Chapter 343

Fu Er left the Guoshi Fu; at the corner, he encountered a woman who was beautiful in appearance and gentle in temperament.

She looked desolate, and the tear stains at the corners of her eyes had not yet dried.

Fu Er saw a resemblance to the little young master in the woman.

"Miss, what are you doing here?" Fu Er stepped forward to ask.

Yun Zhi saw Fu Er, slightly startled, noticing he seemed to have come out of the Guoshi Fu, with an extraordinary bearing, and a flash of sharp light slipped across her eyes.

"Sir, may I ask if you are a subordinate of the National Master?"

Fu Er nodded, his face expressionless, "Yes. Just call me Fu Er."

"Fu Er, I don't know if you've seen my child."

"Who is your child?"

"His name is Xiao Chen. He's a very cute little boy." Speaking of Xiao Chen, a tender expression appeared on Yun Zhi's face.

Xiao Chen?

Isn't that the little young master's nickname?

Could the woman before him be the little young master's mother?

Just by appearance, they do resemble each other somewhat.

However, Fu Er was ultimately a cautious person and did not readily believe Yun Zhi's words. He knew that Your Majesty had recently had the little young master and a woman named Yun Zhi undergo Bloodline Detection; perhaps this was her. But before the results came out, he would not truly regard her as the little young master's mother.

Seeing Fu Er frown, Yun Zhi looked sorrowful, "Fu Er, you don't believe me, do you?" She gave a bitter smile, "Actually, it's normal for you not to believe me. How about this: for now, don't believe me, and we'll talk after the Bloodline Detection results are out."

Fu Er felt that Yun Zhi was a very understanding person.

"All I wanted before this was to see Xiao Chen; why won't she let me? Xiao Chen is ultimately not her child!"

Her?

Fu Er recalled that the little young master, because he liked Ye Qingran very much, had been living with her.

"You're saying Ye Qingran won't let you see the child?"

Yun Zhi's face was full of pain, "Xiao Chen gets along well with her; last time I went to the Ye Residence to beg her, even kowtowing, yet I still never saw Xiao Chen. Fu Er, whether I am Xiao Chen's birth mother aside, Ye Qingran certainly isn't his birth mother, so why can she keep Xiao Chen by her side while I can't even catch a glimpse of him—it's as hard as climbing to heaven?"

As she spoke, Yun Zhi's tears fell, depicting the pitiful image of a mother unable to see her child in vivid detail.

Although Fu Er didn't fully believe Yun Zhi's words, his impression of Ye Qingran worsened somewhat.

Before coming to Xiliang, he had heard that Your Majesty had taken a liking to a woman named Ye Qingran, who was infamous in Xiliang as a good-for-nothing, besides her beauty, utterly useless. How could someone like her be worthy of Your Majesty? Later, he also heard that six years ago Ye Qingran had been involved with another man, lost her chastity, and moreover had borne another man's child.

What right does a person dragging an oil bottle, a defiled individual, have to stand beside Your Majesty?

Even as a concubine to Your Majesty, she is unworthy!

She would dirty Your Majesty's body! Tarnish Your Majesty's prestige!

Thus, he has always scorned Ye Qingran, loathing her to the extreme.

Now, Yun Zhi also said that she monopolizes the little young master, not letting Yun Zhi see him. She isn't the little young master's birth mother, so what gives her the right to do this? Is she trying to cultivate feelings with the little master and then seize the position of mistress of the Zhu Lu Summit?

Ye Qingran, indeed deep‑minded and scheming step by step! Even such a pure little child as the little young master must be calculated.

A look of deep contempt flashed in Fu Er's eyes.

Whether Yun Zhi is the little young master's mother is still unknown, but she surely deserves to be by his side more than Ye Qingran does.

Seeing Fu Er's face gradually darken and the hatred welling in his eyes, Yun Zhi knew his impression of Ye Qingran must be terrible.

She pressed on, "Fu Er, could you take me to see Xiao Chen? I'm begging you."

Fu Er remained unmoved.

For such a matter, without Your Majesty's authorization, he would not dare to act on his own.

Seeing Fu San unmoved, Yun Zhi continued to appeal to emotion and reason, "Fu Er, if I truly am Xiao Chen's birth mother, I will remember your past kindness!"

Fu Er shook his head, "Sorry, I can't do that. Miss Yun, if you really want to see the little young master, you can go find… the adult."

Having said that, Fu Er took his leave, leaving Yun Zhi stamping her feet in anger beside him.

I thought Fu Er was easy to talk to, but I didn't expect him to be so stubborn!

Fu Er made his way all the way to the Ye Residence and began his task of protecting Ye Qingran.

He lowered his presence to the minimum, trying to be an invisible person, quietly hiding in a corner to observe everything in the courtyard.

Fu Er thought he hid himself well, unaware that his standing had already been exposed before the low‑key big shot Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran's eyes flickered. She wasn't sure who the newcomer was, but he had an aura similar to Fu San's, so he must also be a person of the Zhu Lu Summit. Moreover, his strength was great, even surpassing Fu San's; he must be a capable aide of Fu Hanxiu.

Is Fu Hanxiu sending someone to monitor me?

Ye Qingran's lips curled; then she'd stimulate them!

"Dear ones, shall we draw?"

"Sure, sure!" Mo Xiaohu and Xiao Chen eagerly agreed.

Han Xing Leng Yue had prepared brushes, ink, paper, and pigments for them.

Ye Qingran pondered a moment, "Then today's drawing theme will be—home."

"Home?" Xiao Hu stroked his chin, "Mother, does Xiao Huihui count as family?"

Xiao Huihui looked expectant.

"If you think it counts, then it does."

Xiao Huihui instantly brimmed with confidence; given the young master's feelings toward it, he would surely regard it as family!

Who would have thought…

"Oh, that's not it." Mo Xiaohu shook his head.

Xiao Huihui: "???"

We promised to be each other's guardian angels, but you turned around and kicked me into hell…

"Little master, why?" Heart-wrenching!

「Xiao Huihui, I've thought about it, you're a bird, not a person, so you definitely aren't family! 」

Xiao Huihui: "???" Suddenly it seemed reasonable—what's going on?

「So, at most you're just a pet bird. 」

Xiao Huihui: "Cheep cheep cheep, little master really still loves me!"

Ye Qingran: "......"

「You can start drawing now; in half an hour, I'll come check your results. 」

「Mother, aren't you drawing? 」

「Mother is tired. 」 Ye Qingran yawned.

「Then Mother, go sleep; we won't disturb you. 」 Fu Qianchen was well-behaved and sensible.

Ye Qingran had Han Xing bring over a soft couch, covered with a blanket, and really fell asleep.

This scene, Fu Er in the corner gritted his teeth.

Their poor young master, in the cold wind, holding a brush, diligently drawing, careful and wary, afraid of waking that woman, that earnest look—how heartbreaking! Yet Ye Qingran wrapped herself in a blanket and slept; is this definitely not abuse? Won't her conscience hurt?