The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

Upon returning to Duke Xu's residence, the butler, having received prior notice, had already brought in the doctor.

Concerned that the doctor might not handle the situation properly, Duke Xu immediately sent someone with his token to request a royal physician from the palace, just to be on the safe side.

When Xu Yuxuan woke up and found himself in his father's arms, he squirmed a bit and moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing. Whether from heat or pain, the child's hair was disheveled and sticky with sweat. Madam Lu quickly instructed Nanny Ji to fetch a clean set of clothes and bring some water to clean Xu Yuxuan up. The child's outer pants had already been removed, leaving only a pair of white undershorts.

With so many people watching, Xu Yuxuan, not paying attention to his pain, began to fidget with his hands, looking rather comical in his obliviousness. Wen Ye struggled not to burst out laughing in front of everyone. The doctor, surnamed Qiao, was often called upon when someone in the household fell ill.

Having served as a military doctor in his youth, Doctor Qiao carefully examined the wound on Xu Yuxuan's calf and then reassured Madam Lu, "Madam, please rest assured. Young Master Xu's injury is not serious. I will prepare an external ointment for him that, when applied daily for a month, will see him fully recovered."

Madam Lu's heart immediately settled, but she still inquired, "Shouldn't he take some medication to supplement his health?"

At the mention of taking medicine, Xu Yuxuan began to wiggle frantically in Xu Yuejia's arms, exclaiming, "No medicine~ No medicine~"

Wen Ye sat down beside him and first soothed him, "It's not for you to eat; it's for the goose to eat."

Xu Yuxuan immediately calmed down, nodding his head reluctantly, "Hmm!"

He added, "Naughty goose eats bad medicine!"

Madam Lu, feeling both helpless and tender, glanced at Xu Yuxuan before turning her attention back to Doctor Qiao, seeking clarification.

Doctor Qiao responded with a gentle smile, "There's no need for medication. However, it's important to clean the wound daily before applying the ointment. This will ensure a speedy recovery and prevent the wound from becoming itchy or infected."

"As for the diet, it's best to avoid spicy and stimulating foods."@@novelbin@@

Madam Lu immediately thanked Doctor Qiao and instructed the butler to escort him back to his clinic, while also sending someone to retrieve the prescription and procure the medicine.

Shortly after, the royal physician arrived. After examining the wound, he echoed Doctor Qiao's assessment, and Madam Lu finally felt completely at ease. Learning that no medication was required, Xu Yuxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, his calm was short-lived, as the application of the ointment later that evening caused him to cry anew from the pain.

Xu Yuejia held him throughout the process, and Wen Ye remained present as well. Xu Yuxuan alternated between calling out for "Mother" and "Auntie," with the occasional "Father" interspersed in between, tugging at everyone's heartstrings.

For dinner, Madam Lu had the kitchen prepare a special pot of pigeon soup, known to aid in wound healing. Fortunately, Xu Yuxuan still had an appetite and managed to eat quite a bit of the meat and even drank a bowl of the soup.

Given the severity of his injury, Madam Lu intended to let Xu Yuxuan rest for a full month, taking a temporary leave from his studies at Pine Mountain Academy.

When Xu Baili learned that his student had been bitten by a goose earlier that day, he paid a visit before dinner to see how the child was doing. Upon hearing that Xu Yuxuan would be granted a month-long holiday, Xu Baili quickly expressed his desire to return to Orchid City to visit his family.

After years of traveling and teaching, he realized it had been nearly three years since he last visited Pine Mountain Academy. He imagined that his nephews and nieces must be eager to see him as well.

Madam Lu had no objections to Xu Baili's plan, but upon hearing of his intention to return to Orchid City, she thought of her eldest son, who had not been in touch for quite some time. She asked Xu Baili to deliver some items on her behalf, which he readily agreed to, as it was on his way.

After dinner, Madam Lu inquired, "Yuxuan, would you like to stay with Auntie tonight?"

At this, Duke Xu quickly interjected, "You can see how close Yuxuan is to Second Brother, even refusing to let go while eating. He'd probably prefer to go back to the West Courtyard with Second Brother."

Xu Yuejia glanced at him briefly but said nothing.

Xu Yuxuan blinked his wet, long lashes, looking around, evidently torn.

Madam Lu then asked, "Yuxuan, would you rather stay with Father and Mother, isn't that right?"

He hesitated before eventually nodding.

With that, Madam Lu let go of her concern and said, "Then Auntie won't insist on keeping you."

Xu Yuxuan mouthed the words, "Tomorrow, come~"

Madam Lu smiled warmly, "Alright, come tomorrow."

Thus, Xu Yuxuan went with Wen Ye and Xu Yuejia to the West Courtyard. Curled up in Xu Yuejia's arms, he asked softly, "Father, can I sleep with you and Mother tonight?"

Xu Yuejia simply responded, "Mmm."

Xu Yuxuan pursed his lips and instinctively moved closer to Xu Yuejia's embrace. Meanwhile, Wen Ye was contemplating whether they should switch to a larger bed, given the addition of a child that night.

Nanny Ji also followed, and since Xu Yuxuan had a leg injury and couldn't bathe, she gently wiped his body and limbs with a damp cloth. After settling him into bed, Nanny Ji quietly left the room.

Xu Yuxuan sat on the bed, hugging his little pillow and blanket, calling out to Wen Ye as she entered, "Mother~"

Wen Ye responded, "Where's Nanny Ji?"

Xu Yuxuan replied, "She left~"

Several hours had passed since the incident with the goose, and although his wound still ached faintly, Xu Yuxuan had stopped crying. However, given it was his first encounter with such a traumatic event, it was normal for his emotions to fluctuate. Madam Lu had hoped to keep him in the main courtyard, fearing he might have nightmares, but staying with the couple in the West Courtyard was undoubtedly better for Xu Yuxuan.

Wen Ye had intended to go to the side room to wash up. Finding no one else in the room, she told Xu Yuxuan, "I'll go and get your father to keep you company."

The child had endured quite a shock today, so it was only right for his father to offer him some comfort.

Xu Yuxuan hurriedly asked, "Mother, where are you going?"

Without shoes on his feet, he couldn't even get out of bed.

Wen Ye approached the dressing table, removing the hairpins from her hair, and replied casually, "Mother is going to wash up."

Xu Yuxuan responded, "Then make it quick, Mother~"

Wen Ye rose, intending to go to the study to call Xu Yuejia. Hearing Xu Yuxuan's prompt, she casually brushed him off, "Can't hurry. Your father is very particular about cleanliness."

Before she finished, the door to the inner chamber opened from the outside, and Xu Yuejia walked in.

Wen Ye: "..."

Oh, her mouth.

After making eye contact with Xu Yuejia, Wen Ye maintained her composure and said, "I was just coming to call you. Yuxuan wants your company; I'll go wash up."

Xu Yuejia glanced at his son, still innocent on the bed, and spoke with precision, "Not tonight."

Wen Ye: "..."

Seeing that nothing she said could change Xu Yuejia's mind, Wen Ye opted to keep quiet and proceeded to the side room to wash up.

Anything she said had no effect. She could imagine herself in Xu Yuejia's eyes, not anticipating that he would have such peculiar tastes. After watching Wen Ye leave, Xu Yuejia sat down on the bed to silently accompany his child.

Xu Yuxuan played with his little pillow for a while before growing bored. He looked up at Xu Yuejia and called out, "Father~"

Xu Yuejia asked, "What is it?"

Xu Yuxuan remembered the events of the day and said, "Mother was very brave today when she saved me!"

Though he still felt fear recalling the goose biting him, the memory of his mother rushing to his rescue made the fear subside somewhat.

"Your mother saved you?" Xu Yuejia inquired.

In the commotion that followed the incident, everyone was focused on Xu Yuxuan's injury. Madam Lu hadn't thought to mention the details, and Wen Ye certainly wouldn't have brought it up on her own.

Xu Yuxuan let go of his pillow and made a gesture with his hands, explaining, "Mother, with her hand, pulled the bad goose away from my leg."

Concluding, he added, "Otherwise, my leg would have been eaten."

Wen Ye returned from the side room and overheard Xu Yuxuan talking about something being eaten, assuming he was hungry. She inserted, "It's not good for children to eat too much in the evening."

However, she added, "But it's fine for me."

Xu Yuxuan's belly was full, so he wasn't hungry. He replied, "Yuxuan isn't eating."

Wen Ye glanced at Xu Yuejia, and Xu Yuejia clarified, "He's talking about you saving him today."

Wen Ye realized and declared, "It's a minor matter. If you want to thank me, let's talk more substantial."

Xu Yuejia asked, "What do you want?"

Wen Ye rubbed her empty stomach and said, "Start with a bowl of noodles with fried sauce?"

"A small bowl will do," she added, "The rest we can discuss when he's not around." This repayment was to be handled under the debt owed by father for son.

Fifteen minutes later, Wen Ye was happily eating her fried sauce noodles as Xu Yuxuan looked on, captivated by the aroma. Finally, he tilted his head and remarked surprisingly, "Eating too much at night isn't good?"

Fully mixing the sauce and noodles, Wen Ye replied, "When I said that, I meant for you, my dear child, as a small child. However, now as an adult, Mother can eat. When you grow up, you can eat too."

Xu Yuxuan turned his head to glance at Xu Yuejia, then turned back and continued to ask, "Then if Father doesn't eat, does that mean he hasn't grown up either?" Wen Ye, who was using chopsticks to pick up noodles, paused momentarily and said, "Your father..." She actually thought he was quite grown-up.

Wen Ye coughed to dispel the inappropriate thoughts from her mind and said, "Your father also eats." She picked up a forkful of noodles to indicate that Xu Yuejia should eat.

At the same time, she gave him a look: Just one bite, not breaking your rule of not eating after a certain time. Xu Yuejia reluctantly ate it.

Seeing his father eat, Xu Yuxuan's little face showed some disappointment, realizing that only he couldn't eat. But his belly was full, and he couldn't eat any more. Xu Yuxuan tried hard to convince himself of this.

Wen Ye quickly finished her fried sauce noodles and refreshed her mouth with water.

At this time, Xu Yuejia also finished washing up. The three of them lay on one bed, each wrapped in a thin blanket. Xu Yuxuan slept in the middle, finding the experience quite novel.

It was already past 9 PM, but neither of them felt sleepy and were quite wide awake.

Xu Yuxuan was mumbling to himself, occasionally calling out "Mother" or "Father." Wen Ye gestured to Xu Yuejia, saying, "Why don't you read a couple of passages to Xuaner?"

After a day of turmoil, she was feeling a bit tired and couldn't understand how the boy, after being bitten, could still be so energetic. Xu Yuejia thought for a moment and agreed, "Alright." He got up from the bed and walked out of the inner room.

A moment later, he returned with a book, which piqued Xu Yuxuan's curiosity.

The next moment, Xu Yuejia began to read beside him: "The way of governing is the way of righteousness..." Before finishing a page, Xu Yuxuan had already dozed off, his head tilting to the side.

Xu Yuejia closed the book and shifted his gaze inward. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed that the person who had asked him to read was also asleep. He sighed silently, placed the book down, and picked up a fan instead.

Feeling a breeze, Wen Ye, who was not yet deeply asleep, suddenly opened her eyes and turned her head to glance at Xu Yuejia, who was holding the fan. Her gaze then drifted downward, falling upon Xu Yuxuan.

She asked, "What if he pees the bed?"

Xu Yuejia's motion of waving the fan froze, and for the first time, he responded to her with uncertainty: "He probably won't." Wen Ye immediately lost her drowsiness. If this little guy were to leave a huge map on her bed, she might develop a phobia. She thought for a moment and suggested, "Why don't you take Xuaner to use the restroom?"

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍Yuejia looked at his son, who was already snoring, hesitated for a moment, and finally picked him up. In a half-awake state, Xu Yuxuan, feeling himself being carried by his father, mumbled softly, "Where are we going?"

Xu Yuejia: "Taking you to use the restroom."

Xu Yuxuan tightly closed his legs and said, "Xuaner doesn't want to."

Xu Yuejia: "You do."