephews were—especially Yaowu, who was praised in every single letter—he had once thought, If a child from the Xie family truly showed promise, I’d be willing to fund their education.

Even if they came to the capital, he’d buy a separate courtyard for him to study in.

But now, seeing him in person, he was gravely disappointed.

Though his feelings for Yao Yao weren’t as deep as his wife’s, deep down he too wished he could have a daughter.

But he dared not say it.

Ever since Madam Wei gave birth to their son, her health had deteriorated. If he insisted she bear another child, it might end with the death of both mother and child.

So he pretended he didn’t like kids, didn’t want them.

Ironically, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy—his own son didn’t warm up to him.

But Yao Yao… every time she saw him, she would smile and sweetly call him “Uncle Marquis,” making his heart melt like it was filled with soft, sweet candy.

If not for his status and his son’s resistance, he’d have held Yao Yao in his arms and never let go.

So when he heard Yaowu insulting Yao Yao, a fire surged in his chest.

But as the elder uncle, how could he lose his temper at his nephew?

He could only cast a side-eye at his younger brother—Yaowu’s father.

Yaowu’s father was a complete coward. Just one glance from his older brother made him bow his head in silence.

Seeing this useless behavior, the Marquis of Chengming understood everything.

It was clearly their mother’s fault.

Just look at how she spoiled the child!

He and Madam Wei spoiled their son too, but at least they taught him manners.

And even if Xing’er was aloof, he still knew the rules.

They’d kept him within the residence for years precisely because they worried he might have conflicts with others—better to keep him inside, away from trouble.

But Yaowu was different. He was a normal child, simply spoiled rotten by his grandmother.

Yet his grandmother insisted he was the normal one, while his son and Yao Yao were the abnormal ones!

The Marquis suddenly regretted allowing these relatives to visit. He could already imagine that this New Year wouldn’t be peaceful—and at worst, might even end in bloodshed.

Xie Yixing glanced at Yaowu again. Seeing he still refused to admit his fault, he growled coldly, “Apologize to Yao Yao.”

Yaowu sneered, “Apologize to a smelly little maid? Dream on!”

Perhaps recalling the earlier threat, a flicker of panic crossed his once arrogant face. He quickly took two steps back and, confirming that Xie Yixing’s arm couldn’t reach him, stuck out his tongue and made a face at Yao Yao.

“Just like my grandmother said, you’re a little fox-spirit trying to seduce your master. You ought to be beaten to death!”

His words made Xie Yixing’s expression grow even darker.

Seeing the increasingly murderous look in her son’s eyes, Madam Wei had a general idea of what was coming.

But this time, she didn’t bother to stop him. As long as he didn’t kill him, it was just children playing around.

If her mother-in-law dared to pick a fight with Xing’er over it, she’d take him and Yao Yao back to her parents’ home.

It had been years since her parents had seen their grandson anyway. Her little family was happy in the Marquis’ residence—they could just as easily be happy in the Wei household.

Since New Year was approaching, the Wei family had originally planned to move back to their ancestral home, but for now, they stayed.

Most of their belongings had already been moved back. They had only prepared a bit of New Year’s goods and planned to depart on the third day of the new year.

As for Wei Dalang’s missing daughter, the Wei elders had given up hope.

Most likely, she had either been killed by the princess or taken into the palace and slowly worn down.

The Wei family no longer had any court officials. With no power or influence, they couldn’t hope to contend with the royal family.

Wei Dalang, the biological father, still thought about his daughter. But even after searching everywhere and finding nothing, he finally lost hope.

Fearing royal punishment, he dared not speak of it. No matter how heartbroken he was, he could only secretly shed tears with the old man late at night.

Sometimes he thought of the little girl Yao Yao he’d seen that day.

That child was different from his missing daughter—soft, sticky, like a sweet dumpling. Just looking at her made one want to hug her.

Coincidentally, one of his concubines was pregnant now. If she could give him a daughter this time, he hoped she’d be like Yao Yao.

Maybe then she’d be blessed with a good life.