Chapter 29: A Day at the Academy
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Do you even know how to take care of someone? Your sister is overheated, and now she’s broken out in heat rash!” Li Si Qi scolded, loosening the cloth bag to let the little girl breathe. Only then did the small child seem a bit more comfortable.
Lu Yuan Xiao glanced down at his sister, who was peacefully asleep in his arms. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips.
“Your sister is so pretty,” Li Si Qi said enviously. “You’re lucky to have such a beautiful little sister.”
“Of course! My sister is the cutest. She even gives me kisses,” Lu Yuan Xiao replied proudly.
Li Si Qi’s heart sank slightly. His own mother had borne only sons, and the daughters from the concubines were scrawny and dull, nothing like Lu Yuan Xiao’s sister. After another long look, he reluctantly returned the little girl to Lu Yuan Xiao, who carefully placed her back into the cloth bag strapped to his chest.
“What’s her name?” Li Si Qi asked eagerly.
Lu Yuan Xiao, who didn’t usually like him, couldn’t resist showing off. “Her name is Lu Chao Chao.”
“What a lovely name.”
“What does your sister eat? Sit with me at lunch so I can make sure you take care of her properly,” Li Si Qi offered, his concern for the little girl overriding his usual disdain for Lu Yuan Xiao.
The Fourth Prince raised a brow in surprise at this offer.
“The milk I brought this morning has gone sour,” Lu Yuan Xiao admitted, embarrassed by the summer heat’s effect on his sister’s provisions. “But I don’t want to sit with you. I hate Jiang Yun Mo!”
“I’ll get milk from the kitchen for her later,” Li Si Qi said after a pause. “And I’ll make sure Jiang Yun Mo doesn’t sit with me at lunch. I’ll protect your sister and won’t tell anyone about her!” Their budding friendship took a nosedive at that moment.
“Then… can I hold your sister a little longer?” Li Si Qi pleaded, eyes sparkling with hope.
Lu Yuan Xiao hesitated before nodding. When Lu Chao Chao awoke, she found herself surrounded by several curious older boys. She blinked in confusion, startled by the sudden attention.
[Such big faces! They almost scared me to death!]
“Shhh, Chao Chao, don’t cry. I’ll feed you milk,” Li Si Qi cooed gently. As the grandson of the Protectorate Duke, he came from a family that had long been rivals with the Xu family. This animosity naturally extended to Lu Yuan Xiao, whose family was aligned with the Xu household. Yet, at this moment…
“Does your sister need a diaper change?”
“Does your sister need water?”
“Can you bring her to the academy again tomorrow? Will she smile at me?” Li Si Qi bombarded Lu Yuan Xiao with questions.
Lu Chao Chao, hearing his voice, broke into a wide grin.
Li Si Qi’s eyes lit up with joy. “She smiled at me! Your sister smiled at me!” Overcome with affection, he gently pressed his cheek against hers.
“She’s so soft and smells so sweet, like milk,” he said with glee.
Lu Yuan Xiao shook his head. “Tomorrow is the thirteenth of July. We’ll be out for the street procession.”
During these three days, scholars would parade through the streets, reciting texts aloud to drive away the malevolent spirits that emerged from the Ghost Gate. Their collective righteous aura was believed to banish these entities. Common folk, meanwhile, would stay indoors.
Li Si Qi’s gaze darted to the Fourth Prince, who had gone pale and looked deeply uneasy.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured the prince. “After class, go straight to the temple.”
The Fourth Prince shook his head. “My mother isn’t well. I need to stay in the palace to accompany her. Besides, the abbot will be there. He can protect me.”
Lu Chao Chao blinked her bright eyes. [Ah, so he has a Yin Constitution.]
[Born in a year, month, day, and hour dominated by yin energy, his body is frail. If not for the protective dragon aura of the royal family, he likely wouldn’t have survived infancy.] She continued her internal musings. [But even with the protection, living like this is tough. People with Yin Constitutions can see ghosts, and with the Ghost Festival upon us, he must be terrified.]
Lu Yuan Xiao’s eyes widened in astonishment. No wonder the Fourth Prince had spent most of his life residing at the National Temple. If it weren’t for the illness of his mother, Imperial Consort Xian, he might not have returned to the palace this year.
“After class, go straight back to the palace. Don’t risk running into anything unclean. For these three days, you must absolutely stay indoors!” Lu Yuan Xiao warned.
The Fourth Prince’s frail body and Yin Constitution made him an easy target for malevolent spirits seeking to possess him. As if on cue, after lunch, palace servants arrived to escort him back.
“When he was three, he missed home and snuck back to the palace during the Ghost Festival. When he finally woke up, three days had passed,” Li Si Qi said with a sigh. “During those three days, his temperament changed drastically. They say even Imperial Consort Xian fell ill from the fright he gave her.”
Li Si Qi knew more than he shared. During that incident, the Fourth Prince’s eyes turned blood-red. He had bitten the consort’s dog to death, draining its blood entirely. His entire demeanor was like that of a malevolent entity. When he regained consciousness, he remembered nothing. Those three days, his body had been fully possessed.
“The worst part was that before he turned three, he didn’t dare open his eyes and always kept them covered with cloth. He saw ghosts constantly, which made him nearly impossible to care for as a child.”
“Isn’t there any way to ward off possession? Even the monks at the National Temple can’t prevent it?” Lu Yuan Xiao asked.
“Born frail and sickly, he had to live in a cold monastery, separated from his parents. He’s had to guard against his body being taken over at any moment,” Li Si Qi explained, shaking his head. “The abbot can only ensure temporary safety. Imperial Consort Xian has searched the entire world for a permanent solution but to no avail.”
Hearing this, Lu Yuan Xiao’s perception of the Fourth Prince shifted. What once seemed like aloofness now felt like profound loneliness.
[This is so simple!]
[Just snip a strand of my baby hair. Even King Yama would be scared of it!]
Lu Chao Chao wiggled her chubby toes, babbling endlessly. She had discovered that babbling daily helped improve her ability to speak. But her natural instincts—to chew her hands and feet—were nearly uncontrollable. Lately, her gums felt itchy, a sign that her teeth were coming in.
Frustrated, she grabbed at her hair.
“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t pull it out! You only have two strands; don’t make yourself bald!” Lu Yuan Xiao exclaimed, noticing her movements. He glanced at her baby hair thoughtfully. It was still intact, soft, and delicate. Could those two feathery strands really ward off malevolent spirits? He had his doubts.
That afternoon, the shared experience of caring for Lu Chao Chao brought Lu Yuan Xiao and Li Si Qi closer, forging a deep camaraderie. By the end of the school day, they were both doting over the flowery cloth bag that held the little girl, smiling warmly.
Lu Yuan Xiao’s face lit up with happiness. He had made a new friend!
As they stepped out of the academy gates, Lu Yuan Xiao’s joy was short-lived. Standing at the entrance was Madam Xu, her face dark with anger, holding a wooden rod.
“Ahhhhh!!!”
The moment Lu Yuan Xiao set foot outside, she began beating him. His pitiful cries echoed through the streets, drawing the attention of passersby.
Everyone watched as Madam Xu pulled a pale, chubby baby from his school bag. The little one had a snowy complexion and an adorable, captivating appearance.
“Lu Yuan Xiao! How dare you have the audacity to sneak your sister to the academy!” Madam Xu roared. Heaven only knew the panic she’d endured that day, practically overturning half the capital to find the child.
“I see you’re itching for a beating! You dare to pull such a stunt again?!” she scolded, chasing him with the rod. “Will you dare to do this next time? Huh? Will you?!”
As Madam Xu’s rod descended and Lu Yuan Xiao howled, a single thought occupied his mind.
[I absolutely will! Next time, I definitely will!]