Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: I Like You So Much 

The night was deep and still.

Too excited to sleep, Chu Hongyu wrapped his arms and legs tightly around Yunchu like a little koala.

Yunchu had a massive headache. Although she had personally raised Xie Shiyun from infancy, Shiyun had never dared to be this wildly audacious.

"Stop closing your eyes; let's talk."

Crouched on top of her, the little fellow forcefully pried her eyelids open.

"Little Heir, do you know what hour it is?" Yunchu rubbed her aching temples. "Children who go to sleep early grow taller. Go to sleep."

"My name is Chu Hongyu. You should call me Brother Yu so we can be closer," the little fellow said softly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Then what should I call you?"

Yunchu truly didn't know what to do with him. "You can call me Auntie."

"No, 'Auntie' sounds too distant." Chu Hongyu tilted his head and pondered for a good long while. "How about I call you Mommy?"

Yunchu was genuinely startled. "Brother Yu, you mustn't go around saying things like that casually. If anyone hears you, I'll be the one who suffers."

The little fellow hurriedly explained, "I know you're already married, so you can't be my birth mother. But what about calling you Mommy? Later on, when nobody else is around, I'll call you Mommy in private. That way you won't get into trouble, right?"

"You..."

A refusal sat right on the tip of her tongue, yet no matter what, Yunchu couldn't bring herself to say it out final.

Her heart softened to an extreme degree. Though she had initially put on a cold front in hopes that the child would leave quickly, she could no longer control her emotions, and she reached out to pull the boy tightly into her embrace.

"Mmph, you smell so good," Chu Hongyu murmured, closing his eyes. "You have the exact same scent as the mommy in my dreams. I really, really like you..."

The child muttered to himself, drifting off into a deep slumber shortly afterward.

Yunchu gently stroked his head.

This child possessed the exact same face as the child from her dream; her heart had long since swung open to welcome him.

How she wished her child were still alive, how she wished her child could sleep right by her side, but in the end, it could only ever be an extravagant pipe dream...

Slowly, Yunchu drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, a tickling sensation at the tip of her nose caused her to sneeze, snapping her eyes wide open.

She found the little fellow holding a thread, deliberately teasing the tip of her nose with it. Seeing her sneeze, the rascal broke into a triumphant, victorious grin.

"Mommy, you're awake! Good morning."

That single word—Mommy—rendered Yunchu completely incapable of feeling any resistance toward him.

She picked the child up in her arms. "Brother Yu, get your clothes on. Let's go eat breakfast first."

Obediently letting her slip his garments on, Chu Hongyu took her hand and followed her to the side parlor.

Because of her illness, anyone coming to pay their respects was turned away at the courtyard gates by Tingshuang. The other maidservants in the courtyard busied themselves with their own tasks, leaving only her most trusted attendants in the side parlor.

"What does Brother Yu like to eat?" Yunchu asked with a gentle smile. "These steamed mutton milk buns taste quite good. Would you like to try one?"

Chu Hongyu lifted his little chin. "I want you to feed me."

Expecting to be refused, he was surprised when Yunchu directly picked up a bun with her chopsticks and brought it to his lips. He took a bite; the flavor was similar to the ones at the Prince's Estate, but for some reason, it tasted exceptionally delicious. He finished one and immediately wanted another, devouring seven or eight in a row, every single one fed directly to him by Yunchu's own hands.

"Mommy, you're so good to me! I like you so much!"

It felt as though he had never experienced such happiness before. His entire being seemed submerged in a jar of honey, feeling just like a dream.

Yunchu smiled down at him. "Are you full?"

Chu Hongyu patted his round, protruding little belly. "I've never been this full in my life."

Yunchu stood up. "Since you're full, off you go."

Those words struck like a bolt of lightning, freezing Chu Hongyu in place.

Had this woman suddenly been so nice to him just so she could smoothly chase him away?

Just as overflowing as his happiness had been a moment ago, his sorrow was doubly intense now.

His eyes blinked twice, and tears instantly welled up, tumbling down his cheeks like precious golden beans.

Steeling her heart, Yunchu maintained a rigid expression. "The Little Heir stayed the night outside his home; it's time to go back."

"Wuwuwawa—"

Chu Hongyu suddenly burst into loud, sobbing wails, crying so hard he was gasping for breath.

Tingssee spoke up, "Madam, this servant went out to make inquiries early this morning. The Prince of Pingxi is currently leading a campaign against bandits in the mountains dozens of li outside the city, and he won't be returning to the capital anytime soon..."

Back when the Third Young Master was being raised by the Madam, she had been the primary maidservant attending to him. She understood the temperament of children this young very well, and she could clearly sense that this Little Heir genuinely adored their Madam.

The Madam had suffered far too much in life; having someone who truly loved her stay here wasn't a bad thing at all.

She hoped the Little Heir could help the Madam emerge from the gloomy haze of her grief sooner rather than later...

Tingshuang also chimed in quietly, "The Prince's Estate is peaceful right now, which means no one has discovered the Little Heir's disappearance yet. Madam doesn't need to worry."

Yunchu sighed.

A sudden wave of heartache washed over her for the child.

At only four years old, he had spent an entire night away from home, yet in that massive estate, not a single person had noticed.

If this child had a mother by his side, how could he possibly go missing without anyone even realizing it?

Tingfeng walked in to report, "Madam, the Master has arrived."

Yunchu glanced at the time. It should be right around the moment the morning court session ended. In the past, after returning from court, Xie Jingyu would handle official duties, and once those were finished, he would socialize with his colleagues, usually not returning until dark. But now, his official duties were gone and the social banquets were gone; she could roughly guess why he had come to the Sheng Residence at this hour.

Reaching out, she wiped away Chu Hongyu's tears and instructed, "If you want to stay with me, you must be a good boy and obey. You are strictly forbidden from letting anyone outside of this room know you exist. Can you do that?"

Astonishment filled Chu Hongyu's eyes. "Mommy, you're really not sending me away anymore?"

"I'm only letting you stay for now." Yunchu ruffled his hair. "Be a good boy, stay put, and don't make a sound."

She stood up and walked out of the side parlor.

Stepping onto the porch, she saw Xie Jingyu standing beneath the eaves of the corridor.

At twenty-eight years old, Xie Jingyu still retained the appearance of a dashing young scholar, capable of drawing the admiring gaze of every maidservant.

In her past life, she had willingly and wholeheartedly raised so many concubine-born children, secretly hoping that one day Xie Jingyu would truly look at her.

Yet having been reborn, she felt nothing toward this man except complete and utter disgust.

"Why has My Lord returned to the estate so early?"

Her voice was cool and detached as she asked a question whose answer she already knew.

Xie Jingyu asked with a face full of concerned inquiry, "Has your health improved?"

Yunchu nodded. "It is fine."

Seeing that she was reluctant to speak further, Xie Jingyu didn't press the matter. He paused for a moment before saying, "The Old Madam's birthday banquet is in two days. Will the Madam be able to attend?"

"My appetite has been poor these past few days, and I feared my presence at the banquet might ruin the guests' appetite, but—" her tone shifted abruptly, "—the Xie family didn't manage to host a flower-viewing banquet this year, so this birthday celebration is practically the only occasion for everyone to gather and liven things up. Naturally, I must step forward to host the guests. Rest assured, Husband."

Xie Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief.

He had expected to spend a fair amount of breath trying to convince her, never imagining Yunchu would agree so readily.

It seemed he had judged a noble heart with a petty mind.

Just as he was about to speak, Tingyu walked into the courtyard carrying a bowl of soup. "The Madam has been suffering from a prolonged illness, so this concubine specially brewed some nourishing soup to bring over. I hadn't expected My Lord to be here as well."

Xie Jingyu's expression remained indifferent. "Take good care of your Madam."

With those words, he turned around and walked away from the Sheng Residence.

Watching his retreating figure, Tingyu's face was painted with complete disappointment. Even when she managed to cross paths with the Master, they rarely managed to exchange more than a sentence or two.

Yunchu had been about to step back into the side parlor when she saw Tingyu walking straight toward her with the bowl of soup.