Chapter 541: Chapter 498, Frankly Speaking_1
Xiao Yeyang’s arms were wrapped a little too tightly, making Daohua somewhat uncomfortable. She struggled slightly but found that he held her even tighter, so she dared not move anymore.
At this moment, Xiao Yeyang was like a wounded lone wolf. Daohua hesitated for a moment before slowly extending her hand to hug him back and gently patted his back with her hand.
The moment Daohua hugged Xiao Yeyang, the pain in his eyes slowly subsided and the atmosphere around him became peaceful.
Xiao Yeyang buried his head in Daohua’s neck, greedily absorbing the warmth emanating from her body, as if by holding her tight, he wasn’t so alone in this world.
The room was silent, save for the sound of their breathing.
After a while, Xiao Yeyang nuzzled against Daohua’s neck, and suddenly, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Xiao Yeyang, that tickles!”
The winter jacket was lined with fur, and Xiao Yeyang’s movement brushed the fur collar back and forth on her neck, causing her to feel ticklish.
Xiao Yeyang paused, by now having regained his senses from the anger and sadness he had felt before, and feeling somewhat embarrassed about holding Daohua in his arms, he let her go.
Daohua glanced at Xiao Yeyang and seeing that his complexion had returned to normal, she squatted down to pick up the spilled paint on the floor.
Seeing this, Xiao Yeyang also squatted down and, while watching Daohua busying herself with the cleanup, couldn’t help asking, “Why aren’t you asking me anything?”
Daohua paused in her actions and looked up at him, “Would you tell me if I asked?”
Xiao Yeyang stared deeply at Daohua for a moment, then pulled her over to the desk and spread out the rice paper with a portrait on it, “This is my father, the King.”
Daohua acknowledged with an “Oh,” having guessed as much from Xiao Yeyang’s intense reaction earlier.
Xiao Yeyang continued to stare at the portrait, “On the day of the Xiaonian, the imperial clan gathered in the palace, and my father officially promoted his concubine, Madam Ma, to be his principal wife.”
After finishing, Xiao Yeyang turned to look at Daohua, his unblinking gaze filled with an unseen tension.
Even though he didn’t get along well with his father, he was still proud of his identity as the ‘Little Prince of the Prince Residence.’
He knew well that people’s willingness to accommodate him was largely due to this status.
Therefore, he was truly afraid, afraid that without this title, Daohua might change her attitude towards him.
“Oh!”
Daohua simply uttered another “Oh,” then showed no other reaction.
Xiao Yeyang paused, thinking Daohua might not understand the severity of the situation and explained, “Madam Ma has a son who is my half-brother. Now that she has been promoted, I’m no longer the sole legitimate heir of the Prince Residence.”
Daohua tilted her head, “So what?”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua, silent for a moment, “It means that the title of the Prince Residence might not be mine in the future.”
Daohua pondered for a moment, then asked, “Do you want it? If you want that title, then go and fight for it. I believe with your abilities, you can certainly obtain it. If you don’t want it, then it doesn’t matter who your father promotes—it has nothing to do with you.”
On hearing this, Xiao Yeyang let out a light chuckle, “Is a title of a prince’s residence so worthless to you?”
Daohua shook her head, “No, it’s not worthless. If I had a prince’s residence waiting for me to inherit, I would definitely be over the moon with joy. However, I believe that everything in this world must be earned through one’s own efforts to have a sense of pride. What’s given by others… that always makes you feel indebted.”
Inheriting the family business means having to take on the responsibility of ensuring the family’s prosperity. There’s never anything gained without effort in this world. Whatever you receive, you’ll certainly have to give up something in return.
Xiao Yeyang fell silent for a while, then asked, “I’m no longer the Little Prince. Don’t you care at all?”
Daohua smiled, “But you are still Xiao Yeyang!”
Looking into Daohua’s clear, bright eyes, Xiao Yeyang’s heart became completely light.
Daohua added, “You are still a fourth-rank Military Governor of the Jinling Guard. You obtained this position through your own abilities – isn’t that more honorable than being a prince with no real power?”
Xiao Yeyang looked deeply at Daohua, silent for a bit, then lifted the portrait in his hands and threw it into the brazier.
Daohua quickly said, “Why burn it?”
Xiao Yeyang’s expression remained indifferent, “I don’t want to see it anymore.”
Daohua’s lips twitched slightly; what use was there in burning it? The face and voice of the Prince were engraved in Xiao Yeyang’s mind anyway, unless he could erase his own memory.
As he watched the portrait quickly burn to ashes, Xiao Yeyang said with a hurt expression, “I thought Father had some affection for me, but… when he promoted the concubine Ma to his legitimate wife, I realized that I, his son, didn’t exist in his heart at all.”
If he had given the slightest consideration to my situation, he wouldn’t have promoted the concubine Ma right before Xiao Yechen was about to come of age.
Now that Xiao Yechen is both the legitimate son and the elder son, according to traditional customs, it’s he who should inherit the position of the Prince Residence.
Xiao Yechen has become the Princely Heir, but what about me? How should I establish myself? Has my dear father ever thought about that for me?
Daohua knew that at this time, no matter how she tried to explain or comfort him, Xiao Yeyang wouldn’t listen, so she didn’t bring up the subject of the Princely Heir. Seeing his troubled frown, she took off the sachet from her waist, took out some fruit candy from inside, and held it out to him, “Stop frowning, you look like an old man. Try this candy I’ve just made.”
Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua and took the candy straight from her hand into his mouth.
Daohua immediately glared at him and wiped her hand on her clothing. Considering his current mood, she just hummed and didn’t say much.
Xiao Yeyang’s lips curled slightly as he chewed on the candy in his mouth.
Daohua asked, “Is it sweet?”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua and nodded with a smile, “Sweet.” Then he looked at the sachet in Daohua’s hand.
Daohua gave him a glance and passed the sachet to him.
Xiao Yeyang took the sachet and examined the embroidery on it, with a smile he said, “Did you embroider this sachet?”
Daohua: “Of course I embroidered it for my own use.”
Xiao Yeyang laughed and tucked the sachet into his chest.
Seeing this, Daohua quickly protested, “Don’t just tuck it in like that, it’s too warm inside, you’ll melt the candy.”
Xiao Yeyang thought for a moment and then tied the sachet to his belt.
At that moment, the voices of Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao rang out in the courtyard.
Seeing the two come in, Xiao Yeyang felt a bit of regret. Well, no chance to be alone with Daohua now.
Yan Wenkai: “What are you two doing?”
Xiao Yeyang pointed to the rice paper on the desk, “We were about to paint New Year pictures.”
Daohua glanced at the sky and said to Xiao Yeyang, “You paint the New Year pictures here, I’ll go check the kitchen. I brought some hotpot ingredients, let’s have hotpot later, then we’ll leave.”
Défù immediately walked up with a smile, “Miss Yan, I’ll take you there.”
“Okay.”
Watching Daohua leave, Xiao Yeyang went to the desk, “So, tell me, what New Year pictures do you all want?”
…
Daohua and the others left Xiao Yeyang’s house at the beginning of the 5 PM hour (17:00).
This time, Xiao Yeyang, as usual, escorted the group to the door.
At the door, Daohua said to Xiao Yeyang, “I might not be able to go out tomorrow, but on the second day, I’m going to Taohua Village to wish my master and Granny Gu a happy new year.”
Yan Wenkai immediately said, “It’s fine, my third brother and I can go out. We’ll come again tomorrow.”
Xiao Yeyang glanced at him, “You just want to come ride the Ferghana horse, don’t you?”
Yan Wenkai ‘hehe’ laughed nonstop.
Xiao Yeyang extended his hand to help Daohua into the carriage, “Speaking of which, I should also pay a New Year’s visit to the two elders.”
Daohua smiled, “Then we’re off.”
“Go on, then!”
Yan Wenkai urged Daohua into the carriage, then he and Yan Wentao quickly got into the carriage as well.