Chapter 183: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
**Chapter 183: The Return of the Prince**
When Qi Wangfei arrived at the gate of the residence, she found out that the Prince had returned, and he had come back just a quarter of an hour earlier than her!
Hearing from the gatekeeper that the Prince had just arrived, Qi Wangfei furrowed her brow slightly and asked softly, “Why didn’t anyone come to inform me? I could have come back earlier to prepare.”
The gatekeeper smiled and explained, “The Prince said that Qi Wangfei should first take care of her matters; he is not in a hurry.”
The Prince’s return disrupted Qi Wangfei’s original plans. She had initially thought to come back, accompany Suisui for a nap, as the little girl hadn’t slept soundly on the carriage. Afterward, she planned to have Suisui listen to some stories, look for fabric, draft a design, and later sew a pouch for Xiao Liu. In the evening, she intended to eat dinner with the children, watch them play, and observe Xiao Liu’s growth to compensate for the motherly love she felt guilty about missing.
Everything had been planned well, but the Prince’s sudden return interrupted it all, causing a bit of irritation to rise in Qi Wangfei.
However, she managed to adjust her emotions, woke Suisui, and waited in the carriage until the little girl was somewhat awake before heading back.
The Prince would likely be in the East Courtyard with his concubines. The Princess planned to return to the main courtyard first to settle Suisui for her nap.
But upon returning to the main courtyard, she discovered that not only had the Prince not gone to the East Courtyard, but also that concubine Ren and concubine Meng, along with Concubine Ches who had been taken to the other courtyard by the Prince, were all sitting in the main courtyard, drinking tea.
With everyone gathered, it would not be appropriate for Qi Wangfei to lead Suisui away to avoid them.
Thinking of this, Qi Wangfei gently explained to Suisui, “Your father has returned; he is sitting over there. Mother will take you to meet him, okay?”
“Father is a very loving person; Suisui doesn’t need to be nervous or scared. Just follow Mother.”
The last reassurance was quite powerful. Suisui initially felt somewhat anxious, but after hearing her mother’s words, she felt a surge of courage.
As Qi Wangfei led Suisui into the main hall, they were met with everyone's gazes.
Suisui was indeed a bit nervous, but feeling her mother’s warm and soft hand holding hers gave her a sense of security.
Upon entering, Qi Wangfei first nodded toward the Prince.
concubine Ren and concubine Meng, stood up to greet her.
Meanwhile, Concubine Che, seated at a distance across a table from the Prince, remained composed in her seat. When Qi Wangfei glanced her way, Concubine Che raised a handkerchief to cover her mouth and smiled, “I beg your pardon, Princess. I am not in a position to bow due to my condition; I hope Qi Wangfei does not take offense.”
The Princess had seen many concubines who took advantage of their favored status, so she was quite accustomed to it. She wasn’t someone who liked to compete for attention, and as long as her interests weren’t touched, she generally let things slide and avoided putting the Prince in a difficult position.
Thus, when Concubine Che finished speaking, Qi Wangfei was going to nod in response.
However, before she could, concubine Ren let out a laugh and said, “How is it that Concubine Che isn’t able to bow? If you are indeed with child now, then the Prince’s head won’t be cold anymore!”
The servant had entered the residence three months ago, and for the prior three months, she had been taking various tonics under the guidance of a master to nourish her body, and the Prince hadn’t touched her.
It was only on the auspicious day calculated by the master that the Prince took her to the other courtyard.
Good timing, good location, good person; perhaps they could have a lovely daughter!
Once concubine Ren made this remark, the atmosphere turned cold and awkward.
The Prince, who initially hadn’t cared much, suddenly became uncomfortable upon hearing concubine Ren’s comment. He frowned and snapped at Concubine Che, “You’re not even sure if you’re pregnant yet, and you’re already feeling unwell? Can your body handle my precious darling?”
His words caused Concubine Che’s face to flush red and pale. She had hoped to assert herself with her favored status but ended up being scolded by the Prince.
Reluctantly, she stood up and hurriedly offered her greetings.
Watching this unfold, concubine Ren couldn’t help but smile, commenting, “Wangye, Concubine Che’s manners aren’t quite right. We wouldn’t want to teach our daughters such behavior, would we?”
Upon hearing this, Concubine Che’s expression soured even more.
She thought to herself: The Princess doesn’t care about anything, and yet you, a concubine, are meddling so much? The problem is, the Prince is obviously on her side.
However, concubine Ren came from an influential family. Even the Prince would not argue with her easily, let alone a mere servant.
Though Concubine Che was unwilling, she could only grit her teeth and offer her greetings again.
The Princess waved her hand dismissively and turned to the Prince, asking softly, “Why did you suddenly return without letting anyone know?”
The Prince chuckled nonchalantly, “It was time to come back; the master said so.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Suisui.
At that moment, Suisui, holding Qi Wangfei’s hand, was slightly tilting her head, curiously looking at the Prince.
Her big round eyes made her look very cute.
The Prince’s heart warmed the moment he laid eyes on her. He had been smiling, but upon seeing Suisui, his smile widened, transforming his originally large round eyes into crescent moons. “Whose child is this, looking so adorable?”
To this question, Qi Wangfei softly explained, “This child was brought back by Prince Qing from Qingzhou; she has saved Xiao Liu several times. I thought, since she has helped Xiao Liu, and she is such a pitiful child, I took the liberty of adopting her.”
The Princess did not directly ask the Prince if he would be willing to raise this child in front of Suisui. She feared the Prince might be difficult and make Suisui feel uneasy.
Saved Xiao Liu several times? The Prince, initially charmed by Suisui’s cuteness, felt even happier upon hearing this.
He squatted down, looking at Suisui with a more tender gaze, smiling as he asked, “What’s your name? How old are you this year?”
On the side, Concubine Che felt a surge of anxiety rising in her heart.
Unable to help herself, she tugged at the Prince’s sleeve, pouting, “Your Highness~”
Her voice startled concubine Ren, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly causing her to spit it out.
Concubine Meng, who had been quietly sipping tea, hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something but ultimately swallowed her words back.
Concubine Ren, however, wasn’t one to let such things slide; unable to hold back, she replied, “Your Highness, I see Concubine Che has so much energy left in her. Perhaps you could head back to the East Courtyard and give it another go. Who knows, you might even have twins and add two girls to our residence!”
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