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Chapter 952: Chapter 955: Toothless Little Child
"Little girl, it’s only been a few years since I’ve seen you, and I never expected you to be a mother now."
The words were meant to be tender, but coming from King Qin, they felt utterly cold.
Realizing that his tone was off, he said weakly in explanation, "I’ve been on the frontier for so long, that’s just how I’ve become. No other meaning intended."
Every battle was an ordeal of life and death, and with all the hidden dangers ever-present, over time he had grown accustomed to hiding his emotions. Put simply, his face was always stern, and now changing that habit seemed quite difficult.
Chen Yiling’s heart winced slightly, "I know these years must have been very hard for you."
Many in the palace eyed him with ill intent, and had he not turned into what he was now, he very likely would have died under some sinister plot.
"Being alive is good enough."
King Qin said this indifferently, but those four words were all the more poignant for it.
He was born of noble status, destined to sit above the rest, receiving the adoration of all.
Yet his wish was extraordinarily simple: merely to stay alive.
Having stood by silently all this while, Qiao Duo’er suddenly changed her opinion. Someone who could remain so open-minded after enduring such hardships must fundamentally be kind-hearted.
She was unable to change the existing social system, but she could hope to meet a wise and just ruler.
History in China hadn’t there been an enlightened emperor like Emperor Qin Han Wu?
King Qin’s eyes landed again on the Little Ruirui that Duo’er was holding, clearly he was interested.
"Give him to me."
Qiao Duo’er quickly passed the child over, yet in her heart, she was worried that Little Ruirui might get frightened.
King Qin did not reach out to take him, but asked instead, "How do I hold him?"
"Support his bottom with one hand and his head and neck with the other, try to keep both hands at the same level; this way you won’t harm him." Qiao Duo’er explained the technique.
It really was quite simple, just a matter of protecting the newborn’s head, neck, and spine.
Following Qiao Duo’er’s instructions, King Qin gingerly took the baby. The little fellow was only about seven or eight pounds, but to him, it felt as if he was lifting something tremendously heavy.
Chen Yiling said with a smile, "Relax a bit, you being so tense is actually making him uncomfortable."
King Qin, however, did not dare to relax. Every child was a mother’s life; he did not want to make a woman heartbroken due to his own carelessness.
"Bring your hands back a little to let him lean against you."
Qiao Duo’er gently shifted Little Ruirui into King Qin’s embrace, making the scene look a bit less strange.
King Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the little guy wasn’t so cooperative and started to wail at the top of his lungs.
"What’s wrong with him?" King Qin asked with a scowl.
He never should have dealt with this toothless little child; the crying was too unpleasant to bear.
Qiao Duo’er instinctively glanced at Qin Mingrui’s diaper and saw that it was indeed wet. Because the baby had urinated quite a bit, King Qin’s clothes were also stained, and she wondered what he would think.
King Qin realized what had happened as his clothes were now wet.
Hmm... this kid’s got nerve, presenting him with such a "special" gift for their first encounter.
Chen Yiling felt the atmosphere in the room turn awkward and couldn’t help but say, "What’s going on? Someone please say something!"
Qiao Duo’er spoke up faintly, "He wet himself."
"Go call ChunTao here, and have her prepare a change of clothes for the Prince."
Chen Yiling shot Qiao Duo’er a look, urging her to quickly take Rui Rui back before King Qin could snap at him.
King Qin must have had an incredibly tough time at the frontier, but his status meant he could ill afford to endure such an incident.
