The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 7

07: Don’t Corrupt the Child

The courtyard fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to look at the master and servant duo, but soon the chaos resumed.

Fu Yu’an, feeling ignored and treated as if he were invisible, felt a pang of discomfort. Even Qi Ren seemed indifferent to his presence. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

The First Madam, who had been pushed to the brink of losing her composure, watched as Qi Ren spun a mouse by its tail and flung it toward her feet. The mouse squeaked and scurried around, only to be caught again by Qi Ren, who repeated the act.

“Take this child away! What kind of behavior is this! Do you hear me! Someone! Go fetch the Second Madam!”

“I’m not listening, I’m not listening! Blah blah blah!” Qi Ren stuck out his tongue at her, took the mouse from the yellow-clad child, and flashed a bright, mischievous grin, exuding an air of arrogance and recklessness.

The First Madam was so furious she nearly stomped her feet, but she didn’t dare confront this madman directly. Seeing that Fu Yu’an seemed oblivious to the severity of the situation and was walking straight toward Qi Ren, she decided to wash her hands of the matter. With a flick of her sleeve, she retreated into the main hall and bolted the door behind her.

Let them fight among themselves! I can’t handle this anymore!

Fu Yu’an watched as the First Madam retreated into the house, feeling that something was off.

She didn’t confront Qi Ren. Could she really be that afraid of him?

A mouse was flung to his feet, but Fu Yu’an didn’t even flinch. He bent down, picked it up by the tail, and held it out to Qi Ren. The child, delighted, exclaimed, “Hey, you’re not scared! Give it to me, give it to me!”

Fu Yu’an chuckled softly and handed the mouse to Qi Ren, but his peach-blossom eyes held no trace of amusement. Instead, they were fixed on Qi Ren with a warning glare.

Qi Ren pretended not to notice, tugging at Fu Yu’an’s sleeve and chattering excitedly, “You wanna play too? Come on, An An, I’ll pick a big one for you!”

Xiao Zhu quickly stepped forward to explain, “General, His Highness is here to take you to serve tea to the Second Madam!”

“Huh? Serve tea? My mother doesn’t like tea. Let’s skip it and play with me and Xiao He instead!” Qi Ren tossed the mouse aside and grabbed Fu Yu’an’s sleeve, pleading.

Fu Yu’an remained unmoved, insisting that they had to go.

The boy named Xiao He also tossed his mouse aside and clung to Fu Yu’an’s clothes, calling him “big brother” and begging alongside Qi Ren.

Fu Yu’an, of course, couldn’t indulge their antics. Just as he was about to pull the child away, a man’s voice rang out from outside:

“Xiao He! Come here! Are you causing trouble with your Uncle Qi again?”

The voice was clear and gentle, but Xiao He shuddered at the sound and clung tighter to Fu Yu’an’s leg, trying to bury himself in his arms.

The man who arrived was dressed in a black court robe, slim and handsome, looking to be about the same age as Qi Ren.

Fu Yu’an glanced at Xiao He’s features and, without hesitation, pulled the child out of his arms and handed him over to the man.

The man lifted the boy like a kitten and nodded slightly to Fu Yu’an. “Thank you, Seventh Prince! My son is mischievous and has caused trouble for your household!”

Fu Yu’an nodded in return but didn’t say anything.

He recognizes me. His official robe suggests a high rank, and his tone is polite and respectful. He must be an official from the Ministry of Rites.

“I have matters to attend to at home today, so I’ll take the child back first. I’ll come another day to apologize properly. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

Qi Ren, still holding onto Fu Yu’an’s arm, looked crestfallen as the man prepared to leave. “Uncle Yu, are you leaving? Can’t Xiao He stay and play with me?”

Yu Liao glared at him, clearly displeased with the title “Uncle Yu” but he could only force a smile and say, “No need. If you want to play, come to the Yu residence tomorrow.”

Qi Ren’s face fell, and he was about to say more, but Yu Liao didn’t give him the chance. After a hurried bow, he left without looking back.

Qi Ren tugged at Fu Yu’an’s sleeve, his eyes filled with disappointment, and muttered, “Xiao He’s gone too. No one will play with me…”

Fu Yu’an almost said, I’ll play with you, but then thought better of it, realizing that Qi Ren might be waiting for just that. Instead, he brushed off Qi Ren’s hand and gestured, “It’s good that no one’s playing with you. Come with me to see the Second Madam first.”

At this, Qi Ren’s expression darkened even more. He shouted, “No!” and then bolted, using his lightness skill to leap onto the roof and disappear.

Fu Yu’an: “…”

Xiao Zhu stood behind him, unsure what to do, stammering, “Your Highness… should we… still go to the Second Madam…”

Fu Yu’an sighed, staring at the spot where Qi Ren had vanished, and nodded. He decided to go see the Second Madam alone.

After all, it’s just serving tea. The Second Madam is gentle and timid; she won’t make a big deal out of it.

…

Back at Guhe Garden, there was still no sign of Qi Ren. Fu Yu’an didn’t mind, though. He gathered some new sketches, changed his clothes, and prepared to go out.

The main gate was out of the question, but fortunately, Guhe Garden was located in a secluded part of the estate. Climbing over the wall would take him directly outside the general’s residence.

Fu Yu’an donned a thin veil hat and walked with Xiao Zhu, sharing his thoughts:

“Today, the First Madam didn’t seem like someone with a strong will. When Qi Ren caused trouble, she just hid. She kept trying to use the Second Madam to handle things but didn’t think to call the child’s family… It all feels a bit suspicious.”

Xiao Zhu, resting her chin on her hand, thought for a moment and said, “Yesterday, she was still arrogant and domineering. At first, her words were laced with hidden barbs, but after you countered her a few times, she became flustered and lost her earlier tact, speaking bluntly. It’s almost as if…”

She stopped mid-sentence and glanced at Fu Yu’an.

Fu Yu’an snorted coldly. “You noticed it too?”

Xiao Zhu nodded and followed him as they turned into a small alley, the sunlight suddenly blocked by the narrow walls.

At the end of the alley was a small vermilion door. Fu Yu’an walked up to it and knocked twice.

“I heard that Qi Ren has an older half-brother, born to the First Madam, named Qi Ziqian. He’s disabled but married the daughter of the current Minister of Revenue, that famous talented lady of the capital.” He paused, then added slowly, “This sister-in-law… she’s not simple.”

After some rustling, the door opened from the inside. A servant in coarse clothing saw him and immediately bowed, smiling as he welcomed him in.

“Young Master, you’ve finally arrived! The master has been waiting for you since yesterday! Please have some tea first. I’ll go to the shop and fetch him!”

“Thank you.”

Fu Yu’an followed him into the main hall with ease. A maid brought tea, and he nodded slightly, never removing his hat.

Before long, the master of the house hurried back, beaming with joy. “You’ve finally come! Did you bring…”

Xiao Zhu handed him a sketchbook, and the man’s eyes immediately crinkled into a smile, his plump body shaking with delight.

“Go, fetch last month’s silver for the young master!” He quickly flipped through the book, then put it away and called for the servant to bring the money.

“How did the last book sell?” Fu Yu’an asked.

The shopkeeper replied, “Ha! Your drawings are excellent, and there are so few books like this about male love. Of course, it sold well! This time, the price doubled. As we agreed, you get sixty percent, and I get forty. I’ve also included a set of high-quality stationery for you to use. Consider it a gift from me!”

He lowered his voice and chuckled softly.

The shopkeeper, Mr. Huang, was straightforward and honest. Fu Yu’an had been working with him for four or five years, and they had become friends. Fu Yu’an didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted the offer with a nod. When the servant brought the silver notes, Xiao Zhu counted them and found that they were a hundred taels more than last time.