Feng Jiang was starting to feel like he couldn’t take it anymore.

Being ignored the whole time was bad enough, but at least he could sit quietly off to the side, eating the pastries Lao Ya had made.

Though the taste left much to be desired—one bite was enough to tell that Lao Ya rarely, if ever, made these kinds of pastries.

Still, at this hour before dawn, eating something warm still felt rather comforting.

The only discomfort was wondering when Feng Jiu’er’s incessant chattering would ever stop.

“I’m thirty-eight.” Feng Li, when it came to Feng Jiu’er, answered absolutely every question put to him.

“Besides Lao Ya, there are no other servants in this household, and no concubines either.”

“Then, Fourth Imperial Uncle, you still haven’t married to this day? Doesn’t Father say anything about it?”

An eldest brother stood in place of a father! Fourth Imperial Uncle was already thirty-eight, and Father himself had several children of his own—how could he not concern himself with his own younger brother?

Still, Fourth Imperial Uncle… thirty-eight? Heavens, he truly looked no older than twenty-five or twenty-six!

Was that simply the result of extraordinarily good care, or was he just naturally blessed with such looks?

It was enough to make anyone die of envy!

“I…” Feng Li hesitated for a moment before saying, “I did marry.”

“Pfft!” Feng Jiang, startled, jumped, and the pastry in his mouth went flying out at once.

Feng Jiu’er was horrified, terrified that whatever was in his mouth might splatter onto her—how utterly disgusting!

Feng Li gave a casual flick of his hand, and Feng Jiang suddenly felt a sharp sting across his face—every bit of the mess landed right back on his own face.

“Eew!” Feng Jiu’er was utterly disgusted.

“Aren’t you going to go wash your face?” Feng Li’s gaze swept over him, cold and utterly without warmth.

Feng Jiang’s poor heart was wounded all over—so gentle with Feng Jiu’er, yet so harsh with him!

Was this kind of double standard really fair? They were both his own family! Fourth Imperial Uncle was far too biased!

Still, he had something far more important to ask—very, very important!

So for now, Feng Jiang stopped fretting over whether Fourth Imperial Uncle was being biased or not, hurried to the well to wash his face, and rushed straight back.

“Fourth Imperial Uncle, you got married? Why have I never heard you mention it? And Father never brought it up either? When did you get married? Where’s Fourth Imperial Aunt? Where is she?”

Feng Li said nothing, treating him as though he didn’t exist at all.

Naturally, none of these questions would be answered.

But Feng Jiu’er was curious too.

She gently tugged at Feng Li’s sleeve and asked quietly, “Fourth Imperial Uncle?”

“You want to know?” Whenever he faced Jiu’er, his expression turned remarkably soft.

Feng Jiang felt like nothing more than cannon fodder—when he spoke, Fourth Imperial Uncle ignored him; when he made a mistake, Fourth Imperial Uncle would kick him right out the door.

But Jiu’er—whenever she spoke, Fourth Imperial Uncle listened as though hearing a song; just listening to her talk was enough to bring a pleased smile into his eyes.

This was the very first time, in all the years he’d known Fourth Imperial Uncle, that he had ever seen him smile this happily.

Whatever Feng Jiu’er said, he loved it; the moment Feng Jiu’er showed disgust at him, Fourth Imperial Uncle immediately told him to get lost?

Heaven was simply too unfair—why wasn’t he born a girl?

If he too were a princess, would Fourth Imperial Uncle be just as gentle with him?

Boo hoo hoo, why did he have to be born a man, boo hoo…

Jiu’er stared at Feng Li with her big round eyes. “Can you tell me? If you can’t say it…”

“There’s nothing I can’t tell Jiu’er.”

Feng Li picked up a piece of pastry and placed it for her, watching her take a bite before he spoke. “Although we never formally held a wedding ceremony, she has long been my wife in my heart.”

“There really was a Fourth Imperial Aunt? Then where is she now…”

“She’s no longer among the living.” A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes, but the moment he looked again at Jiu’er’s small face, his expression brightened once more.

“But no matter—she lives on in my heart.”

Perhaps it had all happened so long ago now that speaking of it no longer carried quite so much sorrow.

Still, Jiu’er could clearly sense that when Fourth Imperial Uncle spoke of the woman from years past, there remained a deep wistfulness in him.

She just couldn’t help wondering which family’s daughter could have won Fourth Imperial Uncle’s affection so completely.

Feng Jiu’er suddenly found herself envying that woman. Fourth Imperial Uncle had such otherworldly beauty, and though he wasn’t one for talking, he was truly, genuinely gentle.

To have won Fourth Imperial Uncle’s love must have taken who-knew-how-many lifetimes of good fortune.

“Fourth Imperial Uncle, then did the two of you… have any children?” She knew, in truth, that asking this was rather impolite.

But for some reason, she just felt an unusually strong urge to understand Fourth Imperial Uncle.

She wanted to know everything there was to know about him.

A very, very urgent thirst for knowledge.

Feng Li said nothing, merely staring at her. Feng Jiang, though he still didn’t fully understand the story between Fourth Imperial Uncle and this so-called woman, was at least clear on one thing.

If Fourth Imperial Uncle truly had a child, how could he still be living all alone, even now?

“Of course Fourth Imperial Uncle doesn’t have—”

“I do.” Feng Li withdrew his gaze—it seemed to be, for the first time tonight, that he had looked away from Feng Jiu’er’s face at all.

He lowered his eyelids, and only then did Jiu’er notice just how long Fourth Imperial Uncle’s eyelashes were.

Long and thick, casting a fan-shaped shadow across his eyelids as they lowered—it was beauty beyond description!

Feng Jiang turned utterly to stone, unable to get out a single word.

Fourth Imperial Uncle had a child? Then where was that child?

Why wasn’t the child by Fourth Imperial Uncle’s side? Could it be that the child had also already…

Jiu’er didn’t dare ask this question either, afraid the answer might be one she didn’t want to hear.

But when Feng Li raised his eyes and saw the unease and caution written across her face, he smiled instead.

“Don’t worry. My child… is still doing well, even now. Though she doesn’t yet know I exist, at least I’m still able to see her—that’s enough for me.”

For a moment, Jiu’er felt that the way Fourth Imperial Uncle looked at her was exactly the way one would look at one’s own child.

She even felt a surge of warmth rising in her chest, nearly unable to resist the urge to throw herself into his arms.

But she quickly calmed herself down.

Did Fourth Imperial Uncle dote on her so much because she resembled his own child in some way? Or perhaps because they were close in age?

What a pity—Fourth Imperial Uncle’s child wasn’t by his side, and didn’t even know of his existence…

No one knew quite how he and that woman had come to be separated all those years ago, but the fact that Fourth Imperial Uncle had never remarried, remaining single all this time, was probably because of her.

There was no telling when Fourth Imperial Uncle might finally be reunited with his family.

“The night is cold and the dew is heavy—eat a bit more, don’t go hungry.”

…As dawn approached, Feng Li personally escorted Feng Jiu’er and Feng Jiang back to the palace.

Fourth Imperial Uncle’s lightness skill was nothing short of divine; carrying Jiu’er as he moved along the palace walls, he truly was as light as a swallow, without the slightest effort.

After delivering Jiu’er back to her chamber, he lingered in the courtyard, quietly gazing at that door for at least the time it took two incense sticks to burn down.

Only then, while the sky was still dark, did he hurry away.

But just before reaching the rear palace wall, a sudden gust of cold wind made Feng Li’s steps falter, bringing him to a stop.

Behind him came a palm strike, its force bitterly cold—he could easily have dodged it. But as the strike arrived, he merely turned his head, watching coldly as the blow landed squarely on his body…