Chapter 133

With the goal of turning his father into a dragon in mind, An An ran over to find his daddy with extra enthusiasm.

Young Master He had been waiting in the courtyard ever since breakfast. His mother wouldn’t allow him to leave, nor could he go out to look, so his eyes were filled with anxious worry.

Seeing how anxious he was, the young servant attending to him tried to soothe him.

“Young Master, perhaps the young master is just sleeping in? He might show up in a bit.”

“Mm.”

A child that age sleeping in wasn’t anything unusual.

There was a soft knock at the door. The servant quickly ran over to open it. The young master walked in, followed by three of his caretakers and maids.

An An ran up to Young Master He, stood on tiptoe, and stretched out his arms. As soon as his father picked him up, he wrapped his arms around his neck and gave him a kiss, speaking in a soft, childish voice:

“Daddy, did you miss Yao Zu~?”

“Mm.”

For the past few years, Young Master He had lived in a daze, drunk and unaware of the passage of time.

It wasn’t until his son appeared before him that his mind finally cleared, if only for a moment.

This little guy was like one of those miracle pills described in the storybooks he used to sneak peeks at during his school days.

“Then Yao Zu will come again tomorrow~”

“Alright.”

Young Master He had been confined to this courtyard alone for many years, and he rarely spoke to the servants.

Compared to the spirited young man he once was, he now seemed withdrawn and quiet.

But whenever An An spoke, he always responded.

“Daddy, Yao Zu wants to go out and play, but Grandma only takes me to check the accounts. It’s so boring.”

His chubby little face was full of frustration and confusion, not knowing how to fix the problem, so he could only cast a hopeful gaze at his father.

Being stared at like that by his son, Young Master He suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

He held back the “alright” that was about to slip from his lips, sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard with An An in his arms, and reminded him gently:

“Mother doesn’t allow me to leave the courtyard.”

“But Yao Zu wants to play with Daddy.”

Young Master He knew his mother’s temperament well. After what happened to him, she had placed all her hopes on this little one, eager for him to take over the entire He family business from a young age.

An An’s eyes were large and clear, his curled lashes blinking innocently.

To place the burden of such a large family on such small, slender shoulders… it felt far too cruel.

“Alright, I’ll ask Mother tomorrow.”

“I knew it, Daddy’s the best!”

“Then… how is your mother doing these days?”

When Young Master He asked this, his expression was hard to read. The sunlight cast a shadow across his face, obscuring his eyes and making it impossible to tell what he was feeling.

Back then, he had loved Zhou Xiaoya deeply, enough to risk offending the Li family and falling out with his own mother just to marry her.

He knew that what happened was mostly the fault of that man, who had already been sent to the police station. The weeds on his grave were taller than An An now.

But no matter how rational a person was, it was impossible to go through something like that without feeling any resentment, let alone still love her as before.

“My tummy’s hungry. I want some cake.”

Right on cue, An An’s stomach gave a loud growl. Young Master He was pulled out of his thoughts and glanced at the nanny caring for An An.

She gave a respectful bow and turned to fetch the food.

After years of living in a haze, Young Master He’s mind couldn’t focus for long. The question he had wanted to ask was forgotten the moment An An interrupted him.

The nanny returned from the kitchen with a plate of pastries. Young Master He picked one up and fed it to An An, using his other hand to catch any crumbs that might fall on his clothes.

After eating two pieces, An An began to feel full. He picked up another and held it to his father’s lips.

Young Master He had never liked sweet rice cakes, but he couldn’t bear to refuse the little one’s kindness.

An An fed him piece by piece, and together they finished the entire plate.

The warm sunlight in the courtyard fell gently on An An, making him sleepy. He nestled into his father’s arms, mumbling softly.

“Daddy, Yao Zu’s so sleepy~”

“Shall the nanny take you back for a nap?”

“No, Yao Zu wants to sleep with Daddy.”

“Alright.”

Young Master He couldn’t bring himself to say no, so he carried An An into his room.

When he lived alone, he never paid attention to such things. But now, holding his son in his arms, he suddenly noticed how messy and dirty the room looked. He quickly covered An An’s eyes and carried him into the inner chamber.

An An took off his outer robe by himself and crawled into the bed. Once he was tucked in, he closed his eyes.

Though Young Master He had been drunk often, the people sent by Granny Yang to care for him had kept the room clean. The familiar scent of his favorite incense still lingered in the air.

Surrounded by that comforting aroma, An An soon drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Just as Young Master He stepped out of the room, he saw his mother standing at the courtyard gate. He froze for a moment, then walked over to greet her.

“Your son greets you, Mother.”

Granny Yang, supported by her old maid, looked at her son with a complicated expression.

If it hadn’t been for An An insisting on visiting him, she probably wouldn’t have come to see him at all.

“No need for formalities.”

“Mother, is there something you came here for today?”

“I heard An An came to visit, so I thought I’d come take a look.”

An An was the apple of her eye. No matter where he went, she always asked about him in detail. This time was no exception.

When she heard An An had come looking for his father, Granny Yang remembered how her son looked the day before and decided to come herself.

It had been a long time since mother and son had spoken properly. Their relationship had grown distant. Now, standing together in the courtyard, neither knew how to begin.

“Mother, where is Yao Zu’s mother now?”

Young Master He had always known that the reason he and his mother had never been close was because he had grown up with his grandmother and didn’t return to his mother’s side until he was over ten.

Now, seeing the same thing happening to Yao Zu, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

If possible, Young Master He didn’t want Yao Zu to follow in his footsteps, trapped in this grand estate by endless rules for the rest of his life.

His one act of rebellion had left him broken.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to bring her up.”

Granny Yang sat down on the stone bench with the help of her maid, looking at her son with a hint of surprise.

After all, anyone else in his situation would have wanted to tear the woman apart. She hadn’t expected her son to ask about Zhou Xiaoya so calmly.

“Mother, the past is the past. People have to move forward.”

No matter how much resentment he held, even if he killed Zhou Xiaoya, it wouldn’t change what had happened.

Once he understood that, Young Master He found a sense of peace.

“I’m glad you think that way. But if you’re hoping I’ll let Yao Zu go back to her, then don’t bother bringing it up again.”

Granny Yang gently brushed a fallen petal from her shoulder with her handkerchief. At first, her thoughts had been similar to her son’s. She hadn’t objected to Zhou Xiaoya getting close to Yao Zu.

But Zhou Xiaoya had disappointed her time and again. Once, she had even nearly lost An An.

Even if Yao Zu weren’t the only grandchild of the He family, even if he were just an ordinary grandson, Granny Yang would never feel at ease letting Zhou Xiaoya raise him.

“Mother…”

Whatever Young Master He had planned to say was cut off by his mother’s words. He paused, then, seeing that she wasn’t an unreasonable person, asked:

“Mother, may I ask why?”

Granny Yang didn’t feel like explaining. She gave her maid a look.

The old maid, who had served the matriarch for years, remembered everything the former young madam had done. She began recounting each incident in detail.

At a banquet at the Li family, Zhou Xiaoya had seen a maid drop something and ran off to help, leaving the young master unattended. If the Li family’s young lady hadn’t happened to pass by, the boy might have rolled into the lake.

Another time, she took him out and nearly had him snatched by human traffickers.

After the maid finished listing everything, Granny Yang finally spoke again:

“The reason I didn’t want you to marry Zhou Xiaoya back then was because she simply wasn’t fit to be a wife.”

She was timid, indecisive, soft-hearted, and overly kind.

And with a useless older brother, plus parents who blindly favored that brother, no matter how you looked at it, she wasn’t a suitable choice for a good wife.

Time proved that Yang Laonainai had been right. Zhou Xiaoya not only failed to manage the household affairs, she couldn’t even take proper care of her child.

Ever since she entered the He family, the entire household had fallen into chaos.

Fortunately, Yang Laonainai had been the one in charge for many years. She managed to keep the news of Young Master He’s injury from spreading, barely preserving the last shred of his dignity.

“With her temperament, how could I possibly let her raise Yao Zu?”

“What could she teach Yao Zu? To cling to his maternal family?”

“Or to cry all day and expect that to solve everything?”

The only reason Young Master He had brought up that matter before was because he didn’t want Yao Zu to grow distant from his mother, the way he himself had once become estranged.

But after his mother’s reminder, he too began to feel it wasn’t the right approach.

Whenever Yang Laonainai brought up that incident, it gave her a splitting headache. How could a woman in her twenties lose her child to a trafficker just by taking him out for a walk?

And after it happened, she didn’t even try to look for him. She just sat in the street and cried!

But now that her son seemed to be slowly pulling himself together, Yang Laonainai didn’t want to upset him by bringing it up again. Instead, she asked,

“So, have you thought it through?”

Young Master He fell silent for a moment when he heard this. He understood what his mother meant by “thought it through,” but he wasn’t sure if he should nod.

At first, he had shut himself away in this courtyard to escape reality, terrified of becoming a laughingstock.

But now, after being confined here for years, he no longer even had the desire to leave.

Just as he was about to refuse, he suddenly remembered that little one leaning against his chest, saying he wanted his father to play with him.

Given the current situation, he didn’t feel safe letting Zhou Xiaoya take Yao Zu out.

If it were his mother instead, she’d probably only take Yao Zu out to check the accounts, or just for a bit of fresh air.

If he refused again, his mother would surely keep him locked away in this courtyard like before.

And when Yao Zu wanted to visit, he might only get to see him for a moment.

Young Master He asked himself if this was really the life he wanted.

When the answer came back as no, he finally looked up, met his mother’s eyes, and replied seriously,

“Mother, I want to give it a try.”

“Good. Then rest for half a month and focus on your health. I’ll have a physician come and take your pulse. Let’s get your body back in shape before we talk about anything else.”

A few years ago, Young Master He would have reacted with fierce resistance. He didn’t want anyone to know he had become a cripple.

But now, hearing his mother say this, he felt surprisingly calm.

“Thank you, Mother.”

Yang Laonainai was too old to sit in the cold for long. After a short while, she got up to return to her room.

At the door, she turned back to look at her son and reminded him,

“Yao Zu will want something to eat when he wakes up. Don’t forget. And send him back when it gets dark. He doesn’t sleep well in unfamiliar beds.”

By saying this, Yang Laonainai was tacitly agreeing to let Yao Zu stay for a while.

Young Master He nodded and committed every word to memory.

Not long after Yang Laonainai left, her old maid came in with a few attendants.

They said they were following the old madam’s orders to clean up the entire courtyard, inside and out.

Until now, there had only been one young servant tending the place. No matter how careful he was, the courtyard still felt desolate.

Young Master He didn’t object. He only told them not to disturb the little master.

When An An woke up from his nap, he had his shoes on the wrong feet and ran toward the door. The cold wind sobered his groggy little head.

“Young master, if you had called out, we would’ve come right away.”

The maid in charge of An An hurried over and scooped him up, afraid he’d catch a chill from the wind.

“Mm… where’s Daddy?”

As she helped him get dressed, An An asked instinctively. He clearly remembered his father being there before he fell asleep.

“He’s outside in the sun. Should I call the young master in?”

While she spoke, the maid had already laid out An An’s clothes. Once his shoes were on properly, An An ran out on his own.

Just as he stepped outside, he saw his father walking toward the house. Beaming, he stretched out his arms for a hug.

Seeing An An’s eyes crinkle with joy, Young Master He bent down and picked him up. In that moment, he no longer regretted the decision he had made.

He couldn’t lock himself away forever, content to be a useless man.

It had been so long since he’d stepped outside the courtyard that he was weak. Even just lifting An An made him feel exhausted.

Sensing his father’s fatigue, An An wriggled to be put down and asked him to come along for a walk in the garden.

After Young Master He agreed to his mother’s request, his confinement was lifted. The attendants who used to serve him were all reassigned to his side.

He had grown up in this garden. Even though new flowers had been planted over the years, nothing about it felt unfamiliar.

But An An loved it. He stood on tiptoe to pick the prettiest flower, tucked it into his pocket like a treasure.

“You like flowers?”

“They’re for Grandma~”

Hearing this, Young Master He gently ruffled his hair and said nothing.

At dusk, someone from Yang Laonainai’s quarters came to carry An An back for dinner.

Even after such a short time together, Young Master He already felt reluctant to part with the little one.

An An seemed to feel the same. Clinging to the maid’s neck, he waved at his father and promised they’d play again tomorrow.

Dinner was already prepared at Yang Laonainai’s residence. The seat reserved for the little master was still empty, and An An climbed into it without needing to be told.

After a few bites, he suddenly remembered the flower he had picked in the garden.

He hurriedly pulled it from his pocket and offered it to his grandmother like a precious gift, wearing an innocent, expectant expression as he waited for praise.

The once-fresh flower had wilted a bit after being stuffed in his pocket for hours.

But because it was a gift from her beloved grandson, Yang Laonainai found it beautiful no matter how it looked. She told the maid to set it aside carefully.

After dinner, the lamps were lit in the room. The soft yellow glow made the space feel warm and cozy.

“Yao Zu, what made you want to visit your father?”

Nothing in this world happens without reason. Yang Laonainai was especially cautious with her grandson, afraid someone around him might be a bad influence.

“I missed Daddy.”

An An was absorbed in playing with a toy in his hands. When he heard the question, he answered instinctively without even thinking.

“If you missed Daddy, why didn’t you tell Grandma?”

An An tossed the puzzle aside and scooted closer to his grandmother before replying,

“Because Grandma would be upset?”

Hearing this, Yang Laonainai finally understood the worry in his little heart.

He must have misunderstood her silence over the years as disapproval of his father, and had been afraid to bring him up for fear of making her angry.

So small, yet already thinking so much. Yang Laonainai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Grandma wouldn’t be upset.”

“Oh. Then I want to sleep with Daddy tonight.”

With that, An An climbed down from the couch and ran to the door, calling for the maid and nanny to take him over.

The nanny who usually cared for him hesitated when she saw the little master bouncing with excitement.

“Old Madam, should we…?”

“Let him go.”

She had raised him with such care for years, yet he only had eyes for his father. But that was her own son too, so Yang Laonainai couldn’t even be angry.

So be it. You’er had wasted away in that courtyard for so many years, unwilling to take even a single step outside.

And yet, just one visit from Yao Zu had been enough to make him want to try again. Letting them spend more time together might be a good thing.

Maybe, with Yao Zu by his side, You’er would finally find the will to improve. And then, the burden on Yao Zu’s little shoulders might grow a little lighter.

Young Master He was used to having two jars of wine before bed. But worried that drinking might cause trouble, he had the servant remove all the wine from the room, not leaving a single jar behind, just in case he was tempted and gave in to his craving.

With no trace of sleepiness, he simply paced back and forth in the room.

If he drank again tonight, and his mother smelled it on him the next day, there was no way she’d let him take that little rascal out with him.

“Daddy~”

When Young Master He first heard the voice, he thought he was imagining things from thinking about wine too much. He shook his head, ready to lie down, when the voice rang out even clearer.

“Daddy!! Yao Zu is here!!”

Through the window, he could see the lantern light in the courtyard. A few maids were lighting the way, and Yao Zu was being led in by a nanny.

“The young master is already asleep,”

the servant attending to Young Master He replied from outside. Upon hearing this, An An let go of the nanny’s hand, pressed himself against the door, and knocked hard.

“Hey, Daddy, it’s me, Yao Zu!”

The servant knew the young master hadn’t had any wine tonight and was probably in a foul mood. If he heard the little one making a fuss out here, there was no telling if he’d lose his temper.

Whether it upset the young master or frightened the little one, either outcome was more than a household servant like him could afford to handle.

An An’s chubby little hands were starting to hurt from knocking. Just as he was about to leave in disappointment, the door suddenly opened.

“Eh? Daddy?”

Before Young Master He could even speak, An An eagerly threw himself forward and hugged his leg, rubbing against it like a clingy kitten—more affectionate than the one he’d raised as a child.

Seeing how happy Yao Zu was, there was no point in asking anything, so Young Master He glanced at the nanny who usually looked after the little one.

“The young master insisted on sleeping with you tonight. The old madam couldn’t say no, so she had us bring him over.”

An An nodded enthusiastically at the nanny’s words, confirming every bit of it.

That his mother would actually trust him enough to let this little troublemaker stay with him overnight came as a bit of a surprise to Young Master He.

“Are you a restless sleeper at night?”

An An had no idea what he was like when he slept, but to make sure he could stay, he looked up with wide eyes and answered without hesitation:

“No, I sleep really well at night.”

“Good.”

After washing up, Young Master He lay in bed wearing only his inner robe. He still wasn’t quite used to having a little one sharing his bed.

An An, however, was completely at ease. He tucked his slightly cold feet under his father’s legs to warm them up.

Young Master He instinctively pulled away from the icy touch, but An An scooted right back over.

Only when he noticed his father starting to get annoyed did An An finally realize and murmured under his breath, “Stingy.”

Young Master He had thought that without wine, he’d have trouble falling asleep. But listening to An An’s soft breathing, his mind gradually cleared, and before long, he drifted off.

The next morning, sunlight hit An An’s face, making him squint. He instinctively pulled the blanket up to block it.

Young Master He had slept unusually well and woke feeling refreshed and alert.

Seeing the small lump under the blanket, he remembered how serious An An had looked last night, puffing out his chubby cheeks and solemnly insisting he was a well-behaved sleeper.

Then he recalled how, even while asleep, the little rascal had managed to kick him several times.

He lifted the blanket and leaned over, giving the boy’s soft cheek a gentle pinch in revenge.

An An frowned, swatted his father’s hand away, and burrowed deeper into the covers.

Young Master He stepped outside into the courtyard. The nanny and maids who took care of the little one were already up and waiting.

“No need to go in. Yao Zu’s still sleeping.”

“Yes, sir.”

The nanny stepped forward and closed the door again to keep the cold air from getting in and chilling the young master.

As the only heir of the He family, they couldn’t be too careful with him.

Young Master He rarely woke this early. Ever since he’d sunk into a life of indulgence, he usually didn’t see the sun until noon.

Now, with the sun just beginning to rise, its light wasn’t harsh. Instead, it bathed everything in a soft golden glow.

The dew gathered on the morning petals and leaves looked especially beautiful.

According to custom, he was supposed to greet his mother.

He hadn’t cared before, but now that he was ready to step back into life, proper etiquette mattered again.

Yang Laonainai had just gotten up. The maids were bustling about. When they saw the young master enter, they froze for a moment before bowing and greeting him.

“Mother, good morning.”

Young Master He stepped forward to bow and offer morning greetings. Yang Laonainai waved her handkerchief and adjusted her sleeves as she said,

“It’s been years since anyone bothered to come greet this old woman.”

Young Master He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just smiled at her and mentioned how Yao Zu had been quite the kicker in his sleep last night.

If it involved her grandson, Yang Laonainai was always eager to hear more. Toward the end, she even beckoned her son over, had him kneel in front of her, and poked his forehead with a finger.

“If Yao Zu was cold, what’s wrong with letting him warm up next to you? It was freezing last night, and he still came looking for you. Of course he was cold.”

“Yes, Mother, it was my fault. I won’t do it again.”

Young Master He stayed to have breakfast with his mother before leaving. As he was about to go, Yang Laonainai told him a doctor would be coming today to check his pulse.

They were trustworthy people. Once his health was back on track, the doctor’s whole family would return to their hometown, ensuring the matter stayed secret.

As he walked along the corridor, Young Master He spotted Zhou Xiaoya at the ancestral hall entrance, picking over incense beans. Without changing expression, he took another route.

He used to think his mother was deliberately making things difficult for his wife, maybe even venting her frustration over the broken engagement through these petty acts.

But after everything that had happened, Young Master He no longer had any affection for Zhou Xiaoya. Now, these things didn’t matter to him anymore.

Zhou Xiaoya had dismissed the idea of greeting her mother-in-law in the morning as pointless, so his mother had her pick incense beans at the ancestral hall. In a family like theirs, that was perfectly normal.

If word got out that Zhou Xiaoya had been married into the He family for three years and had only greeted her mother-in-law once—on the day after their wedding—the He family would become a laughingstock.

Young Master He had once admired Zhou Xiaoya’s stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat. But when that spirit was used in the wrong way, it just became annoying.

After all, in Young Master He’s eyes, greeting the elders in the morning was one of the basic rules he’d been taught since childhood.

Back in his own courtyard, An An was still sleeping.

He was notoriously grumpy when woken up. Unless he woke on his own, no one dared to rouse him.

From the nanny, Young Master He had learned just how fierce Yao Zu could be if disturbed from sleep, so he gave up the idea of waking him.

Running into Zhou Xiaoya on the way back had soured his mood.

He sat for a while in the courtyard and asked a servant to bring over brush and ink to practice calligraphy.

His grandmother had once taught him that writing could calm the mind.

Back then, Young Master He had been groomed as the heir, and his studies in every area had been top-notch.

It had been years since he last practiced, though, so he was a bit rusty and wanted to ease back into it.

While he was absorbed in his writing, An An had already woken up on his own. After changing clothes, the maid brought over the breakfast that had been prepared in advance.

As he ate, An An kept glancing around. The nanny, seeing through his thoughts, said with a smile,

“The young master is practicing calligraphy in the courtyard. Once you finish eating, you can go find him.”

“Mhm, okay.”

Once he confirmed that his golden ticket was still around, An An relaxed and began eating slowly and carefully.

Young Master He had even skipped his usual wine last night just so he could take An An out today.

When he saw An An running toward him, he quickly set down his brush and crouched to tidy the boy’s messy hair.

“Want to go out and play?”

An An’s big eyes lit up instantly. He nodded hard and said,

“Yes!!”

“Let’s go. If we can get Grandma’s permission, I’ll take you out.”

“Wait for me, Daddy!”

“I’ll be right here.”

An An slipped his hand into the nanny’s palm and urged her to take him to find Grandma.

Yang Laonainai was in the courtyard going over the account books. At her age, the characters on the pages had started to blur, and it took her more time and effort to read them.

Every time the little young master came to her courtyard, he never needed to be announced. He always barged in straight away.

“Grandma, Grandma, Grandma!”

Hearing that familiar voice, Yang Laonainai instinctively looked up and saw her precious grandson running toward her.

As he got closer, she noticed sweat on An An’s forehead and quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe him clean.

“Why are you in such a rush?”

“Grandma, Daddy is being so mean!”

“Hmm? What happened?”

Yang Laonainai had always trusted her own judgment of people. Her son might not be the best at handling certain matters, but he wouldn’t treat Yao Zu badly.

But looking at Yao Zu now, flushed with anger, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

“He wants to go out and play, but Yao Zu has to go with him.”

After saying that, An An pulled a long face, looking deeply troubled.

His little scheme was practically written all over his face. How could Yang Laonainai not see through it? She put on a stern expression and asked seriously:

“Oh? So it’s your father who wants to go out and play?”

“Mm-hmm, that’s right.”

An An nodded decisively, then added,

“Yao Zu has to go with him.”

Seeing how serious he looked, Yang Laonainai suddenly felt like teasing him. She set the account book aside and said,

“It’s fine. If Yao Zu doesn’t want to go, Grandma can just send a few more people to accompany your father instead.”

The moment An An heard that, he panicked and quickly protested,

“No, Yao Zu wants to go too!”

Seeing how flustered he was, Yang Laonainai covered her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled, then gently patted the back of his hand.

“Alright then, go together. Just be sure to return before dinner.”

“Yay! Thank you, Grandma, Grandma~”

An An deliberately dragged out his childish voice, clearly trying to act cute.

This time, Yang Laonainai really couldn’t tell what her little darling was up to. Smiling, she asked,

“What is it?”

An An turned his palm upward and held it out to her, grinning sheepishly.

“Grandma, Yao Zu doesn’t have any money.”

Only then did Yang Laonainai realize what he was getting at. She gave a look to the maid, who quickly brought over some money. Yang Laonainai personally tucked it into An An’s pocket.

“Come back early.”

“Got it~”

Not long ago, her son hadn’t even wanted to step outside the courtyard. Now he was eager to take Yao Zu out to play. The only explanation Yang Laonainai could come up with was that little Yao Zu was just too lovable.

Young Master He had said he wanted Yao Zu to go convince his mother, but in truth, the moment Yao Zu left, he had already told a servant to fetch him an outfit suitable for going out.

With that little rascal stepping in, his mother was never going to say no.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before An An came skipping back, all smiles.

When he stood in front of his father, he even patted his bulging pocket on purpose.

Seeing that his father didn’t notice what he was trying to show off, he pulled the pocket open a little, revealing all the silver coins inside.

Young Master He had always known his mother spoiled little Yao Zu, but he hadn’t expected her to give him so much money in one go.

Back when he was that age, he might not have gotten this much in an entire month, let alone for a single outing.

“Yao Zu’s treating today.”

With money in his pocket, An An was full of confidence. He was more than happy to spend a bit of his father’s money to bribe him into cooperating.

“Alright.”

As Young Master He was taking Yao Zu out, they ran into Zhou Xiaoya, who was in the garden trimming paper tags from the branches.

When she saw Young Master He, she was so shocked that her scissors fell to the ground. Before she could even step forward to speak, he had already disappeared around the corner.

An An was too focused on the silver coins in his pocket to notice his mother at all.

Young Master He, on the other hand, noticed the way An An’s lips were curled up and how his little hand stayed pressed against his pocket. He let out a silent breath of relief.

The outside world had become quite lively. In just two or three short years, it had changed dramatically.

Young Master He stood by the roadside and flagged down a rickshaw, lifting An An into the seat with him.

As he looked at the transformed streets, his mind was flooded with memories.

The shop he took An An to specialized in rare imported goods.

Thanks to its powerful backing, the shop had been around three years ago and was still going strong, even more prosperous than before.

To An An, everything in the shop was new and fascinating. He looked here and there, wanting to bring everything home.

Young Master He picked out a few items he thought were interesting and showed them to An An so he could choose carefully.

“Daddy, can I buy them all?”

An An held one item in his left arm and another in his right hand, looking adorably greedy.

“You can, if you use your own silver.”

The moment he heard that, An An immediately felt the sting of spending. He compared the two items carefully, then chose only his favorite one.

While they were still in the shop, Young Master He ran into an old friend he hadn’t seen in ages. The two decided to catch up over a meal, and little Yao Zu tagged along.

Naturally, when old friends reunite, there’s always some drinking involved.

Once the doors and windows were shut, the friend beckoned to Young Master He with a mysterious look on his face. Intrigued, Young Master He leaned in to take a look.

Mr. Song let him glimpse something briefly before quickly putting it away.

Young Master He understood the hint and didn’t say anything. Just as he was thinking how to steer the conversation, he caught sight of little Yao Zu out of the corner of his eye. When he realized what the boy was doing, he whipped his head around in shock.

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