Chapter 1136: Chapter 629: Home (Double-length) (Part 2)

She slowly raised her hand with an almost stiff caution, reaching out to Qin Yue.

"Yue’er..." Her voice was low and hoarse, "...come here."

These two words seemed like a command, yet also a silent compromise to Chen Yi, and a mother’s call to her two-year-old child.

Qin Yue’s crying completely stopped, leaving only little sobs. When she was held by Qin Qingluo, she stopped crying altogether and felt a bit bewildered.

With a thick nasal tone, she softly and tentatively called out again, "Father, Father Wang... didn’t lose..."

The woman prince remained silent, uttering no response.

"Your father Wang didn’t lose, and dad didn’t win either." Chen Yi reached out to stroke her head, but Qin Yue quickly shook her head to avoid it. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

It didn’t matter that the daughter avoided him; Chen Yi noticed that Qin Qingluo did not.

In Heart Lake, only Qin Yue remained at peace in Father Wang’s arms, emitting tiny sobs, alongside Qin Qingluo’s extremely suppressed, barely audible heavy breathing.

The world of the three was forcibly bonded at this moment.

The invisible smoke temporarily dispersed, leaving behind an indescribable mess on the ground and a fragile, makeshift small family.

.........

Annan Royal Mansion, Qingping Courtyard.

This small courtyard, located in the southwest corner of the Prince Mansion, was originally built by the sixth Prince of Annan for his in-laws. The sixth Princess was of humble origin, and her parents were overwhelmed when they first entered the Prince Mansion, feeling as out of place as Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, unable to sleep or eat for several days. Therefore, the sixth Prince of Annan had to send the in-laws to live with an ordinary family first. In the following six months, this simple separate courtyard was built.

Chen Yi had seen it once, with about five or six rooms, including a front hall and back rooms. "Simple" it may be, but writing it down was not that simple. The placement of the furniture, the style of the daily utensils, the faux rustic gray decor, and the seemingly ordinary branch-like screen dividing the corridors were all meticulously considered, with the luxury hidden inside.

There was a bit of dust on the armchair, not thoroughly cleaned. The location was remote, and the Prince of Annan’s poor relatives were few and far between, only occasionally staying for leisure. Qin Qingluo had ordered a simple cleanup and was using it to accommodate Chen Yi, a distant and... impoverished guest.

Chen Yi had little pursuit of material desires and didn’t mind the long-deserted courtyard. The two had too deep a rift, with both new grudges and old hatred. As long as he wasn’t thrown into the dungeon, having a place to stay in the Prince Mansion was considered a victory.

As for their future together, Qin Qingluo did not disclose it, and Chen Yi wisely didn’t pursue it. Being too rambunctious with her might result in being kicked out the next day.

Chen Yi sat on the recliner and stretched lazily.

After all this time of turmoil, he finally gained some peace.

He really wanted to bring over the Twin Yin Lords, the mentor, and Min Ming, who served as a maid, to live a settled life here.

"...I almost forgot Lin Wanxiao, Min Ning, and Consort Dong..." Chen Yi casually muttered.

It indeed echoed what Little Fox said, having too many women indeed brings trouble, occasionally feeling overwhelmed.

"It’s fine. I love every one of them."

Chen Yi closed his eyes and took a short rest, long-time fatigue,

making him feel like wandering outside his body.

......

When he opened his eyes again.

The sky had dimmed to a yellow hue, the boundary of dusk merging into the clouds, making it all seem like a dream. The red and yellow colors interwoven, filled with a sense of fantasy, it was hard to imagine such skies in the miasma-filled Southern Border.

Rustling sounds.

Chen Yi suddenly heard a tiny sound, glanced inconspicuously, and saw a small figure peeking cautiously from behind the door.

Chen Yi almost chuckled, suppressing his smile, and continued pretending to sleep, unmoved.

The figure watched him intently, seeing no movement, tiptoed closer.

Qin Yue wobbled slightly, not yet steady on her feet at two years old, cautiously observing this both unfamiliar and familiar man. Confirming he was still asleep, she reached out aiming to tug his hair hard.

Who told him to oppose Father Wang!

As her hand stretched out in mid-air, nearly succeeding, Chen Yi suddenly turned and made a white-eyed grimace.

"Wuaaah!!"

Qin Yue stepped back two steps, falling on her butt, and cried out loudly.

"Hehehe." Chen Yi chuckled twice, about to ask why she came alone.

"Mom, Mom, save me, save me."

Mom?

Zhu E?

As Chen Yi was thinking, a red-clad silhouette emerged from behind the door, covering her mouth with a soft laugh, quickly walking forward to scoop Qin Yue into her arms.

"Yue’er, be good. Don’t cry, don’t cry."

"Wuwu, he, he scared me!" Qin Yue cried even more loudly, pointing fiercely at Chen Yi.

Zhu E couldn’t possibly blame Chen Yi for this, she simply softly flashed a white-eyed look, "Husband, don’t scare her."

"Well, I can’t guarantee that."

He scared even Little Fox, let alone Qin Yue. The more he scared, the more fun it was.

"Wuaahh!"

Qin Yue cried even louder.

Chen Yi tried to pat her head, but she struggled to avoid it, so he gave up.

He looked at Zhu E and gently asked, "Aunt Zhu, why have you come?"

"Heard you two have settled matters, so I brought Yue’er to visit."

"...I don’t want to see him." Saying that, Qin Yue turned her head aside, continuing to cry.

Zhu E comforted and rocked the little one, while Chen Yi felt quite helpless. He understood that facing a father who suddenly appeared and had a strained relationship with her birth mother, Qin Yue needed some time to adjust.