Chapter 3: Chapter 832: What You Painted is Different

After the meal, Mu Qingge originally wanted to take the two of them out to play, but a palace attendant arrived to report that there was an urgent matter requiring Ji Ziyan to return and handle it personally.

Listening to the attendant’s report, Ji Ziyan rubbed his temples, while Rong Zhan lowered his small face slightly.

Seeing this, Ji Ziyan smiled and hooked his chin, "I will go back alone; you go play with your mother."

Rong Zhan looked up, his eyes dark and bright, but he quickly lowered his head again. "No, I must be punished."

"Alright, Mother knows you have to be punished."

Mu Qingge did not understand why her son was so stubborn and firm at such a young age. She scratched his beautiful little chin and guided him, "Zhan'er, punishment is nothing more than writing more characters or holding a horse stance for a bit longer. Punishment doesn't necessarily have to be done first thing in the morning, right?"

Rong Zhan blinked, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.

"Exactly. We can go play first and then do the punishment when we get back; isn't that the same thing?" After saying this, she crouched down with a coquettish air, as if she were the child, pouting and blinking. "Mother traveled a long way and is very tired. I just want to go play with Zhan'er. Wouldn't it be better if we play during the day and do the punishment at night?"

"..."

Ji Ziyan was left speechless and held his forehead.

In this world, where else would a mother act so spoiled toward a six-year-old, and do it so naturally, without feeling the slightest bit embarrassed?

Only she could be this shameless.

Once Rong Zhan heard Mu Qingge say she was tired, he remembered his father saying that his mother loved to play. As a child, how could he not be filial?

His small fingers tugged at a corner of Mu Qingge’s robe. Struggling internally, he glanced at Ji Ziyan.

Ji Ziyan gave him a smile.

Only then did Rong Zhan speak in a crisp voice: "Alright, let's go play."

"Zhan'er is so good."

Mu Qingge stood up, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she took Rong Zhan’s hand with one hand and patted the young man beside her on the shoulder with the other. "Yan'er, you go back to the palace then. We’ll go play around on our own."

"Alright."

Ji Ziyan nodded. "Little Mother, please be careful. I will send people to follow you in secret."

"Mm."

The two parted ways.

As for "playing," they followed the principle of proximity. Mu Qingge first took Rong Zhan through the streets and alleys, tasting snacks here and there, stopping to watch interesting sights, and playing street games—like ring toss—while holding the child’s hand.

She was always having more fun than her own son.

Rong Zhan felt it was novel at first and would join in, but most of the time, he stood steadily and calmly, not cheering and jumping like other children.

However, throughout the entire day, his eyes remained moist and bright, and his cheeks were flushed red; he was clearly happy.

From morning until night, it was only after he urged her several times that Mu Qingge reluctantly brought him home.

Rong Zhan kept the matter of his punishment in mind, expecting to return to the palace to be watched by Ji Ziyan while he served it.

Mu Qingge, however, had an attendant report to Ji Ziyan that Rong Zhan would not be returning tonight and would stay here to keep her company.

Rong Zhan’s earlobes turned red. He lowered his head, twisting the corner of his clothes, and whispered, "Mother, I cannot skip the punishment. Father will be angry."

"I know."

Mu Qingge found her son truly adorable. She poked his soft, sculpted cheeks, leaving a dimple with every poke, and found she couldn't stop. "However, the punishment doesn't have to be supervised by your uncle. Can't I supervise it instead?"

What she said made perfect sense, and Rong Zhan could not refute it.

Mu Qingge led him back to the room, saying as they walked, "Besides, Zhan'er is so self-disciplined that the punishment doesn't really need supervision. Mother believes you can complete it on your own, right?" On the point of punishment, Mu Qingge no longer objected.

It was a rare thing for a child to have such self-discipline and to form such habits; she did not want to be a doting mother who spoiled her child.

She should let him persist in the things he insisted upon.

"Mm."

Mu Qingge’s words brought a smile to the corners of the child's lips.

Father had said that Mother was very smart and thoughtful.

Father was right; Mother had only met him a few times, yet she understood him.

It was wonderful.

Thus, after returning to the room and drinking a cup of water, Mu Qingge personally brought out the four treasures of the study for him and watched him write.

When he was writing, Mu Qingge didn't want to leave him. After thinking for a moment, she had someone buy colored ink, and while he wrote, she drew him.

Rong Zhan wrote with great focus. After he finished, he obediently went to hold his horse stance, not distracted in the slightest.

When he finished his horse stance and returned, he saw that Mu Qingge had already drawn two portraits of him.

The child on the paper was exactly like him, as if he were looking into a mirror.

He was stunned for a moment.

"Is it good?"

Her child was young but quiet and steady, rarely showing other expressions. This particular expression was exceptionally cute, and Mu Qingge had captured it, thinking she must paint it later.

Rong Zhan’s small face flushed. "Mother draws well."

"Drawing well is only natural," Mu Qingge said, not being humble at all. "But it’s also good-looking, right? After all, our Zhan'er is the best-looking child."

The child’s fair cheeks revealed two bright red earlobes, and he said softly, "I... I don't think so..."

"Hahahaha..."

Seeing this, Mu Qingge thought he was incredibly cute. She hugged him and kissed him several times, only letting him go to bathe when the palace attendants brought in water.

While he was bathing, she moved her hands quickly to draw the dazed expression her son had worn earlier.

She drew very quickly. After finishing the sketch without adding color, she also outlined the way her son had looked when he was shy and lowered his head, revealing his two ears.

That night, she sketched four portraits.

She intended to do fine-brush paintings.

There were no cameras in this world to record her child’s growth, so she would draw him as much as she could.

This could also be considered a way of recording his growth.

After Rong Zhan finished bathing, Mu Qingge wiped his hair. Seeing him staring straight at the portraits on the table, she smiled, kissed him, and said nothing.

The child suddenly asked, "Mother, can I learn this?"

"You want to learn?"

"Mm."

He nodded firmly. "The paintings you make are different."

Mu Qingge was a bit surprised. "How are they different?"

The child tilted his head and thought for a long time, finally shaking his head: "I don't know." He only knew that he had never seen such beautiful paintings before.

He had also never seen anyone who could draw a person as if they were looking into a mirror.

Father had said that Mother was good at everything, and it was truly the case.

Father had never lied to him.

His mother was truly the most amazing person.

"It doesn't matter," Mu Qingge said softly. "If Zhan'er wants to learn, Mother will teach you."

Hearing this, the child’s ears turned red. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out his small arms, wrapped them around her neck, and buried his little face in her embrace.

This was the first time he had boldly and proactively shown her affection.

Mu Qingge’s eyes grew warm, and she hugged his soft little body tighter.

After a moment of silence, she felt his steady breathing.

Mu Qingge gently moved the child, seeing that his eyes were closed and his little face was softly asleep.