After completing these tasks, she walked to the inner room door and looked inside.
The inner room was a luxuriously decorated bedroom, with an empty bed and only a thin blanket turned back. By the window stood a person wearing a dark purple brocade robe, gazing blankly outside. His skin was fair and smooth, but pale due to the lack of color in his cheeks. His beautiful face had a pair of ink-like eyes, though these eyes, while large, lacked spirit. If not for this, he would be an extremely beautiful person.
This person in the brocade robe was the master of Xun Qin and also Yu Yi’s protection target this time – a future county lord, a six-year-old child.
Yu Yi walked softly to his side and followed his gaze outside. A cherry tree was blooming with pink-white flowers, densely clustered. When the wind blew, delicate pale flower petals danced, some floating into the window and falling on the table and floor.
“Young County Lord, aren’t you sleeping?” Yu Yi asked.
Yan Mingxu did not answer, still looking at the cherry blossoms outside, not even moving his eyes.
Yu Yi took a rhino horn comb and carefully combed his shoulder-length black hair, styling it into a bun and placing a small golden crown on top. Throughout this process, Yan Mingxu did not speak a word nor make a single movement except for blinking.
People in the mansion said the Young County Lord was foolish.
But primogeniture was an ancient rule – as long as the Young County Lord was alive and well, he would inherit the County Lord’s position.
After combing his hair, Yan Mingxu stood looking outside. Yu Yi quietly stood with him for a while, and an idea formed in her mind. She found some paper and folded it into the shape of a small rabbit, then drew a pair of red eyes.
The maid Yi Yin watched in amazement, “Xun Qin, when did you learn to do this? Just folding it like this makes it stand up – how fun!”
Yu Yi smiled and said, “I learned it when I was very young, but I hadn’t done it for a long time.”
In fact, she had learned these paper animal folds while folding them for Yu Ting to play with when they were staying at the mountain villa. Yu Yi had carefully studied the folds and remembered the techniques, never expecting they would come in handy now.
“Young County Lord, look,” Yu Yi held the small rabbit in front of Yan Mingxu. His gaze shifted from the window to the rabbit, then to Yu Yi. She placed the rabbit in his hand.
Yan Mingxu lifted the rabbit, examining it carefully.
Yu Yi went to the table and continued folding another small animal – a pig.
From the corner of her eye, Yu Yi noticed Yan Mingxu walking to her side, watching her fold. When she turned to look at him, she saw a flash of interest in his eyes. This fleeting glimpse added a spark of life to his perfect, delicate, yet lifeless face. Yu Yi secretly marveled – such a handsome young County Lord, so young yet already so elegant. If he could grow up safely, how stunning he would become!
Yu Yi folded another small pig and offered it to Yan Mingxu, “Young County Lord, try blowing it.”
Yan Mingxu did not take it but instead returned the rabbit to the table, his face returning to its previous expressionless state.
Yu Yi subtly curved her mouth, blew up the pig, and continued folding – a dog, fox, monkey, hunter… all with eyes and different colors.
Although Yan Mingxu said nothing, he watched her fold.
Then Yu Yi began telling a story, moving the paper animals and hunter to act out the roles.
Being a six-year-old child, Yan Mingxu could no longer maintain his calm gaze, though he remained silent.
In the evening, when Yi Yin went to arrange dinner, Yu Yi deliberately stepped out to organize things. After tidying up for a while, she quietly returned to the doorway and peeked in, seeing Yan Mingxu bouncing the paper rabbit on the table, then using the hunter in his left hand to chase the rabbit. She smiled silently.
That night, Yu Yi told Yan Mingxu another story. Having missed his nap, he soon grew drowsy listening.
Yu Yi and Yi Yin helped him wash and change, and he went to bed still clutching the paper rabbit.
The next day, Yu Yi asked Yan Mingxu if he wanted to learn paper folding. He nodded, and Yu Yi smiled, “If Young County Lord wants to learn, you must say so.
Yan Mingxu pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately could not resist the temptation, and whispered, “Teach me to fold a rabbit.”
After learning to fold a small rabbit, Yan Mingxu blew forcefully into the rabbit’s mouth, watching it miraculously puff up, and excitedly glanced at Yu Yi.
Afterward, Yu Yi tried to find ways to encourage him to speak more. On this day, Yan Mingxu probably spoke more than in an entire month. Mi Yin sighed, “The young master is quite clever; he just doesn’t like to talk.”
Yu Yi whispered to Mi Yin, “These days, don’t tell anyone in other courtyards about the young master’s change.”
Mi Yin nodded knowingly.
Yan Mingxu was the eldest son of the Hongjun Wang, but not born to the current wang fei, Lady Tong. The previous wang fei had passed away after a difficult childbirth, giving birth to Yan Mingxu. Lady Tong Wan entered the family four years ago as a second wife and gave birth to a son, Yan Mingxue, over two years ago.
Whether because Yan Mingxu was not talkative or because the previous wang fei died in childbirth, the Hongjun Wang had never liked Mingxu since childhood.
However, this could be considered a blessing in disguise – had he been a clever and lively child, Mingxu might not have survived to this day. Yet, his continued silence only made the Hongjun Wang like him less.
The Hongrun Wang would not return for another ten days. Before then, Yu Yi not only needed to protect Yan Mingxu’s safety but also wanted to make him more lively. After all, she could not protect him for a lifetime, and only the Hongrun Wang could truly ensure his safe growth. He must regain his father’s attention and affection.
On the third day, Yu Yi suggested to Mi Yin and several other maids to play shuttlecock in the courtyard. Although Yan Mingxu was young, he was very quiet. They all agreed and soon became engrossed in their play, teasing and laughing, filling the courtyard with sounds of merriment.
Yu Yi watched them play for a while, then turned to see Yan Mingxu drawn out by the laughter, standing at the doorway. His ink-black eyes showed both admiration and a subtle longing.
She offered the shuttlecock to Yan Mingxu, asking, “Would the young master like to play?”
Yan Mingxu shook his head and did not take it. Yu Yi pulled him out and had him sit on the jade stone steps. She then lifted her outer dress, tucking the hem into her waist, and began performing elaborate shuttlecock tricks, tossing it high into the air.
From her memories, Xun Qin was a shuttlecock expert, and Yu Yi had often played with her sisters during leisure time in the marquis’s residence. She knew all the urban shuttlecock styles. Though now in a different body, her movements were slightly stiff, but her martial arts training gave her strong body control. She demonstrated various techniques – inside and outside cuts, forward and reverse scissors, spear lift, Buddha’s crown – kicking the shuttlecock dozens of times without letting it touch the ground.
Yan Mingxu’s gaze followed the shuttlecock on her foot, moving up and down. Sometimes it looked precarious, as if about to fall, but she would hook it back into the air. His heart would relax, and a joyful smile would spread across his face, unconsciously revealing the innocence of a child.
