The Royal’s Little Lady

Xiao Heng’s eyes were all red when he dismounted from the horse after returning home.

 

The eyes that were once serene and profound now seemed to be burning with heat.

 

He stared at her fixedly, as if he was going to eat her up.

 

She bit her lip and said softly, “I’ll go feed Ah Chen first.”

 

Xiao Heng took a deep breath to suppress himself before turning around, “En.”

 

So Gu Sui’er let GuiZhi carry Ah Chen over, untied her lapel, and fed the baby.

 

Xiao Heng didn’t look. He stood aside and looked outside the window.

 

The windows were closed tightly, making the room warm and fragrant.

 

Standing in such a room, he watched the dark sky and bamboo leaves flutter with the wind outside.

 

In the yard, the maids were busy gathering the clothes that were put out for drying. They all were walking around hastily. Another maid, who was sweeping a side of the courtyard, was looking up at the sky.

 

Everyone was aware that it was going to snow.

 

Xiao Heng’s tall and straight figure stood in front of the window.

 

He had an excellent hearing ability.

 

He listened to the sound of the sand being blown by the wind outside, the low murmurs of the younger maids, the sound of the boiling water in the small kitchen, and even— the sound of the little baby sucking milk in big mouthfuls.

 

The sound of this action seemed especially heavy in his ears.

 

Xiao Heng closed his eyes, as if he could see the ripe and dark red cherry hanging from the tip of the branch and trembling in the wind.

 

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Sui’er made a soft humming sound. Although he couldn’t hear anything clearly since it was like a murmur, the tone was gentle and soft. So much so that Xiao Heng practically thought it was the most pleasant sound he had ever heard.

 

The door opened with a creak and the two layers of cotton curtains were lifted as GuiZhi came in quietly and carried Little Ah Chen away.

 

After the door was closed again, silence fell upon the room. The faint fragrance of incense lingered on the nose.

 

Xiao Heng asked in a hoarse voice, “What kind of incense is this?”

 

Gu Sui’er half-leaned on the bed and looked at the man standing by the window, replying softly, “It was given by the eldest Young Madam. She said it can be used even when there’s a baby and can soothe the nerves. Since it has a light and pleasant smell, I used it a little for the past two days.”

 

In fact, Xiao Heng also felt that it was not bad. The fragrance was very light, a bit like her body’s natural fragrance.

 

A soft light floated in Gu Sui’er’s eyes as looked at him and said, “You… will sleep here tonight?”

 

Xiao Heng didn’t speak; he simply turned around and walked to the side of the bed.

 

The woman inside the soft red brocade canopy of the bed was slender, charming and contented. She was as beautiful as a painting.

 

Xiao Heng was a cold and indifferent person. In the past twenty years, he didn’t, for once, think that he would indulge in feminine charms one day.

 

Perhaps it was because his mom’s grave surrounded by weeds looked particularly forlorn today, perhaps it was because of the strong winds outside, or perhaps, it was because of the indirect flesh and blood connection between this woman and himself.

 

Of course, it was even more likely that with the inadvertent graceful glance against the setting sun outside the inn at the foot of XuShan, she gently fell into his heart like a flower petal.

 

This night, Xiao Heng, who was about to turn twenty, understood what was meant by ‘a gentle and soft cave of women’1T/N: I really didn’t expect this sentence so it took me a long time to figure out its meaning even though I knew each character separately. The author is so daring to write this in jjwxc ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

 

Buried in the soft fragrance of snow powder, he fought bravely, unable to extricate himself.

 

*************************

 

Gu Sui’er lay on the bed, whimpering.

 

The sound of the wind and snow continued outside while the bits and pieces of her voice melted into the warm and fragrant lingering thread, and wrapped around the man attacking decisively.

 

After a satisfactory nap, Little Ah Chen, who was sleeping in the adjacent room, woke up. Not seeing his mother, he began crying without an end, making GuiZhi and Nanny An feel extremely helpless.

 

GuiZhi had a light but indifferent temperament, so she was not moved by people or things easily.

 

She was born into a family with a literary reputation. Having experienced her family’s decline and the ways of the world, she had long since developed indifference to all.

 

That was why, when Gu Sui’er began to rely on her heavily, she didn’t feel that she must be grateful to her. Rather, she just devoted herself to serving her.

 

It was just that she took care of Little Ah Chen from time to time these days. This little child was white, tender, and charming like snow. He was so delicate that one really couldn’t help loving him dearly.

 

Now seeing him cry so much, so found it hard to not feel distressed. She said to Nanny An, “Let’s go and ask the Young Mistress to feed him.” 

 

While saying this, she walked around and tried to coax Little Ah Chen: “He’s definitely hungry. How can we let him starve!”

 

On the contrary, Nanny An was calm this time: “Don’t worry. It’s not bad, we still have those wet nurses.”

 

GuiZhi: “But the Little Young Master has never drank those wet nurses’ milk.”

 

Nanny An: “How can that be? If he’s too hungry, he probably won’t throw a tantrum and drink quietly.”

 

Skeptical, GuiZhi decided to try and see what happens.

 

After half a shichen.

 

GuiZhi hugged Little Ah Chen distressedly: “He’s young but he has a temper. See, his face is all red from anger, he knows you were trying to deceive him!”

 

They were bullying a person who was just a few months old with milk. But he wasn’t a fool.

 

He just wanted to eat his mother’s milk; they shouldn’t treat a few months old child like that.

 

Nanny An was also helpless: “This little guy is too smart. Can he actually recognize people? Or does he know his mother’s smell?”

 

Although Ah Chen was young, he was very temperamental. At this moment, he was so angry that his hands were clenched into fists and being thrown around with his little legs, doing everything possible with his strength to protest Nanny An’s arrangement.

 

Nanny An had no choice but to say to GuiZhi, “Don’t move, I’ll go check out what’s happening there.”

 

So Nanny An came to the corridor of the main room, stood at the window and tried to listen.

 

Immediately, a sense of deep helplessness rose.

 

It had been more than a shichen, so she assumed that it would almost be over but, unexpectedly, she could still hear the smothered sound of the man hitting something with force and the low and soft whimpers of a woman. It was the kind of whimper uttered by someone who couldn’t escape from being caught back repeatedly.

 

“This— It’s been quite a while… If it goes on like this, Young Mistress won’t be able to bear it…”

 

In the end, Nanny An was uneasy. So she summoned her courage and stood on tiptoe, making a narrow opening at the corner of the window and looking inside very carefully.

 

With just a glance, her face turned red.

 

Her family’s Young Mistress was like a little fish caught by the tail. Her head swayed to and fro as her body shook incessantly. Her fine black hair was strewn over her snow-like white and tender shoulders, arousing pity and affection.

 

She quickly averted her eyes and hurried back to the adjacent room.

 

“How is it?” GuiZhi asked anxiously, coaxing the bawling Little Ah Chen.

 

“Have to wait!” Nanny An sighed: “She has to satisfy the father before feeding the son. Who told you to be young, now you can only wait for your turn.”

 

*************************

 

It was another shichen later that Little Ah Chen could have his milk.

 

Within this shichen, the two wet nurses struggled together, undertook all kinds of tricks, but couldn’t let Little Ah Chen drink a single mouthful.

 

When he was finally carried into his mother’s arms, he was like a starving little wolf cub. He opened his mouth and sucked hard, drinking happily in big mouthfuls.

 

Xiao Heng lay on the inner side of the bed.

 

Through the curtain of her scattered black hair, he watched Gu Sui’er breastfeeding their son from the side.

 

He had massaged that place for a long time, but now, Little Ah Chen was enjoying the fruits of his labor.

 

Unexpectedly, he felt a vague sense of astringency.

 

He felt even more unpleasant when he recalled that before him, Little Ah Chen would eat it every day.

 

But who made him their son. He had no choice but to accept it.

 

After a long period of suffering, Little Ah Chen burped, having eaten his fill. Then, he started rubbing his little face in Gu Sui’er’s arms.

 

Gu Sui’er hugged her soft and tender son. Her heart filled with affection as she looked at his lazy and adorable manner. She simply wished she could hold him like this and never let go.

 

But the man beside her couldn’t stand it any longer.

 

“What is he doing?”

 

“Drinking milk.”

 

“Hasn’t he already eaten his fill?”

 

“Ah Chen likes to cuddle after he’s full.”

 

In fact, many children have this habit. They like to rub their little faces on their mother’s chest and cuddle.

 

“As a boy, he should be brave and daring. This is not a good habit.” As he spoke, Xiao Heng had already picked up the little baby.

 

He held the child’s plump waist and raised him with one hand. As a result, the poor little baby started flinging his chubby arms and legs, like a little turtle hanging mid-air.

 

“Ai… what are you doing…” Gu Sui’er cried out in a low voice, feeling distressed.

 

“Go to bed since you’re full.”

 

After saying that, Xiao Heng carried his most beloved son and handed him directly to GuiZhi: “Take good care of the Little Young Master.”

 

GuiZhi didn’t know what was going on in the tent, but she was also distressed. Distressed to the point of death.

 

“Yes.” She said respectfully, while she caught Little Ah Chen and hurriedly took him out.

 

Gu Sui’er didn’t say anything at first. She couldn’t react in time, but after GuiZhi went out, she pouted in dissatisfaction, and complained in frustration: “I haven’t cuddled with him enough yet.”

 

Xiao Heng’s lips were stretched tight as he stood beside the bed without saying a word.

 

He had a tall and straight posture so when standing, his figure resembled a tall cypress tree.

 

Gu Sui’er was a little helpless and distressed.

 

“Why are you being like this ah…”

 

She grumbled softly, not feeling happy.

 

“You want to hold him?” Xiao Heng suddenly bent down and looked at her quietly, his dark eyes were quite intense.

 

“En!” Gu Sui’er nodded quickly, “I’m used to it.”

 

She was used to hugging Little Ah Chen’s fleshy little body and stroking his smooth little butt after breastfeeding him. Her heart melted just from thinking about it.

 

Xiao Heng looked at her in silence for a moment before giving in: “Alright.”

 

Gu Sui’er was delighted, intending to summon GuiZhi to carry the child over.

 

But who knew, just at this moment, she heard Xiao Heng state: “Then put your arms around me.”

 

After saying this, the dignified and incomparably handsome man with a cold face, laid flat on the bed and leaned his head against Gu Sui’er’s chest.

 

Gu Sui’er: “……”

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1T/N: I really didn’t expect this sentence so it took me a long time to figure out its meaning even though I knew each character separately. The author is so daring to write this in jjwxc ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)