Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Ji Yan’an calmed his emotions, but his face remained deathly pale.
Uncle Li stood to the side, cursing Commander Wang.
“That Wang Hu is getting more lawless by the day. He really thinks the Ji Family is an easy target. Young Master, are we really just going to let him go?”
Ji Yan’an sipped his tea, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Of course not. This was merely a probe on their part.”
In just five short years, Wang Hu had risen to City Guard Commander and taken control of the Yaoguang Camp. He certainly had someone backing him, and they were likely someone of significant standing.
In truth, Ji Yan’an knew it wasn’t just Wang Hu; there were others.
They were all waiting for him to die. The moment he breathed his last, the Ji Family Army would be carved up by those various factions.
“At the very least, he cannot die yet.”
Uncle Li felt only indignation. “Won’t that just embolden him even further?”
“Not dying doesn’t mean I can’t teach him a lesson,” Ji Yan’an countered.
“However, since Commander Wang came here specifically to provoke me today, it means he knows about the poison in my system.”
He idly toyed with the teacup in his hand. “And very few people know that I cannot easily lose my temper.”
“Uncle Li, go and investigate if those few in the Capital have made any moves since I left.”
“Yes, sir.”
Uncle Li accepted the task but did not leave immediately.
“Young Master, if I leave now, who will look after you?”
“Isn’t there still…”
“Me! I’ll do it!”
A tender, milky voice rang out. Ji Yan’an and Uncle Li both looked down to see a certain little girl gripping the edge of the table with her small hands, looking at Ji Yan’an with wide, eager eyes.
Jiang Yunsui was being very proactive; she had to prove her worth.
Ji Yan’an chuckled and poked the soft flesh of the little one’s cheek.
“And what can you do?”
Jiang Yunsui thought about it seriously. “I can eat with you.”
Uncle Li chimed in, “That works. Young Master, for the sake of your health, let this little girl accompany you from now on.”
Jiang Yunsui nodded like a little chick pecking at grain, two adorable dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth.
One couldn’t blame her for being so forward; those dishes were simply too delicious.
Her little eyes drifted toward the tea on the table. This smelled wonderful too; she wondered if it tasted good.
Ji Yan’an let out a dry huff. “Eat with me? Are you serving me or enjoying yourself?”
“You eat more than I do.”
Jiang Yunsui didn’t know the meaning of shame yet. She stared at his stomach for two seconds.
“Your tummy is bigger than mine, but you eat so little. That’s not good.”
Her little face was solemn. “You’re the one who eats too little.”
It had nothing to do with her eating a lot. There was still food left, so it wasn’t her fault if he couldn’t finish his share.
Sometimes, when a person is truly speechless, all they can do is laugh.
Ji Yan’an reached out and mischievously pinched her little face.
“That doesn’t count.”
“Wh-why nut?”
With her cheeks pinched, her voice became muffled and her speech slurred.
“There is no why. I say it doesn’t count, so it doesn’t count.”
*How excessive! So bossy!*
But the Little Mushroom didn’t dare say it out loud. This person was terrifying when he was angry; even that huge, tall man had been scared away.
“Then… then I’ll bring you tea and water.”
Jiang Yunsui racked her brain before remembering a phrase Aunt Chen had used before.
“I… I can even help you scold people.” Her voice lacked a bit of confidence as she said this.
Jiang Yunsui sniffled her little nose. “But, you have to have people protect me, okay?”
“Otherwise, I’m so small, and that man just now was so big. If his fist came down, he could hit several of me at once.”
The beautiful child’s eyes welled up with tears, making her look pitiable.
“That would hurt so much.”
This sight made the hearts of Uncle Li and Nanny Zhou, who were standing nearby, melt with affection.
Oh, this child-how could she be so endearing?
At their age, they had naturally seen many children. Not to mention the other young lords, they had watched several grow up right before their eyes.
The Ji Family had other children as well, including two young ladies.
However, when Young Master Ji was little, he was the household’s little tyrant, incredibly mischievous.
As for the two girls of the Ji Family, they had been raised to be dignified and demure from a young age. None of them possessed a personality as soft and adorable as Jiang Yunsui’s.
Even the way she spoke was amusing.
Ji Yan’an was genuinely entertained.
“You’re such a coward, yet you still tried to scold someone for me?”
Jiang Yunsui hung her head in dejection. “Well, besides eating, I don’t really know how to do anything else.”
She had actually spent quite a while thinking that one through.
“At least you have some self-awareness.”
Ji Yan’an’s mood, which had been soured by Wang Hu earlier, improved significantly. As it turned out, bullying a child brought him joy.
In that case, he thought wickedly, he should definitely keep her by his side to bully her more often.
“Uncle Li, you may leave once Nanshu arrives.”
Ji Yan’an didn’t try to force himself to be independent; Uncle Li was currently the one primarily responsible for his daily care.
Ji Yan’an didn’t like having maidservants attend to his personal needs, so his daily life could only be managed by those familiar with him, like Uncle Li and his personal attendant, Nanshu.
If his body weren’t so weak, he could have looked after himself.
But now…
After finishing their stroll to aid digestion, Ji Yan’an returned to the study in the Front Courtyard.
He was busy handling official business and various trivial matters.
It was mentally taxing work.
He had Jiang Yunsui stay by his side to serve him.
At first, Jiang Yunsui stood perfectly upright, holding a small fan to provide him with a breeze.
After a few minutes, her wrist grew tired.
Jiang Yunsui stole a glance at Ji Yan’an and began to slack off. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly at a spot on the floor, her fanning becoming sporadic. Eventually, the direction of the breeze gradually shifted until she was fanning herself instead.
Ji Yan’an was immersed in his work and hadn’t expected such a little thing to actually keep him cool, so he didn’t notice for a while.
Ten minutes later, her feet grew tired.
Jiang Yunsui shifted her weight, her legs aching from standing. Her small shoulders began to droop.
A moment later, she let out a yawn and crouched down, hugging her little knees.
When Ji Yan’an finally finished some of his tasks and felt the exhaustion setting in, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Nanny Zhou walked in carrying a bowl of medicine.
“Young Master, it’s time for your medicine.”
The smell of the herbal decoction was pungent; Ji Yan’an hated it.
He had always hated it.
But he still had to take it.
With a furrowed brow, Ji Yan’an downed the bowl of medicine in one go.
Nanny Zhou quickly handed him a candied fruit.
Ji Yan’an popped the fruit into his mouth. His health was already poor, and sitting for so long had left him feeling even more drained.
He stood up, intending to walk around, but bumped into something soft.
He looked down and saw that the little girl who had so confidently promised to serve him was now sitting on the floor, leaning against his chair and sleeping soundly.
Even though he had accidentally bumped into her, she showed no sign of waking up.
While he was working himself to the bone handling official business, this little girl was sleeping like a log.
Heh…
Ji Yan’an felt a petty sense of imbalance.
He crouched down and pinched the child’s nose shut with one hand.
After a moment, she simply opened her mouth to breathe and continued sleeping.
Ji Yan’an: “…”
If he had this quality of sleep, he wouldn’t be so irritable when facing all that messy paperwork.
So, he pinched her mouth shut as well.
Jiang Yunsui woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with Ji Yan’an’s face-a very familiar scene.
“Awake?”
With her mouth and nose both pinched, Jiang Yunsui’s little face turned bright red from holding her breath.