The first birthday passed in festivities and celebrations and days passed by. The war continued in the East and Tianze grew more turbulent, not permitting Li Yan and her son to return home. However slowly but surely, the flames of war were beginning to spread all over Tianze in a domino effect.
Li Shuyi was growing up well in the Purple Lotus City. Although he only had his mother as his family, the Wang Clan did not treat him poorly.
Lady Wang was like a second mother to him who loved him just as much as she loved Wang Xue. Not only her, but the elders, the servants, and the maids. Everyone was warm toward him but this only terrified Li Yan more.
Her son was growing up without even seeing his father, he was far from home, and Li Yan was afraid that he would take the Purple Lotus City as his home. To prevent this, Li Yan would often tell him captivating stories from home, she would describe the Jinan County, the Li Province, and the valor of his father in great detail and enthusiasm, garnering his curiosity.
Gradually days after days passed and Shijie began walking. Then one day, he even uttered his first words, calling out to his mother.
Hearing him call her 'mother', Li Yan's heart would melt and her eyes would water with happiness. She would leave no chance to spoil him, but at the same time, she would also teach him about discipline and principles.
While Shijie was growing up listening to stories of his home and etching his mother's lessons in his heart, he was also quite the prankster.
Much like his name, Shuyi was a relaxed and playful child. He would cry after falling, laugh and giggle while playing and pull out pranks on people all over the Wang Estate.
His charisma was such that the person who was pranked by him felt like they were granted a special privilege. Instead of feeling annoyed or angry, people were entranced by his playful and relaxed nature. In fact, seeing him would always put a smile on everyone's face.
But the one Shijie liked to prank and tease the most was none other than Wang Xue. Shijie would often make the poor girl cry with his eccentric pranks while playing together, then feeling sad himself, he would also start crying and try to console her gently. Seeing each other cry, both children would then cry even more.
Then the mothers would swoop in while secretly laughing their asses off seeing the cute gimmicks of the children as they would then console Xue and Shuyi together.
Just like this, days were passing by in happiness, laughter, playfulness, and bliss.
In such bliss, time flew by quickly without realizing it and Li Shuyi turned three years old. He had a calm but vibrant demeanor, His face was turning out to be quite charming, and his charisma was ever-growing.
One day, he was in the courtyard inside the garden with Wang Xue and Li Yan. Since both children were of the same age, they were often left to play together and either Li Yan or someone else would watch over them.
The garden was beautifully filled with cherry blossom trees and various flowers. The season was spring and so the breeze was blowing lightly, making the petals blow in the air.
Li Yan was sitting on a bench a few distances away from the children as she watched them play together with a smile.
Shijie and Wang Xue were both three-year-olds and thus got along quite well. Wang Xue wore a waving long dress that was beautifully embroidered with flowers and Shijie wore a plain azure robe. While Wang Xue looked like a little angel on earth, Shijie looked like a playful and relaxed prince. He had a natural aura of dignity and prestige around him shining through his relaxed demeanor.
Both children were holding figurines of tigers and dragons as they ran around, Shijie was roleplaying a dragon on the hunt for the tiger that was Wang Xue. However, their expressions spelled nothing but childishness, innocence, and happiness.
Gradually, both children began breathing heavily, gasping for breath after running around so much.
Dropping the figurines in their hands, Shijie grabbed Wang Xue's hand and both slowed down. Seeing the large tree, both sat down below its cold shade.
As the flower petals fell, Shijie released Wang Xue's hand and wiped the sweat off his face as he looked at the clouds in tranquility.
Wang Xue looked at his face with her large blue eyes and suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Hmm?" Li Shuyi uttered in confusion.
Wang Xue averted her gaze in nervousness as she simply tugged at Li Shuyi's sleeves. A moment passed in silence and then she raised her head and said, "Will… You go?"
"Where?" Li Shuyi asked in confusion.
Wang Xue's hand quivered as she said, "To home… Mom says that you will leave."
Still muddled, Li Shuyi muttered innocently, "Why?"
Wang Xue knitted her brows and puffed her cheeks and then yelled, "Mom says the fighting will be over soon… And you will go to see your papa."
"Ahh… Yea… My mom also said something about that. I will go then if my mom goes." Li Shuyi answered with a smile.
Suddenly, Li Shuyi heard the sound of sobbing and whimpering and he jolted, scared shitless. When he turned his head, he saw that Wang Xue had her head on her knees and seem to be crying.
Seeing this, Li Shuyi was petrified as he saw his mother in the distance from the corner of his eye. He then remembered the severe spanking he had gotten whenever he had made Xue cry.
Scrambling in panic, Li Shuyi grabbed Wang Xue's hand quickly and began speaking in a hurry, "H-he, Xue! W-w-what happened? I didn't do anything… W- why are you crying, Xue?"
Hearing his voice, Wang Xue peeked out from her knees and stopped sobbing as she said, "Don't go! Who will I play with?"
Smiling awkwardly, Li Shuyi said, "I don't wanna go… I really don't. But if my mother goes, then I must protect her."
Wang Xue sobbed again and said, "And… What about me?"
Li Shuyi flinched as he heard this question and saw Wang Xue looking at him with those moist puppy eyes of hers. More so feeling anything towards her, he was more terrified of her crying.
Almost in a crying tone, Li Shuyi muttered as he clenched his fists, "Wh-what do you want me to do?"
Wang Xue gnashed her teeth as if she was in an inner conflict. Perhaps she was conflicted about whether to ask him to stay. However, Wang Xue was also an understanding child. She had seen that Shijie was smitten with his mother and would not leave her.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, glowing with a determined light as she blurted, "Then… Will you marry me?"
Shijie was a bit confused and tilted his head in bafflement. He had no idea what the hell this 'marry' was. Seeing that Wang Xue was on the verge of crying again, he hurriedly said, "M-marry… What is that?"
Wang Xue puffed up her cheeks with air even more as she explained cutely, "Agh! You know nothing! Marriage means staying together forever! Just like my father and mother are married! Then we can play whenever we want! Understand, dummy?"
Shijie opened his mouth in a circle thinking that Xue'r was quite knowledgeable about these things. Suddenly, he went into deep thought trying to understand the new term like he always did.
Seeing him speechless, Wang Xue thought that Li Shuyi had rejected her. The poor lass couldn't control herself and once again broke into sobbing.
Li Shuyi jolted suddenly from his trance and immediately broke out in cold sweats as his ears tingled and he felt the wind differently on his skin, when he looked from the corner of his eye, he could see Li Yan heading his way from a distance.
He looked around in panic not knowing what to do to make Xue'r stop crying. Suddenly, seeing a tender flower beside him, he quickly plucked it and presented it to Wang Xue, and blurted, "Here! I will marry you! Take this!"
Wang Xue once again stopped crying and looked at the flower in Shijie's hands with her teary eyes. She grabbed the flower from his hands and held it against her chest tightly and smiled like the blooming of thousand roses.
Li Shuyi finally heaved a breath of relief. At that moment, Li Yan arrived and said with a raised brow, "Hmm? I thought I heard Xue'r cry. Did you bully her again?" Saying this, Li Yan grabbed Shijie's ear and twisted it slightly.
"Ah! Ouch Ouch! Mother… I didn't bully Xue'r! Xue'r! Help! Help!"
Shijie pleaded Wang Xue for help but she seemed to be completely occupied with the flower in her hand as he simply giggled and chuckled in happiness looking at the pretty flower.
A/N - Sigh... This novel isn't doing so well. I'm getting demotivated now.