Chapter 194

Chapter 194: The Unwanted Thing

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.

“Mother, what’s wrong?” Lu Chao Chao looked up at Madam Xu with innocent eyes.

Madam Xu guiltily dabbed some powder at the corner of her lips.

“A mosquito bit me yesterday.”

Lu Chao Chao climbed onto her mother’s lap. “Nasty mosquito! I’ll blow on it, Mother. If I blow, it won’t hurt or itch anymore…”

The little one puffed up her cheeks and blew seriously.

Madam Xu, internally wailing, felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

“Mother, you smell so nice…” Lu Chao Chao sniffed at her mother’s hair, then her clothes. “I think I really want some roasted meat.”

“I can even smell it in my dreams,” she mumbled, looking dazed.

Deng Zhi sighed and covered her face helplessly.

Despite Madam Xu’s thorough washing and change of clothes the night before, the scent still lingered.

“Ahem, when you start school, I’ll make sure you eat all you want. Consider it a reward for your first day of study.”

Lu Chao Chao’s small face twisted in a mix of joy and suffering.

Afterward, mother and daughter shared breakfast.

Deng Zhi, feeling a rare pang of conscience, finally added a few shreds of meat for the little one.

With the year-end approaching, the manor bustled early in the morning, busy making glutinous rice cakes.

Several servants took turns pounding the stone mortar, working the steamed glutinous rice over a thousand times until it turned stretchy and chewy, soft yet firm enough to pull into strands.

A simple pan-fry made it crispy on the outside and gooey inside. Sprinkled with soybean flour and red sugar, it gave off a rich, fragrant aroma.

Lu Chao Chao carefully reached out with her chopsticks for a second piece, only to have Madam Xu glance at her.

“Chao Chao, glutinous rice is hard to digest. If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt.”

Lu Chao Chao gazed longingly at the rice cake, regret written all over her face.

Madam Xu’s eyes flickered; she seized the chance to educate her.

“Overeating is not good. I once heard of someone who ate thirty glutinous rice cakes in a row. Do you know what happened? His intestines got completely blocked! Just imagine how terrifying that must be!”

Lu Chao Chao’s eyes widened. “Thirty?”

Madam Xu nodded solemnly. “Scary, isn’t it? His stomach was so stuffed that he rolled on the ground in pain.”

Lu Chao Chao appeared deep in thought.

Madam Xu, feeling gratified, thought her lesson was finally getting through.

Just as she exhaled in relief, Lu Chao Chao earnestly asked, “Where did he buy those rice cakes? Mother, you should go and find out.”

Madam Xu stared at her in shock.

The little girl clutched her chest in despair. “Such delicious rice cakes, and I’ve never even had them before!”

Madam Xu nearly choked on her own breath.

“Thirty rice cakes… They must be so tasty…” The little one even swallowed her saliva.

Madam Xu’s head buzzed with frustration.

With no other choice, she scooped Lu Chao Chao off the table and carried her outside.

Rong Che was already waiting by the gate.

“The roads are slippery with snow. Be careful.” He reached out to steady Madam Xu.

Rong Che shot Lu Chao Chao a knowing glance. She was his little spy.

[Heh, Rong Che wants to be my father. He said he’ll help me with my homework in the future.]

[When Mother tries to spank me, he can stop her too…]

[This deal doesn’t seem too bad…]

Little did Lu Chao Chao know that having both a father and a mother meant getting scolded by two people at once.

Madam Xu secretly peeked at Rong Che. No wonder Chao Chao always spoke up for him.

The carriage rolled along, carrying them toward the Imperial Beast Park.

The park was built by Imperial Uncle Xiao, a venue for hosting grand winter events in past years.

The last two years, however, had been different. Floods and an empty treasury made extravagant gatherings risky—Imperial Uncle Xiao had feared the Emperor might ask him for money.

But who could have predicted…

Sigh.

Now that he had recovered his debts, his family had fallen apart instead.

The entrance to the Beast Park was already lined with carriages. Madam Xu lifted the curtain just in time to see Consort Xiao and Princess Xie Yi Ning stepping down from their sedan.

Princess Xie Yi Ning’s little face immediately soured. “I hate Grandfather! I hate Grandfather! Why did he invite someone I despise?!” She had spotted Lu Chao Chao.

“Enough, Yi Ning,” Consort Xiao patted her daughter’s hand.

“Your grandfather loves you the most.” She took Xie Yi Ning’s hand and proudly strode through the gates.

Consort Xiao had no desire to confront Lu Chao Chao. Lu Chao Chao held a noble title, and if they met, she would have to bow in greeting!

The beast arena was vast, with viewing platforms surrounding it.

The floor was deeply recessed, enclosed by specially designed fences.

In the center of the arena, countless ferocious beasts were locked up.

The snowstorm raged on. The beasts, seemingly starved for days, grew restless from the commotion of the crowd.

Xuan Ji Chuan followed closely behind Lu Chao Chao, scanning the crowd in search of his sister.

As the Eldest Prince Consort, Xuan Yin had also come to the beast arena today.

Indeed, she was seated in front of the Eldest Prince, nodding toward her younger brother. However, her face looked slightly pale, and her eyes carried a hint of sorrow.

“Today, I have brought a great black bear, certain to dominate the entire arena.” The Eldest Prince smiled, pointing toward an exceptionally robust and fierce black bear in the center.

The black bear appeared extremely agitated, ramming its cage furiously.

Its jaws gaped wide, and even from a distance, a faint scent of blood lingered in the air.

“This bear has been starved for seven days. Today, let’s see who can subdue it.” The Eldest Prince’s lips curled into a subtle smirk.

The people around him immediately showered him with flattery.

The Eldest Prince was the son of Consort Hui.

Back when the Empress first entered the palace, she remained childless for many years.

At the same time, the Eldest Prince, known for his intelligence, garnered significant support from many in the capital who proposed naming him Crown Prince.

Had the Empress not later given birth to Xie Cheng Xi, it would be the Eldest Prince who would now firmly occupy the Eastern Palace.

Just as Lu Chao Chao entered the arena—

Imperial Uncle Xiao hurried forward to greet her with deep respect. “Princess Sunshine, please take the honored seat.”

The crowd looked on, bewildered.

Imperial Uncle Xiao, notorious for his arrogance and reckless behavior due to his status as the Empress Dowager’s brother, rarely treated anyone with courtesy.

Why was he showing such deference to Princess Sunshine?

What was going on?

Imperial Uncle Xiao thought to himself: [What do you ignorant fools know?!]

“Grandfather!” Six-year-old Xie Yi Ning stomped her foot in frustration.

Imperial Uncle Xiao took Lu Chao Chao’s hand and led her directly to the most central seat.

Xie Yi Ning’s eyes turned red with fury as she shot a resentful glare at Lu Chao Chao.

“Why? Why?!”

“Father favors her, and now Grandfather favors her too! Why?!” Xie Yi Ning clenched her teeth, hatred brewing within her.

Consort Xiao’s expression turned cold. She had once been her father’s most beloved daughter.

But after her mother’s sudden death and her elder brother’s inexplicable passing, her father hadn’t even given her a single explanation.

Now, he had grown even more distant from her.

As a result, her days in the palace had become increasingly difficult.

Xie Yi Ning, the only royal princess, had always been arrogant and domineering. At this moment, she cast a glance toward the beast cage where the frenzied black bear paced. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Mother, I want to go to Grandfather’s side.” Xie Yi Ning tugged at Consort Xiao’s sleeve, speaking coquettishly.

“Go on, coax him a little. He has always adored you the most.”

Xie Yi Ning trotted toward the high platform and threw herself into Imperial Uncle Xiao’s arms.

She squeezed Lu Chao Chao aside.

“Grandfather, I missed you so much…” She did not notice the stiffness in Imperial Uncle Xiao’s posture.

Imperial Uncle Xiao took a deep breath.

“Grandfather, I dream of you every night. Why haven’t you come to the palace to visit me?” Xie Yi Ning pouted. Normally, at this point, her grandfather would already be showering her with endearments.

“Do you not love me anymore?”

Why was he so distant now?

It must be Lu Chao Chao’s fault!

It had to be Lu Chao Chao!

Grandfather liked her now and no longer loved Xie Yi Ning.

“I love you, of course I do…” Imperial Uncle Xiao’s heart ached terribly.

His sons and grandsons—all of them weren’t truly his own.

Could the daughter he had cherished for years really be his?

His eldest daughter had already married into the royal family, making her one of the imperial clan. He had no way of verifying the truth now.

Xie Yi Ning raised her chin slightly, casting a triumphant look at Lu Chao Chao.

“Grandfather loves me the most, and Father loves me the most too, hmph.”

“Your father doesn’t want you, so you came to steal mine?” Xie Yi Ning knew exactly where to strike. With just one sentence, Lu Chao Chao’s little face fell.

“Your father abandoned you.”

“You’re nothing but an unwanted orphan!” Xie Yi Ning said with a bright, taunting smile.

The air suddenly grew heavy.

Xie Yi Ning was the true princess of the imperial family, while Lu Chao Chao was only the Emperor’s adopted daughter.

With two princesses clashing, no one dared to intervene.

For a moment, the entire atmosphere froze in tension.