Bai Xingye counted to ten.
When he opened his eyes again, sure enough, Zhi’er’s small figure was no longer around.
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "A child is just a child!"
Bai Xingye had no intention of searching for her.
He just wanted some peace and quiet around him.
He initially planned to return to his room, but then he thought that if he went back, his parents would surely send a maid to make him take his medicine.
So, Bai Xingye turned on his heel and headed to the rarely visited side study.
He lay there reading a book.
Gradually, he fell asleep.
When he woke up again, it was near evening.
An entire afternoon had almost passed.
Bai Xingye thought that at this hour, the chattering little princess should have long since gotten restless and come out.
Perhaps she had already returned to the palace by now.
He swaggered through the garden of the mansion.
But saw the maids, frantically calling out —
"Your Highness? Where are you, Your Highness?"
Coincidentally, Third Young Master Bai Yaoyu was also helping to search.
He looked serious and, upon seeing Bai Xingye, Bai Yaoyu immediately strode over.
"Sixth Brother, the little sister ran off with you, do you know where she went?"
Bai Xingye was taken aback.
"I don’t know. She’s missing?"
Third Young Master Bai Yaoyu’s expression darkened further.
"The little sister is missing, we’ve been looking for her all afternoon and still don’t know where she went."
Bai Xingye’s heart jolted.
Had she been hiding the entire afternoon?!
"Third Brother, perhaps..." Bai Xingye was about to tell Bai Yaoyu about their game of hide and seek.
But Bai Yaoyu was too anxious and quickly said, "You go back to your room, I will continue to search for the little sister, the mansion has been turned upside down, and mother is worried."
After saying this, Bai Yaoyu hurriedly left.
Bai Xingye stood frozen in place.
For so long, that little child hadn’t appeared. Where could she have gone?
Bai Xingye initially planned to return to his room. However, when passing by the grape trellis, he couldn’t help but stop.
He turned his head, looking at the quiet grape trellis under the blue evening sky.
Bai Xingye recalled that in the afternoon, Zhi’er stood here, tugging at his sleeve and even peeling grapes for him to eat.
He remembered the little one saying that Chongchong liked him, which is why it landed on his shoulder.
She had no ill intentions; she just wanted to play with him.
Thinking of this, Bai Xingye gritted his teeth, and feelings of guilt rose within him.
He immediately turned around and joined the search team for Zhi’er.
The Prince Kang’s Mansion covered a large area, and finding a four-year-old child specifically hiding wasn’t too hard or too easy.
Princess Consort Kang mobilized the whole family to search everywhere, yet still, there was no sign of the little one. Chapters first released on novᴇlfire.net
Bai Xingye, passing by a garden, overheard the maids searching and muttering —
"Where do you think Her Highness has gone?"
"I don’t know. The mansion is big, but we’ve been searching for two hours, how could we still not find her?"
"Oh dear, what if the princess fell into a well or a pond?"
"Oh my, if that’s the case, it would be terrible! The princess is so small, how could she swim back up?"
The maids said this and quickly dispersed, heading towards the surrounding ponds and wells to check.
Standing behind the gate, having heard everything, Bai Xingye’s gaze was already filled with horror and worry.
Because he recalled that some time ago, Fifth Heir Bai Fengqing had mentioned that in the palace, Zhi’er had accidentally fallen into a dry well!
If such a thing could happen in the palace, how about in his own home?!