Mu Changxi's breath almost froze at this moment.
Little Ruizi dared not say more, staring at the dark bedroom ahead, sighing repeatedly.
It was only when Mu Changxi stood there, feeling his hands and feet so cold he could barely move, that he once again took a step forward.
How he wished that upon opening the bedroom door, which he opened every day, he would see Song Chaoyu sleeping peacefully on the pillow, just like any other day.
However, as the door was opened, the darkness within the room made it difficult for Mu Changxi to breathe.
There was no sign of Song Chaoyu in the room, and even the quilt on the bed was laid out exceptionally neatly.
"Princess Consort?"
Little Ruizi lit the lamps in the room while trying to call out Song Chaoyu's name.
However, the only response was the cold emptiness of the room.
Apart from Little Ruizi's calls, the room was so quiet that the rustling of leaves outside could be heard clearly!
Little Ruizi looked outside. There were no maids on duty, and the maids who usually followed Song Chaoyu were also nowhere to be seen.
He sighed, lowered his head, and finally gave up hope. "Your Highness, it seems the Princess Consort has truly left. Qiu Qing is not here, nor is Tiao Hong. Even Dong Shuang is not outside. Your Highness... the Princess Consort is truly heartless!"
At this, Little Ruizi's eyes reddened, and his voice carried a hint of a sob.
Mu Changxi's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a hand, causing him immense pain.
He sat on the bed, somewhat dazed, took a deep breath, and felt Song Chaoyu's scent everywhere in the room.
How could she leave? How could she heartlessly depart!
Leaving him alone in this vast princely estate, how was he to live from now on?
Mu Changxi felt his throat constricting with sorrow. It was Little Ruizi who stepped forward again, cautiously asking Mu Changxi, "Your Highness, shall we go and see the rooms of the little prince and little princess? If the Princess Consort has left, she cannot possibly take both children with her, can she?"
Yes, there were still the children!
This was the only motivation that now supported Mu Changxi!
He finally managed to stand up slightly, but he still needed Little Ruizi to help him stand steady.
He looked outside. "Let's go and see. She wouldn't take the children. After all, the Empress Dowager spoke to her, saying that someone would take care of the children in the future. She even promised her that the little prince would forever be the sole legitimate eldest son, the sole heir of the Chang Prince's Estate!"
Little Ruizi naturally did not know how much effort Mu Changxi had to exert just to utter these words.
They headed towards the children's rooms and finally saw a light ahead of the children's rooms.
At this hour, the children must have already fallen asleep.
There were maids and wet nurses guarding outside the room. Seeing Mu Changxi, they naturally had to bow to him.
However, he waved his hand and, as usual, said in a low voice, "No need to wake them."
The night-watching wet nurse nodded and then gently pushed open the door for Mu Changxi.
Little Ruizi stepped forward and lit the faintest candlelight in the room, fearing that the light might disturb the children.
In the room, both children were already asleep.
And the scene before him once again made Mu Changxi's breath catch—
On the large bed, the two children lay side by side.
Little Taozi had always slept well. At this moment, she was closing her eyes, her limbs curled up, the corners of her mouth curved upwards, as if she were having a peaceful dream.
In contrast, Little Monkey was not as well-behaved in his sleep.
He seemed to be having a very intense dream, his little fists clenched tightly, and he would occasionally swing them. If Little Taozi were not a little further away, he might have hit Little Taozi's face!
And beside the two of them, there was another person!
It was the person Mu Changxi had been thinking of all the way!
It was Song Chaoyu!
She lay quietly beside the two children, covered with a thin quilt, and was also asleep.
Her posture was similar to Little Taozi's. Facing the children, she curled herself up.
But her eyes were peaceful, and although her makeup had not been removed, she seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
"Your Highness is back?"
Just as Mu Changxi was staring blankly at Song Chaoyu, Qiu Qing's voice came from behind him.
She entered the room, lit another candle, and then quietly said to Mu Changxi, "The Princess Consort was truly exhausted today! She came back saying she wanted to spend time with the little prince and little princess, but she ended up falling asleep herself. I didn't wake her, thinking that Your Highness had returned and would wake her himself. She hasn't even taken off her palace attire, and her hairpins are still in place. The Princess Consort can sleep so soundly; she must be truly tired, right?"
"Yes."
Mu Changxi could no longer articulate what he was feeling at this moment.
The joy of "surviving a disaster" instantly pulled his heart, which had already fallen into an ice cave, back.
Everything seemed to need no further explanation. He actually felt like a despicable person!
How could he have thought that his A'yu would leave him, leave the children?
"Your Highness, should I wake the Princess Consort?"
Seeing Mu Changxi standing there in a daze, Qiu Qing took a step forward.
Mu Changxi pulled Qiu Qing aside and then slowly walked towards Song Chaoyu, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. "I will."
As he walked towards Song Chaoyu, he felt as if he were walking into an unreal dream.
But the fleeting, ethereal feeling disappeared. He knew his feet were on bricks and tiles, and the stars were above his head.
"A'yu, A'yu?"
He reached out and gently hugged Song Chaoyu's neck, lifting her slightly from the bed. "A'yu, I'm back. Don't sleep here. Look, you haven't even removed your makeup! Didn't you always say you had to wash your face before sleeping? Aren't you afraid of getting makeup on the quilt?"
"Mm?"
Song Chaoyu seemed to have heard Mu Changxi's call in her dream and let out a soft sound.
Mu Changxi smiled and pulled her arm up. "Let's go, let's go back to our own room, okay?"
His increasingly gentle tone made Song Chaoyu not feel impatient, even though she was woken from her sleep.
She stirred slowly, moving her limbs, and finally managed to open her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Mu Changxi's joyful face. Only then did she realize that Mu Changxi had returned. "What time is it now?"
Mu Changxi carefully pulled Song Chaoyu up from the bed. "More than half of the midnight hour has passed."
Song Chaoyu nodded. The heavy hairpins on her head moved, making her even more alert. "I said I'd come to see the two little ones, but I ended up falling asleep here! Fortunately, you woke me up. Otherwise, sleeping with all these ornaments until tomorrow, I'm afraid my neck would break!"
Her tone was as usual, as if she had never considered leaving.