Seeing that Mu Yunshang was no longer angry, An Bao's tense little face finally relaxed with relief. She then stuck out a chubby index finger and gave a little tap, explaining in all seriousness: "Third Uncle, An Bao really wasn't playing with fire — An Bao was refining medicine to save First Uncle!"
At An Bao's words, something stirred in Mu Yunshang's eyes, and in an instant, all his severity melted into tenderness.
So it was all for Mu Yunyi.
It seems Little Milk Bun was worried about Mu Yunyi — that must be why she did something so dangerous, wasn't it?
Who knew where the little thing had picked up some xianxia drama, getting it into their head that casually tossing in a few medicinal herbs was all it took to refine a life-saving elixir.
But no matter what, Little Milk Ball's heart was in the right place!
How could such an adorable, filial little dumpling possibly be the seed of Big Brother — that cold-faced, heartless man?
Could there have been a mix-up at the hospital? Is there any chance the little dumpling might actually be his?
Mu Yunshang was giving the matter very serious thought — was it at all possible that some ex-girlfriend of his had quietly gone and given him a daughter as adorable as An Bao……
"Ahem, An Bao did a good thing, but playing with fire is still a bit too dangerous. If An Bao plays with fire again in the future, Third Uncle will have to spank An Bao's little bottom."
The moment An Bao heard she was going to get spanked, she was so frightened that her two little chubby hands flew up to cover her small bottom — though they barely reached — and she hastily explained, "Third Uncle, it wasn't An Bao playing with fire. It was Xiao Fengfeng! Whenever An Bao refines pills, Xiao Fengfeng is the one who breathes fire to help."
???
Xiao Fengfeng stared at An Bao in shock, then beat her wings and flew straight up to the crystal chandelier hanging above the villa, glaring down at An Bao and crying furiously: "Burning bridges! Burning bridges!"
"There's no river, and An Bao didn't demolish any bridge either. Demolishing bridges is wrong—you'd have to pay compensation, you know." An Bao looked at Xiao Fengfeng with a half-understanding expression as she spoke.
"Idiot!"
"But Xiao Fengfeng, just yesterday you were praising An Bao for being clever."
"!!!"
A chubby little dumpling, delicate as carved jade, and a brilliantly colored parrot were locked in a heated quarrel, the two of them going at each other without end.
Mu Yunshang rubbed his eyes and stared very seriously at Xiao Fengfeng, then turned to Butler Li and asked: "Butler Li, do you think if I handed over a bird that became a spirit after the founding of the nation to Second Brother for dissection, would Second Brother praise me?"
“……”
Butler Li looked at the bristling Xiao Fengfeng and couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. *Third Young Master, have some decency.*
Because An Bao had caused a cauldron explosion during pill refining and ruined the Daoist robe she was wearing, Mu Yunshang simply found a maidservant and sent her to give An Bao a bath.
She also had someone buy an absurd number of princess dresses and put them on An Bao.
After her bath, An Bao changed into a princess dress of pale yellow adorned with sequins. Her hair fell loose over her shoulders, and her large eyes, still slightly damp, gazed up at Mu Yunshang. She tugged at her skirt hem with a touch of nervous unease and said softly, "Third Uncle? Does it look bad? An Bao has never worn a dress before. Master always said An Bao looks really ugly in dresses."
"Bullshit!"
Mu Yunshang gazed at An Bao standing before him, his eyes brimming with delight — she looked just like a fairy princess who had stepped out of an enchanted kingdom.
He had never seen such an adorable, squishy little milk bun as his very own An Bao!
At this very moment, An Bao was a true princess — the little princess of their Mu family!
Mu Yunshang felt a flicker of pride in his heart, yet upon hearing An Bao's words, he instinctively blurted out.
Coming to his senses, Mu Yunshang noticed that An Bao was clearly looking a little frightened, and hurried to explain: "An Bao, don't listen to that so-called master of yours spouting nonsense—our An Bao is a beautiful little princess! That master of yours is simply poor, can't afford to buy you dresses, which is why he said such things! Oh, or maybe he just thinks dresses are too hard to wash, and that's why he makes you wear that drab grey Daoist robe!"
"Mm-hmm, Third Uncle, you're so clever~! Master is really, really poor, you know. Master has to feed Master, feed the senior brothers, feed the senior sisters, and on top of that feed the Grand Master too — Master is *truly* so poor~ So Master can't afford to keep An Bao anymore, that's why Master sent An Bao to find Uncle~!"
An Bao thought back carefully.
In her memory, her mother had always left her in the care of a Taoist temple, coming to visit only once a year.
But Mother was so gentle — each time she came, An Bao was overjoyed, yet she could never understand why Mother would not take her along.
Master said that Mother has a knot in her heart that cannot be undone, and so she cannot be by her side.
Later, Mom came looking for her again. This time, Mom never left — but… she never opened her eyes again either.
Before her mother passed away, she had shown her photos of her maternal uncles and told her to go find them.
An Bao had not wanted to leave the Daoist temple in the first place — she didn't know her uncles at all.
Yet Master refused to keep her any longer. He had Senior Brother escort her to Yangcheng, and then departed.
An Bao had been feeling a little sad before, but now An Bao wasn't sad anymore — because Uncle was so wonderful.
He would take her out for delicious food, buy her pretty dresses, and tell her she looked just like a little princess.
"Third Uncle! An Bao likes you so much!"
An Bao thought as much, and said so—then spread her little arms wide and threw herself into Mu Yunshang's embrace.
Mu Yunshang paused for a brief moment, his gaze turning gentle.
Though no one knew what little An Bao's life had been like before, from the few words An Bao had let slip, it seemed it hadn't been very good—especially when it came to that unreliable master of hers.
"Third Uncle likes An Bao so much too."
Deep in the quiet of the night, An Bao reached into her little pouch and pulled out a stack of talisman papers, then plastered them all over the room.
He then retrieved the pills he had refined earlier in the day and set them on the table. With a grave expression, he produced a needle and carefully pricked one of his fingers.
After the bright crimson blood dripped onto the elixir, An Bao hastily took out a band-aid, wrapped up the cut finger, then looked toward Xiao Fengfeng.
Xiao Fengfeng was silent for a moment before finally speaking up, flapping her wings as she praised, "Wow! An Bao is so brave! Not scared of pain at all! Amazing!"
An Bao gave a satisfied little nod, then opened the window and called out to Xiao Fengfeng: "Xiao Fengfeng, we're ready. Can the Dispirited Spirit smell it?"
"Hmm, should be fine? Your blood smells so good — what ghost wouldn't like it?"
Only then did An Bao feel reassured, giving a small nod of her little head before sitting cross-legged on the bed, her face drawn tight.
Time passed, second by second…
An Bao had been waiting so long that her little head began to bob, her eyelids drooping lower and lower, as though she were about to fall asleep.
Just at that moment, a chill wind swept past, and the wind chimes hanging by the window suddenly began to ring in rapid, frantic peals.
An Bao jolted awake, yanked out the peach-wood sword, and barked at Xiao Fengfeng in a tiny, piping voice: "Xiao Fengfeng! Quick quick quick! They're here, they're here! Get to work!!"
Xiao Fengfeng hurriedly flapped her wings and flew to the window, quickly shutting it closed!
A mass of black gas came surging in, only to sense that something was wrong and attempt to flee.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
The Despondent Spirit hurled itself frantically against the window, desperate to escape through it—yet yellow talismans had been pasted over the glass, and there was simply no way it could ever break through.
"Hmph! You villain! How dare you harm An Bao's uncle — just wait and see how An Bao beats you up!!"
With that, An Bao snatched up the peach wood sword and charged forward, still muttering, "Rawr! Here comes the Little Flying Sword!"