Chapter 1266: Princess Jin Yao's Gentleness

Lin Lang gently tapped Xiao Haobei's soft nose with his fingertip, his eyes filled with an irrepressible smile, and teased him in a low voice, "You little rascal, how can you be so cute? Quickly call me Father."

Little Haobei blinked his big, dark eyes, his little hand still clutching a strand of Lin Lang's hair, babbling incoherently. His little mouth opened and closed, and the babyish syllables rolled out, surprisingly clearly saying, "Mother."

Lin Lang raised an eyebrow, deliberately put on a stern face, and poked Xiao Haobei's cheek again: "Wrong, call him Father Emperor."

The little one seemed not to understand, or perhaps deliberately defiant. He shook his head, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, and then called out in a clear voice, "Mother."

Jin Yao, who was holding Xiao Haonan, couldn't help but laugh out loud, her voice full of teasing: "Your Majesty, it seems that you don't spend enough time playing with Bei'er, so he only has his mother in his eyes and heart."

Lin Lang couldn't suppress a smile as he pinched Xiao Haobei's cheek: "You heartless brat, I've spoiled you for nothing."

Jin Yao carried Xiao Haonan forward, gently stroked Xiao Haobei's chin with her finger, and said softly, "Bei'er, look who this is, call him brother."

Xiao Haonan immediately leaned closer, his round eyes fixed on his baby brother in the swaddling clothes, his little face full of anticipation.

Xiao Haobei stared at his brother for a few seconds, his little mouth moved, drool dripped onto his clothes, and he actually uttered a few indistinct but clear syllables: "Brother...brother."

Xiao Haonan's eyes lit up instantly. He suddenly broke free from Jin Yao's embrace, his little face flushed with excitement, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mother! My little brother can talk now! Wow! My little brother can really talk now!"

The shout was loud and clear, echoing throughout the palace.

Jin Yao and Lin Lang exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Jin Yao rubbed Xiao Haonan's head and laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight: "Silly boy, your brother is a human being, so naturally he can speak human language."

Ignoring everything else, Xiao Haonan moved closer to the swaddled baby, carefully reaching out his little hand to touch his younger brother's cheek, murmuring, "My little brother can call me 'big brother' now! I have a good little brother!"

Lin Lang felt incredibly warm inside as he watched this scene unfold. He lowered his head and planted a kiss on Xiao Haobei's forehead, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

"Mother, I also want to kiss my younger brother."

Jin Yao hugged her eldest son and leaned closer. Xiao Haonan gave his younger brother a quick kiss on his chubby cheek.

The exquisitely beautiful little Hao Bei opened his mouth again, facing the direction of little Hao Nan, and babbled, "Brother... Brother..."

Each note was clearer than the last, and each note was softer and sweeter than the last.

Little Hao Nan giggled sweetly in his mother's arms, tilting his little face up to boast, "Mother, look, my little brother likes me!"

Jin Yao reached out and pinched Xiao Haonan's soft cheeks, coaxing, "When your little brother gets a bit older, he'll be able to chase after you every day and play with you all the time."

"Yay!" Xiao Haonan cheered excitedly.

Lin Lang, holding Xiao Haobei, moved closer to Jin Yao and said sourly, "I haven't even had the face of Nan'er yet. Does this brat Bei'er even have any respect for his father?"

Jin Yao smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said coquettishly, "Who told you to always be so busy? You don't even see Bei'er for ten days or half a month. It's a miracle he even recognizes you."

Lin Lang was speechless and could only lower his head to poke Xiao Haobei's cheek, his tone full of grievance: "You brat, clinging to your father's thigh is the only way to go."

Xiao Haobei didn't understand any of this. He just felt ticklish from the person in front of him and giggled. He twisted and turned in Lin Lang's arms and grabbed at things randomly with his little hands.

Lin Lang lifted Xiao Haobei's bottom and raised him a little higher, laughing, "Bei'er and Nan'er looked so alike when they were little. These two rascals are truly brothers."

Xiao Haobei was lifted into the air, his excited little mouth opened into a round "O" shape, and after a moment, he giggled and kicked his little legs happily.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Lang saw that Xiao Haonan, who was being held by Jin Yao, was looking over with longing eyes. He quickly suppressed the smile in his eyes, afraid of making his eldest son jealous again.

Little Haonan watched with longing, tugging at his mother's sleeve and shaking it: "Mother, Mother, I want to be lifted up high too! Father is biased!"

"Okay, okay, lift him up high." Jin Yao imitated Lin Lang and lifted Xiao Haonan up high.

Xiao Haonan immediately waved his little hand excitedly and shouted to Xiao Haobei, "Little brother! Look! I'm being lifted up high too!"

Lin Lang turned to look at Jin Yao, his eyes filled with a tenderness that was almost overwhelming.

Jin Yao smiled sweetly at Lin Lang, and the family of four looked warm and happy.

Lin Lang looked down at the baby Hao Bei in his swaddling clothes, feeling an overwhelming warmth filling his heart and eyes.

Jin Yao smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, please have breakfast in my palace today!"

Lin Lang replied without hesitation with a single word: "Okay".

Jin Yao quickly gave a wink to the palace maid waiting nearby.

The palace maid understood immediately and hurriedly did as instructed.

Soon, the palace maids filed in carrying stacks of food trays, placing the steaming breakfast in the warm chamber of the bedchamber.

The rosewood dining table is laden with a dazzling array of dishes, including soft and fragrant osmanthus cake, sweet and refreshing lotus seed soup, thin-skinned crystal dumplings with generous fillings, and glistening braised pork buns.

There were also a few delicate side dishes garnishing the dish.

The steaming heat from the hot milk and millet porridge, mingled with the aroma of the food, instantly filled the entire warm room.

Seeing Lin Lang still holding and playing with his youngest son, Jin Yao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please hand Bei'er over to the wet nurse. Bei'er needs to be fed."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lang carefully supported Xiao Haobei's back and gently handed the swaddled baby to the wet nurse who was waiting nearby.

The wet nurse bowed and accepted the gift, softly saying, "This servant takes her leave," before turning and carrying Xiao Haobei to the side hall.

Jin Yao then took Xiao Haonan down and placed him in a children's high chair, carefully tying a bib on him.

Lin Lang walked straight to the head seat and sat down. Jin Yao sat down next to him, sandwiched between Lin Lang and Xiao Haonan. The family of three sat around the table, and a warm and cozy atmosphere spread out.

Jin Yao frowned and looked helplessly at Lin Lang, pointing to the almost untouched plate of vegetables in front of Xiao Haonan.

"Your Majesty, you must do something about Bei'er. He can't live without meat and won't even glance at the vegetables on his plate."

Lin Lang followed Jin Yao's gaze and saw that Xiao Haonan was holding a small spoon, staring longingly at the braised pork ribs on the plate, while the stir-fried vegetables in front of him remained untouched.

He reached out with his left hand and touched Xiao Haonan's soft hair, his voice gentle: "Nan'er, you need to eat more vegetables. They contain dietary fiber, which can help you digest. Only with a balanced diet can you grow tall and strong."

Little Haonan blinked as if he understood, paused with his little hand holding the spoon, looked up at Lin Lang, and then slowly scooped up a spoonful of vegetables, grimacing as he swallowed it.

Seeing this, Jin Yao couldn't help but laugh out loud. She picked up a piece of pork rib and put it into Xiao Haonan's bowl: "That's a good boy. You ate the vegetables, so here's a pork rib as a reward."

Xiao Haonan's eyes lit up instantly. He picked at the ribs in his bowl and ate them with relish, not caring at all that there was sauce on his lips.

Watching his son wolf down his food, and then glancing at Jin Yao beside him with a beaming smile, Lin Lang felt a warmth in his heart that was even hotter than the breakfast on the table.

After breakfast, Lin Lang looked at the palace maid waiting beside him and said, "Take the young prince to play with the other princes for a while to help him digest his food."

Little Haonan pouted unhappily: "No, Your Majesty, I want to play with Father."

Lin Lang used the same trick again, taking out a Taiwanese candy gift box from his personal space and handing it to Xiao Haonan, gently coaxing, "I'm just bribing you, you brat. Your father and mother have important matters to discuss, and it's inconvenient for you to be here."

"Wow, there's candy! Thank you, Father!"

Little Hao Nan's eyes lit up. He hugged the candy gift box tightly, but then blinked his big eyes curiously and asked, "Father, what were you and Mother talking about that was inconvenient for me to talk about?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Yao covered her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled softly. She knew that Lin Lang wanted to find an excuse to let his son go out and play so that he could spend some time alone with her.

Lin Lang pinched his son's soft cheek and said with a smile, "You little rascal, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Go play and share the candy with your brothers and sisters."

"Hmm." Xiao Haonan nodded with a smile and said, "Your subject takes his leave!"

Then, the little guy followed the palace maid and ran out of the palace, humming an off-key nursery rhyme.

As soon as the palace maid closed the door, Lin Lang couldn't wait to pull Jin Yao into his arms. Breathing in the faint scent of her perfume, he raised an eyebrow and said with a mischievous smile, "My beloved concubine, I've missed you so much!"

Jin Yao nestled into Lin Lang's arms and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty only knows how to coax me. You say you miss me, but when it's time to serve you in bed, you don't even choose me."

Lin Lang chuckled softly, his fingertips caressing Jin Yao's beautiful face, his eyes brimming with intense emotions: "Isn't this just a moment I managed to steal from my busy schedule to visit my darling?"

Jin Yao nuzzled the hem of Lin Lang's robe with her nose, her voice as soft as spring water: "Your Majesty's sweet words have made my ears drunk."

"It's better if you're drunk." Lin Lang leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her ear, his voice husky and alluring. "When you're drunk, you can do whatever you want to me."

Jin Yao's cheeks instantly burned hot. She reached out and pushed his chest, her fingertips carrying a hint of reluctance: "Your Majesty is becoming more and more unruly, wanting to do shameful things first thing in the morning."

Lin Lang gripped Jin Yao's wrist, pulling her closer into his arms. Their noses touched, and their eyes met, filled with deep affection. "My beloved concubine is as beautiful as a fairy. The moment I see you, I want to do shameful things with you."

Before he could finish speaking, he lowered his head and kissed him.

This kiss wasn't possessive or domineering like usual; instead, it was incredibly gentle. Their lips met, warm from each other's breath.

Jin Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly as she closed her eyes, reached out and wrapped her arms around Lin Lang's neck, her fingertips digging into his dark hair.

Lin Lang's kisses deepened, filled with longing he had suppressed for so long. They lingered and caressed Jin Yao until her legs went weak, and she could only cling to him tightly, letting him do as he pleased.

The wind was still blowing outside the palace, and the jade bells were still tinkling.

But time inside the palace seemed to be slowed down, every minute and every second was sweet as honey.

After a long while, Lin Lang stepped back slightly, his forehead touching Jin Yao's. Looking at her flushed face, he chuckled softly, "Still so easily teased. After only a short kiss, you've already become this alluring."

Jin Yao gave Lin Lang a shy, reproachful look, but her eyes were full of tears. She reached out and pinched his waist, saying, "Your Majesty always bullies me."

"I'm just bullying you." Lin Lang lowered his head and pecked Jin Yao's lips again, his tone full of doting affection. "Who told you to be the person I cherish most in my heart?"