The kitten was fluffy and taking a nap with squinted eyes.
A soft paw stepped on Xu Zhihuai's palm, causing her to lower her eyes.
Zhu Qingruo snuggled next to her, looking at the kitten who was about to fall asleep with a smile, and couldn't help but yawn.
Jinhua picked her up and put her on the bed to lie down.
"kitten……"
Zhu Qingruo blinked slowly.
Xu Zhihuai smiled slightly and said, "Go to sleep, the kitten is with you."
Zhu Qingruo fell asleep contentedly, but Xu Zhihuai frowned.
She handed the kitten to Jinhua and whispered, "The kitten's claws are a bit sharp. Trim them before carrying them to An'er. You should also keep an eye on them and don't let the kitten pounce on An'er." "
Jinhua nodded repeatedly.
Mu Xiuwan was sitting next to her. Seeing that she was worried, she couldn't help asking: "Why is sister unhappy? Does sister not like cats?"
Xu Zhihuai shook his head: "As long as An'er likes her, I'm just worried that she's just playful."
Mu Xiuwan smiled when she heard this and said, "Sister, there are no children who are not naughty or playful."
"Yeah, I'm too harsh sometimes."
It was no accident that the eldest princess chose this time to give An'er a hydrangea cat.
Of course, it could also be Wei Li's "kindhearted" arrangement.
He wanted An'er to leave something beside him, something that belonged to him.
Zhu Xuxing was slightly surprised when he heard that the eldest sister gave An'er a kitten: "The eldest sister is really considerate. She has never liked furry animals."
Xu Zhihuai smiled slightly and thought: It's not that she likes it, it's Wei Li who likes it.
Zhu Xuxing saw that her daughter was holding the kitten and would not let go. The kitten sat blankly in her little arms, making a weak cry from time to time.
"An'er, if you hold it like this, it will feel uncomfortable."
Zhu Xuxing knelt down and said with a gentle expression: "The kitten also wants to find its mother."
Zhu Qingruo reluctantly let go and said with a sweet voice, "I am the kitten's mother."
Zhu Xuxing laughed out loud, gently pinched the flesh on his daughter's face, and continued to teach gently: "An'er, the more you like something, the more you have to cherish it and not do whatever you want. If you want to take good care of it, you have to learn to let it go. Look, How does it eat, how does it play, and you know what it wants?”
Zhu Qingruo seemed to understand, but said, "But I can't bear it."
"An'er, if you want to grow up, you must first learn to be willing."
Zhu Xuxing reached out to pick up the kitten from her arms and slowly placed it on the ground, letting it smell and wiggle around on its short limbs.
Zhu Qingruo snorted and wanted to chase after him.
Zhu Xuxing held his daughter in his arms, not allowing her to run, and said gently and patiently: "Don't be anxious, if it likes you, it will definitely come back to you."
Zhu Qingruo watched the kitten walking further and further away, feeling a little anxious: "No."
"Shh, be good..."
Zhu Xuxing comforted her softly, folded her arms, and hugged her daughter tightly.
Zhu Qingruo was aggrieved and deflated.
"It's gone away."
"An'er, be patient."
The kitten walked near the door, looked around, and meowed timidly a few times.
Zhu Xuxing pursed his lips and whispered to his daughter: "Okay, you call it now."
Zhu Qingruo said softly: "Maomao, come here..."
The kitten turned around after hearing the sound, meowed twice, and ran back in a squirming way.
It first sniffed Zhu Qingruo's little hand, then tilted its head and rubbed it.
Zhu Xuxing looked at his daughter's joyful expression, and then he let go of his hand and said, "Okay, now it's yours. It completely trusts you. You have to take good care of it."
Xu Zhihuai looked at Zhu Xuxing's solid and reliable back, and immediately understood why Zhu Weizhen wanted to help him become the new king at all costs, because he was worth it.
He is light, and his warmth is enough to warm everyone around him and shine on the people.
Zhu Qingruo hugged the kitten and went to play in the yard contentedly.
Xu Zhihuai bowed to Zhu Xiuxing who turned around and said, "His Highness has taught An'er his good intentions. Zhihuai is deeply grateful."
"fool."
Zhu Xuxing hurriedly helped her up: "What's there to thank you for?"
"It is An'er's blessing that Your Highness is so gentle."
"You."
Zhu Xuxing took her hand and held it in his palm: "She only talks nice words to coax me every day."
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the auspicious snow fell.
The solemn palace city is wrapped in a thick layer of white snow, shining with crystal clear and charming light.
Due to the emperor's illness, everything in the palace was kept simple.
At the banquet of hundreds of families, Xu Zhihuai wore light makeup and sat next to Zhu Xuxing with Zhu Qingruo in his arms. Together with him, he was greeted by the officials.
Wei Li is also among them. He has been promoted to a noble rank and is now the same prince. He is dressed in a purple and gold official robe, looking graceful and noble, and has a stronger aura.
He led the ministers to pay homage. During this period, his eyes, as deep as the night, drifted towards the dignified and smiling Xu Zhihuai more than once. And she was aloof. From beginning to end, she never gave him a concerned look.
Zhu Xuxing raised his glass and wrote an inscription, his words were sincere and yet dignified. He and his ministers encouraged each other and looked forward to the new year.
Perhaps because he was too happy, he drank three glasses of wine in a row, his face flushed with excitement.
Xu Zhihuai didn't want to spoil his fun, so he secretly told Jinhua to go back and prepare sobering tea.
As soon as Jinhua left, Zhu Qingruo asked Xu Zhihuai for a hug. She was a little sleepy and kept mumbling about wanting to see the kitten.
Xu Zhihuai was worried that she would get angry and cry, so he had to take her back to the palace first.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw the maids looking around in a panic for something.
Xu Zhihuai frowned and said, "Why are you all out?"
"Go back to the queen...the cat is missing."
As soon as he said this, Zhu Qingruo burst into tears.
Xu Zhihuai reassured her that it was okay, saying that the kitten was hiding and playing hide-and-seek with her.
Zhu Qingruo was dubious and cried for a while before falling asleep.
Xu Zhihuai ordered everyone to go out to search, including the guards guarding the door.
In such a cold snowy day, it would be fine for such a small cat to hide in the house, but if it ran outside, it would easily freeze to death.
After searching for an hour, there was still no trace.
Jinhua also became anxious and began to draw.
Xu Zhihuai didn't believe that it could run out of the yard at such a young age, so he asked his slaves to search it inside and out, even in the crevices of rockery rocks, but the result was that it still wasn't there.
When Zhu Xuxing came back, he was already three-thirds drunk. He snuggled up next to Xu Zhihuai in a daze and said in a low voice: "Huai'er, I'm really happy today."
Xu Zhihuai helped him sleep peacefully, and then took the palace people to find the cat. The lanterns illuminated the courtyard so brightly that even the fallen leaves and snow could be seen clearly.
The kitten disappeared, as if it had disappeared out of thin air. However, when it was dawn, the inmates who were clearing the snow at the door were shocked to find a small corpse lying on the stone steps.
The kitten was frozen, and the fur all over its body was dyed white by the snow. It was motionless and could no longer make a weak cry.
Xu Zhihuai was slightly surprised when he heard that the cat had been found.
It couldn't freeze to death quietly at the door. There were people walking around in the yard all the time.
Xu Zhihuai looked at the small bundle and felt that the cat was not frozen to death. He immediately frowned and said, "Call all the palace maids and eunuchs who were on duty last night."
She wanted to find out clearly before An'er woke up.
