Chapter 363: Chapter 312: Because I’m Thinking of You Too

Zhou Ruoxi wiped her hands and came out.

"Oh? Mo’er, who is this little girl?"

Seeing the little girl following her son, Zhou Ruoxi blinked.

’What’s going on?’

’How did Mo’er manage to bring a little girl home?’

’Then again, this little girl is so beautiful, as if carved from jade, just like a porcelain doll.’

’Even at such a young age, she’s already a budding beauty.’

And judging from her clothes, Zhou Ruoxi knew the girl’s status must be extraordinary.

"Mother, this is the Third Princess, Qin Siyao. She came to play with me," Xiao Mo explained.

"So it is the Princess. Forgive my rudeness."

Zhou Ruoxi quickly curtsied.

"Auntie, please don’t. You are my elder. It is I, Siyao, who should be bowing to you."

Qin Siyao stepped forward and nervously curtsied in return.

Watching Qin Siyao’s polite demeanor, Xiao Mo felt a wave of emotion.

He knew the Sovereign of Qin doted on this daughter, yet she wasn’t arrogant or rude at all. Instead, she was well-mannered and cultured.

’Her mother, the Empress, must have disciplined her well.’

Zhou Ruoxi was also quite surprised.

She hadn’t expected the little princess to be so sensible. Combined with her beautiful looks, she was truly endearing.

"Auntie, Siyao came without a gift today, so I can only give this to you. Please don’t dislike it." Qin Siyao offered the Little Night Pearl with both hands.

"This... Princess, this is far too valuable..." Zhou Ruoxi quickly shook her head.

Back when Zhou Ruoxi was in Yunhui City, she had seen a Little Night Pearl before. It could be used not only as an ornament but also in medicine. A single one was worth more than a hundred taels of Gold.

"Auntie, please accept it. It’s just a small token of my sincerity," Qin Siyao said, holding the Little Night Pearl up a little higher.

"It is fine for you to accept it, Madam Zhou. If you do not, and the Empress finds out, she will say the Princess was being impolite," the maid standing to the side said with a smile.

"Yes, yes," Qin Siyao nodded eagerly. "My mother is very strict. If you don’t accept it, Auntie, I’ll get scolded when I go back."

"Then... very well... I thank the Princess."

Zhou Ruoxi could only accept it for now, planning to find a chance later to have her son return it.

"You can just call me Siyao, Auntie. Xiao Mo calls me Siyao too," Qin Siyao said sweetly. "Oh, right, Auntie, can I take Xiao Mo to play in the Imperial City later?"

"Of course, you can. But if the Princess doesn’t mind, would you like to have a meal before you go?"

Zhou Ruoxi was really just being polite, as she didn’t expect royalty to eat her simple fare. But since it was already evening, it would be rude not to invite her to dinner.

"Sister Hua Sheng, can I eat with Auntie and Xiao Mo?"

Qin Siyao looked expectantly at her personal maid, tugging on her sleeve and pleading.

"Of course, you can." The maid named Hua Sheng nodded.

"Yay!" Qin Siyao jumped with joy. "In that case, Auntie, I’ll gladly accept!"

"You are too kind, Princess. Please, have a seat. I will go bring the dishes."

The more Zhou Ruoxi looked at the little girl’s well-behaved appearance, the more she liked her.

Before long, several dishes were brought out from the kitchen.

Full of curiosity, Qin Siyao picked at the food, eating in small, lady-like bites.

"Auntie, your cooking is delicious! It’s much better than what the imperial chefs in the palace make," Qin Siyao praised from the heart.

"It’s probably just new to you, Princess. If you like it, please have some more." Zhou Ruoxi moved the dish Qin Siyao was eating the most of a little closer to her.

"Mhm." Qin Siyao responded and continued to dig in.

Xiao Mo noticed that although the little princess ate slowly, bite by bite, her appetite was surprisingly large. She was just like a little foodie.

An incense stick’s time later, after finishing dinner and bidding farewell to "Auntie," Qin Siyao grabbed Xiao Mo’s hand and ran out of the Xiao Mansion.

The two children walked through the Imperial City with the Maid Hua Sheng following behind, giving the two little ones space to be alone.

Although the Maid Hua Sheng always wore a smile and looked like an ordinary woman...

...Xiao Mo could faintly sense that her Divine Sense extended very far, and he couldn’t see her Realm at all.

’This maid is anything but simple.’ 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Sister Hua Sheng, why won’t Auntie call me Siyao?"

Qin Siyao asked curiously as they walked down the street.

"Because the Princess has a special status, and the Xiao Mansion has strict rules. Madam Zhou cannot be impolite. However, since Young Master Xiao and the Princess are both children, no one will care if you address each other by name," Hua Sheng replied.

"Oh..."

Qin Siyao nodded, only half-understanding.

Although the little girl was a bit disappointed, she was soon captivated by the bustling atmosphere of the Imperial City.

"Xiao Mo, what’s that?"

"That’s tanghulu."

"What about that?"

"That’s braised goose."

"Xiao Mo, and that one?"

"That’s an inn, a place to eat and stay the night."

"Xiao Mo, is that an inn too?" the little girl asked again. "Why are those big sisters wearing so little? Aren’t they embarrassed?"

"Well..." Looking at the brothel, Xiao Mo didn’t know how to explain. He could only feign ignorance. "I don’t know either, but my mother says it’s not a good place and never lets me go there."

"Oh, I see..."

Qin Siyao was still a little curious but didn’t dwell on it, continuing to skip happily down the street.

On the street, Qin Siyao looked left and right.

She bought whatever tasty food she saw.

Her little belly became round and full.

When she saw a street acrobatics show, Qin Siyao couldn’t tear herself away.

She watched the performance, clapping her little hands nonstop, and was extremely generous with her tips.

Those street performers were so grateful they looked like they wanted to kowtow to the little girl from the wealthy family.

Spotting an old man by the roadside making clay figurines, Qin Siyao happily pulled Xiao Mo over.

"Little girl, want a clay figurine? Five wen a piece," the old man said with a smile.

"Grandpa, can I make one myself?" Qin Siyao asked.

"Of course, you can." The old man was even happier; he got paid without having to do the work himself.

The Maid Hua Sheng counted out five wen from her purse for the old man, and then Qin Siyao squatted down and began to sculpt earnestly.

An incense stick’s time later, the little girl held up the clay figurine she’d made and asked happily, "Xiao Mo, can you guess who this is?"

Looking at the rather abstract figurine, Xiao Mo could only tell that she had sculpted a person. "Is it Sister Hua Sheng?"

"Nope, guess again."

"Is it me?"

"That’s not it either. Guess again."

"Is it the two Princes?"

"No, no." Qin Siyao pouted, looked at her little clay figurine, and muttered softly, "Is it really that ugly?"

"Never mind, let’s stop guessing. Let’s go have more fun."

Perhaps feeling that her clay figurine was indeed a bit ugly, Qin Siyao quickly put it away and continued to pull Xiao Mo forward.

Before long, the sky darkened, and every household hung out their lanterns.

The little girl hopped and skipped under the lanterns, chasing her own shadow like a little rabbit.

In short, for a little girl who had left the Imperial Palace for the first time, everything was new and exciting.

"Princess, it’s time for us to go back."

Before they knew it, it was late. The Maid Hua Sheng spoke to her princess.

"Aww, okay..."

Qin Siyao lowered her head. Although she hadn’t had her fill of fun, she didn’t dare refuse, or else her mother wouldn’t let her out again.

"Xiao Mo, I have to go back now..." Qin Siyao’s eyes were filled with reluctance as she looked at him.

"Take care, Princess." Xiao Mo clasped his fist in a salute.

The little girl turned reluctantly, looking back every few steps as she walked toward the carriage nearby.

Just as she was about to board the carriage, the little girl seemed to remember something. She ran back to Xiao Mo and asked, "Xiao Mo, will you miss me?"

"Of course, I will," Xiao Mo replied.

"Then this is for you." The little girl took the clay figurine out of her small cloth pouch and handed it to Xiao Mo.

"For me?" Xiao Mo was taken aback.

"Yep."

The little girl nodded.

"This figurine isn’t of someone else, it’s me! It’s my gift to you.

"When you miss me, just look at this figurine and say my name softly. Maybe I’ll know you’re thinking of me, and then I’ll come see you."

"Is that so?" Xiao Mo took the figurine and smiled. "Then what if the Princess doesn’t come?"

"Even if I don’t come, you won’t lose out."

"Why?" Xiao Mo asked curiously.

The little girl’s eyes curved into crescents.

"Because I’ll be thinking of you, too."