The Prince hated it most when people tried to guess what he was thinking. Even if someone guessed correctly, they absolutely could not say it aloud.
Besides, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Prince had been pleased with how well Wet Nurse Shen cared for the Little Prince and rewarded her with a sachet filled with gold beans. So what?
And the Prince had always disliked others touching his belongings. When Wet Nurse Shen accidentally got her hair tangled while unfastening his belt, he simply did not want the belt anymore. So what?
After returning to Chaoxu Hall, Aunt Pei wondered whether the Prince would summon Steward Xiao for questioning.
Instead, the Prince went straight into his chambers and rested under her care.
He slept until mid-afternoon. After eating, he took some people and left the estate to go fishing.
It seemed she had truly been overthinking things.
She was simply too sensitive. She had become so used to the Prince’s indifference toward women that the moment she noticed him treating Wet Nurse Shen a little differently, she began imagining all sorts of things.
How could a high and mighty prince possibly fall for a widow with a child?
She could not see anything particularly special about Wet Nurse Shen. There were countless women who were gentler, more beautiful, from distinguished families, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
The Prince had no reason to…
While feeling relieved that it had been a false alarm, Aunt Pei could not help but worry.
The Yun family had always produced deeply devoted men.
The Emperor was one.
The Crown Prince was one.
And the Prince was one as well.
She did not know whether the reason the Prince had remained alone all these years was because, ten years ago, he had once met someone… but later…
…
That evening, after switching shifts with Wet Nurse Zhao, Lianxiang worked together with Wet Nurse Li.
By now, nearly everyone in Qingzhu Courtyard had heard the rumors about Lianxiang and Steward Xiao.
Yet no one dared discuss it openly.
In fact, everyone treated Lianxiang even more politely than before.
If Wet Nurse Shen really married Steward Xiao, she would become the chief steward’s wife. How could ordinary servants like them afford to offend her?
Besides, the nanny in charge ran Qingzhu Courtyard very strictly. If they were driven out, they would have nowhere else to go.
Naturally, everyone kept their mouths shut.
Perhaps because the Little Prince had spent the entire day watching magic tricks and had tired himself out, he fell asleep in Lianxiang’s arms while nursing that evening.
“Wet Nurse Li, go rest in the side room. The Little Prince is asleep, so two people don’t need to stay here,” Lianxiang said softly after placing the child on the bed and covering him with a blanket.
“Alright. I’ll take over in the second half of the night,” Wet Nurse Li replied with a yawn before leaving.
Although the Little Prince was sleeping now, babies of his age loved kicking off their blankets. He also moved around wildly in his sleep.
By morning, he could roll from one end of the bed to the other.
And he could kick off his blanket more than ten times in a single night.
…
As the night deepened, the cold seemed to seep into everything.
This was the hardest time to stay awake.
Lianxiang hugged a hot water bottle and wrapped herself in a blanket while sitting against the bed frame. Her eyelids kept drooping.
Yun Suiwu entered carrying the chill of the night.
He wore a black fur hat trimmed with silver-mouse fur and matching gloves. A heavy cloak covered his entire body, leaving only his bright black eyes visible.
He had obviously just returned from fishing.
Not a single attendant accompanied him.
His tall figure blended almost perfectly into the darkness, and the maid on night duty never noticed him enter.
The room was silent except for the crackling sound of burning charcoal in the brazier.
Whenever Lianxiang felt herself about to fall asleep, she forced her eyes open.
She bent down to make sure the Little Prince’s blanket was secure and reached under the covers to check whether his diaper was wet.
Only then would she sit back down, tighten the blanket around herself, and yawn.
She was so sleepy that tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
She never noticed that the Prince was standing right beside her.
“Make me a cup of tea.”
Yun Suiwu’s voice was quiet, yet in the stillness of the night it sounded especially clear.
Lianxiang’s drowsiness vanished instantly.
Turning her head, she found the Prince standing directly before her.
“Th-this servant greets Your Highness.”
She nearly slid off the bed in shock and dropped to her knees on the cold floor.
Her face turned pale. Clearly, the Prince’s sudden appearance had frightened her badly.
Yun Suiwu stepped onto the platform beside the bed and looked at the sleeping Little Prince.
The child seemed to be dreaming about something pleasant and smacked his lips a few times.
Not daring to delay, Lianxiang hurried to the tea room and quickly returned with a cup of hot tea.
Yun Suiwu accepted it and sat down at the edge of the bed.
Lianxiang stood nervously nearby.
She could not understand why the Prince had come to see the Little Prince so late at night.
She had heard that he went fishing that afternoon.
Had he only just returned?
But if so, why not go rest?
Why come all the way to Qingzhu Courtyard instead?
The weather outside was freezing. When she had stepped outside earlier, she felt as if her ears would freeze off.
Yun Suiwu gently blew across the tea and drank it slowly.
Then he signaled for her to come and take the cup back.
Lianxiang’s eyelashes trembled.
Pressing her lips together, she reached out with both hands.
But just as she took hold of the cup, the Prince did not let go.
Confused, she looked up.
Her eyes met his.
His gaze was as deep and silent as an ancient city, dark and impossible to see through.
Lianxiang’s pupils contracted sharply.
Her face turned deathly pale.
Only then did Yun Suiwu release the cup.
The moment she finally took it, her heart pounded wildly.
Her face was filled with fear and unease.
The Prince’s sudden visit made even less sense now, and she felt increasingly frightened.
Only after he turned back to look at the Little Prince did she finally breathe a little easier.
Her legs felt weak.
As she set the teacup down on the table, the Prince’s proud and commanding voice sounded behind her.
“I heard from your cousin that you want to remarry. To Steward Xiao?”
The words stunned her.
She immediately dropped to her knees.
“Your Highness, this servant has never thought about remarrying. I only want to serve the Little Prince well, earn some money, and support my child at home.
“How could I possibly want to marry Steward Xiao?”
Lianxiang was completely bewildered.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Steward Xiao certainly takes good care of you,” Yun Suiwu said while removing his gloves.
“A chief steward personally speaking up on behalf of a mere wet nurse.”
His tone was calm and indifferent, carrying even a trace of coldness.
His dark eyes were like a freshly unsheathed sword, sharp enough to see straight through her.
Lianxiang felt as if her head were about to explode.
Her eyelashes trembled continuously.
“Your Highness, Steward Xiao is indeed a very good person, but it is absolutely not what Your Highness thinks.
“At first, I only wanted to ask Steward Xiao for help with something, so I embroidered a few items and gave them to him.
“Later, we simply became familiar with each other…”
She was utterly confused.
What exactly did the Prince mean?
Was he saying that Steward Xiao had feelings for her?
Or that because she kept giving gifts to Steward Xiao, other people had misunderstood the relationship between them?