VHBF – Chapter 38 Emperor Daddy (Part 15)

When Bo Yuan walked in, he saw quite the scene: a group of little radishes surrounding the youngest, pink-carved-jade little girl, showering her with attention.

The dumpling already had several gifts in her hands—

a rattle drum from Fang Tang,

a storybook from Jiang Cao,

a set of nesting dolls from Cao Lian,

and a calligraphy copybook from Cheng Li.

Meanwhile, in a corner, a dark and skinny boy stood clutching the hem of his clothes. His large head seemed even bigger because of his thinness, drooping dejectedly. Every so often he’d sneak a glance at the others, his eyes brimming with envy.

Bo Yuan found it amusing. Tsk, little cubs really are fun to watch!

Because of his frail constitution, the dark, thin dumpling hadn’t said a word since the beginning, and the other dumplings subconsciously ignored him.

Yinyin held her gifts and thanked each one in turn. When she was done, she suddenly felt eyes on her. Standing on tiptoe, she spotted the dark dumpling hiding in the corner.

She asked the system curiously: “Uncle System, who is that?”

System: “……”

“That’s the study companion you chose yourself. Don’t you remember?”

In the dumpling’s heart, study companion = friend.

She looked at the other four—each of them cute and good-looking—then back at the dark, skinny one in the corner. Somehow… he looked pitiful.

She suddenly remembered her past— how the kids in her old neighborhood disliked her for being poor and looked down on her. She would sit alone in a corner, counting ants, watching the other kids laughing and running off with their friends, envy eating at her heart.

Thinking of this, she immediately threw aside her lack of impression of this little boy and his looks. She put her gifts on a small desk beside her, waved at him with a sweet smile, and said:

“Come here!”

The dark and skinny, timid dumpling’s eyes instantly lit up. He pointed at himself uncertainly:  “M-me? You mean me?”

Seeing the little princess nod and even reach out a hand, Yu Shushu’s fragile, self-abased heart—ugly since birth—was instantly healed. It felt sweeter than eating the best candy his mother ever made.

Afraid to keep the pretty princess waiting, he dashed forward at a speed unfitting for his short legs. Standing in front of her, he twisted shyly, black hands tugging his clothes into knots. He didn’t dare meet her eyes, head bowed, stammering:

“I-I…”

He “I’d” for a long while without saying anything. The other dumplings were amused, but they were well-mannered enough to hold back their laughter—except for Fang Tang, the little tyrant of the Duke of Cheng’s household, who laughed without restraint.

Being laughed at made the dark dumpling even more embarrassed. He lowered his head, almost burying it into the ground. I’m so ugly, and now I can’t even speak properly. I definitely won’t be able to make friends with the princess. Maybe… maybe I’ll even be kicked out of the palace.

He remembered his parents’ hopeful words before he left—telling him he must make friends. The more he thought, the sadder he became, until a teardrop splashed on the ground.

But the princess still had her hand extended. She took the dark dumpling’s hand into hers and shook it lightly.

“Look, now that we’ve shaken hands, we’re good friends!”

The dark dumpling lifted his face in disbelief. His sooty cheeks burned hot, invisible red spreading across them.

“G-good friends?”

Yinyin nodded firmly. “Yes, good friends.”

She looked at her new friend in surprise. “Why are you crying?” she asked. Then she patted his shoulder, like a little adult, and comforted him:

“Don’t cry.”

She thought he was crying because he was scared of school. She’d seen many kids cry on their first day. So she reassured him:

“Don’t be afraid. I know today’s teacher—he’s not fierce. He just likes to bully children a little. Don’t worry, we’ll help each other. If he bullies us, we’ll team up and bite him!”

Standing at the doorway, Bo Yuan: “……???”

Did this little cub misunderstand him somehow???

Still, since she didn’t say she’d complain to her father, Bo Yuan felt comforted. Not bad, a good cub after all!

The dark dumpling showed a shy smile. He carefully pulled out a copper coin from his pocket and whispered:

“I found this at a temple. The monk there gave it to me and said it brings blessings and makes wishes come true. I made two wishes before—one, to become better-looking. The second… the second was…”

He glanced at the princess, feeling like he was burning up.

“…to make a friend. Now the second wish has come true!”

Yinyin clapped her little hands in delight. She knew too well how precious it was to make your first friend.

“That’s wonderful! And one day, your first wish will come true too!”

But the dark dumpling shook his head, handing the coin over.

“Grandfather said people shouldn’t be greedy. Having one wish come true is already very good. Besides… I only wanted to look better so I could make friends. Now that I have one, the first wish isn’t important anymore.”

He looked up stubbornly, pushing the coin toward her.

“Now I’m giving this blessing to you. Y-you’re my first friend.”

The other dumplings protested: “What about us? Aren’t we your friends?”

The dark dumpling’s face grew hotter. He shook his head seriously, then nodded. Everyone was confused until he explained:

“The princess is my first friend. You… you are my second.”

“And… and good friends shouldn’t make fun of people.”

The dumplings: “……”

Yinyin accepted the coin, nodding gravely. “Don’t worry. I’ll treasure this gift.”

After a moment’s thought, she rummaged through her little backpack—a pink one embroidered with a bunny, made by Granny Wan—and took out several small items.

“These are for you.”

Uncle Nameless had a secret talent. Once, Yinyin had seen him weaving grasshoppers and dragonflies from straw, and she pestered him to teach her. Though silent, he was patient and kind, and taught her carefully.

Her three-year-old fingers were too chubby and clumsy, so she never really got the hang of it.

When she said she wanted to gift her new friends handwoven grasshoppers, Nameless prepared the frames for her and let her finish them. With his help, five little grasshoppers were soon made and now sat neatly on the desk.

“These are for you. One each. I made them myself!”

Though grasshoppers weren’t rare, the fact she made them herself was.

The dumplings gasped in admiration.

“You can weave grasshoppers?”

“You’re amazing!”

They admired her even more—brave enough not to fear the Emperor, and skillful too. To have her as a friend was the best!

Yinyin’s chubby cheeks flushed red. “U-Uncle Nameless helped a lot too. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

The dumplings asked who Uncle Nameless was.

So Yinyin told them about the silent uncle who always swept the palace paths, praising him as a very good uncle.

Before she could finish, Bo Yuan coughed and walked into the study, hands behind his back.

He couldn’t let the little cubs chatter on endlessly—at their pace, they might go on until sunset!

The dumplings all turned their heads. Yinyin was first to speak: “Hello, Teacher!”

“Hello, Teacher!” the others echoed.

Never in his life had Bo Yuan been greeted so warmly by children. He nodded, satisfied, but still said sternly:

“Flattery is useless in my class. If you don’t study well, I’ll still report you to His Majesty.”

The dumplings’ eyes widened: “……”

Yinyin huffed. See? I wasn’t wrong—he really does like bullying kids!

But even if he tattled to her father, she wasn’t scared. Her daddy would never scold or hit her!

Having scared them into silence, Bo Yuan felt very pleased. He cleared his throat. “Now then, let’s begin. Did you all bring your books? Today we’ll start with the Three Character Classic.

‘Men at their birth, are naturally good…’”

Outside the study, Nameless stood silently with a wooden food box. Only after hearing the children’s tender voices reciting did he turn to leave, soundless as the wind.

He went to a rest room nearby and handed the food box to Xiao Hua, the maid. “This is for the little princess. Give it to her during the break.”

Xiao Hua blinked. “Nameless? You… you spoke today?”

Nameless ignored her and walked away.

She watched his departing figure in amazement. Was it her imagination, or did his back look straighter than before?

Her own duty was easy—waiting in the side room while the princess studied. No sun, no chores. Other servants were jealous of her position.

She sipped her tea contentedly. Ever since the princess entered the palace, life had been much better. It had been a long time since anyone was dragged out of the palace for punishment.

After half a month of surveillance, there was finally movement from the heir of Prince Wu. A secret letter landed on Wei Jue’s desk.

The next day, when Prince Wu’s heir went to check on the girls he was secretly raising in a secluded manor, he found it burned to ashes.

Panic surged, and before he could react, the Imperial Guards surrounded him.

The capital soon bustled with news again.

Prince Wu, after years of quiet, had started scheming once more. His son had been raising a group of courtesans-in-training. The stewards confessed these girls were trained to be talented and refined.

Everyone knew the Emperor despised the useless and stupid. Some speculated: were these girls meant to ensnare him? To achieve Prince Wu’s hidden aims?

And what aims? His ambition was obvious. Outside the capital, he had raised both death warriors and an army of ten thousand men.

Feeding and training such a force wasn’t easy, even for a wealthy prince. It was soon uncovered that the “Worldly Inns” (天下樓), the hottest restaurants in the capital in recent months, all belonged to him. Even the name “Worldly” reeked of ambition.

Thinking back, at the Shiyuan Festival banquet, hadn’t this man suggested sending his son and daughter into the palace as the princess’s companions? Clearly, his intentions were never pure.

And it turned out—after the banquet, he even brought the Emperor a pair of jade rabbits. The little princess, sensitive as she was, disliked them on sight. The Emperor, cautious, ordered them checked. Sure enough—poison hidden inside.

Such cruelty! The princess was only three years old, yet this man already sought to harm her. Vicious, poisonous, rotten to the core!

Pity poor Prince Wu—old, frustrated most of his life—only to be ruined by his son. No one believed him innocent. After all, he had fought bitterly with the late Emperor, coveting the throne. Wasn’t it likely he had ordered all this?

Father and son were thrown into prison together.

As for the heir’s two children, the Emperor hesitated, then, thinking of the little princess, showed mercy. Instead of killing them, he sent them to the Imperial Clan Residence to be raised by nursemaids.

The system clicked its tongue in awe. As expected of the villain destined to overturn the odds—the great final boss! Once he notices a threat, he acts with ruthless efficiency. The reborn male lead didn’t even get a chance to make a move before he was “sent off the stage.” So clean, so fast, it was terrifying.