Bathing.
Another level of Soul Power.
From level eighty-four to level eighty-five.
If she rose another level today, she would have jumped two levels in a single day, going straight from level eighty-three to the threshold of level eighty-five.
That speed was terrifying.
Bibi Dong's breathing quickened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.
But this... bathing.
Bibi Dong's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She had never bathed a child before.
Nurse Zhou handled all of Qian Renxue's daily care.
She had barely even touched her, let alone cared for her with her own hands.
How warm should the water be? How should she hold the baby?
What should she be careful about while washing him? Which parts needed special care? She had no idea.
She couldn't make a mistake.
This child was too important.
Not only because he was the reason she had grown stronger.
More importantly, that smile just now had loosened something in a frozen corner of her heart.
Whatever the reason, she couldn't let anything happen to this child because of her carelessness.
After thinking for a moment,
Bibi Dong bent down and picked Luo Dong up in her arms again.
She turned and walked out the door.
The corridor in the side hall stretched on, long and quiet.
The candle sconces embedded in the stone walls cast a dim yellow glow over the polished flagstones.
Bibi Dong's footsteps echoed softly through the empty corridor.
Luo Dong rested securely in her arms. Through a gap in his swaddling, he watched the murals on either side slip past one by one.
Spirit Hall's architecture was magnificent, every pillar carved with intricate angelic totems.
The angels, their wings spread as if ready to take flight, cast mottled shadows in the candlelight as they swept past Bibi Dong's shoulder.
She didn't spare the angel statues a glance.
She walked straight down the corridor, turned a corner, and stopped in front of an ordinary wooden door.
This was the room of the wet nurse who cared for Qian Renxue—Nurse Zhou.
Three years.
She had knocked on this door of her own accord only a handful of times.
Each time, it had been because of an "order" from the Pope. She needed to take Qian Renxue to attend some event, so she had no choice but to come and tell the wet nurse to get her ready.
But this time was different. She had come of her own accord.
Bibi Dong raised her hand and knocked.
The sound of slippers scuffing over the flagstones came from inside. Then the door swung open.
Nurse Zhou stood in the doorway, wearing a plain gray cloth dress, her hair twisted into a neat bun and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She looked as though she had been doing laundry.
She was in her early forties, with a gentle face. She looked like a kind woman.
Seeing who stood outside, Nurse Zhou visibly froze.
"Your Highness?"
Unconcealed surprise colored her voice.
Bibi Dong stood at her door, a baby in her arms.
The baby was wrapped in a brand-new swaddling cloth, his rosy little face exposed as he looked around quietly with his eyes open.
Was this the child the servants had been whispering about all day?
The Saintess had brought him here herself?
Nurse Zhou's thoughts raced, but after more than three years in this secluded palace, she knew better than anyone what to ask and what not to ask.
Just as she knew better than to ask why Bibi Dong, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, was Qian Renxue's mother.
She quickly composed herself, wiped the water on her hands onto her apron, and stepped aside.
"Does Your Highness need something from me?"
Bibi Dong got straight to the point. "I'd like to ask you a few things about caring for a child."
Nurse Zhou froze again. Looking at the woman before her, she felt a complicated emotion she couldn't put into words.
Caring for a child—hearing those four words from Bibi Dong herself was an exceedingly rare thing.
Qian Renxue had lived in this side hall for three years, and Bibi Dong had never once asked about her.
Whether she ate well, slept soundly, or had fallen ill—she knew nothing about any of it.
Yet now, for a baby she had picked up, she had come in person to ask for advice.
Nurse Zhou pushed those thoughts aside and replied respectfully, "Please ask, Your Highness. I'll tell you everything I know."
Bibi Dong was brief. "How do I bathe a baby?"
Nurse Zhou nodded and answered earnestly, "A newborn's skin is very delicate, so you have to keep a close eye on the water temperature. The inside of your elbow is the most accurate place to test it. It should feel about the same as your body temperature."
As she spoke, she demonstrated with her hands.
"When you bathe him, one hand must support his head and neck. Babies don't have the strength in their necks to hold up their heads. His head mustn't wobble. If you don't support him properly, it'll fall back, and he could choke on the water. That's the most important thing."
Bibi Dong nodded slightly, committing every word to memory.
"Also," Nurse Zhou continued, "prepare everything beforehand—the clean clothes he'll change into, a soft towel to dry him with, and a dry little blanket to wrap him in.
"Put everything within arm's reach. Never leave the baby alone in the tub, not even for the blink of an eye. Babies are slippery, and accidents happen easily."
Bibi Dong asked again, "How often should I bathe him?"
"In this weather, every other day should be about right. Too often isn't good. A baby's skin has a natural layer of protective oils, and bathing him too frequently can damage his skin."
Nurse Zhou thought for a moment, then added, "Start with his face, gently wiping it with a soft towel dipped in warm water. Then wash his hair. When you do, shield his ears with your hand so water doesn't get inside.
"After that, wash his body. Pay special attention to the folds beneath his neck, under his arms, and around his thighs. Dirt can collect there easily. As soon as you've finished, wrap him in a dry towel so he doesn't catch a chill from the draft."
Bibi Dong committed each detail to memory, her expression focused.
Watching her serious expression, Nurse Zhou felt her heart swell with complicated emotions. She couldn't help adding a few more things. "Madam, this little young master is still very small. You can gently rub his tummy clockwise from time to time. It'll help with digestion and prevent bloating.
"Also, after feeding him, hold him upright for a while and gently pat his back until he burps. That'll make him less likely to spit up."
Bibi Dong nodded. "Understood."
Nurse Zhou opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end she swallowed the words.
At the other end of the corridor,
a small figure peeked out from her doorway.
Qian Renxue was three years old. She was a little taller than other children her age, and her short golden hair lay softly against her cheeks.
She was very pretty, with delicate, adorable features. Her eyes in particular were bright and sparkling, as if they held two little stars.
At that moment, those eyes were filled with unease.
She had heard her mother's voice.
Her mother's voice was the same as always, soft and flat, without much inflection.
But her mother was in Nurse Zhou's room now.
Nurse Zhou was the one who took care of her. Why had her mother gone to see Nurse Zhou?
Qian Renxue crept out of her room.
She didn't dare get too close.
The last time she had run to her mother's door crying, her mother had coldly told her to go back to her room. Her voice had been so, so cold. She didn't want to hear that voice again.
But she couldn't help wanting to take a look.
Just one look.
Qian Renxue rose onto her tiptoes and crept toward Nurse Zhou's room, one step at a time, keeping close to the wall.
The door wasn't fully shut. A narrow crack remained.
She stood beside it, holding her breath as she listened.
She heard Nurse Zhou say, "When bathing a baby, you must always test the water temperature first..."
She heard her mother ask, "How often should I bathe him?"
Her mother sounded more serious and attentive than Qian Renxue had ever heard her before.
Her mother was learning from Nurse Zhou how to bathe her little brother...
As Qian Renxue listened, it felt as though something had seized her heart and squeezed hard.
Before you continue