"Master, shall we go back now?" Sparrow broke the silence first.

“No, to the South Courtyard!” Madam Li looked up, raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight, and said firmly.

"Go directly to see the master? Will Princess Niu allow you to see him?" Que'er glanced cautiously at Madam Li and asked.

"She will. It concerns the most important matter that is currently troubling Fourth Master. How could she possibly stop us!" Madam Li quickened her pace and, supporting Que'er, headed straight for the South Courtyard.

Meanwhile, in the south courtyard, Fourth Master and Lanqin were bathing Fubao. This was originally Li Shubao's job, but Lanqin was an absolute dog lover. Perhaps due to her recent miscarriage, her maternal love for Fubao was overflowing, even to the point of wanting to take Fubao to bed. Although Fourth Master indulged her, he resolutely refused. No matter how much Lanqin pleaded and begged, he wouldn't budge. His reasoning was simple: how could a person and a dog share a bed? What difference would that make between them?

If you're not allowed to sleep with the dog, then at least you can take a bath with it!

Seeing that Fourth Master had woken up, Lanqin grabbed him, who was deep in thought, and ran to the grapevines to give Fubao a bath. Fubao was a white, long-haired dog. Normally its fur looked prickly, but once wet, its long white fur drooped down its body, making it look much smaller. Seeing Fourth Master's reluctant expression, Lanqin pouted and said, "Fubao, Daddy doesn't want to give you a bath! How about Mommy gives you a bath instead?"

Upon hearing this, Fourth Master's face turned almost green, and Su Peisheng, standing to the side, couldn't help but cover his mouth. Fourth Master glared fiercely at Su Peisheng, who was so frightened that he quickly retreated a few meters, afraid of being implicated innocently.

"Are you trying to be the dog's mother and treat me like its father?!" Although Fourth Master had never heard the little princess say "father" or "mother," he understood what she meant from the pronunciation.

"I haven't had a baby with you yet, so please let me treat this dog like a baby, okay?" Lanqin blinked her innocent big eyes at the Fourth Prince, and even the dog in her arms had the same expression as Lanqin. The Fourth Prince couldn't stay angry at all, so he could only pull Fu Bao's leg and say, "You've already treated it like its 'dad,' so hurry up and wash it!"

"Master is so good, mwah!" Lanqin wanted to lean in and kiss the Fourth Master, but seeing that several maids and Su Peisheng were there, she managed to suppress the urge, though she still made kissing sounds.

Now, Fourth Master's face flushed slightly again. Although Su Peisheng still had that half-smile, half-smile, he just couldn't get angry. In fact, he felt a little sweet inside. He said, "Eat well and drink well, fatten me up, and then have a baby as fat as you, okay?"

Upon hearing that the little princess hadn't given birth to a child, the Fourth Prince felt a pang of guilt. He realized that he had kept it a secret from her and had secretly aborted the child that was supposed to be hers. Wasn't that a bit too cruel, since he hadn't even told her?

"I don't want that! I want to give birth to a baby while I'm slim. I don't want to be fat and chubby. I don't like hearing that. You're not allowed to say I'm fat and chubby again, Master!" Lanqin glared at the Fourth Master, then smeared soap on the dog.

Su Peisheng secretly admired Lanqin in his heart: This Niu Shi is truly an extraordinary woman. I have never heard anyone speak to the Fourth Master like this before, but it is so pleasant to listen to!

"It's better to be a little chubby, you're too thin!" Fourth Master seemed to enjoy bathing the dog. While talking to Lanqin, he also picked up soap and applied it to the other side of the dog.

"Where have I lost weight?" Lanqin clearly felt that the fat around her waist had started to bulge out recently, and her face was also noticeably fuller than before.

"You're thin everywhere, but you're not fat where you should be, and you've gained weight where you shouldn't be." Fourth Master said bluntly. After spending time with this little woman, his tone had become more straightforward and outspoken. His previous tendency to keep quiet seemed to have disappeared in the South Courtyard.

Lanqin blushed, her tongue immediately becoming tied in knots. She looked around at the maids and Su Peisheng, seeing their smiling faces, and felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground.

Just then, Granny Wang from the gatehouse suddenly walked in, whispered a few words in Nianxue's ear, and then went back inside.

Then Nianxue walked to Lanqin's side and said to her and the Fourth Prince, "Princess, Your Highness, Consort Li is outside the door. She says she has something to discuss with Your Highness."

Lanqin glanced at Fourth Master noncommittally, thinking to herself: How should I answer this? If I meet him, the atmosphere is really good right now, and I don't want to see other women; if I don't meet him, will Fourth Master think I'm petty?

While they were hesitating, the Fourth Master spoke first: "Let her go back. Just say that I will come and talk to her when I have time."

Nianxue responded and curtsied. She was about to turn around to speak to Consort Li at the door when she was stopped by Lanqin's voice from behind.

"Master, why don't we let Sister Li in? She must have something on her mind, otherwise she wouldn't have come to see you like this." Lanqin recalled the first time Li had intercepted someone at her place. Compared to last time, she didn't use the Fourth Prince to see the Fourth Master, but directly said she had something to say, so it was very likely that something really did happen.

"Let her go back. Just say that I'll send someone to fetch her when I return to the front yard." Fourth Master seemed to really enjoy giving Fu Bao a bath, and looking at Lan Qin, he added, "Hurry up and bathe her, otherwise she'll catch a cold!"

Lanqin knew he didn't want to spoil the atmosphere, so she was touched and smiled as she said, "Master, please let Sister Li in. I'll go and bathe Fubao later, so let Sister Li keep you company for a while."

Seeing Lanqin's obedient and sensible demeanor, Fourth Master asked softly, "Are you really not angry?"

Lanqin hadn't expected Fourth Master to say that, and chuckled, "Nianxue, go and invite Sister Li in."

As Madam Li and her maid entered the south courtyard, they saw the Fourth Prince and Lanqin sitting under the grapevines, bathing a small white dog. The Fourth Prince had his robe draped over his waistband, his hands covered in white soap suds, chatting and laughing with Lanqin. Madam Li suddenly felt uneasy, but the thought of the opportunity to bring down the Fujin (the wife of the Fourth Prince) was so close that she suppressed her discomfort, walked up to the Fourth Prince and Lanqin, and said in a sweet voice, "My lord and sister, what a refined pleasure you have! I've come at a truly inopportune time!"

"Sister, you've come at the perfect time. I'm going to help Fu Bao clean herself up." With that, Lan Qin tactfully wrapped Fu Bao in a towel and went inside. Nian Xue and Xi Cha immediately followed, while Zi Ran and Huan Bi naturally didn't dare linger and quickly moved away.