An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

I thought the magnificent Prince Yan's Mansion would be built in a strategic location in Chancheng, but I didn't expect it to be in a remote alley.

The setting sun shone obliquely on the mottled alley walls, stretching their shadows outward. The crisp sound of horse hooves on the bluestone pavement startled a few sparrows foraging in the corner.

The two men rode horses, and Xu Zize took Jing Chunxi through many turns and alleys before finally arriving at a place where the view was clear.

Jing Chunxi couldn't help but pull on the reins, her eyes widening slightly at the sight before her. The narrow alley suddenly became wide open, as if she had stepped from a cramped world into another.

There are neatly planted sycamore trees on both sides of the road, and the shadows of the trees are swaying and rustling in the breeze.

What was before him was no longer a small alley, but a wide road that was open on both sides and could accommodate three or four carriages running side by side. "Both sides of this road lead directly to the city gates, one leads to the east gate and the other to the south gate." Xu Zize deliberately stopped his horse on this road to explain it to Jing Chunxi.

His slender fingers gestured in the air, and the setting sun shone through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on his handsome profile.

For the first time, Jing Chunxi noticed the slight roll of his Adam's apple when he spoke, and that his eyes, which always had a bit of coldness, now seemed a bit soft.

"This large area belongs to the territory of Prince Yan's Mansion, so very few other carriages and horses will travel this road, otherwise someone will check them." Xu Zize continued, his voice low and magnetic.

Jing Chunxi had a question in his mind: why were they not stopped and checked when they came in by carriage?

She looked around and realized that guards in brown shorts were standing at intervals on both sides of the road. They were as still as statues, but they nodded slightly when her eyes swept over them. Obviously, they recognized Xu Zize's identity.

Finally, about half a mile to the right of the road, I saw a large house with Lingnan characteristics. It was made of blue bricks and tiles, and the doorway was twice as high as that of ordinary people's houses.

The house has upturned eaves and delicate copper bells hanging from the eaves, tinkling in the breeze. The courtyard walls are tall but not oppressive. Ivy covers the corners, gleaming golden green in the sunset.

Without knocking, Xu Zize simply blew a whistle. The sound was clear and melodious, like the chirping of a bird. Then he heard a movement overhead, and someone called out, "Young Master!" The voice was loud and joyful.

Jing Chunxi looked up and saw a square opening near the roof. Someone was apparently standing guard there. It was a young guard in his early twenties, his bronze face brimming with a sincere smile.

Then, with a clang, two of the eight doors opened from the middle, and someone called out, "Young Master."

This time it was an old butler in his fifties, with a neatly trimmed white beard and laugh lines at the corners of his eyes.

Xu Zize nodded at him, called him "Grandpa Chen", and walked inside with Jing Chunxi by his hand, asking as he walked, "Is father waiting?"

"Wait! The meal has already been set up in the front yard." A servant came out immediately and led them to the front yard.

The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old. His clever eyes kept glancing at Jing Chunxi, then he quickly lowered his head.

When passing through the front yard, Jing Chunxi noticed that there were several tall magnolia trees planted in the yard. The buds had already bloomed. There was an unfinished chessboard on the stone table under the tree. It was obvious that someone had just been playing chess here and might have been tired of waiting.

"elder brother,"

"Brother,"

"Brother, you're back."

Two boys of five or six years old were running down the stairs, shouting and almost jumping.

There was joy on their faces. The one who ran faster got closer and hugged Xu Zize's waist, rubbing his little face against his robe; the slowest one had to hug one arm, looking up at his brother with eager eyes.

Jing Chunxi was glad that he had opened Xu Zize's tightly clenched hands in time, otherwise he would have been knocked off balance by the sudden enthusiasm and would have been misunderstood, after all, they were not young anymore.

A young woman who didn't run down and a little girl of eight or nine years old were standing on the steps, looking at Xu Zize and smiling.

The woman was in her early thirties, with a pretty face. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes added to her charm. The light purple dress made her temperament gentle.

The little girl was wearing a goose yellow shirt and had two small buns on her head. She was biting her lips and smiling shyly.

This calmed Jing Chunxi's originally uneasy heart. She had originally thought that Xu Zize was a punching bag abused by his stepmother, with an unloving father, an unfilial son, and bad relations between brothers and sisters. But she didn't expect to see such a different situation.

At this time, everyone was enjoying a happy family life with brothers and sisters being friendly and respectful to each other. She couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of her preconceived assumptions.

"Brother, father has been waiting for you for too long and is sulking." Although the two boys did not look very similar, Jing Chunxi could still guess that they were twins.

One has big, round eyes, while the other inherited the Xu family's unique phoenix eyes; one is lively and active, while the other appears more quiet.

"Why don't you call me sister?" Xu Zize grabbed the little one's hand. There was not much smile on his face, but the corners of his mouth turned up when he spoke. His eyes, which were always cold, were now as soft as spring water, which made Jing Chunxi stunned.

"elder sister!"

"Sister is fine."

Both of them had very sweet voices, and when they called out, they raised their heads and turned their heads to stare at Jing Chunxi. The one with big eyes even stretched out his little hand and touched Jing Chunxi's sleeve curiously.

"Hello, brothers!" Jing Chunxi touched the head of the boy leaning against her. The touch of his soft hair warmed her heart. The boy still had the unique milky fragrance of a child, which reminded her of her own Pu Ge'er who was far away in her hometown.

"Zer, you're back. Are you hungry? Come in and have dinner." The young woman smiled sincerely, with gentle lines at the corners of her eyes. She didn't seem like someone who would criticize others.

She took two steps forward, the dark patterns on her skirt faintly visible in the setting sun. Seeing them step onto the stairs, she quickly greeted them, her voice as gentle as jade.

The little girl called out "Big Brother" again, her voice soft and thin, like the tender buds newly born in spring.

Xu Zize nodded in agreement and bowed to the woman, calling her "Auntie". This title made Jing Chunxi's heart move. It seemed that Xu Zize still had some emotional problems, or perhaps he loved his biological mother deeply.

Jing Chunxi quickly bowed to the woman and said sweetly, "Hello, Princess. I'm sorry to bother you." His movements were standard and elegant.

"Don't bother me, don't bother me. It's rare for Ze'er to bring friends to the mansion." Princess Yan said as she looked Jing Chunxi up and down. Her eyes were gentle but shrewd.

She looked from Jing Chunxi's bun to the hem of her skirt, and finally stopped at the jade pendant hanging around her waist. A thoughtful look flashed in her eyes.