Shen Ningning’s little face lit up with joy, and she ran quickly to the front courtyard.
In the brightly lit forecourt of the private school, the ground was cast in a warm, radiant glow.
A familiar figure stood under the veranda with his hands behind his back. The rain dragon embroidered on the shoulder of his robe looked as if it had come to life.
Riding the clouds and mist, it was fierce and domineering.
"Brother!" The little girl ran toward him. "What are you doing here?"
When Mo Lingwei lowered his eyes, his long brows angled toward his temples. In the courtyard light, his features softened slightly.
"I’m leaving the Capital City for half a month, so I came to see you before I go," he said.
A touch of sadness appeared on Shen Ningning’s round face. "Half a month is so long..."
She counted on her little fingers. "One day, two days... Does that mean I have to go to school twice before I can see you again?"
Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow. "Something like that. But why are you sad? It seems you don’t care whether I’m here or not."
"How could that be! Of course I care that you’re leaving, Brother!"
"Is that so? Then why did I hear from Chen Shaobei that when you were in trouble, you’d rather ask someone else for help than come find me?"
At this, Mo Lingwei lowered his gaze darkly. "Shen Ningning, the Jade Pendant I gave you isn’t just for decoration."
The little girl hadn’t expected him to be unhappy about this.
"I was planning to find you, Brother..." she murmured innocently, her little hand fiddling with the corner of her dress.
"Then why didn’t you?"
"Lu Shaoyuan said it was a small matter that he could help with, so I wouldn’t have to bother you..."
Mo Lingwei’s eyes turned cold, but then he let out a scoffing laugh.
"He told you not to come, so you didn’t. You’re that obedient to him."
Shen Ningning reached out her small hands and hugged his sleeve, shaking it. "Are you mad at me, Brother?"
Mo Lingwei huffed and pretended to ignore her.
The little girl blinked her big eyes and said, "Did you come here just to ask me about this?"
"Would I come all this way just to be angry in front of you? Don’t overthink it," Mo Lingwei denied instantly.
Shen Ningning let go of his sleeve and said softly, "Oh... that’s good. I knew you were just teasing me, Brother!"
After she spoke, she turned her head and saw Lu Shaoyuan passing by with a book. The little girl gave him a proactive wave.
Mo Lingwei glanced over and saw this, his expression sinking.
’Not happy!’
Lu Shaoyuan had already stopped and was looking over with suspicion.
Just then, Mo Lingwei pinched Shen Ningning’s little face and leaned down to speak to her.
His cold, sharp face now held a hint of feigned, teeth-gritting anger.
"Shen Ningning, you ungrateful little thing." He held out his own sleeve for her to see his robe. "Look at this. Didn’t you notice it just now? And you’re looking at someone else?"
The little girl’s eyes widened as she looked closer.
Then, she slowly looked up. "If I say I didn’t notice, will you hit me, Brother?"
Mo Lingwei pinched her little face again, hard, making her pout her lips pitifully like a little goldfish.
"When have I ever hit you!" he said, displeased.
Shen Ningning’s skin was delicate and reddened at the slightest touch.
Seeing this, he let go.
"This is the robe you gave me. I had an embroideress in the palace alter the pattern." With these changes, the robe now met the standards for a Crown Prince, and he could wear it out.
Shen Ningning was pleasantly surprised. "It’s the one I bought!"
Her little hands quickly stroked the fabric. Sure enough, it was slightly inferior to what Mo Lingwei usually wore.
But it had cost a whopping eighty taels of silver, and with the alterations by the embroideress, even an ordinary garment looked indescribably noble on him.
"It’s so beautiful," the little girl praised sincerely.
Mo Lingwei sneered and huffed. "If I hadn’t mentioned it, you wouldn’t even have remembered."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Shaoyuan turn and walk away, his retreating figure seemingly displeased.
Mo Lingwei withdrew his gaze, feeling a little more cheerful.
"This is urgent, I have to leave tonight." He returned to the main topic. "Regarding the Wu family, my men have found some leads."
"That couple did indeed run into bandits while traveling with their child to visit relatives. The incident is still on record with the government. Before that gang of bandits was caught, they had murdered over a hundred travelers."
"After that, their son, Wu Zuchang, became simple-minded. The Wu family also sent someone to file a report with the government, claiming their daughter was missing. However, my Hidden Guard found a distant relative of the Wu family and got some information."
"Their daughter was likely..."
Before Mo Lingwei could finish, Shen Ningning cut in, "Likely dead, right?"
"You knew?" He raised an eyebrow.
The little girl sighed softly. "I sort of guessed it from what Brother Zuchang said..."
’Brother Zuchang? Why does she have so many brothers?’
Mo Lingwei’s eyes darkened.
Shen Ningning told him her theory.
After listening, Mo Lingwei said calmly, "It seems the Wu family was indeed bribed, but they won’t harm you for the time being."
This meant he could leave for half a month with peace of mind.
"While I’m away, if you run into any trouble, go find Chen Shaobei," Mo Lingwei instructed.
The little girl nodded repeatedly.
Mo Lingwei raised his eyebrows again, a faint smile on his face that was half playful and half teasing. "When necessary, you don’t have to be so well-behaved. Learn to use my name to throw your weight around, understand?"
Shen Ningning tilted up her chubby little face, looking bright and adorable. "I know! If anyone bullies me, I’ll tell them there’s a big tiger behind me! We’ll see if they’re scared then."
Mo Lingwei chuckled.
Just then, one of his guards came in from outside. "Your Highness, it is time to leave."
Mo Lingwei looked at Shen Ningning. "Wait for my return."
The little girl walked him all the way to the gate.
Mo Lingwei boarded his carriage. Escorted by troops of the Crown Prince’s personal guard, the carriage departed, its wheels seeming to crush the moonlight beneath them.
Meanwhile, under the cover of the deep night, someone else was visiting the residence of Minister Wei.
Landlord Du stood at the back gate and knocked three times: two long, one short.
After a short while, a servant opened the door and led him inside.
He kept his head down and his neck hunched the entire way, afraid of being seen.
When he reached Minister Wei’s study, the door was shut behind him as soon as he entered.
"You fool!" Minister Wei pointed at his nose and cursed. "I told you not to come looking for me so casually! If someone discovers our association and something goes wrong, can you bear the consequences?"
If anyone were to see this, they would wonder how a minor Landlord could possibly know the Chief of Staff.
Landlord Du fell to his knees, cupped his hands, and pleaded with a desperate expression. "Lord Minister, please understand. I had no other choice but to come and ask for your help."
"What is it now?" Minister Wei asked, displeased.
"I told you before, my lord, that there was a child in my sister-in-law’s family who saw me colluding with bandits to steal and hide government grain."
"I know about that. Didn’t I tell you to find a way to get rid of her? You still haven’t succeeded?"
"My lord, you don’t understand. This child has become more and more formidable. First, she got help from Fu Yuansong, and later she even caught the Crown Prince’s eye."
Landlord Du lamented bitterly, "I’ve targeted her several times, but it never ended well for me. My own sister-in-law even died a miserable death because of it."
"Even her daughter, Qin Fangmei, was harmed by that child! She was crippled and disfigured, and she’s still lying in bed unconscious!"
"Lord Minister, this child is even more of a problem now! She actually managed to convince Lord Lu, the head of the Imperial Guards, to stand up for her. If this goes on, it’s only a matter of time before she gains the Emperor’s favor. If she says the wrong thing..."
Landlord Du didn’t dare to think further. He just felt a chill run through his body, utterly terrified.
Shen Ningning had gone from a helpless orphan to someone with powerful backing. Landlord Du knew his own capabilities were limited; he couldn’t deal with her anymore.
Minister Wei’s expression was grim. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "You said before, what is this child’s name?"
He had never bothered to remember the little girl’s name, viewing her as just another person who was as good as dead.
"Her name is Shen Ningning, from Xiangyun Village," Landlord Du said.
Minister Wei’s heart jolted, and his face turned rigid and pale.
’How could it be her!’