In the cold palace forbidden gardens, even the women of the harem were not allowed to come and go freely.
How did this Xiao Jingyan get in here in broad daylight?
Song Zhao was shocked, afraid that Rongyue had entrusted him with something again, asking him to take risks.
Now that she had fallen to this point, she could not drag Rongyue down no matter what.
So she took a breath and asked, "How did you get in?"
"I naturally have my ways to get in, don't worry about it. Hurry up and eat your meal!" Xiao Jingyan replied in his roguish tone and manner, giving Song Zhao a headache.
She turned her face away, perfunctorily saying:
"I know Sister Rong did this for me. The food is here, I'll eat when I'm hungry. You should leave quickly and don't come again in the future."
But as soon as she finished speaking, a piece of cloth fell into her hands.
Glancing down, she saw that it was a belly wrap, not exquisitely made but rather particular about the material used, just the right size for an infant.
Song Zhao looked at Xiao Jingyan puzzledly. Xiao Jingyan raised his brows at her and said, "Smell it."
Song Zhao hesitated for a moment before lightly bringing the belly wrap to her nose. But with just a light sniff, there was already a sparkle in her eyes.
This...this was Cheng Yu's scent! There's no mistake!
How could a mother not recognize the scent of her own child?
Song Zhao stared wide-eyed at Xiao Jingyan. "How do you have Cheng Yu's belly wrap? And this style and embroidery work is not what he usually wears!"
Xiao Jingyan pulled over a rotten wood chair to sit, but as soon as he sat down the chair collapsed.
Fortunately his reflexes were quick and he shifted his body to stand steadily again, then patted the dust off himself and said breezily:
"No wonder you're sitting on the floor, even just sitting on the chair would have killed you."
Then jerking his chin, he grinned roguishly at Song Zhao and continued,
"Your son is not dead. The Emperor trusts me the most as his brother, so when it came to the imperial tomb and ancestral tablet matters, he handed them over to me.
So I pulled a trick, burying a dead baby in the imperial tomb as a stand-in. As for your son, I've already sent him to a sworn friend of mine in Hengzhou to be temporarily raised. We put our lives in each other's hands. He'll surely raise your son fat and white."
Hearing this, Song Zhao was both delighted and apprehensive, "Is, is that true?"
Xiao Jingyan said impatiently, "Can't you recognize the scent of your own son?"
Song Zhao clutched the belly wrap tightly, as if regaining hope for life. Her eyes, drained of tears earlier, once again grew wet,
"Thank you...thank you..."
Seeing Song Zhao cry like this, Xiao Jingyan laughed instead.
He picked up the bowl and chopsticks and handed them to Song Zhao, a little aggressively saying:
"If you want to see your son again, hurry up and eat your meal. Stop wasting words!"
Only then did Song Zhao start on her meal.
She had never intended to die. But even if she were to die, she would drag down the people who harmed her and her son to 18 hells with her.
Now knowing Cheng Yu was still alive, she had even more reason to keep living!
The hatred smoldering in her heart alone was enough to sustain her to live well.
Xiao Jingheng had snatched away her most cherished person. Then she would keep on living to make him watch on as she snatched away everything he treasured!
Seeing Song Zhao wolfing down her food, Xiao Jingyan couldn't help but reach out to tidy away the loose wisps of hair by her ears.
"Look at you, like a hungry little beast."
His finger had grazed over her earlobe, startling Song Zhao so she instinctively moved back in response.
Xiao Jingyan realized the impropriety and was a little embarrassed as he scratched his head.
After enduring an awkward silence for a while, Song Zhao asked:
"Is it because of Sister Rong that you're willing to help me? But if your Imperial Brother knew, that would mean deceiving the ruler, punishable by death. Aren't you aware how he treats all of you brothers?"
Xiao Jingyan gave a cold snort, filled with utter nonchalance.
"I'm not his brother, why should I help him? Besides, my friend, my reason for helping you isn't only because of Rong'er."
These words left Song Zhao quite puzzled.
Not Xiao Jingheng's brother?
She looked at him full of confusion.
But Xiao Jingyan merely stroked her forehead, truly like he was teasing a cold and hungry stray puppy, before chuckling softly:
"It's also because, you are my little sister."
