The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1130 - 1130 551 Protecting the Shortcomings (second update)

Chapter 1130: 551 Protecting the Shortcomings (second update) Chapter 1130: 551 Protecting the Shortcomings (second update) The windowsill was a bit high, but Xiaojiu was a clever child. He moved a flowerpot to step on, braced himself with both hands on the windowsill, hoisted one of his short legs up, and with a slip, he was on top of it.

Huangfu Xian looked at a certain little mushroom with a face full of disdain.

Completely unaware of being disdained, the little mushroom on the windowsill turned around, aimed his little bottom at Huangfu Xian, and slid down smoothly.

This place was too high, and jumping down could lead to injury, so this was the only way down.

Huangfu Xian, watching that little bottom nearly bump into his face, exerted a great deal of effort to suppress the impulse to poke it out of the window.

Once on the ground, Xiaojiu turned around and once again greeted Huangfu Xian politely, “Little brother!”

Huangfu Xian grunted.

Ordinary people would have thought Huangfu Xian very annoying and wayward by now, but Xiaojiu didn’t feel that way at all.

On the contrary, Xiaojiu found it quite endearing.

After all, Gu Yan behaved just like that at home, flipping people off.

It was just that Gu Yan’s irascibility wasn’t as intense as Huangfu Xian’s, Gu Yan’s was just pampered petulance, whereas Huangfu Xian truly lived in the dark, his heart incredibly dim. His lifeless demeanor all afternoon sometimes made him indistinguishable from a corpse.

No one liked him, or to be precise, no one wasn’t afraid of him.

Just one look at him could frighten a child into loud crying, and as for his father and mother, every time they saw his deformed leg, he could always see unexpected expressions on their faces.

Expressions that delighted him so much he wanted to laugh hideously.

“Little brother, are you waiting for me?” Xiaojiu pointed to the spot where he was sitting, which was close to the window, and from where one could easily see the activity in the courtyard.

“What’s there to wait for you for? Are you edible or drinkable?” Huangfu Xian asked irritably.

“I have something to eat! Here, take this!” Xiaojiu took out a small oil-paper packet from his purse, opened it, and revealed several glistening candied fruits, “These are candied fruits made by my uncle grandpa, they’re especially delicious!”

Huangfu Xian: “…”

Does this child not understand human speech?

Huangfu Xian hated sweet, greasy things, and he hated beautiful-looking children.

Of course, he hated ugly ones even more.

In short, he didn’t like anyone!

“Little brother, here.” Xiaojiu stuffed a paper packet of candied fruits into his hand.

The child had just been playing in the snow, his fingertips were cold, but his palm was sweating, soft and cushy, a very strange sensation.

After giving the candied fruits, Xiaojiu withdrew his little hand and leaned on the armrest of the wheelchair to look at him, “Little brother, are your wounds healed?”

“Hmm,” Huangfu Xian replied indifferently.

“Let me see.” Xiaojiu was a meticulous little friend, he had to see for himself to be sure.

“Why are you so troublesome?” Huangfu Xian muttered impatiently.

He wasn’t about to voluntarily show his wounds to anyone, but when Xiaojiu reached out with that soft little hand to grab his hand, he didn’t resist.

That soft, cat-paw-like sensation was back.

Xiaojiu looked very carefully and after a long moment, he nodded seriously, “Mhm, the recovery isn’t bad, this scab will fall off in a few days, make sure you don’t scratch it.”

Huangfu Xian snorted coldly, “You don’t say.”

“Little brother, your hands are so good-looking,” Xiaojiu held his clean and slender hand, not hiding the admiration in his eyes.

It had to be said, Huangfu Xian’s hands were indeed beautiful, with well-defined joints, long and fair, like delicately carved jade.

This was the first time someone has ever complimented his appearance, even though it was just his hands.

He was marred, and every time someone saw his disabled leg, they wore a choked-up expression, and from a young age, he knew his legs were ugly. Gradually, he felt his entire being was ugly.

He was a hideously unattractive person.

Someone who shouldn’t and wasn’t worthy of making a spectacle of himself.

“They really are very nice to look at.”

Xiaojiu’s tiny fleshy hands held Huangfu Xian’s hand, turning it over and back.

They say children don’t lie, but that’s not true, children can lie so convincingly that even they believe it.

But no child would bother to lie to a cripple like him for no good reason.

They couldn’t trick him into giving them food or toys.

Xiaojiu played with his hand while he watched Xiaojiu play with his hand.

It was at this moment that Lianlian returned.

Lianlian, seeing the unexpected little one in the room, cried out in surprise!

Huangfu Xian wanted to stop her, but it was too late; Princess Ning An was nearby, and Lianlian’s cry had startled her over.

“What happened?” Princess Ning An stood at the doorway and asked.

Lianlian pointed into the room, “A… a child!”

Princess Ning An stepped inside, took a close look, and recognized Xiaojiu.

Huangfu Xian subconsciously retracted the hand that Xiaojiu was fiddling with, restoring his usual indifference.

However, a mother knows her son best, and the moment Princess Ning An entered the room, she clearly saw a different Huangfu Xian.

Princess Ning An walked over with a smile, “Is that you, Xiaojiu? Do you recognize me?”

“Hmm… you’re…” Xiaojiu had been to the Longevity Palace before, of course, he had seen Princess Ning An, and he knew she was Huangfu Xian’s mother. He rolled his eyes and greeted her politely, “Princess Ning An.”

Princess Ning An smiled tenderly and raised her hand to touch his cheek.

Huangfu Xian said, “Mother.”

Princess Ning An’s hand, which was about to touch Xiaojiu’s cheek, paused, and she turned to look at her, smiling slightly, “What’s wrong?”

Huangfu Xian said coldly, “I’m tired and would like to rest.”

Princess Ning An smiled helplessly and indulgently replied to him, “This is where you are mistaken, if you have made a new friend why didn’t you tell your mother? Your friend must be new here, spend some more time with your new friend, there’s no rush to rest.”

“I’m sleepy,” Huangfu Xian said, his lashes trembling, he hurriedly added, “He’s not my friend! His bird flew into my courtyard, he just came in to look for his bird.”

Xiaojiu, who was busy dismantling Huangfu Xian’s pillow: …??

Princess Ning An said with a faint smile, “Now that he’s here, it wouldn’t hurt to make a friend. Jie Kong is Doctor Gu Yan’s brother, the Empress Dowager is very fond of him, it seems fitting for you two to be friends.”

As she spoke, she leaned down slightly, looking gently at Xiaojiu, “Jie Kong, would you like to be friends with Brother Xian?”

Xiaojiu nodded incessantly.

Princess Ning An reached out to ruffle his little head.

Xiaojiu dodged backwards, covering his own head with two small hands and patted gently, saying, “No other woman can touch my head, only Jiaojiao can.”

Princess Ning An burst into laughter, “Alright, I won’t touch.” She turned towards the door, “Lianlian, go get the Chestnut Cake from my room.”

“Yes!”

Lianlian turned and went.

Before long, she brought over a plate of delicately made Chestnut Cake.

Princess Ning An took it, handed a piece to Xiaojiu personally, “This is Chestnut Cake I made myself, it’s different from what the Imperial Palace offers, try it Jie Kong.”

Xiaojiu hesitated, “But, but Jiaojiao said I shouldn’t eat things from strangers.”

Princess Ning An smiled, “I am not a stranger, am I? I am your aunt’s daughter, we are family.”

Xiaojiu thought seriously for a moment, “Hmm… so Brother Xian and I are family too?”

Princess Ning An nodded, “Of course, you are family.”

Food from family should be all right to eat, right?

Xiaojiu slurped up saliva and took the pastry that Princess Ning An handed him.

But before it could reach his mouth, Huangfu Xian slapped it out of his hand.

His little hand stung with pain, and the pastry fell to the ground.

Huangfu Xian said coldly, “Who allowed you to eat our things? You’re not getting any!”

Princess Ning An: “Xian’er.”

Huangfu Xian seemed very angry, petulantly knocked over the plate in Princess Ning An’s hand, spilling all the pastries onto the floor.

Princess Ning An’s face darkened, “Xian’er!”

Huangfu Xian roared at Princess Ning An, “My things are not to be eaten by others! I hate it when you are nice to other people!”

Xiaojiu looked at Huangfu Xian, feeling hurt, and muttered, “…I won’t compete with you for mother, I have Jiaojiao.”

But Huangfu Xian seemed to completely ignore his explanation, saying with a face full of disgust, “Leave! I don’t want to see you! If your bird dares to fly into my courtyard again, I will kill it and make a pot of little eagle soup!”

Xiaojiu, who was busy at work, instantly sensed that things were no longer sweet!

Drooping his little head, Xiaojiu, holding onto one of Xiaojiu’s wings, left with a look full of grievance.

Xiaojiu, sitting on the floor and dragged along like a mop: …

Princess Ning An watched Huangfu Xian unblinkingly, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew eerie.

Lianlian sensed a storm brewing.

However, in the end, Princess Ning An only took a few deep breaths, slowly exhaled, and turned to walk out.

“You leave too.”

Huangfu Xian said.

Lianlian, who had just stepped over the threshold, sulkily retracted her foot.

Now only Huangfu Xian was left in the spacious room.

He looked at the silent courtyard, as if no one had ever been there, as if from the beginning of time, he had been the only one in this vast world.

That was fine.

That was for the best.

He didn’t need friends.

He didn’t need pity.

He didn’t need happiness.

Those who approached him with pity and sympathy would eventually leave him with fear and disgust.

He was already tired of it.

“Big brother!”

That little mushroom had sprung up once again from under the window sill!

Huangfu Xian, startled, stumbled and rolled off his wheelchair…