"So what is a careless fright? And what is a careful fright?" Ah Guai asked eagerly to learn more.
Xiao Bei: "...Forget it, as long as you’re happy."
Just as they were talking, a boy of about eleven or twelve years old walked out of a path in the garden, "What are you guys doing here? I couldn’t find anyone when I first arrived, were you hiding here for a bit of tranquility?"
Song Xi, also eleven this year, may still be a child, but because of his mature nature, he cannot play with the other children. He gets along better with Xiao Bei and Xiaochaihuo though. For an eleven-year-old boy, he is starting to show glimpses of elegance, really living up to the saying a handsome and refined young man.
Shulan never fails to mention that this young master of the Song Family will undoubtedly grow up to be a femme fatale.
Excited, Ah Guai broke free from Xiao Bei’s arms and scampered towards Song Xi, throwing herself into his arms. Song Xi caught her and she said joyfully, "Brother Xi!"
The smile that was already lingering on Song Xi’s face froze abruptly. He grimaced and gritted his teeth at Ah Guai, "I told you not to call me like this from now on."
Still excited, Ah Guai responded, "Understood, Brother Xi!"
Song Xi: "..."
Xiao Bei couldn’t help but burst into laughter, enjoying his misfortune.
Humphing lightly, Song Xi didn’t bother to pay him any mind. Holding Ah Guai, he began to walk back, "Just now when I came, I saw your mother looking for you everywhere. You know how to run off playing when no one’s around. Aren’t you afraid of making others worried?"
Muttering, Ah Guai said, "Ah Guai was not running around wildly, Ah Guai was watching Uncle play wrestling."
"What?" Song Xi’s eyebrows raised in suspicion.
"Cough, cough!" Xiao Bei, who was walking behind, coughed heavily to interrupt Ah Guai, this "naughty child’s" speech. He then quickly changed the topic, "So, Song Xi, why the late arrival today? Today is Ah Guai’s fifth birthday celebration. You must’ve prepared a unique gift for Ah Guai, am I right?"
Naturally, Song Xi noticed the strangeness but didn’t ask about it then. With Xiao Bei around, he wouldn’t be able to probe anyway. He would just ask Ah Guai later, since, after all, she tells him everything.
Song Xi subtly hooked the corners of his lips, seemingly a bit proud inside. He then replied to Xiao Bei, "Uh huh, got held up by something on the way, so that’s why I’m a tad late."
"So what did you prepare as a gift?" Xiao Bei asked in a burst of excitement.
Before he could get the answer, Shulan could be seen coming from the other end of the corridor. Running anxiously to Song Xi’s side, she took Ah Guai from him, "My little master, where did you run off to? The lady was looking for you everywhere!"
With a sweet smile, Ah Guai replied, "I was watching my uncle play wrestling outside Pingque Terrace... um..."
Before Ah Guai could finish speaking, Xiao Bei covered her mouth. Smiling awkwardly with twitching lips, he said, "It’s okay, it’s okay. I came accross Ah Guai just now and figured she must’ve sneaked out herself so I brought her back right away."
Only then did Shulan relax, chiding Ah Guai, "You are not allowed to be so naughty in the future, the princess is heartbroken."
Always obedient, Ah Guai nodded her head. Actually, she just wanted to come out and see if Brother Xi had arrived.
Leading Ah Guai behind him, Xiao Bei whispered, "The incident where you saw me from the wall of Pingque Terrace today - um, that is, when I was wrestling...you can’t tell anyone."
Cocking her head curiously, Ah Guai asked, "Why?"
Xiao Bei massaged his temples, and came up with a foolproof strategy for dealing with Ah Guai, "Because it’s our secret! Your uncle wrestling should only be seen by Ah Guai. After you saw it, you can’t tell others."
Hearing this, Ah Guai, as expected, nodded very solemnly, "Don’t worry, Uncle! I will definitely not tell!"
Only then did Xiao Bei relax and ruffle her hair, smiling contentedly, "Such a good girl."
He really needed to seal Ah Guai’s mouth about this promptly. Given this little girl’s nature, his "wrestling play" outside the walls of Pingque Terrace would probably spread throughout Lian’an Town, hell no, the whole Yu State within half a day!
Sometimes Xiao Bei truly believed that this little girl was born to tease him.
The group quickly entered the East Warm Chamber of Pingque Terrace through the doorway of the side courtyard. Since all of them were boys, and two of them were already sixteen - the age to perform their coming-of-age ceremony - they couldn’t sit with the fairer sex, let alone accidently meet. They had to be discreet to avoid gossip and with it, ruinous rumours.
Therefore, to find Ji Xinhe at Pingque Terrace, they could only use a secluded side entrance that led directly to the East Warm Chamber.
As soon as they entered the East Warm Chamber, Shulan said with a laugh, "Found the little princess. She’s with young master Xiao Bei and young master Song."
"Mother!" Ah Guai pounced into Xinhe’s arms, hugging her neck, looking very well-behaved.
Xinhe chided, "Only know how to act cute and clever now? When you ran out of sight earlier, didn’t you think of how worried your mother would be?"
"Ah Guai was wrong, and mother should not be angry." Ah Guai blinked her big, watery eyes, sincerely admitting her mistake.
Seeing her like this, Ji Xinhe’s heart melted. How could she be mad at her?
Ji Xinhe pinched her little nose, "You are not allowed to do this next time!"
"Alright!" Now that mother wasn’t angry anymore, Ah Guai was happy again.
Xinhe then turned to look at Song Xi and said with a smile, "Song Xi, you’re here? No wonder Ah Guai is so happy."
With a smile, Song Xi saluted, "To celebrate Ah Guai’s birthday."
Following a slight pause, his face grew somber, "And there’s something else to discuss with the princess."
Xinhe’s eyes flickered. Looking at Song Xi’s demeanor, it seemed like a major issue.
On a regular day, he is good with Ah Guai and he shouldn’t be half a day late to her birthday. She had guessed that something might have happened, and now that Song Xi suddenly said this, a chord in Ji Xinhe’s heart tightened.
Touching Ah Guai’s head, Xinhe said, "Why don’t you go out and play with your uncle first. Later, mother will take you to find your father. Today is your birthday, you are the leading role, so no more running around."
Ah Guai blinked her eyes, then obediently nodded, "Okay."
Xiao Bei took Ah Guai out. Xiaochaihuo stayed. He has gradually started helping Ji Xinhe with affairs over the years and is now considered a very important confidant of Ji Xinhe’s.
"What happened?" Xinhe’s voice had cooled down somewhat.
Wetting his lips, Song Xi said, "Just received news from my father in the capital city. He said the emperor seems to have vaguely sensed the issue about Yu State’s recruitment of soldiers. I’m afraid he will secretly send someone to investigate."
"Who’s he sending?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Duan Lan."
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