Chapter 061

Chapter 61: What Exactly Is This Little Rascal’s Background?

“Mother Consort,” Mo Yun Han tilted his head up and called sweetly, even offering her a gentle smile.

Princess Consort Jing’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at him. Was something wrong with her vision?

Did she just see Han’er… smile at her?

“Han’er, Han’er…” she choked with emotion, eyes stinging with sudden warmth. She squatted down and pulled the little one tightly into her arms, repeating his name again and again.

Not far away, Madam Yun and the others watched the scene in quiet silence.

Suddenly, Mo Yun Han turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto Madam Yun. In that fleeting glance, a shadow passed through his gaze—dark and unreadable, like obsidian in the depths of night.

[Strange… that woman… she should be dead. How is she still alive?]

His expression darkened slightly as his thoughts trailed to the recent upheaval in the capital. Clearly, the source of all these changes pointed straight to the Yun family.

The way he stared made Madam Yun’s back tense. She didn’t know why, but a strange sensation crept up her spine—as if she had been laid bare, as if every secret of hers was being seen through.

[Weird, that little rascal is looking at my mother in a really strange way.]

[No, it’s not just his eyes… even the fluctuation of his soul feels off.]

[What on earth is this little rascal’s background? Why does he feel so unusual?]

Yun Wan Ning’s entire body stiffened. From the moment she was reborn into this world, this was the first time she had ever felt such a pressing sense of danger.

Her instincts screamed that this little rascal was absolutely not an ordinary child.

Hearing her heart voice, both Madam Yun and Yun Wan Yao’s hearts trembled. They turned to look at the delicate, beautiful young prince, shock written across their faces.

It was the first time they had heard Yun Wan Ning evaluate someone in such a way through her heart voice. What exactly made this young prince so different?

Mo Yun Han’s entire body shuddered. His eyes quickly lowered, hiding the monstrous waves crashing within them.

What… had he just heard?

Someone… was speaking?

Calling him “little rascal,” and even saying he was strange?

Who was it?

“Han’er, what’s wrong? Did Mother Consort hug you too tightly? Are you uncomfortable?” Princess Consort Jing noticed the tremble in his little body and quickly loosened her embrace, grasping his tiny shoulders as she examined his expression with concern.

“I’m fine, Mother Consort.” Mo Yun Han quickly composed himself and lifted his head, revealing an innocent, childlike smile.

“Young Prince, Jin’an. Wishing you joy and blessings on your birthday,” Madam Yun approached with a warm smile, followed by Yun Wan Yao and the nursemaid holding Yun Wan Ning. Together, they offered birthday blessings and a gift.

This gift had been carefully chosen by Madam Yun in private and wasn’t included among the formal congratulatory offerings.

Mo Yun Han didn’t accept it right away but turned his head to look at Princess Consort Jing.

She gave a gentle smile and said, “It’s a token of Auntie Ye’s kindness. Han’er, go on and accept it.”

“Thank you, Auntie Ye,” Mo Yun Han received the gift box with both hands and politely expressed his thanks.

[Now that I get a good look… this young prince is way too cute!]

[He’s like a little jade carving, absolutely exquisite.]

[Ahhhh! Now I finally understand why everyone wants to hug me all the time—who could resist such an adorable human cub?]

[If I had my grown-up body right now, I’d definitely snatch this little rascal up for a hug. He’s just too cute—so huggable it hurts!]

[Wow, how could there be such an adorable little rascal in this world? Ahhhh…]

At the sight of Mo Yun Han, Yun Wan Ning’s eyes sparkled like stars, and she practically drooled from excitement. She longed to summon her adult body from her previous life just so she could squeeze this precious little one.

Madam Yun: “…”

Yun Wan Yao: “…”

The little milk bun was a tiny cub herself, yet she kept calling the young prince a little rascal. Thankfully, he couldn’t hear her—because if he could, and even understood her words—they truly wouldn’t know how to clean up the mess.

Mo Yun Han: “…”

He cast a quick glance at the baby swaddled tightly in the nursemaid’s arms, and once again, a storm raged within him.

The voice he had heard twice now… came from that baby?

But how could such a tiny infant possibly speak?

Even if she could speak, no infant would say such outrageous things so blatantly.

There was only one possible explanation: what he heard were her heart voice thoughts.

That was far too bizarre.

But when he thought about himself, Mo Yun Han slowly came to terms with it. Maybe the strange one wasn’t just her—but also him.

No, most likely, both of them were unusual.

That little baby had clearly sensed something different about him, and her string of heart voice remarks proved she was no ordinary child.

Could it be… that she had a similar experience to his?

Was that why he could hear her heart voice?

While Mo Yun Han remained deep in shock, Princess Consort Jing had already led Madam Yun and the others into a nearby room.

The room was spacious and clean, elegantly furnished, with a brazier burning to keep the space warm and cozy.

In the inner chamber, Madam Yun expressed milk and personally fed the little milk bun with a bowl, while Princess Consort Jing sat beside her, holding the young prince as they watched the baby nurse. Yun Wan Ning’s gaze, however, remained fixed on the young prince the entire time.

[I still feel like there’s something off about this little rascal.]

[He looks obedient, but I always get the feeling it’s all just an act.]

[But I can’t quite say what exactly feels wrong.]

[Wait, maybe I should think about the plot.]

[According to the original story, Mother should already be dead by now, so the Yun family wasn’t supposed to attend this little rascal’s birthday banquet.]

[Of course, the heroine’s family didn’t attend either, which means this banquet wasn’t even mentioned in the plot. That’s why I was so surprised when Mother decided to attend—so surprised it felt like the plot had suddenly gone off-script.]

[Less than half a year after the birthday banquet, the Princess Consort dies. Then the entire Prince Jing household is exterminated, and the young prince disappears—never mentioned again in the story.]

[So… what exactly is wrong with this young prince?]

[……]

Mo Yun Han: “…”

What in the world is this baby girl talking about?

What do all these strange terms even mean?

What’s a “heroine” or “central phoenix”?

And what does she mean by “plot”?

But if she actually knows the fate of the Prince Jing estate and his mother consort… could it be that the changes to the Yun family’s fate are all because of her?

Could it be that someone else in the Yun family can also hear her heart voice?

If that were true… well, things would certainly become quite interesting.

“Madam Yun, look at your little girl—she’s been staring at my Han’er this whole time. Could it be fate?” Princess Consort Jing chuckled behind her handkerchief as she teased, clearly amused by the sight of the baby nursing while gazing fixedly at Mo Yun Han.

“I’ve grown quite fond of this little girl too. Madam Yun, what do you think of my Han’er? If you don’t mind… how about we form a marriage bond between the two?”

The more Princess Consort Jing spoke, the more she felt her plan might just work.

Han’er had been shutting himself away in his room every day, silent and distant. Yet today, the moment the Yun family arrived, he returned to normal—alive and engaged. Clearly, there was some hidden bond between him and the Yun family.

Prince Jing was the former emperor’s full-blooded younger brother. That made the young prince a direct cousin of both the current emperor and Prince Qi. Even if Yun Wan Yao were to marry Prince Qi in the future, the union wouldn’t disrupt the family hierarchy.

Madam Yun offered a gentle smile and was just about to agree when she caught sight of Yun Wan Ning’s wide eyes—round as full moons, her little face frozen in utter shock like she’d just been struck by lightning.

[W-W-What?!]

[M-M-M-M-Marriage?!]

Yun Wan Ning stuttered in her mind, completely terrified.

[I-I-I-I just turned one month old! Isn’t this a bit unhinged?!]

[Princess Consort, please don’t misunderstand. It’s true I’ve been staring at your little boy a lot, but in my heart, he’s just an adorably weird little rascal—I don’t have any other intentions!]

[Besides, we’re still just babies! Who knows what kind of people we’ll become when we grow up? What if one of us grows up all twisted? Isn’t this just setting someone up for misery? This engagement is definitely a bad idea.]

[No, no, no. I’m just cannon fodder. I’m supposed to die young! And your little rascal’s future is unclear too. The Yun family and Prince Jing’s manor both get wiped out not long from now. What’s the point of this marriage?]

[Absolutely not. I will never agree to this. And Mother, you can’t agree either. Even if I somehow manage to live to adulthood, I’ll regret this engagement for the rest of my life.]

[…]

“!!!”

Mo Yun Han’s eyes darkened.

Was he… being rejected?

Still, one thing she said wasn’t wrong. If events were to unfold as originally destined, both the Yun family and Prince Jing’s household would indeed be destroyed in time.

He turned to look at Madam Yun, curious to see how she would respond.

“Young prince is so sweet, how could I possibly dislike him? Princess Consort, you jest.” Madam Yun smiled softly, though her voice was firm. Braving the risk of offending Princess Consort Jing, she continued, “But marriage is no small matter. Young prince and our Little Fourth are still so very young—I think there’s no need to rush.”

“If you truly like Little Fourth, then in the future, our families can simply spend more time together. Let the children interact more. Once they’re older and capable of understanding their hearts, if they find themselves truly fond of one another, I would naturally be in full support.”

“Otherwise, if we force an engagement now and the two don’t get along in the future, wouldn’t we not only harm the children, but also ruin the long-standing bond between our two households? Don’t you agree, Princess Consort?”

Just as Madam Yun finished speaking, Yun Wan Ning eagerly echoed her thoughts from within.

[Yes, yes, exactly! Mother’s right—marriage is serious business. We can’t be this reckless.]

[What’s so great about childhood engagements anyway? People grow and change. If one of them gets seduced by the wild world out there, won’t the other one just get hurt?]

[Let things happen naturally. Fall for whoever feels right. Of course, I’m talking about normal people.]

[As for me? I probably won’t be living long enough to marry or have children, so childhood engagements can stay far, far away from me.]

[…]

Madam Yun: “…”

Mo Yun Han looked at Madam Yun, then at the little milk bun. His lips curved faintly—so faint it was almost imperceptible.

As expected, Madam Yun could hear her heart voice.

But clearly, she didn’t know it herself.

“You’re right,” Princess Consort Jing said with a sigh. “I was too hasty. Marriage is indeed a lifelong matter—it’s better to let them decide for themselves when the time comes.”

She nodded slowly, finally letting go of the idea.

Binding them too early might not be a good thing. She should consider Han’er’s feelings too. If the children didn’t get along in the future, wouldn’t they be walking straight into disaster? Madam Yun’s words had been both sensible and considerate.

After nursing Yun Wan Ning, Madam Yun and Princess Consort Jing retreated to the inner room for a private conversation.

Yun Wan Yao stayed in the outer room to watch over the two little ones.

The young prince, though only three years old, was already two feet and four inches tall. He sat neatly beside the couch, his dark eyes like polished black jade, staring unblinkingly at Yun Wan Ning.

Yun Wan Ning stared right back, her mind buzzing with boredom and sudden inspiration.

[You’re called ‘young prince’ and not ‘heir apparent’—so you must not be able to inherit your father’s title.]

[Your father is a prince of the first rank, a full-blooded brother of the late emperor. So when you grow up, your title would be something like a two-character commandery prince.]

[But alas, you never got the chance. Prince Jing’s manor was wiped out before then, and you vanished without a trace.]

[Let me tell you, your father was a piece of work. He kept a mistress outside the manor. Once she gave him a son, he became obsessed with making her his legal wife.]

[But Princess Consort, your mother, was the perfect noblewoman—dutiful, virtuous, and graceful. He had no excuse to divorce her. So what did he do? He got her drunk and threw her onto a guard’s bed.]

[When she woke up, believing she’d made a terrible mistake, your scumbag father used it as leverage to force her into suicide. Left with no choice, she drank poisoned wine.]

[And not even before her body turned cold, your trash father welcomed that widow into the manor and made her his wife.]

[If you ask me, your father was scum. He cast aside the most stunning consort in the empire for a widowed woman, forced her to die, and smeared her name with shame. He disgraced the entire Jiang family.]

[Afterward, that mistress and her son tormented you endlessly. They called you a filthy child born of a whore and tried to steal your title. You lived a miserable life.]

[Thankfully, your elder sister, Commandery Princess Le Yang, dug into the truth. Once she confirmed everything, she took you away secretly. Then, while no one was looking, she poured pounds of arsenic into the manor’s well.]

[That night, every single person in Prince Jing’s household died. The royal manor became a tale of horror.]

[And after that, you and Commandery Princess Le Yang disappeared without a trace.]

[Wait a second… Commandery Princess Le Yang Mo Yun Nuan. Young prince Mo Yun Han…]

[Oh no. Oh no no no. Don’t tell me—you’re that world-destroying villain from another book?!]

[What’s going on here? Are these two parallel worlds colliding?]

[So you didn’t just vanish—you went to another world and became its ultimate villain?!]

Yun Wan Ning’s eyes were as round as full moons, disbelief etched across her tiny face.

He had barely been mentioned in this story, so how could he be the same person as the final villain from another novel?

That villain had killed his way through nine heavens and ten earths. That world was nothing like this one—so how could they be one and the same?

And yet, their names and backstories matched perfectly.

[No, no. That doesn’t make any sense. Two unrelated worlds don’t just merge.]

[Something must be wrong. I need to think this through. My head’s a mess.]

[…]

She closed her eyes, lost in chaotic thoughts—completely unaware of how stunned Mo Yun Han was as he looked at her.

She really knew everything?

She knew the truth about his mother, the royal manor—and even the events of another world?

What kind of being was she?

And how… how did she know all that?

And the story she spoke of… what exactly was that story?