Lin Yanran felt that rather than having Chu Mochen keep a mistress outside, it was better to have everyone under her nose. Not wanting her two young sons to worry about her, she offered a casual excuse: “Just think of it as adding a little fun to life; otherwise, how boring would it be for me to be alone in this estate?”
Chu Yunxuan thought for a moment, still feeling concerned. “How about I find you a formidable governess to watch over the backyard, Mother?”
Lin Yanran looked at her eldest son, Chu Yunxuan, with a half-smile. “Do you know of any formidable governesses?”
At that moment, Chu Yunxuan had only one thought: This is bad. Where would a ten-year-old child find a formidable and loyal governess? He awkwardly reached out, intending to stroke his beard out of habit. Halfway there, he remembered he had no beard. He had to pivot midway and rubbed his nose instead. “Your son only meant that I could help you ask Grandmother.”
Lin Yanran felt that watching her eldest son “drop his disguise” like this was actually quite a pleasant feeling. She smiled teasingly: “Ask your grandmother? Why would I need you for that? I’ll find one myself when the time comes.”
Chu Yunxuan felt as if his mother had seen right through him, but he dismissed it as his own imagination; if he told anyone his situation, they would think he had gone mad. He countered with a smile: “Mother, haven’t you always played the ‘meek quail’ in front of Grandfather?”
“Hmm?” Lin Yanran glared at him playfully, signaling him to watch his tongue.
“Oh, son was wrong. Not a ‘meek quail,’ you just feel Grandfather is biased and likes the eldest uncle more.”
Lin Yanran was not the original owner, so she felt no insecurity. “I say the same to his face; he does like your eldest uncle more.”
While Lin Yanran maintained the original owner’s persona with her words, in her heart, she felt that Marquis Lin actually treated the original owner quite well. He favored and valued his sons, but he did not treat his daughter unfairly. Lin Yanran truly felt that was quite rare.
Chu Yunxuan looked at Lin Yanran in surprise. “You dare say that to Grandfather’s face now? Didn’t you only dare to whisper it behind his back before? When did this happen?” Chu Yunxuan’s face was filled with curiosity.
Lin Yanran was also curious about what kind of person her reborn eldest son had been in his previous life. “You are a young man; since when did you become so fond of watching the drama unfold?”
Chu Yunxuan silently replied in his heart, Of course, it was a habit I picked up while ‘retiring’ in my past life. Being an old man was too boring; I had to find my own entertainment!
On the surface, he acted as if his sincerity had been misunderstood. “What are you saying, Mother? How could you say your son is watching the drama? I am simply concerned about you.”
Lin Yanran self-deprecatingly replied, “Perhaps it was during this time when I felt so desperate. People, you see, the more spineless they are, the more they direct their temper toward their loved ones. You two must not learn from me!”
Chu Yunxuan looked at his mother seriously. “Grandfather must have been very happy.”
“Huh?” Lin Yanran was genuinely surprised. People get happy when they are being scolded?
Chu Yunxuan smiled mysteriously, offering no further explanation. In his view, his mother and grandfather were a pair of bickering, affectionate rivals. One was full of love for his daughter but stubborn in speech; the other was full of complaints about bias, yet she ran faster than anyone else when it came time to visit their mansion. Upon meeting, they would again pretend not to care. If his mother could vent her temper in front of his grandfather, his grandfather must have been delighted.
Chu Yunxuan and Chu Yunheng lingered with Lin Yanran a while longer before bowing and taking their leave. Since Chu Yunxuan was in the estate, and Chu Yunheng had taken leave from the clan school to meet his illegitimate younger siblings, the brothers decided to visit their father in the front yard together.
Walking side-by-side, Chu Yunxuan instructed carefully: “At the clan school, don’t target Chu Yunyun, but don’t get too close to him either. If he calls you Second Brother, just respond with a smile. I will instruct a few of the clan’s children to play with him; you just focus on your studies.”
“Big Brother, do you really see him as a brother?” Chu Yunheng’s tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction and grievance, feeling as if his big brother had been stolen from him.
Chu Yunxuan reached out to ruffle Chu Yunheng’s hair with a smile. “Only a life of luxury can raise a prodigal son; a harsh environment is what fuels one’s fighting spirit. If there are people around to flatter him and distract him, what is so bad about that?”
Although young, Chu Yunheng understood the brilliance of his brother’s strategy. “Big Brother is smart; I will do as you say.”
This attitude made Chu Yunxuan very happy. “Don’t you think I’m cruel?”
Chu Yunheng shook his head with a cold expression. “I saw Mother secretly wiping away tears that day. Sometimes I hate that I am so young. If I were already grown and a person of power, would Father’s choice have been different? Big Brother, I hate them. Especially that Concubine Sun—that look on her face as if she is the ‘true love’ is really an eyesore. Father dotes on her most; then what does that make Mother? Does a dignified Princess like Mother have to lower herself to compete for his favor? She isn’t worthy.”
The more Chu Yunheng spoke, the more agitated he became, his face turning red with anger. Chu Yunxuan felt a pang of sympathy not only for his mother but for his younger brother as well. “They are irrelevant people; what do they matter? You just need to study hard and earn an official title to make Mother happy. Leave the rest to Big Brother.”
This remark left Chu Yunheng confused. “Big Brother, aren’t you going to take the examinations?”
“Are you silly? I am already the Marquis’s Heir; what qualifications do I have to take the imperial exams? I am currently a companion to the First Prince. Once he marries and moves into his own estate, I will enter the government service when the opportunity arises.”
Despite this, Chu Yunxuan had no intention of slacking in his studies; regardless of where he served in the future, ability was fundamental. As for his past-life experiences, they were merely a reference. What he had learned in his youth had long been forgotten during his years of retirement.
Chu Yunheng boasted confidently: “Heh heh, then just wait, Big Brother; I will definitely earn a first-place rank.”
Afraid that his brother was setting his goals too high, Chu Yunxuan decided to set a ladder for him. “Don’t work yourself too hard; earning a second-place rank is already very impressive. In a family like ours, the difference between first and second place in the exams isn’t significant. There is no need to ruin your health for the sake of that fleeting glory.”
Chu Yunheng had always worshipped his eldest brother, and hearing such concern for his well-being, he nodded readily. Though the brothers hadn’t spent much time together, they had endless topics to discuss. With the experience of an extra lifetime, Chu Yunxuan found coaxing his five-year-old brother to be an easy task. By the time they reached Marquis Chu Mochen’s courtyard, Chu Yunheng was already wishing he could be Chu Yunxuan’s little shadow.