Chapter 054: Does This Person Have a Problem?

Chapter 054: Does This Person Have a Problem?

The little guy had already devoured five pieces of osmanthus cake and finally couldn't eat another bite.

Ruan Qinghuan poured him a glass of water and said, "Drink up. For dinner, I’ll make some meat for you."

"Meat… eat meat…"

The little guy was so happy he started waving his arms and legs, but Ruan Qinghuan felt a pang in her heart. If she hadn’t come across this child today, she didn’t dare to imagine what might have happened.

Under the disaster, the lives of the common people were extremely difficult. Even if they felt sympathy, they were unable to help.

Only by strengthening the dam could they stop worrying about floods, and only then would their lives get better.

Xia Lian had someone bring in some hot water. Ruan Qinghuan clapped her hands, and the little guy reached for her, allowing her to place him in the basin to play.

Noticing the mud and water stains on Madam’s clothes, Xia Lian exclaimed, "Madam, what happened to your clothes? You should change right away. I’ll go wash these."

Ruan Qinghuan only then noticed the dirt on her clothes, probably from carrying the child, but she wasn’t in a rush to change. Instead, she asked, "How is the injured person doing?"

Xia Lian: "Much better. They got out of bed today."

"Cough cough…” Having been completely ignored, He An finally couldn’t take it anymore and said, "You should leave now."

Xia Lian, seeing Madam’s expression, left the room and closed the door behind her.

Noticing his troubled expression, Ruan Qinghuan wondered, "Sir, why do you look like that? Is it because of the dam?"

He An lowered his brows. Did she really not know how worried he was about her?

The political landscape in Lu City was complicated. They had just arrived, and caution was necessary.

And what did she do? She left without leaving a note, vanished for the entire afternoon, and only came back when it was getting dark. Now, all her attention was on this child of unknown origin, while he was treated like furniture.

"Madam, where did you go this afternoon?"

Ruan Qinghuan, standing by the clothes rack and unbuttoning her dress, replied, "Just took a stroll with Chu Li."

He An: "..."

In the flickering candlelight, Ruan Qinghuan casually removed her outer garment, followed by her dress, until she was down to her simple clothes and was about to untie the sash.

"Ruan Qinghuan," He An suddenly called her name loudly, startling her. She turned around, slightly annoyed.

"Why are you being so jumpy?"

He An looked at the child playing in the basin and said, "There's someone else here."

Ruan Qinghuan didn’t understand at first but then looked at the "someone else" he mentioned. The two- or three-year-old baby was splashing water, giggling with every splash.

Ruan Qinghuan then realized and felt both amused and exasperated. "He’s just a kid. And all I wanted to do was retie the sash on my simple clothes. Do you really need to be so uptight?"

"He’s a boy."

Ruan Qinghuan: "..."

This person… does he have a problem?

He An didn’t back down. Seeing her hesitation, he got up and awkwardly helped Ruan Qinghuan put on a dress from the wooden chest they had brought.

While saying, "From now on, Madam, you need to be more careful and not overstep your bounds."

Ruan Qinghuan was so angry that she didn't know what to say and repeated, "He's a child, a toddler."

"He's a male."

Ruan Qinghuan finally realized that in He An's view, anyone who isn't his own child is simply categorized by gender.

At dinner, watching Ruan Qinghuan hold and feed the child while soothing him, He An's frown only deepened. He felt completely ignored.

He wondered when Jiang Heng would return, hoping the child's parents would come to take him.

But the news Jiang Heng brought back was that the child's mother had died when he was born, and his father had been swept away by the flood last year when the dam broke during construction. He was never found.

In other words, he had become an orphan.

Feeling even more compassion for the child, Ruan Qinghuan offered him a chicken leg.

Sensing He An's sharp gaze, Ruan Qinghuan discussed with him, "Sir, should we take him back to the capital with us?"

He An didn't say anything.

"If you don't like the idea, I'll place him in the Ruan residence. My mother will definitely like him."

He An was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's talk about it later."

Hearing this, Ruan Qinghuan's face turned cold. What kind of attitude was this?

After dinner, Ruan Qinghuan carried the child back to the room. He An called Jiang Heng and Jiang Chen and asked about Ruan Qinghuan and Chu Li's afternoon activities and if there were any suspicious situations.

When he heard that she had gone to the Qian family’s shop, his furrowed brow eased a bit.

Was her visit to the Qian family a sign of jealousy?

It seemed unlikely. Even when Liu Yueru stayed at the Prime Minister's residence after their marriage, Ruan Qinghuan never showed any signs of jealousy.

After instructing Jiang Heng and Jiang Chen to be more cautious, He An returned to the room.

As he reached the door, humming could be heard from inside the room. He An stopped in his tracks.

The soft melody, the pleasant voice, and the patient care...

He An pushed the door open and came in. Ruan Qinghuan didn't move an inch, gently patting the drowsy little guy. The little guy, probably tired, lost his spirit after eating and drinking his fill.

Though almost asleep, he still tried to keep his eyes open and smiled at Ruan Qinghuan.

"Be good, go to sleep. Once you've slept enough, I'll play with you tomorrow, okay?"

After a while, the little guy really fell asleep.

As soon as she got off the bed, He An asked, "Is he sleeping here?"

"Ah, he's still so small. He'll be scared if he sleeps alone."

Babies often have restless sleep and may wake up in the middle of the night. If no one is around to take care of them, they might get scared and cry.

So, Ruan Qinghuan decided to sleep with him.

"What about me?" He An's face turned cold.

Ruan Qinghuan smiled and coaxed, "My Lord, please be understanding. The child is so young and has lost his parents. I need to take care of him. Would you mind staying in the side room for a few days?"

He An said, "Have Xia Lian take care of him."

"Xia Lian is already tired from taking care of the wounded. Please, my Lord, could you reconsider?"

"No." She could pity the child, but using him as an excuse to separate from her husband was out of the question.

Especially remembering how she had once convinced his mother to stay at Changchun Garden just to avoid sharing a room with him, He An always suspected she was using the child as an excuse again.

Ruan Qinghuan sighed, "I just brought him home, and he's only familiar with me. Even if someone else takes care of him, shouldn't we wait until he's comfortable with everyone first?"

"My Lord," Ruan Qinghuan shook his arm playfully, "As the Prime Minister, you should show compassion for those who suffer. This child has a pitiful background, and you should feel sorry for him too, right?"

While it was true that the suffering people were pitiful, He An felt overwhelmed when dealing with such a young child.

Moreover, the child had diverted his wife's attention from him.

A glint of cunning flashed in He An's eyes, "Are you truly set on keeping him?"

"Of course," Ruan Qinghuan answered without thinking.

The child had no parents or relatives willing to take him in. If no one took care of him, he wouldn't even be able to survive.

"Do you want to bring him back to the capital?" He An asked again.

Ruan Qinghuan frowned but nodded, puzzled by He An’s unusually verbose behavior.

However, when He An suddenly pulled her into his arms, Ruan Qinghuan sensed his ulterior motive.

He An whispered in her ear, "It all depends on your performance, my dear."