As noon approached, Xiao Xiang’an stepped back into the market, carrying a child in his arms.

The appearance of the Black Armor Guards immediately drew the attention of the people in the market.

Someone with sharp eyes recognized the boy in Xiao Xiang’an’s arms and immediately turned to call for Zhang Qi and his wife—

"Old Zhang!!! Huzi is back! Huzi is back!"

In an instant, Huaided Fang was filled with voices calling for the Zhang couple.

Zhang Qi ran over with his wife, whose eyes were red and swollen. Upon seeing his son in the Black Armor Guard’s arms, he dropped to his knees with a THUD.

"Thank you, Officer! Thank you, Officer!"

Zhang Qi’s wife hurriedly took the child from Xiao Xiang’an’s hands and immediately checked Zhang Hu’s face, which had turned somewhat blue from the cold.

Xiao Xiang’an pulled Zhang Qi up from the ground with one hand. "It’s nothing, just a small matter. It’s freezing out here; you must watch your child more carefully in the future. Also..."

Recalling what the boy looked like when he found him, the corner of Xiao Xiang’an’s eye couldn’t help but twitch.

The little rascal was still clutching a sweet potato, hiding in an abandoned Daoist Temple and roasting it.

He probably fell asleep halfway through eating, and the firewood in front of him had gone out.

If they, the Black Armor Guards, hadn’t found him in time, this little rascal would have eventually frozen to death in the snow.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiang’an lowered his voice. "Since he’s just a child, we’ll let the matter of him roasting sweet potatoes outside slide for now."

If he were an adult, he’d definitely be on his way to the government office right now.

Xiao Xiang’an was a reasonable man and had no intention of pursuing the matter further.

When Zhang Qi and his wife heard this, their knees went weak, and they almost knelt down again.

Seeing that the Black Armor Guard before them had no intention of detaining anyone, the Zhang couple kowtowed several more times, poured out their thanks, and even offered some silver as a token of their gratitude.

Xiao Xiang’an initially didn’t want to accept such a small amount of loose silver. But as he looked at the couple’s anxious faces, he figured they would remain terrified if he refused. So, in the end, he accepted it.

Once the Black Armor Guards had left, the neighbors of Huaided Fang finally swarmed forward.

Some carried bowls of hot water, some held blankets, and others even brought hand warmers, all of which they piled onto Zhang Hu.

Ming Lingyi stood outside the crowd and let out a sigh of relief.

Her gaze fell on Zhang Hu’s hand. Ming Lingyi looked closely, and understanding began to dawn on her.

When Zhang Hu woke up, he saw his parents looking at him with red eyes.

Normally, if he had run off from home without a word, he might have earned himself a beating. But the entire Zhang Family had been terrified, so who would even remember to punish him?

"If it weren’t for Mrs. Ming today, I fear Huzi’s fate would have been grim..." said Zhang Hu’s mother, wiping away her tears.

Zhang Qi nodded.

"Our family knows its manners. Huzi, you’ll go over to Mrs. Ming’s shop in a little while."

The Zhang Family made their living from Zhang Qi’s craftsmanship. Fortunately, his repair skills were quite good, and there was never a shortage of people hiring him, no matter the season. As a result, the Zhang Family was considered one of those who lived relatively well in the Capital City.

Zhang Qi’s wife prepared two cuts of beef and mutton and a basket of eggs for Zhang Hu to take with him.

As for themselves, they didn’t go along, so as to prevent Ming Lingyi from refusing the gift.

When Zhang Hu knocked on the door of the Ming Family’s shop, Ming Lingyi was with Xiao Chun, preparing for the next day’s New Year’s Eve dinner.

Although it would only be the two of them for the New Year, they still had to celebrate. Besides, this year was especially different for Ming Lingyi.

Having finally gotten the chance to experience the warmth of worldly life outside the palace, she would of course cherish it.

Ming Lingyi decided to have sweet dumplings for breakfast tomorrow morning. Even though it might not align with common customs, she just couldn’t wait.

Zhang Hu entered the Ming Family’s shop. As expected, Ming Lingyi and Xiao Chun were unable to refuse the Zhang Family’s gift of thanks. However, Ming Lingyi had no intention of accepting it for nothing.

After all, in her view, she had merely said a few words offhand. The real credit for finding the boy belonged to the Black Armor Guards.

So, when Li Yan, with Jianzhen in tow, finally found Ming Lingyi’s shop, this was the scene that greeted them.

Ming Lingyi was wearing a thick but festive-looking jacket and skirt, with a trim of what looked like very soft, white rabbit fur at the collar. She was squatting on the ground in front of a young boy, handing him two plum blossom cakes.

"Take these home and have them as a snack." Ming Lingyi’s gentle voice reached Li Yan’s ears, but he was certain those words were not for him. "And another thing," she continued, "don’t sneak out of the house like that anymore. Even if you want roasted sweet potatoes, you can just come to me."

Ming Lingyi had noticed earlier that in the palm of Zhang Hu’s hand were some dark ashes, as well as an overlooked piece of sweet potato skin that hadn’t fallen off.

She guessed that Zhang Qi and his wife were being overly cautious and hadn’t made any hot food for their child, even at home.

Zhang Hu was young and couldn’t resist his cravings. Afraid of being scolded by his parents, he had snuck out early in the morning with two sweet potatoes from home and gone to the abandoned Daoist Temple to roast them.

Ming Lingyi just couldn’t understand how the boy could be so careless as to fall asleep outside in the freezing snow.

Ming Lingyi looked at Zhang Hu and gave him a little wink, as if to say this was their secret.

All Zhang Hu knew was that there were rules. That was why, every year around New Year’s Eve, he couldn’t eat the foods he craved. Even his parents wouldn’t let him do as he pleased. But now, seeing Ming Lingyi’s kind expression, Zhang Hu couldn’t help but grin and nod emphatically.

Standing not far from the doorway, Li Yan watched this scene with a grim look on his little face. His chubby little hands were clenched into fists, so tight he couldn’t seem to unclench them.

The rims of his eyes turned red, and an overwhelming sense of grievance filled his heart, looking as if it would spill over at any moment.

Jianzhen, standing beside his master, saw this and didn’t quite understand what was happening. But he wisely chose to act like a wooden statue, remaining silently by His Highness’s side without uttering a word.

"Is he good-looking?" Suddenly, Jianzhen heard a familiar, nasal voice beside him.

Jianzhen gave a dry laugh. A common child could hardly look as impressive as His Highness. Besides, though his master was young, he already possessed the graceful air of a sapling standing against the wind.

"Naturally, he is no match for Your Highness," Jianzhen said.

This wasn’t entirely flattery on his part; it was simply the truth.

Li Yan was not comforted by these words. He stared at the purse hanging from his waist. The chubby baby embroidered on it was clearly meant to be him, but at this moment, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

"But she likes someone else," Li Yan sniffled.

As far as he was concerned, Ming Lingyi had her own child. A child who could get her plum blossom cakes effortlessly, without having to fight anyone for them.