Chapter 60◇
◎You can only be a harbinger of doom◎
Duan Jingchuan was too complacent, or rather, he was worried too much.
When Huang Que reappeared before him, the somewhat malnourished boy had transformed into an adorable little girl. She had two buns in her hair, decorated with flowers, and wore a pink dress, looking every bit like a pampered young lady. With her big, innocent eyes, she curiously observed the world around her.
Feng Ran also changed into a pink outfit. The two of them, one big and one small, stood there, and for a moment, Duan Jingchuan really wondered if he had ever given birth to such a big daughter.
"Madam, why did you dress Huang Que up as a girl?" If Duan Jingchuan hadn't watched Feng Ran bring Huang Que in, he wouldn't have recognized the fake girl at first glance.
Feng Ran, with an air of self-importance, leaned closer, seeking praise. "Husband, how's my cooking? Did it help you out of your predicament?"
Duan Jingchuan slightly lowered his eyelids and exhaled a breath of stale air. "Does Madam know what I'm thinking?" His tone was still somewhat uncertain.
As Duan Jingchuan expected, Feng Ran honestly shook her head and said, "I don't know."
I don't know what kind of worries you're arguing about or what kind of difficulties you're trying to solve. Duan Jingchuan really feels that his temper has gotten worse lately, and his blood is easily drawn to him.
Regardless of what Duan Jingchuan and Feng Ran thought, Huang Que felt much more at ease.
He was initially very resistant to the pink outfit, but under Feng Ran's tyrannical influence, he had no choice but to reluctantly put it on. However, when he looked in the mirror, he was delighted.
He himself didn't recognize the little girl in the mirror, and with his own attire, strangers would be even less likely to recognize him. So, from his initial reluctance, he eventually put the flower wreath on his own head without any difficulty.
Seeing Duan Jingchuan's incredulous expression, she wasn't annoyed. Instead, she flashed a standard toothless smile and gave a proper curtsy. The curve of her curtsy was exactly the same as Feng Ran's, making it obvious who had done the bow.
Seeing this scene, Duan Jingchuan was unsure whether to laugh or be wary of some petty person digging up his dark past later. He uttered a very friendly compliment, trying to ease his speechlessness, "Very good."
He was genuinely unsure whether his wife had done it on purpose or if there was some deeper meaning behind bringing the child back. But whenever he thought of conspiracy theories, Duan Jingchuan wished he could knock some sense into himself; his wife couldn't possibly do such a thing.
Feng Ran, however, was also feeling good and completely oblivious to Duan Jingchuan's complex feelings. She was still immersed in the joy of raising a child. "Come on, let your older sister take you out for a walk. Let me tell you, there's a really interesting place in the mansion that I don't share with anyone else."
Duan Jingchuan followed behind the two, one big and one small, as if in a trance, his mind racing with all sorts of guesses, but he just couldn't seem to connect with his wife.
It was just a coincidence that I ran into a few of the Duan brothers when I went out today. They greeted me from a distance without saying much. Duan Yuche wanted to ask where the children came from, but he was afraid of asking them other things he didn't want to know, so he didn't go up to them.
Lord Duan was extremely surprised. He had been running into this young couple quite often lately, but this was the first time he had seen such a combination. Feng Ran was skipping and jumping ahead with a little girl in her hand, while Duan Jingchuan followed two steps behind, silently protecting her. They looked just like a happy family.
"Whose child is this?" Old Marquis Duan thought for a while, but couldn't think of any familiar family with a child that big. But the child looked strangely familiar to him.
When Huang Que saw that Lord Duan's hands and feet were a little stiff, Feng Ran pushed him forward without noticing. "Father, this is a homeless child I picked up outside. I felt a special connection with him and brought him back. Look at how much he looks like my husband. I'm sure our future children will be just as cute as him."
Old Marquis Duan was initially wondering whose child this was, but after listening to Feng Ran's imaginative thoughts, he was immediately led astray and began to fantasize about what his own grandchildren would look like. He figured whoever they were would be quite good-looking.
Lord Duan passed this test just like that. The old lord was so focused on his future grandson that he even neglected the grandson's parents and left happily.
Huang Que loosened her white fingers, glanced at Feng Ran with a complicated expression, and then tightly gripped the other's sleeve.
Her sleeve was gripped tightly. Feng Ran thought Huang Que was eager to play and didn't want to waste any more time. "Come on, I'll take you to play now. Oh, no, I'll go play with you."
Huang Que was good at reading people's expressions. He could tell that Feng Ran wanted to play with something new and interesting. He didn't know why she insisted on bringing him along. He didn't point it out and even looked expectant. "Okay, it's been so long since anyone has played with me."
Duan Jingchuan suddenly felt a sense of crisis. He even disliked the child Feng Ran was holding. He stepped forward and took Huang Que from her. "Madam, where are we going?"
The small hand was replaced by a big hand, but Feng Ran showed no displeasure. Instead, she said mysteriously, "You'll know when you get there."
The Ink Courtyard next to the Chrysanthemum Courtyard is also the inner residence of the mansion. For some reason, it has been abandoned and few people come here on weekdays. This winter, the snow has been very frequent, and no one has cleared the snow in this area. It has accumulated into a thick layer, and in some places it is even knee-deep.
The scene here is what Feng Ran saw when she returned from Juyuan.
When Feng Ran pushed open the gate of the Mo Courtyard, she didn't notice the complicated look on Duan Jingchuan's face, which was still filled with excitement. "Husband, there's so much snow here! Can I build a snowman?"
The Moyuan Courtyard, though still sealed in the dust, was not covered in dust like a courtyard that had not been used for a long time. Instead, it was covered in a blanket of white snow. The past was like a bottle of aged wine that had been sealed for a long time. The moment the lid was lifted, it was the most intoxicating.
For a moment, Feng Ran was also momentarily stunned. "It must be because all the courtyards in the Marquis's mansion look so similar that I feel a sense of familiarity." Turning her head, she saw that Duan Jingchuan's face was tinged with sorrow. This realization panicked Feng Ran. She abandoned her playful thoughts and asked with great concern, "Husband, what's wrong?"
The call broke the reverie, and Feng Ran's figure slowly became clear before his eyes. He gently hugged her, and warmth immediately filled his chest. "I'm fine. Weren't we going to build a snowman? Let's do it together."
Feng Ran was still worried. "Building a snowman isn't important. You have a problem. Did something unpleasant happen here? Or is there something that's making you unhappy?"
"I'm fine, I'll tell you slowly later." He gently rubbed the stray hairs on Feng Ran's forehead, a happy smile on his lips proving that he was really alright.
Once she confirmed that Duan Jingchuan was really alright, Feng Ran started playing around with abandon, her childishness surpassing even that of a real child.
"Duan Jingchuan!" Feng Ran suddenly called his name from behind. Duan Jingchuan turned around and a snowball came flying at him. The scattered snowflakes got deep into his collar, making him shiver from the cold.
"Hahaha, hurry up, let's smash him! Once he realizes what's happening, we'll admit defeat!" Feng Ran shouted, directing Huang Que to help her as well.
The yellow sparrow was also obedient; its little hands moved so fast they left afterimages. For a moment, there wasn't a safe place around Jingchuan, and snowballs came one after another as if they were free.
Duan Jingchuan wiped his face, stopped dodging, bent down and made two big snowballs. "You guys better watch out!"
The once quiet Moyuan Courtyard was now bustling with activity, attracting the ladies and young women from next door to tiptoe and look over. They saw two adults and a child playing together, rolling around in the snow countless times.
"I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore, call a truce!" Feng Ran was the first to beg for mercy.
Originally, it was a battle between the two adults and the child against Duan Jingchuan, but somehow it developed into the three of them going their own way. The two adults didn't hold back on throwing snowballs even though the child was small, and the child didn't hesitate to throw snowballs at the child's face even though it was an unfamiliar environment and the people were not very familiar.
Although the yellow sparrow was small and energetic, it still had short legs. Upon hearing about the truce, it ignored everything and lay down on the snow, panting heavily.
Duan Jingchuan wasn't much better off; he was hit the hardest, and his eyelashes were covered in frost. Although he wanted to sit on the ground like the two of them, he managed to pull them both up with reason.
"You can't lie here, you'll catch a cold."
Huang Que had never been so happy and relaxed. Her little face was red from the cold, and her eyes shone brightly as she asked expectantly, "Shall we build a snowman again?"
Naturally, they piled them up, each of the three of them piling their own, and without prior arrangement, they all piled them up in their own shapes.
Building a snowman is a skill. Feng Ran was jealous of Duan Jingchuan's tall, handsome snowman. Why were the snowmen she and Little Carrot Head built short, fat and ugly, while his were handsome and refined?
Jealousy can cloud one's judgment. Taking advantage of Duan Jingchuan's inattention, Feng Ran licked a snowball hard into the snowman's belly and said smugly, "Husband, you've gotten fat."
Duan Jingchuan took Feng Ran's hand and found that it was also very cold, so he pressed his face against it. "Alright, let's go back."
Huang Que silently ate the dog food by herself, and before leaving, she didn't forget to reduce the weight of her snowman.
After dinner, Duan Jingchuan came to see Huang Que alone.
Huang Que was somewhat timid. Even though no one should know his identity, he had a feeling that the person in front of him knew something. Was he here behind the Crown Princess's back to get rid of this troublesome person? If he left here, would he still be alive?
Just as he was lost in thought, Duan Jingchuan spoke up.
"I don't know your identity, nor do I want to know, but you must understand that in this mansion, you can only be a cicada, and will always be a cicada. If you have any ideas, then the cicada will surely die." After thinking it over, Duan Jingchuan decided to give the cicada some advice.
Huang Que whispered, "I really like it here and won't cause you any trouble."
After all, she was only seven or eight years old. The New Year had just passed, and she couldn't go home. She must have suffered a lot to have this happiness today. Duan Jingchuan felt a little sorry for her and couldn't help but comfort her, "Don't think too much. Madam is kind-hearted. As long as you don't deceive Madam, the Dingbei Marquis's Mansion is not afraid of trouble."
The sparrow, who had been on tenterhooks all day, finally felt relieved by those words. He had been extremely careful all day, afraid of upsetting his master and being abandoned. He truly didn't have the courage to go out and live a life of wandering. Tears blurred his vision, and he could no longer hide the grievances and fear in his heart.
Although Feng Ran was the kindest to him, he didn't dare to cry in front of her. He knew that Feng Ran only liked him because he was good-looking and well-behaved. When faced with Duan Jingchuan's unfulfilled promise of comfort, Huang Que almost cried out all the grievances he had held in for the past six months.
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