It’s not that Prince Nolan is making a fuss by hiding his daughter away and refusing to let anyone see her. The truth is, Sweet Dumpling is just too irresistibly adorable. Nolan is terrified that as soon as people like William Wang Jinling or Sean Xuan catch sight of her, they’ll start fighting him for his own child.
Even Little Dumpling, who always used to cling to Serena, instantly switched sides after meeting Sweet Dumpling—he dropped his mother and became a total little sister fanatic. That’s just how much of a magnet this baby is.
Kids change day by day. In just over ten days, Sweet Dumpling has transformed from the wrinkly little old lady her dad once disliked into a fair, pink, snow-white little bundle—and she looks just like Serena.
Zed, Feng Jin, and Little Dumpling are completely obsessed. Their favorite thing each day is to crowd around Sweet Dumpling, sneakily poke her soft little cheeks, and watch her blow saliva bubbles. Even if she just opens her eyes, Little Dumpling will happily announce that his little sister likes him…
Snow Wolf sits nearby, anxiously pawing at his ears, but he just can’t control his shedding. Serena worries that wolf fur might block the baby’s airway, so until the kids are older, Snow Wolf is strictly forbidden from getting close.
Snow Wolf understands he’s dangerous. Back when Little Dumpling and Feng Jin were small, he always watched from afar and guarded them from outside. But now, facing Sweet Dumpling, he finds his own fur unbearably annoying.
Snow Wolf even considers shaving himself bald. That way, by the time Sweet Dumpling grows up, his fur will have grown back too.
Snow Wolf quietly goes to Prince Nolan and tries to negotiate: if he shaves off all his fur, could he please hold Sweet Dumpling?
Prince Nolan doesn’t give Snow Wolf a straight answer. Instead, he orders someone to shave the fur off Snow Wolf’s backside. The result…
Snow Wolf doesn’t show his face to Sweet Dumpling for a whole month.
Too ugly!
He absolutely refuses to let Sweet Dumpling see him looking so ridiculous.
Prince Nolan guards the princess obsessively. Aside from the few children already living in the palace, only Little Eight has seen Sweet Dumpling.
Little Eight only got to see her thanks to Empress Dowager Xie. When she comes to visit Serena, Prince Nolan naturally can’t block her or hide the baby.
“Your little sister is so sweet. Aunt Empress, can I hold her?” Little Eight blinks his big eyes, full of longing.
He doesn’t have a little sister at home, and even Little Dumpling isn’t as cute as this one.
“Of course you can.” Serena gently places Sweet Dumpling in Little Eight’s hands. He cradles her carefully, nervous to death but wildly excited: “She’s so soft, she smells so nice, and she just blinked at me!”
“Don’t spoil him too much.” Empress Dowager Xie can’t help but smile herself when she sees her son so excited.
Because of past troubles, she and Little Eight have always been extremely careful, terrified of displeasing the emperor. Little Eight is so mature—he never makes a fuss, never cries, never shows strong likes or dislikes, acting like a little adult.
Seeing her son finally act like a child makes Empress Dowager Xie both gratified and heartsick. It’s a pity Serena’s daughter and Little Eight are too closely related by blood—otherwise, if Little Eight could marry Serena’s daughter, that would be perfect.
Of course, Empress Dowager Xie only thinks this to herself—she’d never dare say it out loud. She knows just how much the emperor treasures his daughter, wishing he could hide her away from the world.
Anyone who wants to marry this little princess in the future is in for a rough time.
Little Eight is so proud after holding his soft, sweet-smelling little cousin that he spends the whole day giddy. At noon, when he runs into Little Dumpling, Feng Jin, and Zed, he brags, “I got to hold the baby—and she even smiled at me!”
What? You held my little sister?
Little Dumpling is furious. He clenches his tiny fists. “Bad brother! I don’t like you anymore. That’s my little sister—I haven’t even held her yet!”
With that, he stomps off to find Serena…
“Mom, Mom, where’s my little sister? I want to hold her—I want to hold her!”
“Me too…” Feng Jin grabs Little Eight and rushes over, joining the scramble to hold Sweet Dumpling.
Little Dumpling says, “I’m her big brother, I get to hold her.”
Feng Jin says, “I’m her uncle, so I get to hold her.”
Zed says, “I’m the oldest—I’m strong enough to hold her.”
Little Eight isn’t done causing trouble. He jumps in, “I’ve already held her—let me show you how it’s done.”
...
In the end, after all the arguing, nobody got to hold her—because Sweet Dumpling started crying!
Seeing this, Empress Dowager Xie immediately takes the reluctant Little Eight out of the palace—she doesn’t want her son getting scolded by the emperor who treasures his daughter above all else.
Empress Dowager Xie is wise. When Prince Nolan learns that Little Dumpling and the others made Sweet Dumpling cry fighting over her, he scolds all three boys, then sends them to Phoenixfield King Residence for punishment—putting Ezra Phoenixfield in charge of them.
"You’re old enough now—you can train with the Phoenixfield clan’s children."
“Mom, I don’t want to go! I don’t want to leave you!” Little Dumpling is the first to protest, clinging to Serena’s arm and pulling out every trick in the book—rolling, whining, and pouting.
Feng Jin is just about to refuse when Left Shore steps out of the shadows: “You’re going whether you want to or not.”
Zed is the oldest and most sensible—he knows what going to the Phoenixfield clan means. Though he’s reluctant to leave Sweet Dumpling, he doesn’t protest. Besides, if Feng Jin and Little Dumpling are going, who will protect those two little knuckleheads if he doesn’t?
That very afternoon, the three little rascals are handed off to Ezra Phoenixfield by Prince Nolan. Ezra, already fed up with his official duties, ditches his work and rushes to Phoenixfield King Residence. But the moment he arrives, he’s stunned to see Little Dumpling on the verge of tears…
What’s going on? Did the emperor really send him to look after the Grand Heir?
The emperor trusts him with the Grand Heir—doesn’t he worry Ezra might harm the boy? After all, Ezra’s own grandson fell ill for years because of the Grand Heir, stuck in the imperial mausoleum with no doctor or medicine, barely clinging to life…
Thinking of that poor child makes Ezra’s eyes redden. Before the boy left for the mausoleum, Ezra snuck a look at him—so frail, so lifeless, it was clear he wouldn’t grow up healthy. Even if he survived, he’d be sickly his whole life, with no hope for the future.
Ezra has thought about begging Serena for help, but he can’t bring himself to ask. Serena gave Clara Phoenixfield a chance; it was Clara’s own greed that drove her and her child to this point.
Now, Ezra can only hope Adrian Phoenixfield achieves something on the grasslands—maybe, for Adrian’s sake, Serena will spare the child…
Kicked out of the palace and unable to see his little sister, Little Dumpling is heartbroken—but then he realizes this uncle seems even sadder than he is.
Little Dumpling doesn’t understand—is there anything in this world sadder than not being able to see his sister and mom?
He forgets all about his own troubles, walks up, and tugs on Ezra Phoenixfield’s sleeve, his round little face full of curiosity. “Uncle, why are you crying?”
Ezra Phoenixfield startles, wipes his face, and only then realizes he’s covered in tears. He quickly rubs his eyes and shakes his head. “Uncle’s not crying—it’s just dust in my eyes.”
"Really?" Little Dumpling tilts his head, clearly not convinced.
Ezra Phoenixfield tries to explain a bit more, insisting it’s just dust in his eyes—but Little Dumpling only gives him a scornful look. “Grown-ups are so not cute. Always lying.”
Little Dumpling lets go of Ezra, shaking his head like a little scholar.
“The Grand Heir is much nicer. Since I’m out of the palace, I’m going to find him!” Little Dumpling’s eyes light up—the more he thinks about it, the better it sounds…
Hmph… If Father doesn’t want him, the Grand Heir surely will.