And for that very reason, he had forbidden him from calling him Imperial Father.

“Ye Chen, escort His Highness the Crown Prince to the study hall.”

“No — you haven’t answered this Crown Prince yet.” The little one summoned a burst of audacity, leaping onto Xuan Yanyu and wrapping his arms around his neck, making clear he had no intention of letting go.

“Xiaoxiao.” Xuan Yanyu carried the little one and walked toward the chamber doors, his low voice carrying a note of quiet pleasure. “Your Imperial Mother cannot be replaced. She is your Imperial Mother. From now on, she will no longer leave us.”

“Then why did Imperial Mother leave us before?” The little one lay with his face turned against Xuan Yanyu’s shoulder, his small voice muffled.

Xuan Yanyu’s steps slowed for just a moment. “Xiaoxiao, your Imperial Mother had her reasons. What Imperial Father knows is that your Imperial Mother loves you very much. She left us only because she had no choice.”

The little one pressed his lips together and clutched Xuan Yanyu’s robe, asking with a tremor of anxiety, “Imperial Father — do you love Xiaoxiao?”

The faint smile at the corners of the man’s eyes barely showed. “Of course. How could Imperial Father not love Xiaoxiao?”

Xiaoxiao was born of Lingning. How could he possibly not love him.

The little one pouted. “No — Imperial Father doesn’t love Xiaoxiao at all. Imperial Father can’t stand Xiaoxiao.”

They stepped out of the Crown Prince’s residence. Xuan Yanyu lifted Xuan Yuncheng onto the carriage and picked up a small cake, offering it to him. The little one turned his head away haughtily.

Watching the little one’s puffed-up profile, the man’s eyes warmed with visible amusement. “Why would you say Imperial Father can’t stand you?”

“Isn’t it true? Imperial Father never comes to this Crown Prince’s residence.” The little one’s aggrieved eyes shimmered with a reddish tinge.

Xuan Yanyu sighed with gentle resignation, and scooped the little one up to sit on his lap. His slender, well-defined fingertip curved slightly, and he flicked the tip of his nose. “Imperial Father doesn’t go to the Crown Prince’s residence because that place holds far too many memories between Imperial Father and your Imperial Mother. Imperial Father doesn’t dare go.”

“Then… then, there was one time this Crown Prince had a fever and wanted to see Imperial Father — why did Imperial Father only send the Imperial Physician to check on me?” The little one raised his reddened eyes and asked in a pitiful, reproachful tone.

Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes and thought carefully for a long moment before it came to him. He smiled and ruffled his head. “You fell ‘ill’ every other day. The day you sent someone to ask Imperial Father to come, you had just ‘recovered’ from one spell. Imperial Father assumed you were pretending again.”

“…Then why has Imperial Father never once held me?” The little one asked again.

Xuan Yanyu answered with patient resignation, “With your Imperial Grandfather and Imperial Grandmother around, when would it ever be Imperial Father’s turn to hold you? Especially your Imperial Grandfather — has he ever let anyone else hold you?”

The little one chewed his lip. No wonder the only people who had ever seemed to hold him were his Imperial Grandfather and Imperial Grandmother…

“Any more questions?” The man fed the little one a bite of cake.

The little one chewed what was in his mouth, tilted his head in thought, and muttered, “There is one more. Why does Imperial Father only see this Crown Prince twice a month?”

“Imperial Father only seeing you twice a month gives you a reason to work hard and complete the lessons he sets for you — so that you may earn those visits. If you didn’t pretend to be ill every other day to skip your morning studies, would Imperial Father only see you twice a month?” Xuan Yanyu squeezed the little one’s cheek between his teeth and said through gritted teeth, “Think about it.”

Xuan Yuncheng blinked, and bowed his head to take another bite from the cake in Xuan Yanyu’s hand. His voice shrank to something barely above a whisper. “Then… is it all this Crown Prince’s fault?”

Xuan Yanyu took out a square handkerchief and wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth. “If you attend the study hall on time from now on, you may see Imperial Father whenever you like.”

The little one patted his shoulder with a small hand, his soft, chubby face scrunching up. “Yesterday you told this Crown Prince not to call you Imperial Father. This Crown Prince was very, very upset…”

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes widened. “Why did Imperial Father say you couldn’t call him Imperial Father?”

“Because of Imperial Mother.” The little one lifted his chin, his gaze drifting to the cake.

Xuan Yanyu held the cake up to his mouth to feed him another bite. “Had the Imperial Mother you recognized this time not truly been your Imperial Mother — had she only looked like your Imperial Mother — Imperial Father truly would have disowned you. That was no exaggeration.”

The little one paused mid-chew, and let out a low, indignant sound. “This Crown Prince understands now. Imperial Father loves Imperial Mother more than he loves this Crown Prince, doesn’t he.”

Xuan Yanyu raised his eyebrow — and did not deny it.

Yan Yunning slept until early evening. She got up, washed, and opened the chamber doors.

“My Lady, you’re awake.” Xiaowannian’s lips curved into a smile. “His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you in the Taiyi Hall for dinner.”

“Good.” Yan Yunning stretched with a lazy yawn, feeling a sudden eagerness to see him.

“My Lady, His Majesty instructed that you take this the moment you wake.” Qiuci followed closely behind Xiaowanstyle, carrying a tray in her hands.

“What is this?” Yan Yunning picked up the porcelain bowl and took a small sip. “Quite sweet.”

“This servant doesn’t know what it is either. His Majesty had Imperial Physician Wen prepare it especially for you, and instructed that you must finish it when you wake.” Qiuci said with a smile.

She was eager to see the little one, and it wasn’t particularly unpleasant to drink, so Yan Yunning tipped her head back and drank it all down.

The Taiyi Hall.

The moment she stepped inside, Xuan Yuncheng came sprinting and flung himself into Yan Yunning’s arms, while the maids began setting out the meal in an orderly manner.

“Imperial Mother.” The little one took hold of Yan Yunning’s hand, his lips tilted upward. “Imperial Father said you were resting and wouldn’t let this Crown Prince disturb you. How is it that you sleep even later than this Crown Prince?”

Yan Yunning gave a light cough and said with complete seriousness, “I hadn’t seen your Imperial Father in a very long time, so we talked for a good while — it ran quite late.”

“Imperial Mother, what did you and Imperial Father talk about? Did you talk about this Crown Prince at all?” The little one asked, full of curiosity.

Yan Yunning touched the tip of her nose, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xuan Yanyu lifted the inner curtain and stepped out. Hearing the exchange between the big one and the small one, he walked toward them with a smile, and looked at Yan Yunning gently. “Are you hungry?”

“Not hungry.”

“Hungry.”

The first voice — soft and milky — was Xuan Yuncheng’s; the second — warm with a hint of laughter — was Yan Yunning’s.

Xuan Yanyu automatically filtered out the little one’s voice, his eyes filled with a smile. “We’re hungry too. Let’s go eat.”

The little one: “…”

Nobody asked him…

Nobody even acknowledged him…

“Even if you’re not hungry, you still have to eat.” Yan Yunning swayed the small hand holding hers.

“Okay.” Xuan Yuncheng broke into a sly grin.

Once the dishes were all set out, Xuan Yanyu waved for all the maids to withdraw.

When he walked toward the sandalwood chair, the little one insisted on sitting between the two of them. Xuan Yanyu’s brow knitted with visible displeasure, and he rose, stepped around the little one, and sat on Yan Yunning’s other side.

“Imperial Mother~” The little one drooped his head, his small fingers pinching at Yan Yunning’s sleeve.

Yan Yunning tilted her head and gestured for Xuan Yanyu to sit back next to the little one.

The man’s frown deepened, and he shook his head.

Yan Yunning glared at him.

“Fine.” Xuan Yanyu relented and moved back to his original seat.

“Imperial Mother.” The little one wrapped his arms around Yan Yunning’s and beamed widely. “Whatever you’d like to eat, this Crown Prince will pick it up for you.”

If Imperial Father and Imperial Mother had him sitting between them, Imperial Father surely wouldn’t compete with him to serve her, would he?

“There’s no need — whatever Xiaoxiao wants to eat, Imperial Mother will feed you.” Yan Yunning looked at the little one’s bright, blinking eyes, his fair and soft little face wearing a faint smile — the very image of Xuan Yanyu.

Unable to help herself, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. Her adorable little treasure.

The little one blushed with shy delight. He felt such happiness — Imperial Father on his left, Imperial Mother on his right.

Bang. The sandalwood chair scraped against the floor as Xuan Yanyu stood abruptly. He looked with clenched teeth at Xuan Yuncheng, who startled and buried himself in Yan Yunning’s arms, then looked at Yan Yunning — pressing his lips lightly together. A moment of silence passed, and then he said in a low voice, “He is five years old.”

“I know,” Yan Yunning replied.

He was only five — still a small child.

The man swept his tongue over his lips and slowly exhaled four words: “It is not proper!!”

Yan Yunning was mildly taken aback. The little one placed his small hand on Yan Yunning’s neck, nestled in her arms, and looked at Xuan Yanyu, waiting for his Imperial Father to continue.

Xuan Yanyu looked at the two of them, and relented. “Have Xiaoxiao move to the Crown Prince’s inner chambers.”

Yan Yunning gently dipped her head, touching her forehead to the little one’s, and said with a smile, “Little treasure…”

Before she could get another word out, Xuan Yanyu swept the little one from her arms and handed him off to Ye’an, who had drawn near. He said in a measured tone, “Take His Highness to bathe. After bathing, have him rest early — there are morning studies tomorrow.”

“The sky hasn’t even fully darkened yet, and you want Xiaoxiao to rest?” Yan Yunning asked, puzzled.

“Mm.” The man gritted his teeth ever so slightly, and seized her hand, striding toward the bedchamber in long steps.

“I don’t want to rest so early — I haven’t finished walking around yet…”

“Yes you do.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice was low and lazy and laden with suggestion.

“…I don’t!!”

“Yes you do.” The man repeated it with a low, soft laugh.

Yan Yunning: “…”

In the deep of night, the bedcurtain swayed gently. The man’s slender fingertip traced lightly over Yan Yunning’s soft lips. His voice was low and hoarse and tender. “Aside from Us, you may not kiss anyone — not even Xiaoxiao.”

“Mm…” Yan Yunning’s glassy gaze focused on Xuan Yanyu.

“Today, you gave no thought to Our feelings.” The man’s eyes were faintly tinged with red.

Yan Yunning clutched the rumpled brocade blanket, her voice low and soft. “All right. I understand. It won’t happen again.”

“Lingning — don’t leave Us. Love only Us — will you?” Xuan Yanyu’s breath was unsteady, his voice like fractured glass.

“Mm~ I won’t… I won’t… leave you… only… only love you…” Yan Yunning murmured her reply, her words drifting and indistinct.