Chapter 275: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 275: Marquis Fu's Residence
The residences of the royal family and nobility were all located on Zhuque Street. Both Prince Qi’s Mansion and Marquis Fu’s Residence were in this area, not far from each other.
Still, the carriage ride, with its gentle swaying, took about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Today was the coming-of-age ceremony for Marquis Fu’s eldest son, and naturally, many guests attended.
Those with existing ties came to strengthen them, while others without ties sought to establish connections.
Prince Qi’s Mansion and Marquis Fu’s Residence were bound by familial ties, and the two households enjoyed a close relationship. As a result, the Prince, Princess Consort, and their children arrived early.
Even so, the journey wasn’t smooth. The streets were crowded with others eager to arrive early.
The Prince even spotted the carriage of the Marquis Jinyang’s Residence and immediately scowled, dropping the curtain with a grumble:
“Why are *they* here too?”
Qi Wangfei, who had been quietly chatting with Suisui, noticed his tone. She glanced toward the curtained window, curious, but could only ask softly, “What’s wrong?”
The Prince hesitated, swallowing his words as soon as he noticed Suisui looking at him. “...It’s nothing.”
His guilt over the child’s origins weighed heavily on him.
He dared not mention the Marquis’s family in Suisui’s presence, fearing some inexplicable connection of bloodline might trigger a sense of familiarity or recognition in the child.
If that happened, wouldn’t his precious daughter be taken from him?
That was absolutely unacceptable!
Since the Prince refused to elaborate, Qi Wangfei didn’t press further. She returned her focus to Suisui, chatting with her about the decorative *huadian* on her forehead.
Today, Suisui was dressed up beautifully, with Aunt Xiang personally painting a *huadian* in the shape of a little bird taking flight. Unlike the usual floral patterns, this design was unique and full of character.
Qi Wangfei found the imagery of freedom and vitality fitting for a child and added a small pearl to the bird’s forehead for an extra touch of elegance.
It was Suisui’s first time wearing a *huadian*, and she was fascinated, constantly wanting to touch it. Qi Wangfei, worried she might smudge the design or dislodge the pearl, gently stopped her every time and distracted her with conversation.
It wasn’t just Suisui who was tempted to touch it—Feng Xuanrui couldn’t resist either.
Throughout the journey, he fidgeted, repeatedly glancing at Suisui and reaching out to touch her clothes and hat.
When he finally reached for the *huadian*, his mother’s piercing glare stopped him in his tracks.
Feng Xuanrui: …
Fine, if I can’t touch it, I won’t. But why look at me like that? You almost scared me to death!
Despite his fear, he understood how delicate a young lady’s adornments were. If he ruined it and made Suisui cry, that would be unacceptable.
So, he redirected his restless hands to her sleeves, tracing the fabric as he thought to himself: from the moment he first saw her, he knew Suisui was destined for the finest silks and brocades.
His little sister deserved only the best.
Now, seeing her dressed in such beautiful clothes, he felt validated.
Indeed, no one wore exquisite garments better than his sister.
His Suisui was the most adorable girl in the entire capital!
After the brief encounter with the Marquis Jinyang’s carriage, their own finally arrived at its destination.
The gates of Marquis Fu’s Residence stood wide open, ready to welcome guests.
The Marquis’s eldest son, Lu Xingming, a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stood at the entrance with his son, Lu Yinchen—the birthday boy of the day—greeting guests personally.
As Prince Qi’s carriage pulled up, Lu Xingming exchanged a glance with his son before stepping forward with a smile to greet them.
“Your Highness, greetings.”
Prince Qi disembarked first, followed closely by Qi Wangfei and their children.
Since the younger ones were present, a small set of steps was used to help them down.
The Prince, keeping an eye on his family, began a friendly exchange with Lu Xingming as they approached each other.
Their relationship was…
The familial connections between Prince Qi’s Mansion and Marquis Fu’s Residence were so intricate that, while there were no issues with seniority, striking a balance in addressing each other was a persistent challenge.
From Prince Qi’s perspective, Lu Xingming’s wife was the youngest daughter of the Grand Princess, a few years older than him, making her his cousin. Thus, Lu Xingming should be addressed as "brother-in-law."
However, from Qi Wangfei’s perspective, Lu Xingming was her maternal cousin, which meant the Prince would also have to call him “brother.”
In the end, to avoid complications, Lu Xingming addressed Prince Qi as “Your Highness,” while the Prince called him “Master Lu.”
This approach avoided awkwardness and maintained mutual respect—a pragmatic solution when lineage and relationships became tangled beyond reconciliation.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qi Wangfei descended from the carriage with the children.
Lu Xingming, well aware of the new addition to Prince Qi’s family, immediately turned his attention to Suisui.
When Suisui alighted, the Prince, though still in conversation with Lu Xingming, instinctively moved to take her from Aunt Xiang’s arms.
Nestled in her father’s arms, Suisui naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head curiously to observe Master Lu.
Master Lu, in turn, looked at her.
When their gazes met, he thought to himself: *The resemblance is uncanny.*
Those eyes—how could this child *not* be the Prince’s?
No wonder his wife had returned from the Grand Princess’s residence muttering suspicions that this child might be the result of the Prince’s indiscretions.
However, based on the Grand Princess’s attitude, it didn’t seem likely.
If Suisui’s origins were as questionable as rumored, the Grand Princess—despite any past debt of gratitude—would not have gone so far as to send gifts upon hearing of Suisui’s title as County Princess.
Regardless of his speculations, Master Lu showed no sign of them. Instead, he donned a warm, affectionate smile.
“So this is Suisui? What an adorable child.”
True to his generous nature, and despite being the host and therefore traditionally on the receiving end of gifts, Lu Xingming didn’t mind breaking convention.
Without hesitation, he removed a pristine mutton-fat jade pendant from his waist and placed it in Suisui’s arms.
“I don’t have much on me right now,” he said, smiling. “Take this jade pendant, Suisui. Don’t dislike it—it’s for you to play with.”
The pendant was flawless, without a single scratch or sign of wear, clearly prepared in advance. Before handing it over, Master Lu even made sure a servant polished it carefully.
He hesitated momentarily over how to refer to himself in front of Suisui.
After some thought, he decided that “maternal uncle” felt closer and more familial.
However, the term “uncle” had often been a sore spot for Suisui.
Fortunately, Suisui no longer felt as anxious about such titles.
After all, she understood that this uncle was different from the bad one who used to hit her.
The previous uncle was bad.
This uncle gave her gifts right away. That made him good.
Even so, whether to accept the gift depended on her father’s approval.
With this in mind, Suisui withdrew her gaze from Master Lu and looked toward her father.
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