Chapter 377: The World

The sky collapsed.

Indeed, the sky collapsed.

Du Shanü's mind went blank; she had no time to mind her stiff, powerless body. Only a stubborn hope lingered deep in her heart. She clung to the last thread of lucidity and looked toward the small swaddling blanket that Afang had brought home.

It was a tiny infant wrapped in a soft, off‑white swaddle, clearly washed, gently bundled in neatly folded cotton cloth, revealing only a round little head.

The little one slept soundly, curled peacefully in Afang's crook of the arm, a tiny bundle, fragile and soft, showing none of the awkwardness of a newborn; instead, it exuded a serene, endearing calm.

A fine, soft baby fuzz clung to the smooth forehead, the hairs light and gentle, so soft one dared not touch them.

The forehead was full and smooth, without a single wrinkle, pure as untouched white jade.

Those tightly shut eyes bore dense, soft lashes that lay neatly on the lids, forming a gentle, petite arc, like a fine, dense curtain of quietly falling crow feathers.

The nose was small and pert, the tip round and plump, pink and translucent; the tiny nostrils occasionally twitched ever so slightly, delicate and adorable.

The swaddle was snug but not tight, faintly revealing the infant's tiny body curled up, obedient and gentle.

No crying, no fuss—only a faint, delicate breath, so soft it seemed to split heaven and earth, a steady, endless sigh...

Just like Chinu.

Du Shanü gazed silently at that small, warm silhouette; the death‑weariness from her recent brush with the Gates of Hell vanished completely, leaving only a single thought in her heart:

"This child... truly resembles Chinu."

Some children, from the first glance at birth, already reveal the splendor they will possess in their prime.

This child is no exception.

Even a trace of Chinu's facial mole has been passed on—though this child bears only a single speck, placed low on the left lip, not particularly noticeable.

If his appearance were thus...

If Chinu had looked like this back then...

Du Shanü could then fully understand why the veiled courtesan of Jinling had sent Chinu away.

When power cannot outweigh looks, beauty becomes a fault.

At the time, Chinu's mother must have been terrified that he would share her fate—left in the brothels of Qin and Chu to be used by others—so, barely after giving birth to Chinu and still exhausted, she insisted on sending him away.

Those without experience would likely think Chinu's mother heartless.

But the longer one lives in this world, the more one understands the origin of that 'heartlessness'.

A mother's love for her child is innately natural.

Chinu's mother loved him, loved him deeply......

And Du Shanü, at a single glance, knew she too loved this child.

Chen Weifang gently placed the swaddle beside Du Shanü; seeing her lord's unwavering gaze, she let out a relieved breath and said:

"Only if he resembles Chinu is it right; if he didn't, wouldn't that be trouble?"

Damn it, all he's doing is worrying about the lord and Chinu......

But after that hurried hold yesterday, the servants now all say, 'The child is his! His!'

Truly, a widow's household produces idlers who stir up trouble even when there's none!

He now can't explain it at all; he's just waiting for the child to look more like Chinu so he can rid himself of this baseless hat placed on his head!

Chinu: "......"

Du Shanü: "......"

Du Shanü wanted to speak but hesitated: "But how can I feel you're enjoying this so much......"

Are you laughing?

Afang's mouth corners are clearly smiling, aren't they?

This child's birth took half the mother's life, and the father wept uncontrollably......

But Afang guarded the child with utmost care, refusing to let go even a bit.

To be frank, this child seems as if Afang herself had given birth to him.

Hearing this, Chen Weifang finally softened her smile a little, leaned in, gently patted the swaddle, and whispered:

"My lord has worked hard; quickly call out to the child."

"Before, you remained unconscious, and the child worried greatly, crying nonstop; only just now, worn out from wailing, did he drink some milk and finally fall asleep."

This pass is perilous, truly enough to make one's heart ache.

Since Afang worries so much, whether he's to be father or mother......

Never mind, never mind—let him be as he wishes!

Upon hearing this, Du Shanü's attention snapped; she waved to the dazed Chinu standing nearby, and only after touching his face did she speak gently:

"Was this child born yesterday or today?"

"They were supposed to be separated, so you two could each celebrate a good birthday, but I really......"

Chinu's state of mind has clearly swung wildly these past two days, his spirit diminished by seventy percent.

Since Du Shanü woke, he hasn't spoken a word, merely numb and stiffly following his wife‑master's orders, carrying them out mechanically——

The wife‑master told him to distribute rewards and dismiss the servants, and he did just that.

The wife‑master told him to draw near her, and he obediently knelt before the bed, holding her hand and pressing it to his own face.

He seemed to weep and hate a great deal while Du Shanü was away.

But when he truly met her gaze, he could only say through tears:

"...... Born at the first moment of the zi hour, which counts as yesterday......"

"My heart follows the wife‑master; to share a birthday with the young lord is my fortune—I dare not resent further."

When love reaches its extreme, hatred reaches its extreme.

Between heaven and earth, there's nothing left to reason about.

Just like the foolish slave before him, he is the greatest fool of this world.

He subconsciously accepted his own lowliness, accepted that his child was destined to surpass him by a head, and in his speech he even blurted out the self‑appellation 'slave' that he had abandoned for a long time.

He even called the newborn child 'Little Lord'.

He hoped the child would be well, hoped the child could break free from the status shackles imposed by his own father.

Thus......

He then simply lowered himself into the dust.

He did not, like Chen Weifang, happily hold the child; he only feared Du Shanü's near‑death in childbirth, and only worried whether he could someday give the child a better future.

Thus he actually blurted out such muddled words as 'It is an honor for a father to share the same birthday as his child.'

Du Shanü heard the words and instinctively wanted to frown, but meeting those bloodshot eyes, she could only sigh in her heart:

"Don't always say such things."

"It must be that I loved you first, then this child came to be...... If the child makes mistakes later, you may hit and scold him; why bother calling him 'Little Lord'? It only makes you, his father, look shorter than him."

Chinu lowered his head, merely rubbing Du Shanü's palm, not knowing whether he had heard those words.

Du Shanü had a terrible headache, also knowing this couldn't be changed overnight, so she once again shifted her gaze to the child beside her:

"I'm terribly annoyed, yet he sleeps soundly; wake him and let him sleep again, preferably crying a couple of times so I, his mother, can hear some sound—it won't be for nothing after all my effort."

Chinu: "......"

Chen Weifang: "......"

This is a true mother, this must truly be a mother.

If not a mother, she probably couldn't do this!

Du Shanü made up her mind, her longing grew stronger, she patted the swaddling clothes and called out:

"Ruier? Ruier?"

"Wake up, it's time to sleep!"

"Listen!"

"Listen!"

"Does this sound like human speech?"

Chen Weifang had held it in for a while beside her, then finally leaned in close and whispered:

"Wise Lord, you can't call him like that; I tried yesterday, and this child will only wake with another method."

Du Shanü doubted for a moment, but only a moment; the next instant she heard Chen Weifang call out in an overly sweet, almost coquettish, rising‑and‑falling nauseating tone:

"Oh dear, which little darling, the number one obedient treasure in the world, is still sleeping here?"

Under everyone's gaze, the swaddling clothes immediately let out a short, soft chirp, as if responding to those words, and even waved a tender pink little hand.

Chinu: "......."

Du Shanü: "......."

Chen Weifang: "Oh dear! Great! Great! But why can't I see the cute little one? Where on earth is the world's number one obedient treasure?"

The small figure in the swaddling clothes seemed to understand, the originally short chirp lengthened a bit, and it sounded:

"Wu——ying——"

Chinu: "......"

Du Shanü: "......"

She should have said earlier that this child was born for Afang!

As a mother, she still hasn't figured out how to be a mother!

Afang, on the contrary, has figured out the child's temperament and the 'factory manual'!

Besides, what on earth is this child—

How can he be so spoiled!

So... fond of being coaxed!?

?? Our Yuan Long, born just to enjoy blessings......

? Yuan Long is a very typical Scorpio—mysterious, intelligent, and greatly enjoys others' unique love for him, also likes being coaxed, that's just the habit~