As soon as Jiang Yanchuan left, Fang Siwan fixed her gaze on Lin Jinshu.
She knew Emperor Mingze must already have grown suspicious today, but she truly, truly had no other choice.
Whenever she thought of her elder sister repeating in Jinshu's ear, day after day, that his mother no longer wanted him, her heart felt as though needles had pricked it, leaving a dense scattering of tiny aches.
Jiang Yingcheng had been so tired she had slumped bonelessly into the cushioned chair. Seeing her Imperial Consort at such a loss for words, she rolled her eyes thoughtfully, then pattered over and took one little companion by each hand-
"To celebrate Chengcheng and Seventh Brother making a new friend," Jiang Yingcheng said, lifting her little face with a smile as radiant as spring sunshine, "let's all have dinner together tonight!"
[Hehehe, this way Imperial Consort can spend a little more time with Little Brother~]
Everyone in the room froze for a moment.
Lin Jinshu and Jiang Xingran, whose hands she held, glanced back at Jiang Yingcheng, then looked past her at each other.
Finally, both turned away.
Who said she was their friend...
"Yes, yes, of course!" Fang Siwan quickly recovered. "Imperial Consort will arrange it right away!"
Jiang Xingran's brows drew together slightly. He was about to refuse when Jiang Yingcheng beside him promptly added, "Then Chengcheng and the Seventh Prince will go get Auntie Yunmeng. Mother, stay here with Little Brother Jinshu and wait for us~"
Jiang Xingran swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
The food here was bound to be much better than what they had in their own courtyard. His Imperial Consort had not eaten a decent meal in a very long time...
In that brief moment of hesitation, Jiang Yingcheng effortlessly dragged him outside.
Quick-witted Qingbi dismissed all the palace maids from the room.
Only the crackling of burning charcoal remained. Even their breathing was barely audible.
After an unknown stretch of time, Lin Jinshu abruptly raised his head. His indifferent eyes seemed veiled in frost, and a mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips.
He addressed her: "Mother."
Fang Siwan's breath caught, and tears instantly welled up.
When she had heard what Fang Yiwan had done through the little one's thoughts, she had still clung to a shred of hope.
When Qingbi returned to the palace and reported what she had seen and heard, Fang Siwan had also imagined that perhaps her sister had merely explained the truth to him.
But now, seeing the hatred in Jinshu's cold eyes, she finally understood that the truth was far more heartbreaking than she had imagined.
She hurried over to Lin Jinshu, bent down, and pulled him into her arms, calling his name over and over. "Jinshu, my Jinshu..."
Her tears fell onto the shoulder of Lin Jinshu's indigo padded robe, leaving one dark circle after another.
Thank goodness...
Thank goodness there was still time...
She could still pull her Jinshu back from that hell.
Lin Jinshu stood where he was with an indifferent expression, seemingly unmoved by his birth mother's sobbing. Only his faintly trembling lashes betrayed the turmoil within him.
Fang Siwan cried for a long time. Just as she had composed herself, Jiang Yingcheng returned with Cheng Yunmeng and Jiang Xingran.
Dinner was reasonably harmonious.
Cheng Yunmeng had grown accustomed to being cautious and timid in the palace. Suddenly faced with someone willing to strike up a conversation with her, she initially responded stiffly for a while, but under Fang Siwan's gentle guidance, she gradually began to talk freely.
Jiang Yingcheng, meanwhile, acted like a little landowner all evening. Whenever she found something delicious, she clamored for the serving matron to give her the Seventh Prince and Little Brother a portion too.
Whatever their private thoughts, host and guests at least appeared to enjoy themselves.
Cheng Yunmeng was grateful that Jiang Yingcheng had thought to give her Xingran a helping hand before such an excellent Enlightenment Tutor. She wanted to offer a gift in thanks, but had nothing presentable to give. All she could do was keep patting her chest and promising that she would teach Xingran properly once they returned, so that he would look after Yingcheng more in their daily lives.
As soon as she finished, she suddenly remembered that Jiang Yingcheng's standing was now far higher than that of either her or her son.
Even setting aside the gap in status created by Fang Siwan's recent promotion to Consort Wan, the benefits the little one's thoughts could bring Great Rui were too numerous to count.
Emperor Mingze had even specially sent someone to instruct them not to tell anyone who could not hear her thoughts that they were able to hear them.
Cheng Yunmeng's expression dimmed.
Yet Jiang Yingcheng's eyes suddenly shone with an extraordinarily bright light.
The future emperor looking after her?
She needed that more than anything!
She bounded over to Auntie Yunmeng, spread her arms, and hugged her leg. "Then it's a promise! Auntie, make sure you tell Seventh Brother properly when you get back!"
[Can Seventh Brother do Chengcheng's homework for her?]
[Can he help Chengcheng cheat on quizzes?]
Cheng Yunmeng looked thoroughly embarrassed.
If she was not mistaken...
Consort Wan could hear the little one's thoughts too...
Sure enough, Fang Siwan stepped forward the next moment and tapped Jiang Yingcheng's forehead with a bent finger.
Seeing Jiang Yingcheng look up at her with utter bewilderment, Fang Siwan gave a light cough and changed the subject. "It's late. Let go of your Auntie Yunmeng."
Jiang Yingcheng answered with an aggrieved "Oh."
Then she waved enthusiastically at her two little companions. "See you tomorrow, then~"
Fang Siwan arranged for attendants to escort everyone back, then instructed Matron Zhang to take the little one for a bath, a look of pity on her face.
Jiang Yingcheng was puzzled. "Why so early? Chengcheng hasn't finished playing yet!"
Baths were warm and comfortable, and she often fell into a contented sleep afterward.
But today, she had been busy the whole day and had not spared any energy for her favorite little toys. She did not want to sleep yet!
[No sleeping! Absolutely no sleeping!!]
Unable to bear telling her that she would have to accompany her "beautiful Imperial Father" to court every day, Fang Siwan merely turned away and had the matron take her out.
Jiang Yingcheng's incredulous cries filled the room-
"Imperial Consort?"
"Chengcheng hasn't finished playing yet, Imperial Consort?!"
"Chengcheng doesn't want to sleep!!"
Fang Siwan pretended not to hear.
Shortly after midnight, scattered points of fire appeared in the southwestern corner of Duke Wang's estate. Before long, the blaze abruptly intensified. Roaring flames lit up half the sky above the estate, like a swath of sunset glowing in the pitch-black night.
The cries of maids and servants rose one after another. Everyone in the various courtyards was awakened, hastily threw on an outer robe, and ran straight out into the ice and snow.
With flames towering toward the sky outside, they did not even feel cold.
"What happened? How did such a huge fire suddenly break out?"
"There's something strange about this fire..."
"Never mind that now! Putting it out comes first!"
A little while later, Gu Yurou finally arrived. "Heavens, how could this have happened..."
With that, she hurried to join those fighting the fire.
The members of the household exchanged glances, then dispersed.
It was not until two hours later that the fire was extinguished.
When Gu Yurou dragged her exhausted body back to her room, the moment she clearly saw the scene before her, she abruptly retreated two steps. Only after rubbing her eyes hard did she walk inside again.
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