Chapter 219: What He Aims For

Inside the cabin bathed in the crimson hues of the setting sun, Li Yu shook a clay rattle in his hand, swaying it back and forth. Accompanied by the rustling sound, the baby’s gaze in the cradle followed him.

“Look, she likes it very much,” Li Yu turned to Bai Li and said happily.

Bai Li held a small wooden monkey that could jump when pulled by a string, tugging at it while laughing, “This one is fun too.”

Li Yu’s smile deepened. The toy seller had said it was for older children, but he still bought it.

Actually, Bai Li was also a child, and she had no mother since birth. She probably rarely had toys when she was little.

He would buy more, so both older and younger children could play.

“And this,” Li Yu said, taking out a cloth tiger from the small bundle.

Bai Li put down the little monkey, took the cloth tiger, and made exaggerated tiger roaring sounds towards the cradle: “Big tiger, big tiger….”

The cloth tiger was made of colorful cloth, its eyebrows, eyes, and whiskers were sewn with rainbow threads, gaudy and eye-catching. The baby’s gaze followed it closely…

“She didn’t cry this time,” Bai Li said with a smile, “Before, when I pretended to be a tiger, she would cry.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the baby in the cradle twisted and started crying.

“Does she need a diaper change? Or is she hungry?” Li Yu immediately said, reaching out to hold the baby.

Madam Zhuang walked in from the outer room with the wet nurse. Looking at the toys scattered all over the floor, she said with a smile, “We’ll take care of her. It’s time for her to sleep. You two go out and play.”

What did she mean by “go out and play”? They weren’t playing, they were taking care of the baby! Bai Li pouted and said to Li Yu, holding the cloth tiger, “Let’s talk outside.”

Li Yu greeted Madam Zhuang with a smile. When Bai Li told him about bringing the baby back to the pleasure boat, she also introduced Madam Zhuang.

“She’s the one I asked you to have someone keep an eye on before,” she whispered to him, “I’m watching her now to prevent her from harming me with others.”

Although Bai Li sounded wary, since she brought Madam Zhuang with her and let her take care of the baby, it meant she could be trusted.

He didn’t ask any questions, just said, “You arrange it.”

Sitting in the outer room, Bai Li poured tea and asked, “How’s your Prince’s Residence?”

Li Yu smiled and said, “Like all residences, it’s just a place to stay.”

Since he lost his parents, it didn’t matter to him where he lived. However, this time it felt a little different, or rather, there was anticipation.

“After I clean it up a bit more and get rid of some of Princess Jinyu’s people, you can come over,” he said, his eyebrows raised, “Bring the little princess with you.”

After all, on this pleasure boat, people came and went, it was a mixed bag. The baby couldn’t stay here forever.

Bai Li smiled and nodded, “Okay, okay.” Then she said, “The little princess is fine here, you can look back.”

Li Yu looked back and saw the inner room they had just come out of was still open. He could see the bright lights inside, but there was no baby, no Madam Zhuang, no wet nurse…

Li Yu felt his mind become sluggish, his originally clear vision becoming blurred.

“I’ve separated them,” Bai Li said, pushing his shoulder with her hand, “Others can’t see them for now.”

With her push, Li Yu’s body tilted, and his vision cleared. He could see Madam Zhuang tidying up the toys on the floor, the wet nurse holding the baby and rocking her to sleep, candlelight flickering, figures swaying, a scene both messy and heartwarming.

He knew her abilities, knew she could live well anywhere, but he still wanted to be closer to her, “Okay, but I’ll still tidy up the Prince’s Residence as soon as possible. The boat is too small, we can’t keep her here forever.”

He sighed softly and smiled.

“She shouldn’t be like me.”

Bai Li looked at him and said softly, “Of course she’ll be like you. You were lucky to have the Imperial Consort’s Husband, and she’s lucky to have me, her little aunt. You both escaped danger and will have good fortune in the future.”

Li Yu laughed heartily.

At the same time, footsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by a soft call, “Your Highness.”

It was Cai Songnian.

This guy still followed.

Li Yu frowned, “What’s wrong?”

As he spoke, the door opened, and Cai Songnian stood outside, looking inside.

“The guests are starting to board,” he said, his gaze shifting to Bai Li, “Do you want to…”

Avoid them? Bai Li stood up, “I’ll go welcome the guests. You stay here, you won’t be discovered.”

Li Yu also stood up, “No need. I’m a Prince now, but this pleasure boat is also where I grew up. I have nothing to hide here.”

Cai Songnian couldn’t help but look at Bai Li. She would persuade him, right?

Bai Li smiled and gestured with her hand, “Then please, Prince of Chu, join me in welcoming the guests.”

Cai Songnian sneered inwardly. He had hoped for too much.

Moreover, if she really had His Highness’s child, she would definitely appear with His Highness, solidifying her identity.

He stepped back to make way, watching Bai Li walk out. Whether it was the flickering lights and shadows, or something else, his vision blurred for a moment. Bai Li’s slender figure suddenly had a bulging belly, and the sound of a baby crying reached his ears. At the same time, a pair of hands stretched out from the belly, and a baby crawled out…

Cai Songnian screamed and fell backwards, hitting the railing.

“Cai Songnian! What are you doing!”

A familiar shout rang out. Cai Songnian grabbed the railing, his vision refocused, and saw Li Yu frowning. The woman beside Li Yu was slender and graceful, like a willow.

She looked at him and smiled gently, “Mama Cai, what scary thing did you think of?”

Think of something? Shouldn’t he be asking what he saw? Cai Songnian straightened up, supporting himself on the railing, “No, nothing, I just lost my footing.”

Bai Li smiled, “My fault, I didn’t wear my veil properly.”

She pulled up the pearls hanging by her ears, covering her face.

✿✿✿

What did she mean? Cai Songnian was even more confused. Li Yu glared at him, signaling him to stay away, and followed Bai Li.

Cai Songnian watched the two walk away side by side, let out a soft breath, and frowned. Why did he see that scene just now? It was like a nightmare.

Bai Li’s figure showed no signs of pregnancy.

Cai Songnian looked back at the room.

The door was still ajar, the lights were on inside, but it was empty and quiet.

Cai Songnian reached out and closed the door. A wave of noise rose from the main hall.

“It’s Shangguan Yue!”

“You should address him as Prince of Chu!”

“The Prince of Chu is here!”

Hearing the commotion ahead, Zhou Jingyun, who had reached the shore, looked up and saw two figures walking out from the bow of the boat. The girl was radiant, the young man handsome, the whole boat seemed to shine brightly.

They were quite a match, Zhou Jingyun thought.

Perhaps the lights were too dazzling, he lowered his gaze.

✿✿✿

✿✿✿

Inside the pleasure boat that night, the Prince of Chu was the center of attention.

Zhou Jingyun, on the other hand, was much more peaceful.

He walked along the pillars, took the wine from a maid’s hand, exchanged a few jokes with a singing girl who came to greet him, but declined her invitation to sit together.

“Amidst all this liveliness, the Marquis’s Heir is all alone,” the singing girl said sympathetically.

Zhou Jingyun smiled, “No, no.” He glanced upwards and saw Bai Li looking down from the railing on the second floor.

Their eyes met, he smiled, and Bai Li smiled back.

“Marquis’s Heir!”

Li Yu, standing in the crowd, also turned around at this moment, calling out loudly with a smile, and then apologized to the others.

“I’ve long heard that the Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir graced the pleasure boat with his presence. Today, I can finally host you personally.”

This was perfectly normal. Who wouldn’t want to accompany the Marquis of Dongyang’s Heir? It was a pity that the Heir had declined their invitations. The previous few times, it was the female owner who had clung to Zhou Jingyun. Now that Li Yu was back, as the owner and the Prince of Chu, he naturally had to meet with Zhou Jingyun.

The crowd dispersed, and Zhou Jingyun was ushered to the highest point.

This was also a familiar place for him, only this time, besides Bai Li, there was also Li Yu.

“This is the first time we’ve formally sat down to talk, right?” Li Yu said with a sigh, then smiled and bowed slightly, “I apologize for disturbing the Marquis’s Heir before.”

Although he didn’t say why he had disturbed him, Zhou Jingyun understood what he meant. When he first returned to the capital, Bai Li had done some things that involved Shangguan Yue. Shangguan Yue had sensed something but was confused, so he had appeared before him many times, trying to find out what was going on.

Only, at that time, he knew even less than Shangguan Yue did.

Of course, not anymore. He knew everything he should know.

He looked at Li Yu, “Ah Li has told me about what happened before. You were indeed troubled at that time.” He smiled, “But it also shows Your Highness’s sharpness and intelligence.”

He then looked at Bai Li, as if asking for her confirmation.

Bai Li smiled and nodded, “Yes, yes.” She also looked at Li Yu and smiled, “Your Highness is extremely intelligent.”

You can praise me yourself, why do you have to drag Ah Li into it? Ah Li naturally knows whether I’m intelligent or not. Li Yu smiled, he shouldn’t have mentioned the past, the past was all about her and him.

He reached out and picked up his wine cup, “Marquis’s Heir, I toast to you.”

Zhou Jingyun smiled and raised his cup, “Your Highness, please.”

“Zhou Jingyun and Li Yu are drinking and chatting happily on the pleasure boat?”

In the morning room, Zhang Ze put down his tea and looked at the person who had arrived.

This was the person he had sent to keep an eye on Zhou Jingyun.

The person nodded, “Yes, Li Yu suddenly arrived at the pleasure boat, entertained guests as before, then chatted and laughed with Zhou Jingyun all night, never leaving his side, they were very close.”

It was unexpected that Zhou Jingyun would go to the pleasure boat, but it could be explained as him seeking to relieve his distress, so it wasn’t surprising.

It was also unexpected that Li Yu would appear, but after all, that was his place, so it wasn’t surprising either.

But the fact that these two met on the pleasure boat must not be that simple.

Zhang Ze looked at the morning light and muttered to himself, “Is Zhou Jingyun what the Prince of Chu aims for? Or is the Prince of Chu what Zhou Jingyun aims for?”

It’s a bit awkward entering the new plot, it’s a bit short, I’ll sort it out, without a draft I really don’t dare to write, for fear of missing something, there’s no chance to revise it.