Chapter 116: So Outstanding, I Followed Along

"Hmm~" The Emperor likes me so much. To Xiao Jingxuan, these words were exceptionally grating, and a trace of displeasure rippled through his deep, pool-like eyes.

"It’s not the kind of liking you’re thinking of. He just respects my character and admires my talent," Su Jingluo quickly explained. Xiao Jingxuan didn't seem to like Su Jingluo much, yet he possessed a significant sense of possessiveness, as if he were the reincarnation of a jealous spirit.

"Who cares what kind of liking it is!"

*What character do you have, always deceiving people all day?* He pursed his lips and turned away, feigning indifference, though he was quite satisfied that Su Jingluo cared enough to explain her perspective to him. The jealousy in Xiao Jingxuan's gaze diminished slightly.

"Alright, Yunbai, stop overthinking. Why are you worrying about such things when you're just a child?" Su Jingluo stroked Yunbai's soft, rosy cheeks, her face filled with the affection of a doting mother.

"Hmph, you all treat me like a child. If it weren't for me, could Xiao Chengzhe have been lured here? If I hadn't lured him, how could the villains in the palace have released Mother?" Father and son were both convinced that everyone in the palace was a scoundrel, and that any imperial summons was merely a cover for some sinister plot or wrongdoing. Even though this time Su Jingluo was truly summoned to provide medical treatment, Yunbai believed he had kidnapped the Crown Prince, which led to her release. Meanwhile, Xiao Jingxuan believed that he had created enough of a stir to force the Emperor to send Su Jingluo back with respect.

In short, both father and son felt they were quite formidable.

"You were the one who brought the Crown Prince here?" Su Jingluo was startled. She had originally assumed that Xiao Jingxuan had kidnapped him and then used torture or coercion to stop the Prince from testifying. It turned out the Crown Prince had risked punishment to protect Yunbai.

"Of course." Yunbai proudly recounted how he had tricked Crown Prince Xiao Chengzhe and the three princesses, and how he had bribed them into taking the blame, ensuring neither he, his father, nor his mother were implicated.

As he spoke, Yunbai’s confidence began to waver, for Su Jingluo was clutching her forehead, her brows furrowed as if she were not pleased at all.

"Let me ask you this: if Mother had truly been in danger, what would you have done with the Crown Prince?" Su Jingluo was deeply worried about Yunbai's moral compass. The boy treated him like a friend, protected him even after realizing he had been used, and yet here he was, acting proud of himself.

"I did think about it. If Mother had really been scolded, beaten, or bullied, I would have scolded, beaten, and bullied Xiao Chengzhe in return. But when I saw how silly Xiao Chengzhe looked, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I thought I might just write a letter to the villains in the palace, telling them that if they didn't release Mother, I would beat Xiao Chengzhe to death—though I wouldn't actually kill him." Yunbai laid out his entire plan. It was truly a crime plan—complete, reckless, and full of loopholes. The only saving grace was that Yunbai still possessed a conscience and hadn't truly intended to kill Xiao Chengzhe, though the child was clearly walking on the edge of criminality.

"Stop calling them the villains in the palace. Without facts or evidence, don't speak like that. If you had sent that letter, wouldn't you have been throwing your life away? And if you didn't care for your life, would you have wanted your father to lose his as well?" *You wanted to send a letter? Are you trying to make sure the royal family knows the entire Xiao Jingxuan household is full of rebels?*

"This Prince could afford to lose it." Xiao Jingxuan looked at Yunbai with a hint of admiration. *Not bad, he is my son after all. He has brains and boldness; his methods are just a bit immature. He will surely achieve great things in the future. He’s so outstanding—he takes after me.*

Su Jingluo caught the approving look in Xiao Jingxuan's eyes. *You’re approving of what? You’re actually happy that the child is being raised this way, aren't you?*