"Even if Young Master Xu's ideas are all taken by others, am I not allowed to take a peek outside?" Xu Hui realized her lapse in composure, so she deliberately turned her head away and said in a coquettish voice, making Chen Qian think that she was just being jealous.
Chen Qian quickly coaxed and persuaded Xu Hui for a few words before she finally smiled again.
The two, each with their own thoughts, pretended to be friendly as they made their way to the silk shop.
******
When An Ran returned with Yu Sili and Nian Ge'er, it was still some time before lunch.
Yu Sili rarely even ventured into the city, let alone visited such a magnificent mansion. However, he displayed excellent manners; though curious, he didn't look around aimlessly, and every movement he made was graceful and measured.
When he saw Cuiping and Jinping, he took the initiative to greet them politely, behaving in a generous and poised manner.
An Ran had Nian Ge'er serve Yu Sili some refreshments in the main courtyard, after which An Ran allowed the two to play in the small garden. An Ran specially chose three younger children, Bi Luo, Tao Zhi, and Tao Ye, to accompany the two, and also asked the reliable Qing Xing to look after them.
She instructed, "Don't restrain the two children; just be careful not to let them bump into anything."
Qingxing agreed and left. Yu Sili obediently took Nian Ge'er's hand and said goodbye to Anran before steadily leading Nian Ge'er away.
An Ran looked at it, and a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Nian-ge'er, acting like a little adult, led Yu Sili on a tour of the mansion, while An Ran led her to meet the manager of her dowry shop in a side hall.
"Nian-ge'er, how did Fairy Sister become your mother?" Yu Sili had held back for a long time, seeing that the maids were all standing far away and wouldn't interfere as long as they weren't in danger. Only then did he ask the question that had been bothering him.
It wasn't until Nian Ge'er moved away that Yu Sili learned that the Marquis of Pingyuan and his wife were actually Nian Ge'er's parents.
They didn't know each other when the fairy sister lived on the estate.
Upon hearing this, Nian Ge'er's fair face darkened: "Mother is not my biological mother. My biological mother is no longer here." He said with some disappointment, "After my mother died, Aunt Ping brought me to the capital to find my father. They all say that Marquis Pingyuan is my father."
Yu Sili suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Nian Ge'er.
Although he had never had a father, he was fortunate to have a loving mother and older brother. His eldest brother was like a father to him, and Yu Zhou's image in Yu Sili's heart was as towering as his own father's. He longed to see his father one day, but he received just as much love and care.
But at the same time, he vaguely felt that Nian Ge'er's words were a bit strange.
Logically speaking, Nian Ge'er has at least found his father, so why doesn't he sound excited?
“Brother Sili, I want to tell you a secret.” As if he had made up his mind, Nian Ge’er pulled Yu Sili aside and hid behind the rose bushes, whispering, “I think that Marquis Pingyuan is not my father.”
Yu Sili's eyes showed a look of astonishment.
"Nian-ge'er, why would you think that?" He quickly lowered his voice and asked softly, "Could it be that the Marquis and Fairy Sister are not treating you well?"
He had heard from the villagers that once a father remarried, he would treat the children left behind by his first wife badly. Some people would put on a sweet front but were bitter inside, pretending to love their stepchildren, but in reality, they would often abuse them and treat them terribly in private.
Some people don't even bother with the superficial formalities.
Could it be that Nian-ge'er is unhappy that his father has taken a new wife?
But Fairy Sister is such a kind and gentle person, she definitely wouldn't treat Nian-ge'er badly, right? Besides, Fairy Sister even took Nian-ge'er to Huichun Hall to find me today. If she didn't love Nian-ge'er, she probably wouldn't have gone to such lengths to meet me, would she?
"Nian-ge'er, is it because Fairy Sister is not good to you?" Yu Sili asked cautiously, thinking that if there was any misunderstanding, it would be better to clear it up as soon as possible.
Nian Ge'er shook his head.
“My father and mother are both very good to me.” There was no grievance in Nian Ge’er’s voice, but he always felt that there was something between him and the two of them. Although his mother loved him and spoiled him, his father also indulged him. “I just have a vague feeling that maybe he is not my father.”
Yu Sili remained silent.
Since that was the case, he couldn't think of anything to say to Nian-ge'er for the time being.
"Brother Sili, please don't tell anyone." Nian Ge'er whispered in Yu Sili's ear, her voice pleading, "They've all been so good to me, I don't want them to be sad! I've been feeling really upset, that's why I wanted to tell you."
Yu Sili nodded vigorously.
In truth, Nian-ge'er still longed to live with Lu Mingxiu and An Ran. He felt a strong sense of security when he described his parents as loving and affectionate.
However, the doubts in his heart tormented his young mind.
He didn't even dare show it in front of An Ran. His mother loved him so much; if he questioned her, it would hurt her!
Only after seeing Yu Sili today did he dare to voice the doubts that had been weighing on his heart and tormenting him.
Seeing this, Yu Sili quickly made a pinky promise with Nian Ge'er, promising not to reveal their little secret.
"Nian-ge'er, Young Master Yu." Cuiping stopped about ten steps away from the two men and said with a smile, "Madam wants you to have lunch."
The two then held hands and followed Cuiping back to the main courtyard.
An Ran had already met with the manager. Seeing the two children skipping over, she quickly took one in each hand, helped them wash their hands, and then sat down to eat.
Back at the estate, Yu Sili had dined with An Ran before. An Ran had taken note of his preferences, and today she specially asked the kitchen to prepare several of his favorite dishes. The other half consisted of dishes that Nian Ge'er liked, and An Ran herself wasn't picky.
At the dinner table, everyone maintained the custom of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Only after the dishes were cleared away did Anran take Nian Ge'er and Yu Sili to the side room, where she asked Jinping to prepare rock sugar pear soup for the children and also served a plate of easy-to-digest hawthorn cake. She called the two to her side to talk.
An Ran first inquired about Yu Sili's family before smiling and saying to him, "Nian-ge'er has been wanting to play with you and misses you very much. When I heard that you were coming with Brother Yu, I took the liberty of picking you up directly."
Yu Sili quickly shook his head, revealing a slightly shy smile. "I also really want to play with Nian-ge'er."
An Ran then asked him about his trip to the city with his brother.
“My brother brings herbs and hides, and then he buys medicine for my mother.” Although her family was poor, Yu Sili did not feel inferior. “My brother also buys me paper, pens and books, and teaches me to read.”
Although An Ran had only met Yu Zhou once before, she felt that he was a responsible person. The determination in his eyes was enough to show that he could shoulder the responsibilities of his family and never complained. He seemed to have the potential to be an outstanding person, and if given time to overcome his current difficulties, he would definitely make a name for himself.
Yu Sili was also very proud of his older brother.