Duoduo's eyes lit up, and she nodded her head like a little chick pecking at rice.
"Mhm! I definitely won't tell anyone!"
"You cannot tell your mother either," the Prince of Pingyang instructed, still a bit uneasy.
Duoduo nodded.
"I understand! It will just be a secret between the two of us!"
The Prince of Pingyang nodded in approval.
He recalled how he had just reached out to grab her with lightning speed.
Yet, Duoduo had dodged it.
"Your reaction just now was quite good. You actually managed to dodge my attack."
Hearing her father praise her, Duoduo's face flushed with excitement.
"Teacher says that I am small and nimble, but I lack strength, so I have to learn to use my advantages to make up for my shortcomings."
"Right now, Teacher is training my strength."
"Once I get stronger, if something like just now happens again, I'll be able to fight back!"
The Prince of Pingyang nodded.
"Study hard under Li Jin. He is very skilled."
Duoduo nodded vigorously.
"Mhm, Duoduo will remember!"
Suddenly remembering Ling Feng outside the door, Duoduo secretly pointed her little hand toward the door.
She asked in a low voice, "Father, Ling Feng is still waiting at the door."
The Prince of Pingyang pondered for a moment.
"Go out and tell Ling Feng that we will depart in an hour."
Duoduo nodded and ran to open the door.
Ling Feng, who had been pacing anxiously outside, hurried over.
"Ling Feng, Father says we will depart in an hour."
Ling Feng hesitated slightly. "Is His Highness alright?"
Duoduo shook her head.
"Of course he's fine! Father just fell asleep!"
Ling Feng glanced into the room and saw the Prince of Pingyang still lying in bed.
He looked at Duoduo again; there was nothing unusual on her face.
Perhaps the Prince of Pingyang really was just asleep, exactly as the young princess had said.
"Then this subordinate will go attend to other matters. Please tell His Highness that there are other guards on duty at the door."
"If he wishes to get up, he only needs to ring the bell."
Duoduo recalled that there did seem to be a bell at the head of the Prince of Pingyang's bed.
She nodded. "Okay."
Watching Ling Feng leave, Duoduo finally closed the door and turned back.
The Prince of Pingyang lay in bed, watching Duoduo skip back to him.
"Has he left?"
Duoduo nodded.
"Father, your... hasn't fully healed yet. Are you still going to the estate?"
"The estate is so, so far away. Can your body handle it?"
As Duoduo spoke, she placed her little hands on the Prince of Pingyang's legs.
While she spoke, she spread her small hands and tried her best to massage him.
"I must go. Father has matters that must be attended to."
The Prince of Pingyang rubbed his left hand with his right, deep in thought.
"Duoduo, how long do you think it will take you to learn acupuncture?"
Duoduo's big eyes blinked.
"I don't know."
"What I mean is, can you learn it before we go to the capital?"
The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo meaningfully.
Duoduo tilted her little head.
"Father, do you mean you want me to do acupuncture on you?"
The Prince of Pingyang blinked, not denying it.
"Can you do it?"
Faced with another challenge set by the Prince of Pingyang, Duoduo did not hesitate.
"Father, I'll try!"
The Prince of Pingyang looked at Duoduo. Her face had grown a bit plumper.
She no longer looked as painfully thin and bony as before.
Her hair, which used to be like dry grass, had become black, shiny, and straight.
On her palm-sized face, her big eyes still looked crystal clear.
Only now, they held much more liveliness.
Because of her morning exercise, Duoduo's cheeks were rosy and fair.
The current Duoduo looked even more endearing, making one unable to resist doting on her.
The Prince of Pingyang reached out and gently stroked Duoduo's cheek.
"Is it hard work?"
Duoduo was stunned by the question.
Just now, when the Prince of Pingyang had looked at her without speaking, her heart had clenched tightly.
She had been afraid that her father would scold her.
She hadn't expected that the very first thing her father would say was to show care for her.
Duoduo blinked her big eyes, and they grew moist.
"Father!"
She called out in a soft, sweet voice.
Then, Duoduo remembered that her father disliked it when people cried.
She raised her hand and hurriedly wiped her eyes.
She sniffled. "It's not hard!"
The Prince of Pingyang picked up a handkerchief from beside his pillow and wiped Duoduo's face.
"You did very well just now!"
"Remember this feeling. When you see your imperial grandfather, you must act exactly like this."
"Mhm! I won't cry!"
Duoduo answered bravely.
"No, Father is telling you to cry! Not wailing loudly, but shedding tears just like you did a moment ago. Do you remember?"
Duoduo's big eyes were filled with confusion.
"Father, why?"
The Prince of Pingyang withdrew his hand.
"Father once told you, when you encounter someone stronger than you, what should you do?"
Duoduo answered without hesitation.
"Show weakness!"
As soon as she said it, Duoduo suddenly understood.
"Father, is it because my imperial grandfather is very strong that I need to show weakness?"
The Prince of Pingyang's gaze fixed on a certain point in the air.
"Your imperial grandfather is the most powerful person in this world. He holds the power of life and death over people."
Duoduo heard a hint of melancholy in the Prince of Pingyang's words.
"Is he even stronger than Father?"
The Prince of Pingyang's gaze returned from the void and landed on Duoduo's face.
He tugged at the corners of his lips and gave a small smile.
"Father was taught by him. Tell me, is he formidable or not?"
Duoduo could tell that her father didn't seem happy when mentioning his own father.
"Father, then you must be the student who surpasses the master! You are definitely much more formidable than your father!"
After speaking, Duoduo reached out her little hand and patted the Prince of Pingyang's shoulder encouragingly.
The Prince of Pingyang felt that Duoduo was comforting him.
"Shouldn't it be your training time right now?"
Duoduo slapped her little forehead. "Oh no! This is bad!"
"Father, I'm leaving now. Teacher will definitely punish me again in a moment!"
Duoduo hurriedly ran toward the door.
Halfway there, she ran back.
"Father, you must pay attention to your safety. Mother and I will both be good."
After saying that, Duoduo turned around and ran back again.
Watching Duoduo's flustered appearance, the Prince of Pingyang, for the first time ever, did not reprimand her.
Instead, he began to laugh.
Halfway through his laugh, he suddenly realized something.
Ever since Duoduo arrived, he had been smiling more and more frequently.
The Prince of Pingyang put away his smile, picked up the bell by his bed, and rang it twice.
A guard immediately appeared at the door.
The Prince of Pingyang glanced over; it was Yun Xiao.
"Help me up."
He ordered coldly.
Yun Xiao stepped forward and helped the Prince of Pingyang sit up.
He helped the Prince of Pingyang put on his clothes, and then carried him into his wheelchair.
Duoduo ran out the door and dutifully continued to run laps.
Only after she had finished three laps did she run over to Li Jin.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I've finished running."
Earlier, Ling Feng had already come over to inform Li Jin of the situation.
Li Jin looked Duoduo up and down.
"You are late today. The delayed time can only be made up by using your rest time."
"Yes, Teacher. Let's begin."
Duoduo nodded obediently.
"Alright. Today's lesson is frog jumps."
After Li Jin spoke, he squatted down.
