3. Biological Father

A burst of wild laughter echoed through the room: “Hahaha!”

Cui Xiu felt a little scared and cautiously glanced at Nurse Yu.

He knew Nurse Yu’s position well—she was the head housekeeper of the entire Duke’s residence, said to share management of the household affairs with his stepmother, Lady Wang.

“This is Uncle Wang, the imperial physician. Given the friendship between our two families, Brother Xiu, you should address him as ‘Uncle,’” Nurse Yu said hurriedly, noticing his tense and frightened expression, her voice rising a few notches in hopes of calming the ‘uncle’ down.

Uncle Wang, seeing the little nephew with eyes as red as a rabbit’s, cleared his throat and quickly brought over the medicine. “Come on, Brother Xiu, be good and take your medicine.”

As he spoke, he slowly tightened his grip on the other hand, planning to force the medicine down when the boy was off guard.

Children in the Cui family were rarely obedient. Even Cui Enhou would wail endlessly when forced to take medicine, so he had to administer it directly and forcefully.

“Uncle, I... I’m sorry.”

Cui Xiu realized he had mistaken the person, but seeing the kind-faced uncle, still an imperial physician, he blushed and respectfully took the medicine bowl with both hands.

Though the Cui family was a scholarly household with a grandfather who once served as Minister of Rites, imperial physicians were reserved for the royal family. Officials above the third rank had to beg the emperor’s mercy for permission to consult a physician.

This time, it must have been through the two families’ friendship that the imperial physician was privately invited to check his pulse.

He was somewhat afraid of bitterness but could no longer be willful.

With determination in his eyes, Cui Xiu glared at the dark, thick liquid, lifted the bowl as big as his face, and gulped it down without stopping until it was all gone.

Not only was Uncle Wang dumbfounded, but Nurse Yu was also half stunned and hurriedly snatched the bowl away. “Brother Xiu, half is enough.”

The young masters at home always made a fuss about medicine, so the Cui family brewed double the usual amount: half taken, the rest wasted.

Cui Xiu, having his bowl taken away, was speechless.

For a moment, his throat was overwhelmed by the bitter taste, so bitter that tears uncontrollably dripped down his cheeks.

He thought to himself that he had probably made a blunder again.

Seeing Cui Xiu’s flushed face, quietly crying without a fuss, Uncle Wang absentmindedly tasted the remaining half bowl of medicine.

His expression shifted immediately, and he took a sip of tea to ease the bitterness of the coptis herb.

“Little one, aren’t you bitter?” Uncle Wang looked at Cui Xiu, tears silently brimming yet lips tightly sealed. He bent down to meet his gaze, eyes soft with warmth. “You should cry it out. I specially added coptis to this medicine. Are you really not bitter?”

Cui Xiu frowned, stunned as he met Uncle Wang’s eyes.

In this world, imperial physicians even added coptis...

---

Uncle Wang softened as he watched the boy’s tears stubbornly stay in his eyes, his tone gentler: “Don’t listen to those bad people. You don’t see your parents because you are observing mourning for your birth mother. Mourning is a rule. Once your mourning period is over, you can meet your kind uncle, who will give you delicious food and fun games, take you to lantern festivals, introduce you to your capable and brave cousins, and your full siblings, who are also good children and will play with you...”

Cui Xiu barely heard the rest. At that moment, all he wanted was to quietly ask Nurse Yu in a low voice: “Nurse Yu, I... I want some water.”

Nurse Yu had already ordered a set of four sweet treats to accompany the medicine: honey water, candied fruits, honey candies, and honeydew melon.

Cui Xiu was speechless.

Hearing the gentle coaxing, Cui Xiu briefly felt as if he had fallen into a honey jar, so sweet that he could forget the bitterness of the medicine.

Drowsy, he almost wanted to dream.

Meanwhile, Uncle Wang wore a worried expression.

He had been observing earlier: Cui Xiu drank the honey water without spilling a drop on his clothes, acting with a certain maturity, unlike a pampered young master carefree and innocent. Instead, he seemed like a child from a poor family in the southern city, forced to be obedient, sensible, and mature at a young age.

Recalling a scene from his free clinic where a poor girl stood on a stool expertly cooking with a wok, Uncle Wang glanced at the remaining half bowl of medicine, pondered for a while, and finally wrote a complaint letter to a friend.

The grand families valued privacy, no doubt, but the Cui family had so few heirs that if they had any secrets left, it would be better to split the family estate outright. Old friends like them had no reason to protect the Cui family behind closed doors.

Unaware of this episode, Cui Xiu woke again to Nurse Yu holding him, calling “Brother Xiu.”

“Nurse Yu, I... I’m already a grown-up. I can’t be held like this anymore,” Cui Xiu said, blushing with embarrassment.

Boys and girls stopped sleeping together at age seven.

He was ten now.

“Alright, little grown-up,” Nurse Yu smiled. “Then I’ll take you to play war games on horseback, okay? I’ve picked some little boys to keep you company. It’s not good to stay cooped up inside all day.”

“Are the games of the military family really that fierce?” Cui Xiu wondered but showed no sign of concern, only nodded obediently: “Okay.”

Hearing this, Nurse Yu laughed and carried Cui Xiu toward the door.

But before they had gone far, an elderly woman hurried over in panic: “Nurse Yu, Second Master has returned to the mansion.”

Nurse Yu paused, instinctively lowering her gaze to the boy in her arms.

Cui Xiu understood: the Second Master must be his biological father, Cui Qianting.

Recalling the comforting yet heart-wrenching dream, Cui Xiu silently repeated “I’m not afraid” three times before letting Nurse Yu take him to meet his father.

After a short incense burn, Cui Xiu looked at Cui Qianting seated in the main chair.

He was not the weary, unfulfilled talent he had imagined. Dressed plainly, Cui Qianting exuded a crisp, efficient air, with a noticeably somber expression between his brows—an expression that made one instinctively want to soothe and care for him.

The reason for such feelings was simply that Cui Qianting was strikingly handsome.

---

“Second Master,” Nurse Yu led Cui Xiu in a bow, “Brother Xiu, greet your father.”

Steadying himself, Cui Xiu bowed properly, cupping his hands. “Father, I wish you well.”

Though he tried to speak clearly, his voice was hoarse from illness, which was painfully touching. Not to mention, the boy was fairly good-looking, fitting the aesthetic tastes of spoiled nobles like Wang Ke.

Cui Qianting sighed inwardly, took a sip of tea to calm the restlessness from being rushed back overnight, speaking indifferently: “Rise.”

“Yes, Father.” Cui Xiu slowly straightened.

Seeing Cui Xiu stand quietly without speaking, somewhat timid and reserved, unlike other children who might act spoiled and carefree, Cui Qianting’s expression softened. He forced a kindly tone: “Have Nurse Yu and the others explained what the mourning period means? Once it’s over, you’ll be able to play with us. But not yet. For now, you can walk around our Rong Mansion, see its grandeur and authority. Don’t let being confined in one courtyard limit your vision.”

Without waiting for Cui Xiu to fully understand, Cui Qianting looked at Nurse Yu: “It’s been hard on you, Nurse Yu. Replace everyone in his courtyard. Also, arrange for him to visit the training grounds. No matter what he does later, it’s most important to be physically strong.”

Nurse Yu nodded: “Yes, Second Master.”

“Well, I have business back at the Summer Resort,” Cui Qianting said, rising and heading out. But as he stepped over the threshold, he turned back, glancing at Cui Xiu. “I heard you don’t cry or scream when taking medicine?”

Startled by the question, Cui Xiu didn’t understand but still bowed and replied obediently, “Father, taking medicine is to recover quickly.”

Recalling how he spoke at age three, Cui Xiu added slowly, “To get better soon, I must endure the bitterness.”

Cui Qianting’s eyes flickered as he watched the boy’s precise bow and respectful answer.

He had never seen this child before.

After all, it was the mourning period.

But how to put it?

The boy seemed overly cautious, lacking the boldness typical of the Cui family.

If he were frightened on the battlefield or timid in officialdom, he might be meek and scared in other pursuits too, easily bullied.

Thinking this over, Cui Qianting ordered decisively, “Get a wolfdog from the kennels to keep by Brother Xiu’s side. If he walks too cautiously, let the dog chase him and scare out that hesitant, provoked caution.”

Cui Xiu, caught off guard by this, blinked in confusion.