Of course I'm cute!

The room was barely warmer than outside. It seemed to do little more than keep out the wind.

Even so, the woman slumped on the floor beside the table wore a rather thin padded jacket. When the door opened, the wind that slipped inside made her shudder.

Jiang Yingcheng hurriedly fumbled the door shut again.

Cheng Yunmeng braced both hands against the floor, trying to move toward the corner of the table. Before she could shift even an inch, however, quick footsteps pattered behind her.

They were light and hurried, nothing like those of the snobbish palace servants in the courtyard who were so adept at tormenting others.

Puzzled, she turned her head and found herself looking straight into a round, rosy, childish face that was almost pressed against hers.

Cheng Yunmeng's nerves eased a little, but she remained wary. "Who are you?"

The Fragrant Pavilion stood in a secluded spot. No child would ever wander here out of boredom to play. The bullying she and her son endured every day made her instinctively question why this child had appeared.

Jiang Yingcheng grinned. "My name is Jiang Yingcheng. Aunties, why are you sitting on the floor?"

The little girl's innocent gaze left Cheng Yunmeng momentarily dazed.

She clutched her padded jacket tighter, feeling a little disgusted with herself.

After spending so long in hell, everyone looked like a vicious ghost. Now she had even begun suspecting a child like this.

Cheng Yunmeng forced a faint smile, her eyes evasive. "I fell. It's nothing serious."

She wanted to send the little girl away, but instead, the child's smile grew even wider. "Then Chengcheng will help you up, Aunties!"

The moment she finished speaking, Jiang Yingcheng ignored Cheng Yunmeng's attempts to stop her, stepped forward, wrapped her arms around the woman's upper body, and heaved-

She didn't budge.

Awkwardness filled the air, and 007's snicker rang out with exceptional clarity.

Jiang Yingcheng had been about to go outside to find help, but that snicker made her stubbornly gather her strength where she stood, determined to try again.

I must have used my strength wrong just now!

This time, two voices laughed beside her ears.

Jiang Yingcheng froze, then turned toward Cheng Yunmeng with disbelief in her eyes.

Cheng Yunmeng pulled away from Jiang Yingcheng and remained seated on the floor, doubled over with laughter.

Jiang Yingcheng's little face puffed up like an angry pufferfish. Still unwilling to give up, she asked, [System Bro, what's Aunties laughing at?]

007 replied coldly, [How cute you are.]

Hearing the mockery in his tone, Jiang Yingcheng gave a loud huff. [Of course I'm cute!]

The laughter instantly turned into a violent coughing fit.

Bracing one hand against the floor, Cheng Yunmeng looked back at Jiang Yingcheng in utter shock.

From the moment the second voice sounded, she had been certain the little girl had never opened her mouth.

Yet that soft, sweet childish voice unmistakably belonged to this little girl.

What was this?

Was she still dreaming?

Suddenly, an angry shout laced with shock and suspicion snapped Cheng Yunmeng back to her senses-

"Jiang Yingcheng, what did you do to my Imperial Consort?!"

Before Jiang Yingcheng could turn around, a powerful force dragged her backward. Then, with a smack, she fell to the floor.

Dazed, she looked up. The Jiang Xingran standing before her was finally no longer wearing that cold expression, but he was nothing like the gentle boy she had imagined.

Jiang Xingran glared at her furiously, as though he wanted to tear her apart and swallow her whole.

Jiang Yingcheng blinked. The stinging pain in her palms finally brought her some understanding of what had happened. She sniffled, and tears began pattering down.

[Waaah, Seventh Brother is so mean.]

The shock of Jiang Xingran's actions stopped Cheng Yunmeng's coughing cold. "Xingran!"

The little girl had been perfectly polite ever since entering. Seeing her on the floor, she had even tried to help her up. Such a sweet, well-behaved child did not deserve to be treated this way.

Besides-

Though the fabric of the little girl's padded jacket was not the finest, it was far better than anything she and her son wore. Presumably, the child's standing in the palace was not something they could afford to offend.

The terror in Cheng Yunmeng's eyes was almost tangible, and her voice trembled involuntarily. "Hurry up and help Chengcheng to her feet!"

"Imperial Consort?" Jiang Xingran turned back in confusion.

Cheng Yunmeng said anxiously, "I, the Imperial Consort, fell on my own! Chengcheng was just trying to help me up!"

Jiang Xingran stood rooted to the spot. After a long moment, he turned back with suspicion in his eyes and stared straight at Jiang Yingcheng, who was stubbornly getting to her feet as she cried.

Jiang Yingcheng tugged at her sleeve and wiped haphazardly at her face, but her tears kept spilling out. Even after several attempts, everything before her remained a blur.

Finally, as though angry with herself, she stamped her foot hard and declared fiercely, "Chengcheng hates Seventh Brother most of all!"

With that, she pushed open the door and ran out, limping-

She had stamped too hard just now, and her whole leg was cramping a little.

This scene was truly beyond anything Jiang Xingran had expected. Astonishment filled his face as he watched blankly while that tiny figure ran farther and farther away through the snow.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry after her and check on her!"

No one was following the little princess. If something truly happened to her, not only would their circumstances become increasingly difficult, but Cheng Yunmeng herself would likely never have peace of mind.

Jiang Xingran suddenly moved.

His movements were stiff, like rusted parts, slow and unnatural.

Yet he did not chase her out the door.

Head lowered, Jiang Xingran turned and first helped his Imperial Consort into a chair, looking her up and down to make sure she had no injuries.

Cheng Yunmeng urged anxiously, "Go outside and check on her!"

Jiang Xingran fell silent for a moment, then said hoarsely, "There's no hurry."

When he went out to find food today, he had already heard that his imperial father had brought Jiang Yingcheng to his own bedchamber again. Who knew how many guards were hidden outside right now, following her and protecting her at every moment?

Nothing like him and his mother. Even for a single decent meal, he had to go out and search for food himself.

Cheng Yunmeng knew nothing of these complications and kept urging him, "The Imperial Consort really is fine. Hurry and..."

"Chengcheng?" Her voice abruptly rose.

Jiang Xingran whipped around.

At the doorway, Jiang Yingcheng poked her head inside like a little thief. With a short twig, she was pushing a small oilpaper parcel toward them.

When she saw that they had noticed her, she darted behind the door. Only after a while did she peek out again with a pair of big, round, darting eyes.

[Chengcheng is still angry, you know. The kind of angry that won't go away unless Seventh Brother cries while coaxing Chengcheng!]

Cheng Yunmeng did not know whether to laugh or cry, but she promptly pushed her son toward the door.

He had indeed been in the wrong. No matter what, he owed her an apology.

Besides, the little girl's stern-faced expression as she pushed something through the doorway had been so adorable that Cheng Yunmeng's heart nearly melted.

Jiang Xingran was thinking the same thing as his Imperial Consort.

He had guessed what was inside that oilpaper parcel.

This awkward attempt to make peace was far too obvious, but...

But her past behavior had left him with such deep-seated fear that he instinctively began wondering whether he possessed something worth scheming for.

As he pondered this, the courtyard gate slowly swung open with a piercing creak.