He wasn’t trying to discourage Qi Yuan—he just wanted her to think it through clearly.
Did he not want to kill Pu Wuyong?
No. That d*mn eunuch—he had wanted to kill him ever since he returned to the capital.
But unfortunately, the eunuch was the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, wielding great power. It was far too difficult to catch him in a misstep.
And wherever he went, he was constantly surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The most elite of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were known only to him and the emperor—and they were all under his command.
Even attempting to assassinate him wouldn’t be easy.
So, yes, Pu Wuyong could be killed—but only with proper preparation.
Qi Yuan paused, tugged the corner of her lips into a smile. “He won’t be in control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard forever.”
Xiao Yunting didn’t doubt her words. He knew Qi Yuan was furious—she always had a sharp tongue and a soft heart.
But this time, Pu Wuyong had truly touched her reverse scale—he had laid hands on someone close to her.
Just as they were speaking, Qingtao came rushing in, flustered. “Miss, something bad has happened—Little Dog is missing!”
Little Dog?!
Qi Yuan and Xiao Yunting both looked completely lost.
Only then did Qingtao realize they didn’t know who Little Dog was and quickly explained, “He’s the child the teacher left behind. She said his health was very poor since he was little, always plagued by misfortunes, so she gave him a lowly name to help him survive.”
Qi Yuan immediately instructed Shen Mama and the farmhands to go search the area.
She herself didn’t hesitate and went out to look as well.
It was her idea to invite a female teacher to tutor Qingtao and Lihua, but the teacher had barely been there long before losing her life.
And it had been her fault.
Every time she thought of it, it felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on her heart.
Xiao Yunting searched with her, and finally, they found the four-year-old child beside the artificial hill near the lake.
The child was thin and small. If no one had said he was four, he would’ve looked barely over two.
He looked like a wounded little puppy, his round eyes filled with wariness as he stared at Qi Yuan and Xiao Yunting, shrinking deeper into the rock crevice.
Xiao Yunting gently called his name, “Little Dog, everyone’s been looking for you. It’s almost mealtime—come back with us, alright?”
But Little Dog only burrowed deeper and shook his head with clear speech, “No! I’m waiting for my mother to come get me. If I behave, my mother will come for me!”
In the past few days, the estate had been busy dealing with casualties. Though Qingtao had tried her best to comfort him, Little Dog hadn’t seen his mother for days, and finally refused to listen to anyone anymore.
Qi Yuan crouched down and met his gaze, sincerely holding out her hand. “Your mother has gone out. She’s not at the estate right now. She asked you to stay with us for now.”
She softened her voice as much as she could—softer, gentler—then pursed her lips and looked at him. “I’ll get you some candy, okay? Do you like zongzi-flavored candy? Or orange-flavored? Or… malt candy? I’ll buy them all for you, alright?”
That was a Qi Yuan Xiao Yunting had never seen before.
She had always been like a hedgehog, ready to stab at anyone who came close. No matter who it was, she seemed constantly on edge, ready to lash out and leave them wounded.
But now, facing Little Dog, she was gentle like a celestial maiden, glowing with light.
Little Dog sniffled and asked, “Then… will my mother come back?”
Qi Yuan was silent for a moment. She closed her eyes before replying, “She’s gone to a very, very faraway place. She told me that Little Dog is the most obedient and brave child in the world. When you grow up, she’ll come back.”
In truth, Qi Yuan didn’t like lying.
But in this moment, she didn’t want to break the truth to him.
It would be too cruel—for a four-year-old child.
Yes, suffering can make people grow.
But some people will be trapped in suffering for their whole lives. Even if they have everything later, they won’t know how to enjoy happiness.
She didn’t want Little Dog to become someone like that.
After hesitating for a long time, Little Dog slowly reached out his hand and held onto Qi Yuan’s. Then, he crawled out from the cave.
Qi Yuan picked him up and gently patted his back. “It’s alright now. From now on, I’ll take care of you in your mother’s place.”
Xiao Yunting watched them for a while, then suddenly said to Qi Yuan, “Little Dog doesn’t have a proper name. It’s not nice to keep calling him that. Why don’t you give him a new name?”
Qi Yuan had always had frighteningly few attachments or affections for this world.
But at this moment, Xiao Yunting saw a glimmer of hope.
A name is the shortest spell—once given, it creates a bond.
Qi Yuan was too cold. She had always treated her own life lightly, as if it didn’t matter.
He hoped Qi Yuan could form more ties to this world—more reasons to like and stay in it.
Qi Yuan was silent for a moment, then patted Little Dog’s head and said, “Let’s call him Shen Jialang.”
Shen Jialang.
May your life be clear and bright, may you do what you love, love whom you wish, and may your road ahead be smooth and open.
The wind stirred the fallen petals in the courtyard, sweeping them past the veranda, drifting them gently over their shoulders.
Xiao Yunting removed a hollowed-out red-gold incense ball from his waist and handed it to Little Dog. “Jialang, this is a gift for you—our first meeting. I wish you a smooth path ahead, free of hardship!”
Little Dog clutched the golden incense ball with wide-eyed wonder, only knowing that it looked pretty.
Qi Yuan eventually brought him to Shen Mama’s room and quietly told her about giving Shen Jialang a name.
She said softly, “From now on, he’s no longer just the child of a tenant farmer on Shen Manor. He is my younger brother. I’ll speak to the elders and bring him home with me. But during this time, please take good care of him for me.”
Shen Mama stood up at once, nodding repeatedly, a wave of relief settling in her heart.
This young lady is truly dependable. If you follow her, she treats you like one of her own. She’ll never abandon you.
With a mistress like that—so what if the road is dangerous?
She immediately gave her word to Qi Yuan, assuring her not to worry—she would take excellent care of Shen Jialang.
Before leaving, Qi Yuan made sure to say goodbye to Shen Jialang.
Xiao Yunting noticed—she had promised him at least a dozen times that she would come back for him.
He understood what Qi Yuan was doing.
For children like Little Dog, what they feared most was abandonment.
They needed constant affirmation and reassurance to ease the unease in their hearts.
And Qi Yuan had noticed even this.
With a scheming adoptive father and a cruel, malicious adoptive mother—those long years… how had she survived them?
How had someone so sensitive and perceptive endured those bitter, endless days?
From the day he met her until now, she had never spoken a single word about it.
Other people’s pain—she tended to it with great care.
But her own pain… it seemed she had long grown used to it, treating it as just another part of life.
Xiao Yunting called out to her: “Qi Yuan…”
There were so many things he wanted to say.
But Qi Yuan simply said, “I’m going back. That mad dog is about to start biting.”
