After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 8

“Yunqing,” Pei Xuan called out suddenly, stopping him. “We’ve arrived ah! Why has your face turned so pale again? Is your left shoulder hurting?”

Xie Yunqing raised his eyes. The sky had already grown dark. In the dim twilight, he shook his head and whispered, “…It doesn’t hurt.”

Though he replied “It’s good that it doesn’t hurt,” Pei Xuan stepped forward anyway and took hold of Xie Yunqing’s wrist, letting out another cry of alarm: “Why is it so cold?”

Cui Ji frowned. “It must be too cold outside. Let us go in quickly.”

The maids in the Dowager’s courtyard stood at the front, pushing open the doors to the reception hall for them. Inside, the hall was brightly lit and overflowing with warmth. Following the maids around the screen, a magnificent sight of “pearl-surrounded emeralds” (luxurious elegance) suddenly met their eyes.

The three of them stopped in unison. They bowed together toward the woman sitting in the center the Dowager, who was dressed with regal poise yet retained an air of refined nobility. “Greetings to Grandmother / the Dowager.”

Yesterday afternoon, the Dowager had received news that Pei Xuan had returned with a child named Xie Yunqing. It was said that while clashing with the Yu family boy at the Academy, Xie Yunqing had blocked a blow for Pei Xuan and then fainted. The residence had been quiet for a long time; it was the first time in years such an event had occurred.

At that time, the Dowager had wanted to go see him. However, Mother Qin had dissuaded her, noting the Dowager’s poor health and arguing that since they didn’t yet know the child’s appearance or character, it was inappropriate to meet him immediately.

Later, reports from the maids began to trickle in. In their descriptions, the child called Xie Yunqing was as beautiful as the most exquisite jade doll in the palace or a great manor; anyone who saw him couldn’t help but feel a surge of pity and tenderness.

The Dowager was intrigued. She asked the reporting maid, “Didn’t you say he hasn’t awakened yet? And he is injured; surely he must look haggard. Can he really be so beautiful that you are all competing for a chance to see him?”

The people serving her now, aside from a few veterans, were young girls who had been recruited into the residence in recent years. Though young, they were usually quiet and well-behaved. Never before had they behaved as they did today—from the moment the first girl’s description spread, they all became restless, fighting for any excuse to run to Pei Xuan’s quarters under the guise of “checking on him” for her.

The maid flushed beet red at the question, stammering a few words but unable to speak clearly. The Dowager found it amusing and teased, “Is the eldest master of this house not noble and ethereal enough? Is Pei Xuan not handsome enough? Or is the eldest master of the Cui family not refined enough, or Cui Ji not fresh and dashing enough?”

“How is it that I never see you show such ‘maidenly affection’ when you see them? Could this child’s looks really be superior to all four of them?”

The maids suddenly found their voices, everyone offering their own opinions at once. The Dowager listened patiently for a long while but never heard a concrete answer. Finally, an older maid told her that in terms of pure features, Xie Yunqing was perhaps like the eldest master slightly superior to the other three. But that wasn’t the key to their liking him; the key was his aura.

The Dowager grew interested. She set down her prayer beads and asked with a smile, “What aura? Not that I am a biased grandmother, but in terms of aura, the eldest master’s presence should be superior.”

“The eldest master’s presence is indeed superior, but he is too cold; one dares not approach him,” the maid whispered after a moment’s hesitation. “To tell you the truth, Dowager, many of us who have served you for three years still dare not even raise our heads to look at the eldest master. It is truly a mix of respect and fear.”

The Dowager nodded. Her grandson was like a sculpture carved from ice. Forget the maids of the house; she had heard that many court officials and noble heirs dared not contact him.

“And that young Master Xie…” The maid’s face grew even redder. “This servant is clumsy and cannot say it well. Please do not take offense at my words.”

The Dowager laughed. “Very well, I won’t.”

“That young Master Xie… he…” The maid hesitated for two breaths, then closed her eyes, squeezed her handkerchief, and said bashfully: “He makes one want to be his mother!”

As soon as she said this, the seven or eight maids in the room broke into fits of hushed laughter. The Dowager was stunned. After a long while, she feigned a scolding look. “What do you mean, ‘want to be his mother’? You girls haven’t even married yet; how can you say such things?”

One of the livelier maids stepped forward and replied with a giggle, “It just means we want to be his mother to hold him in our arms, to dote on him, to love him, to kiss him. We couldn’t bear to see him suffer even a sliver of grievance, and we’d want to give him the best of everything we have.”

The other maids chimed in with their agreement. The Dowager had lived a long life in high positions and had seen everything, yet this description was beyond her experience. She looked toward Mother Qin. Mother Qin also laughed and volunteered: “Then let this old servant go and have a look for the Dowager first.”

When Mother Qin returned, the maids swarmed her, chirping away with questions. Mother Qin walked straight to the Dowager, gave a low bow, and said with a smile, “It is indeed as they say. Seeing that young Master Xie, it is truly hard not to feel a sense of pity.”

She then checked her smile and sighed softly, shaking her head. “I also looked into it; the child’s background is not good. Not only is his family poor and his status low, but he lost his mother at a young age. Despite this, he managed to get into the Imperial Academy, and I hear his conduct is excellent and his grades are among the best of the new students.”

Hearing this, the maids began to lament again, some even wiping away tears and whispering about how “heartbreaking” it was. The Dowager was also moved. She immediately instructed Mother Qin to send word that she, too, wished to see the child.

Predictably, with Cui Ji there, the reply from Pei Xuan’s side was that they would bring Xie Yunqing to accompany her for the evening meal. The maids began to bustle about immediately. Even the Dowager’s old heart, which hadn’t felt a ripple in a long time, became full of anticipation.

When Xie Yunqing rounded the screen and entered the hall, the Dowager finally understood what that “pity-inducing aura” was.

The sixteen-year-old youth was as thin as a withered branch in early spring, his skin as white and smooth as plain porcelain under the moon. He stood quietly before the glass screen, the bright lamplight flooding over him like a tide, further accentuating his dizzying elegance.

Yet beneath that elegance, he wore not a single piece of jewelry or jade. In only a simple, pale-yellow embroidered robe with a jade-rabbit pattern, he did not lose a single bit of radiance to the room full of pearls and emeralds. His skin was already as white as jade and snow, and his injury made him look even more haggard. But against the pale-yellow fabric, that pallor took on a sense of noble refinement, as if he were an immortal from the moon.

The hidden rabbit patterns on the fabric acted like the finishing touch on a painting, perfectly highlighting the “lovable pity” in his features. Furthermore, the snowy-white rabbit fur collar at his neck perfectly fused this nobility with his vulnerability. Seeing him, it was truly hard not to feel both love and pity.

However, the Dowager was not someone who hadn’t seen such stunning beauty. Even if others couldn’t match him fully, she had seen those who reached seventy or eighty percent of his level. Therefore, beauty alone would not have moved her so.

What truly surprised her or what truly made her realize what the maids meant by “wanting to be his mother” were Xie Yunqing’s eyes.

Beneath his long, thick lashes, there wasn’t much light in his eyes—not the optimistic sparkle found in someone like Pei Xuan. Yet they didn’t make one feel despondent. Instead, one could clearly see the hidden resilience in his gaze. It made one believe that no matter the adversity or difficulty, this child would be like a green pine growing from the cracks of a cliff, relying on his own tenacity to break through every obstacle.

It was this very resilience that invisibly birthed a profound, indescribable sense of pity in one’s heart.

The Dowager’s brows furrowed slightly, yet a smile played on her lips. She beckoned to Xie Yunqing. “You must be Yunqing. Come, come to Grandmother.”

Pei Xuan was the first to react. He looked shocked. “Grandmother, did you not see me!” He added, “Wait, Grandmother, since when did you become Yunqing’s grandmother too!”

The Dowager gave him a mock-glare. “You silly child, I am merely letting Yunqing call me Grandmother alongside you.”

Pei Xuan, though still holding Xie Yunqing’s wrist, led him to sit by the Dowager. He wasn’t so easily appeased and pressed on, “Then why didn’t you let Cui Ji call you Grandmother too?”

Cui Ji, who was walking toward his seat on the Dowager’s left, paused. He shot a “you’re beyond help” look at Pei Xuan and then sat down gracefully. The Dowager reached out and tapped Pei Xuan’s forehead. “You talk too much.”

She then turned her gaze slowly to Xie Yunqing and asked in a low voice, “Good child, I hear you took an injury for Pei Xuan. Does it still hurt?”

In an instant, a scent of sandalwood reached Xie Yunqing’s nose. Strangely, the panic and insecurity he felt about meeting her vanished quite a bit. He finally dared to raise his eyes and meet her gaze. He saw a pair of eyes marked by time, yet they were clear and kind as they looked at him.

Xie Yunqing felt an unmasked kindness and… affection. This realization shook him. This lady, the Grand Princess and the matriarch of the Pei clan, had shown him such warmth at their first meeting. He couldn’t believe it. He froze there, unable to respond.

Pei Xuan, likely thinking he was paralyzed by nerves, said to him, “Yunqing, call her Grandmother first. Once you say it, you won’t be nervous anymore.”

This comment made the Dowager, Mother Qin, and the maids all burst into laughter. Xie Yunqing didn’t know what they were laughing at. He truly had no experience with such occasions, but after a moment of hesitation, he actually listened to Pei Xuan. He softly called out to her: “Grandmother.”

The Dowager was stunned, then replied with a smile, “Ah, good child. Remember to call me Grandmother from now on, understood?” She then took Xie Yunqing’s wrist from Pei Xuan and patted it gently. “It doesn’t matter that we are unfamiliar now; we will become close as we spend more time together.”

She then instructed Mother Qin to move the place setting intended for Xie Yunqing to her own side. “Yunqing, you shall dine with Grandmother this time.”

Pei Xuan didn’t protest this time. He obediently stood up and moved to the seat on the Dowager’s right. The maids immediately took their positions at the three tables to serve the meal. Although the Pei Residence didn’t follow a strict “no talking while eating” rule, because the Dowager and Pei Xuan weren’t speaking, the hall became perfectly quiet.

After a few spoonfuls of porridge, the Dowager looked at Xie Yunqing, who was sitting obediently beside her. He was like a fluffy little animal; whatever the maid served him, he ate quietly. The more the Dowager looked, the more she liked him. Finally, she took up her silver chopsticks and personally placed a slice of candied lotus root in his bowl. “Pei Xuan loved this most when he was little. Yunqing, you try it too.”

Being mentioned suddenly, Pei Xuan looked up from his bowl, his mouth full of food, and mumbled his agreement: “Yeah, yeah, Yunqing, hurry and eat! I’m almost finished with mine.”

The Dowager looked at him with an “I can’t do anything with you” expression. “Oh, eat slower. No one is competing with you.”

Pei Xuan knew she was criticizing his speed and felt a bit unhappy. He opened his mouth to argue, but at that exact moment, a maid hurried into the hall and announced to the Dowager, “Dowager, the Eldest Master Cui requests an audience.”

The Dowager looked delighted. “Xuan’er is back? Quickly, let him in.” Mother Qin immediately ordered the maids to prepare a seat for Cui Xuan.

Before Xie Yunqing could process what was happening, Cui Ji leaned over and explained, “It’s my elder brother.”

This seemed to remind Pei Xuan of something. He put down his chopsticks and stood up excitedly, peering toward the entrance. “Did Brother Xuan stay in Huiji even longer than my brother stayed in Wu County?”

Cui Ji didn’t respond to the comment. Mother Qin answered with a smile, “Indeed. Eldest Master Cui went to Huiji before the New Year festivities were even over. I wonder when he returned…”

“I returned today.”

A voice as clear as a forest wind preceded the figure. Then, Cui Xuan stepped into the hall. Xie Yunqing looked up.

Cui Xuan was very tall and shared a thirty-percent resemblance with Cui Ji, though he lacked his younger brother’s sharp, boyish edge. His features were more gentle, and his entire aura was elegant and approachable, giving off a feeling like a warm spring breeze.

Cui Xuan walked to the Dowager and gave a bow. As he straightened, his gaze swept over Xie Yunqing. He looked a bit surprised as if he had expected Xie Yunqing to be there, but wasn’t entirely certain. He quickly withdrew his gaze and nodded to Pei Xuan and Cui Ji.

Pei Xuan looked overjoyed, calling out “Brother Xuan! Brother Xuan! You’re finally back!”

“Is the business in Huiji finished?” the Dowager asked with concern. “Since you only returned today, why didn’t you rest for a few days first?”

Cui Xuan walked over and patted Pei Xuan’s head—Pei Xuan finally sat back down, satisfied. Cui Xuan then took his seat and replied to the Dowager, “It is finished. My last few days in Huiji were quiet, so I considered that my rest. I thought that if I came to the Pei Residence at this hour, I could still accompany you for dinner, so I hurried over.”

The Dowager nodded with satisfaction. She then looked at Xie Yunqing and introduced him to Cui Xuan. “This child is a classmate of Pei Xuan and Cui Ji. He took an injury for Pei Xuan yesterday and is recovering here. I found him very much to my liking, so I had him sit beside me.”

Cui Xuan smiled at Xie Yunqing but said nothing. The Dowager then chatted with him about family matters and news from Huiji. While the Dowager was a respected elder to the other boys, she and Cui Xuan spoke almost as equals. No matter what she said, Cui Xuan responded in a way that made her feel most comfortable. During the conversation, he also took the time to answer Pei Xuan’s whimsical questions without showing any impatience.

Finally, the Dowager gently stopped Pei Xuan from pestering him. She joked, “Pei Xuan still likes you so much. I remember when he was very small, he cried and shouted for you to be his brother. He insisted on going to the Cui Residence and couldn’t be consoled. Eventually, you had to move in here for a while before he finally quieted down.”

Pei Xuan immediately replied, “I still want Brother Xuan to be my brother!”

The Dowager gave a helpless smile. “You only dare to say that so openly because your own brother isn’t here.”

Mentioning Pei Yanzhi caused the smile on the Dowager’s face to fade slightly, replaced by a touch of sorrow. “You returned from Huiji and still had the heart to come and eat with me. As for Yanzhi… even when he returned from Wu County, he is so busy he is nowhere to be seen.”

“He only stayed one night the day before yesterday and didn’t even eat properly. Yesterday morning, before dawn, he hurried back to the Chancellor’s Manor. Sigh, I truly don’t know when Yanzhi will be able to accompany this old woman for a few days.”

Hearing this, Cui Xuan’s smile became strangely subtle. “Well then, tonight, I must congratulate you on having your wish fulfilled.”

The Dowager shook her head. “What wish? Are you going to kidnap Yanzhi from the Manor for me?”

Before answering, Cui Xuan glanced at Xie Yunqing. He spoke quickly, so quickly that almost no one in the hall noticed:

“No one needs to do any kidnapping.”

“Chancellor Pei… he will be back in a moment.”