Chapter 166: The Innocent Ones

Chapter 166

The Innocent Ones

When the triplets saw their younger siblings for the first time, they stared in wonder. Other than seeing each other, these little dumplings rarely encountered other children. When Bao Bao saw the red-faced newborns, he extended a finger and poked Min’er’s cheek. Nie Shuang watched closely but didn’t intervene, only stepping in if Bao Bao pressed too hard. Xiao Hua Hua reached out to grab Shang’er’s tiny fingers, and when her youngest brother smiled, she giggled. Bei Bei, on the other hand, glanced at the babies with curiosity, then seemed to come to the conclusion that ‘younger siblings’ were just the new generation of kids.

“Bei Bei, aren’t you going to play with your siblings a bit?”

Hearing his mother’s voice, he looked up and, seeing her smiling at him, leaned against her affectionately, holding onto her sleeve. Bei Bei was often deep in thought but didn’t express it much. Knowing his mother wanted him to bond with his new siblings, the second brother got up and peeked over with the others. However, he quickly concluded that apart from drinking milk and crying, there wasn’t much else interesting about these babies.

“They’re your younger siblings. Once they’re older, they’ll be running around playing with you.”

At this, Da Ge was delighted. His large, round eyes sparkled with determination as he imagined himself leading his younger siblings in games. Xiao Hua Hua leaned down and kissed her baby brother’s cheek, just as their grandmother would kiss her. She found the little ones to be soft and sweet, leaving the baby’s cheeks smeared with her drool. Shang’er started crying right away, so Nie Shuang picked him up to nurse. The three older siblings stared intensely, all feeling as if their mother had just been taken from them. For a moment, the big dumpling trio didn’t know how to react.

“The little ones can’t eat food yet. Da Ge, Er Ge, and Jie Jie[1] will need to let them drink mother’s milk for now.”

Song Qilin, noticing the sad expressions on the older siblings’ faces, had to suppress a laugh—their expressions were just too funny. Da Ge looked up at him, then got up and walked over to his father, climbing onto his lap for a comforting hug. Song Qilin embraced him but didn’t forget to gather Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua into his arms for a comforting group hug as well.

“We are one family. Father and Mother love all of you.”

Nie Shuang looked at her husband with satisfaction, and the triplets no longer looked like sad puppies.

After hearing the news that Nie Shuang had given birth, Princess An Le sent word that she would be visiting the next day. Though she was a princess, she was close to Nie Shuang and came to visit informally, without much ceremony. Nie Shuang, who had already washed her hair and dressed that morning as usual, was ready when the princess arrived, so it wasn’t a rushed affair. The princess brought with her exquisite He Tian jade longevity locks as gifts for the newborns. In fact, she had only prepared one jade pendant, not expecting that Sister Nie would give birth to three. So, she had someone fetch two more from the treasury.

An Le studied Sister Nie’s face closely. While she looked tired, there was no mistaking the happiness in her expression. The three newborns were brought in for the princess to see. Wrapped in their cloths, they were tiny, much like newborn kittens. An Le’s eyes sparkled with delight, but she didn’t dare pick them up, so she gently touched their little hands instead. Li’er gripped her finger tightly, making An Le laugh.

“Sister Nie, they’re absolutely adorable!”

Nie Shuang smiled.

“All babies are naturally cute. Otherwise, no one would want to take care of them when they cry.”

“Seeing this, I’m starting to wish for twins of my own,”

An Le mused aloud. Hearing that, Nie Shuang teased her.

“Well, you’ll have to discuss that with Second Brother.”

Instead of blushing, An Le’s large eyes gleamed with excitement.

“That’s right! He’s the brother of the General, so the lineage runs strong.”

Then, An Le played happily with the little babies, which made Nie Shuang smile in affection. They chatted about various topics, especially the tea house project, which An Le seemed particularly excited about. Now that the tea house was nearly finished and Sister Nie had just given birth, An Le had taken it upon herself to oversee the progress. When the babies started to fuss, An Le realized it was time to leave and bid farewell.

The princess walked through the garden. Now that the whole family, including the children, were now at home, the Hou had ordered the colorful flowers to be planted. An Le strolled along in a cheerful mood, and as she approached the rock garden, she spotted a tall figure in red official robes hurrying toward her from a distance. She stopped and ordered her maids to step back.

"Second Young Master,"

An Le greeted when Song Ren came closer. He quickly glanced at the princess before bowing respectfully. No matter when they met, her beautiful face was always adorned with a bright smile, lifting the spirits of anyone who saw her. Upon hearing that the princess would be visiting today, he had rushed to finish his work and return home. The kiss on the cheek from last time had made him smile to himself for days, and if he missed today, he didn’t know when he would see her again before the wedding.

"I’ve just finished my work. Is Your Highness on your way back already?"

He asked with a calm tone, masking any hint of disappointment. However, the sweat on his face and back revealed how hastily he had returned. Although An Le was playful, she was also observant. Noticing his effort, she smiled in satisfaction.

"I went to visit Sister Nie and her babies. You’ve just returned and must be tired. Why don’t you sit and have some tea with me in the pavilion? I’m not in a rush, and I actually have something I wish to discuss with you."

Song Ren nodded in agreement, his lips curling slightly in happiness, and he followed her to a nearby pavilion. The palace maids poured tea and then withdrew, leaving only the two of them to talk softly.

"Is there something Your Highness wishes to discuss?"

Song Ren asked first. The late afternoon breeze blew, carrying the pollen of flowers. An Le glanced at the handsome young man surrounded by the vibrant garden, feeling inexplicably cheerful.

"I just visited the children. They’re triplets again and so adorable."

Song Ren raised his eyebrows. Was this the topic she wanted to discuss?

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness toward them,"

He replied politely. The princess folded her hands on the table and leaned in closer, her expression turning serious.

"Second Young Master, after seeing them, I had a thought..."

Seeing that the princess seemed to have something important to say, Song Ren listened intently, unable to help but glance at her full, red lips as they moved.

"I want to have twins like that. Do you know how we could make that happen...? What should we do?"

Song Ren blushed instantly after hearing her question. Even though he knew the princess had a tendency to surprise him, every time they met, she still managed to make him feel flustered.

"That’s...a difficult question to answer. My mother didn’t have twins, but they appeared in my elder brother’s generation. But I’ve also heard that one of my distant uncles had twin children as well."

"And how can we have twins too?"

Her large, bright brown eyes gazed at him expectantly. Song Ren met her eyes and, not wanting to disappoint her, began to answer.

"Your Highness, I will do my best, but you must cooperate as well."

An Le smiled brightly and eagerly nodded.

"Agreed. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do anything."

Her adorable face flushed with a rosy tint, her wide, clear eyes sparkling with excitement. Seeing her so happy, Song Ren couldn’t help but smile in fondness.

"Your Highness, even if we do our best, the outcome still depends on the will of heaven and earth..."

"I already know that. But, A’Ren...you’re so handsome. Our children will definitely be adorable."

Being complimented directly made Song Ren’s handsome face flush deep red again. He suppressed the heat spreading through his body as he lowered his eyes, trying not to look at the face that made his heart race. At that moment, a gentle breeze blew, causing a few strands of hair to fall over his handsome face. An Le, caught up in the moment, reached out to brush the stray hairs away.

"Your Highness..."

He whispered in surprise, meeting her eyes. An Le found the imperial son-in-law’s shyness irresistibly charming and smiled at him, her eyes narrowing with joy. Song Ren, seeing her genuine, radiant smile, returned the gesture, revealing his perfectly aligned white teeth, making his sharp features even more captivating. His simple, innocent smile was truly mesmerizing.

Her hand was still on his face, smoothing back his hair, when she heard him say,

"Your Highness...is this appropriate?"

An Le was momentarily confused, unsure what he was referring to. Before she could respond, Song Ren leaned down, as if she had forced him to, and pressed his lips firmly against hers. An Le’s face turned scarlet, and just as she was about to protest that she hadn’t done anything, he playfully nipped at her lips. It felt as if electricity surged through both of them. When Song Ren finally pulled away, both were left panting, their faces flushed.

He gazed at her with gleaming eyes before lowering his head again, sitting upright with a calm, composed demeanor, as if she had been the one to force him into the kiss!

An Le, flustered and at a loss for what to do, was grateful that the servants were far enough away. They were sitting in a secluded corner of the pavilion, so no one had seen what had happened.

She lost again!An Le felt her cheeks burn as she looked at the future imperial son-in-law, who sat with his hands neatly resting on his thighs. Without saying a word to bid farewell to him, she turned her back on him and walked out of the pavilion. As her figure disappeared from sight, Song Ren could still hear her loudly calling for her maids, as if raising her voice would somehow dispel her embarrassment. The young man smiled to himself before quietly following her to send her to carriage and return to the palace.

[1] Jie Jie (姐姐) means elder sister.