A gust of wind blew over at this time.
Jiang Ning looked up at him, noting that a few strands of his hair were clinging to the corner of his eye.
A momentary gleam caught her eye.
She averted her gaze.
Pretending she saw nothing.
"As a child," he began in a muted tone, "I often wondered why other princes were lavishly pampered by their concubine mothers while I found it difficult to even see her. I thought I was not exceptional enough to gain her favor."
Jiang Ning remained silent.
Li Hongyuan chuckled, "I thought that if I tried hard enough, I could earn my concubine mother's love. I really did many childish and laughable things."
Jiang Ning said, "The things a child does to gain a mother's approval aren't childish or ridiculous. Rather, I think she didn't like you not because of your flaws, but because of her own."
"I didn't understand such things when I was a child. But as I grew older, I stopped caring."
"Are you truly indifferent?"
Jiang Ning never heard his answer.
