Chapter 31: The Final Word

"My precious treasure must feel safe in Grandfather's arms, don't you think?" There were eaves along the path to the study, so it wasn't cold; Head of the Meng family didn't bother covering Jiaoyue's swaddling blanket as he walked and chatted with her.

Jiaoyue chimed in with a cooperative "ah-ah," which delighted the family head even more.

"You come along too; if Yueya falls asleep later, you'll be the one to carry her back," the family head said to Meng Wenxuan over his shoulder.

Meng Wenxuan was speechless. Was that really all he was good for? He had a premonition that his father would break every rule in the book for his daughter again and again. Resigned, he picked up the designs from the table and followed behind.

The master jade carver, Zhao Chengye, had already arrived at the study. Meng Zeqiu personally brought in some fine tea and stayed to keep them company. When Zhao Chengye saw the family head walk in holding the infant, he didn't comment on the image itself, but he recognized the blanket immediately. His brows arched—wasn't this the Meng family daughter whose "washing the third day" ceremony had taken place today? Why bring such a tiny baby out?

The family head apologized, "Yueya likes being held by her grandfather, so I had no choice but to bring her along."

The corner of Zhao Chengye's mouth twitched imperceptibly, but he offered a gentle smile and teased, "Miss Meng certainly knows how to choose her company; she already knows who calls the shots in the Meng household."

"Yueya is very clever..." The family head began to recount, with vivid detail and obvious pride, how his granddaughter had twice avoided being poisoned. Since the news had already spread from the Meng house, he wasn't afraid of more people knowing.

The story had already reached the capital, and Zhao Chengye was aware of the rumors, but hearing the family head tell it personally felt different. He watched the infant in his arms with a neutral expression. Although she was only three days old, her skin was fair and delicate, her large eyes were like black grapes, her nose was petite, and her lips were a vibrant red. One could tell at a glance that she would grow up to be a peerless beauty. Her intelligent, spirited gaze was particularly striking; it was hard to believe this was a newborn—she was truly a pint-sized prodigy.

"Head of the Meng family, have you decided on the pattern for the carving?" Zhao Chengye steered the conversation away from the praise of the granddaughter. He couldn't listen any longer; if he did, he would be consumed by envy and jealousy.

"The peach blossom one. Little Yueya chose it herself; she likes it," the family head replied, his face beaming.

Zhao Chengye frowned. A peach blossom carved into an imperial-gifted Lantian jade? Did the Meng family have no respect for the Emperor's gifts? "How could such a tiny baby choose?"

He felt that any of the other patterns were superior to the peach blossom. Could it be that the family head was doing this on purpose, using his granddaughter as an excuse to have the pendant carved into a peach blossom?

The family head, naturally reading his mind, said with great animation, "The designs I drew were intended to ask Master Zhao to carve a few more pendants for Yueya in addition to this imperial piece. The peach blossom design was meant for a piece of pink jade we have at home. But when I showed the imperial jade to Yueya and let her pick the pattern herself, she chose this one. Since I let her choose, I can't go back on it now."

Meng Wenxuan, showing good sense, produced the sketches at the perfect moment. Master Zhao had already seen these; he knew the designs were by Meng Qingyun's own hand—a piece of paper worth thousands of gold simply because of these five sketches.

The family head pointed at the designs and asked Jiaoyue, "Which pattern does Yueya like?"

Jiaoyue lifted her tiny hand and pointed accurately at the peach blossom.

Seeing this, Master Zhao’s eyes narrowed. Could she truly understand speech?

Although Jiaoyue wasn't staring at Zhao Chengye, her spiritual consciousness was constantly active. She could hear the inner thoughts of her grandfather and father, but from Zhao Chengye, she heard nothing. It was impossible for him to have no inner thoughts; there were only two possibilities: either she couldn't hear him, or his spiritual strength surpassed her own, acting as a form of self-protection. Either way, it proved that Zhao Chengye was not simple. The latter, in particular, suggested that there were special individuals hidden within this mortal world.

With her memories from the cultivation world, Jiaoyue understood clearly that there was something off about Zhao Chengye, but she was currently too small and too weak to see through him. However, she wasn't surprised—if she could be reincarnated, then others could exist here too. In fact, she felt excited; this suggested that there might be a "gateway" between the mortal world and the cultivation realm.

"Can Miss Meng understand words?" Zhao Chengye’s tone carried a hint of shock, yet Jiaoyue saw no genuine surprise in his eyes. It was clear that he wasn't at all startled by her uniqueness. Jiaoyue could tell, and the family head and his son, noticing the same, maintained their composed expressions.

The family head laughed vaguely, "She is just a bit smarter than the average child."

Zhao Chengye was speechless. Was this just "a bit smarter"? A one-month-old wouldn't be able to understand speech so accurately, let alone a three-day-old. "You are too modest, Head of the Meng family."

"Master Zhao, since little Yueya likes this pattern, let's carve this one," the family head said, finalizing the decision. Zhao Chengye wanted to urge caution; after all, carving a peach blossom into an imperial gift seemed like a lack of respect.

"Head of the Meng family, this is an imperial gift..."

Before he could finish, Meng Qingyun interrupted, "Master Zhao, you need not have any concerns. This jade is indeed an imperial gift, but the founding emperor of the Great Yu Empire did not bestow it upon the Meng family just so we could show it off."

This statement left Zhao Chengye with no retort.

Meng Qingyun continued, "Our Meng family has been a house of scholars for hundreds of years. We are all men of letters with no grand ambitions; for generations, we have only sought to live in peace. That is the only way we have survived the shifts of imperial power for centuries."

Zhao Chengye disagreed; after all, how could a family survive for hundreds of years by merely seeking peace? Meng Qingyun didn't expect him to agree, but these words had to be said—they were for the ears of the one currently sitting on the dragon throne.

"The Meng family has waited hundreds of years for this one girl. Little Yueya is the treasure we cherish most, and she is the only one in our family worthy of this jade." As he spoke, Meng Qingyun looked down at the little girl in his arms with tenderness. She grinned back at him, a scene that looked remarkably heartwarming.

Zhao Chengye looked at Meng Qingyun and realized that nothing he said would change his mind. "Then we shall proceed as you wish, Head of the Meng family." As a jade carver, since he had accepted the commission, he had to follow the patron's wishes; his words were merely an opinion.

Hearing this, the family head smiled at Jiaoyue in his arms and said, "Yueya, Master Zhao is going to carve the jade into the flower you like. Are you happy?"