Upon hearing about Cai Ping’s incident, Lady Du didn’t want the children’s ears tainted by such sleazy matters, and she couldn’t leave herself, so she asked Cai Wei to take them back to her home.
Nangong Yi and Manager Li also made their excuses and followed Cai Wei back home.
Wen’er saw Nangong Yi again and his face flushed with excitement, his big eyes stealing glances at him from time to time. As they were about to reach their front door, he suddenly dashed forward and fell on his knees before Nangong Yi, pleading loudly, "Master, please take me in too. I promise I will study hard and do as well as my sister!"
Cai Wei was startled by his unexpected action and scolded in a low voice, "Wen’er, stop fooling around, get up!"
Unexpectedly, Wen’er simply remained kneeling there, unmoved. He even insisted loudly, "If Master doesn’t agree to take me in, I won’t get up."
Nangong Yi glanced at Cai Wei, then looked down at the kneeling Wen’er, and smiled, "You’re so young, yet you have such ambition. Wait until you get to the capital and come find me!"
With that, he turned and left.
Wen’er watched the stiff departing figure, dazed for a moment, then suddenly leapt up, shouting joyfully, "Great, Master agreed to take me in, that’s just great..."
His cheers rang out, drifting far away into the man’s ears, causing him to smile and stride away with great vigour.
Finally, he had a legitimate excuse to stay in her life. Even if he could not possess her, at least he could watch her from afar, silently caring for her, relieving his yearning in this way!
Once Cai Wei got the children settled in at home and re-fired the fire kang, she quickly washed her hands and rushed off to Jiujin’s house.
Manager Li had already instructed several guards to clean the provisions they brought and prepare them in the kitchen for Cai Wei.
Upon her arrival, Cai Wei briefly checked the ingredients prepared by Nangong Yi’s men, then rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
Nangong Yi, having nothing else to do, stood in the kitchen watching Cai Wei busy herself—washing and chopping vegetables, bustling in and out with pots and utensils.
His own mother, the Empress, rarely set foot in the kitchen, but the sight before him now was something he saw as a void in his life, beautiful and captivating.
Without thinking, he suddenly offered, "Can I help you?"
Cai Wei looked up at the untarnished man and didn’t really believe he was capable of kitchen work but she handed him the big fish in her hands. She instructed, "Slice the meat along the bone, with the skin facing upwards, thinly slice the fish meat at an angle, chop the fish parts into thumb-sized pieces, then split the fish head in two."
Nangong Yi took the fish and began to cut it as she had instructed. His initial movements were awkward, but his quick understanding allowed him to find his rhythm, quickly mastering the process of filleting and chopping the large fish.
"Wei’er, how did I do?"
Nangong Yi was quite pleased with his work, looking at her with sparkling eyes, like a child waiting for praise.
Cai Wei inspected his work and nodded in approval, "Very good, you have potential to be a chef!"
Nangong Yi laughed at her seemingly disdainful tease. He felt as if they were a young married couple making dinner in the kitchen together, working and exchanging playful flirtations. The scene was so heartwarming, it moved him!