Chapter 264
Chapter 264
What to Eat?
The children looked at each other, now all somewhat at a loss.
"How about you go ask The Old Princess? She would definitely know," Xie Yanzhi suggested after thinking for a moment.
"That won't do. What if Grandmother wants to send the child back?" Xu Qingshi immediately thought of the possibility that the child might be sent back and abandoned again by the Grand Princess, and he was not happy about it.
"But you don't know how to feed her either," Jiang Yu frowned.
"If only I had younger brothers or sisters, then I would know how to feed one," Jiang Yu said, resting his chin in his hands, looking at Gu Nuonuo on the bed with hopeful eyes.
His eyes were full of longing.
He wanted to take her back with him.
"Don't even think about it! With your father's temper, what if he drops her!" Xu Qingshi said with clear displeasure.
"But you don't know what to feed her either. Wouldn't it be better if I took her back? At least my parents raised me. Your father is so busy, and your grandmother is seriously ill now," Jiang Yu pouted, looking unhappy.
"My parents could do it too," Xie Yanzhi quickly raised his small hand, saying eagerly, not wanting to be left out.
"My father is very busy, sure, but couldn't my stepmother raise her?" Xu Qingshi said without hesitation.
"But hasn't your stepmother married someone else?" Jiang Yu asked, puzzled.
"Exactly, hasn't your stepmother already married someone else? Or has your father found a new stepmother already?" Xie Yanzhi asked, somewhat shocked.
"No, she's still the same stepmother. She would definitely be willing to raise this little one," Xu Qingshi said very seriously.
Mini Theater
Xu Qingshi: Stepmother, this is my future wife. You must raise her well for me.
Grand Princess: Boy, have you asked for my opinion, running off with my granddaughter like this?
Xu Heming: Brat, hurry up and return that child!
Li Zhiwei: This child, I dare not raise her! Better send her back quickly!
The Old Princess: My grandson is so promising. So young, and already knows to bring his future wife home, unlike his useless father!
"But your stepmother has never had children herself. She might not know how either," Xie Yanzhi thought of Li Zhiwei; it seemed she hadn't given birth, so she probably wouldn't know.
While the few from the An Prince's mansion were still arguing about whose family should raise the child, the Grand Princess's mansion presented another, much more oppressive scene.
"Yu'er, Grandmother is asking you one more time. You must tell the truth. Did you really go to the Hall of Fortune and Prosperity today?" The Grand Princess looked at her grandson, her expression barely holding together.
After all, her granddaughter was currently missing, and she had no heart to indulge a child's whims.
But this child kept giving different answers each time, which made the Grand Princess seriously suspect that Gu Shaoyu was lying. Every moment she delayed here increased the danger for both her and Nuonuo.
"Grandmother, Yu'er really did go," Gu Shaoyu felt flustered inside, constantly rubbing his hands together.
He was afraid Grandmother would dislike him if she found out he lied.
But in his heart, he was puzzled. Shouldn't Grandmother like him best now that the annoying one was gone?
Why did Grandmother still look so unhappy?
"Yu'er, tell Father the truth. Did you really go to the Hall of Fortune and Prosperity?" Gu Yunfan also noticed something off about his son and crouched down to ask.
"Yu'er, children who lie get eaten by monsters," Gu Yunfan said with a grave expression.
"Elder Brother, let it be. Don't pressure a child. Everyone is very upset about Nuonuo being missing. This isn't something Yu'er could have done," Gu Yunshu sighed. He was equally anxious, but Gu Shaoyu was just a child; he couldn't have done this.
"Yu'er, then did you see anyone going to the Hall of Fortune and Prosperity?" Gu Yunfan sighed again and looked at his son to ask.
Gu Shaoyu thought about it. Go to the Hall of Fortune and Prosperity?
He thought he saw, but also thought he didn't see.
"Grand Princess, this servant remembers now. The voices speaking at the time seemed to belong to three children, but among those children, this servant didn't hear the young master's voice," Jianzhu quickly added.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" The Grand Princess looked at Jianzhu with displeasure.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. This servant wasn't sure before. If not for the young master speaking just now, this servant wouldn't dare to be certain either." Jianzhu now only hoped her words could help find the young miss; otherwise, even dying a thousand deaths wouldn't be enough to atone in the Grand Princess's eyes.
"Take the child away! Go ask again if any children were among the visitors today." The Grand Princess said coldly, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Grandmother..." Gu Shaoyu still wanted to say something, but a cold glance from his father made him instantly fall silent.
Li Zhiwei searched along the rockeries and through the courtyards of the Grand Princess's mansion. Not only did she not find Xu Qingshi, she didn't see any other children either.
"Qingshi!"
Li Zhiwei called out anxiously.
"Yanzhi!"
Lady Yao was also calling into the rockeries from another side.
However, no matter how long they searched, there was still no response to their calls.
"What are you doing?" Li Zhiwei, having just come down from the rockery, was startled by a child's voice.
"What are you doing?" Gu Shaoting asked again when Li Zhiwei didn't answer his question.
"Young master, have you seen the Fifth Prince of An's heir, the Yongding Marquis's heir, and the young master of the Xie family?" Li Zhiwei patted her chest to calm herself, then looked at Gu Shaoting beside her and asked.
"Just a few children a little shorter than you."
After asking, Li Zhiwei worried this child might not know Xu Qingshi and the others, so she gestured to indicate their height.
"I know the ones you're talking about, but I haven't seen them," Gu Shaoting said, looking at Li Zhiwei.
"Is that so? Then thank you, young master. If you see them, could you please tell them someone is looking for them?" Li Zhiwei crouched down to speak to him.
"I will," Gu Shaoting nodded.
In his heart, he found this beautiful woman somewhat unfamiliar and wondered which of the three's family she belonged to.
Having gotten Gu Shaoting's reply, Li Zhiwei went elsewhere to search.
"Yanzhi! Qingshi! Jiang Yu!" Lady Yao called out while searching, feeling extremely anxious.
She didn't understand how the children could disappear in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, she was both worried and afraid.
She feared the children might have caused some trouble in someone else's mansion, or worse, met with some accident.
Neither outcome was something she wanted to see.
"Ouch!" Lady Yao, focused solely on searching, accidentally bumped into a young girl who was rushing about in a panic. The girl was Xiaolian, who had just returned through a small side gate.
Xiaolian had gone halfway by herself, then turned back, intending to throw the child into the river so it would drift away with the current.
But when she went back, she discovered the child was gone.