Chapter 71 - How hadn't he known before that his son talked so much?
Rong Ting looked at Rong Heng, who had walked in together with Song Yuan, his expression bewildered.
He'd known that Emperor Father would be arriving within the next two days, but he hadn't expected it would be today. After a brief moment of surprise, he immediately recalled his plan. His heartbeat quickened. He was tense with nervousness, and he constantly felt that he was doing something wrong, but he was this sort of person. Towards things he felt curiosity or doubt, he must understand them thoroughly. Emperor Father had once praised him for this. If he could not figure out something that he did not understand, he could not eat or sleep well.
After Emperor Father followed Empress Mother into the kitchen, he speedily ran to his bedroom and grabbed the jade pendant that originally belonged to Emperor Father from the bedside table.
If Emperor Father truly did not remember anything, he would not have any feelings upon seeing this jade pendant. But if Emperor Father truly hadn't lost his memories, then he would definitely be puzzled as to why this jade pendant would be here, when it should be in the drawer of his hidden room.
Song Yuan hadn't expected Rong Heng would follow her into the kitchen. She felt somewhat helpless. This was probably the Son of Heaven's first time in the kitchen. "I don't need your help in here."
"Didn't you say you were going to eat hotpot? You can't be busy all by yourself ba." Rong Heng had already taken off his coat coming in, and at this moment he was rolling up his sleeves, as if he wanted to help.
"The hotpot base is premade; I just need to cook it and add a bit of water. As for the vegetables, I've already bought them. They just need to be washed."
Rong Heng was 1.8 meters tall, and the kitchen wasn't very spacious. Standing there, he looked completely cramped.
If it were in the past, Song Yuan definitely would have taken full advantage of him, ordering him to chop and wash the vegetables, wanting to see him make a fool of himself.
But now, when this thought arose in her mind, she couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Although her age on her ID card said she was 23, after having gone through so many things, she was no longer the ignorant and cheerful Song Yuan.
"Let me help you." Rong Heng was bursting with enthusiastic curiosity. The kitchen was unfamiliar to him, whether it be in the ancient times or modern, but at this moment, thinking that he could be alone with her for a while, he was willing to do things he had never done before.
"There's really no need." Song Yuan pointed to the kitchen. "You can see how big this place is. It's crowded with two people. Plus, you haven't done these things before; who knows if you'll be much help. Rong Ting's hungry, so let's get dinner done earlier, okay?"
Rong Heng couldn't bear her "okay?" Seeing her tired expression, and afraid that he really would be more of a hindrance, he could only put on an embarrassed look. "Then, I'll head out first. If you need me to help with anything, just call me."
Song Yuan lowered her head, looking at the vegetables on the kitchen counter, and gave a soft "mn."
He used this tone, used "I" to refer to himself, just like when she had first met him.
It was Rong Heng's first time visiting her home here. It looked warmer and more lived-in than the place in B City. He came out from the kitchen, circled around the dining room, and spotted Rong Heng sitting at the desk, practicing calligraphy.
This atmosphere made him feel indescribably content.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rong Ting glanced at his Emperor Father approaching him step by step. He tightly clenched his brush, his heartbeat quickening. Even the palms of his hands were sweaty.
It was the first time he had tried to pull a trick right under Emperor Father's nose.
He held his breath and secretly drummed up his courage.
Rong Heng approached the desk and glanced over Rong Ting's work. It was barely passable, making it clear that this child was not negligent with his studies during this period of time. There were several scholarly treasures on the desk, as well as a few books. One of them was a picture book of Sun Tzu's Art of War. He picked it up, wanting to flip through it, but he discovered there was something beneath it. He took a closer look and found that it was a Guanyin jade pendant. At that moment, his expression grew startled, his eyes flashing with confusion and incomprehension.
Why was this jade pendant here? Hadn't he placed it in the drawer of his hidden room?
Rong Ting quietly took note of Rong Heng's expression. Seeing him like this, what more could he not understand? His heart was like a stormy sea, but he forced himself to calm down and continue to practice nonchalantly. But he was young, after all, and his acting skills were not up to par. His hand was weak, several of his characters were not well-written, and the strokes were nearly incorrect.
Rong Heng had been in power for many years; if someone else were to look at his expression at this moment, they would not be able to spot anything wrong. The monarch's joy and anger were indiscernible, unable to be seen through by the people. But Rong Ting was his only son, and the two had lived together for many years. Moreover, Rong Ting admired and respected him, wanting to learn all his conduct and style. Naturally, he was the closest to Rong Heng. What other people would not discern from his expression, Rong Ting could do with just a glance.
"This character looks like it was written incorrectly."
Rong Heng reigned in his emotions. Not giving the jade pendant another glance, he placed the book back down, pressing on top of the pendant.
"En." Rong Ting lowered his head, acknowledging his mistake. He set down the brush, both hands hanging down. "I played basketball with the children in the community two days ago and used too much force. When I woke up this morning, my hands felt very weak."
Rong Heng gazed at him thoughtfully, comforting him. "Since you don't have much strength, don't practice calligraphy today. Just read ba."
"En."
Under Rong Heng's scrutinizing gaze, Rong Ting felt that he couldn't hold on much longer. In fact, this was the first time he had lied to Emperor Father, and he had been stunned as soon as the words left his mouth. Why had he lied?
Just now, he had nearly been unable to remain steady. When Emperor Father looked at the jade pendant, he had almost been unable to resist opening his mouth and explaining why the jade pendant was here with him.
Seeing Emperor Father heading towards the sofa, Rong Ting slumped his shoulders, breathing out a sigh of relief. He felt cold sweat along his back.
Eating hotpot at home wasn't complicated, as hotpot bases were ready-made. After half an hour, Song Yuan called for the father and son to wash their hands and get ready for dinner.
Rong Ting went to wash his hands first. Rong Heng was a step behind. He entered the bathroom, closed the door, and took out the small jewelry box in his pocket. He looked around and finally placed it on one of the shelves of the bathroom cupboard. He wanted to give this gift to her face-to-face, but given her temperament, she would definitely refuse. He may as well place it here and wait for her to find it. After doing this, he felt like he was just like a thief giving gifts. How absurd.
The three people happily ate the steaming meal of hotpot. At least, on the surface, they were happy.
Rong Heng recalled the times when he would eat hotpot with her in the winter at the palace, and his expression softened greatly.
And Rong Ting? He was still in great shock over his world views being refreshed and overthrown. But he was still young, and his body was the most honest. He was hungry now and didn't have the mind to think about other things. He began to strive to finish the beef strips piled up high in his little bowl.
As for Song Yuan, her current mentality was particularly zen. She had always been laid-back and passive [2]. Now that she had returned to her own territory, with her parents' backing and her son, having a meal with Rong Heng didn't affect her mood at all.
Originally, Rong Heng wanted to brush up on some favorability, so he took the initiative to offer to wash the dishes. He knew that she particularly disliked washing the dishes. Now that he had said he would wash the dishes, she should be happy ba?
Song Yuan looked at him, silent for a moment, before pulling her lips into a smile. "No need. You must not have been in the kitchen before. Don't you know we have dishwashers here? It's pretty convenient, and it frees up your hands."
Rong Heng was inwardly surprised, but he still said genialy, "Then that's good. It really is convenient here."
"Yes!" Rong Ting ate until his tummy was bulging. His bun face was flushed, and his little mouth chattered without stopping. "We have everything at home. There's a washer. Throw in dirty clothes, and after waiting, the clothes are clean and almost dry. There's also a dishwasher. Put the dishes in it, and it will clean by itself! That's right, Emperor Father, did you see that disk? It's a sweeping robot. Every day it turns and turns and cleans all the dust in the corners until they're clean! Many things we do not have to do ourselves!"
Rong Heng: "..."
How hadn't he known before that his son talked so much?
Song Yuan watched her little cub presenting the home appliances in a showing off manner, her gaze soft and indulging. Her family's Gugu was the cutest cub in the world!
Rong Heng had originally been a bit helpless. When he inadvertently caught a glimpse of her expression, a smile unconsciously surfaced in his own eyes.
Rong Ting liked the globe that Rong Heng had gifted him very much. He sat on the carpet, turning it this way and that with his little paws. From time to time he would exclaim, "This world is so big! Empress Mother, come quickly, I want to see where we are!"
Song Yuan half-squatted next to him, helping him look. Finally, she found their city. She pointed with a fair and slender finger. "We are here."
"Isn't this place big? So why is it so small on this globe!" Rong Ting was shocked. "How big must this world be ah!"
It turned out that what Empress Mother said was true. This world is very big, and the Great Ye dynasty was not the entirety of the world.
Rong Heng wanted to thicken his skin and stay here a while longer, but the hotpot had been eaten, and the gift had been given; it would seem inappropriate for him to stay any longer. And so, he took the initiative to bring up going back.
Song Yuan straightened up and gave him a slight smile. "Alright then, be careful on the road."
Rong Heng picked up the coat hanging on the side with a leisurely posture and an easy smile. "En, you too. Make sure to lock the doors and windows. If there's anything, you can just call me."
After Rong Heng left, Song Yuan prepared to head into the bathroom to change clothes and take a bath. After all, although hotpot was delicious, it was inevitable for the smell to cling to the clothes and hair.
She closed the door behind her and tied up her hair. Just as she was about to brush her teeth, she noticed a small, dark red box in the corner of the cupboard where the facial cleanser was located. She curiously and hesitantly picked it up and opened it. Inside were a pair of shiny diamond-stud earrings.
She didn't even need to think about it to know who had placed the box there.
Song Yuan sighed softly, thinking back on the pink mug he had given back in B City. At the time, she had thought that the mug had been studded with rhinestones. Now, thinking about the diamonds inlaid in the mug, he was also one to do this sort of thing.
Chapter 72 - He was so arrogant and so conceited that he never realized, from beginning to end, he was the one in her grasp.
After Rong Heng returned to the hotel, he recalled today's events, constantly feeling that something was odd.
Thinking about it carefully, the Guanyin jade pendant should have been taken by Rong Ting from his hidden room while he was not paying attention. He confirmed it when he saw that jade pendant today. With Rong Ting's character, he would definitely not say nothing, even if Rong Heng was currently in an "amnesiac" state. That could only mean one thing–the jade pendant had been deliberately placed there by Rong Ting.
He knew that his son was very smart. Whether it be in his learning or vision, both were far above him when he was his age. But he didn't expect that it was not Song Yuan who doubted him, not Song Haiping or Chen Linjing who doubted him, but rather his son who was not yet six years old. Furthermore, he even used such methods to test him.
For a while, Rong Heng didn't know whether he should laugh or not.
He was a bit curious as to what conclusion Rong Ting reached.
Based on his understanding of Rong Ting, he mused, he would probably tell her, or he had already told her. With that assumption, her behavior today seemed to make sense. A mother and son were close by nature. Even if he had spent more time with Rong Ting, in the deepest depths of his heart, Rong Ting would still lean towards her and favor her more.
He had considered every possible situation beforehand. Now that Rong Ting doubted him or concluded that he was pretending to have amnesia, he knew how to respond to it. What made him more nervous was whether or not the diamond-stud earrings had been seen by her.
If she saw, would she like them?
If she didn't see, when would she see them?
Rong Heng picked up the phone and lit up the screen to check the time. It was now half past eight, almost an hour since he'd left. Had she not gone to the bathroom during this period of time?
He waited and waited and waited, waiting until nine. He checked WeChat–she hadn't sent him any messages, and she hadn't given him any calls. At this point, she should already have finished washing up. Could it be that she really hadn't seen it? Could it be that he'd placed it somewhere that wasn't easily seen, and she hadn't spotted it?
He stood up and paced around the suite. When he passed by the floor-to-ceiling mirror and caught a glimpse of his anxious expression, he couldn't help feeling stunned.
How long had it been since he'd worried about personal gains and losses like this?
He suddenly recalled that year. At that time, she had not known his identity, and they had only just made known their mutual affections. Her thoughts were different from those of other people. She had a straightforward temper and spoke what she thought; occasionally, when she was dissatisfied by something he said, she would dispute with him. At that time, he had only treated her as the General estate's adopted daughter. Hearing her express her weariness towards the feudal era and her dissatisfaction with the dynasty's rules, he was shocked. He couldn't help but want to suppress her temper, want her to be cautious with her words and deeds, want her to become steadier. A quarrel was inevitable. Once–he forgot the cause of it–the two had quarreled fiercely, neither submitting to the other. He had never humbled himself before others, and he had left in anger.
As for her, she had deliberately used words to provoke him. "Go, go! Go and don't come back!"
Where had he ever heard such words in his life? Enraged, he returned to the Eastern Palace and smashed a set of teaware. Unable to dispel the fire in his heart, he lay awake that night, tossing and turning. He was the crown prince, the future master of the world. Who would ask him to bow his head?
A few days later, the anger gradually faded, from a great fire, to moderate, to small. Finally, there wasn't even a spark. He missed her in his heart, and he could only dejectedly head to the General's estate to look for her once again. At that time, he thought, if she was also upset, he would forgive her. After all, as a man, what was the point of being angry with his woman?
And the result? He found her playing mahjong with someone, looking quite happy and indulging in leisure. Let alone a lack of furrowed brows, even her face was a healthy red. Where was there any bit of anxiety over not seeing him for several days?
He had gotten angry and turned to leave. He hadn't taken a few steps before he stopped and laughed helplessly.
It was because she had come out of the house at some unknown point in time, leaning against the door frame. She complained to him as though she'd lost her memory, "Ziheng, I lost a lot of money, I have no money."
Thinking back on it now, at that time, he had always thought that everything was in his grasp. He was so confident, so arrogant and so conceited that he never realized, from beginning to end, he was the one in her grasp.
Rong Ting couldn't sleep at night as he tossed around. Perhaps because he had eaten too much at night, he felt quite bloated, so he simply got up, ready to practice calligraphy and read. The electric lights here were very bright, so reading at night would not hurt his eyes. He got up, and as he passed by Song Yuan's room, he discovered light filtering through the crack in the door. He guessed that she was not yet asleep. Recalling what had happened this afternoon, he gritted his teeth, then raised his hand and knocked on the door. "Empress Mother, are you sleeping?"
Song Yuan was still in a daze. Hearing her son's voice through the door, she hurriedly sat up. "I'm not sleeping yet, but I won't stay up late!"
She had none of the dignity of a mother. Usually, she would sneak onto the Internet at night like a thief, fearing that her son would find out and badger her again.
"Empress Mother, I cannot sleep either. May I come in and chat with you?"
Song Yuan was surprised. "Ah, then come in ba!"
Only then did Rong Ting open the door and come in. Song Yuan pulled open the quilt and patted the spot beside her. "Come here, come up ba. Lie down with Mom, don't catch a cold."
Rong Ting still felt somewhat embarrassed. He felt he had grown so big, yet he was still sleeping in the same bed as Empress Mother...
The next second, he decisively kicked off his slippers, climbed onto the bed, and sat honestly next to Empress Mother, his ears still a little red.
"Why can't you sleep ah?" Song Yuan covered him with the quilt and placed a pillow beneath him before asking.
He had been very excited just before, but hearing this question at this moment, he recalled what happened today, and his expression dimmed. He lowered his head, and after a long moment he slowly spoke. "Empress Mother, I have sinned. I committed the crime of deceiving the monarch."
"The crime of deceiving the monarch? So it has something to do with your Emperor Father ah."
"En! I deceived Emperor Father."
"Tell me what's the matter." Song Yuan's tone was relaxed. "If it's not a big deal, then forget about it. How many people haven't lied to their parents?"
Thinking that she could lie in bed and chat with her son like this, she felt happy and content.
Rong Ting shot her a hesitant glance. "But even though I lied to Father Emperor, Father Emperor was also not honest with me. I am guilty of the crime of deceiving the monarch, but he has also violated the saying that the monarch does not go back on his word."
"Just what happened, say it straight ba. It sounds confusing to me."
Rong Ting resolved himself. When he knocked on Empress Mother's door, he had already planned to tell Empress Mother about this matter. Naturally, he would not cower at this critical point.
"I do not think Emperor Father has amnesia. In the beginning, I felt it was a bit strange, but I was not certain until Empress Mother brought back the plum blossoms that day. Empress Mother, Emperor Father has a hidden room. I accidentally discovered it once, and then I would go in to look when Emperor Father was not paying attention. There are many portraits of Empress Mother in Emperor Father's hidden room. In these portraits, there are often plum blossoms. The palace has a garden of plum trees, and the old palace maid once told me that Empress Mother often went for a walk in that garden in the past.
"If Emperor Father does have amnesia, why would he send plum blossoms? Was it a coincidence? I wanted to know if my guess was correct, so I placed the jade pendant I took from Emperor Father's hidden room under my book. Emperor Father was clearly very surprised when he saw the jade pendant! If Emperor Father lost his memories, how could he recognize this Guanyin jade pendant? That is clearly illogical.
"In short, Empress Mother, I suspect that Emperor Father does not have amnesia, or he has already recovered his memories."
Rong Ting was puzzled. "Empress Mother, why would Emperor Father do this? Why would he lie?" He paused, then asked, "Just what kind of person is Emperor Father?"
Song Yuan was lost in thought.
She was thinking about how to answer this question.
From there, she thought of her mother. She had always known that her parents' marriage had ended due to her father's infidelity, but in all these years, her mother had never told her that her father was not good, nor did her mother prevent her father from visiting her. Now that she was a mother, she could somewhat understand her mother's thoughts. Adults' affairs were adults' affairs; they had nothing to do with the children. The most important thing was that one could not easily place blame on the child's parents; it would hurt the child too much.
No matter what, she did not wish for Rong Ting to hate his Emperor Father.
He was not her weapon against Rong Heng.
"I think that lies can be divided into three types: white lies, malicious lies, and unintentional lies. Maybe your Emperor Father has his own difficulties and issues that he needs to consider, and that is why he did this." Song Yuan squeezed his chubby fists, saying quietly, "You should know best what kind of person he is ah. As a father, he loves you. When I was away, you grew up well and became a good and amazing child. Doesn't this prove that he is responsible?"
Rong Heng gave a sullen grunt.
"As a ruler, you should also know. He is a wise ruler, a good emperor. He cares for the common people, and he has proven himself as a ruler of the people, right?"
"En."
Song Yuan laughed. "You see? You know what kind of person he is ah. Not to mention anything else, I think that as a father and as an emperor, he is qualified."
"And as a husband?" Rong Ting asked curiously.
Song Yuan froze for a moment before returning to her senses and softly pinching his face. "That's something between me and him. I think it'll be hard to say for sure for a while. But, I hope that my kid can be more honest."
Rong Ting was still lost in his own world, pondering Empress Mother's words. Of course, his response was to ask curiously, "Empress Mother, why aren't you surprised?"
Emperor Father was very likely to be faking amnesia. He was lying ah! Why didn't Empress Mother seem to find it strange?
Song Yuan tilted her head in thought. She said very calmly, "I think I'm already used to it."
Chapter 73 - Rong Heng's expression froze. "Really?"
Rong Ting didn't understand what Song Yuan meant. He was not aware of the past events between his parents, but for some reason, when he heard his Empress Mother speak in such a light tone, his heart felt uncomfortable. Pursing his lips, he hugged her arm, rubbing his little head lovingly against her shoulder, and whispered, "Empress Mother, Emperor Father may have deceived me and deceived you, but Empress Mother, I will never deceive you, never lie to you. If there is any secret, I will tell you first."
Song Yuan returned to her senses. When she heard these childlike words, she reached out to touch his face, saying softly, "En, it's a promise!"
In fact, when she first found out she was pregnant, she had initially been extremely repulsed. It was because she knew that the situation between her and Rong Heng was not suitable for having children. She had always felt that a child should not become the tie between two people. Rong Heng had been delighted at the time, perhaps because he believed that with this child, the Great Ye dynasty would become more stable, and there would be another layer of insurance in the rocky relationship between him and her.
Repulsion was repulsion, but she would not let him disappear from this world by her own hand. The first time she came into the role of a mother was probably when she felt the fetus move. The ancient times didn't have prenatal checkups. She was very afraid, and from time to time she would let her imagination run wild, especially in the third trimester, when her pubic bone would ache, her leg muscles would cramp, and she would have trouble falling asleep almost all night. On those sleepless nights, it was easy to think about certain things. She wondered, would her child have Down's syndrome? Would there be any problems? The more she thought, the more she grew afraid.
Later, she was so fretful that she had Rong Heng give her his guarantee that he would never give up on the child, whether it was healthy or not.
She had not been a mother before, but following the birth of the child, the memory of her colleague's words that she had thought she'd forgotten resurfaced in her mind–
No salt before one year, no honey before two years.
It's best to incorporate rice cereal after six months...
"Gugu, there's something that I haven't decided whether to tell you or not," Song Yuan paused, "because I know you will have a lot of questions to ask me, and I don't know how to answer them yet. You said you wouldn't deceive Empress Mother, so Empress Mother won't deceive you. Give me some time, okay?"
She hadn't wanted to hide the matter of her recovering her memories from Rong Ting. It was just that she still needed to sort it out, to think about what to say to him regarding the things between her and Rong Heng.
She knew that Rong Ting had always been very interested in this matter. She also knew that she couldn't muddle through it with "this is a matter between adults, it has nothing to do with you, you don't need to know." How could she bear to?
Rong Ting very much wanted to ask what was going on, to immediately know, but seeing the faint apprehensiveness between Empress Mother's brows, he could only swallow those words back and give an obedient and sensible nod. "Okay."
After revealing the biggest secret stewing in his heart, Rong Ting immediately relaxed. Inwardly, he wanted to sleep together with Empress Mother, but as a little man, he had his own considerations. He took the initiative to climb out of bed and put on his slippers, and after bidding Song Yuan good night, he hurriedly scurried out.
Song Yuan, who had been unable to sleep the past few nights, didn't know why she felt so relaxed tonight. After Rong Ting returned to his room, she turned off the lights. She began to feel sleepy not a moment later.
Early the next morning, Song Yuan went to the hospital as usual. She had bought a ticket for after the Lantern Festival. There weren't many days left, and she wanted to spend more time with her grandfather before leaving.
As soon as she pulled into the hospital parking lot, her phone rang. It was a call from Rong Heng.
She pressed the speaker phone button, and a gentle male voice came across the other end. "It's me, will you be home today? I wanted to keep Rong Ting company."
The latter part seemed to be tacked on at the last minute. Song Yuan didn't think too much of it. Whether it was her expression or tone, both were extremely calm. "I'm not at home, but Rong Ting is. You can go over and take him with you."
Rong Heng: "You're not home?"
"En, I have something to do today and probably won't be home until the afternoon. If you want to keep Rong Ting company, you can head over directly. He's at home. If you want to take him out to eat, remember not to eat spicy food. Last time he ate spicy food, he had too much internal heat."
"Okay." Rong Heng very much wanted to ask her where she was, but he remained patient.
Song Yuan picked up her bag, and she spoke into the phone as she got out of the car. "Okay, I have to go. I have some stuff to do."
Rong Heng gave an 'en.'
After hanging up, Song Yuan headed towards the elevators.
Rong Heng still wanted to continue acting in front of Song Yuan, so after arriving at the Song family's home, he took the initiative to mention taking Rong Ting with him to the supermarket to buy groceries. Although his tone was insipid, it was mixed with self-confidence. "Your mom said it's best not to eat spicy food, so I'll cook something for us today."
Rong Ting looked at him dumbfoundedly, thinking that he had a problem with his ears. He stared with large eyes that spun round and round, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Let's go ba." Rong Heng had Sun Qiming find him a recipe, and he'd given it a once-over. It wasn't that difficult. He could master everything he had ever learned since he was young. It was just cooking–it shouldn't be that hard for him.
Rong Ting silently put on his winter boots and hat before going out with his Emperor Father.
The father and son duo didn't have much to talk about. Rong Heng had initially pretended in front of Rong Ting, but now that the child had likely seen through him, he didn't bother to pretend.
All throughout the supermarket, there were many people buying gifts for New Year's visits. It was very lively.
Rong Heng pushed a shopping cart like the others, and he asked Rong Ting with some interest, "Want to sit?"
Rong Ting hurriedly shook his head with a vigilant expression. "No need, I can walk on my own."
Emperor Father said he was going to cook...
Rong Ting subconsciously clutched his stomach. He didn't think there were any instant noodles at home. Should he buy some while Emperor Father wasn't paying attention?
The father and son both had outstanding temperaments, and particularly due to Rong Heng's white hair, the two became the focus of attention within minutes of walking through the crowd.
Fortunately, the two had excellent mental fortitude, and they could maintain easy expressions as they were stared at, intentionally or unintentionally, by others.
"I heard from your mom that you like to eat chicken wings." Rong Heng looked around once and finally headed for the fresh foods section. "Let's go buy some chicken wings."
Rong Ting silently followed behind him to the fresh foods section, watching his Emperor Father look with a serious expression at the chicken wings piled on the ice. After watching Rong Heng look for a long time without any intention of making a decision, Rong Ting couldn't help but 'remind' him, "Empress Mother always takes a fresh produce bag and uses those tongs to pick up the chicken wings and put them in the bag. Then she goes over there to weigh them."
...So it was like that.
Rong Heng didn't want to lose face in front of his son, and he said calmly, "I was just thinking what chicken wings to buy."
Saying this, Rong Heng tore off a fresh produce bag, grabbed the tongs, and began to clumsily pick out chicken wings.
He had never bought groceries or cooked, so how the hell would he know how to choose? As he randomly picked out a few chicken wings, he frowned, finding the smell unpleasant. He hurried over to the weighing station and weighed his haul, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Rong Ting already had zero expectations for today's lunch.
"Your mom likes to eat bok choy. Let's go buy a few."
"Emperor Father..." Seeing Rong Heng enthusiastically making his selection, Rong Ting finally couldn't help but speak up. "Those aren't bok choy, they're scallions."
Could it be that Emperor Father couldn't even recognize scallions?
Rong Heng's expression froze. "Really?"
"Yes."
In fact, Rong Ting couldn't recognize these things at first, either, but he would often come to the supermarket, and Song Yuan liked to impart all kinds of knowledge to him. Therefore, although he was young, he knew many little tidbits about grocery shopping.
The simplest part of grocery shopping was also the most difficult for the father and son.
After buying chicken wings and a bag of bok choy, Rong Heng brought Rong Ting over to the fresh produce section again, this time to buy some fish. Buying fish was easier. Simply tell the master what fish and about how much you wanted, and the master would pick one to weigh. If the price was satisfactory, the master would begin to kill the fish.
"What kind of fish do you usually eat?" Rong Heng looked down and asked his son.
"Most often we eat sea bass, and occasionally we eat Chinese perch."
Rong Heng thought for a moment, then told the fishmonger master, "I'd like a sea bass, enough for a family of three."
The master was extremely enthusiastic. "Okay lei!"
Upon hearing his Emperor Father say 'a family of three,' the little nitpicking expert Rong Ting wanted to correct him, but when the words rose to his lips, he thought that it would seem inappropriate to refute his Emperor Father in public, so he could only endure it silently.
Taking advantage of the time the faster was killing the fish, Rong Ting secretly slipped away to the snack aisle. He found the instant noodle shelf and picked up a pack of instant noodles.
There were many people in the supermarket. Rong Heng pushed the shopping cart and brought Rong Ting over to the tail end of a long line.
Rong Ting had initially thought that going to the supermarket with Emperor Father would be a novel experience. But at this moment, he thought, he would have been happier to go to the supermarket with Empress Mother or Grandfather. Emperor Father had not said he would take him to buy some snacks or Yakult, but even Empress Mother, who strictly regulated his snacks, would buy him fruit!
It was the first time Rong Ting felt that going to the supermarket could be boring.
But even if he was dissatisfied, Rong Ting didn't let it show. He glanced at the people in line, then at the self-checkout area. Thinking that Emperor Father had 'forgotten,' he reached up and tugged on Rong Heng's clothes.
Rong Heng looked down towards his son, wondering what was the matter with him.
Rong Ting said quietly, "Emperor Father, the self-checkout area is over there. Empress Mother would always pay there. It is extremely convenient and quick, with no need to line up."
"..." Rong Heng rarely went to the supermarket at all, and he didn't know much about modern things. For example, this self-checkout his son mentioned–he didn't know what it was, and he didn't know how to do it. Just as Rong Ting had the burden of a crown prince, so too did Rong Heng have the burden of an emperor, and naturally he refused to lose face in front of strangers.
The father and son stared at each other.
Finally, with no other choice, Rong Heng said in a serious manner, "How many characters did you practice today? How long did you practice?"
Chapter 74 - Rong Ting, it is not that I did not want to be honest, but that I had no choice.
After waiting in line for more than ten minutes, it was finally their turn.
It was the first time Rong Ting had been in the cashier lane, and the small shelves by the cash register were full of goodies. He was bored and wanted to take a look at these things.
Chewing gum. Yi, he'd tried it before. The taste wasn't bad, and it was fun to blow bubbles with it.
He courageously grabbed a pack of fruit-flavored chewing gum and placed it on the conveyor belt.
Seeing that Emperor Father didn't react, he lowered his head again to see what else he could buy. After a while, he took a pack of Skittles and a silver case. The label didn't say it was candy, but it should be something to eat ba?
Rong Heng was aware that Rong Ting was grabbing stuff. He gave them a quick glance. They were all brightly colored, so he didn't pay them any mind.
It was better to line up and check out with a cashier. The cashier would report the total, and he would take out the money from his wallet. Although lining up was slower, it was clearly more convenient.
"Please take your receipt."
Rong Heng accepted the receipt and placed it in his coat pocket before picking up the shopping bags and walking out of the supermarket with Rong Ting.
Although the supermarket was well-heated, there were too many people, and the air didn't circulate well, making people feel suffocated while inside and feel better when they left.
The father and son duo didn't bother to visit other shopping malls and headed straight home.
When they arrived home, Rong Ting took out the pack of instant noodles he had bought and hid it. Then he ran into the kitchen and asked, "Emperor Father, do you need my help?"
He felt like Emperor Father was less capable than him in this matter.
Rong Heng shook his head as he rolled up his sleeves. "No need."
Although he said there was no need, Rong Ting was still worried. He brought over a small stool and sat down in the kitchen to watch. Seeing that Emperor Father wasn't preparing to wash the rice before cooking, he hurriedly reminded him, "Emperor Father, you must wash the rice. I always see Empress Mother wash the rice two or three times before cooking."
"... Oh."
Following that, Rong Ting used the opportunity to carefully instruct Rong Heng on how to turn on the gas stove and range hood. This made Rong Ting feel utmost despair. Although he didn't enjoy going out to eat, in the face of this trial, he very much wanted to say, Emperor Father, why don't we go out to eat ba.
But he didn't dare to say it, because Emperor Father seemed to be extremely persistent and serious about this. For now, he could only rejoice that all the kitchen condiments were labeled. Emperor Father should not mistake the sugar as salt or the vinegar as soy sauce.
Rong Heng had no experience in cooking, but he was, after all, a clever person, and the recipe that Sun Qiming had sent him had detailed steps. He went over it several times in his head and got ready to start.
Rong Ting originally didn't have much hope or expectation for this meal, but after watching, he found that... perhaps he could look forward to it, just a bit.
The person Rong Ting admired most was his Emperor Father. Although he had developed doubts and suspicions about what kind of person his Emperor Father was after arriving to this era, it did not affect his respect.
After speaking out all the doubts and secrets in his heart yesterday, Rong Ting had felt much lighter, but now, after watching his Emperor Father's earnestly cooking appearance, he couldn't help but think. The response he had heard from Empress Mother was nothing more than Empress Mother's guess. Wouldn't it be better to ask Emperor Father himself? He wanted to ask Emperor Father why he pretended to have amnesia, why he deceived them...
He didn't know if he should ask or not. He simply walked out of the kitchen and went straight to his room. Closing the door behind him, he quietly dialed Empress Mother's phone number.
Empress Mother had said that he could ask her about anything he couldn't make a decision on.
In the hospital, Grandpa Song was clamoring for something sweet. Song Yuan, after asking for the doctor's advice, headed to the vending machine in the first-floor lobby of the inpatient unit. Before she could put in money, her phone rang. She took out the phone and saw that the caller ID was 'Little Cutie Gugu.' She subconsciously smiled and accepted the call, her voice growing much softer without her realizing. "Gugu, what's the matter?"
"Empress Mother..." Rong Ting held the phone and lowered his voice. "I want to ask Emperor Father why he pretended to have amnesia and why he lied. Empress Mother, may I?"
Song Yuan knew that her son was an earnest person who must find the answer to things he doubted.
Although she didn't wish for her relationship with Rong Heng to affect him, and in the depths of her heart she also hoped that he wouldn't find out about these things, she wouldn't stop him if he really wanted to find an answer. After a moment of silence, she said quietly, "If you really want to ask, then ask ba. He's your father; you should have a very close father-son relationship."
"Will Emperor Father blame me? Will he scold me?" Rong Ting asked with uncertainty.
"Has he ever scolded you?" Song Yuan asked in response.
Rong Ting nodded. Then, realizing he was on the phone, he hurriedly replied, "No, Emperor Father has only been strict with me. He has never scolded me."
"If you want to ask then ask ba. If he scolds you or blames you, you can tell me."
Rong Ting was no longer afraid when he heard those words!
That's right ah, it was different from before! Back in the palace, Empress Mother was not there. Now, Empress Mother was by his side. He had a mother.
"Okay! I will ask Emperor Father later!"
"En."
Rong Ting's 'later' was dragged out. By the time the dishes were cooked and placed on the table, it was past one. His stomach was already rumbling with hunger, and he decided to wait until they finished eating before speaking.
In fact, it was also a kind of skill to be able to strictly follow the steps of the recipe to cook.
It was impossible for a perfectionist like Rong Heng to make dark cuisine. He followed the recipe every step of the way, so the braised chicken wings tasted alright. The steamed sea bass demanded even less skill. The pack of instant noodles bought from the supermarket lay forgotten in the corner. When he finished eating, Rong Ting wiped his mouth with a tissue, a satisfied look on his face. It was not that Emperor Father's culinary skills were excellent–they were still far from Empress Mother's level–but it was just that he felt... his life felt a bit more fulfilled. He had eaten Empress Mother's cooking, and now he had also eaten Emperor Father's cooking. It was indeed something joyous.
Rong Heng looked at his son as he cleared the dishes, feeling somewhat regretful in his heart. If he'd been at least ten years old this year, this sort of task could have been given to him.
Although there was a dishwasher, Rong Heng didn't know how to operate it. He could only roll up his sleeves once again and wash the dishes himself.
It was the first time in his life he'd done things like cooking and washing the dishes.
Rong Heng gave another helpless, self-deprecating smile. He had pride down to his bones, but in the years after losing her, all those things he thought he'd never do even if he died became things that he desperately wanted to do. For example, taking care of her like an ordinary man, or taking the initiative to give way to her.
Rong Ting had the habit of taking a nap, but today it was just him with Emperor Father, so he didn't dare to take a nap. He sat on the sofa flipping through a copy of The History of the Fall of the Ming Dynasty, his eyelids fighting to stay open.
"These books are good for reading. There are lessons to be gained from them." Rong Heng sat down beside him and spoke in a deep voice. "A dynasty has its rise and fall, and many things do not need to be forced. For example, in the Great Ye dynasty, there may be a fatuous ruler decades later, and when the people have no way to live, there will be someone to overthrow him."
"Emperor Father!" Rong Ting didn't think that Rong Heng would say such a thing.
"Do not be surprised. As the crown prince, you need only guarantee two things. First, be a good emperor after you have succeeded the throne. Second, select a suitable successor. For many people it is already good to be able to do one, but I hope that you will be able to achieve both."
Rong Ting clutched the book in his hands. For a moment, he didn't understand what Emperor Father meant.
He fell silent for a moment before mustering up his courage to turn his head and ask Rong Heng, "Emperor Father, there is something I cannot figure out. Could you answer it?"
"What is it?" Rong Heng was flipping through a newspaper.
"Emperor Father, do you truly not remember anything?"
Rong Heng was not surprised by this question, knowing his son as well as he did. He said quietly, "Why do you ask?"
"I do not think you have amnesia." Rong Ting stared at him. "I had always felt that something was wrong until you sent Empress Mother those plum blossoms. I do not think it was a coincidence. Emperor Father, yesterday I tested you without your permission. Your expression when you saw the Guanyin jade pendant proves that you have not lost your memories. I just cannot understand why you would do this. Why would you lie?"
Rong Heng went silent, then said, "You told her."
"En, I told Empress Mother yesterday. Empress Mother told me that there are several types of lies. I do not know which one yours is, and I have not yet figured out your intentions."
Rong Heng's expression shifted minutely. "What else did she say?"
Rong Ting thought for a moment. He tilted his head and replied, "Empress Mother said that you are fulfilling your duties as a father and as a monarch, and that perhaps you have your own considerations. Empress Mother did not seem surprised. I asked her, and she said..."
"What did she say." Rong Heng's calm had been swept away. He was even a bit tense.
"Empress Mother said that she was already used to it." Rong Ting didn't understand, and he mumbled to himself, "Could it be that Grandfather often deceived Empress Mother?"
Endless shock reverberated in Rong Heng's heart.
Yes, he had thought that her strangeness had been due to Rong Ting, that it was Rong Ting who had said something to her. Thinking about it now, he truly had made a huge mistake. Due to his arrogance, he had even lost the most opportune moment to explain.
Even though he was extremely shocked, and he was inwardly panicked, he still managed to calm himself down.
His son was still waiting for him to answer the question.
Rong Heng's gaze settled on his hands. Would these hands be able to keep their hold on someone he wanted to grab on to with all his strength?
"Emperor Father..." Rong Ting, upon seeing that he wasn't speaking, softly called him.
Rong Heng came to his senses and returned to his previously unruffled look. There was even a helpless smile on his face as he said solemnly, "For as long as you live, you will always encounter events that are out of your control. Lying to you and lying to your Empress Mother was indeed something I did only after careful consideration. Perhaps it won't be long before you come to understand, but I hope that you will never experience it yourself.
"The person who exhausts all their efforts to tell lies is actually fearful in their heart, afraid that each and every step is wrong.
"Rong Ting, it is not that I did not want to be honest, but that I had no choice."
Rong Ting's expression was blank. With his current life experience, he could not understand these words, just as he could not understand Empress Mother's words.
Rong Heng stretched out a hand, hesitating for a moment, but he still gave a pat on Rong Ting's shoulder. He said with a smile, "Emperor Father hopes that you can be a strong and fearless ruler, and not become like me."
Chapter 75 - She had a hint of a smile on her face, as though taking enjoyment in his stiff expression.
Rong Heng was dissatisfied with himself.
A perfect sovereign should be fearless and just, with no weakness whatsoever.
Of everyone in this world, he was the one who most desired to let go of Song Yuan. In the past, he had once read a record of the preceding dynasty. The preceding dynasty's founding emperor had formed a deep bond with the empress. That year, with the empress's dowry and the backing of her maternal family, he walked on the road to proclaim himself king. Upon ascending the throne, the winds were fair and the rains favorable, and he was extremely diligent with political affairs. However, once the empress gave birth to a legitimate son, the empress's maternal family began to stir. A memorial requested that the prince, who was merely one or two years old, be established as crown prince. In order to clear all obstacles for her son, the empress actually framed a pregnant imperial concubine and condemned her to death. The founding emperor was unwilling to see the harem grow unstable, and even more unwilling to see the empress grow too powerful, and several years later, the empress died of disease.
For the sake of the country, he could sacrifice even his wife who had been by his side for both his sorrows and his fortunes.
This was so as a man, and it was so as an emperor.
He had read this confidential story while young and secretly thought that he would also become an emperor with no weakness.
The year she vanished, he thought more than once that he should let go of her, forget her. It was useless for him to remain fixated on a woman who abandoned him. He struggled and endeavored, and he finally came to the conclusion that he could not do it.
Rong Heng stayed until five or six in the afternoon before getting up and telling Rong Ting, "I'm going to go pick up your Empress Mother."
He had learned from Rong Ting that she had gone to the hospital to keep her grandfather company.
He needed to have a proper talk with her about certain matters.
"Okay." Rong Ting was moved by his Emperor Father's words today. Of course, he also gleaned some information from Emperor Father's words, and that was that Emperor Father truly felt remorse towards Empress Mother. Otherwise, why would he deceive her? Why would he say something like that again?
Before Rong Heng left, Rong Ting reminded him, "Emperor Father, the food you made today is not enough for three people, and there is no more food left in the refrigerator. Please remember to speak with Empress Mother later."
"En, alright."
Rong Heng's driver was still downstairs. Sun Qiming saw her coming down and hurriedly opened the car door.
"Head to the People's Hospital," Rong Heng commanded.
Many office workers had not left yet. Even if it was a working day, the road conditions weren't smooth, and traffic was extremely congested. Normally something that would take only twenty minutes, the trip to the People's Hospital took more than half an hour.
Whether it was morning or evening, the road to the hospital parking lot was packed.
Sun Qiming took a look at the road before turning his head and reporting, "Boss, it looks like we won't be able to enter within the next half-hour."
It was already getting dark now. Rong Heng glanced down at his watch and said, "Then I'll get off here."
"En, please take care."
As he walked, Rong Heng grew nervous. He didn't know how he should explain to her, or what he should say. He hadn't spoken to her in much, much too long, and he was no longer sure how to face her.
He knew that he had talked with her on the phone, and that he had just had a meal with her yesterday. But he knew that they had not been truly having a conversation; he hadn't been talking to "her."
In fact, he had also thought of this possibility. He had taken a damning step; once she regained her memories, she would immediately know that he was lying and pretending.
It was only that if he did not do it, he would have been even more unable to get closer to her. Those countermeasures he had thought of in the beginning, could they still be used now?
Song Yuan watched her grandfather finish his meal before getting ready to leave.
Leaving a child alone at home didn't leave her at ease, after all. Her grandfather beamingly teased, "You've been secretly taking calls outside like you're at work. Are you dating someone?"
Song Yuan laughed. "Grandpa, there's nothing going on."
She wasn't sure how to tell her grandfather. Thinking about it some more, she should wait until Grandpa's blood pressure stabilized and he was discharged from the hospital before bringing Rong Ting to see him ba.
"If you do then you do, if you don't then you don't. You should be dating at this age." Grandpa Song lowered his voice again. "But you really won't consider Doctor Meng? I think he's pretty good."
"...Grandpa, I'm suddenly not worried about you. Seeing your energy, you'll definitely live a long life."
Grandpa Song gave her a glare. "You rest assured, Grandpa will live until you get married."
Song Yuan left, still smiling. Just as she got out of the elevator, she ran into Dr. Meng, who was coming back from the cafeteria.
Meng Jingyan, dressed in a white coat, gave her a smile. "Do you have time? I wanted to talk to you about your grandfather's illness."
"En."
The two of them walked outside. Song Yuan was thinking of buying sweet potatoes from in front of the hospital. Although it wasn't yet seven, the sky was already growing dark. She turned her head to look at Meng Jingyan. In the dim light, he looked exactly like her elder brother.
Thinking of her elder brother, her nose stung, and she subconsciously clenched her fists, barely suppressing the sourness in her heart.
Meng Jingyan talked to Song Yuan about Grandpa Song's illness. This was something that Song Yuan already knew, and she vaguely guessed the doctor's intentions. She listened to him with her ears, but in her heart she was thinking, if dage was here, he must be married with children ba?
"Miss Song." Meng Jingyan stopped at the entrance of the inpatient department and looked at her nervously. He seemed to want to relax, but his tone of voice was still tense. "The hospital gave out movie tickets for a comedy movie that came out recently. I saw that the online reviews were pretty good. Do you have time tomorrow?"
Meng Jingyan did indeed have a favorable opinion of Song Yuan. On the one hand, it was because of who she was as a person. Not only was she beautiful, she was also soft-spoken. On the other hand, it was also due to the nurses and doctors' heckling.
One senior told him, you won't find this shop past this village.
Stirred up by what his colleagues told him, he thought of the movie tickets in his pocket and mustered up the courage to find an excuse to chat with her.
Song Yuan was somewhat bewildered. In the dimness of the night, she had thought it was her elder brother standing before her.
This wasn't her elder brother; he and her brother were two completely different people. Even if there was such a thing as a past life, even if reincarnation exists, this person was not her elder brother.
Just as she was about to refuse, she spotted a person coming over from just off to the side. It was clear after a closer look that the person approaching was Rong Heng.
She expected that, given his intelligence, he already guessed she had recovered her memory, but she didn't expect that he would come so soon.
Meng Jingyan had his back to Rong Heng, waiting for Song Yuan's response. Seeing that she was looking at something behind him, he subconsciously turned around and just happened to see a tall man in a coat walking towards them.
Rong Heng was only a few meters away from them. Spotting the man in the white coat turning his head, he just cast an inadvertent glance, but when he clearly saw the person's face, he paused in an instant. His pupils dilated, and his face was frozen in an expression of disbelief. He froze in place, his mind growing blank for a moment.
Song Yuan was unsurprised that Rong Heng would show such an expression. She looked at the visibly puzzled Meng Jingyan and said softly, "Doctor Meng, my friend is here to see me. Sorry, I'll be very busy during this time and probably won't have time to see the movies."
Meng Jingyan's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he quickly recovered his calm and responded warmly and generously, "En, it's okay. Since your friend is here for you, I won't keep you. And it's about time to make my rounds."
"Alright, Doctor Meng, goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Meng Jingyan turned and headed into the inpatient unit, passing by Rong Heng. He surmised that the handsome man with white hair must be Song Yuan's boyfriend.
He had mentally prepared himself and grappled with himself for so long, never even expecting that Miss Song already had a partner. And he had actually asked her to the movies right in front of her boyfriend. It was not appropriate.
Meng Jingyan offered Rong Heng a particularly apologetic smile, which could be seen as an apology or as a greeting.
After Meng Jingyan entered the inpatient department, Song Yuan slowly walked over to Rong Heng, stopping when she was about one meter away. She had a hint of a smile on her face, as though taking enjoyment in his stiff expression.
"Don't be scared," she said quietly. "That's not my brother, or your close friend."
Seeing that Rong Heng still seemed astonished, she gave a soft laugh. "No need to be surprised. You and Xie Heng look so alike, so it's not surprising that there are people in this world who look similar to my brother, isn't that right?"