Chapter 13: Mother
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Tara quietly crept closer to the little one.
“Does the little master like his mother?”
Long Xiaobao pondered for a moment, then nodded firmly.
Tara chuckled inwardly and whispered in a voice only they could hear, “But someone wants to be the little master’s new mother. Can the little master accept that?”
Long Xiaobao thought for a while, then shook his head in confusion.
“No… new… mother.”
Having thoroughly grasped the cub’s thoughts, Tara spent the entire afternoon persistently whispering devilish suggestions, trying to convince the innocent, naive little one that Shi Chu Chu was the wicked new mother who was about to steal away his father, replace his birth mother, and secretly mistreat her.
By the end, the little one wore a dizzy, conflicted expression, wrinkling his tiny nose, clearly troubled. His limited mind, battered throughout the afternoon, could only vaguely remember: Chu Shi… is… mother.
Observing his expression, Tara guessed her goal was achieved, satisfied, she ended her task quietly and waited for this fire to ignite upon Shi Chu Chu.
It was now 7:50 p.m. The Marshal would surely return soon. Remembering the steward’s instructions, she left the children's activity area before eight.
Night fell at eight o’clock.
After a full day’s work, Long Yuan arrived home and promptly changed clothes before heading to Long Xiaobao’s room.
Long Xiaobao sat by the vast floor-to-ceiling window, gazing absentmindedly at the moon outside.
For some reason, Long Yuan felt a sudden tightness in his chest watching the solitary little figure.
Ever since Shi Chu Chu left ruthlessly, abandoning them like orphans and widows, he had felt a vague guilt toward Long Xiaobao.
It was his failure as a father that he couldn’t keep his wife, leaving Xiaobao motherless since birth.
Because of this, though usually stern with others and himself, he indulged Long Xiaobao almost to the point of spoiling him.
Rumors abounded about the iron-hearted, cold-faced Marshal being especially strict in raising his child.
But in truth, he never forced Xiaobao to do anything. Apart from essential lessons, everything else followed the child’s mood.
No matter how busy military affairs were, he carved out time every night to tell bedtime stories to his little one.
He thought: since Xiaobao lost his mother, he couldn’t let him be fatherless too.
Yet now, looking at the child’s back, he suddenly felt perhaps… having only a father was still far from enough.
Before Long Yuan could react, the little one had spotted his reflection in the window, quickly scrambling off the soft carpet and toddling toward him with short legs pattering softly.
Unconsciously, Long Yuan curled his lips into a smile and scooped the child up in his arms.
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“Xiaobao, were you happy today?”
He kissed the little one nestled in his arms.
Long Xiaobao clung to his neck, furrowing his tiny brows seriously as he stared at him, shaking his head solemnly. Long Yuan found it amusing.
“Why not happy? Don’t you like the new nanny?” he asked gently.
Long Xiaobao nodded, thought for a while, then concluded, “Noisy.”
Long Yuan carried Long Xiaobao to the bathroom, quickly undressed him, and placed him in the tub, personally bathing the little one.
Long Xiaobao splashed joyfully in the water, droplets and bubbles spraying onto Long Yuan’s face. He wasn’t annoyed; instead, he held the little one who still couldn’t swim, letting him float on the surface, making him giggle.
After enough laughter, Long Yuan cleaned him and wrapped him in a towel, carrying him back to bed.
Then Long Yuan asked, “Which nanny do you like more, today’s or yesterday’s?”
Long Xiaobao played with his doll on the bed and without hesitation said, “Yesterday’s.”
Curious, Long Yuan asked, “Why?”
At that moment, Tara’s brainwashing took effect.
Long Xiaobao spoke slowly but with certainty, “Chu Shi… mother.”
Long Yuan’s hands froze as he dressed him. He looked at his child, stunned.
“Xiaobao, what did you say?”
At that moment, he finally understood where Long Xiaobao’s inexplicable affection for Shi Chu Chu came from.
Unaware of his father’s change in demeanor, the little one continued fiddling with his doll until Long Yuan abruptly snatched it away.
Long Yuan’s expression grew serious. Gripping the child’s shoulders, he very unusually called his full name: “Long Ye, look at me.”
Startled by the sudden gravity, Long Xiaobao stared blankly at him.
Seeing the child’s puzzled face, Long Yuan’s heart ached again.
He had hidden all traces of Shi Chu Chu at home, including photographs.
Therefore, since birth, Long Xiaobao had never seen his mother, only once accidentally glimpsing a photo of Shi Chu Chu’s back.
Perhaps because of this, he mistakenly identified Chu Shi, who bore a striking resemblance to Shi Chu Chu, as his mother.
But this was absolutely unacceptable.
He hated Shi Chu Chu, his resentment boiling over.
Yet Long Xiaobao was born after months of Shi Chu Chu’s hard pregnancy. He could not allow the child to lightly mistake another woman for his mother.
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Long Yuan looked into the child’s eyes and spoke slowly and clearly, “Long Ye, that is not your mother. Your mother’s name is Shi Chu Chu.”
His tone involuntarily carried some sternness and coldness, which sounded like a reprimand to the child’s ears.
Long Xiaobao’s eyes gradually filled with tears, soon sobbing quietly.
Long Yuan remained silent, for the first time not immediately comforting the crying child.
After a moment, he picked up the child and walked through the long corridor stairs to a long-sealed attic chamber.
Standing at the door, Long Yuan took a deep breath and pushed it open.
All traces of Shi Chu Chu’s existence were here.
The child, who had stopped crying unknowingly, looked around curiously with glistening eyes at this unfamiliar place.
He kicked his legs, struggling down from Long Yuan’s arms, and wandered around the room.
He passed cabinets filled with exquisite clothes, boxes of precious jewelry, and floors scattered with delicate toys, finally stopping in front of a tall transparent display case.
Inside were countless photographs, all featuring the same beautiful woman.
Whether standing or sitting, crying or laughing, facing forward or showing her back… every angle and scene was captured.
The images were vivid and full of love.
But as a little one, Long Xiaobao could not discern much.
He only stared at the familiar face in the photos, his mouth agape in surprise.
“...Mother!” he exclaimed.
Long Yuan’s expression was bittersweet as he lifted the child and picked up a photo of Shi Chu Chu laughing under the sun.
“Yes, this is your mother… her name is Shi Chu Chu.”
“So, Xiaobao, you mustn’t mistake any other woman for your mother anymore, okay?”
Long Xiaobao looked at the face identical to Chu Shi in the photo, frowning in confusion.
He hadn’t made a mistake; why did Mother have a different name, and Father didn’t recognize her?
After a moment, he reached a conclusion.
“Father… big dummy.”