Chapter 303: Are You Done? You Can Leave Now
Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Are You Done? You Can Leave Now
Xie Ming’an walked toward her, his expression calm.
He knew Shen Ningning also wanted to know the full story.
He offered, "Get in my carriage. I’ll tell you everything."
Shen Ningning snapped out of her daze, her little face looking listless.
"No."
With that, she ducked into her own carriage.
Just when Xie Ming’an thought he had failed,
the little one’s soft yet cold voice came from inside. "You can ride in mine. Tell me in my carriage."
Xie Ming’an froze for a moment. Then, his slender fingers lifted the curtain as he said, "Alright."
The carriage was driven to a secluded alley corner.
Outside, the sky was a gloomy, snowy grey. Muchun and Wanchun took shelter from the cold in another carriage.
Meanwhile, Shen Ningning and Xie Ming’an were alone together.
The two sat facing each other across a small mahogany tea table.
Xie Ming’an got straight to the point. "Before returning to the capital, I investigated what Father told me about the Xie Mansion maid who supposedly stole my younger sister and ran away."
"I heard she had fled to Shu State, but when I went looking for her, I discovered that the maid and her entire family had suddenly fallen ill and died."
"I asked the neighbors, and their stories were consistent. They all said the family had caught some strange, unknown disease, and within two or three days, everyone, young and old, had died abruptly."
Hearing this, a look of confusion appeared on Shen Ningning’s fair little face.
’The maid is actually dead?’
’Did she get sick after Uncle Prime Minister left?’
Xie Ming’an’s voice was low, his gaze as cold and clear as a mountain spring.
"So I went to question the local forensic doctor and the government. Who would have thought, not only was their death suspiciously clean, but no one even knew where they were buried."
"This was clearly orchestrated by someone behind the scenes to muddy the waters and prevent any outside investigation."
Shen Ningning snapped back to reality and pouted. "So, you thought I orchestrated it? Is that why you were so prejudiced against me and treated me so horribly?"
She was getting angry, and displeasure clouded her fair face.
"But I’m so little! How could I possibly do all that?"
Xie Ming’an’s thin lips pressed into a firm line.
After a moment, he finally said, "At first, I thought someone was pulling the strings for you."
"But after observing you for a few days, that doesn’t seem to be the case. I misunderstood you, and for that, I apologize."
Shen Ningning tilted her little head to the side. "There’s no need."
Xie Ming’an’s expression faltered.
The little one urged him, "Are you finished? If so, you can leave. I want to go home."
Xie Ming’an pressed on. "The truth isn’t out yet. That maid and her family were most likely hidden away."
"If we can find them, it would prove that your background isn’t as simple as what the maid told my father."
"Your parents might still be alive. Don’t you want to investigate further?"
At the end of his plea, he took a quiet breath. "I... can help you."
’Finding her own family must be what she wants,’ he thought.
However, Shen Ningning simply raised her large, sparkling eyes to look at him.
"I don’t need your help. Thank you."
’If I need help, I’ll ask Mo Lingwei or my brother, Xie Mingxu,’ she thought.
’Anyone but Xie Ming’an.’
Xie Ming’an hadn’t expected such a decisive refusal.
He wanted to say more, but the little one was already shooing him away. "I’m going home now, so you need to get out of the carriage!"
She even lifted the curtain and called out, "Sister Muchun! Sister Wanchun! Take him away."
A moment later, Muchun and Wanchun hurried over.
As they lifted the curtain, a cold wind swept in.
The two of them, stamping their feet against the cold, said, "Second Young Master, please exit the carriage."
When had Xie Ming’an ever been in such a sorry state?
’Muchun and Wanchun are two maids from the Xie Mansion, and they’re actually shooing me away.’
He glanced at Shen Ningning. She was clutching a hand-warmer, snuggled in a cloak from Qianzi, her little face milky-white and adorable.
But that adorable face wouldn’t even give him a proper glance.
Xie Ming’an’s expression darkened, and he swiftly exited the carriage.
He could only watch helplessly as the carriage wheels churned through the snow and departed.
Xie Ming’an’s attendant approached, surprised. "Second Young Master, you’re just letting the Commandery Princess leave like that?"
"What else?" Xie Ming’an’s tone was icy, full of pent-up frustration. "Should I chase after the carriage?"
The attendant muttered awkwardly, "That’s not what I meant, sir."
「Two days later.」
Shen Ningning unexpectedly received a letter from Mr. Zhang Liu, sent from the south.
The letter stated that they had arrived safely in Nanzhou.
However, more than half of the sweet potato vines she had sent with them had frozen to death during the journey.
Only about thirty plants remained.
Mr. Zhang Liu had found a local farmer with extensive planting experience to help.
With everyone working together, they finally saw a glimmer of hope.
The few pots of sweet potato vines had begun to sprout and spread.
A look of joy spread across Shen Ningning’s little face as she read this.
She turned the page.
There, she saw a diagram Mr. Zhang Liu had drawn by hand, illustrating the growth process of the young vines.
He had even meticulously labeled the dates beside each stage.
The little one knew Mr. Zhang Liu wanted to reassure her that he was genuinely working hard to cultivate the sweet potatoes.
’As long as they persist,’ she thought, ’it won’t be long before the people of Cangyun Country no longer have to fear starvation.’
Feeling cheerful, Shen Ningning went to visit Xu Jingxi and his Grandpa Xu.
She also brought them some warm clothes and food supplies.
Xu Jingxi and Grandpa Xu were overwhelmed by her generosity and repeatedly tried to refuse.
Finally, Shen Ningning placated Xu Jingxi, "When you’re well-off in the future, you can repay me then. It won’t be too late."
"Don’t be such a stranger right now. Grandpa Xu needs to build up his strength, so please take these. You need them."
Only then did Xu Jingxi press his lips together, thank her, and accept the gifts.
After seeing Shen Ningning off, Xu Jingxi returned to their humble home.
Grandpa Xu coughed heavily.
He asked, "Jingxi, you mentioned you lost your crescent-shaped pendant. Have you found it yet?"
Xu Jingxi shook his head.
He had been running through the deep mountains searching for his grandfather at the time.
There was no telling where it might have fallen.
’How could I possibly find it now?’
Xu Jingxi brought over a bowl of medicine and fed it to Mr. Xu Sr. one spoonful at a time.
His expression was placid, as if he wasn’t bothered by it at all.
"It’s lost, so be it. It was just a material object."
He didn’t care.
Even though he had worn it since childhood.
On the way home, Shen Ningning’s stomach started to rumble.
She had Chen Ye stop the carriage in front of a restaurant.
The little one went inside and asked the waiter for a private room.
She had barely been seated for a moment when there was a KNOCK KNOCK at the door.
"Come in."
The next moment, the waiter pushed the door open and said with a beaming smile, "Little Miss, this young master says he is a friend of yours."
He stepped aside, revealing the cool figure of Xie Ming’an standing right behind him.
Shen Ningning furrowed her cute little brows.
A hint of displeasure appeared on her round, rosy-white face.
"I didn’t invite any friends over."
The waiter looked helplessly at Xie Ming’an. "Well..."
Xie Ming’an took out a silver ingot and handed it to him.
"Bring up all of your house specialties. You may leave."
The waiter silently accepted the silver and departed.
Xie Ming’an entered and sat down opposite Shen Ningning.
"I don’t recall inviting you."
Xie Ming’an said lightly, "My apologies, but every table upstairs and downstairs is full."
"Since you happened to be here, I thought I might impose and share the room."
"As an apology, whatever you order today is on my bill."
Shen Ningning puffed out her rosy cheeks.
"Anything at all?"
"Anything." Xie Ming’an, taking her seriously, called to the waiter outside. "She’ll order, you write it down. Order whatever you want."
Shen Ningning gently slapped her small hand on the table.
"In that case, order ten of every single dish in this restaurant."