Chapter 48
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The warm bonfire cast a rosy glow on the little child’s face as he stood in the center, accepting everyone’s blessings.
Besides blessings, he also wore a floral wreath around his neck.
Shali stood behind the tribe silently watching him.
This unexpectedly acquired child lacked her and her sister’s blue eyes, but his face was still quite nice.
If he didn’t have the blood of the Ling Emperor in him, she thought, she might have cherished him.
“Little Prince, will you lead our tribe back to prosperity?” someone asked expectantly, looking at the little child in the center.
The little child being asked stuttered a bit, “I-I don’t know.”
The tribe seemed somewhat disappointed at his answer.
The little child looked at himself again and honestly said, “I’m still small, I can’t do much.”
Whether as a little undercover agent or as a little prince to revitalize the tribe, he felt he couldn’t do well.
He could only be Ah Wu’s cherished little child.
Hearing his words, the tribe looked at him again, and after a few seconds, they seemed to feel that he was indeed too young.
Such a small child seemed unable to bear heavy responsibilities.
The tribespeople fell silent for a moment, then moved past it and continued with the bonfire party.
They roasted fresh meat and enjoyed rich milk.
Ling Rui sat on a small stool, holding milk in his hands and occasionally being fed a piece of meat.
“Good stuff.”
Ling Rui ate the meat and didn’t forget to praise its deliciousness.
He was full and satisfied, but nearby Ah Wu hadn’t eaten yet.
Ah Wu looked in his direction, lowered his head, and took a few bites of grass.
He was a carnivorous beast, and grass wasn’t on his menu, but occasionally he could eat it.
He half-heartedly ate the grass while still keeping an eye on the little one at the bonfire party.
At this moment, the little child was secretly hiding dried meat.
Before long, the bonfire extinguished, and everyone went to sleep.
The little one watched the dispersing crowd, then glanced at Shali’s tent. Shali had just returned to her tent.
He stood in place for a few seconds, then turned his small body and stealthily prepared to run.
Before he took two steps, Shali’s tent opened.
“Come in.”
Shali looked at him with a calm voice that carried an undertone of command.
The little child, whose escape attempt had failed, could only obediently walk into the tent.
The gaze of the older and younger met; although Ling Rui wasn’t very close to Shali as his aunt, he still obediently called her aunt.
“About the options I gave you, what did you decide?” Shali sat down and asked him directly without any preamble.
Under her scrutiny, Ling Rui felt a bit nervous all over.
He lowered his head, looked at his new little shoes, and whispered, “Auntie, I’m too young. I can’t be an undercover agent.”
Aunt Shali explained to him what an undercover agent was.
He felt he couldn’t do it well.
Supporting her head with one hand, Shali spoke lightly, “When I ask you to be an undercover agent, I’m not asking you to execute any tasks now. I’m not blind; I know you’re still small.”
“What I want is for you to grow a bit more and help me pass on some messages, or do something in the palace.”
Shali gave an example, “For example, something simple like getting Ling Emperor’s sons to compete more fiercely.”
“I want to see Qi Dynasty perish sooner.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui’s small body froze as he listened to her words.
If Qi Dynasty perished, what would happen to his mother, brother, sister, and all his aunts and uncles?
Shali continued to speak, and it was clear she really hated the Ling Emperor.
She talked for a long time, and the little child underneath seemed unresponsive.
“Do you remember what I said?”
“I-I remember.”
Ling Rui remembered, but he still didn’t want to be an undercover agent.
“As long as you remember.”
Shali returned to her original topic, “Have you decided? Stay here as a little prince or go back to be a little undercover agent?”
Ling Rui hung his head, hands clenched on his clothes, and said nothing.
Seeing this, Shali didn’t force him to choose but directly allowed him to stay.
That night, Ling Rui slept with Shali.
Unlike Murong Xue, Shali didn’t play with him before bed or chat about childish topics.
They just cuddled together, and Shali seemed to treat him like a warm baby. Her hand rested on his small body, and they fell asleep quietly like that.
After Shali fell asleep, Ling Rui wanted to sneak out, but there was someone standing at the tent door.
He looked in Ah Wu’s direction, not sure whether to force his way out.
Ah Wu also felt that his situation was strange. The two were separated by a considerable distance, but they could see each other under the moonlit grassland.
Ah Wu was now in the guise of a fierce beast, hunting at night, so naturally, he had night vision.
Ling Rui’s eyesight wasn’t as good as his, but perhaps they had a connection; Ling Rui could see Ah Wu and his eyes.
He could understand Ah Wu’s gaze.
Ah Wu asked him, “Are you leaving?”
Ling Rui hesitated, “Just wait a moment.”
Without asking for the reason, Ah Wu nodded directly when he saw Ling Rui asking him to wait.
Two consecutive days passed.
During these two days, Ling Rui confirmed that Shali had indeed sent Eldest Aunt back.
Shali said there were no lingering debts between her and Eldest Aunt, but Ling Rui always felt that Shali still had some feelings for Eldest Aunt.
She didn’t dislike Eldest Aunt.
In addition to confirming the news during these two days, Ling Rui also fully experienced the life of a little prince on the grasslands.
To be precise, it was the life of a little prince in decline on the grasslands.
The temperature difference on the grasslands was large, and Ling Rui’s small clothes had to be put on and taken off from time to time. The food he ate was also different from before, with little vegetables and plenty of meat.
The differences in clothing and diet were one thing, but what really troubled Ling Rui was that relieving oneself here was not the same as at home.
Every time he needed to take care of his physiological needs, his small face turned as red as a tomato.
After living this way for two days, Ling Rui found Shali and told her he wanted to go home.
He wasn’t used to being here.
He missed Noble Consort Yi.
Seeing that he wanted to go back, Shali did not stop him.
“Take this with you.”
Shali gave him a small token, “Grow up well when you return. When you’re older, I’ll come find you.”
Ling Rui nodded.
Shali then called someone to send him off.
Ling Rui was taken away by someone. Not long after they started, he got off the ground and refused further escort.
“Somebody’s here to pick me up.”
Ling Rui waved his little hand and then ran towards Ah Wu.
Ah Wu waited for him to run over, then crouched down and let him climb onto his back.
A beastly roar echoed through the sky.
Sitting on Ah Wu’s back, Ling Rui’s small face, which had been sulky for two days, finally showed a smile.
His small hands tightly grasped Ah Wu’s fur, and in Ah Wu’s fast run, he giggled.
“Ah Wu, run even faster!”
Whether in the Mountain and Sea World or here, it was difficult to get close to a ferocious beast, but at this moment, Ah Wu, who had never shown any hostility towards the little one, let him give instructions, sometimes running faster, sometimes slower.
“Ah Wu, let’s find Auntie.”
The farther they got from the grasslands, the happier Ling Rui became. “Shali said Eldest Auntie has come back, let’s go see her.”
“Okay.”
With Ah Wu guiding him, Ling Rui returned to the border city in the shortest time possible.
When they returned, it was getting late.
With no one around, Ah Wu did not conceal his presence. He carried Ling Rui past the military camp and then returned to the General’s Mansion.
When passing by the military camp, Ah Wu’s eyes were sharp.
He saw some blood that hadn’t been washed away. The blood was fresh, from people who had been executed not long ago.
He thought, Murong Xue really was not lenient. Those who betrayed her were executed so quickly.
Without Murong Xue and the Murong family, Qi Dynasty probably wouldn’t survive for long.
Ah Wu thought about these things in his heart but didn’t tell the little one on his back.
He crossed over the courtyard wall and put the little one down.
“Ah Wu, come with me.”
Ling Rui hugged his head and didn’t want him to leave.
Ah Wu didn’t want to deal with people. He gently touched Ling Rui’s small face with his head and whispered, “You go find Murong Xue. I’ll rest in Murong Xu’s room.”
He had already been in front of Murong Xu, but Murong Xue had not seen him.
He didn’t want to see Murong Xue.
After his little face was touched and licked by Ah Wu, he rubbed back against Ah Wu in a good temper, then went to find Eldest Aunt.
He knew where Eldest Aunt’s room was.
“Auntie!”
Ling Rui ran to Murong Xue’s room door. Even before he pushed it open, his small face was already very happy.
When the door opened, Murong Xue happened to be walking over from inside.
Seeing him, Murong Xue bent down and picked him up, “Why did Shali just send you back now?”
Ling Rui was stunned when he heard her question. Sitting in Murong Xue’s arms, his small expression was blank, “Auntie knows I was with Shali.”
Murong Xue smiled and pinched his cheek, “If I didn’t know where you were, how could I still be here?”
She wasn’t incompetent enough to let a little one disappear under her nose.
Likewise, she wouldn’t be so cowardly as to let someone take away her little one.
She knew he was with Shali.
She also knew the relationship between these two.
“Let Auntie touch your belly.”
Murong Xue said, reaching out to touch his little belly, “It’s a bit bulging, probably not digesting well.”
Although not a doctor, Murong Xue, who had accumulated a lot of experience, immediately had someone cook the soup she had ordered for him and fed it to Ling Rui.
Ling Rui looked at Auntie feeding him soup with his own hands, swaying his little feet contentedly.
“Auntie.”
Ling Rui sat in the chair, swinging his little chubby feet, and confessed to Murong Xue, “I like Auntie.”
Hearing his soft voice, Murong Xue’s smile deepened.
She leaned over and kissed him on his chubby face, “Auntie likes you very much too.”
Up to now, she was increasingly understanding why the Murong family, risking displeasing the Emperor, chose this little one.
This soft and cute little one, who looked at her with full trust in his eyes, was simply irresistible.
Murong Xue had no intention of marrying, nor did she intend to have children.
But her not wanting children was not because she dislikes them; on the contrary, she adores such young ones.
“Little Seven.”
After gently kissing the soft face of the little one, Murong Xue spoke to him in a warm tone, “Regarding meeting Aunt Shali this time, don’t tell anyone about it. Can you do that?”
“Can’t tell anyone?” Ling Rui asked.
Murong Xue nodded slightly, her tone gentle as if coaxing the little one, but there was an undertone that meant the little one must obey, “Yes, don’t tell anyone. If Little Seven can do it, Auntie will take you to ride horses and watch the sunset, the most beautiful sunset in the border town.”
“Auntie will also give you a pony. When you grow taller to this height—” Murong Xue gestured, “you can ride it.”
Ling Rui nodded his little head.
“I won’t tell anyone,” he obediently replied.
“Our Little Seven is very well-behaved.”
After drinking the soup, Murong Xue changed his clothes and let him lie down and sleep on the bed with his eyes closed.
Perhaps it was psychological, but Ling Rui finally felt comfortable lying on Murong Xue’s bed.
He sprawled out, not small in size, but he knew how to occupy space.
After listening to his steady breathing, Murong Xue took his changed clothes and walked into the small room of the suite.
The little clothes that Ling Rui had worn for only two days were completely burned dry by a fire.
Murong Xue didn’t ask for the small token Shali had given him. Instead, she found a sachet and placed the token inside.
After doing all this, she returned to bed and embraced the little one who was sprawled out, falling asleep together.
The two slept soundly beside each other.
While they slept well, in the courtyard outside, Murong Xu, unexpectedly encountered a fierce beast in his room, nearly losing his soul.
“Ah Wu, are you trying to scare me to death?”
Murong Xu recognized Ah Wu and turned green.
He was itching with anger, but faced with Ah Wu, he couldn’t fight or communicate, he could only admit defeat.
“Wait for me, don’t let me catch your little ponytail.”
Murong Xu’s bed was occupied, forcing him to squeeze onto it, but he could only sleep on one side.
Even if he could only sleep on one side, Murong Xu still didn’t want to get out of bed: “This is my bed, and I must sleep here today!”
Ah Wu didn’t even lift his eyelids to listen to him.
Murong Xu looked at him again and was even more depressed when he saw that he was a little bigger than before.
“Little Seven said you were still very young, but I don’t see it at all.”
Murong Xu looked at him and thought that if he continued to grow like this, it would really be frightening.
Ah Wu heard his voice and growled softly after becoming annoyed.
Murong Xu heard his roar and shut up instantly.
That night, everyone slept peacefully.
The next day, before Ah Wu woke up, Murong Xu secretly touched his paws, but was caught red-handed.
With a “plop.”
Murong Xu was suddenly awakened by Ah Wu’s open eyes and fell to the ground.
The ground was hard, and Murong Xu rubbed his aching arm and gritted his teeth, saying, “I am Little Seven’s uncle. You don’t give me face like this. Aren’t you afraid I will tell Little Seven?!”
Ah Wu squinted slightly with his animal pupils and looked threateningly.
Murong Xu emphasized angrily, “I am Little Seven’s uncle! Uncle!”
Ah Wu looked at him coldly, his eyes clearly saying, “What’s that got to do with me?”
The little one’s uncle was not his.
The little one liked this uncle, but he wouldn’t like him.
Seeing his expression, Murong Xu climbed up from the ground angrily and left without looking back.
“I’ll go find Little Seven. Do whatever you want.”
Murong Xu left these words and went to find someone.
He came a little early, and Ling Rui hadn’t gotten up yet.
Murong Xue was already up.
Her routine was always good, and when Murong Xu came over, she had already completed her morning exercises and was practicing swords in the courtyard.
“Sister, where’s Little Seven?”
“He’s still asleep.”
“I’ll go see him. I won’t wake him up.”
Murong Xu said he wanted to go see his baby, but Murong Xue stopped him, “I’ve arranged for someone to take Little Seven back the day after tomorrow.”
Murong Xu knew his precious baby was leaving, but hearing the exact time made him feel melancholy, “Sister, can’t Little Seven leave later? I want to spend a few more days with him.”
“If he doesn’t go back soon, Yi Er won’t be able to wait any longer.”
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