My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

"As for you—"

These three words hung in mid-air, like a guillotine that had not yet fallen, the cold light on the blade reflecting on his face, making his face as pale as paper.

He is waiting.

Wait for that knife to fall.

Wait for what comes after those three words.

"This will not be repeated!"

Yao Jingyuan's body jolted violently, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.

I was so exhausted that I almost collapsed to the ground.

Only then did I begin to have the opportunity to think about Shu Jingwei's previous orders.

Should they all be beaten to death?

Yeah.

The servants of Zhaohua Palace know far too much.

He had control over their families.

But in this world, only the dead have the most reliable mouths.

His Majesty's decree saved him a lot of trouble.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

His shoulders trembled even more violently.

The crying grew louder, turning from suppressed sobs into low whimpers, as if frightened by His Majesty's thunderous wrath, or perhaps heartbroken by the eldest princess's fate.

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duties, causing the Crown Princess such suffering. I deserve to die! When I find the Crown Princess, I will treat her as my own child—"

"Alright."

Shu Jingwei interrupted him.

The exhaustion from days of sleeplessness finally showed through the young emperor's eyes. She raised her hand and rubbed her brow, pressing her fingertips against her forehead and rubbing slowly and forcefully.

"You can go now."

Seeing that Shu Jingwei was exhausted, Yao Jingyuan didn't dare to bring up the previous matter again.

He kowtowed again, "Your subject... takes his leave."

Yao Jingyuan lowered his head, carefully stepping lightly on the gold bricks with his boots, trying not to make a sound.

The tear stains on her face hadn't dried yet, leaving two winding wet streaks on her cheeks, stretching from the corners of her eyes all the way to her chin.

His eyes were still red, his lips were still trembling, and the corners of his mouth were slightly turned down, maintaining an arc of trying to restrain himself after being wronged.

But those warm, affectionate eyes, always brimming with tenderness—

Beneath his lowered eyelids, hatred quietly welled up.

Ye Fan!

Ye Fan's brother!

Ye Fan's bastard child!

He walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the hall door was slowly closed behind him by the palace servants.

"Squeak—" A long sound, like a mournful scream.

Then, with a "click," the door closed, and the world was cut in two—one half inside, and the other half outside.

Yao Jingyuan stood on the steps and looked up at the sky.

The sky was overcast and there wasn't a ray of sunshine.

The clouds hung low, like a dirty old cotton wadding spread across the sky, with a few strands of dark gray fluff hanging down from the edges, almost touching the eaves of distant houses.

There was no wind, the air was stuffy and damp, and it had a musty smell.

It looks like it's going to rain soon, but it hasn't yet; everything is holding back, feeling stifled.

There are no skyscrapers.

There are no such divine foods.

There was only a gray, empty, lifeless sky.

If only I had known... I should have killed that little bastard sooner.

While she was in the cold palace, find any excuse.

A cold, an accident—

That would solve everything.

If it weren't for all these things happening today...

He clenched his fist in his sleeve, his fingertips trembling and turning white from the force.

No.

Don't rush.

He took a deep breath.

There's one more thing to do.

Although those people in the Cold Palace are all going to die, before they die, we should send someone to give them one last warning.

Their families are still in his hands—their elderly mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters are all under his watchful eye.

Anyone who dares to gossip before they die...

The corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards, but his eyes were as cold as a deep, dark pool in the twelfth lunar month, unfathomable.

Once they are all dead, no one will know anything about Ye Fan anymore.

No one will know how Ye Fan "disappeared".

No one will know that he was the one who instructed the beating and scolding of the bastard child.

With that thought in mind, he walked down the steps.

My steps finally became lighter.

The hem of the crimson official robe drew an elegant arc in the wind, but the color, under the dim light of the sky, resembled a pool of congealed blood.

......

The moment he turned off the live stream, Lin Ye leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

Across from her, Xiao Douzi was holding the last strawberry, taking small bites, the red juice staining the corners of her mouth like a layer of rouge.

Her eyes sparkled, like two clean and clear amber beads, and she radiated contentment.

She stuffed the last bite of strawberry into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out in a round, chubby shape, and her speech became muffled.

"Godfather, Little Duzi is full!"

"So full, so full." She patted her tummy, the fluffy pink pajamas making a "plop plop" sound with each pat, the fluff on the pajamas trembling with each pat.

"Your belly's all round now, Godfather, look, it's round!"

She looked down at her stomach intently, as if it were the first time she had realized that her stomach would bulge out after eating.

"Godfather, I'm full, I feel so happy."

Lin Ye couldn't help but shake his head, his eyes full of laughter.

He reached out, slipped both hands under Xiaodouzi's armpits, lifted her off the chair, and tucked her into his arms.

The little bag is ridiculously light.

Holding a five-year-old child in my arms felt like holding a bundle of clothes; my ribs were pressing against his forearm, which was uncomfortable.

"It's good that you're full."

Lin Ye pulled her closer to his chest, and the tuft of hair on her head brushed against his chin, tickling him. "Come on, let's watch some TV."

The sofa was large and soft, with cushions as thick as folded quilts.

When Lin Ye placed the small bag on it, she was like a cherry that had fallen into cream, instantly sinking into it.

The cloud-like cushion surged up from all directions, surrounding her in the middle, leaving only her small face and two hands visible.

Her little face was tilted back, and her two hands were laid flat on either side of her body with her fingers spread out, like two stranded little starfish.

Lin Ye sat down next to her, and the sofa cushion sank in. Xiao Dou rolled over along the slope and her shoulder touched his thigh.

She chuckled twice, then rolled back to where she started.

Lin Ye smiled at her, reached for the remote control on the coffee table, and pressed a button.

The TV screen suddenly lit up.

Light burst forth from the screen, first a chaotic white mass, then suddenly exploded, colors splashing like an overturned palette of paint, scattering across the entire living room.

An animated film started playing on the screen.

It's Peppa Pig.

George hugged his dinosaur doll, opened his round mouth, and roared.

The sound came from the speakers on both sides of the television, deep and slightly trembling, echoing throughout the living room.

Little Douzi watched intently.

Her eyes were glued to the screen, the pink pig reflected in her pupils, moving with the image.

The little head swayed slightly, and the tuft of hair on it trembled like a foxtail grass swaying in the wind.

"Godfather—"

She suddenly spoke, her voice soft and drawn out with a long trailing tone.

She raised a hand, pointed her index finger at the screen, and asked, puzzled, "Why is this little pig pink?"