The winter sun shone warmly overhead, bathing everything in a gentle glow.
Yinzhen sat quietly on the stone steps, enjoying the scenery.
Beside him, Little Six, Yinzuo, was clutching a pastry that Yinzhen had given him.
His cheeks bulged as he stuffed his mouth full, chewing enthusiastically.
Crumbs fell all over the ground.
Looking at the messy child, Yinzhen endured it for as long as he could.
Finally, with a sigh, he pulled a handkerchief from his robes and gently wiped the crumbs from Little Six’s mouth.
Seeing his brother helping him, Little Six obediently puckered his lips and let him continue.
With his mouth still full, he mumbled,
“Big Brother, the pastry is yummy.”
Yinzhen replied helplessly,
“Can’t you eat properly? Why do you spill half of everything you eat?”
“You don’t understand!”
Yinzuo immediately protested.
“This is wisdom!”
“Wisdom?”
Yinzhen looked skeptical.
“Of course!”
Little Six puffed out his chest proudly.
“If I eat everything myself, what will happen to my ant brothers?
Little Six believes in sharing blessings and hardships.
As long as I have something to eat, nobody else should go hungry.”
Yinzhen watched his short legs swinging back and forth while crumbs continued raining onto the ground.
He had no idea where the child learned such ridiculous logic.
Unable to bear it any longer, he turned away and resumed basking in the sun.
“Fourth Brother.”
“What?”
“This is really delicious!”
“Then eat slowly.”
“Fourth Brother.”
“What now?”
Yinzhen turned back again, already regretting whatever possessed him to come spend time with this child today.
Little Six pointed excitedly at a crack between the paving stones.
“Look! My ant brothers came out!”
Curious, Yinzhen looked over.
Several ants had gathered around the pastry crumbs that Little Six had dropped.
Two smaller ants were working together to push a tiny piece of pastry across the ground.
Their little legs moved furiously.
Neither boy had ever paid much attention to ants carrying food before.
Soon both were completely fascinated.
Yinzhen no longer cared that the ground was dirty.
Little Six had already flattened himself onto his stomach, watching closely.
While observing the ants, Little Six occasionally tossed more crumbs toward them.
“Fourth Brother, if I throw all of this down, do you think they can carry it?”
Yinzhen considered the question seriously.
“If there are enough ants, probably.”
Little Six nodded thoughtfully.
Then he broke off a much larger piece of pastry and dropped it nearby.
Unfortunately, it was far too heavy.
The ants surrounded it briefly before giving up and wandering away.
“Oh!”
Little Six looked devastated.
“They don’t want it anymore.”
Yinzhen comforted him.
“It’s too heavy.
That’s normal.”
“Then I’ll help them.”
Little Six immediately reached forward, intending to break the pastry into smaller pieces.
But Yinzhen caught his hand.
“That’s dirty.
What if you get sick?”
“It’s not dirty!”
“If you touch it again…”
Yinzhen paused.
He couldn’t think of anything particularly threatening.
Finally he settled on:
“Then I won’t play with you anymore.”
It wasn’t exactly intimidating.
But it worked.
Little Six immediately stopped.
After all, his mother was always complaining that he got too dirty and refused to play with him because of it.
Now that he’d finally found someone willing to play with him, he certainly didn’t want to lose him.
Still…
What about the ants?
Who would help them?
Before he could think of a solution, a long procession of ants emerged from the crack.
This time there were dozens of them.
Together, they surrounded the pastry.
Then, little by little, they lifted it.
“Fourth Brother!”
Little Six grabbed Yinzhen’s arm and shook it excitedly.
“They picked it up!”
“Yes.”
Yinzhen smiled slightly.
“They carried it away.”
“But why can they carry it now?”
Little Six asked curiously.
“Is it because there are more of them?”
Yinzhen vaguely felt that he understood the answer.
Yet he didn’t know how to explain it.
At that moment, a gentle female voice spoke behind them.
“Because that is the power of unity.”
The boys immediately turned around.
“These little ants couldn’t move the pastry by themselves.
But when they gathered together, they could carry even the heaviest crumbs back to their nest.
That is what unity means.”
Little Six instantly brightened.
“Mother!”
He threw himself toward the newcomer.
Yinzhen, meanwhile, hurriedly straightened his clothes.
Meeting someone while looking this messy is completely improper.
“Mother!”
“Greetings, Lady Defei.”
Yinzhen performed a perfect salute.
After returning home yesterday, he had secretly asked around and learned that the mistress of Yonghe Palace was Consort De.
“There’s no need for such formality, Fourth Prince.”
Shulan helped him to his feet.
At the same time, she quietly examined him.
The last time she’d seen him, he’d been a toddler who could barely speak clearly.
Now he performed flawless greetings and carried himself with remarkable composure.
Despite being so young, there was already a steadiness in his eyes.
Every movement followed proper etiquette.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of childish mischief.
Shulan didn’t know how she should feel.
Only that her heart suddenly ached.
Originally, she hadn’t intended to disturb the brothers.
But when a nanny reported that Little Six was rolling around on the ground again, she worried that Yinzhen might begin to dislike him.
So she’d come to drag him back for a bath.
Instead, she’d found two little heads pressed close together.
Yinzhen was holding Little Six’s hand to stop him from grabbing the ants while patiently explaining what they were doing.
Little Six clutched his sleeve and listened obediently.
For some reason, it felt like a scene she had been waiting a very long time to see.
“Mother, look!”
Little Six pointed excitedly.
“The ants are carrying the pastry!”
As he spoke, he attempted to throw himself into her arms.
Shulan reacted with unprecedented speed.
She extended one hand and pressed firmly against his forehead.
The child stopped instantly, unable to advance.
“Hmm.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“You’re covered in dirt.
You’re basically a filthy little bun.
Stay away from me.”
“No!”
Little Six immediately protested.
“Little Six wants Mother!”
He flailed dramatically.
Unfortunately, Shulan’s defense was impenetrable.
“You may approach after you’ve had a bath.”
“I don’t want a bath!”
“Then what do you want?”
“Play with me!”
Little Six immediately began bargaining.
“Play with me and I’ll take a bath.”
While speaking, he grabbed Yinzhen’s arm and attempted a flanking maneuver.
Shulan felt all her earlier excitement at seeing Yinzhen disappear completely.
This child was exhausting.
“Look at your Fourth Brother.”
She pointed accusingly.
“He’s clean.
Unlike a certain dirty baby.”
“Babies aren’t afraid of dirt!”
Little Six announced proudly.
“I am.”
Shulan replied instantly.
“Ask your Fourth Brother whether he’s afraid of dirt.”
She noticed the envy hidden in Yinzhen’s eyes and immediately dragged him into the argument.
Little Six finally gave up trying to break through her defenses.
“Fourth Brother.”
He looked hopeful.
“I’m not dirty, right?”
Yinzhen stared at him.
There was dirt on his clothes.
Mud on his sleeves.
Pastry crumbs all over his chest.
His conscience simply wouldn’t allow him to lie.
So he said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.
Little Six sighed dramatically.
“I see.”
“You people just don’t understand me.”
“Children don’t need to be understood.”
Shulan found a clean spot and patted it.
Then she turned toward Yinzhen.
“Little Six is troublesome.
I’m sorry for bothering you.”
Yinzhen quickly shook his head.
“No.
I came looking for him.
I’m the one who disturbed Lady Defei.”
Shulan had no interest in spending the next ten minutes politely arguing over who inconvenienced whom.
Instead, she noticed the dirt on his clothes.
“Your clothes are dirty.
Would you like to change into a clean set?”
Yinzhen hesitated.
Returning in dirty clothes would definitely attract attention.
But…
Seeing his dilemma, Shulan immediately explained,
“It’s all right.
I have new clothes here.
I had some made for Little Six’s older brother.”
Before Yinzhen could answer, an elderly nanny suddenly rushed over.
Her face had gone pale.
“Your Highness!”
she said nervously.
“There’s no need to trouble Defei.
This servant can bring the Fourth Prince back and change his clothes.”
Shulan looked at the nanny and couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
Another missed opportunity.
Still, she understood Tongjia’s temperament.
She didn’t want to make life difficult for the servants.
So she merely smiled and nodded.
“Very well.”
Then she took Little Six’s hand.
“Say goodbye to your Fourth Brother.”
“Goodbye, Fourth Brother!”
Little Six obediently waved.
Yinzhen looked at him for a moment.
Then he reached out and gently patted the child’s head.
“Goodbye.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“We’ll play together again next time.”
Shulan wasn’t sure when that “next time” would come.
Still, at least he had agreed.
She turned and led Little Six away.
“Fourth Prince, let’s return now.”
The nanny’s heart was pounding.
If the Imperial Noble Consort discovered this, she might lose her life.
“All right.”
Yinzhen nodded.
Then his expression suddenly cooled.
“Don’t tell Mother about this.”
His voice became distant and formal.
“Just say I was playing outside by myself.”
“Understood.”
The nanny lowered her head.
Truthfully, she didn’t want anyone discovering this either.
After issuing his warning, Yinzhen turned to leave.
But after a few steps, he found himself looking back one last time.
In the distance, Little Six was chattering endlessly.
Shulan appeared completely exasperated.
Yet despite her complaints, she looked at him with unmistakable affection.
Yinzhen stood there quietly.
A strange feeling tightened in his chest.
So…
Is this what a mother and child are supposed to be like?
Even when he’s filthy…
She still doesn’t truly dislike him?