Yuan Chengmian is different from ordinary children, perhaps due to the oppression of the palace or the torment he suffered from an early age. His thinking logic and personality differ significantly from ordinary children.
Su Jingxuan found that he had underestimated the child this time; the child was even more mature than he had imagined, and less likely to easily trust others.
Yuan Chengmian is full of vigilance against the outside world, and he would rather not have the kindness of others than easily try to trust and accept it.
As for why Yuan Chengmian’s attitude towards Chu Heng can change so easily, it’s simple.
Unlike him, Chu Heng, though arrogant and domineering in his actions, is genuinely close to those he acknowledges. Once acknowledged, he will show his most direct sincerity, which is a tremendous personal charm.
As for Su Jingxuan himself, he cannot truly be close to anyone. To some extent, he and Yuan Chengmian are actually similar; after so many lifetimes, he does not trust anyone.
Even his former lover, he was initially extremely resistant. It was the lover who melted him with the most passionate and undisguised emotions. It was the other party who first poured out such unique feelings, and only then did he accommodate the other person in his heart.
Yuan Chengmian is sensitive in emotions, and his reaction is not surprising. People like them can be said to be the most difficult to get along with.
Moreover, Yuan Chengmian is a bit lower in emotional intelligence than him. Su Jingxuan can hide his emotions and true thoughts, but Yuan Chengmian accepts or does not accept straightforwardly. He has a stubborn temper.
No matter how well he does, without truly opening his heart, these good things are considered unreal by Yuan Chengmian. He would rather not have them, and both can get what they need.
Without investing any emotions and doing any unnecessary things, when the day comes to part ways, allowing the body to be covered in scars, the heart will also be without any entanglements.
At the age of nine, Yuan Chengmian sees through all things, like a hedgehog with pointed spines.
Su Jingxuan felt relieved after realizing this, and he also thought of when he first met his lover, realizing that he was probably more difficult to handle than Yuan Chengmian.
Because he was more mature, but the lover never gave up. Laughing in his heart, but his eyes couldn’t help but turn red. His heart was not wronged for losing to love.
Although Yuan Chengmian explained things clearly, Su Jingxuan also admitted that he could not openly open his heart and be close. However, Su Jingxuan considered himself a responsible person. Since he accepted the original owner’s mission, he would be responsible for his promises.
Regardless of whether the child accepts it or not, Su Jingxuan still has to do what needs to be done; this is the wish of the original owner.
The original owner’s carefree life was achieved by the efforts of the Nalan family, and Su Jingxuan wanted to protect every member of the Nalan family. He also wanted to take care of this child who had never been cared for due to his own weakness, no longer feeling guilty towards his deceased brother.
Therefore, he took the child’s clothing, education, and guidance very seriously. He personally took care of everything and did not let go just because it was unpleasant. He considered it as completing the task.
He thought very openly, but the child was conflicted.
“I will do my best to do what you ask.”
The child emphasized again, implying that there was no need for these meaningless things to win him over.
“I’ll do mine, and whether you want it or not is your business. Besides, I didn’t do these things for you specifically. I was doing them for the prince, and I just happened to include you so as not to waste things. Arrogant little brat thinks too highly of himself.”
Su Jingxuan directly ignored the child’s emphasis. He, Su Jingxuan, also had his own pride. He wouldn’t treat an unlovable child with gentleness.
After saying that, he turned and walked away.
The child stared at his arrogant figure, pursed his lips, and looked at the exquisite pastries and a newly made piece of clothing on the table.
The delicate pastries emitted a sweet fragrance, indicating the excellent cooking skills of the maker. The new piece of clothing had fine stitches, a unique style, and all showed that its creator had put a lot of thought into it.
Staying in place for a while, he hesitated for a moment, then looked around to make sure no one was there before picking up a piece of pastry and taking a bite.
Sweet and refreshing, the taste was excellent. He had never eaten something like this. Unable to resist, he stuffed the remaining bite into his mouth, puffed up his cheeks, chewed twice, swallowed it down.
Then he wiped his hands on his clothes, went to touch the new clothes on the table. The fabric was smooth and comfortable, really seemed quite comfortable.
“Bang.”
However, at that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open with force.
The loud sound startled him, causing his body to tremble. Quickly, he retracted his hands like a thief. The person who came in and out was Su Jingxuan.
“Since you don’t like pastries, I’ll give them to Fu Gonggong and the others. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Why is there one missing?”
Su Jingxuan walked in, picked up the pastries on the table, ready to leave, but suddenly seemed to notice something, stopped, and carefully counted.
Finally, he looked up, his gaze staring intently at him. “Yuan Chengmang, you’ve been sneaking a bite.”
It was a statement, not a question.
The child’s body stiffened, pursed his lips, and remained expressionless, extremely calm.
“Don’t admit it, huh? There are still pastry crumbs on your mouth.”
Su Jingxuan had an expression as if he had found evidence and the other person was still denying it.
The child instinctively reached out to wipe, but there was nothing.
Looking up again and seeing Su Jingxuan’s triumphant smile, he suddenly realized that he had been tricked. His ears turned red, and he pressed his lips even tighter.
“Hey, foolish. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you still dare not to take responsibility. How could the Nalan family have such a spineless guy?”
Staring at him in this state, Su Jingxuan deliberately sighed again before putting down the pastry plate with a contented and leisurely demeanor, clapping his hands and leaving. He felt very comfortable in his heart.
The child stood in place, waiting for him to really go far away, and then an expression of regret appeared on his face.
Hiding in the shadows, Su Jingxuan’s mood finally improved after feeling down. He then truly left and turned back to share the situation with Chu Heng, smiling like a proud and playful kitten.
That’s just his personality; whoever makes him feel uneasy, he makes sure they feel uncomfortable too. Kids with such temperaments are troublesome, and they need discipline; otherwise, when they grow up, they’ll still be a burden.
Chu Heng looked at his joyous expression, with softened eyebrows, his heart like calm water.
“Excessive rigidity is prone to break, excessive softness leads to failure. Combining both rigidity and softness leads to success. This king’s words are correct.”
“Only you understand me, my lord.”
Su Jingxuan tilted his head, his smile deepening. He reached out, grabbing his lover’s shoulder and pulling him closer.
“In a few days, I’ll toss him into your military camp. No one taught him properly from a young age. Raised by those eunuchs and palace maids, he’s grown into a crooked tree.”
Chu Heng nodded, smiling as he skillfully turned him over, covering his mouth with an affectionate kiss, savoring the intoxicating sweetness within.
After that, Su Jingxuan continued doing what he felt he should, ignoring the child’s various conflicting expressions. When Chu Heng taught the child martial arts, he became stricter. The daily two-hour lessons were moved to the military camp.
The child’s character remained silent, but Su Jingxuan noticed that the child’s eyes no longer resisted him as vehemently. A withered tree could still be carved into something decent.
What the Nalan family needed was a wise successor, and the Great Yong needed an emperor capable of achieving great things, not someone with talent who only knew how to lick their wounds within their own fortress like a lone wolf.
The situation in Yubei seemed to be developing smoothly and comfortably, but in the distant capital city, it was a scene of gloom and despair.
Due to a single incident, the Emperor’s most beloved Wei Guijun suffered a miscarriage. In a fit of rage, the Emperor killed all the maids, eunuchs, and imperial physicians attending to her. Even some ministers in the court were unfortunate enough to face the Emperor’s wrath and were reprimanded or dismissed from their positions for minor mistakes.
Even Wei Guijun’s elder brother, General Wei, who was highly favored by the Emperor, was censured and sent to Lingnan to suppress bandits.
At this moment, both the court and the harem were on edge. Everyone knew how much the Emperor cherished Wei Guijun and looked forward to the child in her womb. Now, with this unexpected tragedy, the Emperor, like an enraged tiger, turned his wrath against anyone who approached.
The once lively Huacheng Palace now became desolate. The Emperor, fearing any harm to his beloved consort, ordered that no one should disturb or visit her. A new batch of eunuchs and maids was assigned to attend to her, and guards were posted to protect Huacheng Palace, turning it into an impregnable fortress.
People deeply felt the Emperor’s profound love and protection for Guijun, but only those within Huacheng Palace truly knew the situation.
Inside Huacheng Palace:
“Yuan Beiyi, you beast! You took away my child! Give me back my child!”
Having just lost her child, Wei Zixuan, disregarding her weakened state, cried out in grief and anger at the man who had once held her hands. She smashed everything in the room, venting her pain and sorrow.
“It’s you! You! You switched the medicine! How could someone as cautious as you let a eunuch bring me a bowl of unchecked medicine to drink? Why are you so heartless? Give me back my child, Yuan Beiyi! Give me back my child!”
Wei Zixuan cried heartbreakingly, mourning the loss of the child he had finally gained – the child of him and his brother, a child he loved and anticipated the most.
Why? Why did Yuan Beiyi always cause him so much pain, both in the past and now? He had even killed their child with his own hands.
“You are the Emperor’s consort, yet you carry another man’s child. Tell me, what should I do?”
Yuan Beiyi looked at him, his eyes clouded, his throat dry, and his voice trembling with complex and indescribable emotions.
“You know everything,” Wei Zixuan said, lifting his tear-streaked face, not a fool.
Yuan Beiyi laughed bitterly, his heart feeling as if it were being twisted with a knife.
If this person had defended himself, explained, maybe he would regret it, believe him, think it was all a misunderstanding, believe that there was an error. However, Wei Zixuan didn’t do any of that.
“Zixuan, have I not treated you well? I gave you my whole heart, betrayed everyone in the world for you. Yet, you trample on my heart in the mud like this. Do you know how painful my heart is?”
“Pain?” Wei Zixuan suddenly laughed, tears mingling with his smile.
He stood up from the ground, pointing forcefully to his own heart.
“Yuan Beiyi, the one who should feel pain is me! It’s you, you destroyed me! You destroyed me in two lifetimes, do you know? I grew up with my brother, we were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love. But you forcibly separated us. You ruined my love, and now you’ve killed my child. One sip of that medicine, and he’ll be gone, just like that.
Yes, I am trampling on your heart. You owe me this. Yuan Beiyi, I hate you! You keep saying you love me, but why did you force me into the palace when you knew I didn’t want to go? All of this is your fault. You killed me, killed this defiled person in your palace.”
Wei Zixuan cried and laughed, his emotions erratic and wild.
These words, he had held in his heart for too long. It was Yuan Beiyi, the one who professed love for him, who had destroyed him in two lifetimes.
“Yuan Beiyi, I have never loved you, not even a bit.”
Wei Zixuan retaliated, staring at Yuan Beiyi and cruelly uttering words that shattered his heart.
“Wei Guijun is suffering from hysteria. Summon the imperial physician to examine him.”
Yuan Beiyi closed his eyes, issued the order, and then slowly turned around. Step by step, he left Huacheng Palace.
Once he passed through the palace gates, he supported himself on a eunuch and spat out a mouthful of blood.
