Xiao Yi’s hand paused, and then he set the handkerchief aside.
“Didn’t you already send someone to ask at the gatehouse?” Xiao Yi slowly leaned back.
Duoduo stared at her father.
“I sent Qingliu to ask, but the gatekeeper said he didn’t know.”
“The gatekeeper of the princely manor has eyes and ears everywhere. How could he possibly not know?”
“That can only mean you told someone to keep it from you, Father.”
After hearing Duoduo’s analysis, the corners of Xiao Yi’s lips curved upward.
“Well, didn’t you receive a note too?” he teased.
Duoduo blinked. She pulled the note from her sleeve and placed it on the table in front of Xiao Yi.
“Father, look.”
Xiao Yi glanced at it, his gaze lingering for a moment on the signature at the bottom.
Duoduo, who had been watching him closely, noticed immediately.
“Father, was the person who came looking for me today Princess Consort Rui?”
After a moment’s thought, Duoduo immediately guessed the other woman’s identity.
Seeing that Duoduo had figured it out, Xiao Yi did not conceal the truth.
“That’s right. You guessed correctly.”
Duoduo looked puzzled. “Why did Princess Consort Rui want to see me?”
Xiao Yi rubbed his brow.
“She miscarried.” Xiao Yi recalled the news he had received.
He had never told Duoduo about it.
Duoduo looked shocked.
“She still couldn’t save the baby?”
Xiao Yi nodded.
“However, Fourth Brother used the child to bring his brothers down.”
Duoduo tilted her head. “Father, can I go to the meeting?”
Xiao Yi narrowed his eyes as he studied her.
“You want to go?” he asked.
After thinking for a moment, Duoduo slowly nodded.
“I want to know why she went to so much trouble to ask me to meet her at the Grand Buddha Temple.”
Xiao Yi’s expression immediately turned stern.
“No!”
“You are not allowed to go!”
His tone was extremely severe.
Duoduo’s expression sobered as well. “Why not?”
Xiao Yi’s gaze instantly turned cold. “Why do you think?”
Duoduo blinked and reached out to take the hand Xiao Yi had resting on his knee.
“Father, I know you’re worried that what happened last time might happen again.”
“But, Father, don’t you remember? Lüdou and I managed to evade the imperial guards’ search last time and returned safely to the manor.”
“Father, you have to trust me. I can protect myself!”
Seeing that Xiao Yi remained unmoved after she had spoken for so long, Duoduo wrapped both arms around his arm.
“Father, didn’t you used to say that when a little eagle grows up, you have to learn to let it go?”
“Father, I’m all grown up now!”
Xiao Yi let out a cold laugh.
“Apart from becoming more reckless, I haven’t seen any sign that you’ve grown up!”
Duoduo puffed out her cheeks.
“Father, how can you encourage others while undermining yourself?”
“I’ve been practicing martial arts with my tutor. I’m very good now!”
“Besides, since Princess Consort Rui has repeatedly sent people to deliver messages to me, she must have something urgent to discuss.”
“If I don’t go, who knows what she might do?”
“If Father is worried, you can send some guards to protect me!”
Duoduo lifted her chin and waited for her father’s response.
When Xiao Yi saw her expression, a faint milky fragrance drifted into his nose.
At first, Duoduo had been very afraid of him, but now she was no longer afraid of him at all.
Just look at her. To get what she wanted, she was even hugging him and acting spoiled.
The drastic change was something Xiao Yi found rather strange.
Duoduo was in no hurry. She simply smiled sweetly and waited for Xiao Yi to answer.
In truth, she had already made up her mind.
If her father refused, she would find a way to sneak out.
She was extremely curious about why Princess Consort Rui had secretly arranged to meet her outside the city.
Now that Prince Rui was acting as regent, Princess Consort Rui could have met her openly.
Unless Princess Consort Rui did not want Prince Rui to know about their meeting.
That was why Duoduo wanted to go even more.
When Xiao Yi saw her eyes darting about, he raised a hand and lightly flicked her on the bridge of the nose.
“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”
“If I refuse, you’re planning to sneak out, aren’t you?”
Xiao Yi had seen through Duoduo’s intentions at a glance.
Duoduo blinked.
“Father, did you figure that out just by reading my palm?”
“You’re amazing!”
Duoduo gave Xiao Yi a thumbs-up.
Her sycophantic expression left Xiao Yi both exasperated and amused.
“For the sake of someone who has nothing to do with you, you’re willing to throw away all your principles?” he deliberately said with a stern expression.
Duoduo immediately composed herself and straightened.
“So Father doesn’t like hearing nice things?”
“But my tutor clearly said, ‘Flattery never fails!’”
Xiao Yi couldn’t hold back. He curled a finger and tapped Duoduo on the forehead.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“How did Li Jin teach you such shameless tricks?”
Duoduo hurriedly covered her mouth.
Oh no!
She had gotten her tutor in trouble!
“Father, Tutor was only saying it casually.” Duoduo hurriedly tried to explain.
Xiao Yi curled his finger again and tapped Duoduo on the head a second time.
“Then you deserve an even harsher punishment!”
“Reading teaches one to understand reason. Where has all your sense gone?”
Duoduo covered her head and pouted.
“Father, that hurts!”
Xiao Yi immediately looked toward the spot he had tapped, suddenly nervous.
A small red mark had appeared.
His hand twitched.
In the end, he still did not reach out to touch it.
“That little tap hurts?”
“Who was the one acting like a hero just now?”
Duoduo lowered her hand and put on an innocent expression.
“I’m only hurting because Father punished me.”
Xiao Yi was so exasperated by her words that he laughed.
“Now you’re being unreasonable?”
“What? Do you still think you were right?”
Duoduo blinked. Then she simply grabbed hold of Xiao Yi’s trouser leg and began climbing up.
When she reached the top, Duoduo sat down on his lap.
She wrapped her arms around Xiao Yi’s neck and gazed at him with a pair of big, watery eyes.
“Father, I was wrong!”
“Father, I’ll change, all right?”
Xiao Yi pressed his lips tightly together. Hearing Duoduo’s soft, milky voice, he had already softened inside.
But he did not let it show on his face.
Seeing that her father remained unmoved, Duoduo pouted.
“Father, I already admitted my mistake!”
“If you don’t agree, then I won’t go.”
“I know you’re only doing this for my own good!”
“I was just wondering—since I gave Princess Consort Rui medicine to protect the pregnancy, why did she still miscarry?”
“Could there have been something wrong with the medicine I gave her?”
“And she chose the Grand Buddha Temple as the meeting place. She must not want anyone to know.”
“I suspect she must have something she wants to tell me.”
“I only decided to go after thinking it through carefully.”
“Since Father doesn’t agree, then I won’t go.”
Looking at Duoduo’s aggrieved expression, Xiao Yi ground his back teeth.
