Almost all the Duke’s children from the main courtyard were taken care of by Third Lady.
It was said that there were at least eleven children from the main courtyard, and Third Lady took good care of them. Only Murong Xiude, the special one, was said to be neglected and placed in Jiaochi Garden because the Duke did not want to see his face that resembled the Duchess too much.
It would be impossible to make Third Lady take in Murong Xiude.
After all, she would not take in a child like Murong Xiude under the Duke’s watch. It would only bring bad luck to her. Therefore, if there was an opportunity, Murong Xiude may follow Lady Mei instead and receive her care by then. This arrangement did not seem so bad either.
It was just that this matter must be done carefully, otherwise, it would turn into a bad thing.
As for how they should carry out the plan, they would have to think it through slowly. As Shen Xiangwan was busy thinking and planning, the bath water was done.
While she was scooping up the water, Xiaoqi had already finished preparing his clothes. He waited beside in excitement.
On the other hand, Murong Xiude had also prepared his own clothes.
He stood there shyly, expectant of what was going to happen next.
Shen Xiangwan was amused by his shyness despite his young age.
She skillfully poured the water into the big bucket, then sized up the huge bucket and thought that it would not be a problem to fit the two of them inside. Placing both hands on her waist, she announced, "Okay, you two may go in."
"Haha, we are going to take a bath," Xiaoqi cheered, and hurriedly took off Murong Xiude's clothes. "Jiuye, come here. Let me help you."
Xiaoqi was too anxious, and while he tugged on Murong Xiude’s clothes, he accidentally pulled off one of the buttons on his shirt.
Shen Xiangwan stepped forward and took the button. "You go in first. I will help Jiuye."
Xiaoqi squealed and turned around to enter the huge bathtub, stark naked.
Shen Xiangwan gently removed Murong Xiude's shirt. She looked at his thin body and poked him lightly. "Go in."
Murong Xiude covered his front and backside, then bowed his head shyly. "Sister Wanwan please don't look, you will grow a sty..."
"Haha… A sty? What's it like?"
Even though Shen Xiangwan was usually serious, after listening to his words, she stretched out her hand and patted his backside jokingly.
For a while, Murong Xiude was dumbfounded by her actions. He had always thought that she was a serious person, and he was taken aback when she patted his backside.
Then, Shen Xiangwan pointed at the bathtub in embarrassment. "Hurry and get in while it's hot, or else it will be cold in a while."
Murong Xiude hurriedly responded, "Alright. I'll go in."
He crawled inside the bucket after finished speaking, naked from head to toe.
Shen Xiangwan stared at his backside, and fought the urge to pat it again.
In fact, she still likes teasing little boys like this.
She had always helped Xiaoqi bathe and dress before, and when she looked at Xiaojiu's backside, she felt like she was looking at Xiaoqi when they were back home.
Then, she began pouring water and working for the two little guys.
Her hand on their heads, gently scratching and massaging. Even though the water slid down and blurred Murong Xiude’s vision, he still felt very comfortable.
It turned out that Shen Xiangwan’s hands could be so gentle too.
Her gestures made him feel comfortable.
When she hit the right spot, he couldn't help but groan.
"Um..." It was only a soft groan, but he felt ecstatic, and Shen Xiangwan stared at him in surprise.
"Sister… Don't stop..."
"Okay."
"Doesn't it feel good?"
Murong Xiude blushed and nodded fiercely, his eyes gleamed amidst the water vapor. They looked innocent and adorable.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiangwan sneakily touched his face while rubbing the dirt of his body.
Her fingers lingered on his face for a long time, but he didn't seem to notice. His lashes fluttered, shielding the big bright eyes beneath. His skinny arms flailed, and occasionally, he glanced at her shyly, "Sister, it feels good..."
"Hehe, if you think it feels good, I will help you bathe more."
Murong Xiude brought his tiny arms and legs together, and his long eyelashes gently swept across his cheeks. "Okay..."
His voice sounded beautiful in Shen Xiangwan’s ears.
At that moment, Shen Xiangwan's heart turned soft.
When she was young, she was pampered by her family, and her mother had spoiled her.
Although her father was busy with work, he still spent time with her.
She lived a lavish life when she was young, and an unexpected incident changed her life. However, she was only initially frightened because of the sudden change, and thankfully,she didn’t suffer much in the Duke’s manor.
Watching Murong Xiude’s happy little face when he was being taken care of by herself, pride arose in her heart.
"You should grow more meat on your little arm. You are too thin. Xiaoqi too."
She stared at their skinny bodies and felt bitterness in her heart. She was determined to raise them to be chubby.
Murong Xiude suddenly became nervous and hurriedly placed Shen Xiangwan's hand on his face. "Wan Er, please touch my face. I have meat on my face, really."
His words made Shen Xiangwan’s heart even more soft. She chuckled and took the opportunity to touch his little tender face more.
"Well, it's quite meaty. It feels even better when I touch it more."
"I will eat more in the future. In order to gain weight, I will also eat more supplements to grow more." He thought that since Shen Xiangwan liked people that looked chubby, he had to work hard to gain more weight.
"However, too much weight is not good. Let's just go with the flow," Shen Xiangwan quickly corrected him, afraid of misleading him.
He bowed his head shyly and blinked.
"Come on, get up. You may get out after I rub your backside."
Upon mentioning this, Murong Xiude grew even more shy.
He blushed at the thought of her rubbing his backside. However, he did not hesitate. Instead, he turned around and leaned on the edge of the tub, revealing his backside to her with a look of excitement.
"Sister, do it."
"Humph, this little ingot, it seems that you still have some meat."
The feel of his backside was not bad.
She wondered how Murong Xiude grew to have such features.
Obviously, he was abused when he was a child, but his skinny and tender body was so smooth that she didn't want to take her hands off him.
Smearing bubbles all over his body, she pinched him gently.
"Hmm..." he groaned.
Shen Xiangwan grew embarrassed, but the feeling of his skin against hers was really good.
She took the opportunity to pinch him a few more times, and then instructed him to stand up and wiped him clean.
As she stared at the clean and beautiful boy that looked like a fairy in the painting, she felt overflowing love in her heart. She couldn't help but give him a kiss.
Murong Xiude, who was already enjoying the treatment from Shen Xiangwan became dumbfounded by her kiss, and he immediately lowered his head, his lashes fluttering. "Wan Er, I will take responsibility for you in the future!"
"Huh? Take responsibility? What responsibility?"
Shen Xiangwan was baffled, but when she noticed his red little face, her eyes widened in realization. "Ah… You... Don’t tell me that you are thinking of… taking that kind of responsibility for me?"