After returning, Li Ji took a bath and changed into a specially made, new ink-black formal robe. His hair was meticulously combed and secured with a Jade Crown.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror and felt it was a bit too deliberate.
’This is my own home, after all,’ he thought. ’There’s no need to be so formal. What if I scare her away?’
So, Li Ji changed again into a looser, azure long-robed shirt. He also removed the crown, replacing it with a simple yet elegant jade hairpin.
This ensemble toned down the intimidating, unapproachable aura he usually carried.
It made him look more casual and amiable than usual.
By the time he was ready, it was almost dark outside.
Li Ji figured it was about time and went to open the door.
But standing outside was a little pipsqueak.
Li Xun was now five years old, a bit taller than other children his age, with a small face that was a spitting image of his father’s.
Right now, he was filthy, with smudges of mud on his little face, looking for all the world like a little mud monkey.
He had just been playing outside with his friends when he heard that his father, the Regent King, had returned.
More importantly, he also heard his father was hosting a guest for dinner at home tonight.
Li Xun found it strange.
’With Father’s rotten temper, who would possibly want to be a guest in our home?’
Filled with curiosity, Li Xun abandoned his friends and scampered back home.
Now, looking at his father’s seemingly casual but actually meticulously chosen attire, alarm bells instantly went off in his head.
"Father, who are you going to see?"
’My dad rarely dresses up. For him to suddenly change his ways today, something must be up!’
Li Ji couldn’t be bothered with his little brat.
"It’s none of your business."
With that, he strode out the door.
For years, Li Ji’s relationship with Gou Dan had been delicate.
The father and son depended on each other and considered one another very important.
But because of Manman, a thorn had always been stuck in Li Ji’s heart. Whenever he saw his son, he couldn’t help but be reminded of Manman, who had left, and it was inevitable that he would feel a sense of discomfort.
Children are very perceptive.
Although Li Xun couldn’t yet comprehend his father’s complex psychology, he could sense that his father wasn’t very willing to be close to him.
Any other child would have cried and thrown a tantrum.
But Li Xun was different.
In some ways, he had perfectly inherited his father’s temperament—for instance, his stubborn pride and his inability to express his feelings.
’If Father doesn’t like me, then I won’t like him either,’ he figured.
Ever since Li Xun learned to walk, he had started running outside all day long, often coming home covered in grime.
Sometimes, he would even get into fights with the neighborhood kids.
The first time Si Yun and Qing Huan saw the young prince return with a bruised and swollen face, they were startled.
They kept asking the young prince who had bullied him.
But Li Xun was incredibly stubborn and refused to say a word, no matter what.
When Li Ji learned of this, he asked him if he wanted to learn martial arts.
Though young, Li Xun already understood the importance of strength.
He nodded without hesitation and said he wanted to learn.
He was just over three years old when he began to practice martial arts with his father every day.
A tiny little thing with soft limbs, he was nevertheless exceptionally willful. Even when he was panting with exhaustion, he would grit his teeth and persevere.
Originally, he had been the smallest among the local kids and was always getting bullied.
Now he had grown much taller, and all the brats who used to bully him had been beaten to a pulp.
He was now the king of the kids in the area. Anyone who saw him had to call him "Boss."
At this moment, the boss in the hearts of the children was very nervous.
He chased after his father on his short legs and asked urgently.
"I heard you’re hosting a guest for dinner tonight. Is the guest a man or a woman? What is their relationship to you?"
Li Ji was in a good mood today. With his hands clasped behind his back, he said leisurely.
"Guess."
Li Xun was frantic. "Father, don’t tell me you’re planning to find me a stepmother?"
Li Ji glanced down at him, a faint, teasing smile on his lips.
"And what if I said yes?"
Li Xun was like a little lion whose territory had been invaded. His hackles rose instantly, and he let out an angry roar.
"I don’t want a stepmother! I don’t!"
Although he had only seen his mother three times, her face was deeply etched in his heart.
In this world, only one person was qualified to be his mother.
He would rather die than accept another woman taking his mother’s place!
Li Ji paid no mind to what his little brat was thinking and walked straight toward the front courtyard.
He had to go welcome his guest.
Li Xun was about to go mad with anger.
’Mother clearly said she would come back, but Father refuses to wait any longer.’
’Damn it! I absolutely will not allow this to happen!’
’My father can only belong to my mother.’
’No one is allowed to take him away!’
Like a small cannonball, Li Xun suddenly shot forward, ramming straight toward his father.
Li Ji didn’t turn around, but as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he flawlessly dodged his son’s sneak attack.
Li Xun had charged too fiercely and couldn’t stop himself, tumbling hard to the ground.
He had been taking tumbles and getting into scrapes since he was little, so he was used to the pain.
Even after such a hard fall, he scrambled back up as if nothing had happened and bared his teeth at his father.
He looked like a ferocious little beast, all teeth and claws.
"You’re not allowed to see that woman!"
Looking at his son’s disheveled state, Li Ji’s lips suddenly curled into a light smile, an unknown thought crossing his mind.
"How do you know the guest is a woman?"
Li Xun froze.
’Did I guess wrong?’
’Isn’t my father going on a date with some other woman?’
’But if it’s not a date, why would he dress up so carefully?!’
Li Ji said calmly, "If you want to know who the guest is, you can come and see for yourself."
With that, he started walking toward the front courtyard.
Li Xun quickly chased after him.
’I have to see just who this guest my father invited for dinner is!’
’If it’s just a normal guest, then fine.’
’But if this guest has something going on with my father, I will absolutely ruin it!’
’This house can only have one mistress, and that is my mother.’
’Any other woman who dares to covet the position of Regent Queen is my enemy.’
’And I show no mercy to my enemies!’
By now, the sky had darkened. Two lanterns hung from the eaves of the Prince Mansion.
Moonlight spilled onto the steps, like a flowing, silvery frost.
Just then, Hua Manman strolled down the steps as if taking a leisurely walk, heading straight for the neighboring Regent Prince Mansion.
Mr. Du and Ban Ren followed behind her, both with expressions that were hard to put into words.
Seeing that she was about to reach the entrance of the Regent Prince Mansion, Mr. Du finally couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Young Master, are you sure you want to visit the Regent Prince Mansion dressed like this?"
At this moment, Hua Manman was wearing a bright, emerald-green, round-collared long robe. Large peonies were embroidered on the shoulders with red and gold thread. To top it all off, she had a large red flower pinned by her temple and a thick layer of white powder caked on her face.
Hearing this, Hua Manman stopped and turned back with a smile.
Mr. Du could clearly see the powder flaking off the Young Master’s face.
The sight was quite horrifying.