On her way to Jiaozhou, Hong Xiaoduo thought about what to do once she arrived.

To determine whether Tianxuan is Prefect Ye's son, we need to find a way to obtain biological samples for paternity testing, such as blood, oral swabs, or hair with follicles.

Although Prefect Ye was not an ordinary person, obtaining one of these three biological samples was not a difficult task for Hong Xiaoduo.

The simplest and most direct method is to sneak into the Ye residence late at night and steal the items directly.

She had considered that the Lord of Lan Pavilion had many capable people under his command, and it would be fine to have them help obtain biological samples from Prefect Ye and his wife. However, when it came to the rigor of the paternity test results, she still wanted to do it herself and didn't want to rely on others.

Before evening, she encountered a boy who looked very similar to Tianxuan, which made Hong Xiaoduo temporarily change her mind. She had only just arrived and had already met someone who was likely Tianxuan's brother, so why should she be in such a hurry?

I'll get a good night's sleep tonight and recharge before making any decisions. Tomorrow I'll think about how to proceed.

Thinking this way, she actually fell asleep very quickly.

Little did she know that taking Yaoguang out for a stroll in the evening had caused everyone in Prefect Ye's residence to lose sleep.

"Old man, do you think the second brother that little girl is talking about could be our poor fourth son?" The old lady tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and asked the person beside her.

Grandpa Ye also stared wide-eyed at the top of the bed canopy and said, "How can we be sure? Even if we saw it with our own eyes, you know that there are so many people in the world, it's not uncommon for people to look very similar."

Unless we find out the child's background, but I'm afraid the other party won't tell the truth.

Moreover, Xiao Si was only one year old when he went missing; he was still a toddler who couldn't remember anything.

“What’s so difficult about that? Our son is the prefect. As long as he knows where they’re from, even a fourth-rank prefect can trace their ancestors back eighteen generations.” As she spoke, her heart ached at the thought of her chubby grandson with his big, grape-like eyes.

If a grandmother would act this way, how much more so would the child's mother?

Her daughter-in-law has shed countless tears over the years, and her mother-in-law knows it all too well.

The next morning, Hong Xiaoduo got up very early.

Even earlier, Quan Jinghuai would have already led the seven children and one adult to do their morning exercise.

"Girl, how about we go to a restaurant for breakfast today? Let Tianxuan rest. That restaurant makes really good breakfasts, and they have a wide variety," Lan Zechen said as he came over.

"No need, no need. Tianxuan said she was making bubble wontons this morning, which she just learned how to make." Hong Xiaoduo refused without even thinking.

It wasn't just about wanting to eat as many meals as possible cooked by Tianxuan; it was also because of Tianxuan's family situation—once he returned to being the fourth son of Prefect Ye, he probably wouldn't be able to cook anymore!

Even though the Ye family doted on him and occasionally let him cook, it couldn't compare to what he's like now.

He was in charge of all three meals for so many people; he was the head of the kitchen! At first, he only knew how to add salt to the dishes, and sometimes he couldn't even get the amount right—it was either too salty or too bland.

If it's too salty, I'll add water; if it's too bland, I'll just eat it as is. I can't even make sure the dough rises properly when steaming buns; they're always hard and mushy. But now, my culinary skills are good enough to make me a head chef in a fancy restaurant.

Upon hearing that Hong Xiaoduo had rejected the suggestion from the Pavilion Master, Tianxuan happily went to the kitchen to cook wontons. She had just learned how to make them from her master the night before, and her attempt was very successful.

Jin Gui, along with A Xian, A Yan, and a maid, helped bring the cooked wontons to the table.

In a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl, thin as cicada wings and bubbling wontons, their fillings peeking through, float on the surface of the soup, which is sizzling with oil. The soup is filled with vibrant green scallions, fine yellow egg shreds, and dried shrimp, and its aroma is irresistible. It looks incredibly appetizing.

"There are actually wontons like this?" Master Lan muttered to himself, sat down, picked up a bowl, and began to eat.

The wontons are very hot when they come out of the pot, so you can't eat them in big bites.

Everyone ate while nodding in praise.

"I also burned your portion; it's on the stove in the kitchen," Tianxuan said, noticing Jin Gui and the others standing to the side, staring longingly at the food.

Jin Gui glanced at his master, who was so engrossed in eating that he ignored him. He gritted his teeth and gave Ah Xian and the others a meaningful look, and they quickly went to the kitchen.

"Tianxuan, this is the first time I've ever seen and tasted wontons like this. Where did you learn to make them?" After finishing a large bowl of wontons, Lan Zechen asked Tianxuan.

Although he knew nothing about cooking, he knew that even a simple noodle dish required skill and attention to detail, such as the thickness of the skin (so thin it wouldn't break), the amount of filling, the wrapping technique, the control of the hollow center, and the cooking temperature.

"The master only taught me how to make it, but didn't say where it's a specialty noodle dish from." Tianxuan can now easily handle this kind of question.

"Second brother, can these bubble wontons be made in color too? Wouldn't that look even prettier?" Yao Guang said after letting out a burp.

Upon hearing this, Tianxuan raised an eyebrow: "That's right, then when we make it again tomorrow, brother, give it a try."

Having inspired her second brother, Yao Guang was very pleased and happily shook her head.

"Alright, let's finish eating and get ready so we can go shopping together later. Jiaocheng is so big, it would be a shame not to explore it properly," Hong Xiaoduo said.

This was the decision she made after waking up.

Tianxuan's search for her relatives cannot be rushed. She has already arrived at the destination, so she can take her time and look for opportunities.

However, I made a mistake yesterday evening; I was too slow to react and didn't even think to follow a strand of that boy's hair.

However, Hong Xiaoduo admitted that her current reluctance to obtain biological samples from Prefect Ye and his wife was due to personal reasons, or perhaps because she didn't want to be separated from Tianxuan.

She also knew that if she was reluctant to part ways, she could wait until they had a paternity test to confirm that Tianxuan was indeed Prefect Ye's son, and the family recognized each other. Then she wouldn't have to leave immediately and could stay in Jiaozhou City for a few more days.

"Girl, just take them sightseeing. Leave the cleaning up to them," Lan Zechen said, pointing to Ayan and the others.

As soon as he finished speaking, Guard Liu strode in, glanced at Hong Xiaoduo first, then went straight to Lan Zechen's side and whispered in his ear.

Hong Xiaoduo and the others saw Lan Zechen frown and look up at her.

"Please tell me the truth about what happened, Master." Judging from the expressions of the master and servant, Hong Xiaoduo knew that what had happened must be related to her, and it didn't seem like a good thing.

Lan Zechen hesitated, wondering whether he should tell her now or have his own people investigate further to determine the cause.

"Girl, let's talk over here." After quickly weighing the options in his mind, Lan Zechen gestured to Hong Xiaoduo.

Hong Xiaoduo and Lan Zechen walked away a bit before he spoke in a low voice: "My men discovered that there were people watching outside the mansion early this morning, both in front and behind. They seem to be people from Lord Ye's residence."

Hmm? People from the Ye family? Could it be that the young man from that evening said something when he went back...?