Chapter 48: A Tense Encounter

Chapter 48

A Tense Encounter

While the two men were relaxing in the pavilion, the wet nurse brought Bao Bao over. He was the most mischievous of the triplets. That afternoon, while the other two children were napping, Bao Bao insisted on going outside to play. If they didn’t take him out, he would cry so loudly that the other two would wake up as well.

The wet nurse, holding an umbrella in one hand and Da Ge, the chubby toddler, in the other, didn’t notice anyone in the pavilion until she stepped closer and saw the two men.

“My apologies. I...I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

She was about to take Bao Bao away, but he immediately began to cry, as if protesting that this pavilion belonged to him, so why did he have to make way for these two strangers? Kang Wang chuckled and said,

“Let him stay. After all, we are guests here. It wouldn’t be right to take over his afternoon play spot.”

Reluctantly, the wet nurse brought him into the pavilion, looking nervous. Inside, there was a low table with a tea set, and at the center of the floor was covered with a clean, soft rug. As soon as she set Bao Bao down, he crawled onto the rug as if claiming it back as his own. Kang Wang and Song Qilin burst out laughing.

“This little one has quite the spirit,”

Song Qilin remarked to his friend. Kang Wang, who hadn’t encountered the children before, turned to the wet nurse and asked,

“Is this the eldest son of the Lady Boss?”

“Yes, Your Highness. The other two are still napping.”

Though he wasn’t typically fond of children, Kang Wang couldn’t resist the chubby cheeks and mischievous expression on the boy’s face. He reached out and gently pinched Bao Bao’s cheek with affection. Song Qilin, however, was puzzled. The Lady Boss wasn’t supposed to be a middle-aged woman? How did she have such a young child?

Bao Bao swatted Kang Wang’s hand away and, seeing that Song Qilin was staring at him, immediately crawled over to confront him.

“Gaa, gaa, gaa. Ah, ah, ah, ah.”

The boy babbled, using his chubby hands to push against Song Qilin’s knee as if telling him to get off his rug. Kang Wang laughed heartily,

“Little one, do you know you’re pushing the Jade-Faced Reaper? Aren’t you afraid?”

Song Qilin, however, felt something strange. The boy seemed oddly familiar—the face, the behavior—he was so similar...

Then his eyes widened in realization. No way! it couldn’t be, right? It seemed too much of a coincidence. But as he stared into the boy’s round, chubby face, and their eyes met, it felt like he was looking into a mirror from the past—his own face as a child.

“What’s your name?”

He asked Bao Bao, as though expecting the child to answer. He lifted the round little body up to meet his gaze. Bao Bao squirmed, but Song Qilin was not easily shaken off, so the boy deployed his secret weapon.

Splashhhhhh.

“Hahahahaha!”

Kang Wang couldn’t contain his laughter, his booming voice filling the pavilion. Song Qilin’s face darkened with fury as he stared daggers at the boy. But Bao Bao seemed oblivious to the glaring eyes, flashing a wide, innocent smile and laughing along with Kang Wang. The joyous laugh of a child and an adult echoed together.

The wet nurse, mortified, quickly apologized and rushed over to take Bao Bao away. Song Qilin stood up.

“Are you leaving?”

Kang Wang asked, noticing his friend’s grim expression and feeling a little sorry for him, and was also a little embarrassed that he was laughing so hard earlier.

“I’m just going to clean up,”

Song Qilin spoke in a stern tone and left the pavilion, signaling Feng Ying to follow. The wet nurse hurried ahead, carrying Bao Bao toward the main house.

"This way, sir. I’ll have someone fetch fresh clothes for you."

"No need. I just need to freshen up a bit,"

He replied, deliberately keeping a distance. He then turned to Feng Ying and spoke quietly,

"Has anyone come to investigate in Huangjing yet?"

Feng Ying quickly reported,

"Yes, sir. It’s the woman with three children that I mentioned earlier..."

Song Qilin furrowed his brows, then asked the wet nurse ahead of them, "Does your mistress only have one son?"

The wet nurse, with a proud smile, replied,

"The Lady Boss has triplets, sir. Young Master Bao Bao is the eldest, and the other two are a son and a daughter."

It was as if lightning struck Song Qilin—three children! Triplets! Could it be...?!

He couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice as he pressed on,

"How old is your Lady Boss?" But upon noticing the wet nurse’s puzzled expression, he quickly changed his tone to a calmer one, "She seems very capable; she must not be young."

The wet nurse, her tone filled with admiration, answered,

"The Lady Boss is still quite young, only about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her close maid mentioned that she is the daughter of a wealthy merchant, which is why she’s so skilled in business."

This time, Song Qilin could barely contain his swirling emotions. His heart was full of excitement mixed with fear. He was afraid that he would be disappointed, afraid that what he had been waiting for so long was just a dream. He wanted nothing more than to scoop up the little rascal in the wet nurse’s arms and hold him tightly. Could this child...be his son?

"And how old is my s...your young master...?"

He asked, anticipating an answer.

"Six months old, sir."

Song Qilin silently calculated. There was definitely no mistake! The timeline fit perfectly with when Shuang Shuang had run away—nine months for pregnancy, and this boy was now six months old. He had been searching for her for over a year! The General tried to calm the storm of emotions swelling inside him. Even Feng Ying was left speechless. Now that Song Qilin had pointed it out, he really felt that the boy’s face did resemble the General, and as for his temperament...

He turned to look at Bao Bao, who was perched on the wet nurse’s shoulder. The boy gazed back at them as they followed behind, one chubby finger in his mouth, looking at them with lazy eyes as if he was looking at someone who was worthless...

The wet nurse led them to the main house and spoke with one of the maids. She was about to take the now-drowsy Bao Bao to wash up and put him to bed. Song Qilin dismissed the maid, and once they were alone, he discreetly followed the path the wet nurse took Bao Bao away.Triplets! Song Qilin’s heart raced with a mix of hope and fear. If the Lady Boss truly was her, he would kneel and thank the heavens for blessing him with such fortune. He could hardly wait to meet the other two children. Were these three really his children? As he quietly followed the wet nurse, his heart pounded like a drum.