Chapter 70

Back when she first sensed that something was wrong, Liu Nüluo had already sent people to investigate the truth. Unfortunately, no matter how deep they dug, all the information pointed to Tang Jun having truly been a little beggar before he met Tang Yun.

Later, she asked her father to help look into it as well, and the answer was the same.

But Liu Nüluo’s intuition told her there was more to the story, which only made her more curious and eager to get to the bottom of it.

Now, all she wanted was the truth.

“You really want to know?”

Huo Siwei had actually looked into it. That incident had been handled very discreetly—most people wouldn’t be able to uncover anything. But because he had been reckless in his youth and often mingled with people from all walks of life, he happened to learn the truth from a thug. He had never known whether or not to tell Liu Nüluo.

“Yes.”

Liu Nüluo desperately wanted to know—just how important must that person have been for Tang Yun to start scheming before An’an was even born?

“Tang Yun came from a poor family and grew up relying on handouts from neighbors.”

Seeing how stubborn she looked, Huo Siwei figured that if she didn’t hear the truth, she would keep obsessing over it. So, he started explaining.

Liu Nüluo had heard this part before and had felt sorry for Tang Yun many times because of it.

“There was an older neighbor girl, ten years older than him. Her father sold her to an old man—one who had already buried two wives—to be his third. She gave birth to a son, and that son was Tang Jun.”

“The old man died right after Tang Jun was born, and the neighbor girl, Taohua, became a widow. She took her son back to her parents’ home, just as the emperor issued a decree encouraging widows to remarry.”

Liu Nüluo had also heard about that decree. It was issued because of a population shortage, and it led to the destruction of many chastity arches. The emperor even led by example by bringing several widows into the palace.

It became common for widows to remarry while bringing their children with them. But in the royal family, that could never be allowed. Otherwise, the child’s identity would be awkward and problematic.

So, the selection criteria for those palace-bound widows were strict—most had no children—to ensure the purity of royal bloodlines.

“You know the criteria. After Taohua returned to her parents’ home, life was very hard for her. Just then, their village happened to have one available spot in the selection.”

“The child was dumped among beggars—no one knew who did it—and she claimed he had run away. That’s how she became one of the chosen palace women.”

“As for how Tang Yun recognized that child, perhaps we’ll only find out when we meet that Taomeiren.”

Liu Nüluo had investigated many women around Tang Yun’s age, but she had never considered someone more than ten years older—it wasn’t surprising that she had overlooked this.

Coincidentally, her sister had recently summoned her to the palace. If she made the trip, it shouldn’t be hard to meet this Taomeiren.

“Repaying a debt.”

Liu Nüluo softly repeated those words. She didn’t believe it. Who could go that far just to repay a debt?

Even using her own child willingly, even stepping over her and An’an’s corpses to climb upward.

Now that she knew the truth, she didn’t feel as relieved as she thought she would. She closed her eyes, exhausted.

The Empress had summoned her to the palace upon learning her sister intended to bring in a son-in-law, wanting to know if she was doing so willingly.

Liu Nüluo had brought An’an with her this time. The Lady of the State wasn’t with them—just the two sisters speaking privately. As soon as they entered the palace, a nanny took An’an to the Imperial Garden to play.

When Liu Nüluo was younger, she had stayed at the Crown Prince’s residence for several months, and the two sisters had a decent relationship.

If not for that bond, the Empress wouldn’t have stayed silent for several months after learning Liu Nüluo insisted on keeping the child.

They spoke many heartfelt words. The Empress especially stressed not placing too much importance on feelings—people change, and those who believe otherwise are the ones who end up heartbroken.

Liu Nüluo remembered it all. She was no longer that naive girl who believed blindly in love.

“Elder Sister, I’d like to meet Taomeiren.”

As their conversation neared its end, Liu Nüluo suddenly brought it up.

Even before seeing her, she had her suspicions. Tang Jun probably resembled Taomeiren quite closely—how else could Tang Yun have recognized him so quickly among a group of beggars?

“Taomeiren?”

There were too many forgotten, neglected women in the harem—many didn’t even qualify to meet the Empress. The Empress couldn’t immediately recall who that was and turned to her nanny.

“There is indeed a Taomeiren in the harem.”

“Summon her.”

“Yes.”

The Empress didn’t question her sister’s request. While they waited, she ordered someone to bring the gifts she’d prepared: imperial fabrics, tribute jade, and writing tools suited for young children.

The bright colors clearly suited Liu Nüluo, and some were specifically reserved for An’an. Even when her own son had asked for them, she hadn’t been willing to give them away.

Though being the Empress seemed glamorous, only she knew the bitterness of it. Her thoughts often turned to her family—these little gestures were her comfort.

The nanny soon returned, much quicker than expected, surprising the Empress.

“So soon?”

“Waaah—Mother, Mother…”

Before the nanny could answer, a child’s sobbing voice rang out from outside. Liu Nüluo recognized it as An’an’s and rushed out without caring for propriety.

“An’an?”

An’an was in Nanny Li’s arms, completely soaked, looking pitiful beyond words.

The Empress’s heart clenched at the sight. She barked a sharp order:

“What are you all standing around for? Get hot water, now!”

“Find one of the Ninth Prince’s old outfits, and bring some ginger soup to ward off the cold!”

An’an cried even harder upon seeing his mother, but he was still mindful that he was soaked and didn’t reach out to be held. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and said:

“Mother… someone pushed me.”

“Who?”

Two eunuchs entered just then, dragging in a woman dressed in pale pink palace garb. They forced her to kneel. The Empress gave the nanny a look, and the nanny grabbed the woman’s chin, forcing her to look up.

“Your Majesty, this is Taomeiren.”

This was the palace, after all. The Empress had wanted to speak privately with her sister but didn’t want An’an to get into trouble, so she had ordered her people to accompany him. The head palace maid now detailed the entire incident.

An’an had been quietly admiring flowers in the Imperial Garden, behaving well and not wandering off.

He overheard palace staff mention a pond full of huge koi and, curious, had gone to take a look.

He was sitting there feeding the fish, and just as he turned to get more fish food, Taomeiren suddenly rushed out and shoved him into the pond. She moved so quickly that most attendants didn’t even have time to react.

Most of the palace maids couldn’t swim and panicked, but An’an had managed to climb out on his own.

With An’an still present, the Empress forced herself to contain her fury. Only after the nanny took him away for a bath did she speak:

“Taomeiren, why did you do it?”

“Your servant acknowledges her guilt.”

Taomeiren lowered her head and said nothing in her defense. Her look of resigned acceptance only fueled the Empress’s fury. With a loud slam, she struck the table.

Someone in the harem she managed had dared to harm her sister’s child right in front of her face—this was a humiliation beyond bearing!

An’an was still so little. If he hadn’t been able to crawl up on his own, the consequences… the Empress didn’t even dare think further.

If something had really happened to An’an, the bond between her and her sister might never recover. That thought alone was enough to shatter her usual composure.

Liu Nüluo gently patted her elder sister’s hand in a comforting gesture. In that moment, she seemed to understand many things.

“Perhaps you didn’t know—I’ve already divorced Tang Yun.”

This sentence made Taomeiren abruptly lift her head. Her overreaction was proof enough of Liu Nüluo’s suspicions.

“So, you did know.”

Realizing she had fallen into a trap, Taomeiren lowered her head again and softly said, “I don’t understand what this lady is talking about.”

Compared to a concubine from the harem she barely knew, the Empress naturally trusted her own younger sister more. She grasped Liu Nüluo’s hand and asked, “Know what?”

Liu Nüluo had long felt something was off. Now, seeing Taomeiren trying and failing to conceal her panic, everything finally connected.

“Elder Sister, I remember—if a consort communicates in private with a man outside the palace, by palace law… she is to be confined to the Cold Palace.”

“Of course.”

Taomeiren’s body immediately trembled like a leaf, her face turning deathly pale.

“I imagine he hasn’t written to you recently? So it makes sense you wouldn’t know. I divorced Tang Yun over a year ago. You wanted your son to marry my daughter? That’s over too. He’s not even worthy of being called an adopted son anymore.”

“You!”

No mother could bear hearing someone talk about her child like that. Even Taomeiren was no exception. Anger brought a flush of blood to her otherwise pale face.

“What did I ever do to you? Why must you use me and my An’an like this?”

Liu Nüluo had wanted to ask Tang Yun this same question long ago. If they had truly loved her that much, why hadn’t he simply married her back then?

Taomeiren returned to her earlier silence, the momentary flash of emotion gone. This reaction made Liu Nüluo feel like she had punched cotton—frustration and helpless anger made her hand tremble slightly where it was hidden in her sleeve.

An’an came running over after his bath, dressed in new clothes. The size wasn’t quite right—the sleeves were too long—so he rolled them up as he walked, running toward his mother as he did so.

Tears spilled from his eyes again. Even in his past life, when he’d been so hungry he learned to swim just to catch fish, being suddenly shoved into the water like that still terrified him.

This time, An’an didn’t run to his mother to complain. Instead, with watery eyes, he looked directly at the Empress and said in a trembling little voice, “Auntie, An’an is so scared… wu wu…”

The Empress reached out and pulled him into her arms, gently patting his back to soothe him.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Auntie is here. No one will bully you anymore. I’ll make sure you get justice.”

Taomeiren, still kneeling, felt cold sweat soak her back at those words.

She had thought that even when her sister was pregnant, the Empress hadn’t sent anyone to check in. And given the age difference between them, surely their relationship couldn’t have been that close. But clearly, judging by how fiercely protective the Empress was now, she had been completely wrong.

The Duke Liu household was powerful, but even they couldn’t reach their hands into the imperial harem. That was why Taomeiren hadn’t worried when corresponding with Tang Yun.

But the Empress was different. Even if she hadn’t caught Taomeiren red-handed today, dealing with an unfavored concubine like her would have been a simple matter.

An’an clung tightly to his aunt’s arm. Still pale and thin from his recent illness, his little face looked so much like her younger sister’s when she was a child that the Empress couldn’t help but think of the past.

“Someone, go search Taomeiren’s residence thoroughly. I want to see who dares play tricks right under my nose!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Taomeiren had hidden her things well, so she wasn’t too worried. She knelt with her back straight as a board. Just as the Nannies were about to step out to search, Liu Nüluo suddenly said:

“Check if there’s a hidden compartment under the bed.”

She remembered that Tang Yun used to hide valuables in compartments under the bed. She’d once found the habit amusing, but thinking about it now, given the environment he’d grown up in, he must have picked it up from the woman in front of her.

“You…”

Taomeiren had disposed of most of the evidence—except a few items she couldn’t bear to part with, things tied to her son.

“Madam, must you be so aggressive? Your Majesty, searching my quarters without cause—if His Majesty hears of this, won’t he think you’re being far too arrogant?”

The Empress nearly laughed from anger. She raised her hand to stop the nannies who had been about to begin the search.

“You’re right. This is serious. Go summon His Majesty.”

She was never one to leave loose ends—and now that the Emperor’s health had declined, he had become increasingly suspicious of both her and the Crown Prince.

Taomeiren hadn’t wanted this to get so out of hand. Hearing that the Empress truly intended to call the Emperor, her expression finally showed panic.

“Your Majesty…”

An’an nestled in his aunt’s arms, staring at Taomeiren with a pitiful look, sniffing now and then to appear even more pitiful.

Hearing the sound, the Empress’s expression grew even darker as she looked at Taomeiren.

She had always known exactly what had happened to her sister. That was why, with just a few sentences from Liu Nüluo, she had been able to piece the truth together.

She had thought Tang Yun was simply heartless, taking advantage of her sister’s kind nature. But now, it seemed Taomeiren had been involved all along.

Plotting from the moment her sister got pregnant? Wanting to use that child to marry into the Duke Liu household and squeeze every benefit from them?

Even in a royal marriage, feelings faded with time—especially in the palace. Still, there remained respect, if not affection.

Upon hearing that the Empress needed to consult him, the Emperor set down his memorials and came quickly. As he entered, he saw a woman kneeling on the floor.

Judging by her attire, she was one of the palace beauties—but he couldn’t recall exactly who she was.

“Empress, what’s the matter?”

“Your Majesty, Taomeiren pushed An’an into the pond. I also suspect she’s been secretly corresponding with a man outside the palace for years! She wasn’t even eligible to enter the palace in the first place.”

The Empress had intended to kneel and speak, but the Emperor stopped her the moment she bent her knees.

All the witnesses were brought forth. Throughout the process, the Emperor never spared a glance for the woman kneeling before him.

Setting everything else aside—just the fact that she had deliberately pushed the Duke’s grandson into a pond was enough to have her banished to the Cold Palace.

And if the rest turned out to be true, her crimes would only worsen.

Back when the Emperor had issued a decree encouraging widows to remarry, he had personally smashed the capital’s first chastity arch. He took this matter extremely seriously.

They didn’t meet the criteria for entering the palace—either they weren’t widows, or they brought children with them. No matter which it was, it went against His Majesty’s original intent.

He simply wanted widows to remarry—not to abandon their children in order to do so. If everyone were to follow that example, who knew how many children would die as a result.

“Investigate.”

“Yes.”

As the emperor, he naturally wielded more power than the Duke’s manor. Even the thugs Huo Siwei had once found were tracked down.

It was early one morning. After drinking, they were heading home when they saw Taomeiren throw her young child into a beggar’s den with their own eyes.

In addition, the palace attendants who searched Taomeiren’s residence made a discovery—a hidden compartment under her bed contained a portrait and a clearly male jade pendant.

When Lady Liu Luoluo saw the pendant, her pupils contracted sharply. She had spent silver to buy that very pendant for Tang Yun.

It must have been because he felt sorry that his beloved had no money in the palace, so he sent her the last of what he had.

By then, Taomeiren had already collapsed weakly onto the floor. She knew there was no way this would end well. All she hoped now was that her child could live safely outside the palace.

While the truth was being uncovered, An’an curiously stared at His Majesty, blinking his big eyes inquisitively.

The Emperor still had some impression of the little guy—it had been a long time since such a young child had been seen in the palace, and the sight was quite refreshing.

He reached out and held An’an’s hand. An’an gripped back slightly, then grinned proudly, revealing a few tiny new teeth—he looked especially adorable.

“Come here, let me hold you.”

“Coming~”

An’an squirmed out of his aunt’s arms and scampered over, already used to it after spending so much time at home. He stood not far from the Emperor and held out his arms.

The Emperor paused for a moment, then picked him up.

While he was playing with An’an, the Empress on the side began to recount how Tang Yun had conspired with Taomeiren to use her sister in order to help Tang Jun climb higher.

Now that His Majesty was aging, he had grown more suspicious than in his younger years.

The words Taomeiren had spoken earlier had indeed weighed on the Empress’s mind, which was why she had gone out of her way to summon the Emperor—lest the Liu family be wrongly accused of arrogance.

The more critical the moment, the less she could act directly.

Case by case, the evidence piled up, and the witnesses were all there. In the end, both Tang Yun and Tang Jun—who had only lost an arm before—were sentenced to be executed after the autumn.

As for Taomeiren, she had entered the palace due to her promotion of widows remarrying. Even though her behavior had violated palace rules, the Emperor still didn’t want to reveal her deeds, fearing others would follow her example.

“Grant her death by suicide. Taomeiren died of illness.”

The Emperor casually gave the order while playing with An’an, thus sealing Taomeiren’s fate.

“Waa~”

It was as if An’an knew the person who had pushed him into the water had finally been punished. His surprised little face delighted the Emperor, who gave his nose a gentle pinch.

“Ouch.”

As evening approached and it was time for Liu Luoluo to leave the palace, the Emperor glanced at little An’an still sitting on his knee and smiled:

“Come visit the palace more often to keep the Empress company. I seem to recall… the Ninth Prince is still lacking a study companion.”

The Ninth Prince was the Empress’s youngest son, just six years old. He was mischievous and playful, and as the youngest, the Emperor doted on him more than the others. Even now, at age six, he had only just begun school.

The title of study companion was, in truth, a way of building social connections.

Though the Emperor had grown more paranoid with age, fearing others might plot to steal his throne, the Liu family had always conducted themselves impeccably, never giving him cause for dissatisfaction.

They were modest and never abused their status through the Empress. Occasionally, the Emperor would reflect on his own faults, and in his guilt, grant them extra favor.

No matter how muddled he became, he still clearly knew who the most suitable heir to the throne was.

Since that was the case, as the Crown Prince’s younger brother, the Ninth Prince was being nurtured to support the Crown Prince—exactly in line with the Duke of Liu’s hopes for his young grandson.

Neither family expected great achievements from the two boys—just that they could grow up safe and sound.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Empress gently tugged her sister’s sleeve, signaling for her to kneel and give thanks.

The Emperor’s words meant that once An’an was of age, he would be sent to the Ninth Prince’s side.

The Ninth Prince had grown up beside the Empress and shared a close bond with the Crown Prince. As long as nothing went wrong, he could live a life of wealth and honor.

Naturally, as his companion, so could An’an.

Back at the Duke’s manor, Liu Luoluo told her parents about the matter. She knew she wasn’t the only one troubled by what had happened back then.

Now that it was all resolved, she naturally had to inform them.

The Duke of Liu stayed silent for a long time after hearing the story. From their very first meeting, he had known Tang Yun’s feelings for his daughter were not what he pretended them to be.

But back then, he couldn’t bear to ignore his daughter’s pleas, and in his pride, believed that with him around, Tang Yun wouldn’t dare go too far.

Looking back, he had been wrong too.

“Father, that matter is long over. You don’t need to worry about me anymore. Oh, and I saw His Majesty at the palace today—he said An’an would make a good study companion for the Ninth Prince.”

That lightened the mood. The Duke took a sip of tea and burst out laughing at her words.

“Study companion? An’an?”

That little rascal who could fall asleep reading a book upside down? A prince’s companion?

Then he remembered the Ninth Prince. Based on the letters his eldest daughter often sent home, that kid also seemed to be a little scamp who couldn’t sit still with books. At six years old, he still couldn’t write neatly.

Actually, putting the two together might work out pretty well.

…

The system could tell that in this world, An’an had absolutely no ambition. His little head was filled with nothing but thoughts of how to live a more comfortable life.

At first, he realized his grandparents could change his situation. Then he learned Liu Sisi was the heir of the Duke’s manor.

In the palace, he immediately recognized the Emperor as the most worthwhile person to curry favor with. And now, he had successfully latched onto the Ninth Prince.

Thinking back to the past few worlds, where An’an had worked hard to make his parents proud, this little guy now seemed particularly generous with his emotions.

If his parents gave him even a little love, he’d do everything he could to repay it—especially since every set of parents he met were the type to genuinely love their child.

Ever since they were bound, this was the first time the system had seen An’an want to be a little slacker.

The system had already planned to stay out of the way—but now, it was even more determined to vanish for this entire world and let the kid enjoy a carefree life.

Little An’an didn’t understand what “study companion” meant at all. He only knew that all the enemies from his past life had been dealt with, and he was so happy he spent the next day bouncing around everywhere.

He even had the kitchen prepare his big brother’s favorite soup. No matter how the servants tried to dissuade him, he insisted on delivering it to the academy himself.

In the end, even Liu Luoluo came over, but An’an still stood his ground. After being coaxed for a while, he started to get anxious and stubbornly stood there with his lips pursed.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let you go deliver it.”

Truth be told, there were quite a few students at the academy who had meals sent over from home, so An’an’s idea wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary.

It was precisely because of that that Lady Liu nodded in agreement. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed An’an to mess around like this.

As soon as he heard his mother give in, the little An’an, who had been pouting the whole time, finally broke into a happy grin.

To happily cling to his big brother’s thigh, he racked his little brain every day thinking of ways to get closer to him.

Once he had his mother’s permission, An’an even went to the kitchen to ask the cook to prepare a few more of his brother’s favorite pastries. After giving the instructions, he ran back to find his mother, his little legs moving fast as he asked:

“Mommy, new clothes, An’an’s new clothes! Gotta show Duoduo~”

Lady Liu had already anticipated this. While An’an had gone to the kitchen, she had fetched the new outfit. The fabric was good, and it made him look even more spirited when worn.

Coincidentally, Huo Siwei was at the residence today. An’an was never particularly enthusiastic about him, especially not when he had something serious to do.

Sensing that he was being brushed off, Huo Siwei touched his nose helplessly and only asked once An’an had left:

“Does An’an… not like me very much?”

“He’s in a hurry to see his brother.”

Lady Liu shook her head in denial. When An’an was eager to find his brother, even she, his own mother, had to step aside—let alone Huo Siwei.

“What does he want with his brother?”

Mentioning this made Lady Liu chuckle. She’d learned the reason from her father—why An’an liked his brother so much.

“Father told An’an he had to study and practice writing, saying it was the only way to have a future when he grew up. An’an didn’t like that. Just then, Sisi happened to say that when An’an grew up, he would take care of his little brother. So An’an latched on to that immediately.”

Lady Liu had never seen a child as lazy as An’an. But since he was her own son, no matter how lazy he was, she could only put up with it.

Besides, watching such a tiny kid rack his brain trying to avoid hard work was honestly pretty amusing.

…

Ever since that incident where An’an was nearly snatched on the street, he never went out without several guards following him.

An’an himself valued his safety greatly and didn’t think anything was wrong with that. In fact, when his grandfather suggested it, An’an had even requested to pick out a few handsome ones.

It was just about lunchtime at the academy, and today happened to be the day each month when the Duke’s household sent things over to help improve Liu Sisi’s meals. So he wasn’t in any rush and was leisurely sorting through his books.

Until he heard the clear, childish voice calling “Duoduo,” which made him instinctively stand up and look outside.

“An’an?”

“Duoduo, I brought you food~”

Last time Liu Sisi went home, An’an had eagerly volunteered to bring him food next time at the academy. Liu Sisi hadn’t taken it seriously then, but to his surprise, the kid actually came.

After getting off the carriage, An’an had wanted to carry the food box himself to show his sincerity, but it was so packed with food that he couldn’t lift it.

The attendants opened it and laid everything out on the table one by one. The weather wasn’t cold today, so the dishes were still warm.

An’an had told his mother it was just pastries and soup. In truth, he’d used silver given to him by his grandfather to have a servant buy a braised pork knuckle from the most famous restaurant in the capital.

It was generously made, and the pork knuckle looked delicious. The aroma drifted into An’an’s nose, and he couldn’t help but take a big sniff.

“Duoduo.”

An’an grabbed his tummy with a hopeful look, silently pleading with his brother to see through his tough front. Liu Sisi, of course, couldn’t bear to tease him, and promptly brought out another spoon.

The pork knuckle had been stewed until meltingly tender, which An’an loved. His cheeks were stuffed full. Liu Sisi looked at those bulging cheeks with laughter in his eyes.

At the academy, Liu Sisi was always seen as aloof and untouchable. Today, however, he was uncharacteristically gentle. Quite a few classmates who witnessed this found it rather surprising.

Those in the know revealed that it was his aunt’s child.

After lunch, the attendants began clearing the dishes, and An’an nestled into his brother’s arms, letting him wipe the grease from the corners of his mouth.

Just then, a man dressed in slightly shabby clothes came over and asked if Liu Sisi could speak with him somewhere more private. Liu Sisi agreed without hesitation.

But he was reluctant to leave An’an, so he simply carried him along. After all, An’an was still little and didn’t understand much.

When they reached a quieter spot, the man took out a worn purse, pulled out a few bits of silver, and handed them to Liu Sisi.

“Sorry, I’m a bit late in returning it.”

Liu Sisi looked at the silver in his hand, did a rough count, and after thinking about the time, realized something didn’t quite add up.

“Is your mother’s illness cured?”

At that, the man’s eyes turned red. He shook his head slightly and said:

“The doctor said her illness would take a lot of money to cure… Even with what you lent me, it’s still not enough. My mother doesn’t want to see a doctor anymore.”

Liu Sisi didn’t want to believe someone would choose death if they could still live, but seeing the man’s worn-out clothes, he found himself at a loss for words.

His mother, worried that he might go astray while living outside, gave him a fixed allowance every month. He had already given away almost all he had. If that still wasn’t enough, he’d have to go ask his mother when he got home.

An’an had always been curious about things like this. The moment they started talking, he perked up, straining his ears to listen.

In his past life, due to the environment, he had fallen sick many times and knew how awful illness felt. He suspected that the nanny who cared for him might have died from illness in the cold without a doctor.

Hearing this story now made him feel even more sympathy. He started rummaging around in his little pouch.

Liu Sisi noticed this small movement and paused before smiling as he said:

“Brother Wang, don’t worry about paying it back just yet. If this isn’t enough—how about adding this?”

As he spoke, An’an had successfully fished a silver ingot out of his pouch and handed it to the man.

Compared to the ingot, An’an’s hand was so small that holding it was a bit of a struggle.

“Is… is this really okay?”

Young Master Wang had been admitted to the academy by the master himself. Although his tuition was waived because of his talent, all the other expenses were still a heavy burden, and his mother had been gritting her teeth to support him this whole time.

Not long ago, he’d even considered marrying into a merchant family for money. But somehow his mother found out, and she was so furious that she shook in bed and threatened to kill herself if he dared.

That had scared him into dropping the idea immediately.

“It’s fine~”

An’an might be little, but thanks to the Duke, his private stash of silver was even bigger than Liu Sisi’s.

His grandfather had also raised him to always keep a bit of silver in his pouch no matter where he went, which had become a habit.

And now, it had come in handy.

Young Master Wang knew this wasn’t quite proper, but compared to his mother’s life, his own pride wasn’t worth a thing. When he took the silver, it felt as heavy as a thousand catties.

The more An’an looked at Young Master Wang, the more familiar he seemed. If it weren’t for his brother constantly pinching the soft flesh at his waist, he might’ve waved his hand and said, “No need to pay it back.”

“The teacher just told me that we don’t need to study this afternoon. Brother Liu, though my family is poor, there are plenty of wild goods in the village that are quite a specialty. Would you be willing to come have a look?”

He still had some at home, so he wasn’t worried about not being able to host a guest. At the same time, he hoped Liu Sisi would come along to confirm for himself whether his mother was truly ill or just pretending.

Liu Sisi and An’an nodded almost at the same time. He was willing to help a classmate, yes—but he didn’t want to be taken for a gullible fool.

First, going to see for himself would let him know the truth. Second, with him there, he could also bring a better doctor.

An’an insisted on going too, and since he was followed by servants wherever he went, no one dared to stop the young master. The only one who might’ve stopped him, Liu Sisi, had already agreed, so those responsible for An’an’s safety had no choice but to go along.

With a doctor in tow, they rode in the carriage for quite some time before Young Master Wang said they’d arrived.

The carriage stopped in front of a rundown courtyard. Young Master Wang was the first to get down, followed closely by Liu Sisi, who didn’t forget to carry An’an out as well. Together, they entered the house.

Even in the courtyard, they could smell the scent of medicine. Liu Sisi instinctively covered An’an’s nose. When they stepped inside, he looked around and saw an elderly woman lying on the bed.

An’an, who had been holding his breath, instantly froze when he saw the old woman’s face.