Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Brother Didn’t Agree
Shen Ningning hadn’t expected Mo Lingwei to react this way.
He didn’t seem angry.
"Brother, you’re not mad that I broke something?"
Back when Aunt Qin was still around, if she failed to hold a scalding bowl, she would receive a vicious beating.
This had left a considerable shadow on the little one’s heart.
It made her believe that breaking anything meant she would be punished!
But Mo Lingwei just chuckled, his expression casual and nonchalant. "Why would I blame you? If you feel like it, you can smash everything in here. I wouldn’t mind."
Shen Ningning’s watery eyes widened.
’Brother is so generous!’
Compared to Aunt Qin, Shen Ningning liked Mo Lingwei so, so much more.
"Brother, you’re so good to me!"
Mo Lingwei sat beside her and speared a piece of snow pear with a small skewer.
He brought it to Shen Ningning’s lips, his long, dark eyes as deep and black as an abyss.
"I can be even better to you."
"Shen Ningning, you’re the one person I’m willing to be close to without ulterior motives. So, we’re friends now. And you must remember, what I cannot accept most of all is betrayal."
"As long as you don’t betray me, I will always be good to you. Even if you lie to me one day, you’d better lie to the very end. Don’t let me find out. Otherwise, I might do many things that will make you very afraid."
A trace of confusion appeared on Shen Ningning’s delicate, pretty little face.
For a four-year-old child, what Mo Lingwei had just said was indeed a little difficult to understand.
He knew this himself, so he didn’t force Shen Ningning to give him an answer on the spot.
He simply nudged the snow pear forward, touching it to her lips.
"Eat."
Shen Ningning obediently took a big bite. As she chewed, she blinked her bright, watery eyes, still trying to figure out what Mo Lingwei had meant.
In the end, she thought about it so hard her little brain felt like it was going to explode, but she still didn’t understand.
However, she did remember something else.
"Oh, right! Brother, I actually came to the palace a few days ago."
Mo Lingwei propped his head up with one hand, leaning against a soft cushion as he gave her a lazy glance. "Why didn’t you come find me?"
The thought of Mo Changgong made Shen Ningning puff up her cheeks in anger.
"It’s all that long worm’s fault! He had a guard cover my mouth and wouldn’t let me call for you!"
Mo Lingwei’s relaxed expression suddenly turned icy.
"Long worm? Mo Changgong?" He had actually guessed who it was immediately.
Shen Ningning nodded repeatedly. "That’s him!"
The little one told him everything: how the Sixth Prince had pretended to be the Crown Prince to bring her to the palace, and how he had held her down and forced her to watch Mo Lingwei force-feeding someone.
As Mo Lingwei listened, a layer of harsh, wintry frost seemed to fill his eyes.
"He’s really tired of living." ’Severing his tendons hadn’t been enough to teach Mo Changgong his lesson.’
’It seems I should just break Mo Changgong’s legs completely.’
Mo Lingwei looked at Shen Ningning again, his tone a little probing. "You saw that, and you’re still not afraid of me?"
"I’m not afraid!" the little one replied quickly. "I only believe in the Brother that I know."
"If you were really as bad as he said, why were you so badly injured back then?"
As Shen Ningning spoke, a faint light shimmered in her watery eyes.
She puffed out her pink cheeks. "Mmm, although it was really scary when you wanted to kill me the first time we met."
A strange glint flashed in Mo Lingwei’s eyes.
He cleared his throat. "I was a spent force back then. I was just afraid you were one of them."
Afraid the little one would press the issue, Mo Lingwei changed the subject. "Did you come to the palace today to see me about something?"
Only then did Shen Ningning remember her real reason for coming.
The entire plate of snow pears was gone. She quickly set the empty plate down.
"Brother! I know where those bandits are!"
"Where?"
"They’re about to come to our Xiangyun Village."
Shen Ningning told him about the villagers’ recent discoveries.
Mo Lingwei pressed his fingertips against his brow bone, his eyes deep in thought.
"It’s that dangerous... Then you should stay in the palace today. Don’t go back for now. I’ll send people to wipe out these bandits, and then I’ll send you home."
"No!" Shen Ningning retorted in her soft, sticky voice. "I came to get help! The uncles in the village are still waiting for me."
Mo Lingwei crossed his arms and didn’t answer for a moment.
’I have countless eyes on me here in the palace.’
’If I dispatch troops from here, the bandits’ informant is bound to find out.’
’Not only would we fail to catch them, but Xiangyun Village might end up being targeted for revenge by those vicious thugs.’
If it were anyone else involved...
Mo Lingwei might have been ruthless enough to use the village as bait, catching the bandits regardless of the casualties.
But since this involved Shen Ningning, he took a long, deep breath before finally saying, "Leave this to me."
"Brother, what are you going to do? Is there anything I can do to help?" the little one asked.
Mo Lingwei beckoned. She scurried closer, placing her small hands on his knees and practically leaning into his arms.
Mo Lingwei turned his head slightly and whispered a few words in Shen Ningning’s ear.
Then, he lifted his chin slightly and looked at the little girl. "Understand?"
On Shen Ningning’s plump, pink face was an expression that screamed, ’I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m deeply impressed.’
Seeing this, Mo Lingwei scoffed, then reached out and gently flicked her cheek.
"If you still don’t get it, just go back to the village, do as I said, and then... wait for me."
In the end, Shen Ningning left in a state of confusion.
Before she left, Mo Lingwei gifted her two large chests of treasure and had the Crown Prince’s guards escort her back to Xiangyun Village by carriage.
The villagers waited, restless with anxiety.
Although everyone knew that Shen Ningning had a close relationship with the Crown Prince...
But would the Crown Prince really agree to something like dispatching troops to eliminate bandits?
The old village chief paced back and forth at the village entrance under the scorching sun. When he saw Shen Ningning get out of the carriage, he and the other villagers hurried over.
"Ningning! Did it work? Did the Crown Prince agree to send troops to help us?"
The old village chief was starting to feel hopeful.
After all, the Crown Prince had even sent people to escort Shen Ningning back. With such favor and care, he must have agreed!
However, the little one shook her head, her face looking downcast. "Brother didn’t agree."
The hopeful expression on the old village chief’s face froze.
The villagers were shocked, their faces filled with disappointment.
Shen Ningning said in her soft voice, "Crown Prince Brother said the government will handle this matter. He’s too busy lately, so he told us to wait."
"Wait?!" One of the villagers sounded like he was about to break down. "If we wait any longer, the bandits will be here to slaughter us!"
Shen Ningning waved her small hands, trying to soothe everyone.
"Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid! Crown Prince Brother said he would personally speak to the government about it. He also gave me a pile of gifts to share with everyone."
With that, the Crown Prince’s guards lifted the curtain and carried out two chests of jewels.
The lids were opened, and Shen Ningning said, "Everyone, take what you want! Feel free to share it!"
But looking at the gems and pearls, the villagers of Xiangyun Village turned pale as ash. Not a single person stepped forward.
’What’s the use of this treasure when we’re about to lose our lives?’
’For all we know, if the bandits hear about this, they’ll just become even more frenzied in their slaughter and pillaging of the village.’
Shen Ningning blinked her round eyes, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she looked at the crowd with an eager gaze.
Suddenly, Chen Ye stepped forward, his voice like shifting sand. "Thank you, Crown Prince. Thank you, Miss."
After speaking, he took two agate bracelets and a pearl necklace from one of the chests.
After he was done, Aunt Liu strode forward without hesitation and picked out several fine hairpins for herself.
Aunt Liu said, "Don’t be so down, everyone! The bandits aren’t here yet. Besides, with a little silver on hand, at least we’ll have enough for our own funerals."
Hearing her say that, the crowd immediately surged forward.
Before long, the two large chests were empty.
Shen Ningning didn’t take a single thing. Instead, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
’Everything is going according to Brother’s plan.’
The little one looked up and found Chen Ye watching her, his eyes full of respect.
’It was as if he had seen from the very beginning that this was all a ruse.’
「Elsewhere.」
After Shen Ningning left, Mo Lingwei summoned Chen Shaobei and gave him some instructions.
Then, sword in hand, he walked at a slow pace, as if strolling through a garden, toward the residence of the Sixth Prince, Mo Changgong.
At that moment, Mo Changgong was sitting in his wheelchair, having been pushed out by a Palace Attendant to get some sun.
When he saw Mo Lingwei approaching with a sword, he was so terrified that he tumbled right out of his wheelchair!
