Chapter 336: Won't Give You Any

Qin He examined the little milk bun again. How could he resemble Rong He Shizi? Rong He Shizi was a figure of splendor, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, radiant and clear as the moon after rain. Qin Bi was merely a concubine-born daughter of the Hou Fu, and the Fourth Branch held no real say in the Marquis Manor.

"He doesn't resemble him, then?" Qin He didn't want to phrase things in a way that made everyone notice something was amiss.

Several young masters sat in the main seats. Qin He sat beside Xue He Shizi. With a man doting on her, she was conspicuous. Dressed in the attire of a young master's wife, she was both charming and beautiful, and the young ladies from various manors looked at her with envy.

Rong He Shizi lifted his eyelids. "What do you mean by that?"

Rong Juan showed no anger; his handsome face remained calm and undisturbed. Qin He felt a chill of fear and immediately put on a smiling face. "How could I mean anything? I just think the little young master looks a bit more like my cousin."

Qin He added a sentence afterwards: "The little young master is so cute."

Rong Juan turned his gaze back to the little milk bun. In front of Rong Juan, Qin He could only speak well. Qin He let out a small sigh of relief, then secretly scolded herself for being so weak. What was there to fear? She was still the wife of Xue He Shizi.

Qin Yan glanced at Qin He, sensing a hint of insincerity in her words.

He Yan's expression was faint as he conversed with Qin Yan. After Su He Shizi arrived, he also came over and took his seat in the main position. The children ran around playing. Xue He Shizi's legitimate son looked to be two or three years old, even if he wasn't actually that age.

However, Qin He did not like children who were too young. She had used heavenly treasures and earthly gems to raise her legitimate son to look two or three years old.

Actually, Qin He would have preferred her child to be five or six years old, but times had changed. Qin He and Xue He Shizi could not produce so many good things to raise a legitimate son. A child of two or three years old was not very troublesome anyway.

At this moment, Fu Bao was playing with the other children. Xue He Shizi held his child and tried to hand him to Qin He several times, but Qin He maintained the airs of a young master's wife. The child, Xue Rui, stared intently at Rong Chi in Rong Juan's arms.

Rong Chi ate melon seeds, his tiny hands flapping and his little feet kicking.

Rong Juan's eyes held only Rong Chi; he did not see Xue Rui, Qin He's child, staring greedily at Rong Chi with drool running from his mouth. However, the child did not open his mouth to ask for melon seeds.

Rong Yang ran over and leaned against Rong Juan's leg. Rong Juan fed him the peeled melon seeds.

After eating the melon seeds, Rong Yang asked Rong Juan for some more and ran off to play. Before long, the children began to quarrel. Rong Juan guarded his children closely, lifted his eyes, and looked over to find Rong Yang.

Fu Bao burst into tears: "I want to eat boiled melon seeds!"

The children all stopped their roughhousing. Rong Yang was among them, and Fu Bao began to shout loudly at Rong Yang.

This scene felt very familiar. Qin He hurriedly stood up and rushed over to grab Fu Bao. "Fu Bao, what's wrong? Why are you crying when you were playing so well? Did someone bully you?"

The children looked at each other. One child said, "No one bullied her."

"I want to eat boiled melon seeds!" Fu Bao complained, pointing at the tiny Rong Yang. "Mother, Rong Yang won't give me boiled melon seeds. He shared them with others but didn't give any to me."

Rong Yang said, "I won't give you any."

Qin He looked at Rong Yang, deeply disliking this child who ruined her feelings for He Yan. She had always believed He Yan was different, that he could remain pure for her, but Rong Yang's existence had slapped her face hard.

It was all Qin Bi's fault for seducing He He Shizi.

"Rong Yang, how can you share with other children and not give boiled melon seeds to Fu Bao, your older sister?" Qin He faced Rong Yang, her face devoid of a gentle smile. She could not bring herself to like the child born to Qin Bi. "At such a young age, how can you show such favoritism?"

Rong Yang ignored her and looked toward the main seat. "Father."

Rong Juan glanced over, handed his younger son to Qin Yan beside him, strode over to Rong Yang, bent down, and picked up the little bun. The child was still leisurely eating boiled melon seeds.

Rong Juan turned his head and sneered. "Qin He, how did you let your child get so hungry?"

Qin He's face flushed red. Rong He Shizi was mocking her. Only a family with no food would ask for others' things. Yet Fu Bao was not born into a poor family; she was born in the Xue Wang Fu and was a first-rank young princess.

Qin He wanted to refute, but a belly full of words stuck in her throat.

Rong Juan held Rong Yang and returned to sit in the main seat. The child still leaned over to speak to the little milk bun in Qin Yan's arms. Fu Bao was not having it and burst into loud weeping. Even though her mother had come, she still hadn't gotten to eat boiled melon seeds.

Fu Bao ran to find He Yan, who could support her. "Uncle, I want to eat boiled melon seeds."

Qin He glanced at Rong Yang and sighed helplessly. "He He Shizi, look. Fu Bao is still young. Rong Yang shared his boiled melon seeds with others but didn't give Fu Bao any to taste."

Rong Yang stopped talking to his younger brother and looked up. He Yan said, "Rong Yang, let Fu Bao taste your melon seeds. Later, Father will find spiritual energy melon seeds for you, and we can make more boiled melon seeds."

Rong Juan was stunned. Rong Yang said, "Rong Yang da."

Fu Bao shouted, "What 'yours'? You just like to snatch my things."

"I didn't snatch them," Rong Yang refuted.

"You did snatch them!" Fu Bao shouted even louder. "The boiled melon seeds weren't yours either; Uncle He Yan gave them to you."

Rong Juan laughed. To be honest, they really were spiritual energy melon seeds sent by He Yan to the Rong Wang Fu. Rong Juan didn't stand on ceremony; he tossed them to a guard, and the Wang Fu's cook had made boiled melon seeds for the little young master.

But so what? Rong Juan said to Xue He Shizi, "Is this the way your Wang Fu raises its children?"

"We are all family," Xue He Shizi said. "Fu Bao is the older sister."

"It's just a handful of melon seeds," Qin He also said. "Rong Yang is too stingy."

Qin Yan had to speak up. "I will instruct the kitchen to boil some melon seeds for the children. Everyone stop making a fuss."

After Qin Yan said this, Fu Bao finally stopped making a scene. Qin He felt unhappy. Qin Bi and the child she bore fought over everything. Qin Yan felt the weight in his arms shift and looked down.

The little milk bun tugged on He Yan. "Melon seeds."

He Yan couldn't tell if Rong Yang in Rong Juan's arms was happy or not. He glanced at the little milk bun. The older children were noisy and chaotic, none noticing this small one, who was looking up at him with his little head tilted back.

"Father," the voice was milk-sweet.

Qin Yan thought he had misheard. He blinked. He Yan's eyelid twitched. He said, "Rong Juan, your younger son wants melon seeds."

Rong Juan was puzzled. Rong Yang fed the melon seeds his father had peeled for him to his younger brother. The little milk bun opened his mouth and ate them. Immediately, he turned his head back and ate melon seeds facing Xue Rui in Xue He Shizi's arms.

Xue Rui was only about one year old and was drooling with desire.

"I won't give you any," the little milk bun said in a milk-sweet voice.

Xue He Shizi: "..."

Xue Rui looked like he was about to cry, and Qin He immediately felt heartache.

Rong Juan paused only for a moment, then laughed in anger. He took the child over, holding both children in his arms. The little milk bun, for some reason, stretched out his tiny hands and climbed toward He Yan's arms, determined to find He Yan.

Seeing the child's eyes filled with tears, Rong Juan angrily handed his younger son to He Yan. "Rong Yang is one I raised from a small child. You didn't put in any effort to get a child for free; take care of him for me."

The little milk bun was milk-soft and tender. He Yan froze, holding the small creature.

Rong Chi laughed gaily. He thought He Yan's jade pendant looked quite good and held it tightly, refusing to let go.