Chapter 63

The little one lying on the bed seemed to sense danger approaching. He opened his eyes, slapped the bed, and began crying loudly. The piercing wails startled the shadowy figure, who quickly withdrew their hand and looked around nervously.

The maid had no time to think about who had called her earlier; she rushed back in a panic. At the doorway, she bumped into the young master, who was about to leave. Slightly taken aback, she greeted him with a curtsey.

“Greetings, Young Master.”

Tang Jun was too flustered to respond and hurried off without a word. The maid gently patted the little master, coaxing him. Only then did she notice that he had just been fake-crying—his face red, but not a single tear had fallen.

Xiao Zhu was someone who usually served beside the wet nurse. It was planned that once the two senior maids, Taohong and Liulü, came of age and were married off, she would be promoted to serve the young lady directly. She was usually clever and quick on her feet.

Earlier, she had been frightened upon hearing the news that both the Emperor and Empress would be attending—this was the first time she had ever encountered such a grand occasion, and she was terrified of making a mistake.

Now that she had calmed down, the thought that the little master might have been left unattended filled her with a creeping fear.

Her expression shifted constantly. In the end, she simply picked up the sleeping little master, finally feeling reassured with him in her arms.

An’an stirred from the noise and opened his eyes for a moment before turning over and falling back asleep.

In the front courtyard, His Majesty arrived together with the Empress to celebrate the one-month milestone of his sister-in-law’s son. Their appearance together was a testament to the deep bond between the Emperor and Empress.

When the current Emperor had been a prince, he had not been the late Emperor’s favored heir. His wife’s family had contributed greatly during the succession struggle. Even after ascending the throne, he had never given them undue privileges, and was even more humble and respectful than before.

The Empress had borne him two sons and a daughter. Though their romantic feelings may not have been as strong as they once were, the Emperor still held great respect for her.

As a noblewoman from a prestigious family, the Empress did not immerse herself in romantic entanglements. Instead, relying on the Emperor’s past affection and his respect for her, she managed the harem with impeccable order.

When she saw her younger sister, her eyes welled up with emotion as she grasped her slightly cold hand and instructed a maid to fetch another cloak.

“Your body has not yet recovered—why are you standing outside to greet guests?”

Lady Liu had once lived in the Eastern Palace as a child and had a deep bond with her elder sister. Hearing this, her eyes reddened.

“On such an occasion, it would be improper for me not to be present.”

“No etiquette outweighs your health.”

After some warm exchanges between the sisters, the Empress inquired about the child. A moment earlier, a maid had already been instructed to bring the little master over.

An’an seemed to sense the difference in the atmosphere and very cooperatively woke up, gazing around curiously with his big eyes.

He had been cared for daily by a wet nurse personally selected by the Duke of Liu’s household, and his cheeks had grown plump and round. The chubby little fellow looked exactly like a lucky doll.

The Emperor leaned in for a look and chuckled.

“He looks just like Chen’er when he was born.”

Chen’er was the current Crown Prince. At those words, the room fell quiet for a moment. The Empress smiled and responded,

“Most babies look like this when they’re born.”

She waved for a nearby maid to come forward and hung the safety amulet, which the Emperor had ordered taken from the treasury, around An’an’s neck. His fair and delicate skin made the fine craftsmanship of the amulet stand out even more.

An’an stared at the Emperor for a while, waved his tiny hands in the air, and babbled happily.

Newborns were usually prone to crying—the Emperor’s own children had been the same. He had only come today to give the Empress some face, but he hadn’t expected this little one to stare at him so intently, which piqued his curiosity.

He leaned in closer again. The little baby grinned widely and waved his arms even faster.

Realizing he hadn’t prepared a gift for the child, the Emperor took off the jade pendant he wore and handed it over. An’an clutched it tightly and smiled with delight.

The tassel hanging from the pendant brushed against his cheek, and he turned his head away, revealing an expression of disdain.

“Ee-ya, ah-ya.”

The Emperor chuckled softly at this reaction and took the pendant back. An’an froze at the movement.

“Yaa~”

The tassel brushed his nose, and An’an couldn’t help sneezing.

Knowing this kind of teasing wasn’t proper, the Emperor handed the pendant back. An’an, either too young to hold grudges or simply unaware, immediately grabbed the jade again and grinned happily.

The Emperor was not a man given to beauty or sentimentality, and there hadn’t been a baby this young in the palace for years. The more he looked, the more he found this child adorable.

Were it not for the need to maintain his dignity, he might have wanted to pick the little one up and hold him.

The full-month banquet was organized by a matron sent by the Duchess, and everything went smoothly. The guests were attentively received.

After the event, most of the guests departed. His Majesty returned to the palace, but the Duke, Duchess, and their eldest son and daughter-in-law stayed behind a while longer to keep Lady Liu company.

Seeing so much family around brought Lady Liu genuine joy. She shared a few amusing anecdotes about An’an, drawing laughter from everyone present.

Only little An’an, lying there with the jade still in his hand, blinked innocently, unaware that he was the reason for everyone’s laughter.

Hearing their laughter, perhaps wanting to seem part of the group, he chuckled twice himself, which made everyone laugh even more.

No matter how reluctant, the moment for farewell came. Lady Liu personally escorted them to the gate. When she returned to the inner courtyard, the matron told her that the kitchen had already prepared dinner.

Though she didn’t need to personally oversee every detail of the banquet, Lady Liu had still been busy all day and felt quite tired. She only wanted to eat and then rest.

After dinner, the maids went to prepare hot water for her bath. She held An’an in her arms, teasing him with the tassel from the jade. An’an reached out, trying hard to grab it.

Under the dim yellow lamp, the child’s tiny hands waved with such force, it was clear he was full of energy.

Having held back all day, Xiao Zhu suddenly dropped to her knees before Lady Liu. The abrupt movement startled her. She paused, tucked the jade away, and gently asked,

“What is it now?”

The matron had already mentioned Xiao Zhu several times to Lady Liu, and she knew that after the two senior maids were married off, Xiao Zhu would be brought to serve her directly. The girl had always been careful and had never made any major mistakes.

“Miss, this maid… When you had me hold the young master today, someone outside said you were calling for me. I believed it and stepped away, but then I heard the young master crying.”

Hearing this, Liu Nüluo’s expression darkened. At the time, she had been completely caught up in the joy of finally getting to see her elder sister—how could she have possibly called for Xiaozhu?

Besides, it wasn’t as if she didn’t know that Xiaozhu was watching over An’an. A child that small couldn’t be left unattended.

“When I returned, I happened to see the eldest young master coming out of the room where the young master had been sleeping. His expression looked off.”

Tang Jun?

He was a child Tang Yun had brought back from outside. When he first arrived, he was terribly thin and looked just like one of those street urchins—truly pitiful.

Liu Nüluo had always known her body wasn’t suited for bearing children, so she had a soft spot for other people’s children. At the time, Tang Jun had still been young, and she had thought perhaps it was fate that brought them together.

“What would he be doing going to see An’an? If he wanted to see him, couldn’t he have just come over directly?”

The old nurse, seeing that her lady clearly hadn’t thought too deeply about this, felt a bit of a headache coming on. She walked over and gently massaged her shoulders while reminding her:

“Miss… if you hadn’t gotten pregnant, that child would likely have inherited the family estate.”

The Liu family was not one for complex schemes. Liu Nüluo had been raised in innocence from a young age and knew nothing of the brutal infighting over inheritance that happened outside.

“What estate does the Tang family even have?”

At the nanny’s words, Liu Nüluo was even more confused.

When she met Tang Yun, he was nothing more than a poor and struggling scholar. Life was barely sustainable, and even though things had improved slightly over the past few years, they still had little to their name.

Given that, what inheritance was there to speak of? Was it a few rundown houses that he was supposed to inherit?

“Miss, the Tang family truly doesn’t have anything. But with how much the Master and Her Highness love you, no matter what you wish to do, they would never ignore you.”

The nanny had refrained from bringing up these matters before, not wanting to affect the couple’s relationship. But now, she had no choice.

“Before the young master met you, he always felt that he was a wasted talent who had been wronged by the world. It wasn’t until he met you—and had the Master and the Young Master’s support—that he finally started walking the path of officialdom.”

To put it plainly, everything Tang Yun had achieved up to now had nothing to do with his own talent. It was all thanks to the Duke of Liu.

“Miss, if your husband hadn’t intervened back then and refused to formally adopt Tang Jun as his son, once he grew up, wouldn’t the Master have had to help him as well?”

After all, by name he was still the Duke of Liu’s grandson. Even if just for Liu Nüluo’s sake, the duke couldn’t simply ignore him.

But now, with the arrival of a biological young master, compared to Tang Jun—who wasn’t even officially adopted—the duke would surely favor An’an, who had a blood tie.

The Liu family was upright, and their descendants had all done well. But Tang Jun was already this age and still hadn’t achieved much academically. Without strong backing, it was easy to see what his future held.

“What connection is there between my family and Tang Jun?”

Liu Nüluo was baffled. That was her natal family, while Tang Jun wasn’t even officially adopted—just a beggar child her husband had kindly picked up.

Whether An’an existed or not, Tang Jun shouldn’t have had anything to do with her family.

The nanny felt another pang of frustration seeing her lady’s naivety. The elder madam and the master hadn’t originally planned to marry her off, so they had never taught her these matters, which was why she had been raised so sheltered and innocent.

“Miss… that’s how you see it. But what if, after living in this household for so long, Tang Jun developed ambitions? If that’s the case, wouldn’t the young master naturally become his rival?”

Liu Nüluo hadn’t spent much time with Tang Jun, and there was no real affection between them—certainly nothing comparable to her bond with An’an.

After hearing this, she had to admit the nanny’s words made some sense.

“Then… based on what you’re saying, what should we do?”

Though Liu Nüluo might be a bit slow in such matters, at least she listened to advice—especially the nanny’s. When something came up, she would always ask for her thoughts.

“Why not bring it up with the young master tomorrow, while the little one is asleep? Now that you have a son of your own, that plan to adopt Tang Jun naturally doesn’t make sense anymore.”

Liu Nüluo nodded gently as she listened. She, too, thought it was best not to pursue the adoption.

“But since Tang Jun is four years older than the young master, perhaps he could serve as his personal attendant instead. When the little one grows up a bit, he’ll need capable people by his side.”

“I’ll talk it over with my husband tomorrow.”

“Miss, you must be exhausted today. Why not get some rest?”

“Mm.”

The next day, Tang Yun rushed over to the courtyard before An’an even woke up, wanting to have breakfast with his wife.

The maids had begun preparations early, and when they saw that the master had come to join the lady, they hurried to make extra food.

When Liu Nüluo got up and saw Tang Yun waiting in the courtyard, she frowned slightly and asked:

“Why are you here so early?”

Seeing that her concern wasn’t laced with blame, Tang Yun let out a breath of relief, took her hand, and smiled:

“That rascal starts crying the moment he sees me, so I could only sneak over while he was still asleep to see you.”

The mention of this made Liu Nüluo a bit frustrated, and she didn’t want to dwell on it. Instead, she changed the subject.

“Let’s eat together.”

“Alright.”

While they were eating, Liu Nüluo casually brought up the matter the nanny had instructed her to mention. It was a matter that couldn’t wait.

“Husband, I heard from the maid that yesterday, Tang Jun first called her away, and then snuck in to see An’an.”

The moment Tang Yun heard this, his hand froze. The reaction passed quickly, and he masked it with a laugh, scolding:

“He told me about it. He was afraid that, now that you have An’an, you wouldn’t like him anymore and wouldn’t let him see his little brother. He was simply too curious about what the baby looked like, so he sneaked over to take a look.”

“Is that so?”

Liu Nüluo wasn’t entirely willing to believe this reason. Even if she didn’t want her to look, he shouldn’t have called the maid away. If something had happened to An’an, just the thought of it made her feel frightened.

Besides, she wasn’t the sort to be unreasonable or domineering. It was just a matter of taking a look—no need to be so restrictive.

“It is, you see, Jun’er is still very young, and he’s sensitive about these things.”

“By the way, husband, this is actually what I wanted to talk to you about today. It’s not appropriate to keep him in the residence indefinitely without clarifying his status.”

Tang Yun gave a small nod when he heard this, already understanding that she probably wanted to settle Jun’er’s status as an adopted son. Although this wasn’t what he had originally intended, things had come to this point, and there was no other way.

“We just held a full-month banquet for An’an… If Madam takes on more, I fear it would be too taxing for her.”

In his view, adopting a son should naturally be handled properly so others would know his identity and be able to look out for him in the future. Still, it might not be as grand as that child’s full-month celebration.

“Hm?”

That comment left Liu Nüluo confused. What did he mean by “too taxing”?

“What does Madam plan to do?”

Tang Yun realized he had misunderstood and quickly changed tack with a question.

“You were right back then, husband. Forcing someone to be our adopted child is inappropriate. Besides, Jun’er has parents. He only got separated from them. If his birth parents come looking one day and find out he’s become our adopted son, they might not be pleased.”

The hand Tang Yun used to hold his chopsticks had veins bulging on the back. How could they not be pleased? She was the Empress’s sister and the legitimate daughter of a Duke. Even if it was just an adoptive identity, countless people would envy it.

But that wasn’t something he could say out loud. If he did, it would be the same as admitting that Jun’er was indeed seeking wealth and status by pushing himself into their home as an adopted son.

“Madam is thoughtful, but Jun’er has been with us for quite some time now. There are feelings involved…”

“It’s fine. I think even though An’an is still young, when he grows up he’ll definitely need an attendant. What do you think of Jun’er? Husband, you don’t need to feel reluctant. If he becomes An’an’s attendant, he’ll still be able to see us every day.”

To Liu Nüluo, this was the best possible arrangement. Besides, Jun’er was someone her husband picked up personally; he would surely be loyal.

Seeing Liu Nüluo’s bright, shining eyes, Tang Yun couldn’t bring himself to say a single word of refusal. No matter how he tried to conceal it, his expression still darkened.

“An attendant? Jun’er is still so young. I doubt he’d be able to serve properly.”

“Husband, Jun’er may be young, but An’an is even younger. What could he possibly serve right now? If you’re truly worried, just entrust Jun’er to the nanny. She’s the best at training people.”

The nanny was nearby, and upon hearing this, she nodded with a smile and took the matter in hand.

“Young Master, don’t worry. Once he’s a bit older and in my hands, give me three months—I guarantee he’ll learn how to serve properly and will take care of Young Master An’an thoroughly.”

By this point, Tang Yun’s face had turned unspeakably grim, so much so that even Liu Nüluo noticed the change.

“Husband, are you feeling unwell? Should we call for a physician?”

She was concerned about his health, but the nanny beside them had seen everything clearly and already had her own suspicions. She planned to report it to the Old Madam later.

“No, I just… Jun’er has been raised like a son for so long. If he were to become an attendant, I’m afraid he’d feel wronged, and I, too, feel reluctant.”

Tang Yun knew Liu Nüluo’s temperament well—she couldn’t bear to see him in a difficult spot.

Sure enough, after he said that, her attitude softened. She glanced toward the nanny.

“It’s exactly because you feel reluctant that you need to quickly confirm his identity, Miss. Otherwise, today he’ll start thinking Master treats him differently than before, and tomorrow he might begin coveting things that should belong to Young Master An’an.”

An’an was now Liu Nüluo’s greatest weakness. Her tone grew noticeably firmer.

“If Husband truly cannot bear to have Jun’er be an attendant, then perhaps I should ask my mother to find him a good family and adopt him as their son?”

After what the nanny said, Liu Nüluo no longer wanted to keep Tang Jun in the residence. If he ever wanted to fight with An’an over something, her husband would surely be caught in a dilemma and left heartbroken.

Adopting Jun’er out had always been Tang Yun’s plan, but not to just anyone. No matter how good someone else’s household was, it wouldn’t offer the same peace of mind as keeping him nearby.

“Madam… is it really not fine just the way it is now? Why must it change?”

Now that she had no intention of adopting him herself, Tang Yun had no idea what to do with him. He just knew that making him a servant was out of the question.

“Fine? What’s fine about it?”

The table was full of delicious dishes, but Liu Nüluo had lost her appetite. She set down her chopsticks, determined to properly talk this through with her husband.

“Husband, have you ever thought that whether it’s Jun’er attending school or accompanying you outside, he may end up taking something that An’an will need in the future?”

“Well… by the time An’an grows to Jun’er’s age, will there really be any need to worry about these things?”

That sentence was like poking a hornet’s nest. Liu Nüluo, who hadn’t been too angry before, immediately stood up in fury.

“So you’re saying I’m being petty?”

“No, I didn’t mean that.”

Tang Yun denied it with his words, but in truth, he did think she was being excessive. It was just a spot in a school—something easily arranged for the Duke’s family. Why were they wrangling over it?

Especially when An’an had just been born. Talking about this now was clearly too early.

“You obviously do mean it. Since you think I’m petty, let’s be petty, then. There’s only one spot at that school. If you give it to Tang Jun, what about An’an?”

Liu Nüluo wasn’t unaware that there were other ways—she could go back and ask her father or sister for help. But she already had that spot secured. Why should she give it away and go beg for another?

“Well… Father-in-law likely has some extra places.”

Tang Yun answered tentatively. He also understood how important going to school was. It was precisely because he knew its importance that he was reluctant to have Tang Jun withdraw from the school.

“And another thing, my dear wife, the teachers at the academy all praise Jun’er for his quick grasp of studies. They say he’s bound for great things in the future. If he becomes An’an’s attendant, how would he have time to study? Wouldn’t that ruin his future for nothing?”

What he said wasn’t wrong, but Lady Liu just felt that something about it wasn’t right.

“Husband, if you hadn’t picked him up, who knows which corner he’d be begging in now? We’ve already done more than enough for him—we don’t owe him anything.”

After she said this, Lady Liu stood up and left before Tang Yun even had a chance to stop her.

Lady Liu knew Tang Yun very well. It was precisely because she understood him that she couldn’t understand why he would try to stop her, especially when this was clearly something beneficial for An’an.

The way he was acting made it seem as though, in his heart, Tang Jun was more important than An’an.

“Nanny, do you think… that child Tang Jun—could he be a child born to a woman my husband found outside, since I can’t bear children myself?”

While walking in the garden, Lady Liu unconsciously voiced the thought that had been lingering in her heart. Aside from this possibility, she truly couldn’t think of any other reason.

“This old servant sees no resemblance between that child and the young master.”

“Could be that he takes more after his mother?”

“In any case… it’s best to look into it thoroughly.”

Lady Liu gave the order. She had no heart to enjoy the beautiful scenery around her. According to Xiao Zhu, after the young master went out, he came back straight to the courtyard. Just then, An’an had woken from his nap, been fed by the nursemaid, and was now lying there playing.

The nursemaid was gently shaking a rattle-drum in her hand, and An’an’s little eyes followed the movement of the toy closely.

At first, his hands and feet flailed unconsciously, but when he saw his mother approaching, he flailed happily in the air and started babbling again.

Lady Liu sat down beside him, holding his little hand and rocking it gently. An’an rocked along with her movements, wriggling his little body happily.

“Ya! Wah ya! Ah~”

“What are you trying to say, hmm?”

Those few meaningless syllables were impossible to interpret, but even though Lady Liu didn’t understand what he was saying, it didn’t stop An’an from being happy on his own.

The little one, lying there, seemed to feel that the distance between him and his mother was too far and unhappily thumped the spot beneath him.

Liu Shi’an didn’t know why he had returned from his previous life. His mother, who should have died during childbirth, had somehow survived.

When he had just been reborn, his head was full of memories of his previous life, especially those last moments before death. His father had said that if it weren’t for him, his mother wouldn’t have died. From childhood, he’d heard nothing but scolding and abuse.

His father treated him worse than his adopted elder brother. And in the end, because that brother had fallen in love with a wandering woman and had heard that using the heart’s blood in a remedy could cure illness, he drove a knife straight into Liu Shi’an’s chest.

In his past life, Liu Shi’an died at only nine years old.

If it hadn’t been for seeing his familiar father again, Liu Shi’an might’ve believed he’d reincarnated into another life. Maybe he just forgot to drink Meng Po’s soup before reincarnating, which was why he still remembered everything from before.

Seeing his father again gave Liu Shi’an a sense of reality—it seemed that from the moment he was born, fate had already started to veer off in a completely different direction.

No matter what, he just didn’t like his father, and he hated that adopted brother even more. But he cherished his mother—someone who had never existed in his previous life—with all his heart.

Every time Lady Liu came to see An’an, his little eyes would light up instantly. He just wanted to cling to his mother, to be close to her.

He didn’t care who spent the most time with him—his one and only attachment was his mother.

Lady Liu adored this child. She had already made peace with the fact that she would never have children of her own, and she had never even dreamed that someone like An’an would come into her life.

Now, seeing this little one who looked so much like her, slowly growing up and being so attached to her, the affection she initially felt due to blood ties had grown even deeper—what was once eight parts of love had now become twelve.

While holding An’an in her arms, Lady Liu spoke to Nanny about what had happened earlier. Her husband’s behavior had just been too strange. After all, Tang Jun was just a beggar boy they happened to pick up.

“It doesn’t add up to say he’s the child of some woman my husband was involved with outside either. My husband isn’t short on silver—how could he have let that child end up looking like a beggar?”

Tang Jun had been much smaller when he was found. If something had happened to such a tiny child, it could’ve easily ended his life. She didn’t believe her husband would dare risk a little child’s body like that.

Nanny didn’t say anything to stop her, letting her speculate freely. When she lowered her head, she happened to see the little young master’s tightly clenched fist—it was as if someone had angered him, and he was ready to punch the culprit hard at any moment.

Looking up again at the little young master’s face, she saw that he was so mad his mouth was crooked.

He was small, but his temper seemed quite large.

“My lady… look at the little young master. Seems like he really doesn’t like the young master.”

Lady Liu had just been lost in thought, and only now did she notice. Seeing it, she couldn’t help but smile a little.

“His mouth is all crooked with anger—is it because I mentioned his father?”

“Yaa~”

“Nanny, is he saying yes? What kind of child holds such a grudge against their father?”

Lady Liu couldn’t understand and pinched his little hand as she asked. But the moment the words left her mouth, she saw tears begin to well up in An’an’s eyes and was startled into quickly reassuring him:

“Alright, alright, no more talk about father. Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Whether or not An’an truly understood her, the tears that had started to form didn’t even get the chance to fall before he broke into a smile.

…

As for the matter of Tang Jun, Lady Liu had made up her mind to settle his identity soon, while he was still young. Better now than when he grew older and developed ideas of his own.

Tang Yun had pleaded with her multiple times, which only deepened her suspicions.

With the final deadline she’d given about to arrive, Tang Yun came to her courtyard, holding her favorite pastries in his hand.

“Madam, after raising him by my side for so long, I really have developed some feelings.”

“It’s not like we won’t see him in the future. Won’t he still be staying around?”

“But serving others is still a grievance for Jun’er.”

“A grievance? There are plenty of people outside who don’t think it’s a grievance. Why don’t you just send him away, and I’ll pick another suitable one from outside?”

Liu Nüluo was very firm on this matter. Although Tang Yun’s repeated pleas were meant for Jun’er’s benefit, the more he favored that child, the less likely Liu Nüluo would go along with his wishes.

“An’an has never been close to you since he was born. Instead of thinking of ways to get An’an to accept you, your mind is always on that child. Since you like him so much, why don’t you go be his father?”

She couldn’t help but think of how yesterday, while taking An’an for a walk in the garden, they unexpectedly came across Tang Yun teaching Tang Jun calligraphy. An’an had looked longingly from her arms.

“Madam, doesn’t An’an dislike me…? There’s nothing I can do. Every time I get close, he cries. And you can’t bear to let him cry for too long.”

“Maybe it’s precisely because you keep thinking about Tang Jun that An’an is rejecting you as his father?”

The more Liu Nüluo thought about it, the more sense it made. Whether it was her older brother or father, An’an had never cried in their presence. Not even when they first met.

“Madam, An’an is so young—how could he understand any of this?”

“So what if he’s young? Isn’t he still disliking you all the same?”

That previous line from Liu Nüluo had given Tang Yun a new idea. He took her hand, his tone softening as he said,

“Madam, I think what you just said wasn’t bad. Since you’re unwilling, how about letting Jun’er become my adopted son?”

Tang Yun couldn’t bear to let Jun’er remain a servant. He had been reluctant even to formally adopt him before. But after much thought, this seemed to be the most appropriate solution—give the boy a proper status first, then slowly coax his wife afterward.

He understood her temperament—tough on the outside, soft on the inside. After a few days, she would surely calm down.

“Your adopted son? And how is your adopted son any different from mine? Tang Yun, are you saying you want to divorce me?”

After she said that, Liu Nüluo suddenly slammed the table, stood up, and turned to the next room to pick up An’an.

“Nanny, I want to go home for a while!”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

The maids attending Liu Nüluo quickly followed. There was no need to pack—her family had always kept a courtyard ready for her.

“Madam—Madam, listen to me, that’s not what I meant!”

Only when Liu Nüluo left with the child to return to her parents’ house did Tang Yun realize he had done something foolish. He hurried to stop her, but couldn’t catch up. Glaring at the guards, he barked,

“What are you waiting for? Stop Madam at once!”

“Yes, sir!”

Seeing the guards standing in her way only made Liu Nüluo angrier. Her initial impulse to return to her parents’ home had cooled slightly after walking a bit. She knew that once she went back, no matter what she said, her parents and brother would assume she had been wronged. Then Tang Yun would really be in a difficult position.

But now, with several guards blocking her path, her anger flared up again.

“How dare you! I’d like to see which of you has the nerve to stop me.”

“Nanny, quickly go fetch my father! Tell him someone is blocking me from going home!”

Liu Nüluo didn’t feel the slightest shame about running to her parents for help despite being a grown woman. Her parents had taught her from a young age: if anything troubled her, tell Father first, then tell Mother.

“Yes, Young Miss.”

Nanny gave a curt bow and deftly slipped past the guards.

Tang Yun had only ordered them to stop his wife, not anyone with her. The guards hesitated for a moment, watching as Nanny headed toward the gate.

“Madam, why must your temper be so fiery? I was only speaking casually. If you truly return home, your father and mother will surely worry.”

Seeing that he wasn’t going to stop her anymore, Liu Nüluo brushed past him and continued walking, answering as she went:

“If I were to swallow my pride and stay here today, that’s what would truly upset my parents.”

After all this fuss, the piglet-like An’an finally opened his eyes. Having witnessed his parents’ quarrel, his big eyes swirled, just like when he’d seen his mother before—bright and shining.

“Madam, even if you won’t consider my feelings, at least consider An’an—”

Before Tang Yun could finish the sentence, he found himself speechless.

In other families, perhaps the child could mediate between quarreling parents, but whenever An’an saw him, he cried. Trying to persuade her like this was just adding fuel to the fire.

Nanny didn’t go straight to the State Duke’s manor. She knew that once the Young Miss had said those words, her husband wouldn’t dare stop her again, so she simply ordered the servants to prepare a carriage.

Sitting inside the carriage, Liu Nüluo held An’an in her arms, already regretting how harshly she had argued with her husband. She also worried about how she would explain everything to her parents once she got home.

And this little one—who knew if he’d fuss once they left familiar surroundings?

The more she thought, the deeper the crease between her brows became.

The Tang residence wasn’t far from the State Duke’s manor. Before long, they arrived. When the gatekeepers saw the Tang family’s carriage, they immediately ordered someone to prepare a footstool for disembarking.

“Young Miss?”

“Mm.”

“Young Miss is back! Quick, go tell Master and Madam! They’ll be absolutely overjoyed!”

With Nanny’s help, Liu Nüluo stepped down from the carriage, holding An’an, and stood at the entrance of the State Duke’s manor. She looked down at the child in her arms.

At that moment, An’an was staring up at the plaque above the gate. His eyes, already large, went completely round in awe. Even his mouth fell open in shock.

Just as Duke Liu came out after hearing the news, he happened to hear his little grandson exclaim in his baby voice:

“Wahhh~”