Chapter 172: Chao Chao and the Dog
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Lu Chao Chao dangled helplessly as Saintess Jing Li carried her single-handedly, like a little chick in her grasp.
Yu Shu’s face turned beet red, her eyes darting occasionally to the lower half of Saintess Jing Li’s waist, only to hurriedly look away as if caught stealing a glance. [Don’t stare at impolite things, don’t stare!] she chanted inwardly.
[Heavens, I knew it!] she thought gleefully. [Following my mistress is always exciting!]
The realization hit her like a lightning strike—Saintess Jing Li was actually a man!
“Little one, have you seen enough?” Jing Li poked her chubby cheek, marveling at its softness and elasticity.
“I w-was just passing by!” Chao Chao replied in her baby-like voice.
Jing Li gave her a sideways glance. “Why didn’t you call for me earlier?”
Chao Chao hesitated, then cautiously ventured, “Jing Li… Saint-Man?”
Jing Li faltered mid-step and almost dropped her. His expression turned exasperated as he glared at her. “That title is completely unnecessary. Just call me Sister Jing Li.”
[Saint-Man? What nonsense is that supposed to be?] he thought.
Chao Chao simply responded with an indifferent, “Oh.”
“I’m a man, yet you don’t seem surprised in the slightest. That makes you rather boring, you know,” Jing Li remarked, shaking his head at her lack of reaction. [Where’s the shock? The awe? The adorable confusion?]
Chao Chao scrunched her little face into a frown. Then, with an exaggerated gasp, her wide eyes lit up with astonishment. “Oh no! The Saintess is a man?!” Her feigned shock was so theatrical that Jing Li’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
“Forget it. Why am I even trying to reason with a child? This is just me making life difficult for myself,” Jing Li sighed, waving a hand dismissively.
“Men are as unpredictable as needles at the bottom of the ocean,” Chao Chao muttered under her breath, pouting.
Setting her down on the stone table in a nearby pavilion, Jing Li warned her, “Little one, you must keep your lips sealed about this. You must behave yourself…” His sharp gaze turned to Yu Shu, who immediately nodded earnestly. “I won’t tell a soul, my lord!”
“Why are you a boy?” Chao Chao’s curiosity sparkled as she tilted her head.
Jing Li’s expression softened as he began his explanation. “The Saintess of Western Yue is chosen from birth. Typically, their identity is verified through rigorous checks. But my twin sister and I were born together. She was taken away right after birth and named Jing Li, while I was named Jing Li as well, though with a different meaning.”
“When my sister passed away due to illness at the age of three, I was asked to take her place.”
The topic shifted abruptly as Jing Li sneered. “By the way, that brother of yours… How dare he plagiarize poetry and deceive others with it?”
Chao Chao puffed up her cheeks, her eyes bulging indignantly. “He’s not my brother!”
“My eldest brother is a provincial top scorer!”
“And he’ll be the top scholar in the future!”
“Lu Jing Huai isn’t worthy!”
“My three elder brothers are the best in the world!” she declared with a fiery resolve, her small face filled with defiance.
“All right, all right, he’s not worthy,” Jing Li relented, chuckling. “Little one, how about coming back to Western Yue with me? The people are beautiful, the scenery breathtaking, and the food is divine.”
Chao Chao’s ears perked up at the mention of food. “Do you have some of this Western Yue food for me to try first? What if I don’t like it?” she asked seriously.
Jing Li paused, considering her words. “Hmm. That makes sense. Starting tomorrow, I’ll send over some dishes for you every day. If you like them, how about coming with me then?” he proposed with a sly smile. [If she agrees, even the Emperor can’t stop me! Hahaha…]
[Children are so easy to fool!] he thought smugly.
Yu Shu’s anxious expression betrayed her internal conflict, but she dared not voice her concerns.
Only when someone came to report from outside did Jing Li don his veil and leave leisurely.
“Miss, how could you agree to go to Western Yue? If Madam Xu finds out, she might cry herself to death,” Yu Shu fretted, pacing with worry. [This little lady is so gullible—she doesn’t even realize when she’s being sold off!]
Chao Chao yawned. “Go to Western Yue?”
“Why would I go after eating all the food already?”
“I was just playing with him,” she said, her tone light but mischievous.
Yu Shu blinked, dumbfounded. [Wait, so her brain only lights up when it’s about food? Usually, she’s not this sharp!]
Poor Jing Li, thinking he had struck a grand bargain.
When Chao Chao returned to the front courtyard, the banquet was in full swing.
“Chao Chao, where have you been?” Madam Xu asked, noticing her flushed cheeks and the beads of sweat on her forehead. She quickly used a handkerchief to dab her face.
“I ate some melon,” Chao Chao replied honestly.
“Melon? The weather is so cold. Be careful not to catch a chill!” Madam Xu said with concern.
[Big drama! I’m stuffed full from all the juicy gossip!] Chao Chao thought to herself, her inner monologue buzzing.
[Lu Jing Huai tried to trap Saintess Jing Li, planning to make a cooked rice situation. But turns out, Jing Li is a man, and he flipped the whole pot on Lu Jing Huai instead…]
“Pfft!” Madam Xu choked on her tea, coughing violently.
“Mother, are you okay?!” Chao Chao asked, alarmed, rushing to pat her back.
“I’m fine. I’m just…” [Eating too much melon, that’s all.] Madam Xu quickly sipped some tea to calm herself.
That night, the banquet wound down, and the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor returned to its usual quiet.
Meanwhile, Chao Chao was busy stashing away food scraps for Windchaser the dog, earning admiration from the household for her kindness.
Back in her chambers, Chao Chao prepared a gift for her grandmother. “I made you a longevity charm! Don’t dislike it…” she said softly, standing on tiptoes to present it.
The Old Madam, overjoyed, accepted it. Duke stabilizing, feeling left out, whispered, “I want a birthday too…”
“Fine, I’ll give you one next year,” Chao Chao replied nonchalantly.
The Duke beamed with pride. Meanwhile, the Old Madam smugly flaunted the family’s wealth to Shi Yun, revealing land deeds and shops as she recounted every detail to her daughter-in-law.
By the time the Xu family left, the night had deepened. As they prepared to depart, Rong Che appeared by the carriage.
“I’ll escort you home,” he said with a gentle smile, causing Madam Xu to blush and avert her eyes.
“Mother, I’m going to feed the dog,” Chao Chao announced, climbing onto Windchaser’s back and trotting off ahead of the group.
She chomped on a drumstick, occasionally tossing scraps to the dog. “Are you full yet, Windchaser? Hiccup…” she asked between bites, patting her own belly.