One Lifetime Is Never Enough

1.92 Let Me Whisper

SunChen initially tried to sing to him. After all, he was very confident in his voice - the heavenly voice that had pulled the heart-strings of many maidens in the capital city. 

The baby only blinked his big watery eyes at him a few times, before crying loudly.

It offended SunChen a great deal. Granted, he was alright when YuLan sang to the baby, and JingXiang was then pacified in an instant. She had a beautiful voice, after all.

He could also accept it when Xiao Hui sang to JingXiang, and the baby calmed down. Xiao Hui was the mother, so that was to be expected.

JingMo, however, was in the same predicament as SunChen was. The baby seemed to hate his own father's voice the most. Perhaps it had something to do with Xiao Hui cursing her husband when JingXiang was still in her stomach, when she was in labor.

No one would ever know.

Despite all that, SunChen decided that he really disliked this little man.

Because of all males he could just choose to favor, JingXiang heartily grew very attached to HeShan.

Everytime HeShan played his guqin - a new guqin that SongLi had given to him on his last visit, with his own old set of strings - JingXiang would cease whatever he was doing, to listen to him attentively.

When HeShan played his dizi, the baby let out a gurgling pitchy noise, seemingly wanting to mimic the whistling sound.

When HeShan held JingXiang, the baby did not struggle and cry like he did with SunChen, JingMo, or any other Yong house' male customers. 

Initially SunChen thought that JingXiang did not like being held by males due to the hard flat chests they have. But with HeShan, if anything, he snuggled closer to the man's chest, his chubby little fingers grabbing onto his robe.

And JingXiang always happily fell asleep in his embrace, as HeShan sang him a lullaby.

SunChen truly did not like the baby. Especially when before JingXiang grew drowsy, ready to make himself ultra comfortable in HeShan embrace, he seemed to give just a subtle glance towards SunChen.

SunChen might be imagining things too much, but the baby let out a snort while blinking his big eyes at him, as he then snuggled closer into HeShan's embrace.

To SunChen, it was a challenging kind of snort.

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One summer day - briefly a few weeks away from autumn - YuLan had just returned from her early excursion at Hun'ang, as usual whenever she needed to stock the ingredients for the tea-house. She had grown accustomed to riding by herself, and quite like the feeling. Riding a horse was certainly an experience she had not had the fortune to try in her past life, not counting a little pony she had ridden when Mia Simmons was just a little girl.

As soon as she arrived at Yong house, the Ji guards that were on duty as usual - who were standing in front of the house - smiled widely at her as they offered their salutations.

She lightly frowned her brows, as these men were usually ever so expressionless.

Then as she entered past the front door, JingMo and Xiao Hui were already in their tidy outdoor attires.

"We will visit mother and father, up the hill," Xiao Hui smiled at YuLan as she gave them questioning look, 

"It has been a while since we pay our respects. I'm sure they want to see JingXiang again."

JingMo was already packing some incense and a small jar of wine into a small carry bag, intended for his parents' offering.

HeShan and SunChen were also preparing to leave, it seemed, judging at the guqin and a carry bag SunChen were holding.