CHAPTER 400: CHAPTER 136 LOTUS SEED SOUP (PART 1)

Chen Yin was also quite mischievous, he didn’t dodge or avoid at all, directly reaching out to catch the pillow that was thrown at him, then lazily leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs.

Casually, he showed none of the steadiness and grandeur seen by outsiders: "Kids forget things easily, how long has it been since I’ve seen them? What if they forget me? That would be a huge loss!"

Chen Yin had worked hard to make Du Xixi his official sister, legitimizing himself as the uncle to two kids, and he definitely didn’t want Yiyi and Er Er to grow distant from him.

Moreover, he was quite aware of his own physical condition; in terms of offspring... the likelihood was nine out of ten that the future ruler of the Blue Star Empire would come from the brothers Yiyi and Er Er. Chen Yin was happy to visit them often so that they could be influenced from a young age, making things easier for them in the future.

For both public and private reasons, Chen Yin needed to become familiar to Yiyi and Er Er.

These thoughts that were clear to everyone, Du Xixi was unwilling to mention. Seeing that Chen Yin also intended to keep the conversation light and avoid bringing serious imperial matters into this small family, she laughed softly, then after finding a comfortable position in Ke Lian’s arms, she warmly said, "Then make sure you leave early after dinner, otherwise your enthusiasm might scare Yiyi and Er Er, and I won’t forgive you!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Chen Yin’s eyes deepened with laughter, feeling relaxed and carefree like when on Blue Star, he playfully made a "begging for mercy" gesture, speaking in a deliberately heightened tone, "Oh, heroine, do show mercy then~"

"Pfft!" Du Xixi and Ke Lian were long accustomed to his unserious demeanor, and though they rolled their eyes at him helplessly, they said nothing. Meanwhile, Miao Miao, sitting quietly by the side, couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the interaction.

Her respect for Chen Yin stemmed entirely from Rob’s respect for him. Back when Rob took care of her for some time, she not only followed Rob’s example by calling Du Xixi "Miss," but also regarded Chen Yin as "Master" just as Rob did.

She understood that she wasn’t a mechanical soldier serving Chen Yin, and thus didn’t need to be overly cautious with him. However, despite this mental shift, the initial impression engraved on her heart didn’t fade easily.

But until this moment, seeing Chen Yin completely at ease and this drastically different side of him — a side reserved for family and not seen by outsiders — she finally felt at ease towards him, and even the slight furrow between her brows relaxed.

Anyone protected by Du Xixi was naturally also under Chen Yin’s protection, his demeanor towards Miao Miao had been gentle from the start, and seeing her smile now interested him further. He leaned over on the sofa, then with a roguish grin at Miao Miao, he said, "Little girl, are you making fun of me?"

Miao Miao’s heart skipped a beat, purely instinctive. On the surface, however, she lifted her head, responding in a manner both humble and dignified that would even earn Chen Yin’s admiration, "How could I? I just feel that the relationship between Your Majesty and Miss is truly excellent, and it touched my heart, making me happy for you both."

Chen Yin chuckled, "Good talker, won’t be at a disadvantage in the future."

"Thanks to Your Majesty’s kind words." Miao Miao maintained her smile, offering a slight nod to Chen Yin. Though her hands had tightened earlier, they relaxed due to his warmth and rested calmly on her knees.

After a few more exchanges with Miao Miao, Chen Yin felt the little girl spoke in too official a manner, reminiscent of those old geezers advising him, which bored him. So he turned his attention back to wanting more conversation with Du Xixi.

The group of them sat chatting on the sofa in a harmonious atmosphere. When the freshly awoken Yiyi and Er Er were brought down by Ke Xing, Du Xixi excused herself to go upstairs to change clothes, asking Ke Lian to help her choose.

Ke Lian and Du Xixi shared similar taste, and this excuse didn’t make Chen Yin suspicious. But once the couple had gone upstairs hand in hand, Chen Yin, now holding the two children in his arms, pouted and whispered, "Going to change clothes requires company, this old rascal Ke Lian!"

Ke Xing and Miao Miao: ...

Clearly, it was Du Xixi who called Ke Lian upstairs...

Regardless of how Chen Yin "slandered" him downstairs, upstairs, Ke Lian was unaware. Earlier, he noticed Du Xixi giving him a look and now, seeing her lead him to the study instead of their room, he understood.