Qin Yining watched as Pang Xiao awkwardly held his hands like a crab, appearing completely at a loss, and couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her handkerchief and laugh softly.

Pang Xiao looked up, seeking help from Qin Yining with his eyes.

But Qin Yining just smiled and refused to step forward, appearing determined to watch the spectacle unfold.

Pang Xiao had no choice but to steel himself and slowly bend down, crouching before the two children.

He was tall and imposing, and even while crouching, he still towered over the two children.

Zhao Ge’er’s small hand rested on Pang Xiao’s knee, his large eyes blinking as he gazed intently at Pang Xiao. The small red mole between his brows made him appear particularly delicate and beautiful. Han Ge’er stretched out both arms and immediately wanted to throw himself into Pang Xiao’s embrace, calling out, “Daddy, hug!” His babyish voice and coquettish skills had already reached perfection.

Seeing the two children, Pang Xiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He scooped up both children at once, his arms cradling their little bottoms as he stood up with a whoosh.

“Wow!” With the sudden increase in height, Han Ge’er cried out in delighted surprise, while Zhao Ge’er’s eyes also widened.

Pang Xiao laughed heartily and planted a kiss on each child’s cheek, grinning so widely his eyes nearly disappeared. He said tenderly to Qin Yining, “Yi Jie’er, I’ve returned.”

Qin Yining stood at the doorway clutching her handkerchief, watching the scene of one large and two small figures before her, and couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

Who said her sons didn’t resemble their father? With Pang Xiao and the two sons pressing their faces together, she felt as if she was seeing Pang Xiao as a child!

“Come inside. Mother and grandmother have all been waiting for a long time.” Qin Yining smiled and stepped forward, reaching to take the children from Pang Xiao’s arms while gently coaxing, “Daddy has traveled a long way back and is very tired. Come down and walk by yourselves, alright?”

Zhao Ge’er pressed his lips together, looking a bit unhappy, but still obediently nodded.

Han Ge’er, however, wouldn’t comply and immediately threw his arms around Pang Xiao’s neck: “No! I want Daddy to carry me!”

Pang Xiao smiled as he set the two children down and gently patted their heads.

Just as he was about to take a step, Han Ge’er began protesting dissatisfiedly: “Daddy, Daddy, I want Daddy to carry me!”

Pang Xiao’s heart had already melted completely, but his expression remained serious. He crouched down and patiently said to Han Ge’er, “Han Ge’er, are you not listening to your mother?”

Han Ge’er pouted: “No.”

“But your mother said to let you come down and walk by yourselves.”

“I want Daddy to carry me…”

“Daddy will carry you again later, but right now your mother said to let you walk by yourselves, so you must walk by yourselves.” Pang Xiao’s large hand ruffled Han Ge’er’s hair, then impartially touched Zhao Ge’er’s cheek as well, saying quite seriously, “In this household, your mother’s words come first. Even Daddy has to listen to her, and you must listen to her even more. Do you understand?”

Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er didn’t quite understand, but they both obediently nodded together.

Qin Yining couldn’t help but smile as she watched.

She hadn’t expected Pang Xiao to establish her authority in front of the children like this.

Madam Zheng, Sun Shi, and Ma Shi couldn’t wait any longer and came out together to greet them, just in time to witness this scene. All three women broke into smiles.

Actually, that was just a trivial matter, but if Pang Xiao hadn’t listened to Qin Yining and instead indulged Han Ge’er, then in the future Han Ge’er might think that he didn’t need to listen to Qin Yining in anything, and that he could get his way just by acting coquettish. This would be bad for the child’s character development.

Moreover, Pang Xiao was usually busy with outside affairs, and it was still Qin Yining who had to guide and discipline the children. If he didn’t establish Qin Yining’s authority and instilled in the children the idea that they didn’t need to listen to Qin Yining, it would be difficult for Qin Yining to manage them in the future.

“The Prince has returned.” Madam Zheng spoke first.

Pang Xiao smiled and stepped forward to pay his respects: “Greetings to the two maternal grandmothers. I hope mother-in-law is well.”

“Good, good.” Sun Shi smiled and nodded.

Ma Shi looked Pang Xiao up and down and smiled: “It’s good that you weren’t injured. Did everything go smoothly?”

Pang Xiao smiled: “Everything went smoothly.”

“Don’t just stand here talking. Come inside first.” Sun Shi ushered everyone toward the interior.

Pang Xiao immediately smiled: “I must first pay my respects to the Old Madam. Are Second Uncle and Third Uncle at home?”

“Yes, they’re both here.”

Chatting as they walked, the group slowed their pace to accommodate the two children’s short legs as they made their way into the mansion.

Han Ge’er and Zhao Ge’er were still held by Qin Yining, one hand each. All three wore goose-yellow clothing, and Qin Yining bent over to match their height, patiently talking with them. Their steps fell behind the rest of the group without her realizing it.

Han Ge’er whispered in Qin Yining’s ear: “Mother, Daddy is so~ tall~!”

“That’s right. As long as you both behave and listen well, eat all your meals, and finish all your vegetables and fruits, you’ll grow even taller and stronger than your daddy someday!”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true. Your daddy never picked at his food when he was little.”

Qin Yining spoke with complete seriousness, making the children’s eyes light up as if she had personally witnessed Pang Xiao’s good eating habits as a child.

Pang Xiao touched his nose and whispered to Ma Shi: “Grandmother, didn’t I also dislike eating vegetables when I was little?”

Ma Shi also whispered: “You certainly did. You were practically a cat when you were small! Han Ge’er’s temperament is exactly the same as yours. You’d better teach him well in the future and not exhaust poor Yi girl.”

Sun Shi and Madam Zheng walked nearby and heard their conversation clearly, both bursting into laughter.

Qin Yining couldn’t hear clearly what they were laughing about, but the two children were infected by the adults’ cheerful atmosphere and laughed happily too. Qin Yining joined in their laughter.

With two precious ones in the household, the sounds of joy and laughter hardly ceased.

Returning to the Garden of Filial Devotion, Pang Xiao respectfully paid his respects to the Old Madam and met with Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and Third Uncle.

The Old Madam’s spirits were poor, so everyone didn’t want to disturb her too much. After chatting briefly, Second Master and Third Master invited Pang Xiao to go outside and talk with Qin Han, Qin Yu, and the others.

Sun Shi and the two sisters-in-law went to arrange the meal.

Qin Yining took the two children back to their courtyard and had the maids prepare hot water for Pang Xiao’s bath later.

Qin Yining herself brought the children to play jacks in the carpeted bedroom of Xueli Courtyard.

The children’s hands were small, naturally not as deft as Qin Yining’s. But Qin Yining was determined to make the children happy, so she naturally played back and forth with them.

After chatting with Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and the others outside, Pang Xiao learned that both Qin Yining and Ma Shi were staying at the mansion today. He excused himself and returned first. Upon entering, he heard the laughter of adults and children coming from inside the room.

Pang Xiao involuntarily slowed his steps, standing at the doorway and waving away the maids as he quietly watched Qin Yining playing with their two sons like a little girl herself.

He had always known that Qin Yining would cherish their children deeply, but he hadn’t expected her to be so happy when she was with the children. Even though she had suffered so many grievances at home while he was away, she never said a single bad word about his family members to him, nor did she ever bring those negative emotions before him.

She was so wonderful, worthy of him doing anything for her.

“You’re back. Why aren’t you coming in?” Qin Yining looked up and saw Pang Xiao standing foolishly at the doorway, staring in a daze.

Han Ge’er and Zhao Ge’er both stood up and ran toward Pang Xiao with thumping steps, hugging his legs with practiced fluidity.

“Daddy, hug!”

“Alright!”

Pang Xiao lifted both children up, and with a great flourish, he placed them one on each shoulder, his large hands supporting their backs.

What child had ever played like this? They both looked both frightened and excited, calling out “ya ya” in enthusiasm.

Zhao Ge’er, being a bit more timid, even turned sideways to hug Pang Xiao’s head.

Pang Xiao carried his sons around the room in circles, even jumping up and down lightly like a nimble monkey.

The children were so startled they laughed and shouted, overjoyed.

Han Ge’er even kicked his legs and shouted: “Fly high, Daddy fly high again!”

Qin Yining watched Pang Xiao coax the children this way and giggled nonstop. Even Bingtang, Ji Yun, and the others were drawn over, gathering at the doorway to laugh along.

After playing with them like this for a while, Pang Xiao lifted each child up and tossed them high before catching them, playing until both children’s cheeks were rosy red before stopping.

“Was that fun?”

“Fun!”

“Is Daddy good?”

“Good!”

The children answered in unison, hugging Pang Xiao’s neck and slobbering kisses on his face from both sides.

Qin Yining was laughing so hard she nearly got a stitch in her side. She stepped forward and said, “If you don’t go bathe now, the water will get cold.”

“Alright, then I’ll take the children to bathe.” Pang Xiao scooped up the children, carrying one under each arm, even making wind sounds “whoosh!” as he rushed to the bathing room. The children giggled all the way.

Qin Yining was worried, afraid that Pang Xiao’s rough hands might hurt the children. She dismissed the servants and followed them in.

Pang Xiao, wearing his undergarments with sleeves rolled up, coordinated with Qin Yining to bathe the two children first, then called for the wet nurse and maids to take the children away to change clothes.

Only then did Qin Yining smile and ask, “Shall I help you wash your hair?”

“That would be wonderful.” Pang Xiao efficiently removed his clothes and stepped into the bathtub, tilting his head back for Qin Yining to work.

Qin Yining’s face turned slightly red. She took a wooden ladle and scooped appropriately warmed water from a nearby wooden basin to pour over Pang Xiao’s long hair, then took soap beans to work up a lather, using her fingertips and nails to gently massage his scalp with just the right pressure.

Pang Xiao hummed in comfort, closing his eyes and leaning against the bathtub: “Yi Jie’er, this feels wonderful.”

Qin Yining’s face reddened at his tone. She wondered if she was reading too much into it…

Qin Yining searched for a topic to divert her attention.

“Where are Young Master Mu and Tianji Zi?”

Pang Xiao chuckled softly, as if he knew Qin Yining was feeling shy, and cooperated by saying: “On our way back, we caught a spy who was following us. Tianji Zi didn’t want to enter the city, so he volunteered to interrogate that spy. Mutou went along with him to the military camp.”

“The military camp? The Pingnan Army camp?”

“Yes.” Pang Xiao sighed lightly: “You don’t know how angry Mutou was the entire journey. Boss Qiu really is something, not giving Mutou even a few words, when Mutou’s heart is entirely filled with thoughts of her.”

“So Young Master Mu didn’t enter the city and went to the military camp in a huff?” Qin Yining’s hands never stopped moving, massaging Pang Xiao’s scalp stroke by stroke, making him hum in comfort with his eyes closed. “I even tried to persuade Boss Qiu, but she seemed too embarrassed to act and didn’t listen to me.”