Spring gave way to autumn, two years of heat and cold.
In the blink of an eye, the two little dumplings had grown so much, still full of life and already bouncing about with boundless energy.
Their giggles often reverberated through the palace halls.
Hardly any palace servants disliked these two young masters.
Dressed in brocade, fed with delicacies, raised in luxury, adorable in appearance yet free of any haughty or arrogant temperament. Their smiles were sweeter than sugar itself.
Though occasionally mischievous, their cute, charming faces made it easy to forgive them.
At just over three years old, not yet of age for formal schooling, they were only beginning to recognize characters and receive some preschool education, with plenty of time left for play.
Tangrams, nine-ring puzzles, and sliding block games were among their favorite educational toys. Beyond these, Little Chilli especially loved flying kites and playing withmarble dolls.
Marble dolls could be considered ancient dolls, crafted entirely of gilt metal, adorned with jewelled hats and robes, gold coins, hairpins, bracelets, and pearl ornaments. These dolls even possessed hidden mechanisms that allowed their eyes and limbs to move, enabling expressions like pouting brows, smiling eyes, and hands folding in greeting.
When Wen Mingyu returned, he found Little Chilli standing beneath a tree, cradling her doll and staring anxiously at the swallow-shaped kite stuck among the branches of a tree.
A palace servant bowed respectfully and whispered something to her, clearly offering to retrieve the kite for her.
But just then, Little Chilli’s ears twitched. Even before seeing Wen Mingyu, she recognized his footsteps and immediately abandoned her kite. Turning on her heel, she dashed toward him, her face lighting up with a radiant smile as she threw herself into his arms, calling out in a crisp, high-pitched voice, “Daddy, you’re back!”
Hearing her voice inside the hall, Little Rice Cake came out immediately as well. The threshold was a bit too high for him, however, so he couldn’t run fast. He had to steady himself on the doorframe to step over it before hurrying toward Wen Mingyu.
In his haste, he forgot to put down the book he had been holding and brought it along. The two little dumplings formed a striking contrast—one lively and energetic, the other quiet and reserved.
Little Rice Cake wanted to throw himself into his daddy’s arms too, but Little Chilli had wrapped her arms around Wen Mingyu and deliberately stuck out her bum, hogging all the space. Whenever Little Rice Cake tried to squeeze in, she would shift left and then right, blocking him completely.
The palace servant had styled Little Chilli with two round buns on either side of her head today and decorated them with cute floral ornaments. Wen Mingyu reached out to pinch her buns playfully, lecturing, “No bullying your brother.”
Little Chilli pouted, sulking, “I want no big brother. I wanna be the big sister.”
Wen Mingyu pulled Little Rice Cake into his embrace too, placing the two little dumplings face to face. He asked gently, “Why do you want to be the big sister?”
Little Chilli didn’t hesitate. “Because the younger one has to listen to the older one. I want my little brother to listen to me.”
Wen Mingyu pondered for a moment before asking, “Is there something you want your big brother to do for you?”
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Little Chilli furrowed her tiny brow, tugging at her shirt hem with her free hand, hesitating to speak. But both Wen Mingyu and Little Rice Cake watched her, patiently waiting for her words.
After a moment of struggle, Little Chilli looked straight at her brother across from her and stated plainly, “I want you to pay attention to me and play with me.”
Wen Mingyu and Little Rice Cake were both taken back. They never expected such a request, one that was so simple.
Especially when Little Chilli looked so adorable, her big, dark eyes fixed on them as she spoke in her sweet, childish voice. It was a plea almost impossible to refuse.
Little Rice Cake opened his mouth to speak when Mu Zhan approached. His tall, imposing figure cast a shadow over them as he came to a halt beside them, enveloping them both within its depths.
Mu Zhan’s voice was flat.
Little Chilli’s reaction to him was starkly different from how she acted around Wen Mingyu. She shrank back, burrowing into her daddy’s embrace and squeezing closer to her brother, desperate to hide behind him.
Little Rice Cake didn’t think much of it, instinctively taking his sister’s hand to shield her.
It felt strangely like two little cubs encountering a giant monster, huddling together in the shadows, trembling.
Little Chilli had reasons to act this way toward Mu Zhan. Yesterday, while Wen Mingyu and Mu Zhan were busy in the main hall, she suddenly came running and, with athump-thumpon the door, interrupted them. The palace servants couldn’t stop her in time.
And then, Mu Zhan had emerged with a dark expression, telling her to go back to sleep, his tone tinged with impatience.
Little Chilli had been all excited to share her toys with her Daddy and Father Emperor, only to be scolded. With a pouty face, she was carried to the side hall by a palace servant. Her eyes reddened as she hid under her blanket while shedding big tears. Sniffling, she muttered bad words, calling him a bad guy and vowing never to play with him again.
At the time, Wen Mingyu lay limp and exhausted on the bed, with half-closed eyes and a hazy consciousness. He had no recollection of what transpired, learning of it only later.
The next day, Little Chilli woke up refreshed, seemingly having forgotten last night’s incident. She resumed her carefree play, laughing merrily.
Only upon seeing Mu Zhan again did Little Chilli recall his scolding. She buried her face in Wen Mingyu’s chest and hid behind her brother, refusing to acknowledge her Father Emperor.
With an even more intimidating figure present, Little Chilli instantly forgot her earlier quarrel with her brother, clutching his sleeve tightly with her small hands. Little Rice Cake, while the same age, was nervous too but now tried hard to assume the role of an older brother, standing protectively in front of her, looking quite dependable.
Neither of the little ones paid Mu Zhan any mind.
Wen Mingyu felt both helpless and amused. He raised his hand to gently stroke the little ball’s back, offering comfort. Then, lifting his gaze to meet Mu Zhan’s puzzled frown, he explained, “You were harsh with her last night. She’s still upset.”
Mu Zhan didn’t understand at first but quickly remembered. “Back then we were…”
Wen Mingyu cleared his throat, cutting him off. He adopted a serious tone. “Hurry up and placate her. Oh, and her favorite kite got stuck in the tree; you can start by helping her get it down.”
And so, Emperor Mu Zhan, in all his imperial splendour, trudged over to the tree with a rather sour expression. Using a bamboo pole with a hook, he gave it a couple of tugs. Without much effort, he easily retrieved the kite and handed it to Little Chilli.
As for climbing the tree, that was definitely out of the question. The mere sight of the tyrant Mu Zhan personally using a bamboo pole to retrieve the kite for the child had already left the palace servants dumbfounded. Had he actually climbed up to get it, in such an undignified manner, they would have likely been scared out of their wits.
Little Chilli took it and hugged it, thanking him with a slight awkwardness. Mu Zhan stayed with her a little longer, teaching her some tricks on how to make the kite fly higher. It was a silent gesture of goodwill and apology. Soon, Little Chilli broke into a smile, forgave her father for his earlier harshness and returned to their former closeness.
Wen Mingyu sat on a stone bench nearby, reading with Little Rice Cake and answering his questions. He said to him, “Your sister really likes you. Would you be willing to play with her?”
Little Rice Cake sat quietly, recalling the earlier scene, and nodded earnestly.
Wen Mingyu smiled as he ruffled his hair and gave him another hug. “Little Rice Cake is such a good big brother. Very good.”
Little Rice Cake’s ears turned red, seemingly shy, but his heart was filled with happiness.
Partway through their play, Little Chilli trotted over to Little Rice Cake, kite in hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I can fly my kite really, really high now! Do you wanna see?”
Wen Mingyu remained silent while Little Rice Cake instinctively glanced at him. Remembering his earlier promise, he then nodded to his sister.
Little Chilli cheered in an instant, grabbing Little Rice Cake’s hand as they ran off to fly the kite together.
The two dumplings skipped and jumped, occasionally turning to them to point at the kite soaring high above, urging their daddy and father to look.
Wen Mingyu accompanied them for a while, smiling as he offered them praises.
Mu Zhan walked over and sat down beside him. They watched the two little dumplings play together.
Seeing Mu Zhan, Wen Mingyu’s lips curved upward involuntarily, letting out a soft chuckle. Mu Zhan felt a bit flustered by the laughter, almost thinking he had done something foolish. But then Wen Mingyu said, “You’re awesome. Just now I was thinking about how to persuade them to reconcile, but you showed up and handled it perfectly without lifting a finger.”
Mu Zhan reached out and pinched his cheek. “Still laughing so merrily?”
Wen Mingyu didn’t back down and met his gaze, his smile growing even brighter before recounting the incident between the two bundles. He described Little Chilli’s expression, which screamed ‘pay attention to me’. It was so direct that it was adorable and irresistible.
Mu Zhan wasn’t concerned over the twins’ quarrel. He could tell they shared an exceptionally close bond; even left to their own devices, they would inevitably reconcile.
The twins complemented each other perfectly—one quiet and reserved, the other vibrant and energetic. Little Chilli had her brother to keep her from getting too mischievous, while Little Rice Cake had his sister to play with, preventing him from always being cooped up in the palace halls.
Mu Zhan reached out, pulling Wen Mingyu into his embrace and settling him on his lap. He took the man’s hand, slowly and deliberately squeezing it with intense focus, as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
Wen Mingyu had long grown accustomed to these little gestures. Sitting in his embrace felt very natural and familiar, as if they were born to fit together without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
They chatted like this for quite some time, and occasionally, Wen Mingyu would take a piece of osmanthus cake and pop it into his mouth.
Watching him eat with such relish, Mu Zhan suddenly piped up, “I want some too.”
“Oh,” Wen Mingyu replied, reaching out to grab one for him. But Mu Zhan seized his hand, interlocking their fingers before pressing it back onto his lap, immobilizing it.
“I want the one in your hand. It looks tastier.”
He paused, then chuckled helplessly. Lifting the half-eaten osmanthus cake to Mu Zhan’s lips, he fed it to him while muttering under his breath, “They’re obviously the same.”
Mu Zhan chewed for a moment, his Adam’s apple rolling as he swallowed before refuting him, “They are different. This one tastes better.”
Wen Mingyu didn’t bother with his twisted logic. Yet the very next second, Mu Zhan leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth. Given what he had just said, the meaning behind “this one” suddenly took on a very different connotation.
Wen Mingyu froze, his ears flushing crimson. Unwilling to be outdone, he retaliated by biting Mu Zhan’s Adam’s apple. Only when a low, muffled groan escaped from the other did he withdraw, satisfaction evident in his retreat.
Mu Zhan paid it no mind, instead a faint smile played at his lips as he commented cheerfully, “You’re not as shy as you used to be.”
Wen Mingyu didn’t grasp the implication at first. Following his gaze, he took in the azure sky, lush foliage, and the heady scent of flowers… Suddenly, it dawned on him: they were in the courtyard, outdoors in the open air. Palace servants stood not far away, and he was sitting in Mu Zhan’s lap.
Instantly, Wen Mingyu flushed crimson from face to neck, so overcome with shame that he felt steam rising from his body. He immediately sprang up from Mu Zhan’s lap. Had he been a lop-eared rabbit at that moment, he would surely have puffed himself up into a ball of fur.
Mu Zhan made no move to stop him, instead watching with a smile and sighing feigned regret. “I should never have mentioned it.”
Wen Mingyu, stung by shame and anger, gritted his teeth. How could he not see that Mu Zhan was doing this deliberately?
He wanted to retaliate but sensed that any more would play right into Mu Zhan’s hands. Wisely, Wen Mingyu turned and walked away, leaving Mu Zhan sitting there alone.
ChiFu: Hello everyone! So sorry, I got too busy with my review. After we defended our paper, I dived straight under the falls to practice my discipline of studying better.
Just kidding! XD but it’s true that ChiFu is trying to study more than usual! Yey for motivation! So that’s why I couldn’t open my laptop for weeks. I didn’t want to be distractedsighs.