Chapter 374: and translation of chapter title

June 16th is Lu Yin Song's birthday.

The other party's situation is special, and they do not wish to see outsiders.

Therefore, the Lu Fu did not hold a grand ceremony; they sent out some invitations among relatives, set up a few simple tables in the residence, and everyone ate a meal, treating it as a celebration.

Sui Sui dressed beautifully that day and followed Mother Consort to the Fǔguó Gōng Residence.

Feng You Tan, unsurprisingly, also came, and brought He Dai along.

He Dai hadn't seen Sui Sui for a while; now that he saw her, his eyes lit up as he rushed toward her.

He still remembered that speaking carelessly could damage Sui Sui's reputation.

So this time he didn't say, "Fiancée, I'm here!" However, after stepping closer, He Dai whispered, "Fiancée, I'm here!"

Feng You Tan followed closely behind; upon hearing the voice, he raised his hand and gave He Dai a tap on the back of the head: "Don't mess around!"

He Dai, feeling aggrieved, touched the back of his head and muttered softly, "Is it not okay to speak quietly?"

Feng You Tan let out a light hum, then proudly tipped his chin, indicating that He Dai should look in another direction.

He Dai, puzzled, looked along the indicated direction and met Prince Qi's half‑smiling face.

He Dai was instantly startled, withdrew his gaze, and honestly dared not say anything more.

On Lu Yin Song's birthday, Feng You Tan naturally wanted to see his second brother in person.

However, Lu Yin Song clearly did not want to see anyone, not even his own family, let alone other relatives. Upon hearing that his second brother wouldn't come out, Feng You Tan instantly wilted.

She gently tugged at Sui Sui's sleeve and, plaintively, said, "Sui Sui, sob sob, why is second brother so heartless? I miss him so much, I'm uneasy about him, I want to come see him."

Sui Sui didn't know how to soothe her, but after thinking, whispered a suggestion: "How about you order him to come out and see you?"

Feng You Tan didn't understand and looked at Sui Sui puzzled: "Huh?"

Seeing her confusion, Sui Sui also became bewildered and said, "You're the Princess's!"

So it's not unusual for the Princess to give orders, right?

Feng You Tan pursed her lips after hearing that: "That won't work; second brother is second brother, how could I press him with the Princess's authority?"

Sui Sui didn't understand: "But whether you press him or not, you are still the Princess."

Feng You Tan: …

Done, she was stirred.

Maybe try it? But I just can't bring myself to.

Second brother is so pitiful.

Feng You Tan hesitated and wavered, but not for long; He Dai quickly brought a small ball over to invite them to play: "Come on, Feng Yo-yo, you aren't lagging behind in skill, are you? Too shy to play?"

The provocation tactic is old‑fashioned, but effective.

Feng You Tan was already in a bad mood; He Dai's provocation instantly got her riled up. She grabbed her waist, puffed out her little belly, and laughed twice: "How could I be afraid of you? My skill is lacking?"

Feng You Tan, angry, charged forward, while Sui Sui, short‑legged behind, almost couldn't keep up.

Feng Xuanrui watched from the side, quickly reaching out to protect his sister as they rushed forward.

A group of children circled around a small ball; Princess Consort of Qi watched from afar, feeling considerably at ease.

It's great that Sui Sui can blend in with the little companions.

Lù Fūrén watched the children playing together and smiled, "The children are playing so well."

Hearing her sigh, with a hint of loss and regret, Princess Consort of Qi gently urged, "It will be fine, it will be fine."

Lu Yin Song refused to appear at the courtyard gate, while Lu Yǐnxiāo, though young, was unusually solemn and rarely played with children his own age.

Lu Xue Rou was optimistic and generous, but she had caught a wind‑cold two days ago; today she wouldn't go out no matter what, fearing to pass the illness to her younger siblings. Thinking of Lu Xue Rou, Princess Consort of Qi asked anxiously, "Is Sister Rou's health better now?"

Hearing that, Lù Fūrén lightly nodded, "Actually it's not serious; children recover quickly, but she's afraid of spreading the illness, so she refuses to leave the courtyard."

Lu Xing Lan, listening nearby, nodded, "Kids, in a couple of days they'll be bouncing around again."

After talking about the children, Lu Xing Lan whispered, "From what I see, hasn't He Shi left the residence?"

Last time, on Lu Yinchen's birthday, Concubine He caused trouble by crashing into Feng You Tan.

They never asked in detail how the Lu Fu dealt with it afterward; the Lu Fu handled it discreetly.

Lu Xing Lan had actually heard some rumors but wasn't sure, so she quietly inquired now.

Lù Fūrén didn't hide it, replying with a smile, "She has recently been reading Buddhist sutras with her mother, seeking a quiet place, and has gone outside the city."

Concubine He had previously been sent to the Zhuangzi outside the city, which is a remote location.

The reason she wasn't dealt with directly was ultimately because of her role in bearing children.

If her son later becomes successful, they couldn't cause trouble with the Guó Gōng Residence over his mother's life.

Concubine He's life, if taken away, serves little purpose; at most it would vent the current anger.

But keeping her alive is still quite useful.

The three chatted lightly for a while, glanced at the children again, and then headed back.

The relatives arriving at the residence aren't just from the two families; Lù Fūrén still has to attend to social duties.

Especially, there are many Lu family relatives; if the other side feels slighted, future troubles won't be few.

Sui Sui and the other kids have no worries.

They chase that small ball, running and jumping continuously.

The ball is slightly smaller than a cuju ball, but just right for this group of kids to play with.

Feng You Tan intended to go see her second brother; while playing, she suddenly wanted to run toward his courtyard.

He Dai, fearing she would act impulsively and further upset Lu Yin Song, kept urging and pulling her.

Whenever Feng You Tan showed any sign of veering off, he would step forward to advise, to stop her, or to move the ball to the other side.

Feng You Tan was so angry she had already been humming several times.

When He Dai kicked the ball away again, deviating from the direction she intended, Feng You Tan plopped onto the ground and outright threw a tantrum: "I'm not playing!"

Sui Sui was happily chasing after, not understanding why Yo Yo sister had stopped playing. She stopped, first looked at her brother, then turned her head to look at Yo Yo sister, her face blank.

Feng Xuanrui felt sorry for his sister, stepped forward two steps, and gently patted Sui Sui's head: "It's okay, she's tired."

Feng You Tan wanted to retort: "I'm not tired!"

Faced with Feng Xuanrui's threatening gaze, she finally reluctantly said: "I'm tired, I'll rest a bit—I didn't say I won't play, I was just saying."

While saying that, she unwillingly got up and glanced displeased at Feng Xuanrui.

If it were just her and Feng Xuanrui, Feng You Tan felt she wouldn't indulge him.

But there's still Sui Sui.

This little sister, she likes her.

So, taking a little more care of her is no big deal.

Feng You Tan got up, unwillingly turned her head, and looked toward the direction of Lu Yin Song's courtyard.

He Dai saw that, quickly ran a few steps over, grabbed her sleeve and walked forward: "Alright, don't look—even if you look, he won't like you."

Second watch at 19:00.