Chapter 205: Fostered Daughter
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Lu Chao Chao woke up feeling more rested than ever before. She sat up, rubbing her eyes with her chubby little fists, and gazed around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
“Did I sweepwalk?” she mumbled in her babyish voice.
Yuhua entered, carrying a copper basin, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “We’re at General Rong’s residence now. It’ll be about three days before we can move back,” Yuhua explained, her voice trembling. The General was being cautious and wanted to personally select the guards.
Suddenly, Lu Chao Chao remembered the events of the night before. Her small face turned pale.
“Mommy, Mommy!” she cried, leaping out of bed in a panic.
Yuhua quickly caught her, holding her close. “Madam is fine. General Rong has already summoned the royal physician. He prescribed some calming medicine. Don’t worry, everything is over now.”
As Yuhua dressed Lu Chao Chao in her shoes and socks, she noticed severe frostbite on the child’s feet. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gently applied ointment.
“Apply this a few more times to prevent chilblains,” she advised, her heart aching for the little girl’s red, swollen feet.
Lu Chao Chao nodded obediently. “Otay, tank you, Sista Yuhua,” she said, her voice tinged with baby-like innocence.
After dressing her in soft winter shoes, Yuhua carried her next door.
“Shall I examine Princess Sunshine?” the royal physician asked as he was about to leave.
Madam Xu’s expression changed slightly as she took Lu Chao Chao into her arms. “No need. She’s just shy around strangers,” she replied with a smile, politely declining.
Once the physician left, Madam Xu breathed a sigh of relief.
“Chao Chao, are you awake?” she asked gently.
Lu Chao Chao nodded with a muffled sound, clinging to Madam Xu’s shoulder. “I’m glad Mommy is otay,” she murmured. She could only vaguely recall the events before she knocked on the door. After that, her memory was hazy.
“Was it Uncle Rong who saved us?” she asked innocently.
Madam Xu was taken aback. General Rong walked in just then, smiling. “Yes, Uncle Rong came back last night. From now on, Uncle Rong will protect you. No one will hurt you again.”
The crown prince followed General Rong inside. Seeing Lu Chao Chao safe and sound, he finally relaxed.
“Brotha Prince, why are your hands so cold?” Lu Chao Chao asked with concern.
The crown prince didn’t mention his worries and simply said he was dressed too lightly. Throughout the night, he had repeatedly checked her breathing to ensure she was alive.
“Move your hand, it’s blocking my nose,” Lu Chao Chao complained, her annoyance already bringing life back to the girl.
“Chao Chao hasn’t had breakfast yet. Let’s get her something to eat,” the crown prince instructed Yuhua to take Lu Chao Chao out.
After she left, General Rong spoke. “The people from last night were from the Southern Kingdom. Our investigations show many people from the south are here, seemingly searching for someone.” He glanced subtly at Madam Xu. “And Chao Chao… she seems to have forgotten what happened last night.”
The crown prince, aware of the connection between General Rong and Madam Xu, didn’t hide the truth. He pondered for a moment. “Chao Chao is unaware. She loses control under extreme stress. Last night, Madam Xu witnessed it firsthand, didn’t she?”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Madam Xu nodded, her face pale. At that moment, Chao Chao didn’t seem like herself. She was more like a divine entity, devoid of personal thoughts and emotions.
“Rest assured, Madam Xu. Chao Chao’s mind will soon return to its original state. She will be whole once more,” the crown prince assured.
Madam Xu, overjoyed, asked, “Is that true?”
“Indeed,” the crown prince confirmed, his expression softening.
After confirming Lu Chao Chao’s condition, the crown prince returned to the palace to report. The king was worried about Chao Chao, and there had been a heated argument between the king and queen the previous night.
Having heard the news, the Xu family rushed over immediately after court, still in their official robes. Xu Yi Ting’s keen eyes scanned Madam Xu, only relaxing when he saw she was unharmed.
“If I had known, I would have forced you to move back to the Xu residence. This nearly scared us to death. Father and Mother are also worried,” the eldest sister-in-law said, supporting her inside.
“Fortunately, General Rong was next door, or it could have been disastrous.”
The family didn’t publicly reveal that Lu Chao Chao had killed someone. After all, she was only two, and the killer had turned into countless fragments, too horrifying to disclose. It would surely incite fear towards Princess Sunshine.
Inside, General Rong, aware the Xu family had matters to discuss, closed the door and stood guard outside.
The eldest sister-in-law nodded slightly. “Lu Yuan Ze doesn’t hold a candle to General Rong’s character.”
“You really scared me.”
“When we heard the news, everyone at home nearly fainted. You had just divorced and escaped the hellhole, only to face this! When the abbot returns to the National Temple, I will take you to pray for peace and safety.”
“What a disaster,” she sighed.
Madam Xu shook her head gently. “It’s not entirely unwarranted.”
“It’s partly my fault. Please, sister-in-law, go to the Lu family account later and withdraw some silver. Give some compensation to the families affected by this incident. Consider it a token of our goodwill.”
The sister-in-law was about to ask when Madam Xu pulled out a jade pendant with a dragon pendant from her sleeve. She had asked Chao Chao for it earlier.
The sister-in-law was stunned, looking up at Xu Yi Ting.
Xu Yi Ting’s expression darkened. “What does this mean?”
Madam Xu smiled bitterly, her eyes filled with sadness. “Brother, are you still hiding the truth from me?”
“The person from last night was after this jade pendant.”
“I’m not of Xu family blood, am I?” she asked, tears in her eyes, looking at her brother.
She had lived with the Xu family for over a decade, loved deeply by her parents and three brothers. She had never doubted her identity.
Xu Yi Ting sank into a chair, his gaze distant as if lost in memories.
“We found you.”
“Back then, Father wasn’t yet a Royal Tutor.”
“It was a winter night, like last night, with heavy snow.”
“Mother had just given birth to our third brother. She often dreamt of hearing a baby’s cries…”
“She checked countless times, but the crying would stop, as if it were an illusion…”
“Mother felt uneasy as if something was calling her. Despite the early hour and heavy snow, she insisted on going out to check.”
“We were mischievous boys, so we went with her in the carriage.”
“Maybe it was destiny.”
“Mother followed her instincts through the city. We were all freezing, the snow blinding us…”
“Eventually, near the edge of the city, we heard faint cries.”
“We searched through the snow, finding a weak, crying baby. That was you,” Xu Yi Ting sighed.
He had hoped to keep this secret forever. He never imagined it would bring such disaster upon his sister, nearly costing her life last night.