Gong Yuanzheng never expected that his four children, who were born as red monkeys, would grow up to be more beautiful and delicate than the last, with fair and tender skin, completely unlike their previous bright red appearance.
Just then, news came back from my brother's side that Wu Feng had been wiped out and they were preparing to set off for their return. I must let my brother see them first when they arrive.
After giving birth, Gong Ruanruan acted very strangely. So strangely, if the baby wasn't held by someone else and didn't have her scent, she would become increasingly averse to it, ignoring the baby's crying and fussing.
Deep down, she knew those were her kittens too, but her body's conditioned reflex wouldn't change—it's a cat's innate reaction. If a newborn kitten is held and picks up a scent that isn't its mother's, the cat will automatically assume it's not her child.
Finally, it was Gong Ruanruan herself who told Gong Yuanzheng, which made him realize that it was all due to her nature. He hadn't seen Ruanruan's original form for so long that he had almost forgotten she wasn't human. Since she gave birth, Gong Zishang had been searching everywhere in the palace.
Wasn't the cuddly cat Ruan Ruan the one that Gong Yuanzheng doted on so much that he would carry her around in his arms even when they were just walking a few steps? Why haven't we seen a trace of her lately?
At first, Gong Zishang thought it was because Ruan Ruan was pregnant that the cat was not suitable to stay by her side. But then she thought about it again. Ruan Ruan's belly hadn't gotten that big overnight. Ruan Ruan had been with Gong Yuanzheng for half a year.
Moreover, it disappeared in the last two months, and Ruan Ruan was discovered around the same time. There must be a connection between the two. I considered one possibility, but the probability is too low. The idea of a raccoon dog turning into a human only exists in operas and folk tales.
There's no other explanation if you don't think about it that way! So these past few days, Gong Zishang has been outwardly searching for the fox spirit Ruan Ruan in the palace, but in reality, he's been secretly observing Ruan Ruan's movements.
Finally, a clue was found among the slightest traces. Who would disown their child just because someone else took it? This is unprecedented! The book mentioned that raccoon dogs hide away alone when giving birth.
Only those you trust implicitly can get close to the child. And just like with Ruan Ruan, the child cannot be tainted by someone else's scent shortly after birth, otherwise the raccoon will think that the child is not its own.
All these events pointed to Ruan Ruan being a raccoon dog. Gong Zishang suddenly felt as if she had discovered something earth-shattering—something terrible! But it couldn't be worse!
The fairies in these stories are all incredibly powerful. If they knew her true identity, wouldn't they kill her to silence her?
But that doesn't make sense. Yuanzheng's younger brother must know about this, and that deadpan-faced Gong Shangjiao must know too. These two brothers are so close they'd practically share the same pants. She just doesn't believe Gong Shangjiao wouldn't know about this.
Now is not the time to confront Gong Yuanzheng and the others. We still need to wait for Gong Shangjiao to return. After all, we need some kind of guarantee. If she rashly goes up to someone and points her finger at them, saying, "You're a demon! You're that old fox!"
The servants would only look at her with disdain, as if she were an idiot. And that young couple would probably climb into her bed in the middle of the night and have their way with her.
She was very clear about her own position. Gong Yuanzheng, with his dead fish eyes, only cared about Ruan Ruan and Gong Shangjiao in the entire palace. She could only uphold the title of "elder sister" within the palace. Once outside the palace, he probably wouldn't even give her a second glance.
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A few days later, Gong Shangjiao returned to the palace gate. Before Gong Zishang could even see her, Gong Yuanzheng dragged her away. Based on the previous experience, Gong Yuanzheng very humanely set up a viewing procedure, which made Gong Shangjiao's scalp tingle. Did he really have to watch it like this?
"Expedition brother?" Gong Shangjiao looked helplessly at the fence blocking his way. What on earth was going on?
Gong Yuanzheng immediately explained, "Brother, just wait and see for now. You can hold her in another half month. This is the only way we can do it. You know what Ruanruan is like, brother."
A while ago, if any child was held by anyone other than me and Ruan Ruan, she wouldn't recognize them.
Gong Yuanzheng helplessly told Gong Shangjiao about the matter. After listening, Gong Shangjiao fell into deep thought and spoke after a while, "This is something I didn't consider. Ordinary raccoon dogs will have this phenomenon. Although Ruan Ruan has transformed into human form, she is still a raccoon dog in essence. I didn't remind you of this."
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