Chapter 27
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Ling Fu was a bit surprised to hear this. “By all accounts, Eldest Brother wouldn’t not want to see you.”
“He just doesn’t see me.”
Ling Rui repeated this gloomily and then lowered his head to fiddle with a small brush, not saying anything else.
After a moment of silence between the two, Ling Fu finally patted his little shoulder and said, “When your uncle’s birthday comes, Eldest Brother will definitely come. When you meet him, just ask him directly.”
Ling Rui nodded.
After playing with Ling Fu for a while, Ling Rui went back to the Fenghua Palace.
On the way, holding Cuixi’s hand, he thought about his uncle’s birthday banquet and had a new worry.
“Cui Cui, what do you think I should give as a gift?”
A birthday celebration requires a gift, but Ling Rui still didn’t know what to give his little uncle.
Last time, he and Ling Fu took a long time to figure out what to give his fifth sister. Now, thinking about what to give his little uncle was just as challenging.
Once his little uncle’s birthday was over, he didn’t know whose birthday would be next.
“Sigh.”
Ling Rui let out a small sigh, “It’s so hard to think of something.”
As he sighed, he walked back into Fenghua Palace.
Noble Consort Yi happened to hear his sigh and brought him over, pinching his little face and asking, “Why are you sighing?”
Ling Rui shared his troubles.
Hearing his concern, Noble Consort Yi breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought the little guy was troubled by something more serious.
“This is easy.”
Noble Consort Yi carried him into the palace, “When giving a gift, you need to give something the recipient likes. Little Seven, what does your little uncle like the most?”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui thought seriously for a few minutes.
It wasn’t until Noble Consort Yi had carried him into the palace and was about to change his clothes that he suddenly looked up and said, “I know.”
Noble Consort Yi: “?”
Noble Consort Yi: “Know what?”
Ling Rui raised his little face, his beautiful eyes sparkling, and confidently answered, “I know what my uncle likes the most!”
Hearing this, Noble Consort Yi became interested and asked, “Alright, tell me, what does your uncle like the most?”
“Uncle likes me the most!”
Ling Rui’s little face turned red, and although he was a bit shy, he confidently gave his answer.
Noble Consort Yi burst out laughing at his words, “I didn’t realize, you have such a thick skin. How do you know your uncle likes you the most?”
“I just know.”
Although Ling Rui insisted on his answer, he was still shy and buried his face in Noble Consort Yi’s embrace.
Seeing him hide his little face, Noble Consort Yi deliberately wouldn’t let him hide.
The two of them played around for a while, and soon Ling Rui’s face was even redder, not from shyness but from exertion.
After a good while of playing, Noble Consort Yi had a meal brought in.
The palace had an imperial kitchen that delivered regulated meals to each palace.
But Noble Consort Yi also had a small kitchen, and all expenses for the small kitchen were on her account.
Consort Ru also had a small kitchen, but hers was for preparing medicinal meals or cooking medicine, as she was ill.
“The small kitchen has cooked your favorite chicken today, and it’s stewed nice and tender.” Noble Consort Yi led him by the hand to eat.
After the meal, Ling Rui sat in a chair by the window, swaying and reciting poetry to Noble Consort Yi.
Noble Consort Yi listened to him recite and then patted his little head, asking, “Little Seven, is school tiring?”
“No, it’s not.”
Ling Rui swung his little legs in the chair and said in a soft voice, “My brothers and sisters study very seriously, so I must study well too.”
The master at the school had told them that being born into the royal family was a privilege, but it also came with responsibilities.
Ling Rui repeated the master’s words verbatim to Noble Consort Yi, who listened silently for a while before saying, “You must listen well to your master. He is an excellent teacher, and you will benefit greatly by following his teachings.”
Ling Rui responded with a firm “Mm.”
He already knew he should follow the master’s teachings without being reminded by Noble Consort Yi.
The master was very good to him, never dismissing him because he was young and didn’t understand. The master would repeat things many times until Ling Rui could understand.
“Alright, you’ve finished reciting your poems. Come wash up and go to bed.”
As he washed up, Noble Consort Yi looked over his little clothes and then asked Ji Yan, “Ji Yan, are Little Seven’s clothes getting too small?”
“Replying to Your Highness, the Seventh Prince’s clothes have already been remade.”
Ji Yan’s eyes were full of laughter as she said to Noble Consort Yi, “The Seventh Prince has indeed grown taller. It must be because you take such good care of him, Your Highness. You raise him so well.”
Ji Yan’s words made Noble Consort Yi laugh, “Alright, enough flattery.”
Such young children naturally grow quickly, which had little to do with her.
“By the way, have all the birthday gifts for Little Xu been prepared? He’s soon reaching the age for discussing marriage. You should send a message to the household in advance and have Mother talk to the ladies with daughters at the upcoming banquet.”
“The birthday gifts were prepared a few days ago, and regarding the young master’s marriage, I’ve heard the madam has been considering it for some time.”
The Murong family valued their descendants greatly, whether male or female.
Although the Murong family seemed to have many children, Murong Feng’s older brother and his children had died tragically.
The Murong family’s descendants were all prepared for the battlefield.
Even the third and fourth young ladies, who were soon to be married, were skilled in martial arts.
“Mother, I’m done washing.”
Noble Consort Yi had just been lost in thought when Ling Rui, freshly bathed, came running over with his short legs. He handed her a bottle of scented cream, “Rub nice-smelling stuff.”
Putting on scented cream after a bath was a necessary part of the bedtime routine!
Noble Consort Yi took the bottle and pinched his little face, “Alright, let’s put on the nice-smelling stuff.”
Once covered in the fragrant cream, the little boy sat on the bed, raising his little hands to let Noble Consort Yi smell, “Smell good?”
“It smells very good.”
The two of them played on the bed for a while. Just as they were playing, Ji Yan came in, hesitated, and then reported where Emperor Ling was that night, “His Majesty has gone to Zhongling Garden.”
In Zhongling Garden lived a few young and unnamed beauties who had entered the palace not long ago.
In the past, when Noble Consort Yi heard where the Emperor was, she would feel a pang in her heart. However, before she could feel that sting this time, a soft little one jumped into her arms.
“Mother, the little buffalo is here!”
Ling Rui’s favorite game was to pretend to be a little buffalo, where he would butt his head against hers, and Noble Consort Yi would press back with her head, as they playfully competed.
Ling Rui enjoyed this playful competition immensely.
Being interrupted like this, Noble Consort Yi didn’t think about what Ji Yan had said anymore. She pressed her hand against Ling Rui’s head and raised an eyebrow, saying, “Come on, let’s see if you can push me back.”
The playful scene between the big and small figures on the bed brought a sense of comfort to Ji Yan as she watched.
She quietly withdrew.
As she stepped back, she thought to herself, “This is so nice.”
Now, with the little prince accompanying her, the noble consort no longer had to be overly affected by the Emperor’s actions. The Emperor cherished her but would also favor others.
When the Emperor favored others in the past, the noble consort would still feel sad even if she didn’t say it aloud.
The playful sounds on the bed continued for quite a while before finally quieting down.
Later that night, in the middle of the night, Noble Consort Yi felt the warm little one in her arms becoming unusually hot.
Half asleep, she initially thought she was dreaming.
Because she felt a pair of furry little ears, and such furry little ears couldn’t possibly belong to a human child.
“Little Seven.”
Noble Consort Yi slightly opened her eyes, wanting to look down.
But before she could look, the little one in her arms woke up.
The little one who woke up was the first to notice his strange condition. He quickly crawled deep into the blankets, not letting Noble Consort Yi see.
Hiding under the covers, his little head was in a daze.
He had felt hot last night too, but hadn’t transformed. Today he felt hot again, and today he transformed into a little dumpling.
His messy little head couldn’t figure out why he kept transforming back and forth, or what the cause or trigger was.
“Little Seven, come out and let me see.”
Noble Consort Yi, who had been somewhat groggy, instantly woke up when she saw him hiding.
“No, you can’t see.”
Although Ling Rui had explained his origin and what he originally looked like, he was too embarrassed to let Noble Consort Yi see him now that he had transformed into a little dumpling.
In the Mountain and Sea world, he always stayed with Ah Wu and didn’t make friends or interact much with other beasts. He didn’t know whether he looked good or not.
What if he looked bad and his mother didn’t like him anymore?
“Little Seven, be good, let me have a look.”
Noble Consort Yi tried to coax the little one under the covers. Her movements woke the palace attendants standing guard.
“Niang Niang—”
“Leave, all of you.”
Noble Consort Yi sternly ordered, dismissing the attendants.
Once they left, she looked at the lump under the covers again, using the dim light from the bedside lamp.
In a lower part of the blanket, there was a bulge.
“Little Seven.”
Noble Consort Yi looked at the bulge but didn’t forcefully uncover it. Instead, she patiently continued to coax, “Do you dislike Mother, is that why you won’t let me see you?”
“No.”
The little one’s muffled voice came from under the covers, “I like Mother.”
“If you like Mother, then come out and let Mother have a look.”
The big and small figures were at an impasse. After a long standoff, Ling Rui finally moved under the covers.
“Mother.”
The little one, almost suffocated, mustered up the courage to extend a little paw first instead of his head.
The small paw, like that of a kitten, was soft with pink pads.
Noble Consort Yi looked at the little paw without blinking, recalling the picture Ji Yan had shown her last time. The chubby little creature in the picture was what the little one said he looked like.
Seeing the trembling little paw, Noble Consort Yi’s heart softened suddenly.
“Little Seven, don’t be afraid.”
She spoke gently, “Mother won’t be afraid of you or think you’re ugly. Let me have a good look.”
She then gently held the little paw.
The soft paw was very pleasant to hold, not inducing any fear.
Ling Rui, whose paw was being held, stiffened for a moment before crawling out of the covers, fully revealing himself to Noble Consort Yi.
Noble Consort Yi had never seen such a small creature before.
She examined him carefully, then cupped his little head and gave him a kiss, “You’re very cute. Our Little Seven looks very cute like this.”
“So Little Seven didn’t lie to me.”
Seeing Ling Rui’s true form, Noble Consort Yi didn’t feel any fear or rejection. Her first thought was, “You really are a little Rui beast.”
A naturally auspicious little Rui beast, leaving his homeland to come to her.
Did this mean he came to accompany her, to be her little one?
“Little Seven, not ugly?”
Ling Rui still asked with uncertainty, his little head hanging low, not daring to look at Noble Consort Yi.
Noble Consort Yi picked him up, kissed him a couple of times, and said with a smile, “Not ugly at all. Little Seven is very good-looking, both good looking and cute.”
Under Noble Consort Yi’s praise, Ling Rui finally began to feel more confident.
He reached out his little paw, cupped Noble Consort Yi’s face, and leaned over to kiss her cheek, “Mother, Little Seven loves you.”
“Mother loves Little Seven too.”
The two gazed at each other, and Noble Consort Yi, holding the little one, laid back down on the bed. “Alright, now that I’ve seen you, it’s time for you to sleep.”
The little one in her arms was clearly just a cub, regardless of what form he took.
Since he was a cub, he naturally needed to sleep.
Ling Rui nestled in Noble Consort Yi’s arms, his little paw still held in her hand. He obediently closed his eyes, ready to sleep.
As Noble Consort Yi held him, she reminded him, “Little Seven, in your current form, you mustn’t let anyone see you, understand? Not even your father.”
“Okay.”
“If anyone finds out, I’ll spank you until your bottom is sore.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui shivered a little, his small bottom trembling.
That night, which felt long, eventually passed. The next morning, when Noble Consort Yi woke up, the cub in her arms had returned to normal.
She looked down at the cub for a while before waking him up. “Little Seven, time to get up for breakfast and school.”
Life continued in a routine manner. Noble Consort Yi seemed calm but had been reading numerous books for several days, combining them with what the little one had told her.
She discovered a pattern—
When Ling Rui was near the Emperor, his body could transform into a little dumpling. Upon further understanding, it seemed the Emperor could influence her little one.
This influence, for now, appeared beneficial.
Noble Consort Yi continued her research, but before she could fully understand, Murong Xu’s birthday banquet arrived.
On the day of the birthday banquet.
Ling Rui, dressed in a red outfit, was beaming with joy. He had even prepared a surprise for his uncle!
The banquet hall was large, and many guests attended.
Before sneaking into the box prepared for his uncle, Ling Rui spotted his eldest royal brother from afar. Their gazes met across the distance.
Ling Rui waited for a while, but his eldest royal brother didn’t come over to him or hold him.
He stood there, clutching the red ribbon tightly, sniffled, and dragged the big box away.
Since his big brother didn’t come to play with him, he decided not to play with his big brother for now.
Ling Rui dragged the box away and climbed inside. He knocked on the box from within, instructing Ji Yan outside, “Yan Yan, stand farther away so Uncle won’t see you.”
“Alright.”
Ji Yan thought of the little one inside and couldn’t help but smile. “I won’t let Fifth Young Master know our little prince is the gift himself.”
She said she would walk away but actually didn’t move far.
While the two of them, one inside the box and one outside, were busy with their plans, Ling Chen hadn’t moved yet.
“Your Highness, I’ve told you, although Seventh Prince is young, he is not simple. Step by step, he has attached himself to Noble Consort Yi and then to the General’s Mansion. Now, in the school, he is close to the Fourth Prince…”
“The Empress and Noble Consort Yi have never gotten along. For Noble Consort Yi’s sake, Seventh Prince will not approach you anymore.” The maid beside Ling Chen said a lot, trying to prove the Seventh Prince’s complexity.
Sitting inside the box, Ling Rui was already regretting not going to hug his brother earlier.
If his brother didn’t come to hug him, he could go hug his brother.
If his brother pushed him away, then he wouldn’t hug his brother anymore!
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