Translated by: Tinker

T/N: Happy thanksgiving, everyone! As my thanks for all the support you guys have been giving me, I will post all the remaining chapters of WCE! <3 🙂

*****

Even if it was winter, it didn’t feel cold at all because the stove kept burning.

Whenever this season came, Song Luan would be reluctant to go out, preferring to lazily shrink inside her room and not go anywhere else. But when the weather was good, she would go out of the yard to bask in the sun.

Zhao Nanyu became busier after being transferred. Sometimes when he comes back, Song Luan would have already fallen asleep and wouldn’t even know that he had come home.

Song Luan wakes up and remembers that Ruan Sheng is coming. Near noon, Ruan Sheng leads her little son into the room.

Song Luan woke up, remembering that Ruan Sheng was coming over. 

Ruan Sheng took her youngest son to Song Luan’s residence at near noon.

The little boy stood by his mother’s side obediently. His face was very delicate, fair, and clean.

Song Luan squatted down, took his hand, and asked, “Why didn’t you bring your sister here?”

“My sister is still sleeping.”

Song Luan couldn’t help touching his head. “Then why didn’t you wake up your sister? Maybe she wants to come and play. “

The child’s mouth slightly bulged up and didn’t speak.

Song Luan found that the child’s temperament didn’t resemble Zhao Wenyan’s. His father’s temper was not good. He was arrogant and domineering.

How could his children be so sensible and obedient?

Maybe Ruan Sheng taught them well.

Ruan Sheng was four months pregnant again.

Song Luan looked at her flushed face and thought that she must be so happy to have two adorable children. Although Ruan Sheng’s husband sometimes had a child’s temper, he was still very good to her.

“Do you want a daughter or a son?” She asked. 

Ruan Sheng replied, “Daughter.”

Song Luan laughed and her eyes narrowed, “I like a daughter, too.”

Ruan Sheng didn’t think much about it. She just looked at her and asked strangely, “Since second sister-in-law likes a daughter, why don’t you have another one?”

Er Bao was already eight years old. Even if second sister-in-law wants to take care of her own children, she still would have the energy to do so.

Song Luan was in a daze for a moment before she regained her consciousness. She lowered her head and fiddled with her finger. “Ah, I just thought about it…I’m afraid of pain. “

She was not afraid of pain. She just couldn’t say the exact reason.

Ruan Sheng nodded and agreed, “It’s really painful to have a baby.”

The more Song Luan saw little Jun, the more she liked him. She held him in her lap and told the servant girls to prepare snacks for the child. She asked, “Do you like to eat these? If you don’t like it, I’ll ask them to prepare something else. “

Little Jun looked at it and nodded, “I like it.”

Song Luan hadn’t held such a clever child for a long time, so her heart softened. She kneaded a piece of cake and handed it to his mouth.

The child didn’t resist as he let her feed him two pieces.

The house was very happy. Soon, Zhao Nanyu came back from the palace.

Song Luan was still holding little Jun with a smile and asked, “Why did you come back so early today?”

Zhao Nanyu looked at her, then his eyes fell on the child in her arms, and said in a low voice, “I have to go to the palace again for dinner.”

“Oh.”

Zhao Nanyu pinched her soft face and laughed, “You’re going too.”

Little Jun felt that the second uncle’s eyes were not very kind when he looked at him, so he unconsciously went down.

Song Luan still wanted to hold little Jun, but the child already hid behind his mother’s back.

Seeing his appearance, she couldn’t force him.

Turning around, she said to Zhao Nanyu, “I don’t want to go.”

What could he do with her? She had nothing to do with Zhao Nanyu’s affairs.

At the moment, Song Luan didn’t want to talk to him. She continued to tease little Jun and played with him for a while.

Zhao Nanyu seemed to see her thoughts and kindly reminded her, “You can’t let Er Bao see you holding other children, or he will get angry with you for several days.”

The child’s temper was more stubborn than the donkey’s. If he gets really angry, no one could coax him.

Er Bao doesn’t cry if he’s in a bad temper. He just wouldn’t smile and would ignore them.

Ruan Sheng was also embarrassed to disturb them for too long. It was enough to be able to meet and talk. 

She wanted to take her child back.

No matter how long had passed, Ruang Sheng was still scared whenever she saw her second brother-in-law.

Er Bao went straight home after school and saw little Jun. But seeing that they were about to go home, Er Bao reluctantly said goodbye to little Jun.

Song Luan just wanted to laugh and asked, “Er Bao, do you like your older brother*?”

[T/N: *She’s talking about Little Jun]

“Yes.”

“Why do you like him?”

“He is obedient.” Without waiting for Song Luan to speak, he continued, “He does whatever I ask him to do. Very good!”

“…” After thinking about it, Song Luan felt she had to say something to him, “Don’t bully your older brother.”

“Mother, don’t worry, I won’t.”

“I have never bullied anyone! I’m so good, aren’t I!”

“…”

Song Luan couldn’t laugh or cry. She was afraid that he had forgotten. Because his cousin snatched one of his brushes, he fiercely pressed his cousin, who was taller than him, on the ground and beat him.

At that time, both children were injured.

Er Bao’s injury was lighter, while his cousin’s face had scratches.

***

No matter how Zhao Nanyu coaxed Song Luan, she still refused to go to the palace for a banquet.

“Isn’t one of your little sisters in the palace?”

“I saw her last month.”

“I’m afraid it will take longer for the banquet to finish.”

“Then you go. Why do you want me to go?! It’s cold outside.”

Zhao Nanyu sighed and asked, “Are you really not going?”

“No, It’s better to play chess with my little Zhao at home.”

“But you can’t beat him”

Little Zhao’s chest skill is very good. Song Luan couldn’t match him as an opponent. He often would make a deliberate mistake so the match would take longer.

Song Luan was not very happy to hear this even though she knew Zhao Nanyu was right.

“What’s important is not whether I win or lose, but if I had fun or not.”

“Good.”

What’s good?

Without waiting for Song Luan to react, Zhao Nanyu directly picked her up and took his cloak to cover her body. “Let’s go.”

Song Luan remembered that Zhao Nanyu had not done such shameless things to her for a long time.

She was so angry that she was forced to go into the palace with him. She didn’t have a good face standing by his side.

Zhao Nanyu’s teases were all useless, “Really angry?”

Song Luan frowned and said, “I’m not.”

Zhao Nanyu had intentions as to why he forced her to go, but couldn’t tell her now.

After a while, Song Luan’s anger almost dissipated.

After turning around twice, she found a familiar figure.

The young man has a long and slender body. It felt lonely and cold by just looking at his back. 

He was surrounded by two young women, both staring at him eagerly.

When the young man moved a step, the two young women would also move a step.

Song Luan looked at the interesting scene and couldn’t help laughing. Zhao Nanyu suddenly appeared behind her and asked, “What’s the smile about?”

Song Luan pointed to the other side. “You see, little Zhao is surrounded by two young women. Our child is old enough to experience this love.”

Little Zhao was already 16 years old, but there was still no woman around him.

Song Luan would never arrange marriages for her son. Fortunately, she knew that her son is pure-hearted and didn’t seem to want a woman.

Zhao Nanyu smiled helplessly, “If he wants to, no one will stop him.”

Song Luan sighed, “Although I can’t count how many girls like our son, I still haven’t seen a woman that he likes. What should he do if he goes on like this?”

The mother was very worried.

Zhao Nanyu saw that Song Luan was worried about this thing. He thought that little Zhao seemed more obedient and sensible these days…

However, words of comfort still need to be said, so that Song Luan would not think about it for several days.

“Don’t worry. He’s just a little more reserved. He doesn’t necessarily like it. “

“Okay.”

Song Luan reluctantly believed his words.

Little Zhao also seemed to notice the sight behind him. He turned around and saw his mother looking at him with a smile in her eyes.

He was a little embarrassed and did not know how much his mother saw and heard.

Zhao Zhi’s ears were all red.

The girl standing on his left called out and pointed to him, “Why are your ears red? Don’t be shy. I won’t say that I like you next time.”

The little girl who spoke had a round face with bright features and vivid expression.

Zhao Zhi frowned and walked in the direction of his mother.

Song Luan took his hand and asked him with a smile, “Who are those two young women?”

Zhao Zhi replied truthfully, “The youngest daughter of King Anning, and the other is the Imperial Concubine’s daughter.”

Song Luan looked at him with a smile, and then asked, “Then the one you were talking to?”

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhi replied, “King Anning’s daughter “

Song Luan said meaningfully, “That child looks beautiful and outstanding.”

His son probably had good affections for that girl, otherwise, he wouldn’t mention her.

Zhao Zhi lowered his eyes and said, “Well, it’s not bad.”

She’s just a little noisy.

Too much talking made his ears hurt.

Song Luan saw the younger daughter of King Anning looking at this side eagerly, but she did not dare to move at will. She looked a bit aggrieved while she stood in the same place.

Song Luan patted her son on the shoulder. “Go ahead.”

Zhao Zhi blushed, “I’ll go and make it clear to them.”

“If you like her, don’t hide it. Tell her.”

“I don’t like her.”

Song Luan didn’t believe it. “You can lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself. “

Zhao Zhi didn’t know if he likes the little daughter of King Anning. He disliked her noisiness, but he thought it’s good to have a woman like her around him.

But his heart was empty, and he always felt something was missing.

He lacked feelings.

He didn’t want to force it.

Zhao Zhi walked up to her and said so many words to her for the first time, “Little princess, I have no love for you.”

It’s straightforward.

The little princess got angry at him and cried. The Imperial Concubine’s daughter was no better. 

She could see that this outstanding young man did not have eyes for as well.

After Zhao Zhi finished speaking, the stone in his heart finally fell. When he returned to the hall, his eyes searched for his mother’s figure.

All of a sudden, she heard people standing in the dark talking.

“Why did Lord Zhao’s wife just pass out?”

“I don’t know.”

“I just came over there. Of course, Lord Zhao’s face was pale, and was very scared. After seeing the doctor, what did you think happened?”

“What’s the matter?”

“She seems to be pregnant.”

What did they say next? Zhao Zhi couldn’t hear clearly.

His tense expression eased a little.

That seems to be good news.

At that moment, Zhao Zhi felt that his mother also had some love for his father.