Chu Lingxuan seemed to have come to his senses from his hatred. He glanced at Chen Afu and continued, "The child was skinny, her little body curled up into a pile and she sat on the ground, staring blankly at the swallow's nest under the corridor. Even though her little face was not clean, I could tell that she looked very much like me, very much like my mother... All her misfortunes might have been due to her appearance... At that moment, I truly felt that this child was my daughter, my blood... The young swallows in the nest chirped a few times, and the child actually grinned."
The maids and servants beside her all laughed and said, "Little fool, you can still laugh." One maid walked over and said, "Little fool, it's time to drink some water." Then she passed the tea bowl she had drunk from to the child's mouth. The child seemed to be very thirsty and drank up all the water in the bowl in a few gulps... I was so angry that I kicked the maid away and carried the child out of the princess's mansion.
The woman later sent someone to the Marquis's residence to take the child back. My grandfather held the child and cried in front of the emperor. The emperor and the queen mother reprimanded the woman and confined her to her house for three months. Only then was the child completely taken away from the princess's residence. But the Marquis's residence was not peaceful at that time, so I had to bring the child to Dingzhou..."
Chen Afu was already in tears for the poor little Yan'er.
She blurted out, "Where's your father? You're not at home, so your grandfather can't see you, but your father is in the princess's mansion. Doesn't he care about his own granddaughter?"
Chu Lingxuan sneered, "My father? He seems to be affectionate, but he is the most heartless. The child has the blood of the Ma family, my father will not like her, maybe he has never even looked at her before. Maybe later he accidentally saw or heard that the child looked like my mother, so that woman abused her so much and sent someone to send me a letter."
"Concubine Ma Shu is the princess's mother, and the Ma family is the princess's maternal family. Uh...is your wife related to the princess?" Chen Afu asked puzzledly.
Chu Lingxuan nodded, "Yes, they are relatives."
So, Lord Chu hated the Ma family and the princess, but they could live under the same roof for nearly ten years and were favored from time to time. That day in Lingyin Temple, I saw that the princess seemed to care about him very much, and he seemed like a gentle husband...
Chen Ahfu was a little confused. What on earth was going on?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Chu Lingxuan's voice again, "Yan'er was three years old and still had no name, so I named her Chu Hanyan, hoping that she would be able to smile sweetly one day. At that time, my grandfather and I thought this expectation was a pipe dream. But Yan'er is lucky to have met you. Now she is really smiling sweetly, just like a normal child. No, she is smarter and prettier than other children. Tell me, how can I not be happy?"
His eyes slid down to Chen Ahfu's face. When he smiled, the two dimples on his lips became deeper, exactly the same as Chu Hanyan's. At this moment, his voice was gentle and his smile was warm. There was no trace of the coldness on his face, which made Chen Ahfu's heart beat.
Chen Ahfu lowered his head quickly and subconsciously pressed his chest with his hand. He said, "Lord Chu, you are too kind. Yan'er is not stupid, but she was frightened by those people when she was a child. In order to protect herself, she retreated into her own world and didn't want to come out. Now, she sees that the outside world is so beautiful, with relatives who love her, friends who like her, and those lovely animals, so she feels relieved to come out."
Chu Lingxuan nodded and smiled, "Yes, that's the case. However, if you hadn't guided her well, letting her know that no one could hurt her anymore, and letting her know that the outside world is lively and full of fun, she wouldn't have come out and wouldn't have integrated into it. Miss Chen, there's no need to be humble. Yan'er and I both know that in this world, besides me, grandpa, and my mother, the one who loves Yan'er the most is you. It's just that we are all busy and don't have much free time to accompany Yan'er. Most of the time, you are the one who takes care of her. I can't thank you enough for your kindness. I will always remember your kindness in my heart. I..."
Suddenly, he saw a swallow standing on the branch in front of him. The swallow was looking at him with a smile. The most incredible thing was that its little pointed beak was half open, with its two wing tips inserted into its mouth.
His mouth was half open, unable to utter a word, as he watched the horrifying scene.
Chen Afu followed his gaze and saw Jin Yanzi looking at Chu Lingxuan foolishly, as if waiting for him to continue.
Seeing that Chu Lingxuan stopped talking and was staring at it blankly, and its owner was also staring at it, the golden swallow stretched out its wingtips and chirped in confusion, "Hey, why doesn't Daddy Chu continue to express his feelings? I'm still waiting to hear it." Seeing that Chu Lingxuan was still staring at it in amazement, it felt bored, rolled its eyes, and chirped, "Silly." Then, it flapped its wings and flew into the sky.
Only after the golden swallow flew away did Chu Lingxuan's soul return to its place. He stammered, "That swallow really, really can laugh, put its wings in its mouth, and even roll its eyes!" He then said with understanding, "No wonder Yan'er has been thinking about it all the time. It's really incredible."
Chen Ahfu thought to himself, there is something even more incredible about you. He said, "Yes, I also discovered later that Jinbao is different. However, Lord Chu should not tell others about its special features. If someone knows about it, it will not be safe."
Chu Lingxuan said, "Of course, I won't tell anyone." Then he asked, "What was I talking about just now?" After asking, even he found it funny and laughed involuntarily.
Foolish! Jin Yanzi was right.
Chen Afu secretly laughed.
They walked towards the children's playground again. The children and animals were still having fun, and the swallow was jumping around and chirping among them.
Chu Lingxuan seemed to remember what he wanted to say, and whispered again, "I will find a way to clear the obstacles and prevent you and the children from falling in love and getting hurt. Don't worry, I can do it."
"Ah?" Chen Afu looked at him in confusion.
Chu Lingxuan laughed again and said, "I mean, I will make this place an iron wall and fill it with laughter forever."
forever?
Even if I don't marry, Miss Chu will marry...
Dabao and Yan'er saw them and ran over.
Chen Afu and Chu Lingxuan stretched out their arms at the same time, and the two little guys threw themselves into Chen Afu's arms.
Chu Lingxuan withdrew his arm awkwardly, stood up and watched the interaction between the three of them. He thought to himself, his daughter was too disrespectful to him.
At this time, Shanzi came over and invited them to Huilu Garden for dinner.
On the way back, Dabao and Yan'er held hands, Dabao held Chen Afu's other hand, and Yan'er held Chu Lingxuan's. The two little people were in the middle, and the two adults were on both sides. This benefit was fought for by Chu Lingxuan. Seeing the injured father, Yan'er let go of her aunt's hand and ran over to hold his hand.
The sunset covered the earth with a layer of red light, and also dyed the four of them with color. Along the way, they left behind a string of laughter, and a string of dog barking and bird singing.
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