Chapter 58: New Year’s Gift

Yaoyao didn’t know why, but in that moment when she realized Persimmon-gege wasn’t by her side, she truly panicked.

Her chest heaved uncontrollably up and down, and only when Persimmon-gege reappeared did she gradually calm down.

Noticing the little girl’s reluctant expression, the nameless anger in Xie Yixing’s heart flared even more fiercely.

Anyone who dared to hurt Yaoyao—he would never let them off.

He involuntarily flexed his fingers, but when he looked at Yaoyao, his eyes were still filled with tenderness.
“Yaoyao, wait for me inside the room. I’ll be back soon.”

Nanny Wu sensed the Young Lord’s intentions, and a chill ran down her spine.

“After Yaoyao finishes bathing, Persimmon-gege will be back?”

Yaoyao’s soft little face was full of eager anticipation.

For some reason, she was especially attached to him today.

Xie Yixing was very pleased that her eyes were full of only him. The corners of his lips and eyes unconsciously softened as he nodded. “Mm.”

Persimmon-gege never lied. What he said, he would definitely do.

Yaoyao’s eyes curved into crescents, like bright stars hanging in the night sky, shining and captivating.

After watching her leave, he picked up the wooden basket by his side and walked straight through the depths of the bamboo forest, heading with purpose toward a courtyard.

Wei Jun had stumbled and staggered all the way back to his room. As soon as he entered, he slammed the door shut and even closed the windows tightly.

That way, they wouldn’t be able to release any snakes into the room.

Just as he sat down to catch his breath and was about to take a sip of cold tea, a sudden crackling explosion from outside made him shudder violently. The tea splashed out of the cup and all over his face.

“Who is it?!”

Annoyed, Wei Jun slammed the table and stood up. But before he could reach the door to look, a series of loud blasts nearly shattered his eardrums.

The blazing firelight pierced through the window lattice into his pupils, scaring him so much that he dove onto his bed and didn’t dare move.

The explosions continued without pause and went on deep into the night.

Wei Jun wanted to use the toilet midway, but he was so terrified by the firelight and deafening blasts outside that he didn’t dare step out. In the end, unable to hold it anymore, he wet his pants.

…

Although Wei Jun’s courtyard was in the deepest part of the Wei residence, with such a huge commotion, it was hard for anyone not to notice—but no one dared to intervene.

After all, this was an order from the Young Lord. And truthfully, Wei Jun brought it upon himself.

When Wei Dalan learned that his son had, yet again, gone and provoked Xie Yixing and Yaoyao for no reason, he realized that all his warnings had fallen on deaf ears. Furious, he ordered, “No one is allowed to help him! Let him learn his lesson and understand his place!”

Old Master Wei couldn’t be bothered to intervene. After all, it was a matter between children, and as someone with one foot in the grave, it wasn’t appropriate for him to step in—especially since no one had died.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Chengming knew there was no use in trying to stop it. Based on their understanding of Xie Yixing, he wouldn’t stop until he had vented his anger.

However, Xie Yixing didn’t actually stay in front of the door all night.

After lighting the rest of the firecrackers in the basket, he ordered people to bring over every last noisy-but-harmless firecracker from the marquis estate’s storage. He tossed them all one by one in front of Wei Jun’s door.

Once he gave his instructions to the hidden guards, Xie Yixing returned to the rear courtyard to retrieve his basket.

By the time he returned to the room with the basket, Yaoyao had changed into a pale pink inner garment and was sitting by the brazier, having her feet warmed by Nanny Wu.

The moment she saw Xie Yixing push open the door, Yaoyao wanted to run toward him barefoot, but Nanny Wu quickly held her down and stuffed her feet into socks and shoes before letting her go.

It was freezing—if she stepped on the floor barefoot, she’d catch a chill and get a stomach ache.

But Yaoyao was just too eager. From the moment she had returned to the courtyard, she had been pestering Nanny Wu to boil water so she could take a bath.

Because Persimmon-gege had said: once she finished her bath, he would come back.

Seeing how impatient she was, Nanny Wu couldn’t help teasing, “Miss Yaoyao, are you really so unwilling to be apart from the Young Lord, even for a moment?”

Yaoyao tilted her head in confusion. Was she supposed to be apart from Persimmon-gege?

Seeing her fall into a daze, Nanny Wu worried she was about to overthink things, so she gently patted her head. “Don’t worry, Yaoyao. The Young Lord won’t leave you.”

This time, Yaoyao understood. She nodded and proactively undressed before climbing into the wooden tub.

Warm water rose to her neck. Her chubby little hands grasped at the dried rose petals that Caiwei had sprinkled in. She swayed her head and hummed a little tune.

Hearing the tune, Nanny Wu suddenly froze.

That melody… she’d heard it before.

It sounded like something from the Southern Frontier.

How did Yaoyao know a tune from the Southern Frontier?

Back when she was younger, Nanny Wu had worked as an embroiderer in the Southern Frontier. At the time, the region was thriving under the governance of a certain Prefect Yu.

But after Yu was transferred, the customs of the region began to deteriorate.

With no way to make a living, Nanny Wu’s family had fled north to the capital in search of work.

Could it be that Yaoyao was from the Southern Frontier? But people from the Southern Frontier were usually dark-skinned and skinny, while Yaoyao was pale and chubby—she didn’t resemble them at all.

Then maybe she had been to the Southern Frontier before?

Suppressing her doubts, Nanny Wu quickly helped Yaoyao wash and dress.

She had originally wanted to ask Yaoyao about the song while she warmed her feet, but just then, Xie Yixing returned.

So she would have to find another opportunity.

As soon as Yaoyao saw the wooden basket in Xie Yixing’s hand and heard the rustling sounds coming from inside, her big eyes sparkled and swirled with curiosity.
“Persimmon-gege, what’s inside?”

Yaoyao’s shoulders twitched slightly as she stretched out her slender, fair neck. Her dark, soft hair was still damp and clung gently to her temples, revealing her fair forehead.

Xie Yixing originally wanted her to guess, but the moment he met her eager and curious gaze, he couldn’t help himself.

He lifted the thick cloth covering the top of the basket, and a small white head immediately popped out.

“A bunny!”

Yaoyao’s eyes widened in delight. Her long curled lashes trembled nonstop. Her pale little face flushed red in excitement, and her small, soft pink hands immediately reached into the basket and gently lifted out the palm-sized white bunny.

The bunny’s limbs flailed in the air at first, but when it met Yaoyao’s sparkling eyes, it suddenly calmed down.

“This is your New Year’s gift.”

Seeing how happy she was, Xie Yixing’s lips curved into a small smile. He affectionately brushed away the strands of hair covering her eyes.

Yaoyao joyfully held the bunny up and twirled in place. Upon hearing that this was a gift from Xie Yixing, she didn’t bother hiding her delight at all.
“Thank you, Persimmon-gege!”

But before long, her joy faded, and her brows drooped.

Xie Yixing paused, his fingers hovering midair, and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Yaoyao pouted slightly and pondered seriously.
“Persimmon-gege, I think I just ate half a rabbit leg earlier… If this bunny finds out I ate its kind, do you think it won’t want to play with me?”

Xie Yixing: “…”

He never expected that, after all the difficult questions posed by his teachers during his studies, it would be this one from Yaoyao that stumped him.

“If it doesn’t want to play with you, then we’ll get a different one.”

Xie Yixing offered a straightforward solution.

But Yaoyao immediately protested.
“No! This one’s the gift from Persimmon-gege. How can I replace it?”