Free Web NovelChapter 143: Chapter 143: Is She His Daughter?
Impatience flashed in the Black Wolf King’s amber eyes, and it let out a low WHINE.
It was complaining that Mo Lingwei had played dead, scaring its dear Ningning and making her cry.
A look of joy washed over Shen Ningning’s face. With a swipe of her small hand, she wiped away her tears and snot.
"Brother, you’re alive! I’m so glad!" She reached out and cradled his head, letting him rest it on her lap.
The moment Shen Ningning touched him, she felt the temperature of his body. He was as cold as ice.
Mo Lingwei’s body was terribly stiff, but upon seeing Shen Ningning, he completely forgot about the pain.
"Don’t cry so hard. I’m not going to die." He reached out to wipe away her tears.
He hadn’t realized, however, that his hand had picked up some black, burnt ash from somewhere.
When he went to wipe her small face, not only did he fail to clear away the tears, but he also smeared her cheeks until they were as black as the bottom of a pot.
The Black Wolf King: ...
It let out an angry growl right in Mo Lingwei’s ear.
"Shen Ningning, what is your wolf saying about me?"
The little girl sniffled. "Langlang says you turned my face into a lump of coal."
Mo Lingwei let out a soft chuckle.
"Brother, what are you laughing at? Doesn’t it hurt anywhere?"
"It doesn’t hurt. I’m laughing because I’m so happy to see you right now, Shen Ningning."
With that, Mo Lingwei held out his hand. "Help me up."
The little girl grabbed his arm and, like a little stump, tried to push Mo Lingwei up with her head.
But she was too weak. In the end, the Black Wolf King, unable to watch any longer, stood behind Mo Lingwei and nudged him up with its head.
Once Mo Lingwei was on his feet, he picked up the memorial tablet, took Shen Ningning by the hand, and limped into the building.
Only when they were inside did Shen Ningning realize it was the only room that hadn’t been burned.
It resembled a memorial hall inside, with simple and clean furnishings.
Mo Lingwei placed the memorial tablet back on a high shelf and said to Shen Ningning, "This is my mother."
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I used to spend it with her every year. I had wanted to bring you to visit her tonight, but an accident happened when I came early to set things up."
When he finished, Mo Lingwei looked at the memorial tablet, his gaze softening. "Mother, this is Shen Ningning, the friend I told you about."
The little girl stood beside him, blinking her big eyes as she looked.
The tablet read: Empress Xiaohui, Lin Lanyin.
Shen Ningning remembered the court etiquette she had seen in the palace.
The little girl copied the movements of the palace maids she had seen, crossing her small hands and giving a curtsy. Her voice was soft and sweet. "Hello, Your Highness, Auntie. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please forgive my shortcomings."
After speaking, she tried to kowtow, but her small body was unsteady, and she pitched forward.
She landed flat on the ground like a little mochi ball.
Mo Lingwei froze for a moment before a stream of soft chuckles escaped him.
He bent down and pulled Shen Ningning up. "Are you hurt? You don’t need to be so formal with my mother. She was very approachable."
Shen Ningning rubbed her bumped nose with a small hand and mumbled, "Ngh... I was just so excited, I lost my balance."
After that, Mo Lingwei bid farewell to the memorial tablet before leading the little girl away.
As they walked along the path outside, the downpour had stopped, dwindling to just a few sparse drops.
Shen Ningning glanced back at the courtyard, blinking her big eyes at Mo Lingwei. "Brother, I think Her Highness’s spirit was just here. She protected you!"
Mo Lingwei paused. "Why do you say that?"
Shen Ningning shook her head smugly. "I saw it with my own eyes! On the way here, so many courtyards were burned down. This was the very last place the fire reached."
"It must be that Her Highness didn’t want you to get hurt, so she was protecting you. You just couldn’t see it is all."
Her words struck the softest spot in Mo Lingwei’s heart.
Ever since his mother, the Empress, had passed away, the most common rumor he heard was that his very existence had caused her to suffer a deadly backlash from her witchcraft.
This was the first time anyone had ever told him that his mother, like those raindrops, was quietly and gently watching over him.
Mo Lingwei fought back the warmth welling in his eyes.
He smiled. "Shen Ningning, thank you."
The little girl beamed back at him. "You’re welcome, Brother! When are we going to eat mooncakes? Are there any with meat filling? I want to eat some! Um, Langlang wants to eat some too!"
The Black Wolf King let out a couple of cooperative WHINES.
Mo Lingwei’s laughter was clear and bright. "There are. We’ll eat them when we get back to the palace."
「At that very moment.」
The Emperor, along with most of his civil and military officials, had already rushed to the outskirts of Lan Garden.
The moment he saw Chen Shaobei, his first words were, "Where’s Ling Wei? Is he all right? Where is he?"
Chen Shaobei lowered his head.
A terrible premonition gripped the Emperor. He lunged forward and grabbed Chen Shaobei by the collar.
"Where is my son?!" he roared hysterically, his voice filled with the anguish of a father on the verge of collapse.
Chen Shaobei quickly explained, "We haven’t found the Crown Prince yet, but there was a downpour just now and the fire is out. The soldiers are already searching inside. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
The Prime Minister, holding a folding fan, stepped forward and advised calmly, "Your Majesty, it was a torrential downpour. Surely, this is a sign that His Highness has turned ill fortune into good. You mustn’t be too hasty in your anger, lest it affect your health."
Hearing the Prime Minister’s words, the Emperor released Chen Shaobei.
Just then, Minister Wei stepped forward, pointing at a figure kneeling by a wall in the distance. "Who is that?!"
With a cold gaze, the Emperor ordered a eunuch to bring the person over.
When he saw the person’s face, Minister Wei gasped in surprise. "Yu Fu, why are you here?!"
Wei Yufu lifted her red, tear-filled eyes. "My brother and I were in the city when we heard that the Crown Prince was trapped in the fire at Lan Garden. I came here at once to pray for rain, hoping the heavens would take pity and keep His Highness safe."
The Emperor’s expression was unreadable, betraying neither pleasure nor anger.
After a long moment, he finally said, "You are quite thoughtful."
Wei Yufu kowtowed and said tearfully, "The fire was too fierce just now. Otherwise, I would have rushed in without a second thought to find His Highness."
Minister Wei inwardly gave his daughter an approving glance. ’Good, she hasn’t forgotten a single word I taught her.’
Suddenly!
Someone shouted, "The Crown Prince is coming out!"
The crowd turned to look. They saw Mo Lingwei walking out slowly, holding Shen Ningning’s small hand. Behind them followed a massive black wolf.
The tears Wei Yufu had forced out instantly vanished.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the little girl beside Mo Lingwei.
’Who is that?!’
The Emperor had already rushed over to Mo Lingwei. "Ling Wei," he said anxiously, "as long as you’re all right. When I heard there was a fire here and that you were inside, I was so frightened I came straight here without eating a single bite."
Mo Lingwei said flatly, "I did almost die. But Shen Ningning saved me."
Hearing that name, the Prime Minister, who stood a short distance away, cast a profound look at the little girl.
Shen Ningning tilted up her sooty little face and gave the Emperor a shy smile, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.
The Prime Minister couldn’t help but take two steps forward, trying to get a clearer look at her features.
’Could this legendary little girl, the one who can command wolf packs, be the daughter he had lost almost five years ago?’
