The morning light was faint, the rising sun casting a gentle glow.
After breakfast, Song Xiao still wore a sullen expression, reluctantly approaching Song Tingchen. After Aunt Qing had coaxed him last night, he had promised his father not to overindulge in sweets anymore. “Father.”
“You promised last night that you would take me out to play today.”
There were no grudges between father and son overnight. Song Tingchen would not go back on his word to his child.
“Mm, Father will take you out.”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Song immediately pulled Liu Qingyin to her side. “Oh, Qingyin hasn’t bought new clothes or jewelry in a long time either. What’s the fun in just the two of you wandering around? Take Qingyin along!”
Liu Qingyin lowered her head shyly.
Seeing Song Tingchen remain silent with a tense expression, her face suddenly stiffened. She forced a smile and said, “Aunt should come along too. I remember you haven’t been out for a long time either.”
“The sun is out today, the snow has melted—it’s truly lovely weather.”
Song Mother thought to herself, what would an old woman like her have to do going out? But before she knew it, Song Tingchen made the final decision, insisting she join them.
Thus, what was supposed to be a casual outing for father and son inexplicably turned into the “whole family” leaving the estate together.
As they passed by a bustling restaurant, Old Madam Song overheard the storyteller’s voice drifting from inside. It was then she learned that two major events had occurred in Jingcheng that day.
The first was that the censors in the Censorate had collectively impeached Yu Wang for favoring his concubine over his wife. The Yuwang Consort had suffered greatly, and even the Junzhu had been mistreated.
The most pitiful was the little Shizi, who had been killed at birth.
The second event was that the Yuwang Consort’s father had nearly dashed himself to death against a pillar in the Jinluan Dian, all to secure his daughter’s Divorce from that scoundrel Yu Wang.
From that day onward, the Junzhu would enter the palace to be raised by the Empress Dowager.
No sooner had Yu Wang and the Yuwang Consort finalized their Divorce than Yu Wang broke his leg and was disfigured, forever losing any hope of inheriting the throne.
Song Mother frowned. “These days, women are so quick to seek Divorce. It’s all because of Su Tan’s bad influence!”
Song Tingchen’s brow furrowed. Though the weather had cleared, his face still seemed covered in a faint layer of frost.
Liu Qingyin’s eyebrows instantly knitted together, her face showing a trace of distress. She hesitated to speak, glancing repeatedly at Song Tingchen.
This only made Song Tingchen’s frown deepen.
“If you have something to say, speak plainly.”
Liu Qingyin cautiously looked at Song Tingchen. “Brother Song, I was just thinking… could this implicate Xiao Xiao?”
Old Madam Song was puzzled. “We’re talking about Yu Wang. What does it have to do with Xiao Xiao?”
Song Tingchen simply watched Liu Qingyin quietly, as if waiting for her to continue.
Liu Qingyin lowered her head, finding a quieter spot. Her eyes were slightly red, and her fingers nervously twisted her handkerchief. “Brother Song, I suspect that Yu Wang’s misfortune is connected to His Highness Prince Chen.”
She sniffled, her heart racing as if drums were beating in her ears. “But how would Prince Chen know about this, if not because Sister Su Tan captured that Little Child Ghost?”
It was all too coincidental—Yu Wang breaking his leg and being disfigured right after the Divorce.
If anyone claimed this had nothing to do with that Little Child Ghost and Prince Chen, Liu Qingyin would never believe it.
“Sooner or later, Yu Wang will find out that Sister Su Tan is involved. What if he holds a grudge and, seeking revenge against her, decides to target Xiao Xiao instead? What should we do then?”
Liu Qingyin was at a loss, her hands and feet fidgeting nervously.
She held Song Xiao, crying so pitifully with choked sobs, her eyes filled with panic and fear as if Song Xiao might depart this world at any moment due to Yu Wang’s retaliation.
Old Madam Song stamped her feet anxiously, “Aiya!”
“She’s nothing but a jinx!”
“Does she have to be the death of our Xiao Xiao before she’s satisfied!”
Song Xiao was Old Madam Song’s most precious treasure. If he were to suffer because of Su Tan, she would stake her old life to make sure Su Tan met a miserable end!
“I won’t let that happen.”
Song Tingchen’s expression was cold and stern. Liu Qingyin’s words held some truth. He reached out and patted Song Xiao’s head, “Don’t be afraid, your father will protect you.”
Song Xiao made a funny face.
“I’m not scared at all!”
Liu Qingyin lowered her gaze to her feet, then suddenly added, “But it might not necessarily come to that.”
“Speaking of which, Princess Zhaoyang seems quite fond of Sister Su Tan.”
Liu Qingyin glanced sideways at Song Tingchen, noticing his expressionless face.
After a pause, she continued, “Even His Highness Prince Chen appears to admire Sister Su Tan. He actually stood up for her, so he might extend his protection to Xiao Xiao too, loving the crow for the sake of its nest.”
Song Tingchen’s jaw tightened, his expression suddenly turning cold and gloomy.
He recalled the tiger-head pendant and the plum blossom tucked behind Su Tan’s ear.
An inexplicable, uncomfortable feeling of suffocation welled up in his heart.
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Song’s face turned a spectacular array of colors, shifting from red to green to purple.
She wanted to curse Su Tan for being unchaste – as a divorced woman, instead of keeping a low profile, she still showed her face in public.
But she was truly afraid that Su Tan might have a close relationship with Prince Chen.
If she spoke carelessly, wouldn’t she be offending Prince Chen on her son’s behalf?
Old Madam Song struggled for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and forcing out, “She’s back in the capital, yet she hasn’t even come to see her own son!”
Hearing this, Song Xiao immediately turned his head and snorted, “I don’t care anyway!”
Remembering Liu Qingyin’s description of Su Tan holding Princess Zhaoyang, with the princess calling her Fairy Sister, Song Xiao’s little face darkened, “That Princess Zhaoyang really has no taste!”
“If it were me, I’d only like Aunt Qing, I’d never like that bad woman!”
Gritting his teeth, he muttered sullenly, “Besides, where is that bad woman pretty? She’s super ugly!”
Hearing Song Xiao’s rejection of Su Tan grow even stronger, Song Tingchen frowned tightly, “Xiao Xiao, you mustn’t speak of your mother that way.”
No matter what, Su Tan was still Xiao Xiao’s birth mother.
With so many people around, if Xiao Xiao’s words were overheard by someone with ill intentions, the label of unfilial could ruin his future.
Old Madam Song also remembered they were in public and quickly hugged her precious grandson, “Alright now, Xiao Xiao, let’s not be angry.”
“She’s your mother. You’ll still need to kneel and pay respects to her during festivals. It’s not good to be on such bad terms.”
Song Xiao pressed his lips tightly together.
“Why should I kneel to her? Shouldn’t she be the one coming to see me?”
Perhaps realizing he’d said something wrong, Song Xiao snorted heavily again, “No, I don’t want her to visit me anyway. She’s ugly and useless, I don’t like her! She’s not my mother!”
What nonsense about the bad woman being some powerful fairy – he didn’t believe it!
He had seen with his own eyes how even a random ghost could make her cough up blood!
After hearing this, Song Tingchen’s expression darkened further. “If I ever hear such words again, you’ll go receive ten military strikes yourself.”
Song Xiao could barely maintain his composure. He stared at Song Tingchen in shock, his eyes reddening, yet his expression remained stubbornly defiant. “Even if you beat me to death, it won’t change anything! I just hate her!”
“She’s a wicked woman!”
Song Tingchen’s face turned as cold and deep as a frozen pond, his entire body radiating low pressure. Song Xiao’s extreme temperament, inherited from Su Tan, often gave him headaches. “Song Xiao, you’re not a child anymore.”
“Alright, alright~”
Noticing the tension, Liu Qingyin pulled Song Xiao to her side and offered Song Tingchen a gentle smile, deftly changing the subject. “Brother Song, there’s a jewelry shop up ahead. Would you accompany me for a look?”