Chapter 31

The next day.

Shen Ningning was woken up early by a young attendant to attend morning classes.

Lan Qian seemed to have cried all night, with dark circles under her eyes, and looked resentfully at Shen Ningning upon seeing her.

The little girl, indifferent to her, confidently held her book, her skirt elegantly fluttering as she passed by Lan Qian.

Perhaps because of the arduous task of copying texts assigned by Master Huang, Lan Qian was too busy to bother Shen Ningning throughout the day.

Thus, the little girl diligently studied until dusk.

"After two days of classes, it was time to go home!"

"Shen Ningning happily waved goodbye to her classmates."

"As she stepped out of the private school, she saw the county magistrate's carriage parked outside."

"The guard approached her immediately: 'Miss Shen, the master instructed us to take you home.'"

"Shen Ningning was a bit surprised and quickly expressed her gratitude: 'Thank you, Grandfather Magistrate.'"

"Thus, under the surprised, speculative, and envious gazes of her classmates, she boarded the carriage and left."

"The carriage took the little girl directly to the foot of Wolf Mountain."

"While in the carriage and unseen, Shen Ningning entered the fairyland and picked five or six sweet oranges."

"After getting off the carriage, she handed one to the guard."

"'Thank you for helping to escort me, Brother Guard. This is to thank you.'"

"As she spoke, she handed over her book bag as well."

"'There are a few oranges in here. Please give them to Grandfather Magistrate on my behalf, to thank him for taking such good care of me. I've benefitted a lot from the private school and will cherish this opportunity to study!'"

"The guard seemed somewhat taken aback by the gesture."

"'Miss Shen, you are too kind. Our master says you are kind-hearted and diligent in your studies, destined for a bright future.'"

"After bidding farewell to the guard, Shen Ningning, with her small bag, joyfully skipped up the mountain."

"Eager to see Grandma and Wolfie again!"

"Meanwhile,"

"In the Purple Chen Palace of the Crown Prince."

"Chen Shaobei was summoned inside and, upon entering the main hall, saw a guard being kicked to his feet."

"The guard coughed up blood immediately."

"Chen Shaobei glanced down and recognized him as a bodyguard of the Sixth Prince."

"Mo Lingwei, clad in a purple robe and golden crown, his eyes sharp, slowly strode over."

"His black boot stepped down, crushing the guard’s ribs."

"Watching the guard in agony, veins bulging, Mo Lingwei scoffed lightly: 'Go back and tell Mo Changgong that if he dares to send someone to spy in the Purple Chen Palace again, next time it won't be as simple as just severing his limbs.'"

"After speaking, he coldly commanded, 'Get out!'"

"Enduring the pain, the guard struggled to his feet and fled, almost crawling and rolling out."

"Chen Shaobei watched coldly as the guard ran away."

"He remarked, 'Your Highness's temper has improved. In the past, anyone caught eavesdropping in the Purple Chen Palace was immediately exterminated.'"

"Mo Lingwei had already settled back into his chair."

"He leaned lazily against the back of the chair, his cold, black eyes drooping, regally fiddling with a string of prayer beads."

"'What’s the fun in killing them outright? I want to keep them alive for a slower torment.'"

"'A swift blade instills fear only for a moment, but a knife perpetually hanging over their heads keeps them constantly uneasy.'"

"'I want Mo Changgong to fear me, to the point of preferring death over life, yet unable to die.'"

"Chen Shaobei knew that the relationship between the Sixth Prince, Mo Changgong, and Mo Lingwei was extremely strained."

"It was said that the death of Mo Lingwei's mother was somehow connected to Li Fei, the mother of the Sixth Prince."

"Mo Lingwei put down the prayer beads: 'Tomorrow, you will accompany me to handle a matter.'"

"Chen Shaobei snapped back to attention and asked instinctively, 'Is it about Miss Shen's whereabouts?'"

"Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow: 'Precisely. Someone found out she fell off a cliff and died, but there's something suspicious about it. So tomorrow, I intend to personally visit Xiangyun Village.'"

"He interrogated the guard and learned that Shen Ningning was from Xiangyun Village."

"However, when Mo Lingwei inquired about the specifics, the guard was hesitant and unable to answer."

"It turned out that upon hearing of Shen Ningning's death, the guard only thought of the serious implications and rushed back to report."

"He had forgotten to inquire further from other villagers to verify the news."

"Fortunately, at least he knew she was from Xiangyun Village."

"Chen Shaobei nodded and agreed immediately."

"The next morning, Shen Ningning woke up early."

"She lay on the wide, soft bed, stretching out in a long, lazy yawn."

"The little girl opened her moist eyes and glanced to the right."

"The Black Wolf King was sleeping beside her bed."

"Looking further, Wolf Three, Wolf Four, and the other six wolves were sprawled around the room, each in a relaxed pose."

"Having been in classes for two days, both Grandma Qin and the wolves had missed Shen Ningning greatly."

"So, ever since the little girl returned last night, the pack had not left her side."

"As soon as Shen Ningning lifted the blanket, the Black Wolf King opened his sleepy eyes and immediately stood up."

"'Good morning, Wolfie!' she extended her hand, fondly rubbing the furry head of the Black Wolf King."

"The Black Wolf King nuzzled her with his head, even attempting to use his tongue to groom her sleep-tousled hair."

"Shen Ningning laughed a crisp, bell-like laugh."

"As she opened the door, she was greeted by a waft of delicious aroma."

"'Grandma must be making something tasty!'"

"Shen Ningning, accompanied by the pack of wolves, ran to the front yard."

"There, she saw Grandma Qin sitting in the shade under a large tree, busily making meat pies."

"Seeing the little girl awake, Grandma Qin called out happily, 'Ningning, go wash up and come have breakfast!'"

"Wolf Four nudged up to Grandma, making a soft whining sound."

"It seemed to be acting coquettishly."

"Wolf Four was different from the other wolves; it gained weight the fastest."

"This was all because it was adept at acting cute, especially fond of seeking affection from Grandma Qin."

"Grandma Qin laughed, 'Are you hungry? Let me give you one of the meat pies first.'"

"However, when she turned around, she saw that the basket where she had been cooling the meat pies was completely empty!"

"'Eh?! Where are the pies?!'"

"She had just made three or four of them! How could they all be gone?"

"Shen Ningning was also puzzled."

"The wolves would never steal food."

"They only ate what the Black Wolf King allocated to them."

"At that moment, the Black Wolf King looked around and suddenly sniffed the air, then raised its head."

"It saw a monkey sitting in the tree!"

"The little monkey was grasping a meat pie in each hand, gobbling them down."

"Daring to steal food?!"

"The Black Wolf King let out an angry roar."

"The wolf pack erupted into a chorus of fierce howls."

"The little monkey, probably having never seen such a scene before, trembled all over, and the half-eaten meat pie in its hand fell to the ground."

"The Black Wolf King swiftly retreated and then lunged forward, leaping up ferociously!"

"Its massive form and imposing demeanor were truly fearsome!"

"It almost caught the little monkey's tail!"

"Seeing the wolf's jaws so close, the monkey was so scared that its limbs went limp, and it fell from the tree."

"Landing right in the midst of the wolves!"

"The wolf pack looked ready to pounce on the little monkey and devour it."

"Shen Ningning quickly shouted, 'Don’t bite!'"

"The wolves then formed a circle, trapping the monkey with no escape to either side!"

"It collapsed to the ground, squealing in distress."

"Shen Ningning approached, and the wolves parted to create a path for her."

"'Hungry, huh? Here, eat this.' She held out the half-eaten meat pie the monkey had dropped."

"The little monkey, still terrified, didn’t dare to move."

"Grandma Qin came over, glanced at the scene, and sighed, 'It must have been very hungry. There's no food left in the mountains.'"

"The kitchen was too hot, so she had moved her cooking to the cooler shade under the tree in the yard."

"Due to the dry weather, the animals in the mountains hadn't had a proper meal in a long time."

"So the monkey must have been lured here by the smell."

"Seeing the monkey not moving, Shen Ningning proactively stuffed the pie into its palm."

"'Wolfie, let it go, let it leave!'"

"The Black Wolf King let out a low growl, and the wolves backed away."

"The monkey remained motionless, until the Black Wolf King roared fiercely, snapping it out of its daze. It then darted away like lightning, disappearing through the door."

"The Black Wolf King snorted from its nostrils."

"Shen Ningning smiled and lovingly rubbed its head: 'Good job, Wolfie!'"

"Praise where praise is due."

"The monkey’s arrival served as a reminder to Shen Ningning."

"The animals in the mountain mostly have keen senses of smell. This time it was a monkey, next time it could be something else."

"If other predators come, wouldn't they pose a threat to the wolves and Grandma?"

"The Black Wolf King's pack had over a hundred wolves, each one well-nourished and robust. They might not lose in a fight."

"But Shen Ningning didn't want to see any of the wolves get hurt."

"Fights between animals can often be brutal."

"The little girl’s dark eyes shimmered thoughtfully."

"She needed to find a way to bring life to the entire mountain."

"Meanwhile, Crown Prince Mo Lingwei's carriage had already left the palace, heading towards Xiangyun Village."

"Continuing to call for votes today, Ningning is still in the PK! Don't worry, everyone, she'll meet the Crown Prince soon! After all, they are childhood friends; how can they not meet~~ I am the loving author!"