However, Wen Ye was the kind of person who, as long as she wasn’t embarrassed, it was others who would feel awkward.
"I thought only Xu Yuxuan was here," she said.
Her face showed no trace of being caught off guard or embarrassed. With a calm expression, Wen Ye called out "husband" and then casually walked past Xu Yuejia.
Children around two or three years old are quick to mimic others.
Xu Yuxuan toddled behind Wen Ye, and as he passed Xu Yuejia, he imitated her by calling out "father" before asking Nanny Ji to carry him inside.
Xu Yuejia: "..."
After sitting down, Wen Ye glanced at the little rascal who had followed her and signaled Tao Zhi to take the snacks away first.
Tao Zhi understood immediately.
Xu Yuxuan’s gaze followed Tao Zhi’s retreating figure, and he visibly grew anxious. "Mother..."
Wen Ye leisurely pulled out a colorful dough figurine from a box that hadn’t been moved yet and handed it to him. "Play with this for a while."
Given Madam Lu’s temperament, she wouldn’t buy Xu Yuxuan such trinkets from street vendors. Wen Ye had seen Xu Yuxuan’s toys before—they were all made of high-quality wood, meticulously crafted by skilled artisans.
Each one of those toys was worth a whole box of what she had brought.
She hoped the little rascal would be distracted by the novelty for a while and forget about the snacks Tao Zhi had been carrying in the oil-paper bag.
Xu Yuxuan did indeed find the dough figurine fresh and interesting, bending his head to examine it for a long while. However, in his heart, food ultimately outweighed play. When he looked up and saw Xu Yuejia returning, he casually handed the figurine to him.
"Father, you play with it~"
Feelings are cultivated over time. Even though Xu Yuejia’s face still carried its usual cold demeanor, the 'father-son bond' they had developed over the past couple of days had made Xu Yuxuan less afraid of him than before.
Look, now he even dared to pass on something he didn’t want to play with to his father.
Wen Ye watched this scene with amusement, thinking it was quite entertaining, until she saw Xu Yuxuan turn back to her with pleading eyes after handing over the figurine.
He hadn’t given up yet.
Her plan had failed. Wen Ye sighed inwardly and said, "Don’t worry, you’ll get your share."
Then she turned to Xu Yuejia, who had also sat down and was now holding a dough figurine that seemed completely out of place in his hands. "Of course, husband, you’ll have some too."
Wen Ye was just being polite. None of the snacks she had brought back were the kind Xu Yuejia would ever touch.
As expected, Xu Yuejia declined.
Xu Yuxuan, however, perked up when he heard his father refuse.
Wen Ye saw through his little scheme at once but said nothing, only curling her lips slightly.
Since it was still early for dinner and neither father nor son seemed inclined to leave, Wen Ye decided to find some way to amuse herself and pass the time.
Otherwise, sitting here facing the two of them—one who couldn’t speak clearly and the other who barely uttered a word—would bore her to death.
So she got up and went to the study on the west side, picked out a novel she hadn’t read before, and lay down on the soft couch by the window, making herself as comfortable as possible.
She didn’t bother about the father and son still waiting outside.
In the outer room, Xu Yuxuan, who had been stretching his neck and waiting in vain for Wen Ye to come out, struggled to get down from his chair.
His legs were too short to reach the ground, so in the end, Nanny Ji had to help him down.
Once on the ground, Xu Yuxuan quickened his pace and headed for the west study. However, for some reason, he stopped halfway, turned back, and, unusually, tugged at Xu Yuejia’s robe. In a soft voice, he said, "Father, come with me?"
Wen Ye wasn’t surprised that Xu Yuxuan had followed her in, but Xu Yuejia’s appearance was unexpected.
It seemed the Ministry of Justice really wasn’t busy these days.
Wen Ye only glanced at him before returning to her novel.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuxuan had already climbed onto the soft couch with practiced ease, lifted the corner of the blanket, and wriggled his way in until he was nestled in Wen Ye’s arms.
His little head popped out, cheeks flushed, and he grinned, revealing a row of tiny teeth.
Wen Ye naturally pulled him into her embrace, treating him like an extra pillow.
After flipping another page, Wen Ye belatedly glanced at the cover of the novel in her hands. It turned out to be the same one Xu Yuejia had been holding.
Except his was a serious book, while hers was filled with nothing but frivolous content from beginning to end.
Xu Yuejia had clearly noticed this as well.
Their eyes met unexpectedly.
Fortunately, Wen Ye remained composed and continued reading without a change in expression.
Xu Yuejia’s gaze shifted to the mother and son squeezed together on the soft couch—a face that never lacked a smile and a pair of innocent, clueless eyes.
It was a scene more captivating than most sights in the world, one that made you want to linger and watch.
Though the man’s gaze wasn’t intense, it wasn’t something that could be easily ignored either.
After flipping through a few more pages, Wen Ye looked up to find Xu Yuejia now seated behind the desk. There was no barrier between the soft couch and the desk.
Xu Yuxuan still couldn’t read the words in the novel, but that didn’t stop him from urging Wen Ye to turn the pages. He had memorized the rhythm of page-turning and, noticing Wen Ye’s sudden pause, piped up in his childish voice, "Mother, turn~ turn~"
Wen Ye snapped out of her thoughts, looked down, and after a moment, turned the page.
Xu Yuxuan was satisfied.
Though there was no laughter or chatter among the three of them, there was an inexplicable sense of harmony and warmth.
Nanny Ji, watching from outside the study, couldn’t help but feel moved by the scene.
However, not long after she stepped away, Wen Ye suddenly felt thirsty. She had eaten quite a bit of the savory braised snacks at the teahouse, and they were a bit salty.
There was a pot of tea on the desk, but Wen Ye didn’t feel like getting up. So she called out to a certain man, "Husband?"
Xu Yuejia looked up, a brush in his hand that he must have picked up at some point.
Wen Ye thought to herself, even while reading, he couldn’t stop taking notes or jotting down his thoughts. He really never took a break.
Not like her, who at most 'reviewed' things in her dreams.
"What is it?" he asked.
Wen Ye cleared her slightly dry throat and said, "Husband, Xu Yuxuan is thirsty."
Xu Yuxuan tilted his head, confused. "Mother?"
Xu Yuejia shot her a look that seemed to see right through her, and Wen Ye responded with a smile.
A moment later, a cup of tea was handed to Wen Ye. She took it and said, "Thank you, husband. You’ve worked hard."
Xu Yuxuan wasn’t particularly thirsty, but since his mother had said he was, he obediently opened his little mouth, waiting to be fed.
Wen Ye, however, ignored him and said, "Let me test the temperature for you."
After finishing the cup of tea, she added, "It’s too hot. Do you still want some, Xu Yuxuan?"
Xu Yuxuan understood and shook his head.
Xu Yuejia, who had witnessed the whole thing, said, "Next time, you don’t need to use Xu Yuxuan as an excuse."
Wen Ye’s focus, however, was on, "There’s going to be a next time?"
Xu Yuejia took the empty teacup: "..."
Wen Ye didn’t continue to boss Xu Yuejia around. Her eyes were still on the novel, but her thoughts had already wandered far away.
Judging by Xu Yuejia’s expression, he didn’t seem to mind her earlier 'requests.'
If Xu Yuxuan was his son, shouldn’t he inherit this fine quality? Wen Ye looked at the little bundle in her arms and suddenly sighed, "Grow up quickly."
Xu Yuxuan looked utterly confused.
Time flew by.
It was time for dinner.
Wen Ye estimated the time, closed the novel, got off the soft couch, and walked out of the study with a little tail following behind her. They sat down at the dining table one after the other.
Only after the mother and son had taken their seats did Xu Yuejia leisurely emerge from the study.
Dishes were brought to the table one after another, including the snacks Wen Ye had asked Tao Zhi to bring back. They were arranged on plates, mixed in with the other dishes.
The candied haws had already been eaten on the way back, leaving only the spicy rice cakes, fried glutinous rice balls, and a small portion of the savory braised snacks. On the way home, Wen Ye had also asked Tao Zhi to add half a bag of the herbal braised snacks and a small pack of crispy fried fish, golden and delicious.
Oh, and there was also some untouched pea cake. Wen Ye hadn’t had a chance to eat it earlier, so she deliberately had Tao Zhi place it near Xu Yuxuan at the table.
To be honest, the chefs at the Duke’s residence could make all of these dishes, and they could make them even more delicious and healthy.
But sometimes, after eating too much gourmet food, one craves the kind of street snacks that, in modern terms, would be called 'junk food.'
A few pieces of pea cake were neatly arranged in the center of a porcelain plate.
Wen Ye very thoughtfully picked up a piece for Xu Yuxuan and said, "Try this, Xu Yuxuan."
The pea cake was from Yufang Restaurant, exquisitely made. Xu Yuxuan had eaten some just a couple of days ago, so he had a vague memory of it.
It was tasty, but... but...
In the end, Xu Yuxuan shook his head and refused.
It seemed he was still fixated on the snacks Tao Zhi had been carrying in the oil-paper bag earlier.
After so long, you still haven’t forgotten? Wen Ye thought to herself. Seeing Xu Yuxuan refuse, she pretended to be hurt: "This pastry was something Mother waited in line for a long time to buy."
The pastries from Yufang Restaurant were famously exquisite. Even something as ordinary as pea flour cake was sold in limited quantities every day.
Of course, such rules only applied to ordinary people. If the owner of Yufang Restaurant didn’t know how to be flexible, they wouldn’t have been able to grow their business so large in Lanjing.
When Wen Ye was still with the Wen Family, she would occasionally send Tao Zhi out to buy a box of pastries from Yufang Restaurant to try.
Back then, they had to follow the rules and wait in line. Sometimes, they’d be unlucky and find that the pastries were sold out just as it was their turn.
Now, things were different. Tao Zhi would go with the Duke’s residence token, and the manager of Yufang Restaurant would personally greet her, leading her to a private room to wait.
Every day, Yufang Restaurant prepared an extra ten or twenty portions of pastries beyond the usual limit. These extras were reserved for noble families like the Duke’s residence.
Power and privilege were indeed useful.
Seeing that Xu Yuxuan still remained unmoved, Wen Ye didn’t push further. She picked up the pastry and ate it herself.
It tasted really good.
"Mother~" Xu Yuxuan watched with wide eyes as Wen Ye ate the pea flour cake she had originally offered him, his voice almost breaking into a sob.
He liked pea flour cake too.
But Wen Ye remained calm. Her gaze swept over the table full of delicious dishes as she asked one last time, "With so many tasty dishes here, are you sure you won’t eat, Xuan’er?"
Xu Yuejia, who had a faint idea of what she was planning, glanced over but made no move to stop her.
Xu Yuxuan looked at the beautifully arranged dishes on the table, but his expression showed no longing.
He nodded seriously, his little face full of determination.
Children were like this—the more you tried to hide something from them, the more curious they became.
Perhaps Xu Yuxuan hadn’t been particularly interested in eating it at first, but Wen Ye’s initial instinct to protect the food had sparked his curiosity. Now, he was determined to get what he wanted.
Fortunately, Wen Ye had come prepared.
She glanced at Tao Zhi beside her, who understood immediately and left the room. Moments later, she returned with a tray.
On the tray was a familiar oil-paper bag, bulging with what was clearly food. Underneath the bag were two empty porcelain plates.
In front of Xu Yuxuan, Wen Ye had Tao Zhi pour the contents of the oil-paper bag onto the plates.
Wen Ye asked him one last time, "Xuan’er, think carefully. You can only choose one."
Nanny Ji, who had seen what was on the plates, was speechless.
The Second Madam really could think of the most unconventional methods.
But Xu Yuxuan didn’t understand. He thought the oil-paper bag contained the snacks Wen Ye had brought back from outside.
Wen Ye placed the two plates of freshly "prepared" snacks in front of him.
With them so close, it was obvious which one Xu Yuxuan would choose.
Xu Yuxuan didn’t even glance at the dishes on the table. Instead, he eagerly pointed at the two snacks in front of him and asked Nanny Ji to help him pick one: "Nanny, I want to eat~"
Being young made him easy to fool. Wen Ye, in a good mood, picked up a piece of fried fish coated in spicy flour and popped it into her mouth.
It was fragrant, spicy, and crispy.
Perhaps he would find the unfamiliar snack to have a familiar taste, but the fact that it had been poured out of the oil-paper bag was enough to trick a child whose mind was still developing.
