Chapter 22.1

Ludwig’s smile, which he had just squeezed out, disappeared instantly after seeing the chubby little child fall on his butt. He frowned, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

“Do I look that scary?”

Ludwig squatted down and asked the chubby little child sitting on the ground.

The little chubby child might have just woken up, and his reaction was a bit slow. He stared blankly at the tall man in front of him, then slowly began to react.

Fortunately, he didn’t cry, and Ai Wei picked him up in time.

“Ningning.”

Ai Wei, who always appeared gentle and kind, was very popular with the little child. She asked gently, lowering her head, “How did you come out of the room? Where is your brother?”

“Brother is sleeping.”

Jian Ning, who was being held by Ai Wei, smelled her fragrance and gradually calmed down. He stretched out his chubby arms and hugged Ai Wei. “Auntie, I want Daddy.”

“Daddy is also sleeping. Let’s let Daddy sleep well. I’ll sleep with Ningning, okay?”

As Ai Wei spoke, she had already taken the little one to bed. She glanced at Ludwig next to the bed, and then Ludwig understood her intention and brought her a towel.

After Ai Wei wiped Jian Ning’s chubby feet with a warm towel, she held them for a while.

The floor was cold, and walking barefoot on it would make one catch a cold.

Jian Ning obediently had his chubby feet wiped, and after they were wiped, he buried his face in Ai Wei’s arms and said in a soft voice, “Ningning will sleep with Auntie!”

He wanted to sleep with the beautiful auntie.

Perhaps it was because his brother and Auntie were somewhat alike, or perhaps it was for other reasons, but since he first laid eyes on the beautiful Auntie holding him, Jian Ning had felt a sense of familiarity.

The sense of warmth made Jian Ning very relaxed.

Jian Ning wanted to sleep with her aunt, but she didn’t want to sleep with the bad uncle!

“Auntie.”

The little child in Ai Wei’s arms had his back facing Ludwig. He spoke in what he thought was a whisper, but his voice was actually heard clearly by Ludwig. He complained to Ai Wei, “Uncle is mean, Ningning doesn’t like Uncle.”

Ai Wei rubbed his head and indulged him. “Okay.”

As soon as Ai Wei agreed, Ludwig raised his eyebrows and asked, “If I’m not sleeping on the bed, where should I sleep?”

They had been separated for so many years, and now they could finally reunite. By rights, tonight should be a warm time for them.

Ai Wei patted the child’s back lightly while whispering, “Ludwig, you can sleep with Xiao Lin tonight. I’ll come to see you in the morning.”

Ludwig: “?”

Ludwig said, “My dear, I don’t think Caesar would like me to sleep with him.”

Ai Wei didn’t say anything, but her eyes swept over.

The next second.

Ludwig stopped bargaining. He was wearing pajamas, and between his long-lost wife and his conflicting son, he was forced to choose the latter.

As soon as Ludwig left, the little child in Ai Wei’s arms happily smiled with his eyes.

“Auntie, great!”

The little child realized that Uncle Lu would listen to Auntie!

That night.

Ai Wei held the child in her arms and even with her eyes closed, she couldn’t fall asleep in the dark night.

“Mommy.”

She heard the murmur of the little child who’s probably dreaming right now. Such a young child. How could he not miss his mother?

She lowered her head and left a tender kiss on the child’s forehead.

***

Time passed slowly.

The next day, sunlight filtered through the windows.

The little prince’s biological clock was precise, and although he was a bit sleepy, he stubbornly overcame the drowsiness and prepared to get up.

His eyelids were heavy, and before opening his eyes, he reached out and touched the side.

A few seconds later.

He touched a large hand, a rough and calloused hand.

This large hand immediately set off an alarm in Huo Lin’s mind.

His body reacted faster than his brain, and almost in a split second, Huo Lin kicked the owner of the large hand off the bed.

“Thud--“

A muffled sound rang out.

Huo Lin knelt on one knee on the bed, looking wary as he looked under the bed. In his clear line of sight, he saw his father, who was dressed in pajamas and was unusually disheveled.

Ludwig was already awake at this moment. No, he had woken up when his son touched his hand, but he didn’t open his eyes.

He knew why Ai Wei had sent him over to sleep with Caesar.

She wanted to improve the increasingly tense relationship between father and son and let him show more warmth to his son.

He did as he was told.

When Caesar accidentally touched his hand, he almost held his breath and pondered in his mind how he should greet Caesar.

Now, there was no need for greetings.

“Father, what are you doing here?” Huo Lin frowned at him, with no joy in his eyes about his father’s sudden appearance.

Ludwig stood up and looked at his son, his face not looking good either. “Can’t I be here?”

“No, you can’t.”

Huo Lin continued to frown and reminded his father displeasingly, “This is my room, Father, you can’t just come in without my permission. And where’s Ningning?”

In his planned beautiful morning, he should have woken up fully rested, reached out and touched the soft little child next to him. The milk smell from the child, who always drank milk powder, smelled really good. He would lower his head and smell the child’s scent, then fully wake up.

Now, his beautiful morning had been ruined by his father.

The father and son looked at each other, but there was no tenderness between them.

Finally, Ludwig put on his coat and said lightly, “He ran to my room and slept with Ai Wei.”

As soon as Huo Lin heard that he went to find his mother, his face immediately softened.

Not long after, Ai Wei woke up and came to see Huo Lin. She asked her own child gently, “Xiao Lin, how did you sleep last night?”

Huo Lin thought about it and truthfully replied, “Not very well.”

“?” Ai Wei was a bit surprised. “Why didn’t you sleep well?”

Did Ludwig not say or do anything to ease their father-son relationship?

Huo Lin frowned, remembering how he woke up early in the morning and saw his father sleeping next to him. He felt his heart was still being stimulated. He said, “Father came to sleep in my bed without my permission.”

Ai Wei: “...”

Ai Wei looked at her son’s face and then thought about her husband’s appearance. She became more and more puzzled about how the father and son had been getting along all these years.

Ai Wei did not express her confusion.

She chatted with Huo Lin for a while. Although she had not raised the child for long, she seemed to be a natural and good mother.

She patiently listened to her child and in the conversation, she did not directly deny or demand her child to do anything. She stood in her child’s perspective and tried to understand his thoughts.

Huo Lin sincerely felt that he was getting along well with his mother.

The mother and son did not chat for too long. They went to see the little baby, who was still sleeping in the bedroom together. As for the emperor who woke up early in the morning, he had a pile of government affairs to deal with.

When they walked over, Jian Ning had just woken up.

Huo Lin wanted to dress him up, but with his mother around, she did not let him do it. “Xiao Lin, do you have any plans for today?”

Due to Ningning’s arrival, Ai Wei and Ludwig had already agreed that they would play together for three days, and Huo Lin did not need to attend classes.

“I want to take Ningning to the kindergarten.”

Huo Lin had been thinking about Ningning’s enrollment issue. He wanted to take Ningning to the kindergarten himself: “I have been teaching Ningning, and he will definitely pass the kindergarten entrance test.”

Ai Wei had not returned to White Mist Star for several years. She was not sure who the principal of the Empire Military Academy’s affiliated kindergarten, which Huo Lin mentioned, was.

“The principal is Mr. Hardy,” Huo Lin said, revealing the name of the principal. “Mom, he has very strict requirements for admission to the kindergarten.”

Ai Wei recalled the name and slowly formed an impression. “Xiao Lin, if you want to deal with Hardy, maybe you can bring Mans with you.”

“Is Mans currently on the White Mist Star? Mr. Hardy had some official business with him in the past.”

Huo Lin immediately rejected Ai Wei’s suggestion. Mans didn’t like children and it didn’t seem like a good choice to bring him to the kindergarten. Also, Mans wasn’t familiar with Ningning, and he might not be willing to help with Ningning’s enrollment.

As they were talking, Ningning, who had just put on his clothes, spoke slowly. “Ningning doesn’t want to go to kindergarten.”

Ai Wei: “...”

Huo Lin: “...”

How could he start hating school before it even began?

Although Huo Lin was indulgent towards Ningning usually, he wouldn’t compromise on important matters. “No, nobody can skip school.”

Since the establishment of the Empire, every citizen had been obligated to receive a complete compulsory education. The Empire did not allow illiteracy.

However, although education was mandatory, different schools had different admission standards. Especially for schools like the Imperial Military Academy, their admissions had always been very strict.

The Imperial Military Academy referred to the university, but it also had affiliated kindergartens, elementary schools, and high schools. In order for children to be admitted to the Imperial Military Academy smoothly in the future, parents generally send their children to affiliated schools to start taking classes early.

Huo Lin looked at Ningning, who was dressed neatly, and picked him up. In any case, this little one had to at least take an entrance test today!

<Prev> <ToC> <Next>