Xiao Yi, who had been furious just a moment ago, suddenly froze.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he tried to push Duoduo away.
"Father is the most important!" Duoduo's milky voice rang out.
"In Duoduo's heart, Father is the absolute most important!"
"Duoduo will never abandon Father!"
Duoduo's words were like the early spring sun, illuminating Xiao Yi.
Those pains hidden in the dark suddenly emerged into the sunlight and rapidly healed.
Holding Duoduo's small, milk-scented body, Xiao Yi felt a complex mix of emotions.
Back then, he saw that this child, just like him, was an abandoned pawn discarded by her father.
That was why he had felt a momentary pang of compassion.
To prevent the Song family from thinking they could latch onto the Prince of Pingyang's estate just by selling a daughter, he tacitly allowed Duoduo to become a servant.
However, through a series of coincidences, Duoduo became his adopted daughter.
The gears of fate had begun to turn.
He taught Duoduo how to read and write, as well as the four arts of the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. For what he couldn't teach, he hired tutors for her.
At first, he only did it to pass the time, just to find something to do.
But Duoduo not only healed his legs, she also healed his heart!
Xiao Yi understood that Duoduo was grateful to him for saving her life back then.
But wasn't Duoduo also his savior?
The Song family was truly blind to give up such a wonderful child!
Xiao Yi let out a long breath.
He was also thankful for the Song family's blindness; otherwise, it wouldn't have been his turn to meet her.
When Su Xian heard Lüdou report that Duoduo had been beaten by the prince, and that the prince had closed the door so none of them dared to enter, she immediately panicked.
For the first time in her life, she lifted her skirts and ran toward the study.
Her embroidered shoes and socks peeked out from underneath, but Su Xian couldn't care less.
Bang!
Su Xian forcefully pushed open the study door.
Panting heavily, she saw Duoduo hugging the neck of the Prince of Pingyang, while Xiao Yi had his arms around Duoduo, his eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Both were startled by the commotion at the door. Xiao Yi looked up, and Duoduo let go of him and turned her head.
One large and one small pair of clear black-and-white eyes stared at Su Xian.
Su Xian froze.
Didn't they say Duoduo was being punished?
What was with this scene of a loving father and a filial daughter?
Su Xian bit her lip, not knowing how to explain her loss of composure.
"I'm sor..." Su Xian apologized, preparing to back out.
"Mother!"
Duoduo, still in Xiao Yi's arms, reached out toward Su Xian.
Only then did Su Xian notice that Duoduo's eyes were red; she had obviously been crying.
Su Xian ignored everything else. She closed the door and walked quickly over to Duoduo.
She pulled Duoduo into her arms. "Who bullied you? Tell Mother, and Mother will avenge you!"
A smile appeared in Xiao Yi's eyes.
His delicate little wife seemed to be growing cat claws.
Duoduo blinked her large, watery eyes, glanced at Xiao Yi, and then looked back at Su Xian.
"Mother, Father was bullying me just now!"
The amusement in Xiao Yi's eyes turned into shock.
Duoduo actually dared to tattle!
He let out a cold snort and brushed some nonexistent dust off his clothes.
Su Xian bit her lip. "Your Highness, if Duoduo did something wrong, we should reason with her properly."
"Duoduo is very well-behaved, and she listens to you the most."
"She is a timid child. The more you punish her, the more frightened she will become..."
Under Xiao Yi's half-smiling gaze, Su Xian's voice grew softer and softer.
In the past, Su Xian would never have dared to say such things.
But Xiao Yi had changed a lot recently, and Su Xian had also been somewhat influenced by Xu Jinxin, which gave her the courage to speak up.
Xu Jinxin had told Su Xian that husband and wife needed to communicate and shouldn't hide things from each other.
She also said that a woman should have her own thoughts and not just listen to whatever a man says.
And she added that Su Xian needed to stand tall so that she could stand side by side with Xiao Yi in the future.
...
The first time Xu Jinxin said this, Su Xian merely smiled upon hearing it.
However, after spending these past few months together and hearing it so often, Su Xian had more or less taken some of it to heart.
She had just been so heartbroken for Duoduo that those words slipped out without thinking.
Now, seeing Xiao Yi's expression, Su Xian suddenly became alert.
She had said the wrong thing!
Su Xian had been raised on the teachings of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. A man was the sky; she only needed to obey.
But just now, she had actually reprimanded the prince!
Su Xian's face alternated between pale and red. She bit her lip, not daring to make a sound.
Seeing Su Xian's expression, Duoduo cupped Su Xian's face and gave her a big kiss.
Su Xian paused. She turned her head, looking at Duoduo in slight bewilderment.
Duoduo gave Su Xian a sweet smile.
"Thank you, Mother! Duoduo loves Mother!"
After saying that, Duoduo reached out and hugged Su Xian's neck.
Su Xian's initially anxious heart suddenly grew resolute.
"Mother loves Duoduo too!" She hugged Duoduo tightly, refusing to let go.
"Ahem!"
Xiao Yi cleared his throat softly twice.
Duoduo turned her head and saw Xiao Yi looking at her without speaking.
Duoduo blinked, staring back at Xiao Yi.
"Ahem!"
Xiao Yi cleared his throat twice again.
Duoduo suddenly understood, her eyes lighting up.
Duoduo let go of Su Xian, leaned over to hug Xiao Yi's face, and gave him a big kiss too.
"Duoduo loves Father too!"
Xiao Yi kept a straight face, but his eyes unconsciously crinkled into a smile.
"Pfft!"
Su Xian couldn't help but laugh.
Xiao Yi pulled Su Xian down, making her sit in his lap.
Duoduo was very happy, wrapping her left arm around Su Xian and her right arm around Xiao Yi.
"Duoduo loves Daddy, and loves Mommy!"
Blushing, Su Xian placed a kiss on Duoduo's cheek.
"Mother loves Duoduo too."
"Ahem." The familiar coughing sound rang out again.
Su Xian froze.
Duoduo hurriedly pulled Su Xian in Xiao Yi's direction.
"Mother, kiss Father!"
Su Xian shyly lifted her head, just in time to see Xiao Yi looking at her with sparkling eyes.
She felt so bashful she wanted to run away.
However, the large hand on her waist held her tightly and wouldn't let go.
Su Xian quickly planted a kiss on Xiao Yi's cheek and then turned her face away.
The next second, a cool kiss landed on her cheek.
Su Xian was stunned for a moment, and she quickly turned her head back.
Unexpectedly, her movement was too fast, and her lips instantly collided with Xiao Yi's.
Duoduo giggled and covered her eyes.
"I didn't see anything!"
"Oh my, why did the sky go dark!"
Boom! Su Xian's mind went blank, the temperature of her face rising higher than a winter fireplace.
"I... This concubine..." Su Xian stammered, not knowing how to explain.
Xiao Yi glanced at Duoduo, who was covering her eyes with her small hands but secretly peeking at the two of them through her fingers.
Then he looked at his wife, who resembled a frightened little rabbit.
Xiao Yi raised his arm, pulling both of them into his embrace, and casually kissed Duoduo's little hand.
"I also... love you both!"
Tears instantly streamed from Su Xian's eyes.
