My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 87: Daily Life With Baby.

　　Five years later.

　　In a spacious and opulent Palace, a beautifully dressed little girl, with features as delicate as sculpted jade, was playing with the palace maids. 

　　Her laughter, like the tinkling of silver bells, filled the hall.

　　After a while, tired of playing, she held out her arms to Lǜshuǐ, demanding ice cream. 

　　Seeing sweat on the little girl's face, Lǜshuǐ gently wiped it away with a handkerchief, patiently persuading her, “My little Princess, you can't eat ice cream right after sweating; it will give you a stomachache.” 

　　The little girl immediately became unhappy, her dark eyes narrowing. Despite her young age, she spoke with authority, “No. This Princess wants to eat it!” 

　　“I don't care! Go get it for me!” 

　　Everyone in the Palace knew the little Princess's temper: willful and domineering, she insisted on getting whatever she wanted. Unless the Empress intervened personally, she wouldn't give up easily.

　　Her temperament was nothing like the Empress; she was much more like the Emperor.

　　Lǜshuǐ was in a difficult position. The Empress was napping, and no one could control this little tyrant. 

　　The little Princess started to fuss again, threatening in a childish voice, “You dare disobey this Princess? Be careful, I'll tell Father and have you all kicked out of the Palace!” 

　　She was threatening people at such a young age—how tyrannical! 

　　Just then, a small figure, yet with a remarkably composed demeanor, entered the hall. The boy, dressed in luxurious sapphire blue robes, possessed a youthful and handsome face that belied a surprising maturity. 

　　The palace attendants quickly bowed. “Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.” 

　　Young Xie Zhiyu responded with regal composure, “Rise.” 

　　Seeing her brother, the little princess scrambled off Lǜshuǐ and ran to him, her voice full of childish charm, “Brother, it's so boring in the Palace! Let's sneak out and play, okay?”

　　“They said there's a lantern festival outside the Palace tonight, and Muyun wants to go!” 

　　Xie Zhiyu gently pulled his sister's hand away, avoiding the question of sneaking out of the Palace. Instead, he reproached her gently, “Sister, you shouldn't threaten people like that.” 

　　Compared to his sister's forceful and domineering nature, the young Crown Prince was clearly more gentle and reasonable, much like the Empress. 

　　The palace attendants were touched by the Crown Prince's gentle reprimand, some close to tears. 

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ were especially relieved. 

　　The little Princess, looking aggrieved, said, “Brother, I was just scaring them; I wasn't really going to complain.” 

　　And the little Princess was very self-aware. 

　　She knew even if she did complain, the Emperor wouldn't care. 

　　She tugged at his sleeve, pleading, “Brother, let's go, please… We'll come right back after we see it.” 

　　By the way, the little princess has another skill, which is to act like a spoiled child.

　　Whether that trait came from the Emperor or the Empress was a question. 

　　Lǜshuǐ pondered. The Empress wasn't particularly given to such displays of affection. The Emperor... she didn't want to even think about it. 

　　After a moment of thought, Xie Zhiyu nodded. “Alright.” 

　　The little Princess immediately cheered. 

　　Xie Zhiyu then turned to Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ, asking softly, “You two won't tell Mother, will you?” 

　　They would have the protection of the Shadow Guards while outside the Palace, ensuring their safety. 

　　But if the two ladies told the Empress, he and his sister would never leave the Palace.

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ, who had just been deeply moved by the Crown Prince's protection, couldn't bring themselves to object. 

　　The young Crown Prince offered a grateful smile. “Thank you, then, both of you.” 

　　With that, he immediately took his sister's hand and left the hall. 

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ looked at each other, a puzzled expression on their faces. Something felt off, but they couldn't quite place it. 

　　While everyone said the little Princess was domineering and strong-willed, they knew that despite her bad temper, she was easily appeased. The young Crown Prince was gentle, but... cunning.

　　The current Emperor once said, “They're both little rascals.” 

　　Two incredibly mischievous little rascals.

    ……

　　The two little rascals successfully slipped out of the Palace, even remembering to disguise themselves. 

　　Fei Ying, the Commander of the Jinyiwei, along with a group of his men, disguised themselves as ordinary servants to provide personal protection. Before the young royals left the Palace, a contingent of Shadow Guards had already discreetly surveyed the streets and hidden themselves in various locations to ensure the safety of the Crown Prince and Princess. 

　　The little Princess, who loved lively crowds, was captivated by the bustling marketplace. She tugged at her brother's sleeve, excitedly pulling him along. 

　　Spotting a vendor selling candied haws, she tugged at his sleeve. “Brother, buy!” 

　　Seeing someone selling small fish, she tugged again. “Brother, buy!” 

　　And then, a vendor selling sugar figurines. “Brother…”

　　Spotting a vendor selling pastries, “Buy!” 

　　In a short while, the two ‘servants’ behind them were nearly carrying everything they could. 

　　The little Princess happily licked her candied haw, while Xie Zhiyu reminded her, “Don't eat too much, or your teeth will rot.” 

　　The little Princess smiled sweetly, “I'll only eat one string.” However, her other hand mischievously clutched another string, refusing to let go. 

　　Just as she was happily eating, she heard an argument ahead. Her eyes widened, and she excitedly ran forward to watch the commotion. 

　　The ‘servants’ quickly followed, never letting the little Princess out of their sight. 

　　At a small stall selling lanterns, Shen Chunxiang stood with her hands on her hips, arguing with a tall, broad-shouldered man with a stern and cold expression. “I'm slow? Where am I slow?”

　　After many ups and downs, they finally married last year. Their relationship, though filled with arguments, was also undeniably sweet. 

　　They were happily choosing lanterns, Pei Yuan having taken time out of his busy schedule to accompany his wife to the lantern festival. They were enjoying themselves, chatting away, until somehow the conversation turned to their past. Pei Yuan remarked that if she'd been more perceptive, they would have married years ago, instead of dragging it out so long. 

　　Shen Chunxiang immediately bristled, retorting, “Every time you saw me, you were either cold and distant or fiercely intimidating. I half expected you to challenge me to a fistfight! How could I possibly know you liked me?” 

　　“You were the wooden one, and you dare call me slow?”

　　Though Pei Yuan usually couldn't win an argument with her, he couldn't help but say, “Many people saw it.” 

　　Shen Chunxiang became even angrier and decided to have it out with him. But then, a small, childish voice cut in, sounding remarkably mature, “Lord Pei, don't you have a mouth?” 

　　Shen Chunxiang turned to see two exquisitely beautiful children, her eyes lighting up. 

　　The Crown Prince and Princess? What were they doing here? 

　　Pei Yuan turned around and saw them too, preparing to bow when the little Princess waved her hand, continuing in her childish voice, 

　　“Lord Pei, you see my mother won't misunderstand, because my father pleads with her every day–” Before she could finish, her brother covered her mouth. 

　　Xie Zhiyu said sternly, “Sister, don't talk nonsense.” 

　　Father said this was a family matter and shouldn't be discussed with others.

　　The little Princess protested, “I was speaking up for Aunt Chunxiang…” 

　　Shen Chunxiang smiled, walking up to them and pinching each of their cheeks. “You two little troublemakers, sneaking out of the Palace again, huh?” 

　　Caught red-handed, the little Princess stuck out her tongue, playfully making a ‘don't tell’ gesture to Shen Chunxiang. She then sweetly offered her the sugar figurine she'd just bought.

　　“Aunt Chunxiang, please pretend you didn't see me and my brother, okay?” 

　　Shen Chunxiang took it with a smile. “Oh, you're learning to bribe people at such a young age?” 

　　The little Princess smiled, even more embarrassed. 

　　Just as she was about to start acting cute, she heard a soft, sweet voice calling her from behind.

　　Turning around, she saw her maternal uncle approaching with Sister Jinyue. 

　　The two children cheered, running to Xiao Qibai and each grabbing one of his legs, vying for his attention. “Uncle!” 

　　Xiao Qibai smiled, ruffling their hair. “How long have you been sneaking around? Did you tell your mother?” 

　　The two children immediately drooped. 

　　The little Princess immediately offered her candied haw to Jinyue. “Sister Jinyue, this is for you. I specifically saved it for you!”

　　It turned out that the little princess was not holding it for herself, but for Xiao Jinyue. 

　　The Crown Prince also offered the sugar figurine he'd bought for his sister; he'd gotten one for Xiao Jinyue as well.

　　Xiao Jinyue took the candied haw with her left hand and the sugar figurine with her right, her eyes crinkling happily. 

　　As soon as they met, the three of them started whispering about some ‘important matter’. 

　　Every time they met, these three had endless things to talk about, and he was always excluded. 

　　Xiao Qibai shook his head with a helpless but amused smile, watching the three little imps. 

　　After saying goodbye to Shen Chunxiang, he led them towards the center of the lantern festival.

　　The ‘little followers’ immediately followed, trotting happily behind. 

　　The lantern festival was about to begin; the streets were brightly lit, bustling with people. Many children ran around happily, carrying beautiful lanterns.

　　Xiao Qibai bought each of the three children a lantern they liked. 

　　The ‘servants’ on either side blocked passersby, providing impenetrable protection. 

　　People passing by thought to themselves, “I wonder which noble young master and young miss these are. Such a grand entourage, they've practically taken over half the street!” 

　　The little Princess and Crown Prince were excitedly waiting for the lantern festival to begin. 

　　Suddenly, the crowd surged, and Grand Eunuch An, accompanied by several guards, parted the ‘servants’ on either side. He bowed respectfully to Xiao Qibai, then looked at the two children on the ground, sighing helplessly. “Little ancestors, we finally found you.” 

　　“His Majesty is waiting at the Zhaixing Tower (Stargazing Tower). Please come with me.”

　　Hearing that their father had also arrived, the little Princess and Crown Prince immediately clung to Xiao Qibai and began to wail. 

　　Tears streaming down her face, “Muyun doesn't want to go back... Father will, will…” beat her to death... 

　　She hadn't had enough fun yet; going back to be punished now wasn't worth it. 

　　The little Princess had a clear understanding of the situation. 

　　Xie Zhiyu also looked at Xiao Qibai with pleading eyes. “Uncle... please help me…” 

　　Those dark, pearl-like, pitiful eyes could melt anyone's heart. 

　　Xiao Qibai's heart softened considerably. 

　　Addressing Grand Eunuch An, his tone was full of concern. “Tell His Majesty... to go easy on them. Don't hit their palms; they have lessons tomorrow.”

　　Grand Eunuch An was amused and quickly replied, “Yes.”

　　The two little ones cried even harder, dejectedly following Grand Eunuch An away. 

　　Xiao Qibai looked down and saw his daughter anxiously watching the direction they left. 

　　Kneeling down, Xiao Qibai met his daughter's gaze, reassuring her. “Don't worry, your aunt is there; your cousins won't be beaten.”

　　Xiao Jinyue immediately nodded with a smile. “Okay, then Jinyue is relieved.” 

　　She held out her two small hands, wanting to be held. “Father, hug.” 

　　Xiao Qibai picked up his daughter, and heard her excitedly ask in his ear, “Father, will Mother come down the mountain to see Jinyue this year?”

　　Little Jinyue's most anticipated time of year was when her mother came down the mountain to see her. 

　　Xiao Qibai was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. “She will.” 

　　Xiao Jinyue cheered, “Yay!”

    ——

　　Zhaixing Tower. 

　　The evening breeze ruffled the elegant, dark-colored sleeves of the tall, imposing man standing by the window. 

　　His aura was strong and cold, yet his gaze, lowered to the gentle, bright woman beside him, was intensely passionate. 

　　He tilted her chin, about to kiss her, when he heard two childish voices behind him: “Eh... shame on you!” 

　　Disturbed, Xie Jue turned around. 

　　Two little imps stood at the top of the stairs, deliberately using their chubby little hands to pretend to cover their eyes.

　　Yun Ling looked at the two children, her voice softening. “Come here.”

　　The two little ones immediately ran over happily. 

　　As they approached Yun Ling, they remembered sneaking out of the Palace. Their father would surely punish them. 

　　The little Princess's round eyes twinkled. She quickly wiped her eyes with her small hand and began to wail pitifully, “Mother…” 

　　The tender, childish cry made Yun Ling's heart ache. She quickly knelt down, hugging her daughter and squeezing her chubby little hand. “What's wrong? Why are you crying so hard?” 

　　The little Princess sobbed even harder, her head bobbing slightly, looking extremely wronged.

　　At this moment, Xie Jue sneered, “She's not crying; she's been wailing for a long time without shedding a single tear. She's just afraid of being punished.” 

　　The little Princess, whose act had been exposed by her father, froze. 

　　She secretly rubbed her eyes with her small hand. 

　　Sigh, she still couldn't cry. 

　　Xie Jue turned to his son, who was standing straight. “Who told you to sneak out of the Palace with your sister? Do you know how dangerous it is outside the Palace?” 

　　Hearing her father start to scold her brother, the little Princess stopped pretending. She quickly stood in front of her brother. “Brother didn't take me; Muyun begged brother to take me out of the Palace to play.” 

　　Xie Zhiyu pulled his sister behind him, bowing to Xie Jue. He said honestly, “It's not my sister's fault; I also wanted to leave the Palace.” 

　　“I made a mistake, and I accept Father's punishment.”

　　Xie Jue twitched the corner of his mouth. These two siblings were quite protective of each other. 

　　Lowering his eyes, he looked at his son standing straight, his fluffy little head bowed. 

　　He said softly, “Since you wanted to sneak out of the Palace, you not only need to know how to bribe the Palace servants, but you also need to know how to choose the right time, and plan your escape route. If you're going to do something, you have to do it flawlessly.” 

　　The Crown Prince paused slightly, his childish voice serious. “Yes, I will remember this.” 

　　Xie Jue: “Go back and copy twenty essays. Calm your mind and reflect.” 

　　The Crown Prince: “Yes.” 

　　The little Princess was about to pout and complain, but Xie Jue looked at her without any mercy, “What are you looking at? You have to copy them too.” 

　　“Ah…”

　　The little Princess's unruly hair drooped. 

　　After being scolded by their father, the two little ones walked to Yun Ling, heads down, wanting a hug. 

　　Yun Ling touched their soft cheeks. “Okay, okay. It's dangerous outside the Palace; you're still young. Your Father is doing this for your own good. Do you understand?” 

　　These two little troublemakers needed a lesson. 

　　The two little ones nodded like chicks pecking at rice, but their eyes were genuinely red this time. They kept snuggling into Yun Ling's arms, wanting to be held. 

　　Yun Ling couldn't hold both of them. 

　　Sighing, she picked up the little Princess and put her in Xie Jue's arms. “Husband, now that they've been punished, it's over. Hold her.” 

　　She then picked up her son. 

　　With one child in each of their arms, the two little ones were finally comforted.

　　Xie Jue looked at his daughter, who, once in his arms, immediately became lively and clung tightly to his neck. He pinched her soft cheek in exasperation. “You and your brother aren't babies anymore. When you grow up a little more, you can't compete for my hugs, and you can't act spoiled and ask your mother to hold you.” 

　　The little Princess asked innocently, “Why?” 

　　Xie Jue looked at the bustling streets outside; the lantern festival was about to begin. Without blinking an eye, he shamelessly deceived the child, “Because you're not three years old anymore. Only three-year-olds need their parents to hold them.” 

　　“Then who will Father hold if he doesn't hold Muyun and brother?” The little Princess blinked her big eyes. 

　　As soon as the words fell. 

　　Suddenly, the two little ones said in unison, “Oh... it's to hold Mother.”

　　Xie Jue's lips curled into a smile, without hesitation. “Yes.” 

　　“You know, yet you still ask?” 

　　The two little ones giggled, covering their mouths. 

　　The lantern festival began. 

　　Beautiful Kongming lanterns floated one after another into the night sky, forming a continuous sea of brilliant lights. 

　　The little Princess's eyes widened, and she cheered, “So beautiful!” 

　　The Crown Prince, though still young and not very steady, was also very happy. He wanted to go and watch with his sister. 

　　Yun Ling smiled softly and put her son into Xie Jue's arms, letting the siblings be together. 

　　Xie Jue held one in each arm.

　　Unexpectedly, as they watched, the two little ones started arguing again. 

　　They were debating which lantern was the most beautiful. 

　　“The one on the left is prettier!” 

　　“No, the one at the top is prettier!” 

　　“No, it's not!” 

　　They became so excited that they started squirming in Xie Jue's arms. 

　　With one little devil on each side, Xie Jue got a headache. His forehead twitched. 

　　“Both of you, SHUT UP!”

　　When will these two little imps grow up? 

　　The little Princess and the Crown Prince: “Ah…” 

　　After letting the two children go to play, the peace finally returned. Yun Ling watched their backs before turning around to find herself in his embrace. The sounds of laughter and joy from the festival outside filled the air. Yun Ling tilted her head back, smiling sweetly at him. Her heart felt a sense of tranquility. 

　　Xie Jue lowered his head to find her soft lips. 

　　The two children were right.

　　No matter the time, he only wanted to hold her, to kiss her. 

　　In this world, there were many things Xie Jue had once been unable to let go of: power, hatred, killing intent.

　　But compared to Ah Ling, all these things seemed insignificant. 

　　Nothing was more important than her.

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