With the absence of bothersome chatter beside her, Mi Yao felt much more at ease.
However, this tranquility was disrupted again by evening.
After finishing her dinner, Mi Yao took a casual stroll around the estate before intending to resume reading the leisure book she hadn’t finished.
Hearing movement at the door, she assumed it was Shuang Hua or the others. But when she sensed someone standing by the bed and glanced over, she saw a chubby little radish—dressed in a red coat and a sable fur hat—staring intently at her.
Mi Yao: “…”
She deliberately craned her neck to look outside. “Where’s your wet nurse? Why are you running around so late at night?”
Having no intention of playing the role of a caring stepmother, she had, upon her arrival, ordered the small kitchen in the Xiao residence to be rearranged, ensuring she dined separately from the Xiao children.
During this time, Xiao Shan hadn’t come to see her, and she thought the little radish incident had already blown over.
Who would have thought that at bedtime, the child would show up again—clearly sneaking away without her brothers’ knowledge.
Xiao Shan deftly climbed onto Mi Yao’s bed, burrowed under the quilt, wrapped her short arms around Mi Yao’s waist, and nestled into her embrace.
Mi Yao looked down at the little head buried against her chest, startled by the softness yet rubbing against her joyfully.
She had so much to say but didn’t know where to begin.
When she first began cherishing her new body, she had wondered: if Xiao Chu was naturally aloof or physically impaired and unwilling to be intimate with women, that would be one thing. But what if, unlike the original host, she held no resentment toward him, and he proceeded to consummate their marriage as usual?
Wouldn’t her delicate, fair skin and curvaceous softness all be taken advantage of by him?
Though she understood that being a decorative vase came with certain costs, she still felt uneasy and occasionally pondered how to avoid closeness between them.
Later, after meeting Xiao Chu in person and finding his appearance and physique quite satisfactory, her aversion to being taken advantage of lessened considerably—she began to see it as mutual benefit.
If she could be so calculating even toward someone providing her with food and shelter, shouldn’t she be even more meticulous about settling accounts now that this little radish was freely taking liberties with her?
Mi Yao pinched Xiao Shan’s cheek, which kept rubbing against her chest.
“You startled me so much I didn’t even wash my face with goat’s milk tonight. Why are you still clinging to me?”
Xiao Shan looked up at Mi Yao with a dazed expression, interpreting her touch as affection. She bared her tiny white teeth, rested her head against Mi Yao’s hand, and continued to nuzzle.
A child’s cheek had a texture even more unique than tender tofu—pink, smooth, and soft, with a slight resilience that made it irresistibly delightful.
“Why are you acting like a little puppy…”
Afraid of hurting Xiao Shan’s delicate skin, Mi Yao didn’t dare press too hard and released her after a gentle pinch.
“So why, exactly? I never asked to hold you, nor did I smile at you. Why do you like me? Could this be my golden finger? If so, it’s rather useless.”
Mi Yao moved the little radish away from her side, placing her on the quilt to observe her expression face-to-face.
She wanted to know why Xiao Shan was so attached to her.
But the silly, grinning little girl sitting across from her was only three years old and couldn’t speak. Even if Mi Yao adopted a fierce attitude to interrogate her, she wouldn’t get any answers.
“Did you come to me because I have tasty snacks?”
If it was about snacks, that was easy to handle. During her leisurely journey, she had taken advantage of the winter’s ability to preserve food and bought plenty of delicious local treats.
She had even purchased a few recipes for the cook to study.
Unfortunately, the little radish nodded but then shook her head, throwing her arms around Mi Yao’s neck and snuggling close.
The little turnip couldn't speak, but from these actions, Mi Yao could tell that she wanted some snacks. However, the fact that she had come to find her meant that in the little turnip's heart, she was more important than the snacks.
"So what exactly is the reason?"
Mi Yao lowered her gaze to examine the little turnip's appearance and clothing. The Xiao family's wet nurse might not be diligent enough in watching the child, but she was quite attentive when it came to dressing her and maintaining hygiene.
Both during the day and now, the little turnip was dressed in high-quality silk, and she smelled soft and fragrant. It was clear that while the Xiao family's servants might neglect her because she had no mother, they didn't dare to treat her harshly or abusively.
This made it even more puzzling for her. It wasn't a plea for help due to suffering, so was it simply because she liked her?
"Could it be that your older brothers are afraid you'll upset your stepmother, so they've been scaring you in front of you? You're too young to understand, and you're so afraid of me that you're using this method to win me over?"
Without any concrete clues, Mi Yao could only hold Xiao Shan's chubby little body and make wild guesses.
Her memory was quite good, so she clearly remembered that in the book, the original host didn't like Xiao Chu's three children, and the three children were also afraid of her and avoided her.
The book never described Xiao Shan clinging to the original host.
"Young lady, are you speaking to me?"
Shuang Hua was tidying up in the side room when she heard voices from the main room. She entered and saw the quilt on the bed bulging, with Mi Yao holding a small child in her arms.
"How did the young lady get here?"
"She came on her own. It seems the wet nurse washed her face and feet, and after putting her to bed, she sneaked out again."
"Should I carry the young lady back, or should I inform her wet nurse and wait until the young lady is asleep?"
Seeing that Mi Yao didn't seem to reject Xiao Shan and even seemed to like her a little, Shuang Hua found it strange but also felt relieved.
In the past, her mistress had liked Lord Huan, but after she stopped liking him, she became much colder. Now that she was kind to the young lady of the Xiao family, she seemed more alive, which made those serving her closely feel slightly more at ease in her presence.
"Go and inform them. We'll talk after she's asleep."
Mi Yao didn't want to listen to a child crying late at night. After giving Shuang Hua the order, she looked at the little turnip: "You can sleep here, but don't wet the bed. If you do, no matter how much you cling to me in the future, don't expect me to let you on the bed again."
Xiao Shan understood the instructions not to wet the bed and to go to sleep. She nodded and lay flat beside Mi Yao, putting on an "I'm super well-behaved" expression.
Mi Yao didn't want to interact with her, so she picked up a book.
After reading a few lines, she glanced sideways and saw that Xiao Shan was still staring at her with her eyes open, though her eyelids were drooping and the intervals between blinks were getting longer. Mi Yao couldn't help but chuckle softly.
This speed of falling asleep was almost too effortless.
"Sister actually kept that little girl. I don't know what Sister is thinking. A little girl who can't even speak, just clinging to her and flattering her, and she softens!"
Upon hearing that Xiao Shan had come to find Mi Yao again and that Mi Yao had even let her sleep in her bed, Yu Xiu expressed her dissatisfaction.
If she were her brother-in-law's biological child, it would be one thing, but since she wasn't of the same bloodline, why indulge her so much?
Having grown up in the Yu family, she understood all too well the competition for resources among siblings. She worried that if Mi Yao invested too much in these three children, they might turn against her when they grew up, making all her kindness go to waste.
Shuang Hua did not dare to respond to Yu Xiu's words. Yu Xiu found her own complaints dull, and just then, she spotted Xiao Shan's nanny coming to look for the child. She glared angrily and said, "You can't even keep an eye on a child, letting her run off to my elder sister's place whenever she pleases. I think you must be taking advantage of the young lady's inability to speak and bullying her in private. Otherwise, why would she act like this?"
Upon learning that his younger sister had wandered off, Xiao Yi also stepped out of his room to search for her. Hearing Yu Xiu's words, he paused and looked at his sister's nanny.
The three siblings lived in the same courtyard. Xiao Liang and Xiao Shan were still young, each with a personal nanny to care for them. His second brother had never mentioned his nanny treating him poorly, but Shan'er couldn't speak, making it difficult to know how Mama Fan treated her in private.
"Young Lady Yu, I'm wronged! I usually take great care of the young lady with all my heart. Just now, I only went to the latrine for a moment. Who would have thought the young lady would come to the madam's place? I suppose it's because the young lady is close to the madam and wants to see her all the time."
"My elder sister cannot tolerate any wrongdoing. No matter how you were before, you must now fulfill your duties faithfully. If this happens again, just wait and see how my elder sister punishes you."
Noticing Xiao Yi nearby, Yu Xiu remembered how he had caused her to be scolded by Mi Yao. She shot him a disdainful look and said, "If you want to find your sister, go ask my elder sister for her."
Yu Xiu wanted Xiao Yi to cause trouble for Mi Yao, hoping Mi Yao would realize how annoying the Xiao family children were. However, Xiao Yi, though young, was steady by nature. Knowing Mi Yao wouldn't harm his sister, he didn't go to look for her but instead returned to his quarters.
Mi Yao didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she was awakened by the weight pressing on her.
Still drowsy, she groped around for the little lump of flesh on her chest and, with her eyes closed, carefully placed it beside her.
After a moment, Mi Yao came to her senses and abruptly opened her eyes, glancing to the side. Sure enough, it was Xiao Shan, who had been taken away the previous night.
She distinctly remembered Xiao Shan being carried back to her quarters not long after falling asleep in her bed. How had she come back again?
Glancing at the sky, which was not yet fully bright, she couldn't be bothered to call someone to take the child away again and generously shared a small portion of her bed.
This time, when Xiao Shan went missing, Mama Fan made a fuss as soon as she noticed.
There were rough laborers guarding Mi Yao's residence, preventing Mama Fan from causing a commotion near the side rooms and waking Mi Yao.
When Shuang Hua heard that Mama Fan had roused both young masters, she couldn't help but think the nanny was foolish. Xiao Shan had slipped into Mi Yao's room once the previous night, and it was likely she had come to find Mi Yao again in the early morning.
Upon discovering the child was missing, she should have quietly come to the side rooms to ask. Instead, fearing she would be blamed for causing trouble, she woke the young masters to share her worry. It was unclear whether she was here to serve as a servant or to act like a master.
After sending Mama Fan away, Shuang Hua went to check inside the room. Seeing Mi Yao and the young lady Xiao sleeping soundly, she did not disturb them.
When Mi Yao woke up during the day and finished her breakfast, Shuang Hua quietly mentioned the matter to her.
Mi Yao usually had little appetite for her first meal of the day, but with a little radish sitting beside her who ate everything with relish, she managed to eat a few more bites than usual.
Her mood had been relatively calm, but upon hearing Shuang Hua's words, she began to feel annoyed.
"Does the Xiao family not have a steward?"
"There are nineteen servants in the manor, but there is no steward. Usually, when disputes arise among the servants, the accountant handles them, judging right from wrong."
A male lead destined to achieve great ambitions, yet his household was in such disarray. No wonder the original host had tormented the children to death before he found out.
Mi Yao had never considered the possibility that Xiao Manor had no steward. For a moment, she regretted being too harsh with Mama Luo.
This kind of responsibility would surely delight Mama Luo, who relished being in charge, but for Mi Yao, she only wished to be a carefree, decorative figure—a pampered idler whose daily life was entirely managed by an overbearing male lead.
Mi Yao's gaze swept over the people in the room, finally settling on the little radish who, having eaten his fill, was watching her cheerfully.
With his chubby face and thick winter clothing, she had initially thought the little radish was a plump little ball.
But after feeling him over on the bed, she realized he wasn't thin, but he certainly couldn't be considered fat either—there was only a soft layer of flesh over the bones of his wrist.
Either this little radish was naturally lean and simply built that way, or he had a good appetite when he was with her but usually didn't eat well otherwise.
"How about I find you a more suitable nanny, and in exchange, you won't bother me anymore?"
Mi Yao leaned close to the little radish, proposing the trade-off.
But the little radish clearly didn't understand her meaning. He blinked his eyes, moved closer to Mi Yao, and rubbed his cheek against hers.
His tender cheek carried a scent similar to her own.
Not just his face—since he had slept in her bed for a while, the little radish's entire body was infused with the fragrance she loved and found pleasant, making her increasingly less resistant to his closeness.
Realizing this, Mi Yao paused for a moment, taking it as the little radish's refusal.
So when Xiao Yi and the others came to pay their respects, she said to Xiao Yi, "Keep a closer eye on your younger sister. If the servants aren't fulfilling their duties properly, inform your father and let him handle it."
Without waiting to see whether the little girl would cry, she had Xiao Yi and the others carry her away.
Although she had no intention of taking responsibility herself, that foolish nanny came knocking at her door, feeling wronged and wanting Mi Yao to shift the blame onto the little girl, all in the name of clearing the name of a loyal servant.