However… to say it was peaceful wouldn’t be entirely accurate. During this time, she and Jixiang had heard people in the residence gossiping about the princess behind her back more than once, saying the princess was shameless and clinging to Second Young Master. This made them so angry they wanted to confront them. It was clearly Second Young Master who had taken the initiative to ask the princess to stay—how had it suddenly become the princess pestering him?

But having spent many years in the palace, they knew that the more one argued with such gossip and rumors, the more fiercely they spread. So they forcibly restrained themselves from debating anything, and kept it hidden from Yunyi as well, hoping that once those people found it boring to spread, they would stop talking. Otherwise, they didn’t know how to quell it.

“What’s wrong? Are you unhappy again thinking of past events?” Yunyi’s words pulled Ruyi back from her contemplation. She quickly said, “No, this servant just hopes that in the future we can live peacefully without any more incidents.”

Yunyi smiled without speaking. At this moment, Li Chengzong, who was playing with Jixiang, gradually retreated to the edge. Behind him was a row of potted plants. Yunyi, afraid he would continue backing up and trip, said, “Da Lang, you’ve backed up too far. Come forward a little.”

As before, Li Chengzong still paid no attention to her, just played with Jixiang and the others with a smile, his steps still moving backward. Qiulin also noticed something was wrong and called for him to move forward, but he ignored her and continued backing up. Finally, on the fourth step back, his heel hit a potted plant. Losing his balance, he fell backward.

“Da Lang!” Qiulin’s face turned pale with fright as she rushed over to try to catch him, barely managing to grab him just before his head hit the ground. Seeing that aside from being somewhat frightened, he was unharmed, Qiulin breathed a sigh of relief. That had been truly dangerous—Li Chengzong was the eldest legitimate grandson of the Li family, treasured by everyone. If he had gotten even the slightest scratch, she would never have a peaceful day again.

Yunyi was also badly frightened, pressing her hand to her chest. “Da Lang, didn’t I just tell you not to back up anymore? Why didn’t you listen?”

Li Chengzong said nothing with his pale little face, as if he hadn’t heard at all. This made Yunyi frown. Come to think of it, from the beginning, Li Chengzong had never responded to anything she said. Earlier she had thought he was playing too wildly and hadn’t heard, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Thinking this way, Yunyi said a few more things to Li Chengzong, but he continued to ignore her. Now even Ruyi noticed something was wrong and whispered, “Princess, this Da Lang looks so strange. When you talk to him, forget about answering—he doesn’t even react.”

Yunyi raised her hand and squatted down. “Da Lang, can you understand what I’m saying?” After waiting a while without Li Chengzong answering, she turned her gaze to Qiulin. “Can Da Lang understand what we’re saying?”

“Of course he can understand. Though Da Lang’s body is somewhat weak, he’s very smart. He could speak at one year old, and by one and a half, he could clearly express his wishes and even say his own name, zodiac sign, and age.”

Yunyi frowned. “If that’s the case, why doesn’t he react to anything I say?”

With her saying this, Qiulin also remembered that recently, Da Lang often didn’t respond to her words. She had originally thought he didn’t want to speak, but now it seemed it wasn’t that simple.

The more Qiulin thought about it, the more panicked she became. Looking at Li Chengzong, she said, “Da Lang, do you still remember what your name is and how old you are this year?”

Li Chengzong blinked his crystal-black eyes but didn’t open his mouth for a long time. Qiulin nervously grabbed his arm. “Da Lang, don’t scare this servant—say something!”

Li Chengzong frowned tightly and struggled. “I’m in pain—let go quickly!”

Seeing him speak, Qiulin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly released her hands, saying with lingering fear, “It’s good that you can speak. You scared this servant to death—I thought you had forgotten how to talk.”

But Yunyi wasn’t as optimistic as she was. Her brows furrowed even tighter. When Li Chengzong took Qiulin’s hand and was about to leave, she suddenly called to his back, “Da Lang, shall we play a little longer?” She called twice in succession, but Li Chengzong didn’t turn around. Instead, it was Qiulin whose body stiffened as she stopped.

Now they weren’t playing or frolicking. Li Chengzong could speak and his mind was clear, yet he completely ignored Yunyi’s words. There was only one possibility—he simply couldn’t hear.

But this… how was this possible? Da Lang’s hearing had always been good, and his ears hadn’t been injured recently. How could he not be able to hear? This… this was simply too absurd.

Although Qiulin kept telling herself it was impossible, it was a fact that from just now until now, Li Chengzong had shown no reaction to their words. Even just before, although Li Chengzong had spoken, it was because she had hurt him by grabbing him, not because he was answering.

Li Chengzong waited for a while but never saw Qiulin move forward. He tugged her hand. “Why aren’t we walking?”

Qiulin looked down at him and said in a trembling voice, “Da Lang, can you hear this servant speaking?”

Li Chengzong tilted his little head to look at her, his face full of confusion. This expression made Qiulin even more afraid. She managed to say, “Da Lang, shall we go find your mother?”

Li Chengzong had the same reaction as before. After Qiulin said it again, he finally uttered words that filled Qiulin with despair: “What are you saying? I can’t hear.”

Can’t hear—these three words were like a bolt from the blue, shattering Qiulin completely. Da Lang… he really couldn’t hear what she was saying.

No, it couldn’t be like this. Da Lang must be joking with her. How could he suddenly become deaf when he was perfectly fine? Yes, it was a joke—it had to be a joke!

Qiulin was like a drowning person grasping a life-saving plank. She squatted down and forced a smile. “Da Lang, don’t joke about such things. Tell this servant—you can hear, can’t you?”

Li Chengzong looked at her blankly. After a while, he said somewhat impatiently, “Why aren’t we moving? I want to go back!”

Qiulin grabbed Li Chengzong as he was about to leave, seizing him with a fierce expression. “Say it! Say you can hear! Say it!”

Li Chengzong was just a child over two years old. He was immediately frightened by Qiulin’s fierce expression and began crying loudly. She paid no attention and just kept shaking him, asking if he could hear what she was saying.

Seeing the situation was wrong, Yunyi quickly took Li Chengzong from Qiulin’s hands. “You’re scaring him.”

“He won’t be deaf! Da Lang won’t be deaf!” Qiulin didn’t struggle to get him back but just kept murmuring these words. Yunyi knew she was terrified and said nothing, only instructing Ruyi, “You two—one go get a physician, the other go get Lady Ji. Both come to Da Lang’s room.”

After the two left, Yunyi carried the still-crying Li Chengzong to his room. As for Qiulin, she was also brought back by the nanny, repeating those words continuously along the way.