CHAPTER 48

"A two or three-year-old girl?" The girl in the starry skirt rubbed her chin. "Does the royal family have such a young member?"

The lady in the black velvet dress firmly shook her head. "Absolutely not!"

The girl in the starry skirt teased her, "Oh, so you're so knowledgeable about the internal affairs of the royal family? Have you been longing to become the Empress?"

The lady in the black velvet dress rolled her eyes and nodded boldly, then countered, "Don't you two want to know? If you don't, why did you come to this banquet?"

The girl in the starry skirt felt a bit embarrassed and hesitated, "My mother insisted on bringing me here. As for becoming the Empress... I, I haven't thought about it yet."

She poked Shu Yanyan, "What about you?"

"I..." Shu Yanyan felt a bit awkward. "I didn't come for that."

The lady in the black velvet dress waved her hand. "Okay, let's not talk about that for now. We need to find a way to get to the front and see who that mysterious little girl is!"

Shu Yanyan didn't want to go over. "There are too many people... Maybe we should just forget about it?"

"We can go back and continue eating desserts."

Even without thinking too much, it was clear that the little girl appearing beside the Empress Dowager must be Yunmiao, her daughter. If Yunmiao saw her later and called her "mommy" on the spot, the situation would be uncontrollable!

The girl in the starry skirt also supported Shu Yanyan's idea. "There's nothing interesting to see anyway. Since she's not a member of the royal family, she's probably the heir of that noble family close to the royal family. We won't be able to get close even if we go over there now."

The lady in the black velvet dress was a bit frustrated. "How do you know she's just an ordinary noble's child? What if she's not? You two aren't taking this important news seriously?"

The girl in the starry skirt shrugged. "Then what other identity could she have?"

Suddenly, she smiled and put her arm around the lady in the black velvet dress's shoulder, asking back, "Could it be possible that the little girl is the Emperor's ill*gitimate daughter? If that's the case, we don't need to go over there. The Emperor's ill*gitimate daughter being brought into a high-end banquet by the Empress Dowager... Well, no one in the entire venue would have a chance."

The lady in the black velvet dress looked speechless, unable to find any immediate rebuttal.

Upon hearing these words, Shu Yanyan felt a little heartbroken.

She didn't like her own daughter being referred to as an "ill*gitimate daughter."

The girl in the starry skirt nudged her, "What's wrong with you? Are you upset by what I said?"

Shu Yanyan snapped out of her thoughts and quickly waved her hand, "No."

The girl in the starry skirt looked at her intently, "You just said you didn't come to the palace to participate in the banquet for the sake of being chosen, but as soon as I mentioned that no one in the entire venue would have a chance, you lowered your head and remained silent. It's strange if you're not upset!"

Shu Yanyan awkwardly explained, "I'm not upset because of that statement..."

She licked her lips, "I was just thinking, maybe she's not an 'ill*gitimate daughter' after all. After all, she's always by the Empress Dowager's side."

The girl in the starry skirt nodded, "So you mean that little girl is our empire's little princess."

As soon as the words came out, she shook her head, "No, that's not possible. The Emperor hasn't announced any plans for marriage yet, so there's no way that girl could be a princess."

Shu Yanyan pursed her lips and remained silent.

The other party was right... Based on her current relationship with Chu Yu, it was not incorrect to call her an "ill*gitimate daughter."

But no matter what, as Yunmiao's birth mother, it made her uncomfortable.

The lady in the black velvet dress and the girl in the starry skirt reached an agreement and were ready to go back to continue eating. They called for Shu Yanyan, but at this moment, she had lost her appetite.

She smiled and bid them farewell, "I won't go. I'm already full and I want to take a walk outside."

Although they felt a bit regretful, the two nodded and said their goodbyes to her.

As they watched Shu Yanyan's figure disappear at the entrance of the banquet hall, the girl in the starry skirt suddenly realized something and looked at her companion, asking a question, "Wait... Was the garden area open during today's banquet?"

The lady in the black velvet dress also remembered, "I don't think so. When we entered, the guards specifically instructed us to stay in this hall."

The girl in the starry skirt pointed in the direction Shu Yanyan had left, dumbfounded. "Hey! How did she go out then? And those guards even politely escorted her out."

The lady in the black velvet dress fell silent too.

After a moment, she grabbed her companion's arm. "Forget about it. Let's go back and have something to eat, alright?"

Her companion nodded, temporarily suppressing the doubts in her heart, and they returned to the dining table together.

On the other side...

Shu Yanyan, who had escaped from the banquet hall, breathed a sigh of relief.

Next to the banquet hall was a small garden, now devoid of people, with only the faint sound of insects chirping. The night breeze was slightly chilly, brushing against her body like a thin layer of ice, a bit cold but refreshing.

In such an environment, Shu Yanyan gradually calmed down and began to reflect on her audacity just now.

She had actually sneaked into the Empire's highest-level banquet and successfully obtained the information she wanted.

What was even more impressive was that based on her conversations with some people just now, she had performed exceptionally well, and hardly anyone suspected that she was just a common girl who managed to get in as an imposter.

Shu Yanyan couldn't help but wonder if this meant that the gap between her and Chu Yu wasn't as big as she had imagined.

By blending into the banquet, she could also pass herself off as a woman qualified to become the Empire's Empress. In that case, her little Yunmiao, surrounded by others, also had a semblance of an imperial princess.

Thinking this, she couldn't help but worry about Yunmiao, who was still in the banquet hall.

She didn't know how the little girl was doing right now, and she also didn't know... how the Empress Dowager would introduce Yunmiao's identity to the people attending the banquet.

Relatives' child? Friend's niece? Or...

Lost in her thoughts, a guard ran towards her. He had been stationed at the entrance of the banquet hall, and Shu Yanyan vaguely remembered seeing him before. After he greeted her, she proactively asked, "What's the matter?"

The guard replied, "Something seems to have happened in the banquet hall. The Empress Dowager requests your presence."

Shu Yanyan was taken aback.

Immediately, she realized that whatever happened in the banquet hall, and the reason the Empress Dowager sought her out first, must be related to Yunmiao!

Without even responding to the guard, Shu Yanyan quickly lifted her skirt and ran past him towards the banquet hall.

It was easy to find the Empress Dowager and Yunmiao.

She didn't need anyone to show her the way. Following the direction of the densest crowd, Shu Yanyan soon spotted the Empress Dowager and her own little girl.

Yunmiao pouted, looking dejected in the Empress Dowager's arms. On the other hand, the Empress Dowager was being cautious and comforting. There were many people attending the banquet, and though they didn't openly stare, their peripheral glances were all directed towards that direction.

Shu Yanyan's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't care about that now. She walked straight towards them.

When the Empress Dowager saw her approach, she let out a sigh of relief. "Yanyan!"

Shu Yanyan nodded at her.

Yunmiao also saw her and reached out her arms while opening her mouth to call out.

Shu Yanyan quickly covered her little mouth and whispered in her ear, "Be good, Yunmiao, don't call me for now."

Yunmiao didn't understand, but she was very obedient and closed her mouth.

The attention of the crowd was all drawn to Shu Yanyan. The noisy background was filled with discussions about her identity. Shu Yanyan heard them, but she chose to ignore them. She lowered her head and looked at Yunmiao in her embrace, asking, "What happened to Yunmiao?"

Yunmiao pursed her lips and remained silent.

At that moment, the Empress Dowager approached.

She felt somewhat guilty and said, "It's all my fault. That insensitive person said something wrong and I asked them to leave. Yunmiao, let's not be sad anymore, okay?"

Yunmiao glanced at her and said, "...It's not Grand...It's not your fault."

The Empress Dowager was almost desperate.

Look, even the baby didn't dare to call her "grandma" anymore.

Shu Yanyan also became puzzled and asked, "What did she say?"

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and quietly explained, "At first, we were all here, eating and chatting. Suddenly, someone praised the new dessert today, saying it was particularly delicious. Those desserts were made by you... cough, so both Yunmiao and I were very happy. Later, Yunmiao got excited and said that those desserts were made by her mommy."

At this point, the Empress Dowager sighed, "I didn't realize it at the time. That person probably thought Yunmiao was joking and made a sarcastic remark, 'The little girl is really good at joking. If your mommy makes desserts, what does your mother do?' Yunmiao... Yunmiao fell silent for a while, and her mood changed."

Shu Yanyan understood what happened and nodded.

She could understand why that person said that, and she could even understand that they were simply making a playful remark without any ill intent—probably no one would believe that a child who appeared in such a setting, being held by the esteemed Empress Dowager of the empire, actually had a mother who made desserts.

Although she was not ashamed of her identity, she knew that such a status didn't quite fit with this kind of occasion.

As for why Yunmiao fell silent because of that person's sarcastic comment...

It was probably because ever since they were brought back by Chu Yu, Shu Yanyan had told her not to mention Chu Yu's identity to others. Children are not very good at discerning people's intentions, and if Yunmiao unintentionally blurted it out and someone with ulterior motives took advantage of it, the situation would likely be difficult to control.

She didn't expect that Yunmiao would be brought by the Empress Dowager to such an occasion and be asked such questions by others.

Although the little girl didn't understand anything, the fact that she couldn't openly acknowledge her mother's identity was enough to hurt her sensitive heart.

The Empress Dowager continued to explain, "I initially wanted to take her away immediately, but it seems like Yunmiao didn't want to leave. So, I sent someone to find you. Yanyan, I'm sorry, but you see, the situation now is..."

Shu Yanyan snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at her, saying, "It's okay."

She gently touched Yunmiao's hair and said, "Yunmiao is feeling a bit troubled. I'll take her back and explain things to her."

The Empress Dowager nodded, "Hmm, we should go back then."

Shu Yanyan politely declined, "You are the most important figure in this banquet. It would be a pity to leave midway, wouldn't it?

"Auntie, you don't have to worry. I'll take care of Yunmiao."

The Empress Dowager wanted to refute her statement—how could she be the most important figure in this banquet? This banquet was clearly held for Yanyan and Yunmiao.

However, she could sense from Shu Yanyan's tone that she wanted to be alone with Yunmiao. After thinking for a moment, she didn't insist and just nodded, saying, "Alright, that works too."

Shu Yanyan gratefully glanced at her and walked out while holding Yunmiao.

There were many curious or probing gazes around her, but for Shu Yanyan, none of that mattered. She only had one thought in her mind now, and that was to find a quiet place to comfort her aggrieved little girl. She didn't even lift her head, her gaze fixed on the path ahead as she hurriedly walked.

The more rushed she became, the more mistakes she made.

As expected, before she reached the entrance of the banquet hall, Shu Yanyan felt like she bumped into someone head-on. The person was tall, and the impact made her fall backward. Fortunately, the person reacted quickly and grabbed her shoulder, stabilizing her stance.

Shu Yanyan had both the words "sorry" and "thank you" stuck in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn't even decide which word to say first. When she looked up, she saw Chu Yu's infamous face.

Now she didn't need to struggle anymore. She held back both "sorry" and "thank you" and muttered, "...Why is it you?"

Chu Yu sighed.

She reached out her hand, wanting to take Yunmiao from Shu Yanyan's embrace.

Yunmiao looked at her but still held onto Shu Yanyan's shoulders, showing no intention of entering Chu Yu's embrace.

Chu Yu took a deep breath. "Baby, come to your Mom's embrace."

She didn't speak loudly.

However, those who were closer and had better hearing clearly heard the word "Mom." In an instant, scattered gasps of surprise could be heard in the banquet hall.

But most people were confused, frantically asking those who gasped what they had heard.

Yunmiao, on the other hand, heard it clearly.

She seemed to pause for a moment, then without hesitation, released her grip on Shu Yanyan's neck and leaped directly into Chu Yu's arms.

Nestling affectionately on Chu Yu's shoulder, she softly called out, "Mom..."

Chu Yu turned her head and gently kissed her cheek. "Good girl."

Shu Yanyan hadn't even reacted yet, and her eldest daughter had already been "deceived" away from her embrace.

She looked at Chu Yu, opened her mouth to say something, but was still a step behind.

Chu Yu lifted the hand that wasn't holding Yunmiao and reached out to grab Shu Yanyan's fingers, unsure of how to position them in front of her chest. Then, she held Yunmiao with one hand and held Shu Yanyan's hand with the other, leading both of them in a different direction, walking back towards the center of the banquet hall.

The murmurs around them disappeared, and everyone held their breath, focusing intently—

Even if they hadn't heard those two words just now, even if they were still unsure of Shu Yanyan and Yunmiao's identity, Chu Yu's actions at this moment made them vaguely aware of something.

After the initial surprise, Shu Yanyan calmed down completely. She looked at the obedient Yunmiao lying on Chu Yu's shoulder, thought for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and ultimately didn't resist in any way.

However, Chu Yu didn't miss any of her subtle movements.

"Hmm? What are you sighing for? Are you unhappy?"

Shu Yanyan pretended to cover her mouth. "No."

She let out another gentle sigh. "It's more like a relieved feeling. If I have to put it into words, I might be a little happy."

Chu Yu's lips curled up at her words, and she squeezed Shu Yanyan's palm. "Remember what you just said."

Shu Yanyan made a puzzled 'huh' sound, not understanding the meaning behind her words. But Chu Yu didn't seem to have any intention of explaining, turning her head back and attentively focusing on the path ahead.

Under the gaze of everyone in the banquet hall, Shu Yanyan finally, belatedly realized something.

Her cheeks gradually turned red, her breathing became rapid, but she never let go of the hand held by Chu Yu.

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