Chapter Three: The Worth of the Young Fish?

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“Rui’er, tell your mother, do you know those two people?” Yan Ziyu gently asked Rui’er, snapping back to her senses. The two had spoken very quietly earlier, and with the loud sound of flowing water, Rui’er hadn’t caught their conversation at all.

“Yes, I know them! That’s Aunt Qian and the steward’s son. They’re so nice to me and even buy me treats,” Rui’er replied innocently, puzzled as to why his mother suddenly didn’t recognize Aunt Qian and Steward’s son. Aunt Qian used to be very close to Mother.

Yan Ziyu remained composed and continued asking Rui’er several questions. From his answers, she obtained the information she sought, her expression growing more serious. She crouched down and said solemnly, “Rui’er, you must not tell anyone about seeing Aunt Qian just now, and don’t come to this place again, understand?”

“Why can’t I come here? I don’t want to stop, I like it here,” Rui’er pouted in discontent, throwing a little tantrum at his mother.

Suddenly, Yan Ziyu reached out quickly and pushed—

Splash! Rui’er fell splendidly into the water, caught off guard and swallowed several mouthfuls of lake water. “Mother is mean... gulp... mother... gulp...” Although the water wasn’t deep, it was enough to drown a four-year-old like Rui’er. After struggling for a while and nearly losing consciousness, Yan Ziyu finally pulled him out.

“How do you feel? Were you very scared?” Yan Ziyu stood in the waist-deep lake water, holding the frightened Rui’er gently.

Rui’er clung tightly around her neck, trembling with fear. He truly thought he was going to die just now. After sobbing for a while, he whispered, “Mother, do you not like me anymore? Did you want to drown me?” His big watery eyes were full of grievance, staring at her, waiting for an answer.

“Silly son, your mother loves you very much and will never abandon you,” Yan Ziyu said. Having deceived countless people her whole life, this was the most sincere and unadulterated truth she had ever spoken.

Having crossed into this unfamiliar era, the only one by her side who had always accompanied and cared for her was this little one. It was his pure and untainted love that gave her the strength to survive in this world. She would love and protect him for a lifetime.

“Mother is lying. You just tried to drown me,” Rui’er clung stubbornly, his little nose twitching as tears threatened to fall again.

“Rui’er, remember this: even if everyone in this world wants to harm you, your mother will never hurt you. It was very unpleasant just now, wasn’t it? You must remember how that feels. A person will have many things in life, but only one life. As long as your life remains, everything else can be regained. Born in a complicated environment like the prince’s mansion, you must learn to discern true intentions from falsehoods. Don’t believe just what your eyes see; use your heart to observe and feel. Sometimes what the eyes see is not the truth. Listen to your mother, and one day you will understand why I say this.” Teaching her own son, Yan Ziyu planned to raise him differently from the usual path, starting from his childhood.

Whether four-year-old Rui’er absorbed, remembered, or understood all this was not the point. As long as he remembered that feeling—the struggle on the brink of death—that would be enough.

“Okay, Rui’er understands. Thank you, Mother!” Rui’er nodded his adorable little head, tears still sparkling in his big watery eyes.

Aunt Qian is really bad; Mother taught him not to lie.

“Yes, my good boy. Let’s play in the water! Soaking in cool water in summer is the greatest happiness in life.”

Seeing the lingering fear in Rui’er’s eyes about the water, Yan Ziyu smiled faintly, gently placing him back in the water to teach him to swim, hoping to dispel his fear. She did not want this incident to cast a shadow on his young heart; that would be a great loss for a small thing.

Sure enough, under her guidance, Rui’er gradually conquered his fear and soon learned to swim like a joyful little fish, freely gliding through the water. Watching her happy son, Yan Ziyu’s face lit up with a genuine smile. Then, as if struck by a thought, a sharp gleam flashed in her eyes.

It seemed that to raise Rui’er carefree, there was one urgent matter she had to address—

*

The prince’s mansion was divided into six courtyards: the residence of Prince Xiao—“Li Residence”; the residence of Princess Yan Ziyu—“Heyuan”; the concubines’ quarters—“Meiyuan”; the servants’ quarters—“Juyuan”; the guest reception courtyard—“Huaqiong Yuan”; and the forbidden area of the Xiao Prince’s Mansion—“Luocheng Residence.” Among these, Li Residence was the simplest and most unadorned, Huaqiong Yuan was the most lavish and splendid, while the others varied in style but were roughly equal in status.

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The forbidden Luocheng Residence was the only four-story pavilion in the mansion. At this moment, inside the study on the fourth floor sat two men of strikingly different styles.

One wore red, seductive and alluring; the other wore purple, wild and unrestrained. Despite their differences, both drew attention like two dazzling stars.

“You’re too cruel! That woman is, after all, your son’s mother…”

Dressed in blood-red, Wu Yuexuan lounged lazily by the window. Perhaps due to the heat, sweat beaded on his forehead. His shirt was half-open, revealing a well-built chest, exuding a dangerously seductive aura. A wicked smile played at his lips; any woman present would surely lose control and throw themselves at him.

“Take this!” Dressed in purple, Long Xiaoyan glanced disdainfully down below, his disgust obvious.

A prince of the realm, Long Xiaoyan carried an innate royal aura. His handsome face was nearly supernatural in perfection, and coupled with his noble status, he was the object of many young ladies’ affections. Yet he married a woman with a notoriously bad reputation as his princess consort, and to this day, no one knew why.

“Brothers’ wives are not to be bullied. Besides, I’m not that desperate yet,” Wu Yuexuan said with a lazy smirk. He was Long Xiaoyan’s trusted subordinate and close friend. His complaints about Yan Ziyu were merely idle chatter and not to be taken seriously.

“Any leads on that thing?” Upon mentioning it, Long Xiaoyan’s eyes darkened with seriousness.

Wu Yuexuan retained his careless, devil-may-care demeanor and casually asked, “What if I told you the condition was to exchange the item for a person?” His tone was both a question and a confirmation.

“Exchange!” Long Xiaoyan answered without hesitation, a glimmer of hope appearing in his distant gaze.

Meanwhile, Yan Ziyu, who was playing with her illegitimate son, suddenly felt a chill down her spine and shivered. She dismissed it as mere discomfort from the environment and continued playing with the boy.

“You really are cold-blooded. That woman is your princess consort, yet in your eyes, she’s worth less than a lifeless object. Pathetic, truly lamentable!” Wu Yuexuan reclined lazily, plucking a grape and popping it into his mouth. He looked over at the icy Long Xiaoyan and asked, “Say, the appointed day draws near. Are those things ready? If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. No need to be polite.”

“All is prepared, waiting only for the crucial moment,” Long Xiaoyan nodded, succinctly answering.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuexuan raised an eyebrow and muttered, “Nonsense. If it weren’t for that thing, you would have killed her long ago. You wouldn’t waste effort finding something to prolong her life otherwise.”

Long Xiaoyan’s expression remained cold and unchanged. He spat out three words, “She deserves to die.”

“You… forget it. No one can change what you’ve decided. I just hope you won’t regret it later.” Wu Yuexuan wanted to say more but stopped upon meeting Long Xiaoyan’s icy gaze. He shook his head and changed the subject. “Your illegitimate son has potential. I’ve been bored lately. How about he trains martial arts with me? He looks dull enough to be interesting.”

Consider it a small compensation for mother and son, Wu Yuexuan thought.

Long Xiaoyan fixed Wu Yuexuan with a deep look. After a moment of silence, he said coldly, “Xuan, remember your place. You are my only friend. I don’t want you to die by my hand.”

With that, Long Xiaoyan turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Wu Yuexuan smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Being a good guy is really not easy!

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He looked out the window toward a certain part of the mansion, muttering, “This gamble is big. You better make me proud. Don’t let me lose…”

“Achoo—”

“Achoo—”

Suddenly, Yan Ziyu and Rui’er both felt a chill at their backs and sneezed loudly.

“Mother—”

Rui’er looked at Yan Ziyu with a plaintive expression, his soft voice tinged with helplessness.

“Mm… sticky rice dumpling, no talking, sleep now…” Yan Ziyu, half-dreaming and cradling the “sticky rice dumpling,” rubbed Rui’er’s face a few times and turned over, burying her face in his belly, murmuring as if still dreaming.

Within moments, Rui’er was stripped of his undergarments, becoming a soft, pale little bundle.

He didn’t react at first, focused only on dodging the tickles. Suddenly, Green Willow entered the room, saw his state, and covered her mouth to stifle laughter. Rui’er’s face instantly flushed red, and he pouted shyly.

Big Sister Green Willow is a girl; it’s embarrassing to be seen without clothes. How annoying…

“Oh, little young master, why aren’t you wearing clothes? Is it hot?” Green Willow teased, knowing he was shy.

Rui’er’s face turned even redder. After a while, he quietly said in a soft voice, “You’re not allowed to look. Girls shouldn’t see boys without clothes. It will cause babies to be born.”

What?

Green Willow was stunned, her mouth wide open as if she could fit an egg inside. After a moment, she snapped back to reality.

“Uh… little young master, what did you just say?” She blinked, flames burning in her eyes. Who taught her little young master such things? She would not let that person off easily.

Rui’er nodded seriously, cheeks flaming red as he whispered, “That’s what they say in the play. Green Willow, please go out. Rui’er doesn’t want to have babies…” He pouted, about to cry.

Green Willow’s mouth twitched several times. Under the intense gaze of Rui’er’s big round eyes, she silently retreated.

Closing the door behind her, Green Willow felt a pang of unease. The little young master was so well-behaved and sensible. How could the prince bear to neglect him so completely?