Chapter 10#

My Master Dotes on Me Greatly—We Eat and Sleep Together Every Day, Unable to Part Even for a Moment. Chapter Number: 7210034#

Since they were going to the front hall to receive guests, they would inevitably run into Rong Yue.

Rong Yu’s mind turned, and he gestured for Chu Tan to accompany him, while Mo Shu was sent off to the kitchen to roll pearl glutinous rice balls.

Before the two of them even entered the front hall, they could hear the voices of Rong Xiuyong and a young man coming from within.

The distinctive sound of a wheelchair moving across the floor drew the attention of everyone inside, who turned to look.

There were three people in the room. Seated in the place of honor was Rong Xiuyong, along with a young man wearing a purple brocade robe with a golden belt around his waist.

This was the Third Prince, Yan Mingxuan.

The moment Yan Mingxuan saw Rong Yu, his first action was to look behind Rong Yu. When he found that the figure he longed for day and night had not appeared, a flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes. But the emotion vanished in an instant—no one noticed except Rong Yu and Chu Tan.

“What are you standing there gaping for? Why haven’t you greeted the Third Prince and your eldest sister?” Rong Xiuyong scolded.

Rong Yu curved his brows and eyes, his smile warm and pleasant. “Greetings to the Third Prince. My legs are inconvenient, so I beg Your Highness’s pardon that I cannot rise to pay my respects properly.”

Yan Mingxuan had handsome, refined features. Though born of royalty, his bearing was remarkably approachable. At first glance, he truly seemed like the kind of person who neither fought nor scrambled for anything, just as Nurse Qin had described.

He smiled. “No matter. Your health is frail, and the wind at the door is strong—please, come in quickly.”

Chu Tan pushed Rong Yu inside and settled him down. Rong Yu looked at the woman seated below the Third Prince, dressed in a pale pink resplendent gown, and curved the corners of his lips. “Greetings, Eldest Sister.”

Rong Qingxue was slightly startled. Her third brother had always glared at her coldly in the past—when had he ever been so amiable?

But Rong Qingxue only paused for a moment before quickly raising a smile. “It’s been a long time, Third Brother. You’ve grown thinner again—you must take good care of yourself.”

Rong Yu’s eyes held a smile, his words carrying an undertone. “Thank you for your concern, Eldest Sister. Everything is well for me in the manor. I was actually just about to ask—how have you been?”

Rong Qingxue lowered her head, her palm casually brushing over her abdomen, and smiled gently. “Thank you for your concern, Third Brother. Naturally, I have been extremely well.”

Rong Yu followed her movement and also looked at her still-flat belly, his expression clearing, and the smile on his face grew even wider.

“Sister is back!” A clear, bright male voice came from outside, and then Rong Yue came flying in, rushing straight to Rong Qingxue’s side.

“Er-lang.”

The siblings leaned close together, chatting affectionately, both their faces brimming with warm smiles—far more sincere than the smiles they had shown Rong Yu earlier.

Rong Yu looked at those two nearly identical faces, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled into a mocking arc.

A flicker of surprise also passed through Chu Tan’s eyes.

These two siblings were actually twins, looking almost exactly alike—except Rong Qingxue’s temperament was gentle and graceful, while Rong Yue was lively and handsome. Rong Qingxue had been born half an hour before Rong Yue, making her the elder sister.

After Rong Qingxue turned fifteen and held her coming-of-age ceremony, the Third Prince had come to the manor to seek her hand in marriage, claiming he had long admired her. But at the time, Lady Bai had not yet been elevated to principal wife, and Rong Qingxue was still a concubine’s daughter, so she could only become the Third Prince’s secondary consort.

It was said that the Third Prince doted on her enormously. In his vast prince’s manor, Rong Qingxue was the only woman. Though she was a secondary consort, she held authority over the household’s affairs, and her clothing, food, and daily expenses all followed the standard of a principal consort.

Rong Qingxue had been married into the prince’s manor for three years without bearing a child. This had become a point others used against her. Many noble young ladies who admired the Third Prince attacked her over it. Even the Emperor and the Third Prince’s birth mother, Consort Shu, had inquired several times and even sent several women from the palace over—all of whom the Third Prince refused.

Thus the world said: the Third Prince’s devotion to his secondary consort was truly deep.

But was that actually the truth?

Rong Yu glanced at Yan Mingxuan. The Third Prince was staring fixedly at the sibling pair, his eyes shimmering with thick affection and delight. More precisely—he was staring at Rong Yue.

Rong Yu rubbed the Buddhist prayer beads on his left wrist, his eyes full of derision.

These prayer beads were what Nurse Qin had requested for him on the fifth day of the new year at Zhenguo Temple. Every year on the fifth day of the first lunar month, Zhenguo Temple opened its altar for sermons on the Buddhist dharma. On that day, countless common folk would go to the temple to pay respects to the Buddha, praying for their wishes to come true.

Rong Yu hadn’t been sleeping well lately, so Nurse Qin had gone to obtain such a string of prayer beads, saying they could calm the heart and soothe the spirit.

Whether they could calm his heart, Rong Yu didn’t know. He still couldn’t sleep. But after watching today’s little performance, he felt he might be able to sleep well tonight.

“Er-lang! Carrying on with all that giggling and grinning—what do you think you look like? The Third Prince is still here!”

Rong Xiuyong raised his voice. It was meant to be a scolding, but his tone carried no bite at all, and his gaze was indulgent. Compared to how he treated Rong Yu, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

Rong Yue quickly adjusted his posture, bending at the waist with hands clasped to offer a salute to the Third Prince. “Rong Yue pays respects to the Third Prince.”

The Third Prince hastily stepped forward, reaching out to support Rong Yue’s hands, and said in a gentle voice, “Er-lang need not stand on ceremony.”

Rong Yue raised his eyes and met the Third Prince’s tender, water-soft gaze. Hidden within those eyes was a dense, rich affection and protective care that made Rong Yue’s face flush and his heart race. He quickly lowered his head and took two steps back, creating distance.

Only then did the Third Prince reluctantly withdraw his hands, his gaze still fixed on Rong Yue, unwilling to look away.

The atmosphere between the two was highly unusual. Yet everyone in the room, except Rong Yu, seemed not to notice anything amiss. Rong Xiuyong even watched Rong Yue with the gratified look of an old father.

Presumably he thought his son was so outstanding that even a noble prince of the imperial blood was willing to befriend Rong Yue.

After the salutations, Rong Yue went back to sit close to Rong Qingxue and chat. Rong Xiuyong chided mildly, “Don’t be so reckless. Your sister is with child now—you must be extremely careful.”

At those words, Rong Yue froze. “With… child?”

His face stiffened. In disbelief, he looked at Rong Qingxue’s belly, then turned his head and looked toward the Third Prince with a hint of hurt. The Third Prince lowered his eyes, avoiding Rong Yue’s direct gaze.

Rong Qingxue sensed something off. “Er-lang, what’s wrong?”

Rong Yue blinked, suppressing the sourness rising in his chest, and slowly let out a breath. He smiled. “Nothing. I’m just happy for Sister. I imagine you and Brother-in-Law have both been hoping for this child for a long time.”

Rong Qingxue lowered her eyes and touched her belly, a motherly tenderness on her face. “Yes. I hoped for three years, and finally this child has come.”

“So Eldest Sister is with child? Congratulations, Eldest Sister!”

Rong Yu’s cheerful voice rang in everyone’s ears. His smile was bright and sincere, and his usually gloomy face overflowed with radiance. In comparison, Rong Yue’s demeanor seemed all the stranger.

“It seems I’m going to be an uncle. I wonder if it will be a little nephew or a little niece. When the child is born, I’ll definitely prepare a generous gift!”

“Whether it’s a boy or a girl, both are fine—they are His Highness’s flesh and blood, and a child we deeply love.” Rong Qingxue looked at the Third Prince with love in her eyes. “Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

The Third Prince avoided Rong Yue’s gaze and gave a low “Mm.”

With every word they spoke, Rong Yue’s eyes dimmed a little further, and the smile at the corner of Rong Yu’s mouth deepened.

He had come today to find some entertainment, and he didn’t mind adding fuel to the fire.

“Enough.” Rong Xiuyong cut off the conversation. “Qingxue, your mother has been waiting for you in the rear courtyard for quite a while. Go see her.”

“Yes, Father.” Rong Qingxue rose, supported by her maidservant, and walked out.

A servant came to report that a colleague from the Ministry of Rites had come to discuss matters with the master. After offering his apologies to the Third Prince, Rong Xiuyong also went to the study.

Only four people remained in the room. Rong Yue sat slumped in his chair, somewhat listless and dejected. The Third Prince wished to comfort him, but with Rong Yu and the servants present, he could hardly speak.

Rong Yu loved watching the fire blaze from a safe distance. Pretending ignorance, he asked, “What’s wrong, Second Brother? Are you in a bad mood? You’ve looked like you lost your soul ever since you heard Eldest Sister is pregnant.”

Rong Yue raised his head and gave a pressed-lip smile. “How could that be? Eldest Sister is pregnant, and I’m going to be an uncle. I’m overjoyed. I was just caught off guard when I first heard the news—simply too pleasantly surprised.”

“Oh, is that so? Well then—”

“Third Brother.” Rong Yue, afraid Rong Yu might say something else outrageous, quickly cut him off. “Why did you bring Chu Tan today? Has his injury healed?”

Rong Yu glanced at Chu Tan, then curled his lips in a teasing smile. “He’s right here—why not ask him yourself, Second Brother? I hear from the servants in the courtyard that people from Zhaohui Hall have come around many times. I thought Second Brother must be extremely concerned about my little servant, so I saw today as a good opportunity and brought him along for you to see.”

Rong Yue did indeed want to see Chu Tan—it was just that Rong Yu had never given him the chance.

Now that he saw Chu Tan before him, though the occasion was hardly appropriate, some other thoughts seemed to stir within him. He asked with concern, “How are your injuries? I had people deliver medicine to you several times—did you receive it?”

At those words, the Third Prince’s expression changed instantly. His face darkened as he scrutinized Chu Tan with a cold glare.

Rong Yu gathered his sleeves and leaned back in his wheelchair, fingers idly rolling the prayer beads, preparing himself to enjoy the show at his leisure.

Two gong, one shou, plus himself as a cannon fodder—all gathered in one place. One acts, then the next takes the stage. What an interesting play this was.

Yet beneath the Third Prince’s intense oppressive aura, Chu Tan did not tremble in fear like an ordinary servant would. Instead, he kept his head lowered and said in a flat tone, “Thank you for your concern, Second Young Master. This servant’s injuries are no longer of consequence. The medicine you sent was thrown away by my master—this servant never received it.”

Rong Yu’s fingers paused, nearly snapping the prayer bead. He hadn’t expected Chu Tan to pull something like this. He raised his head and looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly with threads of anger leaking out.

Chu Tan, with eyes observing his nose and nose observing his heart, kept his eyelids lowered and did not move.

Rong Yue, however, was not surprised at all. This was just how his third brother operated. It seemed he had changed quite a bit over the past two months, but deep down he still loved throwing obstacles in his path and making trouble for him.

Rong Yue said, “I still have quite a few good wound-healing medicines. I’ll send some over with a servant later. Third Brother, don’t stop them this time.”

“No need to trouble you, Second Brother. This servant has thick skin and tough flesh—his wounds are nearly healed anyway.”

“You beat him so harshly—how could he recover so quickly?” Rong Yue didn’t believe it. “Third Brother, don’t throw a tantrum. A servant’s life is still a life. Let him heal his wounds first. You can torment him again later.”

“Second Brother is joking. How could I torment him? I dote on him more than anything.” Rong Yu looked at Chu Tan with a beaming smile. “Tell Second Brother—do I dote on you or not?”

Chu Tan’s dark gaze landed on Rong Yu’s feigned smile. That smile seemed to say: if you don’t play along, I’ll kill you.

Chu Tan’s lashes trembled. A hint of malice flickered deep in his eyes as he spoke softly, “To answer Second Young Master—my master… dotes on me greatly. We eat and sleep together every day, unable to part even for a moment.”

Rong Yue was shocked.

Rong Yu ground his molars to dust.

【Author’s Note:】

Rong Yu: God-fucking-dammit, I’m going to sew your mouth shut sooner or later.