After eating her fill, Luo Dong let go of the nipple and burped.
This time, she didn't immediately grow drowsy like before.
She had slept more than enough last night, and now she was full of energy, with no desire to sleep at all.
She opened her grape-black eyes and reached out a tiny hand, grabbing a lock of Bibi Dong's hair that hung down.
She clutched it tightly, refusing to let go.
Bibi Dong straightened her clothes and looked down at her.
The little one was clutching her hair, grinning from ear to ear. She gently tugged at the strands with her tiny hand, as if playing with some delightful toy.
She tugged once, let go, grabbed it again, and tugged once more, making herself giggle with delight.
The child made Bibi Dong smile even more.
She didn't pull her hair away, simply letting her play with it.
The lock was crumpled in her little fist, but Bibi Dong didn't mind.
After a while,
Bibi Dong gently pulled her hair from the baby's hand.
It was time to get up and wash.
She rose and went to the door, instructing the maid to bring warm water.
Before long, a copper basin was brought in, steam rising faintly from its surface.
Bibi Dong rolled up her sleeves and washed up first.
She splashed water on her face, banishing the weariness of a night's cultivation.
Then she picked up a soft towel, soaked it in warm water, and wrung it until it was only slightly damp. She returned to the bed and wiped Luo Dong's face.
The towel passed gently over her forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, and chin, each spot treated with care.
Luo Dong found it wonderfully soothing. She narrowed her eyes and made contented little humming sounds.
After washing up, Bibi Dong had a simple breakfast.
Then she picked Luo Dong up and headed toward the side hall again.
She needed to complete the second step of the System Mission.
Learn from the wet nurse.
The side hall's corridor looked especially bright in the morning light.
Bibi Dong carried Luo Dong along the corridor and stopped once more outside Nurse Zhou's door.
Knock, knock.
The door opened quickly.
Nurse Zhou stood in the doorway. Seeing Bibi Dong again, she wasn't as surprised this time. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the baby in Bibi Dong's arms, then she bowed respectfully. "Your Highness."
"I'd like to ask you about some more things," Bibi Dong said, getting straight to the point. "How to take better care of a child. From morning to night, from feeding to sleeping, tell me all the details I need to pay attention to. The more detailed, the better."
Nurse Zhou froze for a moment, then nodded.
She stepped aside to let Bibi Dong in, brought over a chair for her, and then stood nearby and began to explain carefully.
She started with how many times a day a baby should be fed, then explained how to tell whether the baby was full, how much a baby's stomach could hold, how long it would take for the baby to get hungry again, and how to burp the baby.
After feeding, the baby should be held upright and gently patted on the back, from bottom to top, until she burped. Otherwise, she might spit up.
Then she explained how to tell by feeling the blanket whether the baby had wet or soiled herself, what to watch out for when changing a diaper, how many hours a day a baby generally needed to sleep, and how to create a comfortable sleeping environment.
"Also," Nurse Zhou added, "babies can't talk, so crying is the only way they can express themselves. They'll cry when they're hungry, when they've wet themselves, or when they're uncomfortable.
"But the different cries do have their own tells. A hungry cry is short and strong, one wail after another, with very little time in between. A cry from a wet diaper comes and goes: a few cries, then a pause, then a few more.
"A cry of discomfort is high-pitched, and the baby's body will squirm. Madam, after listening a few times, you'll be able to tell the difference."
Bibi Dong listened closely.
She silently committed every point to memory, asking a question or two whenever something wasn't clear.
Nurse Zhou explained everything in meticulous detail, laying out all her childcare experience one point at a time.
Meanwhile, outside in the corridor,
a small figure peeked out from her room once more.
Qian Renxue bit her lip, tears already welling in her eyes.
She had heard her mother's voice.
Her mother had gone to Nurse Zhou again, asking how to raise a child. It was for that little brother.
Her mother was so kind to that little brother. She fed him and bathed him, and now she had even come especially to learn how to care for him.
But her mother had never treated her like that.
Not even once.
Her heart felt so sour.
Even more so than yesterday.
That ache welled up from the very depths of her chest, rising to her throat and filling her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to hold it back, she couldn't.
Qian Renxue turned and ran out of the side hall.
The tiny figure stumbled out through a side door, ran outside the hall, and plopped down on the stone steps.
The little girl, just over three years old, sat on the broad steps, her short legs swinging over the edge as her shoulders hitched with sobs.
She didn't dare cry out loud.
She was afraid her mother would hear.
Afraid her mother would coldly tell her to go back to her room again.
All she could do was stifle her sobs as fat tears fell onto her knees, soaking a large patch of her skirt.
Just then, a large hand gently settled on her head.
"Xiao Xue?"
With tear-blurred eyes, Qian Renxue looked up and saw a deeply wrinkled yet exceedingly kind face.
Long golden hair, a white robe, and a faint aura of holy light surrounded him.
His eyes were filled with concern.
Qian Daoliu.
The Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall, the Guardian of the Angel God, a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo.
He was also the only person in all of Spirit Hall who truly loved her.
Qian Daoliu had only been passing by to see his granddaughter that day.
He truly loved Qian Renxue.
She was beautiful, sensible, and clever. Even at such a young age, she knew not to cause trouble for others. The more well-behaved she was, the more she tugged at his heartstrings.
So he came to see her every few days, sometimes bringing her little treats, sometimes simply sitting with her for a while.
He hadn't expected to arrive and find his precious granddaughter sitting alone on the stone steps, crying.
Crying so hard.
Qian Daoliu's heart clenched.
He sat down on the steps beside Qian Renxue, not minding the dust, and put an arm around her tiny shoulders. Softening his voice, he asked, "What is it?"
When Qian Renxue realized it was her grandfather, all the hurt she'd been holding back finally found an outlet.
"Grandpa—"
She burst into tears and threw herself into Qian Daoliu's arms, her small body trembling violently with each sob.
"Mommy—I want Mommy—" she cried, her words coming in broken fragments, her sobs making it almost impossible to speak. "I want Mommy to hold me—I want to sleep with Mommy—just like my little brother—"
Qian Daoliu's hand, patting her back, paused slightly.
Little brother.
Of course he'd heard.
It was no secret in Spirit Hall that Bibi Dong had brought a baby back from outside. The servants had reported it to him some time ago.
At the time, he'd only frowned and said nothing.
After all, that was the mess his own son had made. What did it matter if Bibi Dong picked up a child to raise?
But now it seemed the problem wasn't the child.
The problem was that Bibi Dong was far too kind to the child she'd found, while leaving her own daughter off to the side.
"Mommy feeds my little brother—bathes him—sings to him to help him sleep—" Qian Renxue sobbed breathlessly, her tiny hands clutching Qian Daoliu's robe as though afraid he'd leave her too. "Mommy even went to see Nurse Zhou—to learn how to take care of my little brother—she's never asked about me—not even once—waah—"
Qian Renxue sobbed uncontrollably, tears and snot smearing across Qian Daoliu's immaculate white robe.
By the time she was done, her voice had gone hoarse, her little face was flushed, and her whole body was still shuddering. She looked as pitiful as if the entire world had abandoned her.
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