Chapter 5753: Bygone Days 1
The couple's expressions froze on their faces... Their eyes blinked, watching the little one swinging back and forth in front of them.
Mo Lian casually picked up a ruler, intending to use it to smack his son down from the bed canopy! Little Dumpling stretched out his hands, looking at his mother with a pleading expression, wanting a hug. Qiao Mu quickly reached out and pulled the little fellow into her arms, casually pushing away the ruler Mo Lian had produced.
"What are you doing?!" Adult Qiao Qiao exclaimed, holding her son and turning around. This guy actually dared to hit her son; he truly had guts!
"Wife," Mo Lian whined pitifully. "Look at him, he, he!!" This kid must have been born to rein him in. How could he appear so perfectly, so opportunely between the two of them? He just stood there between the couple, his big, clear black and white eyes blinking, looking utterly innocent. Shouldn't he be spanked?!
Qiao Mu patted her son's small body, then glanced back at Mo Lian, shouting, "What are you doing?!"
"You were definitely like this when you were little," Qiao Mu rolled her eyes at him.
"Your imperial father must have hated you so much."
"How is that possible?"
"Otherwise, why would he call you 'Little Tangyuan'?"
Mo Lian: ...
"You were like a tangyuan, definitely rolling around on Imperial Father and Mother Empress's bed, always bothering them. Do you see Imperial Father liking you now? He doesn't!"
Mo Lian: ...
Little Dumpling seemed to know he had done something bad. He was currently huddled in his mother's arms, obediently playing the role of a quail, offering no opinions. His silence made Mo Lian feel even more exasperated. This child was cunning, exceptionally good at reading people's expressions. He had no idea where this troublesome nature came from. "You said he was clinging to the bed canopy in the middle of the night, not making a sound." Then, at the crucial moment, the little rascal plopped down with a rustle. How delightful, how wonderful, how perfect!
"Little Dumpling didn't mean to," Adult Qiao Qiao said, carrying her son off the bed. She gently patted her son's small body while glancing back at Mo Lian. "Don't always bully him."
Oh, heaven, who's bullying whom? Mo Lian jumped down indignantly, circling his wife. "Qiao Qiao, he's so naughty. Don't look at him; he's only three, but he understands everything."
"Little Dumpling is so well-behaved; he's not naughty at all." Little Dumpling nodded his big head, continuing to nuzzle into his mother's arms.
Mo Lian was torn between laughter and tears. He circled the mother and son twice. "Qiao Qiao, how about I hold him?"
"No!" Mother and son shouted at him simultaneously. Qiao Qiao turned her back, and Little Dumpling also turned his head away. With two backs of heads facing him, Student Mo Lian, unloved by mother and son, ran over, wanting to cry but couldn't.
"Alright, alright, I was wrong, I won't say he's naughty."
"Wife, don't turn your back to me..."
Qiao Mu turned her head, her expression exactly like her son's, and glanced at Mo Lian. Mo Lian reached out, simply picked up both mother and son, and walked back, whispering sweet nothings all the way.
"Rest," he said, reaching out to caress his wife's small face. He then helplessly glanced at his son, who was clinging tightly to his mother and wouldn't let go. These past few nights, their son would appear before the couple in various strange ways. He wondered if his troublesome adoptive father had taught him this; he'd have to go and find out more about the situation later. Rotten Peach Blossom probably had a hand in it too!
Qiao Lin yawned widely, climbing out of her bed, feeling a bit disoriented. She was back; she was back at the Qiao residence in Lihua Alley, Xijiu City. This was her first time back in so many years, and last night she had stayed up late just reminiscing.
Echoes of the Past
Thinking about how long she had been reminiscing, Qiao Lin couldn't help but pat her forehead. Phew... I wonder who said it, but when people start constantly reminiscing about the past, it means they're getting old. She bounced out of bed, eagerly moving her limbs. Old? Qiao Lin reached out and pinched her soft, delicate cheek. After quickly washing up, she opened her door.
She saw a figure, tall and elegant like pine and bamboo, standing under the ancient tree in the central courtyard. Hearing the door open, he turned his head. A faint smile appeared in his bright eyes. Hmph, he smiled as brightly and dazzlingly as the young man she had met before entering the military camp. Her memory was suddenly swept back to a long time ago.
She remembered, many years ago, she was only about eleven or twelve, and Little Sen was only nine or ten. At that time, she accompanied Little Sen to the military camp for training and met this thirteen or fourteen-year-old young man at the gate. And now, in the blink of an eye, five or six years had passed. Qiao Lin remembered that back then, Little Sen was young and still adorable. He stood at the military camp entrance with a tear-streaked face, on the verge of crying. But as soon as he saw outsiders approaching, he immediately put away his gloomy expression and adopted a serious little face.
"Hey, you two must have been tricked by my sister-in-law, right?"
"My name is Mo Yu, nice to meet you!"
Little Sen stammered, "Are you my Big Brother's younger brother?"
Qiao Lin saw Mo Yu looking at them suspiciously. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and say, "The 'Big Brother' he's talking about is your Big Brother, Mo Lian."
"Shouldn't that be your brother-in-law?" Mo Yu asked, looking like a curious child.
"Oh, he's just used to saying it." This doesn't seem to be the main point, young man. Can you focus on listening? Qiao Lin turned and walked into the military camp.
As soon as she stepped through the military gate, she saw rows of soldiers standing stiffly and neatly on both sides of the camp. They were formidable and imposing, completely blocking their path into the camp.
"Oh, are they trying to give us a hard time?" Mo Yu said with a faint raise of his eyebrows and a playful look.
Little Qiao Sen abruptly bounced behind his older sister, asking nervously in a low voice, "Sister, sister, they're not going to come up and beat us up, are they?"
"How dare they!" Qiao Lin's eyebrows shot up. She let out a soft snort. Unless they wanted to lose their lives, they wouldn't dare hit the Crown Prince's younger siblings.
"Then what are they doing, Sister?" Little Sen pitifully pointed at the two rows of mighty and fierce soldiers in front of them. In front of them, he was like a tiny bean sprout, not even enough to be crushed by a single finger.
"What are you panicking about?" Qiao Lin subtly glanced at Mo Yu, her meaning clear. Isn't Brother-in-law's younger brother here? Brother-in-law's brother, shouldn't he also be some kind of prince? If he doesn't step up now, who will? So, Little Sen also looked expectantly at Student Mo Yu.
Mo Yu thought to himself, I'm a few years older than them, and they're my sister-in-law's younger siblings, so I have to protect them, right? So he stepped forward, patted his chest, and said, "Alright, how do we get in?"