She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 594 - 592: Can it be Well Handled

Chapter 594: Chapter 592: Can it be Well Handled

Ye Yuan hardly ever got to see children, so when he spotted two smaller figures before him, he was immensely curious. His eyes widened as he rolled his eyeballs repeatedly, scrutinizing both figures several times. He then became excited and, ignoring everything else, started babbling and trying to dive off the bed.

The two maids on the bed quickly held him back as the Duchess anxiously said, "Oh dear, little ancestor, take it easy, what are you trying to do?"

Such a chubby and endearing child was irresistibly lovable. Qi Jiaer moved closer and asked Ye Xinyan, "Is this a little brother? He’s so small."

The serving girls and old woman servants in the Duchess’s chambers all knew that although this young master came from the countryside, the eldest miss treated him as her own brother, and by extension, Duke An also favored him, so everyone in the mansion had to regard this young master as their own lord.

But Ye Yuan’s wet nurse was unaware of this. At this moment, seeing a child, though well-dressed, who did not seem like the child of an official family, and whose accent was not that of a capital resident, she was astounded. How could such a child be asking if the most pampered little master of Duke An’s Mansion was his little brother? Could the young masters of Duke An’s Mansion be casually addressed as elder brothers?

The wet nurse looked to the Duchess only to hear the eldest miss answer with a laugh, "Yes, he is a little brother. From now on, you’re his elder brother and you can’t always expect others to take care of you. You should also learn to take care of your little brother, understand?"

"Really a little brother, so cute," Qi Jiaer said, leaning in even closer.

Then, the wet nurse heard the Duchess also join in with a laugh, "Brother Jia likes Brother Yuan. Bring Brother Yuan over here so that Brother Jia can have a good look."

The wet nurse was taken aback and hurried forward to pick up Ye Yuan. She squatted down to let Qi Jiaer get a clearer view of the little one.

Just as Qi Jiaer leaned over, Ye Yuan reached out and grabbed onto Qi Jiaer’s clothes with a quick and accurate grasp, latching onto him firmly and refusing to let go.

"Sister?" Qi Jiaer looked uneasily toward Ye Xinyan.

Ye Xinyan found the situation amusing and took Ye Yuan into her arms to hand him over to Qi Jiaer, saying, "Here, hold him carefully."

As Ye Xinyan reached out, the wet nurse dared not refuse to let go but felt uneasy once she did. Seeing the elder miss actually intending to hand the little master over to this unfamiliar child, she became even more anxious.

Although in ordinary households, children as young as six or seven could take care of their younger siblings, this child seemed to be pampered at home, which surely did not qualify him to look after children. If he were to drop the child, what would they do? The wet nurse involuntarily looked again to the Duchess.

Since his birth, Ye Yuan had been brought up in the Duchess’s chambers. The Duchess had watched him grow from a wrinkled little thing into such an adorable child; he was her precious jewel.

Seeing Qi Jiaer holding her dear grandson, she was also worried. But Duke An had instructed that all matters concerning Ye Yuan should be left to his granddaughter’s decision, so she had no choice but to keep silent, her expression unchanged, still smiling as she watched the scene before her.

Qi Jiaer’s eyes shone with excitement when Ye Xinyan asked him to hold the child, "Can I hold him? Should I hold him gently?"

Ye Xinyan said with a smile, "Yes, little brother is so small, you have to hold him gently. But make sure to hold on tight, don’t let go. Put your hands here, wrap them around, that’s right, just like that."

No sooner had Qi Jiaer taken Ye Yuan into his arms than Ye Yuan’s drool-covered mouth was smearing all over Qi Jiaer’s face, licking or possibly biting, leaving Qi Jiaer in utter disarray, "Stop, stop, brother... brother isn’t food."

Ye Yuan then imitated Qi Jiaer’s words, making "da da" and "da da" sounds.

"Sister, did you hear that? He called me brother." Qi Jiaer struggled to hold the restless Ye Yuan, still excitedly speaking to Ye Xinyan.

Despite feeling happy seeing the two children so affectionate, the Duchess was terrified, her heart quivering, "Brother Jia, can you still hold him? If not, hand him over to Yuan Brother’s wet nurse."

The wet nurse hurried forward upon receiving the instructions, but Ye Yuan clutched Qi Jiaer’s clothes and wouldn’t let go, and the maids didn’t dare to forcibly pull them apart, all anxious yet helpless about what to do.

Ye Xinyan watched from the side, amused. Given this situation, Duke An need not worry at all. These two were clearly natural playmates, inseparable. She could already picture a snotty little tagalong who could never be shaken off trailing behind Qi Jiaer.

"Come here, sister will hold you. Yuan Brother, let go of Brother first, and let Brother come up on the kang to play with you, okay?"

Ye Xinyan coaxed for a good while before she managed to placate Ye Yuan and put him on the kang. She then let Qi Jiaer take off his shoes and join the little one to play on the kang.

Having climbed on the kang, Ye Yuan grabbed Qi Jiaer’s clothes and turned to Qi Sanshun.

Qi Sanshun shrank back in fear, pleadingly looking at Ye Xinyan, "Elder Cousin, I... am a big kid now, it’s not proper for me to play on the kang."

He had just seen, this little fellow, a real little devil he must be, and only Jiajia could cater to him, not him.

Ye Xinyan flicked her index finger lightly against Ye Yuan’s forehead, scolding with a smile, "Enough, having one big brother play with you is good enough, don’t be greedy."

This flick made both the wet nurse and the Duchess wince in sympathy. Yuan Brother was not like other children; he was precious. How could one flick on the child’s forehead? Look, it’s flicked... Even though it didn’t leave a red mark, it would have been better not to lay a finger on him at all.

Ye Yuan opened his mouth wide, showing his six little teeth, and chuckled, seemingly not fixated on the fact that there was another brother on the ground. He turned around, grabbed a stuffed toy and pounced on Qi Jiaer, the two immediately tumbling together in a bundle.

Seeing that Qi Jiaer was gentle and patient, the Duchess was a little relieved. She then looked at Qi Sanshun, who was standing beside the kang, watching the two play and already looking quite imposing, and couldn’t help but admire her husband’s insight. Perhaps these two children really could bring up Yuan Brother well, securing a future for Duke An’s Mansion.

......

Inside the Second Gate of the Secluded Fragrance Garden, Maternal Aunt Zhao was restless, pacing back and forth in her room. She was concerned whether her Yuan Brother could bond with the two Qi brothers and get along well with Young Master Qi.

The two Qi brothers were adopted as younger brothers by the eldest daughter herself and had several years of affection between them. But Yuan Brother was her and Ye Hongyang’s son; if the eldest daughter didn’t favor him, she could easily ignore him as if he were unrelated, just like she does with Maternal Aunt Liu’s two sons, pushing them aside.

If Yuan Brother didn’t like Qi Jiaer and Qi Sanshun, or if Qi Jiaer didn’t like Yuan Brother, the eldest daughter certainly wouldn’t force it. Maternal Aunt Zhao feared that Yuan Brother might then lose the eldest daughter’s favor.

Although Maternal Aunt Zhao was worried, she didn’t dare send a maid to inquire, to avoid suspicion. She had to suppress her anxiety and wait until lunchtime, when she would attend to the Duchess and see the outcome.

In the room of Maternal Aunt Liu, also in the Secluded Fragrance Garden, Ye Hongyang was completely unconcerned about the affairs in the front yard, lazily reclining on the kang and re-reading a storybook.

Next to him was Maternal Aunt Liu, serving him tea and massaging his legs.