“Come on, let’s go out together. Do you want me to carry you?”
Lu Zhixing lowered his head and gently stroked Wen Wu’s hair.
The little dumpling shook her head obediently.
“No, Daddy. Daddy will get tired.”
Lu Zhixing could not help laughing softly.
His clear, pleasant voice rang out.
“Alright then.”
The two of them walked out together.
As Lu Zhixing closed the bedroom door behind them, his gaze accidentally landed on the glass jar sitting on Wen Wu’s bed.
He paused for a moment.
The little dumpling really loved Wife.
The paper stars inside that glass jar had been folded together by him and Wen Wu.
But the words written on the outermost folded paper strips had all been written by Wife.
Back then, Wen Wu had only been a little over a year old.
She had loved clinging to Wife’s side.
Whenever anyone tried to carry her away, she would burst into tears.
“Daddy, why did you stop?”
Wen Wu tugged gently at Lu Zhixing’s sleeve and looked up at him.
Coming back to himself, Lu Zhixing gently squeezed her little hand.
“Let’s go. We’ll go find Wife.”
Although Wen Wu was tiny, she walked astonishingly fast.
Her little legs moved so quickly that Lu Zhixing, while holding her hand, actually found himself slightly out of breath trying to keep up.
Finally, he simply scooped her into his arms and, as a playful punishment, gently pinched her plump little cheek.
The little girl immediately burst into cheerful giggles.
Before Wen Lan even saw them approaching, she heard the little dumpling’s laughter.
When she stepped out of the room, she discovered that her principal husband was actually carrying the little girl with one arm. Her brows knit almost imperceptibly. She immediately walked over and gently took the little dumpling into her own arms.
“Mommy!”
Wen Wu happily lifted her head and planted a kiss on Wen Lan’s cheek.
Wen Lan gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. Once the little girl settled against her shoulder to play, she lowered her eyes toward the man and said quietly,
“Your wrist hasn’t healed yet. Don’t carry her anymore.”
Lu Zhixing nodded, the corners of his eyes curving faintly.
When they went downstairs, Wen Lan immediately spotted the young man she had met that morning.
He looked even thinner than she had imagined, making her wonder if he had ever had enough to eat.
Nearby, Uncle Xiao had just instructed the household staff to bring out breakfast.
With practiced efficiency, he pulled out the four chairs slightly before quietly leaving.
Lu Zhixing seated the little dumpling on one chair before taking the seat beside her.
The seat of honour belonged to Wife, while the chair opposite had been prepared for Su Qing.
Wen Lan glanced at the timid young man standing awkwardly to one side.
After a moment’s thought, she said,
“Leng Feng hasn’t come back yet. Go ahead and sit down first.”
Still looking nervous, Su Qing thanked her before taking his seat.
Wen Wu hugged her cup and took a big gulp of milk.
Her bright eyes darted around, and a white milk moustache formed around her mouth.
Having been watching her the whole time, Wen Lan casually picked up a warm towel and wiped her face clean, her gaze briefly lingering on the little topknot tied behind the child’s head.
It’s quite cute, Wen Lan thought.
Neither Wen Lan nor Lu Zhixing were particularly talkative.
With a guest present, the little dumpling became even more polite and well-behaved.
As for Su Qing, his naturally shy and reserved personality made him even quieter.
As a result, breakfast passed in peaceful silence.
Near the end of the meal, Wen Lan suddenly remembered what she had wanted to ask Leng Feng that morning.
Turning to Lu Zhixing, she asked softly,
“Zhixing, do you know when Leng Feng will be back?”
“Around noon.”
It was the same answer he had given Su Qing earlier.
Wen Lan nodded.
Just as she was about to relay the information to the thin young man, Su Qing abruptly stood up and said nervously,
“Master Lu already told me this morning. Thank you, and thank Master Lu as well.”
Originally, Su Qing had not known the man’s surname.
It had been Uncle Xiao who told him.
Looking at the easily startled young man, Wen Lan felt somewhat helpless.
She could only reply,
“You’re welcome.”
Lu Zhixing remained silent.
Whenever Wife was present and speaking, he rarely interrupted unless Wen Lan asked him something directly.
After breakfast, Wen Lan prepared to return to her room.
She had only walked a short distance when her principal husband caught up with her, the little dumpling holding his hand.
Naturally, Wen Lan reached down and took the little girl’s hand into her own.
At the same time, she wanted to check how the man’s wrist was recovering.
Unfortunately, the silver cuff button had been fastened tightly, hiding every inch of skin beneath the sleeve.
“Wife.”
The man looked up at her, revealing a small stretch of fair neck and a tiny Adam’s apple that bobbed gently like a pearl as he spoke.
Somewhat distracted, Wen Lan gave a soft hum.
“What is it?”
“I need to deal with company matters later. Dudu…”
Lu Zhixing frowned slightly, looking rather troubled.
Wen Lan looked at the obedient little dumpling standing beside her and nodded.
“I understand. I’ll take good care of Dudu.”
At the same time, she was privately wondering whether she should persuade her principal husband to rest more, considering his injured wrist.
Hearing her answer, the corners of Lu Zhixing’s eyes curved gently upward.
His thick lashes concealed every trace of emotion, leaving Wen Lan able to see only the same gentle, virtuous husband as always.
After reaching her room, Wen Lan discovered that her principal husband’s office was only three rooms farther down the corridor from her bedroom.
The black wooden door blended inconspicuously among the decorative wall paintings.
She watched him enter before standing there for a moment, then led the little dumpling into her own room.
Wen Wu tilted up her chubby little face and gazed straight at Wen Lan.
Her clear eyes sparkled with tiny fragments of joy.
The look in the little girl’s eyes softened Wen Lan’s heart.
She bent down and gently stroked the child’s cheek.
Since she had never spent much time around children before, Wen Lan initially found herself simply staring back at the little girl.
The two of them looked at each other with wide eyes.
After thinking for a while, Wen Lan picked her up and placed her on the bed.
She sat opposite the child and began telling her stories.
Naturally, they were fairy tales from Wen Lan’s own memory.
She felt she was not a particularly good storyteller.
Her narration sounded rather dry, lacking emotion, and occasionally stumbled.
Yet the little dumpling lay on the pillow listening with complete concentration.
From time to time, she would ask innocent questions.
“For Prince Snow White, was he really the most beautiful person in the whole kingdom?”
Wen Lan paused briefly.
Then she nodded solemnly.
“Of course. His skin was whiter than snow, his hair darker than the deepest night, and his lips were like the softest rose petals.”
Wen Wu swung her chubby little legs and tilted her head as she looked at Wen Lan, who was telling stories in the morning sunlight.
She found it hard to believe.
Could that Prince Snow White really be even more beautiful than her Mommy?
Still, she kept that thought to herself.
Mommy was already working so hard just to tell her stories.
After finishing one fairy tale, Wen Lan saw that the little dumpling was still gazing at her with shining, eager eyes, clearly wanting to hear more.
So she began telling the story of The Little Mermaid.
“Once upon a time, beneath the sea, there was a kingdom of merfolk. It was a peaceful and prosperous realm. The youngest merman prince was lively by nature and exceptionally beautiful…”
She had only reached the middle of the story before another innocent question interrupted her.
“Mommy.”
“Mm.”
Wen Lan cleared her throat.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
“Why did the little mermaid have to make a deal with the sea witch? Wouldn’t losing her tail hurt very, very much?”
Wen Wu lay on the pillow with one chubby little hand tucked beneath her cheek, making the side of her face look even plumper.
Her thick eyelashes framed porcelain-white skin, her fine, soft hair, and the tiny topknot at the back of her head only made her look even more adorable.
She resembled a delicate porcelain doll.
Unable to resist, Wen Lan reached out and gently patted the little dumpling’s tiny topknot.
After thinking for a moment, she said,
“Because… of love.”
Because of love, the little mermaid was willing to endure all that pain.
After hearing the answer, the little dumpling frowned deeply, wearing an unusually serious expression as she pondered it.
Wen Lan could not help smiling at the child’s little-grown-up manner.
“Then… then, Mommy…”
The little girl hesitated, wanting to ask but not quite daring to. Her tiny brows furrowed even more tightly.
“Mm? What is it?”
Wen Lan leaned closer, wanting to hear what the little one wished to say.
“Then, Mommy… do you love Daddy?”
The little dumpling looked up at her with wide, earnest eyes.
“Do you love Daddy?”
Wen Lan froze.
She had not expected the little girl to ask such a question.
Almost instantly, the man’s face appeared in her mind.
Delicate and fair, with a long crimson birthmark on the right side of his face.
When he did not smile, he appeared refined, reserved, and distant.
When he smiled slightly, he became as gentle as polished jade, elegant and graceful.
For a moment, Wen Lan felt as though her heart had skipped a beat.
Or perhaps it had not.
Lowering her head, she saw that the little dumpling had become dejected.
For the first time, the little girl had turned her back to her.
Even the tiny topknot behind her head seemed to droop.
She lowered her head, looking utterly sad and heartbroken.
Collecting herself, Wen Lan gently lifted the little girl into her arms and turned her around.
Only then did she notice the child’s reddened eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
Wen Lan lowered her head and kissed the little girl’s cheek.
Her voice carried both helplessness and affection.
“I haven’t even answered yet.”
Wen Wu looked up.
Her little face was flushed, her eyes rimmed red, and her lips were pressed tightly together in stubborn silence.
Wen Lan stroked her hair and, for once, allowed a faint smile to appear.
Her cool yet gentle voice flowed softly through the quiet room like running water.
“Of course I like Zhixing.”
The little dumpling’s eyes flew wide open.
Tears immediately welled up again.
Her sweet little voice trembled with a hint of sobbing, yet it also carried unmistakable pride.
“I knew it! Daddy is so wonderful. Mommy was definitely going to like Daddy!”
“Those people at Daddy’s company are just jealous of him! Daddy is amazing. They’re all afraid of him!”
Wen Lan’s fingertips paused.
She remained silent.
The little girl’s eyes were filled with admiration and love whenever she spoke of her father.
Her vocabulary was still limited, so she could only repeat the same few phrases over and over.
Even so, it was enough to make her smile until her eyes curved into crescents.
“Mommy, will you only love Daddy?”
Grabbing onto Wen Lan’s sleeve, the little dumpling continued asking persistently.
Wen Lan came back to herself and lightly tapped the girl’s forehead.
“Of course. I promise.”
“And there won’t ever be any secondary husbands either, right? Right, Mommy?”
Having received the answer she wanted, Wen Wu clung to Wen Lan, nestling against her as she continued to coax her.
“There’ll only be Daddy, right?”
Only then did Wen Lan remember that women in this world could legally have multiple husbands and attendants, and many even kept lovers.
How strange.
Civilisation had advanced so far, yet the system governing relationships between men and women remained so backward.
As these thoughts passed through her mind, she answered the little girl.
“Mm.”
The moment she finished speaking, she received a sweet, milk-scented kiss.
“I knew Mommy liked Daddy.”
Only then did Wen Wu finally believe her.
Wen Lan gently pinched the little girl’s cheek.
She had never realised that this little dumpling could be quite crafty.
“Mommy, tell me another story.”
Lying across Wen Lan’s lap, Wen Wu pleaded in her soft, childish voice.
Wen Lan sat up straighter.
As she absentmindedly stroked the little topknot, she continued telling another story.
By the time she was halfway through, she realised she had not heard a single question from the little girl.
Looking down, she found that the little dumpling had fallen asleep on her lap.
Her plump little body was curled against Wen Lan like a tiny animal.
Wen Lan stopped telling the story.
She carefully picked the little girl up, laid her farther in on the bed, and tucked the blanket securely around her.
Quietly watching the sleeping child, Wen Lan let her pale fingertips hover lightly near the corners of Wen Wu’s still slightly reddened eyes.
The little girl had truly been heartbroken just now.
When Wen Lan had not answered immediately.
Her thoughts drifted back to the child’s question.
Did she like Lu Zhixing?
Probably…
She did.
Otherwise, why would she have married him?
Why would they have had such an adorable little dumpling together?
Looking out the window, Wen Lan decided to move up her plans to recover her lost memories.