chapter 7

Chapter 7: Bullied

The elder Duke, unable to resist, wore a loving smile, carefully supporting the child with both hands.

The elder Duchess also moved closer, gently wiping away the tears from the little dumpling's face with a handkerchief, softly patting him, "Good boy, Little He."

The stifled atmosphere in the room slowly began to dissipate.

Only Qi Zhuoyun remained frozen for a moment.

His gaze fixed on the back of the child's jet-black head.

Shen He, now held by his grandfather, tried hard to hold back his tears.

Shen He wouldn't cry.

A real man bleeds, but doesn't shed tears!

Sob sob sob.

It wasn't that he wanted to cry, but his one-year-old body wasn't quite under his control.

Tears soaked the Duke's robe. By the time he chose to lift his head, his fair and tender face had turned bright red.

The tip of his nose and the areas around his eyes were especially pronounced.

The young prince sat at the head of the table, with the Duke and Duchess seated below. Both looked at Shen He, their affection evident.

After Shen He managed to overcome his surge of sadness, he cheered up.

He acted spoilt in front of his grandparents, doing so effortlessly without a hint of shame.

He sat in the Duke's lap, reaching for the pastries on the table, clawing at them like a kitten kneading.

The Duchess smiled, wrapping a piece of pastry with a napkin and offering it to Shen He's lips, "Eat, little He. Is it tasty? Should Grandma have more made for you in the future?"

Shen He gripped the Duchess's hand and nibbled on the pastry.

It's delicious.

His eyes curved up in happiness.

After watching him eat half of it, the Duchess decided he'd had enough, "Be good, little He. We'll have more next time."

Shen He nodded, leaning against the Duke, letting his grandmother wipe his hands and mouth.

The wrinkles at the corners of the Duchess's eyes deepened as she smiled, her affection for her newly met grandson clearly evident.

She praised, "Little He is such a good boy."

Shen He was rather quiet, not the usual babbling non-stop like most children.

That's because he wasn't truly a child.

However, there was a genuine child in the room.

Shen He's nominal elder brother.

The eldest son of the Shen family, Shen Yan.

His biological mother was the Duke's beloved, Lady Zheng, a beauty with a gentle and fluid grace.

Of course, that was just on the surface.

At the moment, Shen Yan, held by Lady Zheng, began to babble loudly.

Immediately, several gazes were drawn to the scene.

Duke Shen was the first to look over, and upon locking eyes with Madam Zheng, he whispered, "Father, may I hold Xiao He too?"

Only then did Shen He have the opportunity to notice his father.

One glance at his father, and Shen He's fists tightened.

"Really now, Sir Shen, this 'version 2.0' of yours is quite something. Daring to betray my mother, entertaining numerous concubines, and even letting them bully my mother!"

"Trash!"

"Scoundrel!"

Shen He's temper flared instantly.

Angered, he clenched his little fist, and as the Grand Duke passed him to Duke Shen, he threw a forceful punch, striking him right in the eye!

For a child of around one year old, his strength was neither too strong nor too weak.

The significant point was that he hit a vulnerable spot, the eye.

Duke Shen felt a sharp pain in his eye and almost dropped Shen He.

Due to his reaction, a gasp of shock resonated throughout the room. The Grand Duchess stood up, nearly rushing forward without regard to her decorum to catch the child.

Thankfully, the Grand Duke hadn't completely let go and held Shen He tightly.

Qi Zhuoyun stood up entirely, and only after seeing that Shen He wasn't hurt, did she sigh with relief.

Her gaze at Duke Shen cooled considerably.

The Grand Duke cradled Shen He carefully, gently patting his back, comforting, "It's okay, it's okay."

After calming the child, the Grand Duke glared at Duke Shen, who had been punched, "How can you, as his father, not hold your child securely!?"

Duke Shen frowned deeply, remaining silent.

He looked at the child nestled in his father's arms, his disdain for his legitimate son evident, "Father, it was an unintentional mistake. The Crown Prince is still here."

The Grand Duke shot Duke Shen a stern look before turning to the young Crown Prince to apologize, "My apologies for the indiscretion in your presence, Your Highness."

The young Crown Prince replied calmly, "It's fine."

After such a minor disruption, neither the Grand Duke nor the Grand Duchess were inclined to let Duke Shen hold the child again.

Moreover, the child was under the watchful eye of the Crown Prince.

Having almost dropped his child in front of the Crown Prince, the chances of them reclaiming the child from him seemed even more remote.

This young Crown Prince was quite unlike any ordinary child. One must treat him with the respect accorded to a true authority.

Seeing this "Version 2.0" being reprimanded, Shen He felt a significant relief in his heart.

Naturally, his real father had always treated him kindly. He shared a deep bond with his mother. They were childhood sweethearts, with his father always trailing behind her. As they grew, their love blossomed and they married. Together, they built from scratch, amassing a modest family fortune for Shen He.

Shen He couldn't fathom how the father in this world could be such a reprehensible person.

He scoffed inwardly.

When he grew up, he would kick this scoundrel into oblivion.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess tried to appease Shen He.

Just then, the hem of the Grand Duchess's dress was tugged.

Another toddler, almost the same height as him, wobbled as he walked. He leaned against her leg and looked up at her.

The Grand Duchess, with a warm smile, lifted Shen Yan into her arms and facing Shen He said, "Xiao Yan, this is your younger brother, your little brother He."

Shen He blinked in response.

This titular elder brother of his was merely a cannon fodder in the original story.

But his fate was much better than the treacherous Shen He's.

Shen He recalled that he had offended some royal, and conveniently, with Shen He suspected of a conspiracy over the family assets, the male protagonist sent him away from the capital to a remote location.

In the end, he had narrowly escaped the turmoil of the male protagonist's rise to power.

Now, looking at this 'bun version' of a cannon-fodder elder brother, Shen He felt somewhat nostalgic.

When reading the book, the male protagonist's unyielding ascent, defeating gods and slaying Buddhas, was exhilarating.

But being in this world, seeing everyone come to life, Shen He found it surreal.

Such feelings were soon brushed to the back of Shen He's mind.

He was taken by the Grand Duke and Duchess and placed on a small couch alongside Shen Yan.

The Grand Duke patted his back, "Play with your brother, Xiao He."

Leaving the children under the care of several maids, they turned and left.

Shen He: "?"

Shen He gazed at his drooling cannon-fodder elder brother.

He quickly crawled over and touched the little one's face.

And then, he felt a surge of happiness.

"Oh, this little dumpling is so soft! So delightful to touch, hehe."

"But you drool a lot, are you being weaned?"

Shen He faintly remembered when his little cousin was being weaned, her mother had mentioned she drooled a lot.

Somewhat displeased, Shen He grabbed the little cannon-fodder brother's arm, wiping the drool with his own sleeve.

After wiping off the drool, Shen Yan's face scrunched up in displeasure.

He shot Shen He an unhappy glance, yanked his arm back with such force that he nearly toppled backward.

Shen He chuckled.

"Ah, this little dumpling sure is feisty."

With a pout, Shen Yan steadied himself, mumbling in baby talk, "Go!"

Shen He got up, using the edge of the couch for support.

Seeing this, Shen Yan paused, then imitated, attempting to stand as well.

Holding onto the edge of the couch, Shen He leaned forward, trying to feel the ground with his feet, aiming to get down.

Shen Yan did the same, mimicking his younger brother quite well.

The nanny who was watching them thought of assisting, but seeing Shen He's adeptness, she cautiously stood by without intervening.

After landing safely, Shen He turned to check on Shen Yan.

Clearly, Shen Yan lacked such experiences.

His legs were a tad longer than Shen He's, but his attempts to reach the floor proved futile.

After trying for a while, Shen Yan grew frustrated and began to whine, "Ah ah! Hold! Waaah..."

Shen He moved closer, intending to support Shen Yan's plump backside and help him slide down.

"You're almost eighteen months old! You should be able to get down from a couch."

Shen He earnestly decided he would aid the child's growth.

Unfortunately, he was a step too late.

Before Shen He could support Shen Yan's bottom, or before the maids could lift him, Shen Yan let go and tumbled off the edge of the couch.

It wasn't a high fall, as half of him was already off the couch, and his feet nearly touched the ground.

As Shen He was close, Shen Yan's fall sent them both tumbling in a heap.

The maids and nannies in the room were taken aback, quickly bending down to lift the two young masters.

Shen He, being an eighteen-year-old in a child's body, felt no pain and remained silent.

However, Shen Yan, the genuine toddler, burst into tears.

As Shen He wanted to approach and comfort the crying child, two figures entered from outside.

It was Lady Zheng and her attendant.

Lady Zheng had quickened her steps upon hearing her son's cry from outside.

Her gentle face turned cold as she snatched Shen Yan from the nanny's arms, soothingly patting his back, "Don't cry, don't cry. Mommy is here. Who dared to upset our eldest young master?"

The maids and nannies exchanged anxious glances, daring not to utter a word.

Lady Zheng's tone was tender, as if she was merely comforting a child.

Yet, between her words lay veiled accusations.

Shen • Eighteen in Spirit • He: "???"

Wow, you can't seriously think a one-year-old won't understand what you're saying, right?

At that, Shen He's temper flared up!

Accusing him falsely!

Shen He was about to let out a loud cry.

Who said he can't cry? His current body is even half a year younger than Shen Yan's – guaranteed to wail heartbreakingly.

Shen He: "Whimper~"

He couldn't even whimper twice before getting distracted by the figure that rushed in, going off-key.

Oh, here comes the male lead.

No need for me to waste my vocal cords now.

Shen He immediately calmed down, grasping his ankles, anticipating the male lead to stand up for him.

The young prince was initially in the main hall, as the Duke and Duchess wanted to discuss matters concerning Shen He.

Out of respect for Shen He's kin, Qi Zhuoyun had to restrain himself and listen to their repeated arguments.

Their main point was that Shen He belonged to the Shen family and would be better off growing up there.

Making it sound more palatable, they argued that young Shen He could disrupt the peace in the Eastern Palace due to his tender age.

With his myriad responsibilities, Shen He's presence in the Eastern Palace is a burden he cannot bear; they dare not impose upon him.

Qi Zhuoyun felt a touch of irritability.

He wondered, how many in this family genuinely cared for Shen He?

And who could truly keep a constant watch over him, protect him, ensuring he doesn't get hurt?

Without his mother, the young boy shares a similar plight with him.

Even those closest to him had a barrier between; they had others they wanted to be close to and protect.

Even Lady Shen dared not leave Shen He in the Shen household, pleading with his mother on her deathbed to care for Shen He.

How could he possibly leave Shen He here?

Qi Zhuoyun grew restless. With Shen He not around and Zhong Hong by his side instead of watching over Shen He, he felt uneasy.

After exchanging a few words with the old Duke, Qi Zhuoyun instructed his attendants to lead him to where Shen He was staying.

At the entrance of the courtyard, he heard the loud cries of a child. Qi Zhuoyun's heart tightened, but then he thought, the child he raised, that little dumpling, doesn't cry like this, even when shedding tears, it's never so heart-wrenching.

This calmed Qi Zhuoyun's nerves.

To his surprise, before he could completely relax, he heard veiled accusations being made in the corridor.

Qi Zhuoyun's gaze turned icy.

A young figure stood at the doorway. The servants inside the room noticed and hurriedly bowed, "This servant pays respects to the Crown Prince."

Lady Zheng's face turned pale.

Holding the still crying Shen Yan, she bent over in a bow, "Your Highness."

Hopefully... everything's alright?

The Crown Prince is just a nine-year-old child, and she hadn’t spoken very loudly earlier…

Qi Zhuoyun walked past the kneeling servants and picked up the small child sitting cross-legged on the couch.

The child's eyes sparkled, and upon seeing him, grinned revealing tiny teeth, giggling joyfully.

Holding the child, he turned to Lady Zheng, who still hadn't dared to stand up straight, and softly said, "I wasn’t aware that the child I personally raised would bully the Shen family's eldest young master. Perhaps I should apologize to the Duke, for not raising him properly."

Lady Zheng shivered, "No, Your Highness, I didn't mean that. The young master didn't bully the elder one; it was my slip of the tongue. Please forgive me."

The young Crown Prince didn't look at her again and left, carrying Shen He in his arms.

Shen He wrapped his arms around the young Crown Prince's neck, nestling his head on his slender and frail shoulders, rubbing affectionately.

The male lead truly stands out above the rest!

Hehe, this pendant certainly made him very happy.

Qi Zhuoyun was fuming inside.

When he returned to the flower hall holding the child, the old Duke and others noticed the Crown Prince's changed expression, inferring that something had happened.

Their expressions subtly shifted.

Qi Zhuoyun spoke calmly, "Lord Shen, the Duke's eldest son is of a gentle nature. If the young master stays with him, I fear he may be frequently bullied. It would be better for me to take the young master back to the Eastern Palace for care. After all, my palace can easily provide for him; he won’t be any trouble."

The old Duke's expression darkened considerably.

The young Crown Prince coldly instructed his chief eunuch, "Zhong Hong, let's go. Order the carriages."

Zhong Hong acknowledged and quickly headed towards the main gate.

Both the old Duke and Duchess knew that when the young Crown Prince took such a firm stance, there was no room for negotiation.

They had no choice but to follow and see the Crown Prince out of the mansion.

They could only watch as their cherished grandson, whom they had just held once, was taken away.

The child, nestled on the young Crown Prince's shoulder, giggled innocently at them.

Before seeing Shen He, the old Duke and Duchess only thought of bringing back the Shen family's direct heir for personal upbringing.

Now, it was truly a heartfelt longing for the child.

Once the carriages carrying the Crown Prince and his entourage faded from view, the old Duke turned around, his expression instantly filled with dismay. "What happened?"

The old steward had already gathered the details and recounted the events to the old Duke.

The old Duke’s expression grew even graver: "The eldest son? Hmph, it seems she remembered that her son is the eldest."

The old Duchess's expression drooped, "The child isn't to blame. I'll handle matters with Lady Zheng. We should bring the eldest son to me. From now on, I'll personally raise him, preventing any potential misguidance by the concubines."

The old Duchess sighed, "Given this incident with Lady Zheng, any hope of the Crown Prince returning Shen He to the Shen family seems unlikely."

At least for the next few years, the topic shouldn't be broached.

Maybe when Shen He grows older, around four or five, and can be escorted around freely, there might be an opportunity to genuinely bring him back to the Shen residence.

Thinking of such a beloved grandson residing in the Eastern Palace for several more years, both the old Duchess and the old Duke felt uneasy.

The old Duke commented, "Lady Zheng is secondary in blame. It's Shen Congyun who indulged her, leading to today's situation."

Shen Congyun is the renowned title of the Duke of Shen.

Whenever the old Duke showed intentions of scolding his son in the past, the old Duchess would always step in with a few words of persuasion.

This time, however, she lowered her gaze, staying silent.

She thought to herself, this really isn't appropriate behavior.