Chapter 29: The Heart Cannot Bear It

Zhao Chengye was a remarkably eloquent man with broad horizons and a wealth of knowledge. His lively conversation with the Head of the Meng family suggested that he was far more than a mere jade carver. After all, one had to possess profound cultural depth to engage so effortlessly with Meng Qingyun, the head of the Meng family—the foremost literary clan of the Great Yu—and the director of the Hanmo Academy.

Having finished her medicinal bath, Jiaoyue felt quite comfortable. Lulled by her mother’s gentle humming, she began to drift off. Although she remained concerned about the fortune of the master jade carver Zhao Chengye, her exhaustion eventually won out, and she fell asleep. In the very moment she drifted off, she couldn't help but lament, "Alas, I am still too young."

She awoke an hour later, stretched, and felt refreshed. She saw her beautiful mother leaning against the headboard, watching her. Jiaoyue immediately beamed, offering her mother a wide, toothless grin. Lin Yuntang’s heart melted; she reached out to pick her daughter up and kissed her forehead. "How is my little Moonbud so well-behaved? What blessings must I have accumulated over lifetimes to be graced with such a thoughtful little darling?"

Jiaoyue laughed even harder, kicking her tiny hands and feet. Her mother was absolutely right—she was indeed a thoughtful little darling.

Meng Wenxuan walked in just then. Seeing the mother and daughter, he smiled and asked, "Is Moonbud awake? Are you hungry?"

"Ah!" Jiaoyue immediately signaled that she was. As an infant, her meal schedule was entirely up to her. At this stage, babies changed by the day, growing rapidly and needing plenty of food. Whenever she was hungry, she ate, regardless of the time. Both before and after her nap, she had been brooding over how small she was. If only she were even a year old, she could at least walk, talk, and eat properly.

Nanny Zhang and Qingguo entered. Nanny Zhang skillfully took Jiaoyue to tend to her needs, while Qingguo opened the prepared goat’s milk, letting it cool so it wouldn't be too hot. It would be just right by the time Jiaoyue returned.

Meng Wenxuan had become quite proficient at feeding his daughter; he held her in one arm while using a silver spoon to feed her with the other. It had been three days since Jiaoyue’s birth, and whenever her father was present, he was the one who fed her. Lin Yuntang leaned back against the headboard, watching them; happiness was truly that simple.

Once Jiaoyue was full, Meng Wenxuan wiped her little mouth clean and said, "Moonbud, your grandfather wants to use that piece of Lantian jade bestowed by the founding emperor to carve an object for you. The premier jade master has already arrived—the one you saw today who tossed all those gold nuggets into your basin. Your grandfather has drawn up several designs but is undecided on which to choose. Shall we go and take a look?"

When he mentioned the jade master Zhao Chengye, Meng Wenxuan kept a close eye on his daughter’s expression. Sure enough, he saw a glimmer of light flash in her eyes.

"Ah," Jiaoyue replied. If she went to see her grandfather, she would be able to see that jade master again. She could examine his fortune and the black-and-white numbers once more to figure out what was really going on.

Seeing that his daughter agreed, Meng Wenxuan said to his wife, "Tangtang, you rest. I’ll take Moonbud to Father’s study and be back soon."

Lin Yuntang frowned slightly. If it had been earlier, she would have stayed in bed, as she had been physically weak after childbirth and never felt like she had enough sleep. Now, however, she felt as strong as an ox, filled with endless energy—she felt as if she could go out and practice swordplay. But to protect her daughter’s secret, she had to stay put. She sighed and lay back down.

Just as she settled, she remembered something. She reached out and tugged at her husband’s sleeve, signaling for Nanny Zhang and Qingguo to leave. Seeing this, Meng Wenxuan realized his wife must have something to discuss regarding their daughter, so he turned back and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Once Nanny Zhang and Qingguo had left, Lin Yuntang leaned in and whispered, "When you mentioned the gold nuggets the jade master tossed, I remembered something."

"What is it?" Meng Wenxuan asked quietly, looking at his wife.

"After the gold nuggets were taken out of the basin, I showed them to Moonbud. She gave them a little pat with her small hand, and they just... vanished," Lin Yuntang said, her tone laced with uncertainty. Was it just a dream? She had seen it with her own eyes. She had only wanted to tease her daughter, but the moment Moonbud’s hand touched the gold in her palm, the nuggets disappeared—every single one of them. She had been worried her daughter might try to eat them. At the time, several sisters-in-law and her mother-in-law were in the room. Fortunately, they hadn't seen it. She had suppressed her shock and pretended to put the gold away.

Hearing her beautiful mother’s words, Jiaoyue’s heart skipped a beat. She had done it on purpose. Her experiences in her previous life had made her cherish wealth, a habit that would be difficult to break in this life. Had she not possessed the Warm Jade Space, she might have waited patiently to grow up, but now, it was a bit complicated—after all, she had a place to store her treasures. She had taken the opportunity to stow the gold away because it was meant for her "washing-three" ceremony anyway; it was her property. She had also wanted to test her parents' ability to accept her supernatural talents.

Meng Wenxuan looked at the daughter in his arms in shock. The gold nuggets had vanished? "Moonbud, where are the gold nuggets?" he asked tentatively.

Jiaoyue opened her tiny fist, and a gold nugget appeared in her palm. Lin Yuntang covered her mouth to keep from crying out. She thought to herself: It really was our daughter who made them vanish, and she can make them reappear too?

Meng Wenxuan was equally shocked, his heart pounding. He thought: My daughter, please, slow down! My heart cannot handle such surprises every single day.

Hearing her parents' inner thoughts, Jiaoyue felt relieved. At least they didn't think she was a monster.

"Moonbud, did you store the other gold nuggets as well?" Meng Wenxuan asked again.

"Ah," Jiaoyue replied. She brought out all the gold nuggets, but forgot that her hands were too small, and they scattered all over her swaddling clothes. She frantically tried to grab them with her little hands.

"Don't worry," Meng Wenxuan said quickly. "Daddy will pick them up for you, and then you can put them away."

Lin Yuntang also reacted, helping to gather the gold nuggets and placing them into Meng Wenxuan’s hand. Meng Wenxuan held his hand out to his daughter. "Go ahead and put them away."

Jiaoyue patted the gold nuggets, and they vanished instantly. Seeing it with his own eyes, Meng Wenxuan’s heart raced even faster. He looked at his daughter with a complex expression, wondering, *Could our daughter truly be a reincarnated divine being? Did she bring the supernatural ability of 'storing items within a sleeve' with her?*

Hearing her father’s thoughts, Jiaoyue realized that even in the mortal world, people knew of the "sleeve-hidden-space" technique.

"Does Moonbud like gold?" Meng Wenxuan asked again.

"Ah," Jiaoyue responded immediately. She wished she could say that she preferred spirit stones, but unfortunately, those didn't exist in the mortal world.

Lin Yuntang’s eyes lit up. She immediately reached into a compartment at the head of her bed and pulled out a box containing the gold ingots she usually used to reward the servants.