Mrs. Han was a light sleeper, so when Yun Jinnian stirred, she knew he was awake. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Mother!"
"Mhm!"
Yun Jinnian lay back down, snuggling into Mrs. Han's embrace.
Mrs. Han wrapped her arms around Yun Jinnian instinctively, "Can't sleep again?"
"Mhm, I can't sleep. This is my first time having a friend!" The voice was faint, yet brimming with joy and pleasure, tinged with a hint of grievance.
A slight ache tugged at Mrs. Han's heart.
This was her daughter, twelve years old, and only now did she have a friend.
"In the future, you will have even more friends!"
Yun Jinnian nodded slightly. "Mother, in a few days, may I invite Sister Hu from the Count Xuanping Residence, Sister Ruan from the Ministry of War Residence, and Sister Chen from the Elder Residence to our house to play?"
"Of course, you can. When the time comes, Mother will cook personally and make delicious food for you all!"
"Thank you, Mother!"
Mrs. Han patted Yun Jinnian's shoulder. "Go to sleep now; the day is still long and cool!"
Yun Jinnian smiled and closed his eyes.
That night, Yun Jinnian woke up several times, truly behaving like a child. Mrs. Han found it both heart-wrenching and amusing.
The thought of taking Yun Jinnian to Sanzhou had also faded a lot.
Staying in Capital City would be fine; she could protect him here as for Tianci, perhaps he could also be brought to Capital City. In the future, they would grow up together as cousins, and their affection would prosper!
Dawn was barely breaking when Yun Jinnian got out of bed.
After washing up, Yun Jinnian began to feel excited.
Seeing this, Mrs. Han sighed incessantly. After breakfast, worried that Yun Jinnian might become impatient with waiting, she said, "Go to the herb garden and move a few potted medicinal herbs suitable for potting to Chaoyang Academy."
Upon hearing this, Yun Jinnian remembered the quietness of Chaoyang Academy and immediately set off for the herb garden with Hemei and Henuan.
They chose and had them sent to Chaoyang Academy.
The selections made by Yun Jinnian were all Stone Lotus, pot after pot of lush greenery that would bloom beautifully come spring.
Back at Chaoyang Academy, Yun Jinnian took charge of arranging them, full of vitality.
Hemei and Henuan were strong and nimble; wherever Yun Jinnian said to place the pots, they would place them precisely there.
Ming Yang could not help much.
It was at this moment that Ming Yang finally understood that Yun Jinnian wasn't heartless; he just kept everything inside.
It became clearer that she could not stay in Yun Jinnian's world.
Hemei and Henuan had quickly replaced her and Ru Yue's places. Ru Yue would probably be getting married, too!
It's hard to describe the feeling, just that it was uncomfortable.
Once Yun Jinnian finished arranging everything, they heard that Dai Hanmi had arrived.
Yun Jinnian did a quick check before going to greet Dai Hanmi.
Mrs. Han welcomed Dai Hanmi in the warm hall of the back courtyard, with a table full of exquisite and tasty Xufuji pastries.
The gift for Dai Hanmi from Mrs. Han was a pair of Gold Inlaid Jade Bracelets, many years old and not suitable for Dai Hanmi to wear, but they were worth a great deal of money.
"Thank you, Auntie!"
After talking for a bit, Yun Jinnian, accompanied by Hemei and Henuan, hurried over to the warm hall, taking two deep breaths at the door to calm the delight in his heart.
Upon entering the warm hall, "Sister Hanmi!" he called.
Dai Hanmi immediately stood up, "Sister Jinnian!"
After talking for a while in the warm hall, Mrs. Han suggested that Yun Jinnian show Dai Hanmi around. Yun Jinnian was naturally willing, and Dai Hanmi could not have wished for more.
As the two walked through the garden, the maids Minxian, Hemei, and Henuan followed behind in silence.
"Sister Jinnian, I really must thank you for yesterday. You not only saved my grandmother but also helped our family a great deal. And thankfully, you reminded me about the dual-colored flower issue; otherwise, it could have caused trouble for the Marquis Residence later on!"
The Emperor detests disloyalty the most.
Even if the wife of the Marquis Residence is the Empress, it would not necessarily be favorable for them!