While Zhan Xi was squatting in the yard, furrowing his brows in worry, Ling Qi, who had come out of the kitchen to pick some vegetables from the garden, witnessed the scene.
He frowned and asked, “Hasn’t the mecha been repaired yet?”
There was a professional book on mecha repairs next to Zhan Xi, and he shook his head, saying, “Ningning’s mecha is different from regular ones. I’ve been tinkering with it for two days and still haven’t fixed it.”
“Try talking to Ningning’s mecha teacher.”
Ling Qi suggested, “Ningning’s mecha was modified by his teacher. His teacher should probably be able to repair it.”
“That could work.”
Zhan Xi felt incapable of handling it himself, so he wrapped up the pile of mecha fragments and said, “When I take Ningning to school today, I’ll also visit his mecha teacher. By the way, for someone like Ningning’s teacher... how much should we pay for the repairs?”
Ling Qi pondered for a moment and replied, “Better give more. Mecha repair fees have always been high.”
Zhan Xi nodded in response.
Ningning’s compensation from Cole’s family included not only the compensation for the mecha, but also medical expenses, psychological damages, and more.
Zhan Xi opened a separate account for the little child, and the money in that account was only deposited and not withdrawn. Currently, the amount saved was considerable.
Zhan Xi was preparing the money for the child’s future college education.
“Zhan Xi, go and wake up Ningning.”
Ling Qi, who had finished picking the vegetables in the small garden, urged Zhan Xi to go call the child, saying, “I’m almost done cooking. Today, make sure you send him to kindergarten early.”
“Okay.”
Zhan Xi wiped his hands and went to the bedroom to wake up the child.
While he was waking up the child, Huo Ling promptly made a phone call, saying, “Uncle Zhan, my father asked me to tell you that Ningning doesn’t need to buy a new mecha here. The Sixth Planet has mechas for sale. When Ningning and I go there, we can check if there’s a suitable one for him.”
Zhan Xi had some knowledge about the Sixth Planet, so he knew that the mechas on the Sixth Planet were of the highest quality. If he could buy a small mecha there, it would be even better for Ningning to use.
“If you say so, then I won’t rush to buy him a new mecha.”
Zhan Xi smiled and thanked the Little Prince.
After a brief conversation, they hung up the phone. Neither of them was fond of long phone calls, so they didn’t waste time on unnecessary chatter.
Unlike the little child who loved talking on the phone, babbling away for half an hour and still not wanting to hang up.
Zhan Xi woke up the lazy little child and gently wiped his face with a warm towel.
“The weather is getting colder, Ningning. You need to put on thicker clothes soon.”
Zhan Xi used the warm towel to pat the child’s face a few times, waking him up from his drowsiness.
Upon hearing that he needed to wear thicker clothes, the little child wasn’t too happy. “Ningning doesn’t like wearing thick clothes.”
Whenever it got cold before, his dad would keep adding layers of clothing until the little child turned into a chubby ball! Being a chubby ball made it inconvenient to move around.
Zhan Xi ignored his protests and handed him the toothbrush, telling him to brush his teeth on his own.
After fussing around in the room for a while, when Zhan Xi carried the little child out, Ling Qi had already prepared the meals.
The little child looked at the food in front of him and then at the busy Ling Qi, feeling incredibly touched.
Uncle Ling Qi hadn’t slept well yesterday, yet he still woke up early to make him breakfast.
When he grew up, he would definitely let Uncle Ling Qi enjoy a life of comfort!
After finishing breakfast, Zhan Xi accompanied the little child to school. The familiar tricycle, the familiar kindergarten gate, and the familiar friends.
With his backpack on his back, the child kissed his dad quickly and ran inside.
“Roy! Wait for Ningning!”
As Roy walked ahead, he heard a voice and turned around to take a glance. That glance left him stunned. “Ningning! You’re here!”
Two little children carrying small backpacks hugged each other tightly, and gradually, more children who were on their way to school joined them when they saw the scene.
After being separated from their friends for a week, the little children had a lot to say to each other.
A lively group of children walked into the classroom.
The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so the children were free to move around and talk. Roy, who was the first to embrace Ningning, asked eagerly, “Ningning, Teacher Lily said you got injured. What happened?”
As soon as Ningning heard the question, he immediately bent over and rolled up his pant legs. He pointed at his chubby legs and said seriously, “I almost became a little cripple.”
After rolling up his pant legs, he also lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his bruised tummy. “My tummy got all bruised too. It hurts, it hurts a lot.”
The surrounding children listened to his account of his injuries and felt a great deal of sympathy.
“Ningning, you poor thing.”
“Yeah, my mom hits me too, but she only hits my bottom. Mom says that hitting the bottom won’t break a child, but hitting other places is not allowed.”
“Ningning, who hit you?”
Ningning sat on a chair, lowered his shirt to cover his tummy, and pursed his lips. “It was a bad person who hit Ningning.”
The children had never experienced anything as dangerous as Ningning had. They came over one by one to hug Ningning, touched his curly hair, and even gave him snacks from their backpacks.
With the comfort from the children, Ningning finally smiled, putting his pant legs back down.
In kindergarten, the lessons still distracted the little child. When it was time for the mecha class, Ningning, who didn’t have the rainbow mini-mecha, was assigned to observe by the teacher’s side.
Teacher Rick saw the pile of mecha fragments that Zhan Xi had sent in the morning. The mecha was so damaged that it was completely scrapped.
He couldn’t repair it at all.
“Teacher, Ningning doesn’t have a small mecha anymore.”
The little child stood in front of the teacher, dejectedly saying, “How will Ningning attend the mecha class now?”
Rick patted his head and comforted him, “It’s okay. Your dad said he will buy you a new mecha. Tonight, I’ll find you another set of mecha to wear for a few days. When the new one arrives, you can switch to the new mecha.”
“Okay!”
The teacher next door looked at the situation, especially at the young child in front of Rick. He pursed his lips and turned his face away.
Not long ago, he had mocked this young child in front of Rick, saying that the young child lacked mental power. If he could turn back time now, he would definitely go back and caution himself not to speak recklessly.
So what if he lacked mental power?
This young child had the backing of the Imperial Royal Family!
The teacher next door was also a gossip enthusiast, and he devoured every bit of gossip about the imperial family this time.
After watching the video released by His Majesty the Emperor, he realized that the young child he had underestimated was actually being cradled by the Emperor in his arms.
It was late at night when he saw the video, and it completely dumbfounded him.
After turning his face away for a while, he still felt uneasy in his heart, so he simply walked over again and said, “Rick, here.”
He handed Rick a large handful of chocolates.
Rick: “?”
Rick’s eyelids twitched. “What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, the type I like is not someone like you.”
The teacher next door: “?”
The teacher next door’s face turned dark. “Don’t dream too much. Every one of my blind date partners is better than you. Take these chocolates and give them to the Ning child in your class.”
He gave the chocolates not to build relationships or gain favor, but purely to alleviate his own guilt.
Rick could see his intention and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Now the other had realized that he provoked Ningning, but it was too late.
The kindergarten classes proceeded as usual. Zhan Xi had originally planned to take a day off and stay at home with Ling Qi.
But Ling Qi didn’t let him.
Ling Qi actually had a strong personality. He could show his vulnerability to the little child last night, but he didn’t want to continue being fragile in front of the little child’s father.
“Fine, I’ll be working nearby today. If you need me, just give me a call anytime.”
“Mm.”
After seeing off Zhan Xi, Ling Qi changed his clothes and left the house.
He didn’t go to find Ludwig. Although Ludwig had more power and the convenience of entering the palace unhindered, he never thought of going there for this problem.
He was well aware that his ability to enter and leave the palace and talk to the Emperor of the Empire was not because of his own strength, but because of the little child.
If he went to the Emperor to plead, it would deplete the little child’s favor.
Bypassing the palace, Ling Qi hailed a cab on the way. An hour later, he found an inconspicuous residence, which belonged to the Imperial General Mans.
He knocked on the door and walked in.
At this moment, there was still some time before Cole appeared in court. After seeing the man in front of him, Ling Qi didn’t waste any words and went straight to the point, asking, “Can you save him?”
Mans sat in a chair, his silver long hair tied up. His cool and handsome face showed no surprise. He only coldly asked, “What did he use to coerce you?”
“My mother.”
Ling Qi pressed his lips, devoid of color. He whispered, “He said that only if he’s saved he will let my mother live.”
Mans heard these words and said in a slightly cold tone, “You should know that your mother is no longer alive. You shouldn’t believe a single word that man says.”
“But what if...”
Ling Qi raised his gaze slightly, looking at the silver-haired man in front of him who had never been worthy of being called his older brother. He asked, “But what if what he said this time is true? What if my mother is really alive?”
“Mans, how should I gamble?”
Ling Qi had never spoken such weak words in front of Mans. When he was a child, he was whipped by Cole until his skin split open, locked up in a dark room. Mans happened to open the door and saw him.
At that time, in such an environment, Mans asked him, “Do you want to leave here?”
He shook his head and refused.
Later, when Mans left, he endured Cole’s confinement and abuse. Until he reached adulthood, he never sought shelter from anyone.
Now, for the first time, he came to Mans seeking help.
Mans looked at Ling Qi, his face expressionless, but in his heart, he thought to himself, thankfully Ling Qi didn’t resemble Cole much from childhood to adulthood, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to bear looking at his face.
“If you want me to do something, show a little sincerity.”
Mans leaned back slightly against the chair, his slender and beautiful fingers casually tapping the edge of the chair. He casually said, “That little child you’re raising is doing a good job in that aspect.”
“Learn a trick or two from him when he’s making demands to Caesar.”
As Mans’s words fell, Ling Qi’s eyes widened slightly. He began to doubt if he had misheard.
A trick like Ningning’s...
He had naturally seen this scene, and he had seen it many times. As long as the little child softly called him “brother,” Caesar would be defenseless and secretly give the little child formula milk.
He had caught them several times.
The current problem was that Ningning was only three years old. How old was he? Asking him to beg like a soft little child was almost the same as killing him.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he wanted Mans to change the terms.
But Mans refused to change it.
Mans had always been like this. He could tease the young child without any pressure in his mind. Now, facing the only brother he could tolerate even a little in this world, he had no mercy or sympathy.
Time passed slowly as the two of them remained deadlocked. In the end, Ling Qi compromised. In front of his mother’s life, he had to compromise.
“Brother.”
Ling Qi almost squeezed out the word through his teeth. He couldn’t imitate Ningning’s soft, childish voice, so he used his own tone to call the man lazily sitting in front of him.
“Help me.”
After uttering his plea, Ling Qi’s gaze met Mans. The other had an expression as if he didn’t expect himself to actually say it.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
After a while, Mans’ lips curved slightly. “So you can do it too.”
Ling Qi’s fingertips clenched tightly in his palm, and he remained silent.
Finally, Manson, who had been lazily sitting, stood up. He didn’t ask Ling Qi to follow, but left the hall on his own. During his absence, Ling Qi stood still in the same spot, without moving a single step.
It’s unknown how much time had passed.
Mans returned and said casually, “Alright, Cole’s trial will be postponed. Before his next appearance, I will extract the truth from his mouth.”
Just like when he finished teasing the little child, he would allow the child to playfully grab his arm.
Since Ling Qi could fulfill his casually mentioned request, he wouldn’t go back on his word.
Ling Qi nodded “Hmm,” indicating his agreement.
My brain short-circuited imagining that scene 🤩
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update 🤗 🤗