Chapter 6

Where's the umbrella?

Take the miss's usual clothes and bedding to the Rhyme Courtyard.

Su Xin, follow me back to tidy up. Today the miss and I will share a bed; tomorrow find a carpenter to come to the manor and make a movable small bed.

Yes!

Su Xin stayed behind. Jiang Yun Chu wrapped Yue Yue in a blanket, then held her with one hand and held up the umbrella with the other, heading straight to the Ink Brush Pavilion.

Ning Hanmo rubbed his growling stomach from hunger, his anger having nowhere to go.

After returning from the Rhyme Courtyard in the morning, his mind was full of the question: what could he do?

Literacy? He didn't know a single character; all the tutors his grandmother hired were driven off by his pranks.

Poetry? Pah, pah, pah—definitely not. That pretentious stuff just gives me a headache.

Painting and embroidery? So effeminate—he's the Young Master of the manor, destined to inherit the title; how could he embroider? If his buddies found out, they'd laugh their heads off.

So what exactly can he do?

Horse racing? No way.

Cricket fighting? Probably not either.

Rolling dice at Zhang San's gambling house? No, Grandma knows that would surely break his leg.

So... what would he do? It seems he can't do anything.

The few people at the Ink Brush Pavilion, seeing the young master so obediently thoughtful, found it truly rare; normally at this time he'd already have run off to play.

Every day they worried whether their heads would still be on their shoulders the next day.

Just then, darkness fell, lightning split the sky, and thunder roared.

Ning Hanmo jumped onto the bed, covered himself with the blanket, wrapping himself tightly; even the bundled blanket trembled slightly.

Shunzi and the others saw the Princess Consort arrive and were about to salute when Jiang Yun Chu asked, 'Where is the Young Master?'

Shunzi pointed to the room and said, 'Whenever there's thunder, the Young Master locks himself in the room and lets no one in.'

You just obey him? He's only a child.' Jiang Yun Chu's eyes reddened.

She hurried to the door, but found it locked from the inside by Ning Hanmo, and she shouted, 'An Wu!'

An Wu leapt down from the treetops and said, 'Princess Consort.'

'Kick the door open.' Jiang Yun Chu held Yue Yue in her arms, fearing she'd be scared; otherwise there'd be no need for anyone else to intervene.

'Yes!' An Wu gave a little force and kicked the door open.

'You don't need to come in; Shunzi, go find a carpenter to fix the door.' Jiang Yun Chu already saw the person curled up on the bed.

She gave that order and quickly ran into the room.

'Brother.' Yue Yue whispered.

Jiang Yun Chu said nothing more, simply got onto the bed, gathered the trembling child into her arms, and gently patted him.

Yue Yue sat obediently at the edge; with only Yun chu here, she felt no fear, still wrapped in her small blanket.

'It's okay, it's okay...' Jiang Yun Chu didn't know what had happened to the Little Tyrant, but even ordinary children who fear thunderstorms aren't this extreme; something must have occurred to leave him in this state.

The Imperial Noble Consort left without a word, departing cleanly.

No one in the manor gave a heads‑up.

That perpetually mischievous child was now trembling like this; feeling his body, the vibrations grew smaller, and only then did Jiang Yun Chu's tensed body begin to relax.

'It's fine, it's over.' Her voice, unlike her usual coldness, carried gentleness and warmth.

'Don't think that acting like this will earn my forgiveness.' A muffled voice came from under the blanket.

Jiang Yun Chu smiled; the sound was neither her usual cold laugh nor a sneer, and she said, 'It's fine, we'll call a truce today.'

'I'm tired today; let's continue tomorrow.' Seeing the little one's emotions settle, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ning Hanmo remained wrapped in the blanket; though his whole body had stopped shaking, he didn't pull the blanket away.

'Jiang Yun Chu, why did you marry into the manor?' Ning Hanmo's muffled voice came again from under the blanket.

Jiang Yun Chu held Ning Hanmo with one arm and Yue Yue with the other; the little girl's red‑rimmed eyes, seeing Yun chu embrace her, immediately lit up as she snuggled close.

'Probably there's nowhere else to go.' Jiang Yun Chu smiled; thinking about it, the original owner must have had a pretty rough life.

For the first time, Ning Hanmo obediently curled up in her arms, without baring his teeth or spitting harsh words.

When Bai Zhi rushed over, she saw this scene: the Princess Consort, soaked from head to toe by rain, sat on the Young Master's bed, one leg holding a round bundle...

How to describe this picture? It's a bit heart‑aching, yet also warm.

'Your...' Bai Zhi hadn't finished when she saw the Princess Consort's gesture, and she silently swallowed the news about Feng Mama.

Shunzi's side acted quickly; the craftsman had already repaired the door.

The two children in her arms were both asleep; she didn't know whether the Little Tyrant Ning Hanmo was truly tired or just frightened, but he was now asleep leaning on Jiang Yun Chu.

When the children's long breathing sounds came through, Jiang Yun Chu had Bai Zhi hold Yue Yue, and she held Ning Hanmo, then she had Shunzi change all the bedding on the bed to fresh ones.

Just now the situation was urgent, and the rainwater on their bodies had soaked the bedding.

"Princess Consort, the bedding has been changed; let me hold the Young Master." Shunzi said with a chuckle.

In the past, whenever there was thunder, not to mention sleeping, the Young Master wouldn't even let anyone open the door; his whole body would tremble like a sieve, and even the Imperial Consort wasn't allowed to approach—whoever got near him would make him act like a trapped little beast. I never expected that today the Princess Consort could actually get close.

What's more miraculous is that the Young Master actually fell asleep in the Princess Consort's arms—truly a sight to behold!

"I'll hold him." Jiang Yun Chu said lightly, then slowly opened the blanket and saw Ning Hanmo, whose face was flushed from being covered, now sleeping obediently, still wearing a smile.

Let alone, this little guy is extremely good-looking, with a round little face, a pair of big eyes, long eyelashes like little fans; although he's good-looking, he's not effeminate.

Even when he opens his eyes, he's still like a bull; you have to get a red cloth for him to pull the target……

She took off the damp blanket wrapped around Ning Hanmo, then only then let Shunzi hold him and put him into the dry bedding.

She also placed his little hands inside the blanket, then tucked the blanket in properly.

"Shunzi, you just stay in the room and guard him; if there's thunder, quickly pat him gently."

"Dengzi, in a moment go to Rhyme Courtyard, bring the food over to warm it, today I've been hungry half a day, and got a fright, after waking up don't let him go hungry." Jiang Yun Chu looked at the little guy on the bed, instructing the two people beside him.