Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Shen Ningning, Gone?

In the darkness, the young Prince Mo Lingwei, clad in a vermilion robe and a red-gold crown.

His eyes, thin and sharp, seemed veiled in frost.

He sat casually, yet with an air of refined dignity.

His expression was the epitome of ruthlessness, yet his left hand, holding a teacup, was adorned with a string of prayer beads personally sought by the Emperor for him.

Mo Lingwei's gaze was icy cold.

"Continue the beating."

The two guards, wielding long whips, resumed their lashes.

The butler's screams filled the air.

Chen Shaobei, standing slightly behind the prince, finally couldn't hold back.

"Your Highness, the butler truly didn't know. If he had known the little girl was here to see you, he surely wouldn't have sent her away."

Mo Lingwei looked up, his eyes dark and chillingly cold.

"After returning to the palace, I was overwhelmed with trivial matters and forgot to instruct you."

He said this and then raised his hand to press on his forehead.

He wasn't sure if Shen Ningning's visit was due to some troublesome matter.

But when he heard that the butler had thrown her out,

Mo Lingwei felt he should stand up for Shen Ningning.

She was already so pitiable.

Everyone seemed to be bullying her.

Chen Shaobei watched as the butler, gradually unable to even cry out in pain, was being beaten.

He then suggested, "Your Highness, if you're worried, why not accompany me tomorrow to visit the young lady's residence?"

This was precisely what Mo Lingwei had in mind.

In case Shen Ningning was in urgent need of his help, he wanted to be there to assist.

So, he finally ordered, "Stop."

The butler was relieved from the whipping at last.

Mo Lingwei stood up and walked past him.

Leaving a remark, "This punishment is to remind you to be more observant. If she visits the Town South General's Mansion again, treat her with utmost respect, as if she were a guest of honor."

Saying this, Mo Lingwei departed with his column of iron-clad cavalry.

The next day.

Mo Lingwei and Chen Shaobei, riding in a carriage and escorted by a column of personal guards, headed straight for Wolf Mountain.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain,

Chen Shaobei dismounted from the carriage and looked around, his gaze uncertain.

Seeing Mo Lingwei confidently making his way up the mountain,

He quickly followed.

"Your Highness, are you sure the young girl who saved you lives in the mountains?"

"Yes," Mo Lingwei responded coldly, "She's been bullied by her family and has nowhere else to go, so she's living in a cave with a pack of wolves."

"Therefore, when the butler threw her out, everyone bullied her, stepping on her while she was down. Tell me, isn't that pitiful?"

Chen Shaobei: ...

He hadn't even said anything yet, and the Prince was already defending her.

He hadn't said she wasn't pitiful!

However, as they made their way, struggling through the rough terrain to the vicinity of the wolf den,

Mo Lingwei was the first to call out, "Shen Ningning."

Only the light chirping of insects responded, no one else.

Mo Lingwei frowned deeply.

He continued up the slope.

But upon reaching the wolf den, he found it completely empty!

The traces of cooking fires had long turned old.

Chen Shaobei, after struggling to climb up, looked around and said, "No one's here?"

Mo Lingwei didn't reply; instead, he turned and walked out of the wolf den to check the nearby spring.

What a pity!

The lush forest he had seen before, and that clear blue spring, had all disappeared.

The spring had dried up, and the surrounding trees withered, losing their original verdancy.

In Mo Lingwei's eyes, the usual calm darkness finally showed some disturbance.

He searched around for a long time.

Even his cool voice raised as he called out, "Shen Ningning!"

But there was no response.

Chen Shaobei led a search party around the vicinity.

They found no signs of human activity, nor a single wolf.

He returned to Mo Lingwei.

"It seems she must have left. Wolves are naturally vigilant and don't stay in one place for long."

Hearing this, Mo Lingwei's eyes darkened like thick ink.

His long, dense eyelashes cast a shadow over his eyelids.

Shen Ningning, has she left?

He couldn't help but return to the wolf den once more.

Gazing at the wall, where his name, etched by his hand, still remained.

Shen Ningning's soft, sweet voice seemed to echo in his ears—

"Brother, is this another way to write 'He Shou Wu'?"

And her earnestness, as she practiced writing his name in the palm of her hand, as if etching it into her memories.

Mo Lingwei needed only to close his eyes to vividly bring that image to mind.

It was a year of calamity.

Why would she wander off?

Could she survive if she went somewhere else?

Chen Shaobei, seeing Mo Lingwei's expression turn cold and his eyes deepen in frost,

Couldn't help but offer consolation, "It's simple to check, we could send people to look around..."

Before he could finish, Mo Lingwei interrupted, "Never mind, there's no need."

He turned and left the wolf den.

"I had intended to repay her for saving my life, but since fate has denied us a meeting, so be it."

On the way back, Chen Shaobei noticed that Mo Lingwei remained silent throughout.

A look of wistfulness appeared in his eyes.

That night, in the Eastern Palace,

Mo Lingwei tossed and turned, finding sleep elusive.

Every time he closed his eyes,

He saw Shen Ningning eating an eggshell.

Mo Lingwei suddenly sat up.

He pressed his cold brow and said through clenched teeth, "She doesn't even know to peel an egg before eating. Can she really survive out there?"

Clearly,

He had overlooked the fact that when he was injured, Shen Ningning not only took care of him but also managed to support her grandmother and the wolves on her own.

Sleep had completely abandoned Mo Lingwei now.

He sat up until the sky began to brighten.

"Someone, come here."

The attendant at the door, hearing the call, hurriedly entered.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what are your instructions?"

From behind the bed curtains came Mo Lingwei's languid yet imperiously strong voice.

"Send the royal guards to search the villages around Wolf Mountain. Look for a person named Shen Ningning, about four or five years old. Report to me immediately if there's any news."

"Wolf Mountain?" The eunuch hesitated, "But there are hundreds of villages around Wolf Mountain..."

Mo Lingwei coldly interrupted in anger, "Just go and search!"

"Yes, yes!" The eunuch quickly complied.

Who would dare to upset the Crown Prince?

This is the direct son the Emperor both loves and resents!

Moreover, he carries that kind of legend with him...

The eunuch almost tumbled and crawled as he ran out.

Meanwhile, Shen Ningning was calming down Wolf Three and Wolf Four.

"Alright, alright! Stop fighting!" The little one used her hands to pull apart the two snarling wolves.

"Today, both of you can come with me to the village, so no more anger!"

Shen Ningning had taken the Black Wolf King to the village yesterday to check on the house's renovation progress.

Today, she was preparing to head out again.

Wolf Three was the first to follow her, quickly followed by Wolf Four, who bumped Wolf Three aside with its hindquarters.

They all wanted to go out with Shen Ningning, eager to stick close to the little one.

They almost fought over it!

The Black Wolf King watched its sons calmly from the side.

It knew that Shen Ningning relied on it the most.

Therefore, it wouldn't compete for favor like its sons!

With this in mind, the Black Wolf King quietly licked Shen Ningning's hand, indicating its readiness to always be by her side.

The other wolves looked at Shen Ningning with longing eyes.

Grandma Qin, while picking vegetables, cheerfully said, "Ningning, why not take three or four of them with you?"

Left with no choice, the little one agreed.

In the end, the Black Wolf King, Wolf Three, Wolf Four, and two other female wolves accompanied her to supervise the work in Xiangyun Village.

Before leaving, the little one instructed, "You can't scare the villagers arbitrarily. You must obey my commands."

Wolf Three promptly howled in agreement.

However, as they just entered the village,

Shen Ningning saw the scoundrel approaching with a sycophantic smile.

"Yo, little sister Ningning."