Part 4
At most, she just wouldn’t see him next time.
[Bai Yanyu: Can we see Madam Ning this morning?]
[Yuth: Should be possible. But we only exchanged two sentences before. How do we explain our acquaintance to outsiders?]
[Bai Yanyu: You invested in the skewers and braised meat.]
It might seem abrupt for others, but for Yuth, who suddenly went mad and no one knew what he would do next, it was actually very reasonable.
He didn’t cause trouble often, but when he did, it was always unexpected.
[Yuth: …]
[Yuth: … You start stewing. I’ll take you into the palace as soon as I contact them.]
Ning Yunyi looked at the words “immediately” and “enter the palace” and felt that Yuth, who in his impression was gloomy, pale, with red lips and sarcastic speech, seemed much kinder and pleasant.
Sure enough, one cannot judge a person by their appearance.
Unlike the one at the door, who looked soft, cute, pettable, and easy to bully, but turned out to have a black sesame filling.
Scammed him out of food and drink—that liar cat.
Having settled the matter of entering the palace, Ning Yunyi strode over and pulled the door open.
Zong Hao was lying there anxiously and carefully, looking up with his tail flat on the ground. His half-open beast eyes were innocent and pitiful. Because of the illness, his big face looked smaller. The morning light just brightening outside shone on his fur, making it sleek and shiny…
Ning Yunyi kept a straight face. “You’re blocking the way.”
Zong Hao immediately moved aside, stealing a careful glance, afraid Ning Yunyi’s next sentence would be: You can get lost now, preferably out of the Ning house.
Because he needed to make the health soup, Ning Yunyi went to the front courtyard.
The Ning family didn’t cook before; they just settled meals with nutrient tubes.
He took a stove and an earthenware pot out of his space, pretending he had brought them back earlier and left them in the backyard.
Ning Yunyi was going to the palace to deliver soup to this long-hidden Empress Dowager, but he couldn’t just deliver soup.
Calculating from her age, this Great-Aunt should be eighty or ninety years old, although in interstellar terms, that wasn’t even a third of a lifespan.
But in the interstellar era, drinking only nutrient tubes every day—as seen with Elder Xun and Elder Tang—resulted in similar ailments to elderly people on Ancient Blue Star as they aged.
Insomnia, vivid dreams, hair loss.
The most serious point was insomnia. Once a person lacked sleep over a long period, their temper naturally became irritable and prone to anger.
To outsiders, it just looked like a bad temper.
Ning Yunyi was making a nourishing health soup, or a type of medicinal diet, just made to taste better.
Since he was making soup, he might as well prepare breakfast too.
The Big Cat followed Ning Yunyi step by step, very observantly helping to fetch things everywhere. Ning Yunyi didn’t look at him the entire time.
Zong Hao felt even more uncertain, feeling like today was his last day in the Ning house.
When Big Brother Ning and Professor Ning got up, they smelled a faint, rich aroma of food permeating the air.
After washing up, they immediately went to the front courtyard and sure enough, saw Ning Yunyi serving breakfast.
Having tasted that flavor, their mouths watered immediately, and they stepped forward to help.
Seeing someone carrying the food, Ning Yunyi went to the backyard to pick up the kitten cub, with the Big Cat following step by step behind him.
Ning Yunyi continued to ignore the Big Cat. Fortunately, the kitten cub didn’t know yet what the Big Cat being able to change size meant. He had slept late last night and hadn’t woken up fully. Hugging the Big Cat, he asked, “Cat-Cat, are you better?”
Zong Hao nodded gently, actively carrying the sleepy kitten cub on his back and walking steadily toward the dining room.
He stole a glance at Ning Yunyi out of the corner of his eye and, finding he still wasn’t being looked at, hung his head.
The kitten cub woke up when they reached the dining room. He hopped down immediately, eyes shining, standing on tiptoes. “Smells so good, Father.”
Ning Yunyi patted his head and started serving the food.
Whether intentional or not, he didn’t serve any to the Big Cat.
Thinking the Big Cat was sick last night, the kitten cub reminded him, “Father, Cat-Cat’s rice bowl isn’t out.”
Ning Yunyi didn’t even look up. “Really? Big Cat is sick and can’t eat these yet. Today… just make do with nutrient tubes.”
Missing a meal wouldn’t starve someone so sleek and shiny.
Zong Hao lay obediently not far away. Even though his nose twitched and he was dazed by the aroma, he didn’t dare look more, trying hard to lower his presence.
Big Brother Ning and Professor Ning weren’t so easily fooled, but after exchanging a glance, they clearly saw Ning Yunyi was doing it on purpose.
Little Brother/Son couldn’t be wrong; the Big Cat must have done something to make him angry.
Thus, the Big Cat only got a few tubes of nutrient solution in the end, curling up pitifully in the corner. His beast eyes immediately straightened and looked over when Ning Yunyi stood up.
Ning Yunyi told Big Brother Ning and Professor Ning about going to the palace with Yuth.
Big Brother Ning and Professor Ning were confused. “Yuth? That Young Master of the Herman family? How do you know him?”
Ning Yunyi said, “He’s interested in investing in the braised meat and skewers, so I made this request. He helped check, and Mother is currently in his Great-Aunt’s palace. I still don’t feel at ease and want to go into the palace to take a look. The excuse used is that Yuth discovered this health soup I made and is bringing it to show filial respect to Great-Aunt.”
Big Brother Ning and Professor Ning were naturally worried too; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been trying to find news outside for days.
Although Professor Ning was allowed to enter the palace in three days, it didn’t explicitly mention letting him see Mother Ning. So hearing Yuth was helping, they were relieved. “Will there be danger?”
Ning Yunyi shook his head. “I’m just following Yuth to deliver soup; nothing will happen.”
Professor Ning and Big Brother Ning thought about it and felt reassured. “Should we not go to work today?”
Ning Yunyi refused. “You go as usual. Don’t let anyone see a problem. If asked, Father, just say the palace has agreed to let you enter the day after tomorrow.”
Professor Ning and Big Brother Ning thought it made sense. Just in case, it was better to be cautious.
After the two hurried off to work, Ning Yunyi finally looked at the Big Cat not far away.
Zong Hao came over immediately, squatted properly, and looked up, looking very well-behaved.
Ning Yunyi said, “You’ve eaten so much of my food before; you can’t eat for free without working. Guard the house well for the last day today. When I come back from the palace, we’ll settle the account properly.”
Zong Hao shook his fur, wanting to step forward and rub against Ning Yunyi’s hand like usual.
But remembering Ning Yunyi already knew he was a half-beast, he shrank back whoosh.
Ning Yunyi took in his little movements. However, he had business today and wouldn’t argue with him; they’d talk when he got back.
Ning Yunyi soon received Yuth’s message. He packed the health soup in an insulated food box. In another three-tier food box, he placed three plates of pastries with similar effects.
They were all mashed so the ingredients couldn’t be identified, but molded into beautiful colors and shapes, pleasing to the eye at a glance.
Yuth waited at a spot. Seeing Ning Yunyi walk out of the Ning house, his mood was complicated.
Until now, he couldn’t connect this rugged man with red hair to the benefactor from last night.
However, once the fox mask was put on, the figure indeed looked similar.
In front of outsiders, Yuth tucked his hands in his sleeves, looked “harshly” at the food box in Ning Yunyi’s hand, and snorted. “I’m only doing this because of your cooking skills. If I find out you lied to me and it has no effect at all, I won’t be polite with you later.”
Ning Yunyi shrugged. “Young Master, we are business partners, not master and servant. I’m actually curious how you won’t be polite?”
“You! Is this the attitude you take with me, the dignified Young Master? Do you know who you are talking to?”
“Are you still going into the palace or not? This ginseng soup will get cold later.” Naturally, it was fake acting. But the two going back and forth like they didn’t get along made the attendants nearby understand: This Mr. Bai knows how to make some health soup that seems very effective, so the Young Master thought of sending it to the palace.
People used to say the Young Master had no interest in the Herman family. Now it seems he does have ambition.
He’s starting to curry favor with that Great-Aunt.
Even though she keeps a low profile, she is the legitimate Empress Dowager. Even His Majesty has to call this stepmother “Mother” when he sees her.
Once in the carriage, Ning Yunyi stopped talking.
The carriage bearing the Herman family emblem arrived at the palace gate. As soon as Yuth showed his face—that iconic cold face—they were let through immediately.
Finally, Yuth and his group, holding the entry pass, went all the way unimpeded and stopped at the Empress Dowager’s palace.
This palace was located deep within the palace grounds, completely isolated. From the outside, no vitality could be seen; it was deathly still.
Before long, two palace servants with completely white hair came out. Seeing Yuth, they bowed respectfully, then walked over to Ning Yunyi.
They took out instruments and began a thorough scan.
Soon, everything showed [Green], indicating no poison, and they were allowed to pass.
Yuth, seeing how troublesome it was, didn’t speak but stared at the two with displeasure. They immediately lowered their heads, daring not to make a sound.
They had always heard this Young Master had a bad temper. Seeing him now, it was just as rumors said.
Yuth didn’t lose his temper, though. He stepped forward first, followed closely by Ning Yunyi and two attendants carrying food boxes.
Before long, they finally met the legendary Empress Dowager.
Just as Ning Yunyi guessed earlier, her hair was completely white, looking much older than Elder Xun and Elder Tang.
Even though they were about the same age.
Her brow was furrowed tight, forming three vertical lines, obviously from frowning in displeasure constantly.
The Empress Dowager hadn’t slept again last night, lying there waiting for dawn. She had lost count of how many days had passed like this.
Yet she had to continue enduring in this palace without freedom for another two hundred years.
Surrounded by deathly stillness, lifeless. What was the meaning of such days?
But for the so-called family, she had to stay here.
To be this figurehead Empress Dowager.
A few months ago, His Majesty said he would send Madam Ning to keep her company. Madam Ning had been raised at her knee for a while when she was young. She missed her, so she agreed.
The result? That little bastard did send Madam Ning, but she was unconscious.
She had wondered how that little beast could be so kind. It turned out he planned to make her a scapegoat?
He sent her here to live or die, but she insisted on keeping Madam Ning alive.
It was a pity she still hadn’t woken up.
This made her increasingly irritable, sleepless night after night.
She hadn’t seen outsiders for a long time. Suddenly hearing the report, she refused without thinking. But the message came with a note saying something about health soup that could treat insomnia.
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes to look at Yuth standing below.
She hadn’t seen this child many times—never when he was young, and only from a distance at large sacrificial ceremonies when he accompanied the old family head after coming of age.
Looking closely now, she couldn’t help but scoff. He did look a bit like her father.
In her eyes, everyone in the Herman family was selfish and cold-blooded. For profit, where was there any filial piety to speak of?
She didn’t believe a word of Yuth’s story.
“I heard you want to send me some health soup? What if it has no effect?” The old lady’s sharp eyes stared fixatedly at Yuth.
Yuth hadn’t seen the health soup Ning Yunyi mentioned either, but since the other party dared to come, he naturally had confidence.
He cupped his hands. “Whether Great-Aunt believes it or not, you’ll know once you taste it. At worst, it won’t kill anyone, right?”
His words were treasonous, yet the old lady found them pleasing to the ear. “Fine. Bring it up and let this ignorant old woman see what can treat insomnia.”
As her words fell, a palace servant immediately stepped forward to take the food box.
As the lid was lifted, without the seal of thermal insulation, a rich, lingering, and mouth-watering aroma permeated the entire hall almost instantly.
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thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the hard work!
I wonder how papa catcat will make up for keeping secrets~