"Who came up with it?"
Shi Yuanping rolled the name around on his tongue and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"It... It was the Marquis who came up with it."
"Shi Yuanzhi's talent for naming is still as bad as ever," Shi Yuanping sneered.
He turned around and continued walking forward. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Qinghe to hear.
"What does the character 'Huai' mean? By the water? Or is it a surname? Just picking a random character and slapping it on. It must have been quite a struggle for him."
Qinghe didn't dare to reply and lowered her head, quickly catching up.
In the main hall of Shou'an Hall, the Grand Madam had already finished washing and was sitting on the couch drinking tea.
When she saw Shi Yuanping and Qinghe walking in one after the other, her brows wrinkled imperceptibly.
"Good morning, Mother," Shi Yuanping bowed and sat down on the chair below the Grand Madam in a relaxed posture as if he were at his own home.
The Grand Madam didn't look at him but waved to Qinghe: "Bring the child over."
Qinghe quickly stepped forward and placed Shi Huai in the Grand Madam's arms.
The old lady looked down at Shi Huai and reached out to touch his forehead. After confirming that he didn't have a fever, she let out a sigh of relief: "How did he sleep last night?"
"Replying to the Grand Madam, the young master didn't cry all night and slept very soundly," Qinghe replied in a soft voice.
The Grand Madam nodded, and finally her gaze fell on Shi Yuanping:
"You came to Shou'an Hall so early. What's the matter?"
Shi Yuanping smiled and took out another small box from his sleeve. It was a bit bigger than the brocade box from yesterday. He placed it on the table and pushed it in front of the Grand Madam:
"Don't misunderstand, Mother. I just came to give you something. This is what I forgot to take out yesterday, a century - old ginseng for Mother to nourish your body."
The Grand Madam glanced at the box but didn't open it. She said indifferently:
"You have good intentions. But your own expenses are also quite high. Keep these things for yourself."
"Mother, you're being too polite," Shi Yuanping's tone remained gentle, but his eyes gradually became serious. "It's only natural for a son to show filial piety to his mother."
The Grand Madam was silent for a while and then suddenly asked: "You said before that you wanted to recognize this child as your god - child. Were you serious?"
Shi Yuanping's smile froze for a moment and then quickly returned to normal: "Why did Mother suddenly ask this?"
"I've been thinking about it all night," the Grand Madam's voice was neither too high nor too low, but it carried an undeniable sense of authority.
"If you're serious, explain clearly why you want to recognize him. If it was just a casual remark, don't mention it again in the future."
The room fell silent, and even Qinghe held her breath.
Shi Yuanping picked up the teacup, took a slow sip of tea, put it down, and then slowly said: "Mother, let me speak the truth. Don't be angry."
"Speak."
"Son thinks that if this child stays in the Marquis Mansion, he won't live long."
As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the main hall seemed to drop by ten degrees.
The Grand Madam's hand tightened suddenly, and Shi Huai was almost strangled and couldn't breathe.
Qinghe's face turned as white as paper, and her lips trembled. She wanted to say something but didn't dare.
But Shi Yuanping seemed not to notice everyone's reactions and continued: "Mother knows better than son what kind of person the eldest sister - in - law is."
"She can't tolerate this child. Mother can protect him for a while, but not for a lifetime."
The Grand Madam's voice was as cold as ice:
"So you think it'll be safe if you take the child away?"
"At least it's safer than in the Marquis Mansion," Shi Yuanping leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice a bit. "Mother, although my place is quiet, it's at least an independent place. No one will harm him or despise him."
"When he grows up a bit and the birthmark on his face fades a bit, who will remember what he looked like when he was a child?"
The Grand Madam stared into Shi Yuanping's eyes and asked word by word: "Why do you want to help him?"
Shi Yuanping met his mother's gaze without any trace of evasion: "Because he has the blood of the Shi family."
"Really?"
There was an indescribable meaning in the Grand Madam's voice. "Shi Yuanping, tell me the truth. Is this child really yours?"
These words were like a knife, stabbing directly into the most sensitive nerve in the room.
Shi Huai nestled in the Grand Madam's arms, and his heart was pounding.
He finally waited for this question, the question that everyone wanted to ask but didn't dare to.
Shi Yuanping fell silent.
He was silent for a very long time, so long that Qinghe thought he wouldn't answer, so long that the Grand Madam's expression changed from cold and stern to tired.
"What does Mother think?" Shi Yuanping finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse.
"I'm asking you," the Grand Madam tapped lightly on Shi Huai's back with her fingers.
Shi Yuanping lowered his head and looked at his own hands resting on his knees. Those hands were well - defined, fair and slender, hands that had never done any rough work.
He looked at them for a while and suddenly smiled. There was an indescribable bitterness in that smile: "Mother, do you still remember the winter fourteen years ago?"
The Grand Madam's fingers stopped.
"Back then, elder brother fell off his horse and broke his leg. You knelt in the Buddha Hall for three days and three nights, praying to the Bodhisattva to bless him."
Shi Yuanping's voice was very soft, as if he were telling a very distant story.
"Later, elder brother's leg got better, but you fell ill and were in bed for three whole months."
"At that time, your son was only twelve years old. I stayed by your bedside every day. When you were in a coma, you called out elder brother's name, and the first thing you asked when you woke up was whether elder brother's leg was better."
The Grand Madam's lips moved, but no words came out.
Shi Yuanping looked up, the corners of his eyes were slightly red, but his voice remained steady:
"Mother, your son has never blamed you. You're the mistress of the Marquis Mansion, and elder brother is the heir apparent. It's natural for you to value him more."
"But Mother, your son was also born by you."
These words were spoken very softly, but they were like a needle, pricking everyone's hearts present.
Qinghe's eyes were red, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to let others see.
Shi Huai nestled in the Grand Madam's arms and felt the old lady's hand holding him tremble slightly.
That tremor was not because of old age, but because of a long - suppressed emotion that was surging.
"Shi Yuanping, don't bring up these irrelevant things with me," the Grand Madam's voice was a bit tight, but her tone was still tough.
"I'm asking you. Is this child yours?"
Shi Yuanping wiped the corner of his eyes and put on that gentle smile again:
"Mother, is this question really that important?"
"Important," the Grand Madam said firmly.
"Then fine, I'll answer you."
Shi Yuanping stood up, walked in front of the Grand Madam, crouched down, and looked at Shi Huai in the Grand Madam's arms levelly.
His gaze was so gentle that it didn't seem like he was looking at an incredibly ugly baby.
"No. This child isn't mine."
Shi Huai was stunned.
The Grand Madam was also stunned.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
