After Yun Xiaojing finished his internal grumbling,
Soon,
He arrived at the study.
Silence reigned all around.
Even before entering, Yun Xiaojing could feel the oppressive atmosphere.
"Your Highness, the person has arrived," Qiu Lu reported.
From within the study, Zhan Tianye's somewhat cold voice emerged, "Come in."
"Yes." Qiu Lu replied, then bowed his head and gently said to Yun Xiaojing, "Go on in."
Yun Xiaojing, old beyond his years, showed no fear on his small face despite being new to the place.
Qiu Lu stepped in first, and he followed right behind.
His sharp, intelligent eyes immediately spotted his lecherous, scummy father.
The scummy father was seated at a desk, with many books and letters piled before him. xxs one
He held a brush in his hand.
He appeared to be very serious and imposing.
But…
Thinking of his mother who had painstakingly raised him for four years, he scoffed internally, a wolf in sheep's clothing!
"Daddy! You're my daddy!" Yun Xiaojing rushed forward and grabbed Zhan Tianye's leg.
Head bowed, he meticulously wiped the dirt, squeezed-out tears, and snot from his face onto the scummy father's clothes.
He also placed the little cat on Zhan Tianye's lap.
The little cat wriggled free from Yun Xiaojing's embrace, immediately baring its claws and fangs, ready to swipe at Zhan Tianye.
However, Zhan Tianye cast a glance, and the kitten instantly collapsed on Zhan Tianye's lap, trembling.
Zhan Tianye looked down at Yun Xiaojing, who had become a little beggar in the two days he hadn't seen him. He ignored the dirt on his leg and said in a deep voice, "I am not your daddy."
Although, he felt a strange sense of closeness to this child.
It was the same feeling he had towards Zhan Xiaoli, but if it wasn't true, it wasn't true.
He couldn't lie to a child.
Yun Xiaojing snorted inwardly, *I don't want you to be my daddy either!*
*But you are.*
*However, I won't tell you the truth!*
*I definitely won't let you get a son for free!*
"You are. If you weren't my daddy, then where is my daddy? Was I born from a rock? Everyone else has a daddy, but I don't? Wuwuwu… You are clearly my daddy."
Yun Xiaojing burst into loud sobs.
His cries shook the heavens.
Shaking Zhan Tianye slightly, who frowned.
Qiu Lu was puzzled. The cry had full of spirit, not like that of a beggar who hadn't eaten for two or three days.
"Where is your mother?" Zhan Tianye asked.
Looking at the child cry, he inexplicably felt a pang of sympathy.
Yun Xiaojing shook his head. "I don't know where Mama is, I only have Daddy!"
He silently apologized to his mother in his heart, *Mama, I'm sorry, Xiaojing is here to protect my brother, so I said I don't know where Mama is!*
Seeing the pitiful state of the child before him, Zhan Tianye's dark eyes flickered.
"Do you remember where home is?" Qiu Lu asked.
Yun Xiaojing shook his head. "A very, very far place!"
Qiu Lu sighed softly.
A truly pitiful child.
No father, no mother, no home.
Calling the Prince 'Daddy' was likely because his biological father resembled the Prince, leading the child to hallucinate.
"Take him to be cleaned, and from now on, he will stay in the Prince's manor," Zhan Tianye instructed Qiu Lu.
Qiu Lu agreed.
Zhan Tianye then looked at Yun Xiaojing. "From now on, you can call me Godfather."
"Godfather?" Yun Xiaojing raised his small eyebrows.
That was fine too, he didn't want to call him daddy yet!
"Yes, go," Zhan Tianye waved his hand, telling Qiu Lu to take Yun Xiaojing away.
Yun Xiaojing didn't expect it to go so smoothly.
Without a second word, he jumped off Zhan Tianye.
He hugged the little cat and followed Qiu Lu out.
Qiu Lu took Yun Xiaojing to find Butler Wang.
After Qiu Lu explained, Butler Wang immediately gave him a thumbs up.
"Wonderful!" Butler Wang slapped his thigh.
How had he not thought of this?!
If he had thought of finding a playmate for the young prince sooner, the young prince's personality wouldn't have become so withdrawn.
Perhaps, he wouldn't have wanted to find his mother.
He had been too shortsighted!
He was a truly unqualified butler.
With that thought, he quickly took Yun Xiaojing to bathe.
While taking Yun Xiaojing to bathe, he asked, "What's your name?"
"Xiaojing," Yun Xiaojing replied.
"Xiaojing? No surname?" Butler Wang was a little surprised. Seeing Yun Xiaojing's beggar attire and his face covered in dirt, he understood.
The child was pitiful.
If he had parents, how could he have become a little beggar?
Alas.
Pitiful.
Yun Xiaojing shook his head.
Butler Wang sighed softly.
At this moment, he noticed the little cat in Yun Xiaojing's arms. "Eh? Is that the little cat from outside the manor?"
That cat didn't let anyone hold it, did it?
How could it be lying obediently in Xiaojing's arms now?
Unusually obedient.
"Yes, it's that little cat. Isn't it very cute?" Yun Xiaojing asked Butler Wang, holding up the kitten.
Butler Wang lowered his head and met the kitten's gaze.
He saw the cat's lazy but disdainful, cold eyes.
Very cute?
The cat was cute in appearance, but its temperament was definitely not cute!
"It's alright, be careful. This cat usually scratches people," Butler Wang warned Yun Xiaojing.
Yun Xiaojing shook his head. "No, it's very well-behaved!"
Butler Wang shook his head inwardly, *Children are just children*, completely unaware of danger.
However, from the looks of it now, the kitten was quite well-behaved, staying still in Xiaojing's arms, looking very obedient.
Soon, Butler Wang led Yun Xiaojing to a room.
A bathtub had already been prepared in the room.
The bathtub was filled with warm water, and flower petals had been added, making it fragrant.
Yun Xiaojing liked bathing and was about to strip off his clothes to get in, when he suddenly thought of something.
His skin was fair and tender, not dirty at all!
If they saw it, wouldn't his cover be blown?
He looked at Butler Wang, who was standing by, ready to help him undress and bathe him. "Grandpa, I want to wash myself."
"You wash yourself?" Butler Wang was surprised. Another child who wanted to wash himself and didn't want help?
The young prince was just like this, he didn't like people helping him bathe.
"Yes! I always washed myself before, I'm shy," Yun Xiaojing giggled.
Butler Wang smiled and nodded. "Alright, call me if you need anything. After you've bathed, I'll take you to meet the young prince. He's the same age as you, and you two children will surely get along."
"Okay!" Yun Xiaojing nodded vigorously in agreement.
Wow!
He was going to meet his brother!
And now he could have a warm bath!
He took off his clothes and nimbly jumped into the water.
He sang happily in the water.
"I love bathing! La la la la la!"
Butler Wang, waiting outside the door, heard the singing from within and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
A child with no parents, yet he could be so happy while bathing.
It was truly heartbreaking.
…
Qiu Lu came to Zhan Xiaoli's door again and gently knocked. "Young Prince, a child will be coming shortly. You are both the same age, and from now on, you can live together."
"No!"