Chapter 284: Second Brother Xie Ming’an Is Back
Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Second Brother Xie Ming’an Is Back
The little girl had just reached out her hand when Xie Suzhi caught it and tucked it back under her vermilion brocade cape.
"It’s too cold. Don’t pass her around. We don’t want Ningning to catch a chill," Xie Suzhi said to his son, his brows furrowed.
Shen Ningning’s voice was soft and sweet. Blinking her big eyes, she said, "It’s okay!"
She had eaten some Spirit Grass before leaving, so she wasn’t cold at all.
In fact, she felt a little warm!
Seeing his father holding the little girl without any sign of letting go, Xie Mingxu sighed helplessly and dismounted, walking over to Shen Ningning himself.
He then bent down and pressed his icy cheek against Shen Ningning’s.
The chill coming off him made the little girl’s chubby pink cheeks quiver.
"Brother, you’re so cold!" Shen Ningning said, her dark, limpid eyes already filling with worry.
The journey to the border was a thousand miles long, through biting winds and vast, white snows.
’It would be terrible if Brother got sick from the cold!’
Shen Ningning quickly pulled a cloth pouch from her sleeve and handed it to him.
Xie Mingxu took it and opened it. To his surprise, it was stuffed to the brim with small blades of grass, making the pouch bulge.
He smiled. "Ningning, is this my gift? A handful of grass?"
Blinking her big eyes, Shen Ningning said, "Brother, don’t underestimate this grass."
She cupped a small hand over her mouth, her bright eyes dancing. "I’ll tell you a secret. This is Spirit Grass."
"If you eat one stalk, it’ll keep you as warm as a furnace for three days."
"And if you put it in soup, the effect is even more miraculous. No one will be afraid of the cold!"
Xie Mingxu feigned surprise. "That’s amazing. Alright, then. Brother will be sure to keep it safe."
With that, he tucked the pouch inside his coat.
In truth, he just thought her words were the sweet, childish prattle of a concerned little girl.
After all, there was no miracle medicine in the world that could make someone impervious to the cold just by eating grass.
It was getting late, and Xie Suzhi urged him repeatedly to get on his way.
Xie Mingxu had no choice but to mount his horse, giving Shen Ningning a reluctant look.
"By the time Brother returns next year, Ningning will have grown even taller. If you miss me, you can write me a letter."
After these parting words, Xie Mingxu pulled his reins tight.
He spurred his horse to the front of his troops, his cool expression returning to its usual stern austerity.
"March out!" His clear, cold voice rang with authority.
Shen Ningning waved her little hand. "Brother, see you next year! Ningning will miss you!"
Xie Mingxu wanted to look back, but he resisted the urge.
He stared ahead at the vast, boundless snowfields.
’I hope that by the time I return, Father will have already told Shen Ningning the truth.’
The large contingent of troops gradually rode away, shrinking into black dots in the distance before disappearing completely.
Only then did Xie Suzhi lift Shen Ningning into the carriage.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the little girl rubbing her cheeks with her small hands.
When he turned his head to look, he saw that Shen Ningning was secretly crying.
Xie Suzhi’s heart immediately ached for her.
He asked gently, "What’s wrong, Ningning? Are you sad to see your brother go?"
The little girl nodded silently. "Godfather, the border must be very cold, right? If Brother gets sick, will there be someone to take care of him?"
Gazing into Shen Ningning’s big, round, sparkling eyes,
Xie Suzhi’s expression thawed like melting ice, revealing a deep, doting fatherly love.
"Yes, there are. The army has highly skilled military doctors and attendants who travel with them. You don’t need to worry, Ningning."
"The border is indeed harsh and cold, but he must stand his ground there. It is the only way to ensure peace for our Cangyun Country."
Shen Ningning nodded, her long, lush, dark eyelashes like the wings of a butterfly.
"I know. Brother is a great hero!"
She and Xie Suzhi exchanged a smile.
Then, Shen Ningning said, "I should go back to Wolf Mountain tonight."
’The Black Wolf King is getting tired of staying at the Xie Mansion.’
’And the little girl really missed her grandma.’
The day before yesterday, Xie Suzhi had sent men to bring Grandma Qin to the Xie Mansion, but to his surprise, she had refused.
She said she couldn’t come because she had to help with Dong Aniu’s wedding.
But Shen Ningning knew her grandmother’s real reason.
’She knew that I longed for a mother’s and father’s love, so she wanted me to stay at the Xie Mansion alone to enjoy the Xie family’s affection.’
’She was afraid of being a burden to me.’
But hearing this, Xie Suzhi said, "Stay one more day, Ningning. Your second brother sent word that he should arrive in the Capital City by tomorrow morning."
"You can go back to Wolf Mountain after you’ve seen him."
Joy immediately lit up Shen Ningning’s eyes.
"Second Brother is coming back? Okay! I’ll wait for him!"
’Second Brother, Xie Ming’an, must be just like my other brother—really kind and easy to get close to.’
Hearing that he was skilled with a bow and arrow, Shen Ningning spent that evening in the Weapon Hall of the Immortal Realm, bent over as she rummaged through every chest and cabinet.
’I have to find the perfect bow for Xie Ming’an!’
Finally, Shen Ningning found a White Feathered Carved Bow. Its frame was sleek, and its snow-white fletching shimmered like the wings of a divine bird.
Shen Ningning couldn’t bear to put it down. ’Second Brother will definitely love this.’
She polished it with great care before finally placing the White Feathered Carved Bow on the table in her room.
Even as she was falling asleep, the thought of seeing her second brother the next day made her feel that her dreams would be sweet.
The next morning, Shen Ningning was up before dawn.
Xie Suzhi, who was having breakfast in the dining hall, saw the little girl patter in.
He put down his soup spoon and smiled. "Up so early, Ningning?"
The little girl was wearing a new dress today, a bright blue one with patterns embroidered in gold thread. Draped in a white rabbit-fur cloak, she looked unbelievably adorable.
She had two lily flowers, picked from the Immortal Realm, pinned in her hair.
They were a deep blue, just like her dress, and they shimmered iridescently, still dotted with morning dew.
Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. "I wanted to wait for Second Brother, so I got up early. That way, I can greet him the moment he walks in!"
Xie Suzhi chuckled. "He returned to the mansion before dawn. You were sound asleep, so I didn’t wake you."
"He’s probably finished washing up by now. You can go see him."
Shen Ningning was overjoyed. "I’ll go right now!"
She ran toward the inner courtyard, but suddenly remembered something. She turned on her little heel and pattered back to her room.
With a little grunt of effort, the girl stood on her tiptoes to grab the White Feathered Carved Bow from the table, then ran toward Xie Ming’an’s courtyard.
Muchun and Wanchun followed behind her. "Commandery Princess, slow down! Be careful not to fall."
Shen Ningning left a trail of laughter like silver bells. "I’m okay, I’m okay! I’m going to find Second Brother!"
In a flash, the little girl dashed into Xie Ming’an’s courtyard.
By a pond in the courtyard, a cold, aloof figure stood with his back to her.
Hearing the commotion, he glanced back over his shoulder.
His eyes were as cold and clear as frost, his brows as black as a raven’s wing.
He had a piercing gaze and thin, arrogant lips.
As they fell upon Shen Ningning, his eyes held not a single trace of emotion.
His bamboo-green robes were still dusted with the frost of a long journey.
"You’re Shen Ningning?" His voice was as crisp and clear as jade, yet held an inexplicable, low note of displeasure.
The little girl nodded, breathless from running, her face flushed red.
"Second Brother!" she called out sweetly, her small face lit with a smile brighter than any flower.
Shen Ningning stepped forward, presenting the bow with both hands.
"This is a gift for you."
Xie Ming’an glanced down, sneered, and snatched the bow from her. He drew the string taut.
An instant later, he aimed it... right at Shen Ningning.
The little girl’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, Xie Ming’an let go.
With a sharp SNAP, he pulled hard enough to break the bowstring.
The broken string whipped forward violently, slicing the two lily flowers in Shen Ningning’s dark hair into pieces.
A faint, sweet fragrance drifted down as the petals fell at Xie Ming’an’s feet, where he ruthlessly crushed them into the slush with his black boot.
The nearby pond reflected the overcast sky and Shen Ningning’s dazed, ghastly pale face.
"Shen Ningning, I don’t care how you’ve fooled my father and older brother. I’m telling you this: my sister will only ever be the *real* Shen Ningning."
"But you—you stole her name, you stole her life, and now you want to take her place and receive my family’s love. Don’t think I’ll accept you just because you bear some resemblance to my mother."
"I couldn’t get back in time to stop them from making you a goddaughter. But I’m back now, and I’ll be staying in the Capital City for a long time. So let me make this clear: your good days in the Xie Mansion are over."
With that, he tossed the White Feathered Carved Bow into the pond, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
He nearly collided with Muchun and Wanchun as they hurried over.
"Second Young Master," they greeted him hastily.
However, Xie Ming’an brushed right past them without so much as a glance.
When Muchun and Wanchun reached Shen Ningning’s side, Wanchun cried out in alarm, her gasp sending ripples across the surface of the water—
"Commandery Princess, your ear is bleeding!"