For a fleeting moment, Di Ronghua wanted to flip the bowl of bird’s nest lotus fragrance soup right over.
What gave that bastard the right to think everything was under his control?
But meeting Ju Ye’s pitiful, pleading gaze, Di Ronghua took a deep breath and reluctantly accepted the bowl.
Yet after just one sip, she nearly spat it out, looking up in disbelief. “What *is* this?”
Ju Ye blinked, confused. “B-bird’s nest… lotus fragrance soup?”
“This?”
Sour and bitter, it tasted like something gone bad—did they think she’d never had bird’s nest before?!
Di Ronghua let out an exasperated laugh, setting the bowl down with a blank expression. “I’m done. You can report back.”
Ju Ye stammered, “B-but the Emperor said I have to watch you finish it before…”
“Not eating.”
Though Di Ronghua found him insufferable, she’d likely have to stay in this palace a while longer. There was no need to pick a fight over a bowl of food—but who in their right mind would eat something like this?
“If he gives you trouble, tell him to taste it himself.”
Seeing her resolve, Ju Ye had no choice but to retreat.
Just then, the little girl on the bed stirred.
Di Ronghua froze mid-motion, instinctively turning to look.
Their eyes met—small lying on the bed, large sitting beside it—each staring motionlessly at the other. The scene felt almost eerie.
“Pretty Mama?”
A soft, sweet childish voice broke the silence.
Di Ronghua’s pupils shrank.
For a long moment, she couldn’t process the title. “Are you… calling me?”
Jiang Jiang blinked her big, round eyes, crawling up from the bed to study her closely. “Aren’t you Pretty Mama?”
Di Ronghua’s eyes suddenly reddened.
Even if it was fake, even if it was a mistake, hearing that call stirred something subtle and profound in her.
“Pretty Mama, why are you crying?” A tiny, boneless hand pressed against her cheek, wiping at the tear tracks. “Don’t cry, did Jiang Jiang say something wrong? Wuwuwu, don’t cry…”
“No crying, no crying.” Seeing Jiang Jiang’s little mouth quiver as if she’d cry too, Di Ronghua hurriedly widened her eyes to hold back tears, saying nervously, “Jiang Jiang, don’t cry either. Tell me why you call me that?”
Even if Jiang Jiang mistook her at first glance upon waking, Di Ronghua didn’t resemble Su Miao. How could a child this old still not recognize people?
The little girl’s grape-like eyes darted around. “Mama showed me a picture. She said the person in the picture is Pretty Mama.”
Di Ronghua nearly broke down again.
A picture…
She’d never imagined Su Miao would tell Jiang Jiang that.
A child just starting to understand might not fully grasp what “Mama” or “Dada” meant. If Su Miao told her from a young age that the figure in the picture was Pretty Mama, she’d naturally accept it without question. Later, when she grew up and understood, it’d be much easier to explain.
Moved and aching, Di Ronghua couldn’t help but pull her into a hug. “Yes, I am. Jiang Jiang, from now on, Mama will take good care of you.”
As her words fell, the door swung open again.
Xiao Hanjin stood at the threshold, watching the mother-daughter embrace. His gaze deepened, pausing before he slowly stepped inside. “Awake?”
Jiang Jiang nodded obediently. “Brother.”
Di Ronghua: “…”
B-brother?!
She stared at Jiang Jiang in shock. “What did you call him?”
