As dusk fell, Ji Lin left the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion, taking with him the clay figurine he had molded.
Jiang Yunshu wanted to snatch it back. Even though Ji Lin had made the figurine, it was modeled after her—and worse, it depicted her sprawled out in an ungraceful tumble! It was downright unflattering!
She stretched her arms and jumped to grab it, but of course, she failed. At twelve years old, Ji Lin was much taller than her, capable of lifting Jiang Yunshu with just one hand.
Ji Lin boarded the carriage with the little clay figure, waving at her. "Come visit the palace again in a few days, Yunshu-mei!"
Jiang Yunshu gritted her teeth in frustration.
After seeing him off, she returned to the courtyard and realized the lumpy "masterpiece" she had made was also missing.
She searched around, only to find that the area where she and Ji Lin had played with clay had already been tidied up by the maids.
Her lumpy creation must have been thrown away during the cleanup.
Well, it hadn’t exactly looked like a finished piece.
Jiang Yunshu felt a twinge of regret, but she quickly dismissed it.
---
Upon returning to the palace, Ji Lin first went to pay his respects to the Empress.
The Empress asked, "What did you do today at the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion?"
Ji Lin replied, "I caught fish with Yunshu-mei and played with clay..."
The Empress looked surprised. She hadn’t expected her precocious son to indulge in such childish pastimes—unless it was because Jiang Yunshu, being only five, had drawn him into it?
But the idea of Ji Lin "humoring" someone was equally unbelievable.
Then the Empress noticed something else. "Why have you stopped calling her 'Jiang-mei' and switched to 'Yunshu-mei'?"
Ji Lin said simply, "I think Yunshu-mei sounds better."
He didn’t mention that earlier, when he had called out "Jiang-mei," Jiang Zhaohua had mistaken it for herself. That was when he realized—there could be many "Jiang-mei"s, as all the daughters of the Marquis of Xiping shared the same surname.
But Yunshu-mei was one of a kind.
For some reason, Ji Lin sensed Jiang Yunshu wouldn’t like her surname.
Just as he disliked his own.
"Call her whatever you like," the Empress said with an amused shake of her head, chiding herself for overthinking. Ji Lin was only twelve, and Jiang Yunshu was barely five—they were just two children playing together.
From then on, the Empress frequently summoned Jiang Yunshu to the palace.
She had taken an instant liking to the girl—first without reason, and later because Ji Lin always seemed genuinely happy in her company, smiling in a way he rarely did.
Her son had always been serious beyond his years, so these moments of joy were precious.
Every time Jiang Yunshu visited, the Empress made sure to prepare her favorite dishes.
At first, Jiang Yunshu thought it was coincidence, but eventually, she realized the Empress had gone out of her way to accommodate her tastes. She was baffled—how did the Empress know what she liked?
She had always been careful not to show her preferences.
Puzzled, Jiang Yunshu asked Ji Lin, "How does Her Majesty know?"
Ji Lin barely suppressed a laugh. "I have no idea."
Jiang Yunshu wondered aloud, "Can she read my mind?"
Ji Lin thought to himself—who couldn’t tell what Jiang Yunshu liked?
The moment she tasted something she loved, her eyes lit up like lanterns! Only a blind man would miss it!
The Empress summoned Jiang Yunshu regularly, and each time, the Crown Prince made sure to set aside time to play with her.
Ji Lin was endlessly curious—how did this tiny girl come up with so many games? She always had something new to entertain them with!
With the backing of both the Crown Prince and the Empress, Jiang Yunshu’s life at the Marquis's mansion improved greatly.
Her stepmother no longer ignored her; on the surface, she received everything Jiang Zhaohua did.
As for the extra privileges Jiang Zhaohua received in private, Jiang Yunshu didn’t mind.
After all, her stepmother shared no blood with her—she was only her half-sister’s mother.
Now, Jiang Yunshu’s daily life was far better than before. She had meat with every meal!
For a five-year-old, this was the greatest blessing since her transmigration.
At last, she didn’t have to worry about stunted growth from poor nutrition.
Before, Jiang Yunshu and Concubine Qiao had survived on plain meals. Concubine Qiao had taught her to dance and often secretly looked after her—Jiang Yunshu knew and appreciated it.
Now that she had meat to spare, she shared it with Concubine Qiao.
Dancing required energy—one couldn’t do it without proper food.
Jiang Yunshu considered herself fortunate. Though her birth mother had died young in this era, Concubine Qiao had filled part of that void… and the Empress had filled the rest.
The Empress was a gentle soul.
Every visit, Jiang Yunshu enjoyed her favorite dishes and left with bundles of pastries.
The Empress’s gifts were never extravagant, yet each one was thoughtful—always something Jiang Yunshu needed.
Perhaps because her body was that of a child, her mind had also been influenced.
At the Marquis's mansion, seeing how doting her stepmother was toward Jiang Zhaohua, she had longed for her own mother.
Now, what she lacked had been mended by Concubine Qiao and the Empress together.
Noticing Jiang Yunshu’s affection for the Empress, Ji Lin couldn’t help asking, "You really like my mother?"
Jiang Yunshu nodded emphatically. "Mm!"
After a pause, Ji Lin pressed, "Why?"
Meeting his gaze, Jiang Yunshu saw complex emotions swirling in his dark eyes.
She could guess what he was thinking—the Empress wasn’t a perfect mother. Or rather, in the depths of the palace, so close to power, perfection was impossible.
The Empress wasn’t strong enough.
Ji Lin’s premature maturity stemmed from this. Like a sapling forced to grow too fast, he strained every day to become a towering tree—because he had to protect not only himself, but also his mother.
Yet despite her political shortcomings, the Empress cared for Ji Lin with all her heart.
Jiang Yunshu said softly, "If my mother were alive… she wouldn’t need to be good at anything, or do anything special."
"Just her being here, just her staying with me—that would be enough."
She thought of the mothers from both her lifetimes.
Ji Lin froze, staring at her.
For a moment, his heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand—aching and swollen.
He had asked why she liked the Empress so much because, in his mind, he treated Jiang Yunshu even better than his mother did!
Yet it seemed… she still favored the Empress slightly more.
Originally, he had planned to casually ask, "Then who do you like more—me or my mother?"
But now, he didn’t want to.
No matter whom she preferred…
"You can have half of my mother."
"Both she and I will care for you."
With those words, Ji Lin turned and strode away before Jiang Yunshu could see his face flush red.
