Chapter 248 Autistic Father and Daughter

The father and daughter, who had narrowly escaped death, sat in the carriage, sighing deeply.

Su Junyao scooped up his chubby daughter, still shaken: "Son, from now on, we're practically brothers who've been through thick and thin together."

So please don't go home and complain to her mother so often in the future!

Chiu Chiu curled up into a ball, patting her chest to calm herself. Hearing this, she gave her father a big eye roll. "Sigh!"

[I can't judge people well! I can't judge people well at all!]

The whole family almost lost their lives.

You treat them like brothers, but what do they treat you like?

Chiu Chiu was furious that her stupid father couldn't see through a person after all these years.

But the naive girl didn't realize that if someone truly wants to hide something from you, they will act flawlessly. When you finally uncover the truth, you'll only find a devastated mess behind it all.

Su Junyao chuckled self-deprecatingly, his throat dry and itchy. He coughed lightly a few times, not sure if he was explaining to Qiuqiu or comforting himself: "His Majesty wasn't like this before."

Chiu Chiu puffed out her cheeks but didn't refute anything.

But people change.

Su Junyao obviously understood this principle as well. He held Qiuqiu in his arms like a rag doll, and the father and daughter returned to the mansion quietly.

This time, they all tacitly refrained from mentioning what had happened in the palace.

The calmer they were, the more uneasy Yun Jinglan felt.

Normally, by this time, Qiuqiu would have already been excitedly recounting the day's events while pulling her along, but today, since Yun Jinglan couldn't find her, she had already used her bottom to block the door and tried to close it herself.

Zhu Niang gently stepped in front of Qiu Qiu and pressed the door shut: "Madam, Miss Qiu Qiu wants to rest."

Since Zhu Niang and A Lian weren't from the Marquis's residence, Yun Jinglan didn't know what to say. She paused, then said, "She..."

Chiu Chiu walked away with her little hands behind her back, looking like a sad little old man, leaving Yun Jinglan frozen outside the door.

The door slowly closed, and Qiuqiu's chubby back was no longer visible.

Yun Jinglan pointed to the door and said to Dong Xiao, "Something's not right, there's definitely a problem."

Dong Xiao was furious and stomped her foot, but then she paused, remembering the origins of the two little girls inside. She complained to the lady, "You're right, there's definitely something wrong here!"

"I'm the one who serves Miss, where did those two come from!"

Yun Jinglan patted Dong Xiao on the shoulder: "Go back and take care of Chen He first. Qiuqiu doesn't need anyone for now."

Dong Xiao exploded: "You also think that Miss doesn't need me anymore?"

"I raised this young lady from a baby, feeding her every drop of urine and feces!"

Yun Jinglan: “…”

Why does this food have a strange smell...?

"Alright, stop standing here and go check on Chen He."

Yun Jinglan dared not stay there any longer and turned to look for Su Junyao, but was told by the servant that the Marquis had already left.

"You went out? Did you say where you went?"

Where can I go now that I've just gotten back?

The servant shook his head: "This servant doesn't know. Should I go look for it?"

Yun Jinglan waved her hand: "You can go now."

She pressed her head and went back to her room. The father and daughter were acting strangely; something terrible must have happened today. But they must have their reasons for not saying anything. Let's wait and see; Qiuqiu's true feelings will surely be revealed.

Yun Jinglan waited until late at night.

The cold moon hangs high in the sky, and the dark clouds gradually move away.

Su Junyao stumbled in, drunk. Yun Jinglan heard the noise and got out of bed. "The Marquis is back?"

Chunxiang and Qiuyue, who were on duty, couldn't support him and apologized to Yun Jinglan: "Madam, the Marquis is drunk. This servant will have someone make a hangover soup right away."

The lady hates the smell of alcohol the most. In the past, the Marquis would stay in his study after drinking. Today, no matter what they did, they couldn't stop him from coming in. As servants, they didn't dare to do anything to their master. They tried to persuade him again and again, but the Marquis pushed them far away.

Su Junyao reeked of alcohol, his eyes were dull and lifeless. He staggered forward a few steps carrying a pot of wine, then obediently retreated and stood not far away, watching Yun Jinglan with a silly grin.

No one can be both obedient and infuriating at the same time.

Qiu Yue gave a wink to the servants behind her, signaling them to help the Marquis down! With Chen He gone, there wasn't even anyone who understood her subtleties.

The servants had only taken two steps when Yun Jinglan suddenly spoke up: "You may all leave now. The Marquis will rest here tonight. Chunxiang, go and fetch a basin of hot water."

"Yes, I'll go right away."

Yun Jinglan finally managed to get the person to lie down on the bed after a lot of effort. Now she finally understood why Qiuqiu was so difficult to hold down; it was all because of her father.

The servants all withdrew, and Yun Jinglan put on a robe and sat by the bed to wipe Su Junyao's body.

Su Junyao chuckled foolishly: "Hehe, Madam... Madam, I really like you so much! No, no, I love you!"

Yun Jinglan's hand trembled, and she threw the towel right in his face.

"Aren't you ashamed to say such things as an old married couple? Wait until you get up tomorrow morning and see if you'll want to crawl into a hole and hide there."

Yun Jinglan said this, but her smile didn't fade, and the joy in her eyes was almost overflowing. She picked up the towel again to wipe his face, and Su Junyao grabbed her hand, struggled to sit up, and rubbed his head against her neck for a long time.

The strong smell of alcohol wafted into Yun Jinglan's nostrils as soon as he opened his mouth. Just as she was about to push him away, Su Junyao's eyes finally cleared up a bit. "Madam, it's really not easy for our family to be able to stay together peacefully."

He wouldn't say something like that for no reason.

Yun Jinglan patted his back and tentatively asked, "What happened today?"

Su Junyao shook his head, stared into Yun Jinglan's eyes for a long time, and suddenly chuckled: "I can't tell you, it will scare you, you'll worry."

Yun Jinglan finally felt relieved after a long day. She hugged him back and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. As long as our family is safe and sound together, there's no obstacle in this world that we can't overcome."

The words that Qiuqiu once spoke truly terrified her, keeping her awake night after night. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the wails of her husband and children. She prayed to gods and Buddhas, constantly telling herself that it was all a lie, but every time she thought about it, she felt as if she were dying from the pain.

As time went by, the family finally embarked on a different path, and she began to feel alive again.

"It's enough for our family to be together. Junyao, I also love you."

Su Junyao's eyes welled up with tears. He stroked Yun Jinglan's face and asked her earnestly, "Is what Madam said true? You're not lying to me, are you?"

Yun Jinglan shook her head: "How could that be?"

Su Junyao breathed a sigh of relief, held Yun Jinglan's head, and said in a simple and honest voice, "Since my wife likes me so much, then please pay the money for me."

He pleaded pitifully, "It can be deducted from my future monthly pay."

Yun Jinglan's initial感动 (gǎndòng, deep emotion) vanished instantly. She pushed Su Junyao back onto the bed, bumping into him with a loud thud that nearly knocked him off balance.

You had better explain yourself!

Su Junyao scratched the back of his head, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "I...I was drunk, I was acting crazy, and I...hiccup! I smashed the antique vase in Lu Wenzheng's house..."