Part 3
The guard felt a bit awkward; he shouldn’t have played the audio directly. He looked at Zong Ling, the former Zong member. “Sir, look… there’s nothing I can do. The Lord won’t grant passage. I hope you understand we are just following orders.”
Zong Ling wanted to keep trying. If he could just see his Young Uncle—his uncle used to dote on him so much—maybe there was still a chance, right?
Before he could speak, a starship approached and stopped precisely at the gates. Initially, the hatch didn’t open. The ship just sat there, and it seemed the people inside were looking in their direction.
Zong Ling pulled the sobbing Little Lyman back. He knew the Zong family had only invited a few close families to the wedding. If this person didn’t have an invitation like him, then… they were someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
Zong Ling stood straight. To save face, he had worn his best suit. Being good-looking worked in his favor; he looked quite striking standing there. That is, if one ignored the fact that he was completely ignoring the child beside him, who was crying so hard he could barely breathe.
When Ning Yunyi’s group arrived, they saw the commotion and recognized the man instantly.
When Big Brother Ning saw Zong Ling, he immediately thought of his former fiancé, Mu Jiayi—the man who had nearly killed his younger brother. Even though the man was gone, it didn’t stop Big Brother Ning from hating Zong Ling by association.
Furthermore, could the man not see his adoptive son was crying like that? Was he not even going to comfort him?
Ning Yunyi glanced toward the back where the Second Prince sat, sucking on a salted plum candy. He was swinging his legs, completely oblivious to the scene outside. It was only after seeing Zong Ling and Little Lyman that Ning Yunyi realized the Emperor hadn’t taken Little Lyman away from Zong Ling yet. The Crown Prince had fallen, and Mu Jiayi had already confessed. Logically, since they had ruined the Crown Prince’s plans, neither Mu Jiayi nor Zong Ling should have been in the Prince’s good graces.
The Crown Prince would have no reason to let Zong Ling remain as Little Lyman’s adoptive father. The fact that he was still with the boy meant Zong Ling had likely used the chaos of the Prince’s downfall to keep his hold on Little Lyman, and by extension, the Lyman family.
Little Lyman’s biological father, the former Lyman Patriarch, had been the sworn brother of the Second Prince’s biological mother. Little Lyman was technically the Second Prince’s cousin. Since they had crossed paths, he could at least try to salvage this “protagonist gong” before he was raised completely wrong.
Big Brother Ning also saw Little Lyman. Thinking of his identity, he looked at his younger brother. “What about the child? Why hasn’t the Emperor taken him back after all this time?”
Ning Yunyi: “He’s currently too worried about whether he can keep his own throne. He doesn’t have time for a distant relative. But he is the Second Prince’s cousin; we can’t let Zong Ling continue being his adoptive father. Take him with us. We’ll have the Emperor take him back to the palace tonight.”
At the very least, there would be people in the palace to care for Little Lyman. Any outcome was better than staying with Zong Ling.
Once the Second Prince eventually regained his clarity, Little Lyman would have a proper guardian.
As for the Emperor, he didn’t hold much hope there. The man… was a master of shifting blame. First he shifted it to his father, now he shifted everything to his sons. He was truly… beyond words.
Zong Ling watched as the starship remained motionless. He frowned and gripped Little Lyman tighter. He had an ominous feeling. For some reason, he felt the people inside hadn’t stopped because of him, but were instead… staring at Little Lyman.
He only had two paths left for a comeback: the Lyman family, or his Young Uncle.
If his Young Uncle refused to deal with him, he would have to settle for his original plan.
“This person isn’t producing an invitation or leaving. Aren’t you going to ask?” Zong Ling pulled Little Lyman behind him and spoke to the guard with a fake smile.
Before the guard could step forward, the hatch of the small starship opened. A man stepped out and looked at Zong Ling with an expressionless face.
Zong Ling’s face shifted when he saw Big Brother Ning. “You… so it’s Admiral Ning. Are you here for the wedding? What a coincidence.” His arrogance vanished instantly. Particularly when he thought of Ning Yunyi—even though he knew Mu Jiayi had caused Ning Yunyi’s death, for the sake of profit… he had remained in league with him. Seeing Big Brother Ning, he reflexively felt guilty and didn’t dare face him.
Yet he couldn’t help but harbor a sliver of hope. Could he use a “grief-stricken” persona to convince Admiral Ning to take him into the Zong manor?
To his surprise, Big Brother Ning ignored him entirely. He bypassed him as if he were invisible and handed his invitation to the guard.
The guard immediately handed it back with respect and opened the gates to let them through.
Zong Ling wanted to speak, knowing this was his last chance. But before he could, Big Brother Ning looked at Little Lyman behind him. “If I remember correctly, the former Crown Prince already dissolved the adoptive relationship between you and Little Lyman, transferring guardianship to the Second Prince. Why haven’t you sent Little Lyman back to the palace yet?”
Big Brother Ning said this knowing Zong Ling would have no way of knowing the specifics of what happened in the palace. He wouldn’t know if the former Crown Prince had truly said that or not.
Zong Ling’s face paled. “D-did he?”
Big Brother Ning let out a scoff. “Whether he did or didn’t isn’t for you to decide. With his closer relative, the Second Prince, still here, it is certainly not your turn to be his guardian.”
Zong Ling blocked Little Lyman, unwilling to let go. This was his last trump card for a comeback; how could he give it up? “Admiral Ning, the Second Prince is rumored to be missing. You wouldn’t be trying to trick me out of my adoptive son, would you? That seems… inappropriate.”
Big Brother Ning: “Is that so? And who told you the Second Prince was missing?”
Zong Ling: “If he isn’t, then why don’t you tell me? Where is the Second Prince right now?”
The news of the Second Prince’s disappearance had come from the Crown Prince’s own mouth; how could it be false?
Big Brother Ning merely gave him a deep look and stepped aside. Simultaneously, a small window behind the hatch opened, revealing a cold face.
The person sat there with downcast eyes, staring expressionlessly toward the Second Prince and Little Lyman. He didn’t speak, but his presence made Zong Ling’s heart skip a beat.
Almost at the same time, Little Lyman burst into a sharp wail. He struggled out from behind Zong Ling and ran forward, crying out “Cousin!” as he went. Zong Ling’s suspicions were confirmed.
Zong Ling had never met the Second Prince, but Little Lyman had. Seeing his only remaining relative, the boy let out all the anxiety and fear he had been carrying.
Big Brother Ning helped him directly onto the starship. Simultaneously, the window before the Second Prince closed.
Big Brother Ning expected Zong Ling to continue questioning or trying to stop them. Instead, he found Zong Ling staring in disbelief at the direction of that small window. The man seemed nailed to the spot, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. His face was deathly white, looking as if he had seen a ghost. Then, he suddenly rushed toward the hatch in a frenzy.
Big Brother Ning frowned and blocked his path. “What are you doing?”
Zong Ling snapped back to his senses, his eyes filled with shock and joy as he looked at Big Brother Ning. “He… he’s not dead, right? He’s alive! I just saw him! Yunyi, he…”
Big Brother Ning’s brow furrowed deeper. “My younger brother is not familiar with you. I would prefer you call him by his full name or as Second Young Master Ning. Furthermore, from the moment you sided with the culprit who nearly killed him, you lost the right to mention his name.”
With that, he ruthlessly shoved the obstructing Zong Ling aside and boarded the starship. The hatch hissed shut, and the vessel shot forward.
Zong Ling finally reacted, chasing after it like a madman. But all he saw was the Zong manor gates swinging shut. He had passed through those gates countless times before, but he never imagined a day would come when they would be so impassable. He slammed his fists against the gates, his mask of composure completely gone. “Open up! Open the gates! I need to get in! Let me in!”
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thank you for the chapter!