Chapter 12: Not Growing Taller, Only Growing Fatter

"Wake up, Fatty, wake up..."

Hearing the voice, Ye Qianning slowly woke up. She raised her hand to rub her drowsy eyes and murmured, "Fourth Grandma."

"Stop sleeping, get up quickly. Her Highness the Princess wants to see you," Fourth Grandma said, waking her.

"Mm."

Ye Qianning sat up and yawned, looking as if she hadn't fully woken up.

"You've been sleeping a lot these past few days. Are you feeling unwell?" Fourth Grandma felt her forehead, then felt her own, before saying, "No fever."

"Don't worry, sleeping more just means I'm growing," Ye Qianning said softly.

Hearing this, Fourth Grandma laughed. "It's only the fat that's growing."

"Abundance of flesh is a blessing." Ye Qianning also found it strange; a six-year-old child being this fat was somewhat ridiculous, looking exactly like a little ball of meat.

Nanyuan had been away in Beili for over a year, traveling almost every day. He should have been skin and bones, but her body was quite something—the more she exercised, the fatter she got.

"Right, right, right, it is a blessing. Our Fatty is blessed."

Ever since the rashes on the Little County Princess had improved, Fourth Grandma had grown happier by the day.

Once Ye Qianning had tidied herself up, her maid was already waiting at the door.

"Aren't you coming, Fourth Grandma?" she asked, looking up.

"The Little County Princess was clamoring to play with you, so Her Highness the Princess sent me to find you," the maid replied.

Ye Qianning nodded.

She had visited the Little County Princess every day for the past few days. The little girl was soft, sweet, and adorable. Ye Qianning wasn't usually a person who liked children, but she had grown quite fond of Little County Princess Nan Xiang because the girl was both beautiful and well-behaved.

The maid led her out of the courtyard. The place where Ye Qianning stayed was some distance from the Little County Princess's courtyard; turning past the long corridor led to the garden.

It was currently springtime, and the flowers in the Prince's mansion garden were in bud, releasing waves of fragrance.

"Eighth Brother, how about we make a bet?"

"Guess if this flower is red or pink. If you guess correctly, you can pick anything from my palace. If you guess incorrectly, you have to crawl between my legs, how about that?"

From a distance, Ye Qianning saw a bustling group of children. The boy leading them looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in fine silks and wearing a jade crown. He was quite handsome, though the cunning and smug expression on his face significantly diminished his looks.

At that moment, the boy was blocking another boy. The latter had his back to her, his silhouette appearing somewhat thin. His small hands were tucked behind his back in a mature manner, clearly showing no intention of acknowledging the other, as he prepared to walk away.

"Hey! You want to leave? Stop him!"

As the boy's voice fell, several other boys surrounded the person.

The boy in fine silks bent down, plucked a flower, and continued to press: "Tell me, is this red or pink?"

The boy facing him remained silent for a long time.

Ye Qianning looked at the flower in the boy's hand and frowned slightly.

Red? Or pink? Why would he ask that?

The flower in the boy's hand was neither red nor pink, but a purple iris.

"Sister Cui'er, isn't the flower in his hand purple?" Ye Qianning reached out to tug the maid's small hand, asking in confusion.

The maid, Cui'er, had noticed what was happening over there long ago. Upon hearing the question, she immediately covered Ye Qianning's mouth with her hand. "Shh, don't speak."

Ye Qianning's eyes were full of confusion.

"The Eighth Prince has an eye ailment; he hasn't been able to distinguish colors since childhood. Let's leave quickly, or we might get skinned alive if we're discovered," Cui'er whispered close to her ear after releasing her hand.

Unable to distinguish colors?

Ye Qianning was somewhat surprised. She couldn't see the expression on the boy with his back turned, but that thin silhouette stirred a sense of pity in her heart.

(End of Chapter)