Chu Mo thought about it for a while, couldn’t figure it out, and pushed it out of her mind.
The most pressing matter right now was getting recognized as their daughter.
She plopped down on her knees before Chu Xilou and Liu Zhurong, kowtowing loudly.
“Father, Mother, please accept me! I have looks when it comes to appearance, a figure when it comes to body, five features when it comes to values, and rebellious bones when it comes to collarbones. As long as you can give me a mouthful of food to eat, I’d be willing even if you make me live in a grand mansion, give me a thousand taels of gold, and feed me delicacies every day.”
Chu Xilou: “…” Heh, she wants to eat and take at the same time.
Liu Zhurong: “…” Is this child an idiot?
Just as Chu Xilou was deciding how to deal with Chu Mo, a clear, bright young voice came from outside the room.
“Father King, Mother Consort, why not agree to take her in as an adopted daughter? I’ve been wanting a sister.”
At these words, Chu Mo’s eyes lit up instantly, sparkling brightly, her joy almost overflowing from the corners of her eyes. She turned to look at the young man walking into the room, and her eyes grew even brighter.
In her past life, everyone in the Marquis Manor said the Heir Apparent—her Eldest Brother—was exceptionally gifted and outstandingly elegant. He had earned the Emperor’s favor and entered court as an official ahead of his peers, with limitless prospects. Matchmakers seeking marriage alliances nearly wore down the threshold of Marquis Jian’an’s Manor with their visits.
Back then, she had been just a Little Beggar with no experience of the world, and she’d believed what the household said was true.
Her Eldest Brother was indeed handsome, a fine figure of a man.
But now she finally understood what a difference between heaven and earth meant when compared with true royal nobility.
“A-Yu, you want a sister?” Liu Zhurong asked.
Chu Xingyu gave a light laugh before speaking, “That’s right. I have one older brother and two younger brothers. All I’m missing now is a sister.”
Chu Mo mulled over this statement and realized this must be her Second Brother. So she decisively shifted her legs and kowtowed loudly toward Chu Xingyu.
“Second Brother, you’re truly a good person, a very, very good person!”
Seeing this, Chu Xingyu smiled, stepped forward, and pulled Chu Mo to her feet. He stared at her face for a moment, his brows and eyes curving, the arc of his smile perfectly measured.
“Little sister, you only arrived at the manor today, and your courtyard hasn’t been prepared yet. Why don’t you stay in my courtyard for now?”
Chu Mo was about to nod, but then glanced up at Chu Xilou and Liu Zhurong, looking somewhat hesitant.
Chu Xingyu noticed her hesitation and explained gently, “If Father King and Mother Consort haven’t refused, it means they agree.”
Chu Mo blinked, feeling delighted inside.
She got to stay in Prince Yong’s Manor this easily, without even being thrown out?
How wonderful.
Wait, no—something seems a little off.
Her parents hadn’t actually acknowledged her as their daughter; they’d only let her stay in the manor.
Oh well, whatever. As long as she got into the manor, she was more than halfway to success.
Chu Xingyu led Chu Mo out of Cedar Courtyard.
She thought this Second Brother was really wonderful—he’d gotten her into the manor with just one sentence, and he’d been smiling the whole time.
Her favorability toward him shot straight up.
Everyone in Prince Yong’s Manor is so kind, she marveled inwardly.
“Little sister, I forgot to ask—what’s your name? How old are you this year?” Chu Xingyu asked warmly, his tone gentle and mild, his voice clear and bright, smiling as he looked at her.
Chu Mo answered solemnly, “My name is Chu Mo—Mo as in jasmine. I’m about thirteen this year, or maybe fourteen, I don’t really know.”
Actually, she did know. She was fourteen, because Cheng Xinyue had been fourteen.
“Chu Mo?” Chu Xingyu said softly. “Mm, that’s a lovely name.”
“I have two younger brothers. My youngest, Fourth Brother, is also thirteen this year. You can rank right after him—also thirteen. How does that sound?”
“Okay, okay!” Chu Mo nodded in agreement without hesitation.
As long as the Prince’s Mansion acknowledged her, changing her age was no problem at all.
Perhaps because Chu Xingyu was so gentle and warm, no matter what he asked, Chu Mo answered honestly, even telling him the location of the beggars’ den where she had lived for years.
Aside from her rebirth, she told him everything.
A short while later, Chu Xingyu brought Chu Mo to his Clear Breeze Court.
At first Chu Mo thought nothing of it, but then it suddenly occurred to her that she was a girl, and she and Second Brother weren’t related by blood—wasn’t it a little improper for her to live in his courtyard?
Seeing Chu Mo standing outside without moving, Chu Xingyu asked in confusion, “Momo, what’s wrong? Come in.”
Chu Mo lowered her head, fidgeting awkwardly with her sleeve. “Second Brother, men and women should not be too close. I can’t live in the same courtyard as you.”
Chu Xingyu’s eyes were dark, his gaze lingering on her with a hint of amusement for a moment before he gave a soft laugh.
“It’s fine. Clear Breeze Court is large. You’ll stay in the side room, separated from my quarters by a lotus pond, with its own independent gate. We won’t disturb each other in daily life—how does that count as men and women being too close?”
“Besides, you’re only staying here temporarily. Once the servants have your own courtyard ready in a couple of days, you can move out. No one will gossip.”
Hearing this, Chu Mo relaxed slightly. “All right, I’ll do whatever Second Brother says.”
After settling Chu Mo in, Chu Xingyu left Clear Breeze Court and went to the study in Cedar Courtyard.
Inside the study, Chu Xilou seemed to have been waiting for some time.
“Did you find anything out?”
Chu Xingyu didn’t play coy, leisurely recounting everything he had drawn out of Chu Mo earlier.
“Father King, Chu Mo’s story was detailed and convincing. She said she was found as a child under a jasmine tree by an old beggar, which is how she got her name, Moli. She even gave the location of the beggars’ den in Cliff City. It doesn’t seem like a lie.”
He paused, then added, “Should we kill her?”
Chu Xilou tapped lightly on the desk, pondering for a while before speaking. “Keep her for now and observe. Find out who sent her and what her purpose is.”
Chu Xingyu smiled. “I noticed something rather interesting just now.”
Chu Xilou: “Hmm?”
“She seems to crave family.” Chu Xingyu said. “The way she looks at me is timid—clearly longing for closeness in her heart, yet she strictly observes propriety, restraining herself and pulling her gaze away. Pitiful and sensible.”
Chu Xilou didn’t pay it much mind. “A beggar with no father or mother—it’s normal to crave family.”
Chu Xingyu shook his head. “No, she’s different. Her longing is wrapped in deep fear, as if someone has hurt her before.”
“An orphan hoping for family is yearning for warmth. But she draws near with eager eyes while constantly preparing herself to be abandoned. She has a maturity that doesn’t match her age.”
Chu Xilou looked thoughtful, his fingertips lightly rubbing his knuckles.
“Keep watching her for now.”
“All right.” Chu Xingyu nodded.
Meanwhile, Chu Mo, the subject of the father and son’s discussion, ran out of Clear Breeze Court. Chu Xingyu had instructed the servants to attend to her as they would a mistress, and all of them treated her with utmost respect.
But she truly wasn’t used to it. In her past life, at the Marquis Manor, it would have counted as good treatment if the servants didn’t roll their eyes at her.
So she ran outside.
Bad news: she didn’t know her way around. The Prince’s Mansion was too big, and she was lost—with no servants anywhere nearby.
“Ugh—”
Chu Mo sat down on a stone block, elbows on her knees, chin propped in her hands, and let out a long sigh.
“So annoying. Can this world just delete me already?”
“Another day full of pain.”
Suddenly, Chu Mo spotted a round, plump butt sticking up out of the grass ahead.
She hopped off the stone block and walked over curiously, then, imitating him, crawled into the bushes with her own butt sticking out.
“Hello, Big Butt Hero, I’m lost. Could you…”
Before she could finish, Chu Mo saw that Big Butt Hero’s eyes were red and swollen, as if he’d suffered some terrible injustice.
Uh-oh. She seemed to have interrupted someone’s emo moment.
“Ah! You… who are you?”
Chu Congning finally came to his senses, shrieked, and scrambled backward out of the bushes.
Seeing this, Chu Mo crawled out too. She patted off her butt, stood up, and gave Chu Congning a friendly smile.
“My name is Chu Mo.”
Chu Congning paused. “Chu Mo? Your surname is Chu?”
Chu Mo nodded. “Yep, yep. I’m half my parents’ daughter. Why only half? Because they’ve only allowed me to live in the Prince’s Mansion—they haven’t actually agreed to acknowledge me as their daughter yet.”
Chu Congning’s eyes went wide. “Father King wants to take you as his daughter?”
Father King?
He called their dad Father King?
So he must be one of her four older brothers?
Looking at Chu Congning’s very youthful face, Chu Mo called out tentatively.
“Fourth Brother?”