209: Returning to the Palace and Surprises

Hain remained silent for a long time after listening to Tu Nan's analysis.

It was late at night, in the quiet of the evening.

Tu Nan was in the Imperial Palace, and she could only contact Hain using a dedicated line with a higher security level.

Her three subordinates were still present, but they did not show their faces.

They were hidden pieces whose identities were known only to The Emperor; in the end, The Emperor was merely lending them to her.

"I am not as good as you," Hain said, his eyes lowered.

"I think you mean to say that I performed well." Tu Nan saw Hain's despondency and paused the meeting.

"Everyone, I think we've discussed enough for today. Why don't we all move forward with our tasks?"

Her subordinates were all astute; they immediately saw that she had something to say to Lord Hain in private and quickly exited the channel.

Hain felt a bit nervous.

Tu Nan sighed softly in her heart.

She never expected that one day she would be comforting Hain in such matters.

"We aren't competitors. My doing well doesn't mean you're doing poorly. It just means we have our own directions and paths."

Tu Nan was very frank.

"I handled this round better than you only because my focus fell on parts that you all overlooked."

"But if you believe in The Emperor, you can believe in yourself."

Hain had a moment of realization, and sure enough, Tu Nan continued: "If you weren't as good as me, The Emperor would have had you assist me, rather than letting me work 'with you'."

"The Emperor wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with official business, right?"

"You're right," Hain admitted. "I was being narrow-minded."

Tu Nan shot him a look. "Again?"

Hain was taken aback, then he pursed his lips and smiled helplessly.

"Do you like... more confident people?" Like Kong Jiamu?

"I like you for being you," Tu Nan said, stopping his wandering thoughts.

"Everyone will become a better version of themselves, but that should never be for the sake of someone else."

No.

Hain countered in his heart.

I want to become the better Hain in your mind. Since it's for you, then it's for myself.

He didn't say it out loud.

He already knew that Tu Nan didn't think that way.

"Is the... child okay?" he asked Tu Nan.

Tu Nan smiled and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

Her recent dresses were all slightly loose or high-waisted; she could no longer wear the ones that cinched at the waist.

With her movement, one could finally see a slight bulge in her lower abdomen.

"The child is very well and quite healthy."

Tu Nan thought for a moment and told Hain, "I've already let the Two Children know they're going to have a younger brother."

Thinking of those Two Children, Hain's expression grew even softer.

"What... did they say?"

"They spend time every day giving their little brother early education lessons." Tu Nan shook her head as she thought about how the little ones were getting along.

What she never expected was that Miao Miao would suddenly become so "steady."

After realizing she was becoming an older sister, a strong sense of responsibility surged within her, forcing her to conduct various lessons for the Two Children in the womb every day.

Mainly by reading aloud.

The poor little pair were forced to endure the torment.

It was indeed torment; Miao Miao's reading voice was so serious and monotonous that Tu Nan had been hypnotized by her several times.

Not to mention Little Fish and Little Bird, who still lacked mental energy.

They basically automatically lost power after fifteen minutes.

Tu Nan had now figured it out; she would grab the Children before bedtime and let the process unfold. It allowed Miao Miao to review what she learned during the day, coaxed her two brothers to sleep, and helped Tu Nan herself feel sleepy.

Three birds with one stone.

However, Ao Ao had probably seen through her sinister plan, though he wouldn't expose his mother... "So... do they know it's me?" When Hain asked this, he didn't even know what answer he wanted to hear.

He felt a bit ashamed and a little embarrassed.

It was similar to the discomfort an adult feels when taking away a child's favorite toy.

Before Tu Nan could answer, he quickly said, "Better not tell them yet. There's... there will be a chance, and I'll tell them slowly later."

A slight flush rose to his cheeks.

With a light cough, he gave Tu Nan some instructions to cover his embarrassment. "Don't keep contacting me. You know, this matter is really..."

He paused.

"The Emperor letting you get involved is just..." Seeing Tu Nan's disapproving look, he ultimately swallowed the rest of his words.

He couldn't stop Tu Nan from flying.

Even though he knew exactly how much turbulence and risk there was at high altitudes.

It was her nature; some birds are destined to fly high... "In any case, you must prioritize your safety. Peng Tianyu is very good." Having him by Tu Nan's side allowed Hain to relax slightly.

The Emperor truly was very good at using people according to their talents.

"You hang up first," Hain requested of her.

Tu Nan was once again alone in the room.

A moment later, she sighed softly.

***

Xiao Xiong and Gaia were brought into the palace by Tu Nan before dinner.

And Lance... Tu Nan originally didn't want her appearing under The Emperor's nose, but upon hearing there was a chance to tour the palace, Lance practically threw a tantrum to come along.

Thinking carefully, Long Jingyuan probably wouldn't care about the identity of her friend, so she tentatively added a name to the list at the last minute.

It was approved in seconds.

Tu Nan's hands felt a bit itchy. What would happen if she applied for a few more people?

Of course, she wasn't crazy; she didn't try to push her luck with Long Jingyuan.

So when they returned to the palace... Gaia held Xiao Xiong, whose eyes were swollen from crying, while Lance stayed close to her.

When she picked up Xiao Xiong, Tu Nan squatted down, trying to meet the child's eyes as she tentatively called to him: "Xiao Xiong... do you still remember me?"

Children have short memories, and her appearance had changed; she didn't expect to be remembered.

But Xiao Xiong looked at her, and as he stood there, tears began to fall. As he cried, he actually transformed into a fluffy bear cub.

He couldn't control his emotions; he was too excited.

Tu Nan's tears also couldn't help but fall. This child—his memory hadn't faded at all, and he recognized her at a glance.

"Tu Nan, it's Tu Nan," Xiao Xiong sobbed, tears and snot falling onto the fur on his chest.

Tu Nan pulled him into her arms.

"It's me, it's Tu Nan." Patting his back, Tu Nan gently coaxed him.

"I... missed you," the child poured out his heart, repeating the same sentence over and over. "I missed you every day."

"Yes, it's my fault."

"No, Daddy said someone was chasing you and you had no choice."

Tu Nan hadn't expected Zhuang Qi to explain it to the child that way. Was that how he saw the matter? Or was it just to comfort the child?

Zhuang Qi's attitude toward Foster Mothers was indeed very neutral.

He used Foster Mothers and followed the rules, but he also didn't seem to object to someone challenging those rules?

Tu Nan only thought for a moment before she felt the weight in her arms lighten.

Lance reached out to take the little fellow, giving Tu Nan a disapproving glare.

"Oh my, let Lance hold this cute baby, okay? Tu Nan isn't feeling well~"

"Ah?" The little fellow was stunned, and Gaia, standing nearby, also perked up his ears.

"She's pregnant with a little baby, so she can't get tired," Lance said bluntly.

"Ah?" Gaia was dumbfounded.

Peng Tianyu, who was following closely behind Tu Nan, was also dumbfounded.

No wonder! He was wondering why she was living in the palace and why he was told he must protect her with all his heart. This... would he dare not give his all!

Peng Tianyu scanned the surroundings, feeling that there was danger everywhere outside the palace.

"Miss Tu Nan, please return to the palace as soon as possible, or else His Majesty will be worried."

Gaia's knees went weak, and he stumbled.

What on earth did he just hear?!