The Emperor's Beloved: My Ancestor is the Crown Prince?

Chapter 18 A Niece Falls from the Sky?

Beautiful explanation?

Xiao Qingyi tilted her head, the long rabbit ears on her hat tilting slightly as well, her round eyes filled with innocent confusion: "Do I need some beautiful Jie Jie?"

What?

Li Chengqian was speechless for a moment. How exactly does this child's brain work?

"What brings you here?" He composed himself, not letting his guard down just because the other person was a child. After all, in this heavily guarded palace, she was the first person to appear and disappear out of thin air.

"I wanted to come play with you!" Xiao Qingyi answered matter-of-factly, gesturing with her little hands. "Grandma, your yard is so big! It's completely different from my house! Oh, right," she suddenly remembered the most important thing, turning her body to point to the insulated lunchbox on the ground, "I also brought you some food! It was made by Uncle Li from my family, and it was so delicious!"

Li Chengqian looked at the little boy in front of him, who was jumping around happily by himself, and his eye twitched almost imperceptibly. This child... isn't he a little too familiar?

All told, how many times have they met? Although she always calls him "Grandmother, Grandmother," Li Chengqian is only twenty years old and not yet married. Where did such a plump "great-granddaughter" come from?

"What brings you here?" He suppressed the absurdity in his heart and spoke calmly. He couldn't possibly argue with a four- or five-year-old child.

"I'm going to tattle!" Xiao Qingyi immediately got to the point, her little face hardening as she began to complain angrily, "I'm going to tattle on my dad! He's so mean! He forced me to run this morning! He's a bad guy! I don't want this dad anymore!" As she spoke, she widened her eyes, as if that would increase the power of her accusation.

Seeing her so angry she looked like a steamed bun, Li Chengqian found it somewhat amusing and subconsciously reached out to gently pinch her chubby cheeks with his fingertips.

...She is truly a filial daughter.

"You've come here to complain about your father," he asked deliberately. "Does your father know? If he knows, gets angry, and abandons you, wouldn't you become a fatherless child?"

"Ah-yeah?" Xiao Qingyi tilted her head again, the soft rabbit ears on her hat brushing against Li Chengqian's hand. "What is 'ah-yeah'? Is it like the buzzing of bees? Ah-yeah, ah-yeah, ah-yeah!" She didn't understand the meaning of the word at all, only thinking it was some novel and interesting pronunciation game. She hugged Li Chengqian's neck, swinging her little feet as she happily repeated it.

"Elder brother? This is... your child?"

Just then, a clear, surprised female voice came from the palace entrance.

The visitor was none other than Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi. Having nothing to do in the inner palace, and recalling the novel snacks her elder brother, the Crown Prince, had sent her a few days earlier, which had made her lose all interest in the usual imperial meals, she decided to visit the Eastern Palace, hoping to perhaps "mooch" some good food. But as soon as she stepped through the palace gates, she heard a soft, sweet child's voice cheerfully calling out, "Father, Father!"

She was shocked: Her elder brother, the Crown Prince, had not yet married the Crown Princess, so when did he have such a big child?

Li Lizhi walked quickly closer and saw that her brother was indeed holding a fluffy white bundle in his arms. Judging from its shape and attire, it was clearly a four or five-year-old child.

Hearing the noise, Xiao Qingyi turned around and saw a beautifully dressed girl. She immediately exclaimed sweetly, "Oh? Pretty Jie Jie!"

That soft and sweet "Pretty Jie Jie" instantly struck Li Lizhi's heart, turning her earlier surprise and doubt into a heart full of tenderness.

"Elder brother!" She looked at Li Chengqian reproachfully, her tone half-joking and half-complaining, "Honestly! The child is so grown up, and I, as his aunt, was still kept in the dark!"

"Ahem... Lizhi, this is not..." Li Chengqian was about to explain when Li Lizhi reached out and took Xiao Qingyi from his arms without saying a word.

Upon handling it... it was indeed heavy and very solid.

She looked down closely and saw the child in her arms wearing a fluffy white rabbit onesie, with long, soft ears drooping from the hood. The child had a round, rosy face and big, bright eyes, looking at her curiously. The child was incredibly cute.

"What an adorable little bunny!" Li Lizhi's heart melted, and she asked softly, "Tell Auntie, what's your name?"

"Beautiful Jie Jie, my name is Li Qingyi!" Little Qingyi answered loudly.

Looking at her docile appearance nestled in her sister's arms, and recalling her "fierce" behavior when she complained earlier, Li Chengqian couldn't help but say coolly, "What little bunny? You're clearly a fat rabbit. If you keep this heavy, I'll stew you into rabbit soup next time."

"Bunny!" To everyone's surprise, Xiao Qingyi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she even unconsciously drooled, excitedly saying, "Where can I find bunnies? I love eating bunnies! Braised! So fragrant!"

Li Lizhi: "...Big brother!" She glared at her brother, then gently patted the little one in her arms. "Don't listen to your father's nonsense. He's just trying to scare you." Looking at Xiao Qingyi, who drooled at the mention of rabbit meat and seemed not afraid at all but rather looking forward to it, Li Lizhi suddenly felt that her worries just now seemed a bit unnecessary.

However, after her initial excitement, Xiao Qingyi seemed to realize something and quickly added, "No, no, I can't eat the bunny that Pretty Jie Jie is holding! The bunny is so cute, I won't eat it!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow slightly.

Oh? This little one's quick-witted. She knows who can back her up right now?