Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 186

Chapter 186 - Father Is Not as Good as Me

Yun Chu arranged for someone to keep a close eye on Xie Shi'an.

Then, she boarded her carriage and set off toward the Prince of Pingxi's estate.

She had gained an additional task every single day: picking up the two children to dine together. This had become the time she looked forward to the most each day, as well as her happiest moment.

The carriage reached its destination, and Yun Chu stepped down from it, instructing someone to go inside and announce her arrival.

Not long after she stood waiting, she heard cheerful, giggling voices; without even looking, she knew it was Yu'er.

She raised her head and saw the father and two children walking out. Chu Yi was carrying Changsheng in one arm while holding Yu'er's hand with the other.

Yu'er quickly broke free from his grasp, scampered across the ground toward Yun Chu, and hurled himself straight into her embrace.

Changsheng also scrambled down from her Prince father's arms and rushed toward Yun Chu.

"Mother."

"Mother."

The two little ones each whispered secretly in her ear.

Yun Chu stroked their heads, stood up, and said, "Your Highness, then I will be taking them along first."

"Ahem." Chu Yi raised a hand to his lips and coughed. "The Prince's estate chef fell ill today. If Miss Yun doesn't mind, might I tag along as well?"

Back at the estate, the head chef—who was currently stewing pork knuckles—let out a resounding sneeze.

The moment Yun Chu looked at the man standing before her, her emotions grew complicated.

Toward Xie Jingyu and Qin Mingheng, she held a pure, unadulterated hatred and disgust; toward the Prince of Pingxi, because of the two children, a sense of gratitude had mixed in, making her feelings somewhat convoluted.

Qin Mingheng had claimed that the Prince of Pingxi was a coward.

The word "coward," when applied to the man standing before her eyes, clearly did not fit.

Yet, he had indeed done such a thing, and yet he was able to act as though nothing had ever happened...

Was he truly plotting to use the children as bargaining chips? Was he genuinely planning to utilize the children to force the Yun family into surrender?

He concealed his intentions far too well. If not for various coincidences and the innate bond between mother and child, she might even have doubted Qin Mingheng's words...

Perhaps she ought to doubt Qin Mingheng instead?

Seeing Yun Chu remain silent the entire time, Chu Yi spoke up once more. "Is it inconvenient?"

When he held a late-night discussion with several ministers last night, the Vice Minister of Personnel had claimed that the reason he won his wife's heart back then was simply because he appeared before her day after day without fail.

Therefore, he had proposed tagging along with the children.

He knew it was contrary to proper etiquette.

Yet, it was precisely because rules of propriety and upbringing were carved deep into his very bones—

That back before Yun Chu had even reached womanhood and pinned up her hair, he had never dared to reveal his true feelings.

By the time she reached that age, he was far away on the Western frontier battlefield, and when he finally returned to the capital, it was the very day of her grand wedding.

He had missed far too much.

He was unwilling to let propriety and tradition make him miss out again.

"It's not inconvenient at all," Yun Chu said. "What kind of food does Your Highness prefer? I'll have the servants prepare it in advance."

The tightly clenched fists of Chu Yi instantly relaxed. "A guest follows the host's arrangements; anything is fine with me."

Yun Chu nodded, took the children by the hand, and boarded the carriage, while Chu Yi mounted a horse and rode alongside them.

Yulin Lane was situated right behind the Yun family estate and wasn't far from the Prince of Pingxi's residence either; they arrived at the courtyard entrance in no time at all.

The two children had been here once before, so they were already familiar with the place. Hand in hand, they rushed inside to play with the cats and rabbits, while Yun Chu instructed the servants to add a few more dishes to the menu.

Chu Yi stood at the main entrance of the courtyard, looking around to the left and right. It offered a slice of tranquility amidst the bustling city—truly an excellent location.

Stepping inside, one could easily tell that a great deal of effort had gone into renovating this courtyard. The landscaping, spatial layout, flowers and trees, artificial rockeries, and flowing streams... every single detail showed meticulous care.

This meant that Yun Chu would at least be frequenting this courtyard in the future, or she wouldn't have bothered spending time on its renovation.

Chu Yi recalled what the Vice Censor-in-Chief had said last night: he and his wife had been next-door neighbors, childhood playmates who naturally married when they grew up.

He pondered whether he should purchase the small courtyard directly to the right of this one, which would also make future actions much more convenient...

"Your Highness, please take a seat."

Yun Chu had the servants serve tea, then turned around without looking back to go find her two children.

The cats and rabbits kept in the courtyard were exceedingly docile; no matter how Yu'er picked them up and fussed over them, the small animals showed no sign of anger, and the two children played to their hearts' content.

After playing for roughly a quarter of an hour, dinner was ready.

Yun Chu had the servants set up a table in the side parlor, inviting Chu Yi to dine alone, while she and the two children sat in the flower parlor on the other side.

The two dining areas were separated by a long corridor, with a solid wall right in the middle.

Sitting there all by himself, Chu Yi could only occasionally hear the boisterous laughter of that little rascal. Not only could he not see Yun Chu, but he couldn't even hear her voice.

His appetite vanished instantly.

Yet he also worried that Yun Chu might think he was picky about the food here, which would make it difficult for him to come back next time.

Therefore, he could only bite the bullet and force down two large bowls of rice.

While the atmosphere on Chu Yi's side was gloomy, the two children ate with exceptional delight. Both were premature infants and typically had very small appetites, but today each of them ate two full bowls.

"Mother..." Chu Hongyu whispered in a low voice, afraid his biological father might overhear. "If only we could stay here to sleep. I truly wish I could be with Mother every single moment."

,

"I, I want to as well..."

Chu Changsheng chimed in, mimicking her brother's words.

Yun Chu's eyes suddenly turned red. How she wished for the exact same thing.

Yet now was not yet the time.

"There will be such a day..." She pulled her two precious treasures into her embrace. "Before that day arrives, us getting along just like this is already wonderful enough."

Chu Hongyu caught the sorrow in her voice, but sensed even more hope within it.

Dinner concluded, and Yun Chu led the two children out of the flower parlor, handing them over to their father.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Miss Yun," Chu Yi said as he looked at her. "If the opportunity arises, I hope to play host and have Miss Yun as my guest, ensuring you feel entirely at home."

Yun Chu did not refuse. "Alright."

On the return journey, Chu Yi did not ride his horse; instead, he shared the carriage with the two children.

It was now dusk, and the golden autumn sunset poured down from the western sky. Lifting the carriage curtain, he could see Yun Chu standing right at the entrance of the small courtyard, her features looking exceptionally gentle in the glow of the setting sun.

He carved such a beautiful countenance deep into his heart.

"Father, you're blocking me!" Chu Hongyu gave him a shove, thrust his own head out of the window, and shouted loudly, "Auntie Yun, see you tomorrow!"

Chu Changsheng waved just like her brother, stumbling over her words as she called out, "Bye, bye-bye..."

The carriage rolled out of Yulin Lane and made a turn. Once Yun Chu's figure was completely out of sight, the two children obediently sat back down properly.

Chu Yi spoke in a calm, measured tone. "Yu'er, do you really want to stay with her all the time?"

Chu Hongyu stuck out his tip of his tongue. "Ah, how did Father guess my thoughts? You really are the roundworm inside my stomach."

Chu Yi: "..."

This brat truly needed a thrashing every three days, or he'd be tearing down the roof tiles.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he pulled a tight smile. "I happen to have a method to stay with her forever. Do you want to hear it?"

Chu Hongyu immediately leaned closer. "Father, stop keeping me in suspense, tell me quickly!"

"Marry her and bring her into the family," Chu Yi stated resolutely. "However, this path is extremely difficult, and Father needs your help."

He had expected to win his son's vigorous support.

Instead, a look of utter disdain appeared on the little rascal's face. "Rather than counting on Father, I might as well count on myself! Auntie Yun likes me so much; as long as I grow up, Auntie Yun will definitely marry me. I don't need anyone else's help to marry Auntie Yun. Father is even less capable than a kid like me, hmph!"

Chu Yi: "...”