Madam Bai had two maidservants prepare a bathtub in the room and then wanted to help Gu Nuo’er take off her wet outerwear for her to take a bath.

Unexpectedly, Gu Nuo’er suddenly hid under the blanket, only revealing her small butt, trembling shyly.

Madam Bai was stunned. “Princess, I’ll help you bathe, okay? There’s no need to be shy. I’ll just help you wipe down your body, okay?”

Gu Nuo’er’s soft voice sounded with a childish urgency. “That’s not it! Auntie Bai, tell Elder Brother Siming to go out!”

Madam Bai was stunned and turned around.

Ye Siming was still standing there like a pillar!

She chuckled helplessly. “Siming, why are you still here? Go out and wait first. You can come in after I bathe the princess.”

Ye Siming frowned. “Do I have to go out too? What if she drowns…”

“I won’t! Elder Brother Siming, don’t underestimate me!” Gu Nuo’er’s angry childish voice sounded from under the blanket.

She was already a strong swimmer in the Jade Pond¹ since several hundred years ago!!

Madam Bai saw that Ye Siming’s eyes were dark and guessed that he probably didn’t know that a three-year-old child would also have shy moments.

She smiled and waved her hand. “You can go out. I’ll call you if there’s anything. Don’t be anxious.”

Ye Siming saw that Madam Bai was insistent, and Gu Nuo’er remained hiding under the blanket and shaking her butt in protest.

He had no choice but to frown and turn to leave.

He climbed up to the roof and sat there in a daze, looking at the bright moon in the sky and waiting for something.

Not long after, Gu Nuo’er’s laughter could be heard from inside the room.

Ye Siming’s ears twitched.

He raised his eyebrows slightly. This little thing wasn’t feeling uncomfortable any more?

Madam Bai was straightforward and generous, while Gu Nuo’er was obedient and smart. The two of them quickly became familiar with each other.

Gu Nuo’er grabbed the edge of the wooden bucket. “Auntie Bai, look at me!”

After saying that, her small body was completely buried in the water. She swam a little in the wide wooden barrel and spat out a few more bubbles before floating up.

Madam Bai laughed so hard that she rocked back and forth. “Princess, you’re really extremely cute.”

Her skin was fair and her eyes were big.

When Madam Bai looked at Gu Nuo’er, she felt that her heart was about to melt.

Madam Bai suddenly felt a little sad. She looked at the adorable Gu Nuo’er and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.

“If my daughter was still alive, she would be five years old now.”

Gu Nuo’er was originally using her small hands to scoop up the water, wanting to show Madam Bai a ripple. Upon hearing this, the child obediently quietened down.

She leaned against the edge of the wooden barrel and fluttered her eyelashes. “Auntie Bai, what happened to the older sister you gave birth to?”

“When she was two years old, I brought her out to see the lanterns, but she was seized by bandits. At that time, there were too many people coming to see the lanterns on the streets. In order to prevent the bandits from hurting the commoners, I handed her over to a maidservant to protect her.

“I originally asked them to hide in the temple, but when I went back to look for them, I realized that my daughter had already been innocently slashed in the chaos!

“The clothes on her back were soaked in blood. However, she was very sensible. In order not to worry me, she endured the pain and eventually died in my arms.

“I wondered countless times later on if she would blame me for not protecting her well?”

Children’s views were very naive and immature.

She wouldn’t think of expressing her pain. She would only be afraid that if she said that she was in pain, it would affect her mother from saving other people.

In order not to cause trouble, she gritted her teeth and endured for a long time. Till today, Madam Bai still didn’t dare to think back about it.

Thinking of the past, Madam Bai couldn’t help but cry.

A small fair hand gently landed on the top of her head.

Gu Nuo’er’s soft voice sounded. “Auntie Bai, I think that Older Sister definitely won’t blame you.”