Feng Jin's eyes instantly narrowed, and she stared intently at Ling Mohan. "Da Bao came to find you this morning, and you still dare to say you didn't tell Da Bao to call me? Do you still deny it? Can such a young child like Da Bao tell lies!"
Ling Mohan was slightly stunned. When had he ever instructed Da Bao to do such things? Da Bao had come earlier, and he had only told Da Bao and Er Bao to leave; he hadn't said anything about this.
"I really didn't..."
"You didn't? Are you going to say next that Da Bao is lying and deliberately framing you?"
"Indeed!" Ling Mohan nodded directly, agreeing. That was precisely what he was going to say, and it was indeed true.
Feng Jin felt a surge of anger in her chest. She was truly exasperated with Ling Mohan. He had the nerve to slander even such young children as Da Bao and Er Bao; he was truly something.
"How old is Da Bao? He can barely speak clearly. How could he frame you? Can't you think before you lie!"
"I am speaking the truth. Lu Shi was also here just now. If you don't believe me, feel free to ask him."
Eager to prove his innocence, Ling Mohan pushed open the door, intending to pull Lu Shi in as a witness.
When he opened the door, he saw that the area outside was already empty. Lu Shi was nowhere to be seen.
"Now that the witness is gone, what else do you have to say?" Feng Jin was even more convinced that Da Bao was telling the truth. She took a step forward. "Tell me, how could you bring yourself to let a child do these things for you? You're really capable of anything..."
He realized he couldn't clear his name no matter what he said. He took a deep breath. "Where is Da Bao?"
He still needed to find the person concerned and ask clearly. This brat dared to spread rumors about his own father. If he wasn't properly disciplined, he would truly climb onto his neck and rebel.
"In the room," Feng Jin said subconsciously. After speaking, she realized something was wrong and quickly asked, "What are you going to do with Da Bao?"
The more she looked, the more she felt that Ling Mohan's gaze was off. It looked as though he wanted to drag Da Bao over and beat him severely.
"Nothing much, just want this brat to tell the truth."
Before Ling Mohan could finish speaking, he grabbed Feng Jin's hand and walked out, going straight into the room.
When they arrived, Er Bao was sitting quietly on a chair, playing with a small wooden figure. Da Bao, however, was lying sprawled on the bed, chewing on pastries, with crumbs and debris scattered all over the bed.
Upon hearing the door open, both children looked towards the entrance in unison. Da Bao reacted the most. The moment he saw Ling Mohan, he couldn't help but shudder and hurriedly ran behind Feng Jin to seek protection.
Seeing her beloved son so terrified, Feng Jin immediately felt distressed. She held Da Bao in her arms to comfort him. "It's okay... it's okay..."
"Can't you put away that look like I owe you money? Who are you putting on a stern face for!"
Feng Jin scolded angrily, finding his cold demeanor towards his own son unbearable. She wondered why he couldn't be a little gentler, seeing how scared Da Bao was.
"Mother... hug... hug, save... save me!"
Da Bao shrunk further into Feng Jin's embrace, making Feng Jin's heart ache even more. She found Ling Mohan increasingly displeasing.
"You know to be scared now? Why didn't you seem scared when you were spewing lies earlier? I think you were quite eloquent when you were fabricating things. Say it again for me to hear!"
Ling Mohan tried his best to speak in a gentle tone. Little did he know that Da Bao would suddenly burst into tears and throw himself into Feng Jin's arms, crying miserably as if he had suffered immense injustice.
"That's enough! Is this how you scold a child? How old is he? What does he know? You think you know everything all day long. Are you going to start scolding me next!"
Feng Jin said indignantly, glaring fiercely at Ling Mohan to vent her dissatisfaction.
"My darling, don't cry. Mother is protecting you. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
Da Bao nestled in Feng Jin's embrace, contentedly enjoying her protection. He didn't forget to steal a couple of sly smiles at Ling Mohan.
Even though he knew Da Bao was being deliberate, he was still helpless. Who could he blame when this little guy had Feng Jin protecting him? He had nowhere to direct his anger.
Er Bao watched this farce from the side, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Only when Ling Mohan walked up to him did Er Bao deign to glance at Ling Mohan, his expression calm and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"You're still the good one!"
In comparison, he preferred Er Bao. After all, Da Bao was far too boisterous.
Er Bao completely ignored Ling Mohan's praise, remaining as placid as ever. Ling Mohan reached out and poked his face. "Don't you ever show me a different expression!"
"What are you doing!" Feng Jin shouted angrily from behind Ling Mohan. She quickly put Da Bao down and rushed forward to hold Er Bao.
"If I ever find you bullying my son again, I won't be polite to you!"
Feng Jin was like a mother hen protecting her chicks. She always felt that Ling Mohan posed a danger to Da Bao and Er Bao, and it was best to keep them behind her.
"I..."
He felt like he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River. These were his own sons; he couldn't heartlessly harm them.
"What 'you'? Just get out. I don't want to see you right now!"
Feng Jin directly kicked Ling Mohan out. Da Bao watched like he was enjoying a show. It seemed he would have to hold onto his mother's leg tightly from now on; his mother was his guardian angel.
"Your father is gone. Mother will take you out to sunbathe."
After saying this, Feng Jin called for Cai Qing and Chu Qing to help carry Da Bao and Er Bao out for some sun.
"Young Madam, I've asked the kitchen to make porridge for the second young master. Let the young master have some to fill his stomach before going out."
"Then let's have some first."
Feng Jin looked at the table laden with bowls and was extremely surprised. "Why did you make so much? Are you asking the kitchen to prepare a feast for the emperor?"
There were easily twenty to thirty kinds of porridge. A child would be stuffed after just one sip from a bowl. Was it necessary to make so much?
She worked hard to earn money, not to squander it like this. Even a mountain of gold wouldn't withstand such extravagance.
Feng Jin immediately felt a pang of heartache. She absolutely could not let such a trend of extravagance continue. "Cai Qing, why did you ask the kitchen to make so much porridge? Can he eat it all? This is too wasteful."