The abrupt ringing echoed in the study. Huo Lin stood up and
immediately took the star device, leaving before his father could even look
over.
As soon as he left, the voice of Ludwig rang out, “All news
regarding the Queen is to be sealed.”
This decision furrowed the brows of those present at the
meeting.
Though they feared Ludwig, they couldn’t pretend to know
nothing about the Queen’s awakening.
“Your Majesty, this matter cannot be concealed forever.”
A minister from the political council spoke again, advising,
“It is crucial to disclose the reason for the Queen’s awakening to the public.
The Empire witnesses countless deaths each year due to mental exhaustion. If
the Queen can awaken, then these individuals should also have a chance at
recovery.”
The minister’s words aligned with the views of several others
in the meeting.
They were all requesting Ludwig to announce the awakening of
Queen Ai Wei and provide an opportunity for the treatment of others suffering
from mental exhaustion.
Ludwig would never agree to such a request.
Such a request meant sacrificing that little child!
Ludwig’s golden eyes seemed icy as he coldly gazed at the few
participants in the online meeting, his tone chilling without room for
negotiation. “I’ll say it one last time: all news regarding the Queen is to be
sealed.”
“I never accept blackmail.”
With those final words, Ludwig ended the video call.
After ending the call, Ai Wei walked in with a cup of tea and
placed it in front of him, saying, “It’s freshly brewed calming tea, planted by
Zhan Xi. Try it.”
Ludwig took the tea and drank it.
Ai Wei massaged his temples, urging him to relax a little.
The two of them remained quiet, without speaking, for quite
some time.
After a while.
Ai Wei gently spoke up, “I caused trouble for you.”
Ludwig set down his teacup and reached out to hold her hand.
They were a young couple, deeply in love, and they could talk about anything.
“Ai Wei, it’s not your fault.”
Ludwig reassured his wife, “Leave this matter to me. You and
Ningning don’t need to worry.”
They both knew deep down that Ningning was still too young.
Awakening the Queen and providing mental comfort to His Majesty, the Emperor was
already taking a toll on him.
If they were to reveal the reason for the Queen’s awakening,
it would mean exposing Ningning’s existence.
Even if they were to explain externally that Ningning’s
current abilities were insufficient to save so many people, would those
relatives or individuals on the verge of mental exhaustion act rationally?
In the face of life and death, no one could remain rational.
“Ludwig.”
Ai Wei continued to massage his temples, her voice gentle and
soothing. “There’s a simpler solution for now: let me leave White Mist Star.”
As long as she wasn’t on White Mist Star anymore, even if
there were public opinions, they would gradually settle down.
“No.”
Ludwig refused her proposal without hesitation. He couldn’t
accept Ai Wei leaving him. His voice was heavy. “Ai Wei, trust me, I will find
a solution.”
The current situation was quite tricky for them.
The dignity and rules of the Imperial Royal Family prevented
them from lying to the public, so the only choice was to remain silent.
In the study, the two of them continued their conversation.
Outside.
Huo Lin was being questioned by the little child, “Does
Brother not want Ningning anymore?”
Huo Lin was introverted by nature and rarely expresses his
emotions directly. However, in front of Ningning, he couldn’t help but express
himself: “I do want Ningning.”
“Brother doesn’t look for Ningning all day.”
Ningning was not easily fooled. With a serious look on his chubby
face, he pointed out his brother’s behavior, which indicated that he didn’t
want Ningning.
Huo Lin looked at Ningning on the screen, thought for a few
seconds, and replied, “I’ve been in the study all day, staying with Father in
the study.”
Ningning: “...”
Ningning’s serious expression instantly turned into sympathy.
In Ningning’s eyes, the study was the place where Uncle Lulu
worked and where Brother did his homework. Every time he went to the study, he
also had to lie on Uncle Lulu’s desk and be watched by him while doing
homework.
Brother was so pitiful, having stayed in the study all day.
Ningning, who originally wanted to pick a fight, suddenly
sympathized with his brother.
Since it’s already late, Huo Lin didn’t go out at this time.
He said, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, and we’ll have dinner together, okay?”
“Okay!”
Ningning was satisfied with this answer. “Brother, Ningning
wants a chicken leg.”
Huo Lin nodded and agreed, “I’ll have the kitchen prepare a
chicken leg for you in advance.”
Huo Lin had some experience in coaxing Ningning. After
coaxing him for a while, he managed to put Ningning to sleep.
The sky was getting darker.
Ningning, who used to always sleep with his father, didn’t
want Ling Qi to leave, probably because he played with Ling Qi all day.
When it’s time to sleep, he invited Ling Qi to join him,
patting the empty space next to him and saying, “Sleep here!”
Originally, Ling Qi planned to sleep in the adjacent room.
After a moment of silence, he looked at Zhan Xi and said, “Let’s switch rooms
tonight.”
Zhan Xi: “?”
Zhan Xi was a bit surprised and asked, “Are you saying that
you want to sleep here, and I’ll sleep in your room?”
Ling Qi responded with a sound of agreement, “Mm.”
Zhan Xi became even more puzzled. “Aren’t you the most bothered
by others touching your bed? If I sleep there tonight, are you going to come
and suffocate me with a blanket?”
Ling Qi furrowed his eyebrows and replied in a slightly
annoyed tone, “Forget it. If you don’t want to sleep, stop talking nonsense.”
Seeing that he was getting upset, Zhan Xi quickly made up, “I
didn’t say I don’t want to switch. I’ll go over now. Just be careful when you
sleep with Ningning at night. He might wet the bed.”
Ningning, who was initially happy, instantly frowned upon
hearing the words “wet the bed.”
He wanted to argue, but he had just wet Uncle Lulu’s bed
yesterday.
Not long after that...
Zhan Xi and Ling Qi switched beds. When Ling Qi laid down
next to Ningning and felt his little hands and feet wrapped around him, he suddenly
realized something.
If he wanted to accompany Ningning to sleep, he could
actually just take Ningning to his room.
He didn’t need to switch beds with Zhan Xi.
“Uncle Ling Qi, tell Ningning a story.”
After finding a comfortable position in Ling Qi’s arms,
Ningning looked up with his chubby face and begged to hear a story. “Ningning
wants to hear a story about growing vegetables.”
Upon hearing this, Ling Qi improvised on the spot, “Once upon
a time, there was a little child who loved growing vegetables. He grew so many
vegetables that he couldn’t eat them all.”
“And then he kept eating and eating.”
“Finally, he finished eating all the vegetables.”
Ling Qi finished telling a vegetable-growing story with a few
meaningless sentences.
The little child listened attentively, but for a long time,
there was no response.
Ling Qi gently patted his back and then said, “Alright, go to
sleep. If you can close your eyes and sleep now, I’ll make delicious meatball
dishes for you tomorrow morning.”
Upon hearing about the meatball dishes, the little child
quickly closed his eyes.
They slept side by side, one big and one small. Ling Qi was a
bit unfamiliar with the bed. He initially thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep
after changing beds, but surprisingly, he could fall asleep on this bed.
The little child still hadn’t stopped drinking formula milk.
There was still powdered milk left at home, and he would occasionally prepare a
bottle for him, not just with powdered milk, but also with fresh milk.
In short, the little child smelled sweet and milky, and the
milk scent didn’t bother anyone at all.
This child slept on this bed every day, and the bed was
filled with this fragrance.
The night quickly passed.
The next morning arrived, and it was Monday, which the little
child disliked the most.
Ling Qi had already gotten up and tidied up. The child was
still reluctant to get out of bed.
Ling Qi went to cook and handed over the task of waking up
the reluctant child to Zhan Xi. “You wake Ningning up; I’ll prepare breakfast.”
“Okay.”
Zhan Xi walked over, yawning, and called out to the child,
who had buried his head under the covers. “Ningning, it’s time to wake up. You
have to go to school today.”
The child in the covers closed his eyes and grumbled, “No!
Ningning went to kindergarten yesterday, doesn’t want to go today.”
Zhan Xi: “...”
Zhan Xi sat down and poked the blanket. “No, going to
kindergarten yesterday was for playing. Today, you have to go to school. By the
way, did your teacher assign any homework for this week?”
The child in the covers reacted even more strongly. “Ningning
doesn’t want to go to school.”
Zhan Xi didn’t agree with him not going.
The father and son argued for a while. When they finally
pulled the child out of the covers, his eyes were teary, and his tiny voice was
filled with grievances. “Daddy, why does Ningning have to go to school?”
“Because Ningning can’t be uneducated.”
Zhan Xi lifted him up, supporting his chubby little bottom,
skillfully helping him get dressed and brush his teeth and face.
Dressed, teeth brushed, and face washed, Zhan Xi carried the
well-groomed little child outside and asked, “Ling Qi, is the meal ready?”
“It’s ready.”
Ling Qi didn’t make a complicated breakfast. He placed the
breakfast on the table and conveniently took out the bib Ningning needed.
The child, who usually ate eagerly, was eating slowly this
time.
After finally finishing eating, Ningning dawdled and caused a
fuss, not wanting to go to school.
Zhan Xi naturally couldn’t comply with his request.
“Let’s go. We can’t delay any longer, or we’ll be late.” Zhan
Xi put Ningning, carrying his backpack, into the tricycle, then said something
to Ling Qi and took the child away.
On the way.
Ningning, who had realized the harsh reality, sat in the
tricycle’s cargo area and opened his backpack.
In the past two days, on Sunday, the child followed his older
brother to a banquet and stayed in the palace. On the second day, he went to
the sports event with his father and uncle and came back home exhausted, going
to bed early as well.
In other words, for a full two days, the child hadn’t had
time to do his homework.
Although the teacher didn’t assign much homework, Ningning
hadn’t written anything. He took out his homework book, raised his chubby hand,
and rubbed his eyes.
The teacher had asked for three pages of new vocabulary words
to be written and a classical poem to be memorized.
Ningning, with divided attention, took out both his homework
book and Chinese textbook and arranged them neatly. He held a pencil and
started rushing through his homework while sitting on a small cushion.
Compared to Ningning, who was rushing through his homework
anxiously, the little prince, who was also on his way to school, appeared much
more composed.
The little prince sat in the car with leisure and messaged
his aunt: “Aunt Ella, has Ningning’s test results come out yet?”
Aunt Ella had clearly said they would be available yesterday,
but until this morning, Huo Lin hadn’t received the test results she was
supposed to send.
After sending the message, Huo Lin saw no reply and switched
to another page.
This time when he searched for his mother’s name, he couldn’t
find the latest news. It seemed that his father had suppressed information
about his mother.
Although the matter was suppressed, the hidden dangers were
significant.
As the little prince, he had observed his father handling
state affairs since childhood, his perspective naturally surpassed that of his
peers.
He pondered for a while before getting off the car when it
reached the school gate.
As he got off, he glanced at the nearby kindergarten.
At this time, Ningning should probably be arriving at the
school.
Ningning, who was on the little prince’s mind, was still on
the way.
The morning was a bit cold, but the little child inside the
tricycle didn’t feel cold at all. Clutching a pen, the chubby little child was
so anxious that his chubby hands were sweating.
He worked at the fastest speed possible but could only write
one and a half pages.
Seeing that they were about to reach the school, the little
child, still clutching the pen, finally burst into tears. While continuously
writing, he called out for his father.
“Daddy, can you slow down a bit?”
The little child’s childish voice was accompanied by a sob.
Even though he was calling for his father, his little head was buried in front
of his homework book: “Wuwuwu, I still need to memorize ancient poems, Daddy.”
Zhan Xi heard the voice, turned his head, and almost lost
hold of the steering wheel when he saw the scene of his child doing homework in
the car.
