"It's not a dream!" Zhan Xiaoli pouted, his small face filled with stubbornness.
"If it were a dream, Mother wouldn't talk to me! Mother spoke to me last night! She even touched my forehead!"
Zhan Xiaoli added.
His childish voice conveyed his longing for his mother.
A chilling glint flashed in Zhan Tianye's eyes. "No one came into your room last night. I told you, you don't have a mother! Zhan Xiaoli, go have breakfast now, or you'll receive family punishment immediately!"
Zhan Xiaoli's small body trembled at the mention of family punishment.
Steward Wang sighed inwardly. The young master was only four years old!
"There's a scent left by Mother in my room!" Zhan Xiaoli continued stubbornly.
That scent was fragrant, it was his mother's scent!
It had to be!
Steward Wang was surprised by the mention of a scent.
Could someone have really been in the young master's room last night?
But there was no particular scent in the manor last night!
He only heard about an assassin who seemed to have broken in, but no assassin was found within the manor, and the matter was dropped.
Could the person who broke into the manor last night not have been an assassin?
Could it truly have been the young master's mother?
This...
Steward Wang looked at Zhan Tianye.
Zhan Tianye's expression was impassive, his eyes only showing disgust at the mention of his mother. "Steward Wang, take him to receive family punishment! Issue an order that I don't wish to hear the word 'mother' from the young master's mouth!"
"Your Highness, this... this..." Steward Wang's face changed. Wasn't this too cruel for the four-year-old young master?
Zhan Xiaoli clenched his small fists. His eyes were red, but not a single tear fell.
"Take him!" Zhan Tianye's order was unquestionable.
Steward Wang suddenly thought of something. The Prince had never been this forceful with the young master before; this was the first time.
It seemed it was because Yun Yueyin was about to return to the capital. To protect the young master from harm, the Prince could only adopt a stern attitude.
"Young master, His Highness is doing this for your own good. Alas, when the young master grows up, he will understand the Prince's deep intentions," Steward Wang said solemnly.
Zhan Xiaoli said nothing and followed Steward Wang to receive family punishment.
He didn't even cry.
Much less beg for mercy.
Steward Wang couldn't help but sigh again in his heart.
Pitiful!
Miss Yun Yueyin was truly heartless!
To leave the young master without his mother's care at such a tender age!
And yet, the young master didn't know he had been abandoned.
Even if Miss Yun Yueyin returned, she would not acknowledge the young master.
Therefore, the young master was destined for heartbreak and despair.
After Zhan Xiaoli and Steward Wang had walked away, Zhan Tianye commanded in a deep voice, "Investigate whether Yun Yueyin has returned to the capital!"
"Yes!"
...
On a towering tree.
Yun Xiaojing lay on a branch, his short legs crossed, swinging his feet.
A blade of grass was in his mouth.
A tuneless melody drifted out.
A giant snake slithered towards Yun Xiaojing.
It raised its head.
Opened its mouth wide.
And lunged towards Yun Xiaojing's head, as if to swallow him whole.
"You want to eat me?"
Yun Xiaojing spat out the grass.
A pair of dark, icy eyes stared at the giant snake with its gaping maw.
The small figure showed no fear at all.
"I'm in a bad mood, scram! Otherwise, I'll stew you and drink your soup!" Yun Xiaojing closed his eyes, too lazy to even look at the giant snake.
Sigh!
He had to find a way to meet that scummy dad!
And make the scummy dad pay child support to his mother!
At least a hundred thousand taels!