040 Mischievous Child
Yuan Chongjing calmly removed himself from Li Yang and pressed Xiao Taozi's head down, stopping her a foot away from the two of them.
Seeing Li Yang's flushed face and her loosened collar, Xiao Taozi glared angrily at Yuan Chongjing, reaching out to hit him. However, her arms and legs were too short, so she could only hop around in place, her mouth never stopping: "Daddy! Why are you bullying Mommy! Xiao Taozi is angry!"
Yuan Chongjing gestured for Li Yang to sit up before releasing Xiao Taozi's head, pulling her into his arms, and tapping her forehead: "You little rascal, where did you see me bullying your mother?"
"I saw it! You bit my mouth! You even choked my neck!" Little Peach felt more and more sorry for her mother as she spoke, and finally burst into tears: "Waaah, Mommy, Mommy, hug me~"
She stretched out her arm toward Li Yang, trying to break free from Yuan Chongjing's hold.
Yuan Chongjing pulled her small body up and made her sit on his lap. He wiped away the tears that fell from her face and said with a smile, "Nonsense, Daddy is kissing your mother."
"Daddy's talking nonsense! A kiss doesn't involve eating the mouth." Little Peach hiccuped, still glaring angrily at him: "The mouth is for eating, not for kissing!"
"Adults kiss, no, adults kiss on the lips, while children kiss on the cheek," Yuan Chongjing explained to her in a serious tone.
Little Peach didn't believe it at all: "Then why doesn't Daddy go and kiss Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Mom?"
Yuan Chongjing: "..." This brat is so clever! He's getting less and less adorable as he gets older!
He loosened his grip, and Little Peach jumped off his lap, running tearfully into Li Yang's arms: "Waaah, Mommy~"
Li Yang caught her and sat down on the big bed: "Little Peach, be good, don't cry, Daddy didn't bully Mommy."
Little Peach pouted, looking at Li Yang accusingly: "Mother is lying! Little Peach saw it all! Father was on top of you, he was choking you, and he even bit you! Waaah, Little Peach doesn't like Father anymore~"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Chongjing wanted to retort, but when he turned his head, he met Li Yang's gaze. Seeing that the other's lips were still red, both of them were startled and looked away with slight embarrassment.
All he could hear was her gentle voice coaxing Xiao Taozi. Yuan Chongjing felt that strange impulse from before return to his body, running wildly around him, making his heart pound violently.
He grunted softly, awkwardly touched his nose, and opened his mouth to speak, but saw Li Yang stand up holding Xiao Taozi. Her cheeks were flushed with a suspicious blush, and she lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye: "Brother Jing, then, then I'll take Xiao Taozi to sleep first. You, you should get some rest."
This time, he also started stammering: "Okay...okay. Then take your time...take care and don't...don't bother seeing me off."
"Mmm." Li Yang hugged Xiao Taozi, looked down at him without glancing at him, and hurriedly left. It wasn't until she arrived at Xiao Taozi's room that she felt the heat on her face subside a little, but from the outside, it was still bright red.
Little Peach sat on her lap and reached out to touch her face: "Mother, it's so hot! Mother, are you sick?"
Li Yang shook her head: "Mommy carried you all the way and got hot. Mommy will rest for a bit. Little Peach, be good, how about Mommy sleeps with you?"
"Okay~" Little Peach obediently replied. After Li Yang lay down, she hugged her little pillow and nestled sweetly in Li Yang's arms: "Mommy, does it still hurt? Little Peach will warm you up~"
Li Yang let her blow on it a couple of times, then hugged her and lay down: "Thank you, Little Peach~ Mother doesn't hurt anymore, lie down quickly, Mother will hold you to sleep."
Hearing this, Little Peach finally lay down reassured, hugged her arm, giggled twice, and snuggled into her arms: "Mommy smells so good~"
Li Yang held her and patted her gently. Little Peach was sleepy and fell asleep in no time.
But Li Yang's mind became increasingly clear. She couldn't help but recall the moment Yuan Chongjing kissed her, his burning body and forceful strength overwhelming her world with an unstoppable speed.
Let her become addicted, let her be unable to extricate herself.
She knew that he did too.
If it weren't for Xiao Taozi's sudden intrusion, Li Yang felt they might have continued.
She pulled the blanket over her nose until it covered the tip of her nose, then chuckled softly.
***
The next morning, Li Yang woke up early. She was in a good mood, her smile as bright as the morning sun reflecting the dew, bringing joy to everyone who saw her. Even Xiao Taozi, after opening her eyes, dazedly wanted to get up with her.
As Jinghe dressed Xiaotaozi, she said, "I heard that the second young master didn't sleep all night. He stayed in the study all night and only went back to his room to rest after dawn."
With Beihai gone, Yuan Chongjing had no one to talk to or advise him. Li Yang lowered her eyes: "Then have someone keep an eye on him and don't wake him for now. Let him get some sleep."
"Yes, young mistress, don't worry."
As they spoke, Xia He quickly changed Xiao Taozi into a light yellow dress and then opened her jewelry box to pick out jewelry for her: "I heard that Miss Li'er is wearing pink today. Our Miss Taozi's yellow dress will definitely catch everyone's eye!"
Little Peach smiled and said, "Sister Xiahe, you must dress Little Peach up beautifully, even more beautifully than Mother!" The little girl had reached the age where she loved beauty and had a sharp eye. When it came to choosing jewelry to match her clothes and makeup, even Li Yang sometimes admitted that her taste was not as good as hers.
Once Xiao Taozi started talking, she enthusiastically told Xia He about the origins of the various pieces of jewelry in her treasure box. Li Yang also became interested and sat down to listen to her chatter.
Just then, a sound came from outside the window behind her. Li Yang turned around and saw Jing He peeking out furtively, whispering, "Young Madam! Shh!"
He called out to her while gesturing for her to quietly leave.
Li Yang, following her wishes, tiptoed out without disturbing Xia He and Xiao Taozi, lifting her skirt as she asked, "What's wrong?"
Jinghe pulled her outside, and only after they had gone some distance did she say, "My sister just told me something, and I think we should tell the young mistress about it."
Her older sister, Jingzhi, now works for Madam Yuan.
Li Yang asked, "Is Mother looking for me?"
Jinghe shook her head and said angrily, "Young Madam, please don't be angry when I tell you! It's that Xu Biyun who came! And she brought her son with her! She's so annoying. She carried a basket and said she made some food herself to thank you for saving her and her son's lives."
After she finished speaking in one breath, Li Yang asked, "Did my mother let them into the mansion?"
"Yes, it was early in the morning, and the people passing by outside were all on their way to the market. Everyone saw it, and Madam felt bad making them stand outside. If you ask me, she definitely did it on purpose!"
If Madam Yuan allows them into the mansion, it would indirectly confirm the rumor that Luo Song might be Yuan Chongjing's son. If she doesn't allow them in, it would mean she has a guilty conscience, or that the Yuan family is heartless and ruthless, bullying them, a widow and her orphan.
That's a clever plan.
Li Yang asked, "Where are they now?"
"I don't know, I came as soon as my sister left." Jinghe thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she gave her a suggestion: "My sister said that Xu Biyun's words were all about the Second Young Master, she will definitely find an excuse to come and see him! Young Madam, should I have a few people guard the door and not let her come?"
Li Yang disagreed: "You can hide for a while, but you can't hide forever. If you refuse this time, she might find another excuse next time. Just keep an eye on them today and don't let them wander around the mansion."
Jinghe said in a low voice, "Let her hide here one last time. Let her go back and worry about how to come in openly next time. If she gets annoyed too much, she might not come at all."
Upon hearing this, Li Yang chuckled and said, "That's a good idea. Here's what we'll do: Jinghe, go get a stick and guard the entrance to our courtyard. If Xu Biyun comes over, just beat her out with the stick."
Jinghe smiled somewhat guiltily: "I was just joking, young mistress, please don't take it seriously."
Li Yang smiled and said, "Alright, go ahead and get busy. I'll take Xiao Taozi to visit her mother after she's all ready."
"Alright, young mistress, please wait here. I'll go find out more information from Madam." After saying that, Jinghe ran off along the wall in a flash. She had grown up by Madam Yuan's side since she was little, and her mother and sister also worked there. Li Yang didn't need to worry about her, so she let her go.
Li Yang walked around the courtyard. Yuan Chongjing was still not awake, so she didn't ask anyone to wake him. She was thinking about what excuse she could use to get out of it when she saw Madam Yuan. When she looked up, she saw Xue'er, a little maid from Madam Yuan's courtyard, standing in front of Yuan Chongjing's study.
Xue'er just turned thirteen this year. She was sent here by a poor family in the surrounding area to do manual labor. She will be able to redeem herself in two years and be released. Because of her young age and the poverty of her family, Xue'er spends all her time helping her parents with chores. She is very thin and her face still has a childish look.
Upon seeing Li Yang approach, Xue'er trembled in fright and lowered her head guiltily, calling out, "Second, Second Young Madam."
Li Yang became suspicious and glanced at the closed door behind Xue'er. He asked, "Who's in there?"
"No, no one."
Li Yang didn't even glance at her, and barged straight past Xue'er, pushing open the door and barging inside.
The person inside was dressed in plain clothes. When Li Yang entered, he showed no panic. Instead, he walked leisurely to the table and sat down, saying, "Li Yang, it's been a long time."
Li Yang stared directly at her: "Xu Biyun, what exactly do you want?"
Xu Biyun smiled gently, her voice soft but full of provocation: "I'm not doing anything, your husband has helped me so much, I have to come and thank him 'personally'."
As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Li Yang. Seeing that she wasn't as angry as she had imagined, Xu Biyun smiled and said, "Li Yang, you're much more mature than before." If it were Li Yang's temper back in the academy, she would have already attacked her after hearing this. She had used that to expose Li Yang to outsiders quite a bit.
Li Yang said sarcastically, "You too, you've become much more cunning than before. Life at the Duke of Luo's mansion must be tough."
Xu Biyun's eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly concealed it, waving the paper in her hand: "Thank you for your kindness. But I think you're the one who should be worried right now."
The paper was thin and wobbled gently between her waving index and middle fingers before finally stopping in front of Li Yang's eyes.
Prenuptial agreement.
It was the prenuptial agreement that she had searched for a long time in Yuan Chongjing's study but could not find, yet Xu Biyun found it with ease.
Li Yang's heart sank immediately.
Seeing Li Yang's expression change, Xu Biyun smiled smugly.
"How interesting! This loving couple in Kyoto actually had a marriage of convenience. I knew it! You two were mortal enemies back then, so why did you suddenly get married? It turns out there was such a deep secret behind it."
Li Yang stared intently at the paper and demanded, "What do you want!"
Xu Biyun looked at her with disdain: "I don't want anything. You should know that I'm living alone with Song'er now. In this world, it's not easy for us orphans and widows to survive. Please loosen your grip and give us a way to live."
Li Yang understood her words: "You want to make the rumors come true? To make Luo Song the illegitimate son of Yuan Chongjing and Xu Biyun, and to expose their affair to the world."
Xu Biyun remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Li Yang scoffed, "Xu Biyun, are you crazy? Brother Jing may have amnesia, but I haven't. Do I need to explain your relationship with Luo Yanzhi? You want to enter the Yuan family and have Luo Yanzhi's son change his surname to Yuan. Do you think Luo Yanzhi, in the afterlife, would be angry with you if he knew?"
"None of your business! Just tell me, do you agree or not!" These words seemed to strike a nerve with Xu Biyun. Her expression changed drastically, and she slammed the paper heavily on the table: "If you dare to refuse, I'll tell everyone what's on this paper, and I'll make sure you can never stand a chance in the Yuan family again!"
Just then, a light, casual question drifted in through the open door: "Who wants to establish themselves in my Yuan family?"
It was Yuan Chongjing who arrived.
Xu Biyun quickly hid the paper, stood up, and smiled gently as usual: "Young Master Yuan is here. The young mistress and I were talking about your past. She said that when she first married into the family, she was unfamiliar with the place and it wasn't easy for her to establish herself."
Yuan Chongjing looked at Li Yang: "Really? Have you had a bad time in the Yuan family all these years?"
Li Yang glanced at him with a wronged expression, then looked away, muttering, "You knew that, yet you still said it."
Yuan Chongjing smiled and said, "It was my fault." As he spoke, he quietly approached Xu Biyun, and when she wasn't paying attention, he quickly pulled out the folded paper from her sleeve.
The paper was pulled out forcefully, the crease grazing her wrist and leaving a red mark.
Xu Biyun was startled, but relaxed after she came to her senses, her tone tinged with resentment: "Young Master Yuan."
Yuan Chongjing didn't even look at her, but slowly opened the paper under their gazes.
Li Yang's heart was in her throat with each of his movements. She carefully observed Yuan Chongjing's every subtle expression, and when she saw that he remained calm and composed, she was secretly surprised.
Yuan Chongjing unfolded the document, waved it in front of Xu Biyun, and asked in confusion, "A prenuptial agreement?"
Xu Biyun, full of righteous indignation, said, "Young Master Yuan, isn't this what you wrote when you married Li Yang? I found it on your bookshelf. Young Master Yuan, if you have any difficulties in your heart, just say it, and everyone will help you. Why should you wrong yourself by marrying such a... person?"
Even Li Yang could hear the disdain in those words.
Before Yuan Chongjing could speak, Li Yang spoke first, turning directly to Xu Biyun: "Xu Biyun! What do you mean by 'someone like me'? What's wrong with me? Do I have one less nose or one more eye than you?"
Xu Biyun was startled by her shout and leaned weakly towards Yuan Chongjing, turning slightly to the side.
That's exactly how she is! Li Yang found it annoying. She's like a delicate white flower that could be blown over by a gust of wind, always putting on airs in front of men. Why doesn't she bring back that tantrum she just threw earlier?
The two stood facing each other, one standing arrogantly and menacingly, the other looking weak, helpless, and pitiful.
This scene had occurred countless times when they attended the academy together. Behind Xu Biyun stood many students who couldn't stand Li Yang bullying others, while behind Li Yang, there was no one.
This time, it will probably be the same.
Seeing that Yuan Chongjing remained unmoved, Li Yang's heart gradually calmed down.
Yuan Chongjing's voice echoed in the room the next moment. He said, "Biyun, I've already asked Mother to risk being ridiculed to find you a house. Isn't that more than enough? Because of you, I've been smeared with such a huge amount of mud and can't even clear my name. My future career might be affected. Why won't you let me go? Are you just targeting me to harm me?"
Yuan Chongjing didn't know why he said that.
According to his plan, he should first help Xu Biyun, take the opportunity to gain her favor, and then find time to persuade her to give up the Fifth Prince and join the Crown Prince's camp.
But seeing the disappointment in Li Yang's eyes and her silent expression, Yuan Chongjing became increasingly out of control. He couldn't care about anything else; he just didn't want to see her so dejected.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com