“Meow~”
Two tiny kittens let out soft meows, scrambling to nuzzle against Yu Zhi’s hands. Their fluffy little heads, smaller than his palms, buried themselves in his hands, rubbing against him incessantly.
A wave of ticklish sensation spread through his palm. Yu Zhi watched the two kittens with a smile as they jostled each other, each trying to claim dominance over his hand.
“Competing for attention right after birth?” Yu Zhi pinched the scruff of the slightly larger kitten and lifted it up.
Its four pink paws flailed in the air as it meowed incessantly.
Yu Zhi brought it close to his face, meeting its round, wide eyes. “You’re the big brother,” he said gently. “You need to be considerate of your little sister, understand?”
“Meow~” The kitten glared, unable to understand Yu Zhi’s words. It kicked its four paws relentlessly, trying to climb onto its father’s neck.
“Why so restless?” Yu Zhi hooked the kitten’s paw and placed it on his shoulder with a smile. The kitten immediately clung tightly to Yu Zhi’s clothes. Once steady, it stretched out its front paws and shifted its tiny body forward, opening and closing its little claws as it tentatively tested the ground.
It wanted to climb from Yu Zhi’s left shoulder to his right.
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow, watching it.
This was far too difficult for a kitten that had only opened its eyes a few days ago.
It stretched out, attempting to hook its front paws around Yu Zhi’s collar. Before it could grasp hold, its hind legs suddenly gave way, and it rolled straight off Yu Zhi’s shoulder. Yu Zhi caught it swiftly in his palm, lifting a finger to gently tap its little head.
“Naughty.”
Yu Zhi lowered his gaze to the other kitten.
His little sister had curled herself into a tiny fur ball, sleeping soundly in his palm. Her tiny body rose and fell gently, a contented purr escaping her throat as she slept deeply.
Yu Zhi’s eyes curved into crescent moons, his lips melting into a deep smile.
He thought he finally understood how his father must feel.
The two furry bundles were utterly adorable.
Yu Zhi lowered his head and planted a firm kiss on his brother’s warm little forehead. The kitten let out a soft meow and reached out a paw to touch Yu Zhi’s cheek.
As father and son played, the door suddenly swung open. Steady footsteps approached the bedside.
Yu Zhi heard the movement and instinctively looked up, beginning, “Luo…”
The tall, imposing figure filling his vision made Yu Zhi immediately stop. He corrected himself, “Father… Father Emperor.”
Yu Zhi felt uneasy.
He wondered if the Emperor had heard the word he’d almost spoken aloud.
Yu Heng glanced at him and sat down beside the bed. He took the kitten from Yu Zhi’s arms and handed him a bowl of soup. “Your father specially prepared this for you. Drink it.”
Yu Zhi looked surprised. “Father cooked it?”
Yu Heng nodded. “He washed the ingredients himself and watched the cook prepare it.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhi relaxed. If it truly had been his father who cooked it, he wouldn’t have dared to drink it—his father certainly couldn’t cook. Years ago, on the Emperor’s birthday, he had enthusiastically declared he would make a bowl of longevity noodles for him, dragging Yu Zhi along to assist. The result… well…
Better left unsaid.
Yu Zhi lifted the bowl and sipped the chicken soup slowly. It contained ingredients like Chinese yam, astragalus, and goji berries. The herbal aroma mingled with the savory chicken scent, creating a rich and delicious flavor. The hot broth slid down his throat into his stomach, warming his entire body.
Yu Zhi curved his lips and looked up at Yu Heng. ” Father, please convey my thanks to Father.”
“I heard Baby thanking me the moment I walked in.” Ye Jiang unfastened his fox fur robe, brushed the snow off it, hung it on a nearby rack, and walked over to the father and son with a smile.
Yu Zhi sighed helplessly, “Father, I even have a child now. Please stop calling me that.”
Ye Jiang looked down at the white kitten curled up beside Yu Zhi, his voice softening. “Little sister’s asleep.”
He turned to the kitten scrambling in Yu Heng’s arms and chuckled, “Brother sure has boundless energy.”
Yu Heng glanced up at him. “Still itchy?” “
Ye Jiang replied, “I used Imperial Physician Zhang’s method. It doesn’t itch anymore.” Seeing Yu Zhi’s curious gaze, he chuckled, “I boiled that yam for your bath. It was driving me crazy.”
Yu Zhi said, “Father, you’ve gone to so much trouble.”
Ye Jiang waved it off. “This is nothing. You’re the one who’s truly worked hard, bearing two babies. They’re nothing like you—when you were born, you were skin and bones, so light in my hands you barely felt like anything. These two little ones are plump and full-bodied. Thank goodness they’re kittens. If they’d been human babies, you’d have suffered even more.”
Yu Zhi: “I…”
Ye Jiang: “Enough, enough. Stop talking. Drink your soup. You need to get your strength back.”
“Mm.” Yu Zhi nodded firmly.
“Kitty kitty, come to me, good baby.” Ye Jiang turned to coax the kitten in Yu Heng’s arms.
He produced a feather from somewhere, circled it around the kitten’s head, and tapped its wet little nose. The kitten instantly arched its back, pouncing to grab the feather. Yu Heng spread his arms to shield the kitten from falling, smiling as he watched his Empress play with the cat.
Yu Zhi picked up a piece of yam. Its natural sweetness melted in his mouth, infused with the flavors of chicken broth and astragalus. The interplay of tastes only accentuated its inherent delicate sweetness.
He quickly finished the medicinal soup, turning to find a scene of perfect harmony before his eyes.
Father was amusedly teasing the kitten, while the Emperor’s smiling gaze lingered on Father, his affectionate eyes never straying for a moment.
Suddenly, Yu Zhi felt a pang of melancholy.
His gaze drifted past the two figures, settling on the gray, overcast sky. Through the translucent glass panes, he watched as the blizzard raged fiercely, lashing against the window frames and creating a constant rustling sound.
The blizzard raged fiercely, the ground frozen solid and the air bitterly cold. Was Luo Ting traveling eastward in such weather? Could something happen to him?
A sudden wave of panic washed over Yu Zhi. Moments later, realizing what he was thinking, he gave a self-deprecating chuckle, mocking his own needless worry.
Luo Ting was a martial arts master—why should he worry?
He was lucky enough to survive.
Yu Zhi recalled that departing figure who had left without a word. He gritted his teeth and snorted coldly inside.
Luo Ting, once you return to Sheng Kingdom, you’d better not come bother me again!
Ye Jiang’s eyes flickered. She nudged Yu Heng with her elbow and gestured angrily toward Yu Zhi.
Yu Heng followed her gaze. Yu Zhi seemed utterly lost, his usually bright eyes now devoid of any spark. He stared blankly out the window.
The next moment, he suddenly muttered a curse under his breath, his face contorted with rage as he gritted his teeth—a flicker of life finally returning to him.
The couple exchanged a glance. Ye Jiang asked, “Has Xiao Yu chosen names for the two babies yet?”
Yu Zhi snapped back to reality and shook his head. “Not yet.”
He and Luo Ting had pored over scriptures and poetry anthologies, seeking perfect names for the children. Yet the more they read, the more overwhelmed they felt.
Ye Jiang pressed, “Do they have nicknames?”
Yu Zhi pondered for a moment before replying, “They were born just as our family reunited. Why not call them Tuantuan and Yuanyuan?”
Ye Jiang asked, “Does Xiao Yu resent me and your father? Does he resent us for leaving you behind for so long?”
Yu Zhi waved his hands repeatedly. “Of course not! Children must leave their parents when they grow up. I can’t cling to you forever.”
Ye Jiang sighed softly, drawing Yu Zhi into her embrace. She gently stroked his back and murmured, “This time we’ve returned, we won’t be leaving again anytime soon.”
Yu Zhi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Ye Jiang smiled. ” You’ve just given birth to kittens. How could we abandon you? We’ll naturally help share the burden of caring for them. Besides, now that you have children, it’s time we started looking for a suitable match for you.”
“Father!” Yu Zhi paled, scrambling out of Ye Jiang’s embrace. “Don’t worry about it. I have no intention of marrying anytime soon.”
Ye Jiang: “Oh? You don’t want to marry anyone else, but what about Luo Tingshi?”
Yu Zhi sighed sadly, clutching Ye Jiang’s arm and pleading with his eyes: “Father, please don’t ask. I don’t want to marry anyone.”
Seeing Ye Jiang about to speak further, he quickly cut him off: “Dad, I’m a bit tired. I want to sleep.”
Ye Jiang watched his son feigning a yawn, inwardly amused. He bent down to help Yu Zhi lie down, gently stroking his soft hair as a soft voice filled Yu Zhi’s ears:
” Your father and I will take Tuantuan and Yuanyuan with us. Rest well now.”
Yu Zhi rubbed his eyes and nodded obediently.
One man carried a cat as they walked away together. Yu Zhi finally let out a sigh of relief.
Lying in bed, Yu Zhi stared fixedly at the canopy, utterly unable to sleep.
The wind and snow grew fiercer, howling like a raging beast, rattling the doors and windows.
Could the common folk endure such bitter cold?
Images of low thatched cottages flashed before his eyes—people huddled together, shivering in thin clothing, seeking warmth. His gaze shifted beyond the huts. In the vast expanse of white, Yu Zhi spotted a small black dot. As it drew nearer, he realized it was a person.
A man riding a horse at full gallop through the blizzard.
Recognizing the man’s face, Yu Zhi gasped in shock.
Why was he thinking of Luo Ting again?
Yu Zhi covered his face and let out a wail, rolling deeper into the bed. As he moved, something suddenly fell from his robe, revealing a deep yellow corner.
What was this…
Yu Zhi picked up the object.
A few days prior, Luo Ting had visited a temple on the outskirts of the city and obtained four amulets for peace and safety.
“One for each of us—our family of four,” Luo Ting had insisted, forcing the amulets into Yu Zhi’s robe, tucking them close to his chest. He had repeatedly warned him, “I had the master consecrate these. Xiao Yu, you must not remove this amulet.”
It wasn’t a bad thing, and Yu Zhi couldn’t be bothered to argue, so he left it there.
Yu Zhi stared at the talisman, a sudden warmth spreading across his ears, as if he’d been transported back to that day.
The man embraced him from behind, resting his chin on Yu Zhi’s shoulder. His smiling voice reached Yu Zhi’s ear: After the children are born, I’ll pass on all my martial arts skills to them. With those skills to protect them, they’ll have nothing to fear wherever they go. When the children are older, we’ll hand over the affairs of state to them, just as your father did. How about we go out and enjoy the mountains and waters?”
Yu Zhi glared at him. “Who wants to enjoy the mountains and waters with you? I’m perfectly content with my leisurely life alone.”
Luo Tingshi tilted his head, his affectionate eyes smiling as they met his.
“Your Majesty truly doesn’t want me?”
Yu Zhi clutched the talisman tightly, his gaze sweeping over the empty room. His faint voice was carried away by the cold wind.
“I do.”