180. I will handle it.

After wiping it clean, Dou Shichen turned around, feigning impatience, and said, "Who cried? Don't talk nonsense, you little brat!"

Even a little dumpling could see through his bluff.

Because his eyes were red, and there were still tear stains at the corners of his eyes.

He was still clutching a piece of paper in his hand, which seemed to be covered with writing.

The little dumpling blinked, ignoring his fierce warning, and asked curiously, "Then why are you crying? Is something bothering you?"

Dou Shichen realized his disguise had been exposed, his face flushed red, and he shouted angrily at the driver, "What are you all standing there for? Drive! Don't waste time here!"

The coachman quickly cracked his whip, and the carriage shot forward, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Before the little dumpling could say anything more, Dou Shichen's carriage had already sped away, leaving only a fleeting glimpse of his back.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Dou Shichen's carriage was quite somber.

Dou Shichen carefully folded the letter and put it into his inner pocket. He then wiped his face hard with his sleeve, as if trying to wipe away all the vulnerability he had just felt.

Actually, it was because he missed his father and mother.

He never wanted to be separated from his father and mother, and although he now has no worries about food and clothing, he always feels lonely.

Then came the kite-flying incident in the garden, and seeing the little dumpling and her second brother with their parents by their side...

The more he thought about it, the more his grievances and longing welled up inside him. He couldn't help but write a letter to his father and mother, hoping they would find a way to bring him home as soon as possible.

But he was too proud to show his vulnerability, especially in front of Xiao Tuanzi.

-

The little dumpling watched as Dou Shichen ran off into the distance, pouting unhappily, "Why did Prince Bright Bean run away? He was clearly crying..."

Jiang Xiyue said, "Alright, alright, Yue'er. We don't know the situation with the Prince of Zhennan either, so let's not guess. It's getting late, let's go home quickly, otherwise Father and Big Brother will worry."

The little dumpling nodded, but still couldn't help looking in the direction where Dou Shichen's carriage disappeared.

What exactly happened to Shining Bean Prince?

To whom was the letter he wrote addressed?

Jiang Xiyue pulled her back into the carriage and said with a smile, "Everyone has little secrets they don't want others to know. The Prince of Zhennan is probably having some troubles and doesn't want anyone to see them. Let's not disturb him and let him have some peace and quiet."

“But Prince Bright Bean looks so sad,” the little dumpling frowned. “Is he homesick? When Yue’er first went to study at Wenhua Hall, she also missed home and would secretly cry.”

Hearing her daughter's soft words, Jiang Xiyue felt a surge of affection and gently stroked her hair. "Our Yue'er is kind-hearted and considerate of others. The Prince of Zhennan may indeed have some worries, but everyone has little emotions they don't want others to see. The Prince of Zhennan probably doesn't want us to see him sad."

The second brother, sitting to the side, curled his lip upon hearing this: "He wouldn't miss home! Look at his usual arrogant demeanor, does he seem like the kind of person who would cry because he misses home? Maybe he lost an argument outside and had nowhere to vent his anger, so he's hiding in the carriage secretly wiping away tears, afraid of being seen and losing face!"

The little dumpling thought her mother's words made more sense: "But Yue'er thinks that although Prince Bright Bean is a bit fierce, he's not a bad guy..."

"Little sister, you can know a person's face but not their heart..." The second brother exaggeratedly looked up to the sky and roared, shaking his head and sighing.

"Alright, Lizhi, you're not allowed to gossip about the Crown Prince behind his back." Jiang Xiyue tapped his head.

The carriage continued its journey and soon arrived at the entrance of the Marquis of Beiding's residence.

As soon as they got out of the carriage, the little girl saw a maid carrying a lantern coming up to greet them with a smile, saying, "Miss, young master, madam, you're finally back! There's still some soup warming up in the kitchen, come in and have some to warm yourselves up."

The little boy held his mother's hand and skipped and hopped inside.

Not long after finishing the sweet soup, a servant came to report that Xie Wenling had arrived.

When the Marquis of Beiding was about to go out to see him, the little dumpling clung to his father's trouser leg, wanting to follow.

So the Marquis of Beiding took the opportunity to pick her up and leave.

As the two stepped out of the courtyard, they saw Xie Wenling standing under the eaves, as if waiting for them.

The little dumpling immediately struggled down and ran over: "Brother Xie! You're here! Did Big Sister have some news?"

Xie Wenling squatted down, patted her head, and said gently, "There's no news yet, but the people I sent said everything is normal at the Duke of Anguo's mansion, so Miss Lin should be safe. Let's wait a little longer and not worry."

The little dumpling nodded, but still felt a little worried. She whispered, "Brother Xie, you must protect Big Sister, and... and Shining Bean Prince. He seems unhappy today. He was wiping away tears and writing a letter in the car. I wonder if he misses his father and mother."

Xie Wenling's expression shifted slightly, then he smiled and said, "Alright, I've remembered it all. Thank you for informing me, County Princess. I will take care of it."

-

Lin Lingrong hurriedly returned to the Duke of Anguo's mansion in a carriage, the curtains fluttering in the wind.

The carriage she used was neither as high-end and luxurious as Dou Shichen's, nor as specially modified as Xie Wenling's for working in the carriage.

She was using the most ordinary carriage, and now that it was moving fast, it was bumping violently, and her emotions were also being tossed about by the carriage.

They soon arrived at the Duke of Anguo's residence.

As soon as she entered the mansion, she saw a small figure running from the other end of the corridor, with her hair in two buns and wearing a pink jacket and skirt.

It was her five-year-old sister, Lin Fuman.

"Sister! You're finally back!" Lin Fuman ran around with a wooden box in her hands, her little face flushed and her eyes sparkling. "I have something good to show you!"

Lin Lingrong's heart tightened, and she subconsciously avoided her gaze.

She had just returned from Zuixianlou, her mind filled with her father's plot to send her and her mother to the Prime Minister's mansion as hostages.

Facing her lively and carefree younger sister, she felt as if something was blocking her heart, making her feel suffocated and heavy.

"What is it?" Lin Lingrong's voice was a little dry, and she didn't even realize that her tone was distant.

Lin Fuman didn't pay any attention. She opened the wooden box as if presenting a treasure. Inside were several pens made of charcoal sticks and stacks of neat calligraphy practice books.

"Look, sister, this is a charcoal pencil I made myself! It's made of charcoal sticks, and I made a wooden frame to hold the charcoal sticks in place. It's much easier to write with than a brush, and it doesn't get my hands dirty!" She was very satisfied with her invention. "This kind of charcoal pencil is very inexpensive to make. I think if it could be promoted, it would not only reduce the difficulty of learning for children, but also ensure that children from poor families would no longer have to worry about not being able to afford expensive pencils and ink!"

“Really? It can indeed greatly reduce the cost of education for children from poor families…” Lin Lingrong replied subconsciously, then looked at her with a complicated expression.

She was indeed very intelligent and kind. Despite being a pampered young lady who was unaware of the hardships of life, she inexplicably cared about ordinary people.

And... he was completely unguarded around her.

This was different from her previous "inventions." This was indeed a convenient and useful thing. She explained the principle to her in a very casual way, without being afraid that her work would be stolen.

Lin Fuman had no idea what Lin Lingrong was thinking. She put the charcoal pencil back, picked up the paper, and proudly showed it off: "Look, I wrote this with charcoal pencil. I practiced for a long time, sister, please praise me!"

Lin Lingrong looked at the calligraphy copybook and realized it was indeed much better than what she had written with a brush.

She looked at her younger sister's expectant eyes, recalled the happy times she had taught her to write, and remembered what the Duke of Anguo had said. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Lin Fuman, though young, was spoiled and arrogant by her father, who always targeted her and her mother.

But from some point onward, she became more and more cheerful and kind, and even learned to tinker with little gadgets on her own. The malice in her eyes turned into pure joy, full of enthusiasm and goodwill.

But this act of kindness only made Lin Lingrong feel worse.

"Sister?" Lin Fuman asked in confusion when she saw that her sister hadn't spoken for a while and was just staring blankly at the calligraphy copybook. "Is it because I didn't write well? Or... does sister not like the charcoal pencils I made?"

Lin Lingrong snapped out of her daze, saw the disappointment in her eyes, and quickly shook her head: "No, it's very well written, and the charcoal pencil is also very exquisite. You're very talented."

She paused, then asked almost involuntarily, "Sister, what do you think of Father?"