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Chapter 71: If Only She Were Her Mother
Chapter 71: If Only She Were Her Mother
Suisui had gained some weight during the journey, and with Doctor Liu's care, her face had become fair and delicate.
At this moment, she stood there obediently, her eyes reflecting a mix of confusion and bewilderment, making her look pitiful and adorable.
Queen Consort Qi wasn't quite sure about the child's gender at first.
Suisui's bald head only had a layer of dark, newly grown hair, and with her head lowered, it was difficult to make out her features and determine her sex.
At that moment, Feng Xuanrui pulled Suisui's hand, causing the little girl to unconsciously lift her head.
With flesh finally on her face, Suisui looked much prettier than before.
Her soft, tender face, her sparkling and bright eyes—as she shyly and nervously looked at the people around her, Queen Consort Qi's heart skipped a beat.
She thought: This child is indeed quite adorable.
If only she were a little plumper.
Right now, she's still too thin.
Those little arms and legs—it feels like they could be snapped with just a slight bit of force.
Although Queen Consort Qi was unaware of the situation, if her son liked someone, that person was probably a lovely girl.
Before Queen Consort Qi had a chance to greet them, she saw Feng Xuanrui pulling Suisui's hand and kneeling directly in front of her. "Come, sister, bow to your mother!"
Before Suisui could react, she was pulled down to her knees by Feng Xuanrui.
She didn't understand why her brother was doing this, but she obediently followed his example.
Feng Xuanrui knocked his head twice, and Suisui, wanting to imitate him, knocked her head very firmly.
Watching from the side, Feng Xuanrui felt a pang of pain. He was usually good at being slippery, so although the sound of his knocks was loud, they didn't actually hurt.
However, Suisui's two knocks were very solid, and her forehead immediately turned red.
Feng Xuanrui hissed as he lifted his hand to rub Suisui's forehead. "You don't need to knock so hard; sincerity is enough. Come now, sister, call her 'Mother.'"
Doctor Liu: ...!
As expected of you, Sixth Young Master!
You know how to handle the queen consort.
Suisui knew that 'mother' meant 'mother.'
But could she really call her that?
Was she...
worthy?
For once, Suisui didn't listen to her brother so obediently. She anxiously lifted her head to glance at Queen Consort Qi, meeting her loving smile, which gave her some courage. However, her subconscious mind told her that this wasn't quite right.
This left Suisui frozen in place, not daring to move. Her mouth twitched, but no sound came out.
Before Queen Consort Qi could even ask about the preceding events, she was directly manipulated by her son, and she felt both angry and amused.
However, Suisui was just an innocent child.
Queen Consort Qi wouldn't hold this against a child.
With a smile, she helped the two children up and slowly crouched down, gently caressing Suisui's reddened forehead. Her voice was gentle and loving. "Good child, did you knock too hard and hurt yourself?"
It did hurt a little.
But with her brother by her side, Suisui didn't feel the pain.
Moreover, she had just been touched by the beautiful auntie.
Suisui shook her head nervously, glancing cautiously at Queen Consort Qi before quickly looking away and obediently lowering her head, not daring to look again.
Witnessing this scene, Queen Consort Qi felt a surge of indescribable sourness in her heart.
Suisui was still young, and her eyes reflected a purity that touched the heart.
At this age, children should be carefree and innocent.
But Suisui was so well-behaved that it made one's heart ache.
Queen Consort Qi's mind had already filled in many blanks regarding Suisui's difficult and pitiful past.
Although Suisui didn't call her 'mother,' after a moment of nervous hesitation, she spoke in a soft voice, "Hello, beautiful auntie. I'm Suisui."
Her voice wasn't loud, and after she finished speaking, Suisui lowered her head again, anxiously curling her toes.
Watching this scene, Queen Consort Qi's heart ached even more.
She gently stroked the child's head, her voice softening. "Suisui, don't be afraid. From now on, you'll stay safely here in the manor."
As for whether or not she would acknowledge Suisui as her daughter...
Well, she would have to ask about the child's situation in detail before making that decision.
Although his sister had never called her "Mother," Feng Xuanrui didn't mind.
After all, his sister was the most adorable, and no one could separate them!
She was his sister, and no one could take her away or send her away!
So, upon hearing his mother's words, Feng Xuanrui shouted, "She's my sister, and she'll be living with me from now on!"
Hearing this, Queen Consort Qi couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
She sighed helplessly. "Your sister is a young lady, and she can't live in the same courtyard as you. Suisui is still young, so she'll stay with me for now. When she's older, we can arrange for her to have her own courtyard."
Only then did Feng Xuanrui feel slightly reassured.
Living with Mother should mean that she had been accepted and wouldn't be sent away, right?
Even so, Feng Xuanrui still felt uneasy. Holding Suisui's hand, he asked with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, "She's my sister, right?"
Queen Consort Qi couldn't help but smile at his persistence. She nodded gently. "Yes, she's your sister. Now, go with your aunts to get cleaned up. Look at how dirty you both are!"
Although Feng Xuanrui was reluctant to leave his mother, he understood that the adults probably had important matters to discuss.
He held Suisui's hand and followed the attendant aunts to get cleaned up, as instructed by Queen Consort Qi.
After the children left, Queen Consort Qi first thanked Prince Qing for his care during the journey and then explained Qi Wang's whereabouts. "Your Majesty went to stay at another manor yesterday, and it will take him three to five days to return."
Prince Qing had been curious because when he was in Xinzhou, he had already sent a fast horse to deliver a letter saying that he would arrive in the capital today.
Hmm, so Qi Wang wasn't at the manor?
Now he heard that his brother had gone to stay at another manor yesterday, and although he still felt a bit puzzled, he politely refrained from asking further questions.
He briefly recounted the events of the journey and also explained Suisui's situation.
He told her how Feng Xuanrui had chased after a rabbit, gotten separated from his attendants, and wandered into the mountains.
Queen Consort Qi's heart skipped a beat at this.
Hearing that Feng Xuanrui had sprained his ankle and then encountered Suisui, who had been abandoned by her family, Queen Consort Qi felt both angry and worried.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that the two children had descended the mountain together.
But her heart clenched again when she heard that they had barely made it out of the mountains only to encounter mountain bandits.
And it clenched even tighter when she learned that the children had been deceived and almost sold off.
It wasn't until the end that Prince Qing finally revealed Suisui's background and her tragic past.
The little girl's story was heart-wrenching and upsetting.
By the time Queen Consort Qi finished listening, her eyes were red and moist.
She felt sorry for the child's hardships, but at the same time, the fact that Suisui was the daughter of Jin Yang Hou made her feel a bit uneasy.
Jin Yang Hou had a bad reputation, and the women in his household were known to be difficult to get along with.
Although Queen Consort Qi held a noble position, she didn't fear them.
However, she preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Why invite complications into her life when she could live peacefully? But then she thought of Suisui's pure, bright eyes and thin little face, and her heart softened once more.
How could she bear to send such a pitiful child back to that mud pit of a place, Jin Yang Hou's manor?
She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of future awaited that child there!
(End of Chapter)
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