…yet he knew all too well that a black-haired child was a disgrace. Moreover, in his memory, that shade of black possessed an inky, solitary uniqueness.
“That’s all the better. Xiao Shi-qi and Xiao Shi-ba are boys; lingering constantly in Zhaoxue Palace looks rather improper. This time, we must let them make a proper appearance that should prove quite amusing…” Ji Aotian’s words, spoken with a lingering smile, caused Huaide to shiver involuntarily, mentally shedding a tear of sympathy for those two nearly-four-year-old princes.
Clutching the imperial edict tightly in her hand, Xueyi Wright understood that the moment she had been dreading had finally arrived.
“Mother…” Ji Ran reached out to wrap his arms around Xueyi Wright’s leg.
Ruffling Ji Ran’s hair, Xueyi Wright let out a sigh, though she no longer felt as helpless as before. Her two children were both more well-behaved and sensible than the other.
Ji Ziyu stood aloof to one side, his eyes closely tracking Ji Ran’s movements.
His blindness made Ji Ran exceptionally sensitive to shifts in other people’s auras. Coupled with a bone-deep yearning for familial affection, he took special delight in his mother’s tender care, making him appear especially clingy and endearing.
Xueyi Wright pinched his cheek. “Remember to address me as Imperial Noble Consort once we step outside.”
Ji Ran nodded, his oversized eyes set within a chubby, adorable face. Though those eyes were blind, they appeared infinitely more lustrous and watery than those of ordinary people. A casual observer would truly never guess that he was incapable of sight.
That evening, as Ji Ran tugged at Ji Ziyu, who had just finished his meditation, he asked, “What kind of person is our Emperor Father?”
Ji Ziyu had originally intended to reply that he didn’t know, but he suddenly sensed a faint ripple in the air. With swift and agile precision, he yanked Ji Ran who had been half-perched on top of him backward, executing the motion with practiced fluidity as he shielded Ji Ran behind him.
In tandem with his movement, a teasing voice rang out: “If you want to know what kind of person I am, why not simply ask me directly?”
012. Little Buns Record: The Talent Assessment (Part 2)
Ji Ran paused for a moment, resting his chin on Ji Ziyu’s shoulder as he poked his brother’s shoulder. “Relax a bit..”
Why is Xiao Yu always so icy-cold, acting even more cautious than a blind person like me? Children are supposed to act like children!
Considering himself a few years older than Ji Ziyu, Ji Ran naturally placed himself in the role of the “older brother.” If not for the inconvenience of his eyes, he would surely make an even more dutiful older brother
Ji Ziyu was speechless, yet he still relaxed his tense muscles slightly so Ji Ran could lean against him more comfortably. The man standing before them was etched in his memory: the Emperor of this nation, the biological father of this vessel. He was a dangerous individual.
The two little buns leaned cheek-to-cheek, one expression solemn to the point of icy coldness, the other filled with curiosity and elf-like innocence. Their white and black hair intertwined, creating an oddly alluring picture.
“Father Emperor?” Ji Ran asked in a soft, sweet voice, tilting his head to call out gently.
“Hah” Ji Aotian let out an amused chuckle. Were these two sons of his a lone wolf and a white rabbit respectively? Weren’t the colors the wrong way around…
“What is this? You see your Father Emperor and refuse to offer a greeting?”
Ji Ziyu remained enveloped in a posture of full-body vigilance, whereas Ji Ran figured that respecting parents, monarchs, teachers, and superiors meant a greeting was entirely reasonable. But… how was a greeting supposed to go again?
Xueyi Wright treated them just like an ordinary family, and this time she hadn’t managed to teach them protocol in advance.
Ji Ran’s expression turned somewhat innocent as he clutched tightly at Ji Ziyu’s waist. “How do we greet you?”
Ji Aotian didn’t mind either, taking a step forward as he said, “Never mind. I came by today merely because I missed Xiao Shi-qi and Xiao Shi-ba. Just treat it like an ordinary family.”
Ji Ran scratched his chin. This Emperor Father of mine is a bit forgetful; how can his previous sentence and his next sentence contradict each other so completely, yet sound so natural when he says them? But then, reflecting further, he was already his Emperor Father’s eighteenth son just how old must his Emperor Father be by now? If not an old man, he was certainly well past middle age.
Just as his thoughts were drifting off into the clouds, a sudden dodge by Ji Ziyu nearly sent him stumbling flat onto the floor.
Watching his hand grasp empty air, Ji Aotian’s eyes narrowed.
After an awkward silence stretched out for a long moment…
“Achoo….”
Ji Ran rubbed his nose, curling his bare feet back against the floor. The room was warmed by fire-attribute magic stones, though not many of them, leaving the floor persistently freezing cold. Standing for too long was more than Ji Ran’s constitution could handle.
Without a second word, Ji Ziyu took him by the hand and walked straight toward the bed. Pressing him down to sit on the edge, he even fetched a hand-warming stove to toast his feet.
Ji Ran pressed his lips together in a smile. Although Xiao Yu is icy-cold and seemingly devoid of human warmth, he’s actually a tender-hearted person
Little did he know that, combined across two lifetimes, this was the very first time Ji Ziyu had ever acted so gentle.
Amused by the antics of these two little buns, Ji Aotian had genuinely never experienced such blatant dismissal before. Stroking his Adam’s apple with his index finger, he spoke in a tone that gave Ji Ran goosebumps: “My two imperial sons are truly extraordinary… Well then, I hope the upcoming talent assessment won’t leave Me disappointed. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I might do…”
A shiver crawled straight from the soles of Ji Ran’s feet to the crown of his head. What is the purpose of this weird, sinister tone? Is putting on a sudden imperial act supposed to scare people? This man isn’t just forgetful, he’s utterly capricious! And… what does “not leaving you disappointed” even mean? At least give us a clear directive.
“Sleep.” Seeing that Ji Ran’s feet had warmed up, Ji Ziyu fished the hand-warmer out from beneath the covers and shoved Ji Ran who was currently biting his finger in indecision straight into the blankets.
After lying there for a while, the heat left behind by the hand-warmer dissipated entirely. Ji Ran tossed and turned, partly because he couldn’t figure out what the talent assessment entailed, and partly because… it was simply too cold!
013. Little Buns Record: The Talent Assessment (Part 3)
Waking up the next morning, Ji Ziyu was speechless to find Ji Ran once again burrowed deep beneath his covers.
Initially, at most a pair of feet would sneak their way over during the course of a single night; later came the hands, and now… the fellow had squeezed his entire body in.
Ji Ziyu tucked the quilt snugly around him, pulled his own bedding out to fold it neatly, and briskly commenced his morning exercise routine with a refreshed expression.
Ji Ran continued sleeping in a daze, wrapped tight in his quilt, until Zi’er and the others walked in with washbasins and Ji Ziyu finished his washing up. Only then did he sluggishly sit up in bed.
Accepting his garments, Ji Ran navigated into them with practiced familiarity, then automatically reached out to take the towel from Ji Ziyu’s hands. Wiping his face, he asked, “Sister Lan’er, what kind of person is Father Emperor?”
Lan’er was busy smoothing out the bedding sheets when, hearing the question, she looked up in puzzlement. “Why is the Eighteenth Prince suddenly asking about His Majesty?”
Ji Ran tucked his feet back into his slippers and mumbled, “Father Emperor will be present during the talent assessment, right? I… I’ve never met him before, so… um, so I’m a bit curious.”
Tugging at his earlobe, Ji Ran spoke with a hint of awkwardness.
Mistaking his hesitation for nervousness, Lan’er smiled. “His Majesty… is a good emperor.”
Ji Ran tilted his head, waiting for a long time without hearing anything further. “Lan’er?”
Lan’er looked slightly embarrassed, but discussing imperial matters within the palace was taboo. While whispering behind backs was inevitable among maids and attendants, doing so in Zhaoxue Palace was strictly forbidden.
Zi’er walked over, picked up Ji Ran, and pinched his tender, supple cheek. “If you want to know, either ask Her Ladyship, or… learn about it slowly, bit by bit.”
Lan’er nodded hurriedly as well. “Eighteenth Prince, you needn’t be too nervous about the talent assessment; we will take care of all the trivial preparations. As for everything else, just follow Her Ladyship’s instructions.”
To tell the truth, for a sovereign with so many offspring, the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Princes held virtually zero importance. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn’t have gone four full years without ever stepping foot inside Zhaoxue Palace. They would forever remember how, four years prior, His Majesty had uttered the Eighteenth Prince’s name with that mocking, enigmatic smile, and the turbulent waves of dread it had stirred within their hearts.
Your prince, if it were possible not to know, it would be best never to know at all. It is best if you never draw too close to His Majesty for as long as you live.
Ji Ran was left in a dilemma; he couldn’t possibly mention that their imperial father had paid a visit to their quarters just last night. If he did, their mother would only grow frantic with worry.
What on earth is a talent assessment, anyway..
To prepare for the talent assessment, marking Ji Ziyu and Ji Ran’s first public appearance, Xueyi Wright had to meticulously and thoroughly teach them the court etiquette she hadn’t previously emphasized. There were also numerous precautions and ancient precepts that needed to be observed on the day of the assessment.
While Ji Ran was tossed about in a daze at the mercy of the maids, he cocked his ear to pay attention to Ji Ziyu beside him. Though over the past few years Ji Ran had fully realized that his younger brother possessed an intelligence vastly superior to ordinary people, such tedious and boring matters were bound to be things he detested!
Ji Ziyu’s icy expression could honestly be described as freezing solid at that moment. It left Hong’er and the others feeling utterly terrified Seventeenth Prince, where on earth did you learn such an intimidating aura? Where did you pick up this glacial state capable of turning the surrounding air into an ice cellar..Fortunately, there was still the adorable, delightfully groggy Eighteenth Prince around to comfort their fragile souls!
Xueyi Wright pulled Ji Ran close and cautioned him carefully: “Ranran, the temperature is low these days, and the talent assessment is held outdoors. You must be obedient and bundle up in extra layers that day.”
Ji Ran nodded earnestly, then asked with a touch of curiosity, “Mother, what kind of person is Father Emperor?”
Xueyi Wright tapped him on the smooth, rounded bridge of his forehead with her finger. “Mother only knows what Ranran and Ziyu are like; what other people are like, Mother has no idea.”
Ji Ran rubbed his forehead foolishly. Other people, huh?
014. Little Buns Record: The Talent Assessment (Part 4)
The holy temple where the talent assessment took place was situated on a protruding stone platform wedged between two sheer cliffs. Everywhere the eye could see was frozen by ice and snow into a crystal-clear, translucent wonderland. Natural ice bridges spanned the gap between the two cliffs, leading all the way down to the bottom of the bottomless abyss.
This was Chuyun…