The Prince of Rui furrowed his brows as well.
In the past, he had never found anything strange about Qiao’s self-address as “this servant,” but now, hearing it, something about it felt oddly uncomfortable. Almost without thinking, he said,
“You are Xiao Wu’s birth mother. There is no need to refer to yourself as ‘this servant’ in front of me and the Princess Consort.”
At his words, the Princess Consort was secretly startled. She glanced at him, her hands hidden in her sleeves tightly clenched.
Was this really the first time the Prince had ever spoken up for someone like this?
What—had he already started feeling pity for her again after just a few days?
After being confined for a period, it seemed Qiao Shi had indeed become more skilled.
She forced a smile and said,
“Yes, sister. You are Xiao Wu’s birth mother. How could you be compared to ordinary servants? Just listen to His Highness.”
Qiao Rongjin looked at the Princess Consort’s smile that did not reach her eyes and inwardly cursed.
What kind of sudden madness was the Prince of Rui having today?
Taking a steady breath, she once again bowed respectfully.
“Thank you for Your Highness and the Princess Consort’s consideration. Although I am Xiao Wu’s birth mother, I am still a concubine of the Prince’s estate. Etiquette must not be abandoned.”
She was not foolish.
If news of this spread and she truly stopped calling herself “servant” just because of the Prince’s words, how would the other women in the inner court view her? They would tear her apart.
And more importantly, the true mistress of the inner courtyard was still the Princess Consort. Was she trying to challenge her authority? Over something so minor? It wasn’t worth it.
Hearing her tactful refusal, the Princess Consort’s expression finally eased slightly.
At least she knew her place.
A person should act according to their status.
The Prince of Rui, on the other hand, glanced at her coldly and said nothing more.
Even he himself felt a faint regret for what he had just said.
It was… strangely impulsive.
He rubbed his temples and attributed it to lack of sleep, not giving it further thought.
This small episode quickly passed.
After the physician’s examination, everyone finally confirmed that Qi You was out of danger and collectively sighed in relief.
Especially the Princess Consort—since the child had been placed under her care in Haitang Courtyard, any mishap would have made her directly responsible. Now that he had pulled through, it felt like a burden had been lifted.
“The next step is simple: take the medicine twice daily according to the prescription until full recovery,” Doctor Zhao said, then added, “But Fifth Young Master’s constitution is rather weak. He needs proper nourishment; otherwise, he will continue to fall ill easily.”
Qiao Rongjin understood this very well.
A weak body meant low immunity—meaning illness would come easily.
From now on, her top priority was to strengthen the little one’s health and raise him properly, making sure he grew sturdy and well.
“Thank you, Doctor Zhao.”
She slightly inclined her head, but the doctor quickly stepped aside.
An old man like him could not accept such a courtesy. Especially not with the Prince present—he had not missed a single detail of what had just happened.
Seeing both the Prince and Princess Consort present, Qiao Rongjin felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring up moving Qi You to Haitang Courtyard.
So she knelt down without hesitation.
The sudden movement caught both the Prince and Princess Consort off guard. They looked down at her, puzzled as she knelt straight and proper on the ground.
Qi You naturally saw it too.
He understood immediately what she was about to do, and his gaze suddenly became intensely bright.
She truly wanted him to live with her.
At that thought, the corner of his lips curved slightly.
Qiao Rongjin spoke seriously:
“This servant humbly requests that Your Highness and the Princess Consort permit Qi You to be raised by this servant in Haitang Courtyard.”
The Prince and Princess Consort both froze.
The Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and studied her expression. Seeing that she was serious and not pretending—and recalling how she had stayed up all night caring for the sick child—he quickly made up his mind.
After all, the Princess Consort was not truly able to take proper care of Qi You. And Qiao’s behavior just now proved she did care about the child. As his birth mother, entrusting him to her was indeed the best choice.
Still, he turned to ask Qi You.
“Do you want to live in Haitang Courtyard with her?”
He nearly said “your mother,” but considering the Princess Consort’s presence, he changed it to “her.”
Qiao Rongjin’s heart instantly tightened.
Right—she had only thought about taking him back, but had not asked the child’s opinion.
What if he didn’t want to go with her?
She silently scolded herself for being careless and looked at Qi You anxiously.
Qi You saw all of her emotions clearly.
Then, looking at the father he had once resented deeply, he spoke his first words since waking up:
“I am willing to live with… Mother.”
Hearing this, Qiao Rongjin finally breathed out in relief. She wanted to hug him immediately, but restrained herself because of the Prince and Princess Consort present.
The Princess Consort, however, also felt a sense of relief.
Frankly, even if Qiao Rongjin had not brought it up, she would have done so herself. Having Qi You in Haitang Courtyard meant responsibility, care, and risk—especially if he fell ill again. Now that Qiao had taken him back voluntarily, it was ideal.
She smiled and said,
“Sister should have taken Xiao Wu back earlier. The child is still young—he needs his biological mother. When he was ill, he kept calling for you.”
Qiao Rongjin hurriedly bowed.
“Thank you, Your Highness and the Princess Consort.”
The heavy stone in her heart finally fell away, and she rarely showed a genuine smile.
The Prince of Rui glanced at her and briefly lost focus before looking away again, expression unchanged.
Of everyone present, the happiest was Qi You.
His whole body trembled slightly with emotion. Tears almost welled up, but he kept his gaze fixed on Qiao Rongjin without blinking.
Since his rebirth, his entire mind had been tied to this mother of his.
At this moment, he no longer felt like the thirty-something Qi You.
He truly felt like a four-and-a-half-year-old child again—the one who longed for maternal love and was painfully sensitive.
“Xiao Wu, rest well. Father will come to see you when he has time.”
The Prince of Rui looked at him with a complicated expression.
This son of his had never been close to him—not for a day or two. The number of times they had met could almost be counted on one hand.
And because of that, he always felt a faint sense of guilt toward him.