Part 2
As for the excuse, he would simply claim he had been in a coma from a serious injury and had only just woken up.
Thus, he was truly wearing matching father-son attire with the little cub. Aside from the eyes, they looked like a large and small custom-made version of each other. The image was so different from “Mr. White” that the Money Turtle hadn’t recognized him at all.
It wasn’t until the Second Prince, whose vision was poor but sense of smell was sharp, rushed over and grabbed a corner of his clothes. “Master! Not wearing it! Don’t want to wear it!”
Ning Yunyi gripped the Prince’s wrist to stop him from tugging on his sleeve. “You can’t pull on my clothes today.” He didn’t want to show up at the wedding in a wrinkled suit.
The Second Prince looked aggrieved but pulled his hand back obediently. “Master…”
Ning Yunyi cut him off. “And you can’t call me ‘Master’ in public.”
The Second Prince grew even more upset, looking as if he were about to cry. The Money Turtle reflexively produced a bowl from his robes, but then remembered the Prince was in human form and wouldn’t be dropping pearls.
Ning Yunyi coughed lightly and shifted his voice. “If you’re a good boy and call me ‘Little Mr. Ning,’ this box of salted plum candies is yours to snack on, okay?”
He waved the box before the Prince’s eyes. The Prince’s vision was poor, but his nose was exceptionally keen. The faint, sweet-and-sour aroma made his mouth water instantly. He nodded his head repeatedly.
While sucking back his saliva, he obediently repeated the name, terrified his “Master” would think he was stupid and withhold the candy. “Little Mr. Ning… Little Mr. Ning…”
Once Ning Yunyi was certain the Prince wouldn’t get it wrong, he tucked the box into the Second Prince’s hands.
The Prince immediately began fumbling with the box to open it. Unable to find the latch, he started spinning in circles in frustration. The Money Turtle, who had been watching with envious eyes, stepped forward. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, let me help the Second Prince with that…”
He wondered if he could snag a piece for himself. Heavens, his Master actually had two different faces. He had to admit, compared to Mr. White, this face was like heaven compared to earth.
While in a daze, the Money Turtle opened the box for the Prince. The moment he caught a whiff of the aroma, he couldn’t see anything else.
Then, another box was placed before his eyes. The Money Turtle looked up in shock. “For… for me?”
Ning Yunyi raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want it?”
The Money Turtle practically leaped three feet into the air. “I want it! I want it! Master… no, Little Mr. Ning, you’re too kind! You’re the best!”
He never expected to hold the same status in his Master’s heart as the Second Prince. What the Prince had, he had too. He declared internally that for the rest of his life, he would only have this one Master. This was his second parent.
Ning Yunyi had hoarded quite a lot; he found them too sour for his own taste, but these two clearly loved them. Seeing the look in the turtle’s eyes, he couldn’t help but give him one more box. “Take good care of the Second Prince. Make sure he doesn’t say anything wrong.”
The Money Turtle clutched the two boxes of candy. He was one second away from transforming into a real turtle and flipping onto his shell to celebrate for his Master.
When Ning Yunyi led the little cub and the two others to the front yard, Ning Father, Ning Mother, and Big Brother Ning were already waiting. Seeing Ning Yunyi restored to his original appearance, their eyes grew moist for a moment. The emotion was fleeting, quickly replaced by smiles; today was a joyous day, there was no room for tears.
The family of five, plus the two guests, boarded a small starship and headed for the Zong manor.
On the other side, outside the gates of the Zong manor, Zong Ling was holding Little Lyman’s hand and looking at the guards who were blocking them. His voice was laced with anxiety. “Can you really not go in and report our presence? I saw my Eldest Aunt; I know she’s still alive. Today is her wedding. I wasn’t even born when my father did those things. I just want to offer my blessings.”
Little Lyman also looked up at the guard with wide, pitiful eyes. “Uncle, can’t you just report it once? My adoptive father and I just want to give our blessings and say we’re sorry.”
The guard looked at the former member of the Zong family. However, Lord Ichi had given strict orders: today, no one without an invitation was to be allowed through. Nothing was to disturb Lady Zong’s wedding.
Looking at the child, however, the guard reconsidered. “I cannot let you pass, but I can ask Lord Ichi for you. Whether you’re allowed in or not depends on him.”
Zong Ling had originally come just to try his luck. It was a stroke of fortune; he had intended to take Little Lyman back to the Fifth Planet, but upon arriving at the starship docks, he had seen three people disembark. One lady had looked exceptionally familiar. It wasn’t until the family had walked far away that he realized where he had seen her—on the memorial tablet in the Zong family ancestral hall.
She was the legendary Eldest Aunt who was said to have died on the battlefield years ago. But how was that possible? They said she was gone. Yet that face was identical to the one in his memory.
He couldn’t help but trail behind them with Little Lyman. He hadn’t expected to actually see the three of them enter the Zong manor.
Only then did Zong Ling realize that Lady Zong wasn’t dead. She had actually returned.
He stopped his plans to leave the Capital Star. Over the next two days, he used every connection he had left to find out the truth: his legendary Eldest Aunt had not only returned but already had a husband and a son. She was back to hold a belated wedding and officially announce her return to the Zong family.
A sliver of hope sparked in Zong Ling’s heart. If Lady Zong, an adopted daughter, could return, then as long as he could make his Young Uncle’s heart soften, couldn’t he return to the family too?
The Crown Prince’s downfall had been so sudden that the Prince’s faction hadn’t had time to find someone to take over Little Lyman. This provided Zong Ling an opening. He was still Little Lyman’s adoptive father. He had received news that the Crown Prince was to be fully deposed, and an official announcement would be made once the removal from the registry was finalized in a few days.
He had rushed Little Lyman back to the Lyman family to stabilize his position before that happened, only to stumble upon this unexpected miracle. He stayed, waiting for the wedding day to bring Little Lyman here.
If not for his sake, then at least the child was innocent. Furthermore, he truly hadn’t done anything to wrong Lady Zong; he wasn’t even born when the incident occurred.
Unfortunately for Zong Ling, Ichi’s reply to the guard was swift: “Do not let them in. Tell him to get as far away as possible.”
The guard played the audio message directly, so not only did he hear it, but Zong Ling and Little Lyman heard it as well.
Little Lyman, who had been cooperative until now, bowed his head. He felt miserable, his mind buzzing and his face flushed red with shame. He wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.
Zong Ling trembled with rage. He had expected to be treated poorly after losing his title as the Zong family heir, but he never imagined a mere Commander would dare treat him this way! Ichi was nothing more than a dog at his Young Uncle’s side. What right did he have to tell him to get lost?
Little Lyman grabbed Zong Ling’s hand and finally couldn’t help but fling it away. “Go back! Let’s go back right now!” He didn’t want to be humiliated like this anymore. It was always like this—they said they were bringing him back to give him a home, but the Crown Prince had lied to him. After dumping him with these two, the Prince ignored him and forced him to cooperate in their performances. If he refused, they reminded him he had no home left. He could only endure.
But at this moment, being told to “get lost” to his face was more than a child could bear. He cried out in grievance, wanting only to leave immediately.
Recommended Reads
