Chapter 52

Fengguang opened the window and the spring colours from the roadside immediately caught her eye. It was currently mid-March when all the flora and vegetation were flourishing. The breeze of wind carried the smell of wildflowers which could capture the depths of a person’s heart.

A bird that had originally been sitting atop a tree branch, flew past Qi Mu and landed onto her hand. The bird had grey feathers with a bit of dotted white at the tip of its tail. It was a tiny bird that kept nodding its head. Occasionally, it would let out its crisp voice and was extremely adorable.

Fengguang touched its small head with her fingertip gently as Qi Mu started speaking to her from ahead.

“That, right there, is a cuckoo.”

“Really?” She leaned against the window, carefully admiring the little guest that had suddenly perched on her hand. “If it weren’t for you, crown prince, I’m afraid I would have mistaken it for a sparrow.”

Qi Mu smiled. “Sparrows and cuckoos are very different creatures whether it is their chirping or their natures.”

“Their natures?”

“Does Miss Xia know the meaning of a dove occupying a magpie’s nest?”

“Some birds are not born to build nests and when they need to give birth, they take out the eggs in the nests of other birds and leave their own behind to be raised instead.”

“Well put. The birds that don’t build nests also include cuckoos.”

“Oh?”

“Cuckoo lay their eggs in the nests of certain species of birds and they depend on their adopted parents for incubation and feeding. It’s also worth mentioning that although adult cuckoos will move the eggs of the host bird, cuckoos also hatch and mature faster than other birds. The young ones will push out the other eggs and hatchlings to improve their own chances in competition.”

”

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Fengguang’s hand shivered slightly and the bird on her hand flew away. She spoke out of surprise, “Even the young ones are…”

“Whether a creature is a human or an animal, as long as they understand the reasoning of sacrificing others for survival, whether they be noble or lowly, they still share this common feature among all walks of life. It’s astounding, isn’t it?” There was mockery in his tone when he added that last remark.

Even though Fengguang couldn’t see Qi Mu’s expression, she still knew that he was likely wearing a fake smile. She suddenly felt disappointed.

The horse carriage stopped. “Miss Xia, we’ve arrived.”

The deserted mountain had not originally been called the deserted mountain but ever since a certain day where rumors spread that there were tigers that would harm passerbys, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, no one dared to visit the mountain. Thus, all that was left was the flora, shrubbery, and trees. Even the residence at the summit of the mountain had become an abandoned home.

The residence was large and covered a lot of ground but due to the lack of maintenance, wild grass had grown out. However, even in its current state, one could still vaguely make out the past brilliance of this deserted place.

Fengguang stood at the entrance and let out a silent sigh in her heart as she could see the effects of time on this residence. The door was not closed and she could see a few rooms from where she stood. The most eye-catching feature inside was a large locust tree.

Qi Mu lowered his head as he spoke to Fengguang, “Miss Xia, let’s go in.”

She nodded and stepped inside. If she had to be honest, if she were to come alone to such a desolate location, she would have been frightened but with Qi Mu at her side, she felt a sense of security. After passing a long passageway, Fengguang could see a slender yet handsome man in a courtyard that was nearly overrun by wild plants. She looked back at Qi Mu and indeed, they were truly brothers. They at least looked thirty to forty percent alike.

“You’ve finally come, An…” Qi Duan stopped as he noticed Qi Mu. “Why did you come too?”

Qi Mu smiled slightly. “Naturally, I’ve come to see how my little brother is doing.”

“Other than a lack of good food, I’ve been doing well.”

“That’s great. Then as your brother, I can rest easy.”

They had been enemies vying for the position of crown prince but today, they were speaking peacefully to one another as though they were old friends meeting again and chatting about their interests.

Qi Duan asked, “Are father emperor and mother doing well?”

“Father emperor’s old illness is acting up again and resting at home. Mother has gone to the temple to pray for father’s health. Qi Duan, my good little brother, I have been feeling lonely because I haven’t been able to play chess with you,” Qi Mu shook his head as he sighed.

Qi Duan held tightly onto his other hand.