In the spring of Jiangnan, under the indulgence of her grandparents, An'an's little feet made the air exceptionally noisy.
The Emperor Emeritus completely abandoned his imperial majesty and became his granddaughter's exclusive "mount." An'an rode on his shoulders, passing through the alley paved with bluestone slabs, her little fingers pointing at the dazzling array of shops on both sides, excitedly shouting, "Grandpa Beard! Sugar figurines! I want that Monkey King!" The Emperor Emeritus walked steadily past, letting his little darling "point the way" on his head. When he took out silver to pay, his slightly raised chin, with a hint of "I have plenty of money," made the Empress and Shen Yuewei unable to suppress their laughter from behind.
The painted boat drifted gently along the riverbank, lined with blooming peach blossoms. An'an was held tightly in the Empress's arms, her little hands reaching out to touch the soft willow branches drooping to the water. The Emperor Emeritus stood at the bow, hands behind his back, trying to maintain his air of commanding the realm, but An'an's cry of "Grandpa Beard, look! A big white goose!" immediately made him turn around, intently looking in the direction his granddaughter was pointing, and then solemnly commenting, "Hmm, this goose is quite plump; it would make excellent soup." This prompted the Empress to laugh and scold, "You spoilsport old man! An'an wants to see geese swimming!" An'an giggled and clapped her hands, "Soup isn't good! Geese are cute!"
The flowerbed in the Shen family courtyard became An'an's "personal" playground. The Emperor Emeritus rolled up the sleeves of his dragon robe (a move that nearly made the old steward kneel down), clumsily picked up a small shovel, and dug holes under An'an's direction. The Empress stood by, smiling as she helped An'an place the small jasmine seedlings into the holes. The three of them worked together to fill the holes with soil and water them, getting their hands covered in mud. An'an looked at the seedlings she had planted, put her hands on her hips, and, imitating the Emperor Emeritus's usual manner, nodded in an old-fashioned way: "Hmm, very good! Very good!" Her lifelike imitation made the Emperor Emeritus stroke his beard and laugh heartily, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes so deep they could hold flower petals.
That afternoon, the warm sunlight streamed into the waterside pavilion of Prince Jing's residence. Shen Yuewei reclined on a chaise longue covered with thick cushions, her pregnant belly quite noticeable. Xiao Chengjing sat on a small stool beside the chaise, carefully peeling glistening purple grapes from a crystal dish with a small, sharp silver knife. His movements were extremely light; his long, strong fingers deftly peeled off the thin skins, revealing the translucent flesh, yet not a drop of juice spilled. After peeling one, he carefully picked it up with a silver skewer and brought it to Shen Yuewei's lips.
"Try it. They said it was just delivered from the estate this morning. It's very sweet." His voice was deep and gentle.
Shen Yuewei took a bite from his hand, the sweet juice spreading in her mouth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction: "Mmm, it's sweet." Her gaze fell on her husband's focused profile, with a gentle smile, "You should eat some too, don't just focus on me."
"I don't like sweets," Xiao Chengjing replied casually, his hands still busy peeling another grape. His focused expression made it seem as if he were carving some rare treasure.
At the other end of the open pavilion, Shen Wenbai was holding his energetic son, trying to quiet him down for a moment. Lin Qingwan, on the other hand, was holding her relatively quiet daughter, sitting to the side embroidering a little bib. Watching Xiao Chengjing's meticulous movements, Shen Wenbai couldn't help but nudge his wife with his elbow, lowering his voice with obvious teasing: "Wan'er, look at our Prince's posture! If you didn't know better, you'd think he was serving grapes to the Princess, but if you didn't, you'd think he was peeling a tribute for the Emperor! Tsk tsk, that knife skill, that patience, even the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen would be ashamed of himself."
Lin Qingwan smiled slightly, gave her husband a reproachful look, and lowered her voice, "Say less. It's a good thing that the Prince cares about Sister Yuewei." Even so, her eyes were full of smiles.
Shen Wenbai, however, persisted, holding the squirming boy in his arms and deliberately raising his voice slightly towards Xiao Chengjing: "Chengjing, it's not that your second brother is criticizing you, but your reputation as a 'filial and devoted husband' has spread throughout the Jiangnan region! Even we older brothers are being talked about by our wives when we go home, saying, 'Look at Prince Jing...'" He dragged out the words, his teasing evident in his tone.
Xiao Chengjing didn't pause in peeling the grapes, nor did he lift his eyelids. He simply replied, "If Second Brother is envious, he might as well learn more from Second Sister-in-law on how to be considerate of his wife. I'm sure Second Sister-in-law won't mind if Second Brother learns too slowly." His tone was calm, yet it precisely hit Shen Wenbai's "weak spot."
Shen Wenbai was taken aback. He looked at his son, who was waving his arms around, and then at his wife's smiling glance. He felt a little embarrassed. "Ahem, well... everyone has their own way of doing things! I'm just... well, teaching through entertainment, teaching through entertainment!" He quickly lifted his son up a little higher, trying to change the subject. "Son, look how high Daddy will lift you!"
Lin Qingwan finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, and gently pushed her husband: "You talk too much!"
Shen Yuewei watched her brother and sister-in-law bickering, then glanced at her husband, who was still intently peeling grapes for her, and felt a warm glow in her heart. She reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Xiao Chengjing's hand, which was resting on the edge of the couch. Only then did Xiao Chengjing stop what he was doing, look up at her, and see her reflection in his deep eyes, which held a silent question.
“It’s nothing,” Shen Yuewei shook her head, her smile gentle, “I just feel so good.”
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