Chapter 123

Su Huaijing remained silent for a long moment, lowering his head to meet the gaze of the child sitting on the wooden planks, feigning injury. His expression was more serious than ever.

Just as Rong Tang thought he was about to throw the child out, Su Huaijing finally spoke, his voice low and imposing: “Where did you filch those clothes from?”

Rong Tang: “?”

Child: “?”

The child was momentarily stunned, blinking his wide, dark eyes, which quickly welled up with tears, as though he were about to cry. He hesitantly shifted his gaze towards Rong Tang.

The one being stared at froze for a few seconds. His heart trembled slightly, and he averted his eyes, unable to bear it.

A scoff sounded beside him. Su Huaijing raised his foot and hooked the hem of the child’s clothes with the tip of his boot, his tone icy: “It’s no use. Where did you filch the clothes from? According to the laws of Dayu, any thief shall be punished with a hundred strokes.”

Rong Tang: “…”

The system sneered: [Your little spouse is determined to cement his reputation as the heartless shushu*, isn’t he?]

(*TN: address for father’s younger brother, uncle or for any man that is younger than one’s father. In this instance, it is a child addressing an older male.)

What kind of law dictates that stealing a single piece of clothing warrants three lives’ worth of punishment?

Is Sheng Xuyan really the kind of ruler who enforces laws that strictly?

Rong Tang sighed quietly, unable to bear it.

The hem of the child’s clothes lifted slightly, and the strange collar he wore tightened around his neck. Forced to tilt his chin upwards, he looked at Su Huaijing as if staring death in the face, his small face drained of colour.

“I… I didn’t steal the clothes, wuwuwu.” At first, his voice was barely a whisper, but it quickly escalated into a full-blown wail. “Shushu, you’re accusing me wrongly! I didn’t steal the clothes! No… I don’t want to be beaten with sticks, wuwuwuwuwu!”

Su Huaijing stiffened. The child was crying so sincerely, his tears rolling down in fat droplets.

Rong Tang couldn’t stand it any longer. He bent down, patted Su Huaijing’s leg, then pulled the child closer, wiping away the tears that had nearly drenched his little face. He also helped straighten the child’s haphazardly worn clothes.

It was strange. Su Huaijing had only ever mentioned that the young prince of Dasui was related to him but had never clarified their exact relationship. Rong Tang had never met him before, and now, this little rascal—who had just agilely leapt onto his carriage to feign injury—looked nothing like Su Huaijing. And yet, the moment they stood side by side, Rong Tang was inexplicably certain that this was the young prince of Dasui, Su Huaijing’s nephew.

“That doesn’t make much sense,” he muttered to the system.

The system scoffed. [What’s so illogical about it? Put these two in a pot, and you’d get a perfect brew of West Lake Dragon Well tea. You tell me what doesn’t make sense.]

“…” Rong Tang had nothing to say to that.

It was true. The boy was unbearably ‘tea-like.’ Who on earth had he learned it from?

The next moment, as Rong Tang finished tidying up the child’s clothes, the crying stopped, replaced by quiet sniffles. The little one gazed up at him, eyes shimmering with admiration, and chirped, “Thank you, gege.”

Su Huaijing, who had just been labelled the ‘bad shushu’: “……?”

The child shuffled closer to Rong Tang, tugging lightly at his sleeve. In a tiny voice, he asked, “Gege is so nice. Does your family need a pageboy? Can you take me home with you?”

The system instantly burst into laughter. [Oh ho! He’s trying to steal you!]

Rong Tang felt somewhat helpless. Meanwhile, the man beside him was so livid that his expression could curdle milk. Rong Tang could almost hear the sharp crackling of Su Huaijing’s clenched knuckles.

He turned to glance at Su Huaijing. The latter took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, before pulling the boy back to his side and suppressing his irritation. “Where did you get the clothes? Return them to their rightful owner. Who taught you to steal at such a young age?”

The child’s lower lip trembled, and he looked ready to cry again.

Su Huaijing warned, “No crying.”

[Oh my, look at how bold he is now that he has seniority! When has the main villain ever dared to speak so harshly to you?] The system was thoroughly enjoying the show.

Rong Tang fell silent. He hesitated for a moment before stretching out a hand, wanting to intervene.

[Don’t move,] the system stopped him. [He’s educating the child. How will he learn if you keep interrupting?]

Rong Tang: “…”

He turned his head away, convincing himself not to become an obstacle in the child’s moral development—or to disrupt this heartwarming uncle-nephew bonding moment.

Yet, in the next instant, the child burst into tears again, sobbing so hard he could barely catch his breath. Between hiccups, he protested, “I already said I didn’t steal it! I didn’t steal it!!! I exchanged gold for it! Why do you keep accusing me wrongly, wuwuwuwuwuwu!”

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned. His grip loosened, and the child took the opportunity to dart away, latching onto Rong Tang’s waist. Burying his face into Rong Tang’s stomach, he sobbed pitifully, as if he had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

Even the system fell into momentary silence before murmuring, [The student has surpassed the master.]

But then it suddenly realised something. [Wait, this isn’t right. The little crown prince never even lived with the main villain, so how did he pick up all his tricks so perfectly? Is it in the genes?]

Rong Tang had no idea. He only knew that the child’s crying had softened his heart completely. He glanced at Su Huaijing. The main villain, usually fearless in the face of anything, now looked like a child who had done something wrong. His fingers hovered hesitantly in the air, as though wanting to console the boy, yet afraid of provoking further resistance. After a long struggle, he withdrew his hand, pressing his lips together, his nervousness plain to see.

Rong Tang: “…”

He patted the boy’s back, soothing him until his tears finally subsided. Then he cupped the boy’s face and turned him towards Su Huaijing while throwing the latter a look. “Apologise.”

Su Huaijing, in all his life, had probably never backed down to anyone apart from Rong Tang.

But now, he stared at the tear-streaked child before him wearing patched-up clothes from the common folk of Dayu, his small face red and dusty, looking utterly pitiful…

The main villain swallowed, his voice softening. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmph!” The child turned his head away, firmly latching onto Rong Tang instead, refusing to spare Su Huaijing another glance.

Su Huaijing: “…”

What was there to say?

The child had an unknown background, was full of lies, and possessed an agility far beyond the norm. He had even jumped straight onto their carriage. All alarming signs.

And yet, the main villain found himself completely unable to be harsh with him.

It wasn’t about jumping to conclusions and wronging someone; he was just afraid that after spending more than ten years outside, this child of his kin hasn’t had anyone to guide him properly and has ended up on the wrong path.

But the moment they met, he’d made him cry uncontrollably…

He really does seem like a wicked shushu.

Su Huaijing lowered his head, inexplicably deflated…

Rong Tang found it amusing. Holding back a smile, he picked up two candied fruits from the small table. He took one for the little one, and the other, he secretly fed to the big one.

Seizing the moment when the child wasn’t paying attention, he even reached out and patted Su Huaijing’s head in a brief gesture of comfort.

Once everyone in the carriage had settled down, Rong Tang turned to the child and asked, ”What’s your name?”

“Yuanyuan. Yuan, as in ‘Yuan has calamus, Li has orchids’. Mother says I’m a little fragrant treasure.”

Rong Tang paused for a moment before breaking into a smile. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that some things must be in the blood. There was no other explanation for it.

He glanced at Su Huaijing before asking, “And which family is this uncle of your sending you to?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable question.

The Longevity Festival banquet had just ended, and the entire street moments ago had been filled with distinguished guests returning from the palace. As the Crown Prince of Dasui, Yuanyuan must have dined with the Emperor and Empress in the Shaohua Hall. If the claim about sending him to be a child husband for a sixty-year-old lady wasn’t just a wild rumour, then it must have been overheard there.

But across the whole of Dayu, the only woman over sixty, unmarried, and eligible to sit in the main hall of Shaohua Hall during the Longevity Festival…

Was his zumu.

Yuanyuan’s gaze flickered evasively, as if reluctant to answer. But with Rong Tang watching him closely, he had no choice. So, he resorted to playing cute. He lifted his arms, burying his face in Rong Tang’s stomach, and nuzzling against his waist.

Rong Tang winced slightly at the impact and thought he heard Su Huaijing grinding his teeth beside him.

The little one mumbled, “Yuanyuan doesn’t know. I only heard she’s called Duanduan. She’s a super strong, super fierce da jiejie! If Yuanyuan becomes her little husband, she’ll definitely use a little whip to make me fetch her foot-washing water every day, wuwuwu… And she won’t even let me eat! Wuwuwu… Pretty gege, take me away, okay? I can be your little husband instead! I’m very well-behaved, I only need two steamed buns per meal!”

Rong Tang was momentarily taken aback. Before he could respond, the faint sound of gritted teeth beside him had turned into the unmistakable grind of molars.

[Seems like a little bit of guilt isn’t enough to stop the main villain from beating up this kid~] The system chimed in happily, as if it had never been this entertained in its entire existence.

Rong Tang hesitated. If Su Huaijing really did hit the child, who should he side with?

He only hesitated for two seconds before the carriage suddenly came to a halt. A group of imperial guards had stopped them for inspection.

Yuanyuan instantly went still, burying himself deeper into Rong Tang’s stomach like a petrified little animal.

Su Huaijing glanced down at him, seemingly considering whether or not to throw him out. But in the end, he simply stood up, lifted the carriage curtain to block the entrance, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The squad leader saluted. “Apologies, Your Excellency. A gang of thieves was caught stealing on Danping Street during the Longevity Festival, causing a disturbance. We’ve been ordered to inspect all passing people and carriages.”

The little lump clinging to Rong Tang tensed up completely, as if frozen solid.

[Oh-ho~] the system gloated.

Rong Tang: “…We’re doomed.”

A brief silence fell outside the carriage before Su Huaijing let out a soft chuckle and said smoothly, “Do you think I’m the type to steal? Or that Ningxuan Shizi would need to pilfer trinkets from the street?”

The squad leader paled and quickly lowered his head. “Forgive me, Excellency Su! I’m only following orders.”

Su Huaijing nodded. “I understand. So, are you suggesting we’re harbouring criminals?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Even if we were, it wouldn’t matter,” Su Huaijing replied casually before stepping back into the carriage.

Rong Tang caught a glimpse of Yuanyuan peeking up from his arms, his gaze darting rapidly to both carriage windows, clearly assessing the odds of making a successful escape.

But before he could make his move, Su Huaijing had already climbed back in. His gaze swept over the child with a chilly look before he grabbed a blanket, draped it over Rong Tang, and lifted the curtain again. “Go ahead and check, but be quick. Shizi’s health is poor. He can’t handle the cold air.

How could a mere pickpocket have any connection to a carriage as distinguished as Duke Ningxuan’s? The squad leader barely glanced inside before hurriedly bowing. “Thank you for your cooperation.” He quickly stepped aside to let them pass.

Yuanyuan’s tense body instantly relaxed. He looked up at Su Huaijing’s cold face, blinked twice, then suddenly broke into a sweet smile. “Thank you, kind shu…”

Su Huaijing pinched his mouth shut. ‘Don’t call me that.”

Then, with one hand, he grabbed the child, spun him around, and swiftly stripped off all his outer clothes.

The carriage floor was instantly littered with a chaotic mess of trinkets. There were woven grasshoppers, rattles, marbles, sugar figurines, candied treats… and even a hairpin and a box of rouge that had definitely come from some unfortunate vendor’s stall.

Rong Tang was dumbstruck.

Su Huaijing stared down at the pile for a long moment before finally lifting the curtain again and instructing hoarsely, “Change course. Head to the Mu residence.”

Rong Tang blinked in confusion. “But your xiong zhang is still ill. Won’t that be a problem?”

“We won’t disturb him,” Su Huaijing replied. His fingers flexed slightly as if itching for something. He pressed them down, cracking his knuckles with deliberate force. “Someone is more than eager to be his shu, after all.”

Why should he care?

Stealing, lying, playing the victim… and even eyeing his spouse?

Wretched brat. If he didn’t have such a good father…

Su Huaijing lowered his gaze, locking eyes with Yuanyuan. The little boy, stripped down to his inner garments, was curled up on the carriage floor, hugging his knees, his body trembling slightly.

Su Huaijing: “…”

The main villain exhaled sharply, then reached into the hidden compartment and pulled out his own blanket. He tossed it over the child’s head.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Damn it, he really wanted to beat him up.

With a heavy sigh, Su Huaijing leaned against the carriage window and exhaled deeply.