Part 2
Ning Yunyi was confused for a second. “What elder?”
The Second Prince had sorted out the family tree after returning to the palace. He realized he shared a connection with the Ning family, though he’d had almost no contact with Ning Mother in the past.
“His Majesty is Madame Ning’s uncle. That makes me your cousin-uncle, doesn’t it?” By that logic, he was certainly an elder.
Not only Ning Yunyi, but even the Money Turtle behind him stared with wide eyes. Good grief, a few days ago he was a simpleton merman calling him ‘Master,’ and now he’s flipped the script to play the elder? This world is truly surreal.
Ning Yunyi realized it was true. Though they’d never met before, the Emperor and his grandfather were half-brothers. Ning Mother was the Emperor’s niece. He really did have a cheap “Second Cousin-Uncle.”
When Zong Hao and Ichi rushed over, they were already feeling uncomfortable seeing the Second Prince trying to wipe Ning Yunyi’s face. Just as they were about to step in, they heard the “elder” remark and fell silent. An elder? Fine. An elder wiping a junior’s face really wasn’t that big of a deal.
Zong Hao suddenly found the Second Prince much more tolerable. He even looked quite handsome and decent now.
The Second Prince and his guards were in plain clothes, so the crowd hadn’t recognized him. He rarely appeared in public, so they assumed he was just a helper for the Nings. Once Zong Ling was hauled away and the Prince followed Ning Yunyi inside, the crowd dispersed. However, the image of Second Young Master Ning’s cold-blooded revenge remained seared into their minds.
People had always known Admiral Ning was handsome—he was the second-most coveted bachelor on the Capital Star. But now… the rankings were likely to shift. Second Young Master Ning would take second place, and the Admiral would drop to third.
The Second Young Master might lack mental power, but he was simply too good-looking. His family background was prestigious, and though he had taken a leave of absence, his face alone was enough to make up for any shortcoming.
As Ning Yunyi led the two groups back, the scene of him coldly dealing with Zong Ling was recorded and began to spread like wildfire across the Star Network. Everyone was stunned by his looks, and his face alone managed to stir up a storm online.
Some felt he was too cruel, but many loved his “immediate retribution” personality.
Ning Yunyi was oblivious to the online frenzy. He frowned and glanced back at Zong Hao. “What are you doing here?” If not for the crowds outside and the fact that Zong Hao hadn’t officially announced his return yet, he would have slammed the door in the man’s face.
But when he opened the door for the Second Prince, Zong Hao and Ichi managed to slip in first. Had this man lost all sense of shame along with his face?
Ichi, sensing the tension, immediately spoke up. “Second Young Master, you have no idea. As soon as the Marshal heard Zong Ling was kneeling outside your door, he was terrified you’d be bothered. He dropped his documents and rushed over. If I hadn’t been fast, I wouldn’t have even caught up with him.”
He signaled to the Marshal to add something, but the man was like a mute, staring fixedly at the side of Ning Yunyi’s face.
Ichi watched as the Marshal tracked Ning Yunyi’s every move as the latter wiped the blood from his cheek. Because of the delay, the blood was a bit stubborn, leaving a faint mark even after it was cleaned.
Ning Yunyi wiped casually as he walked, but the Marshal’s gaze was so blatant it was practically a physical touch.
Fortunately, the Marshal still had some pride. The moment Ning Yunyi finished and looked over, he turned his head away. He took a long moment before responding, “He’s right.”
Ichi: “…” Do I even exist to you?
Seeing through the Marshal’s little secret, Ichi decided to ignore him. He quickened his pace to catch up with the Money Turtle, intending to embed himself within the inner circle and build a rapport with the Nings.
The Marshal might be a bit stiff and lacking in social tact, but once he set his sights on something, he never changed his mind.
If they were to become family with the Nings in the future, Ichi needed to start making preparations early. He, a subordinate, had such great awareness, yet the man at the top… the less said, the better.
If the Marshal had even half of Ichi’s perceptiveness, he would have dragged Mr. White—aka Second Young Master Ning—back to his nest long ago.
Ning Yunyi and Zong Hao trailed a few steps behind. Zong Hao still remembered the humiliation of his drunken night and had been avoiding him for days. Now that they were face-to-face, those memories began to assault him again.
The tips of Zong Hao’s ears turned red. At least the mask hid his face; otherwise… it would have been even more embarrassing.
Zong Hao took a deep breath. Just as he was about to ask if his iris access had really been deleted, Ning Yunyi spoke first. “Is your face alright?”
Ning Yunyi’s anger had faded over the past few days. He remembered he had accidentally slapped Zong Hao—a reflex action because he’d been startled, so he’d used quite a bit of force.
Thinking back, that blow likely left a mark for several days.
Lucky for Zong Hao, he wore the mask to hide his youthful features; otherwise… it would have been impossible to explain.
Zong Hao’s face burned hotter. “Uh… it’s fine. It healed long ago. I know you didn’t mean it. It’s alright; I was the one who did something wrong. Never mind a slap—next time, you can just knock me out or throw me out.”
He was relieved he hadn’t done anything more outrageous; otherwise, he might be the one kneeling outside the Ning house in Zong Ling’s place right now.
Ning Yunyi hadn’t heard him mention any “more serious possibilities,” yet he somehow guessed exactly what the man was omitting. His expression grew even weirder. Zong Hao had done something more outrageous, and it truly had been unconscious. If that ever came to light, he really couldn’t imagine the scene of Zong Hao kneeling at his gate in penance.
Would Ning Father, Mother, and Big Brother all come out to give him a taste of family discipline?
Zong Hao, receiving no response, looked back. He saw Ning Yunyi with downcast eyes, looking as if he’d just had a cold shiver. He stepped closer. “Are you cold? Are you alright?”
Ning Yunyi took a step back, his expression growing even more bizarre as he looked at Zong Hao. “Ha, I’m fine. I’ll go on ahead.” He couldn’t think about it; the more he did, the more his skin crawled. He bypassed Zong Hao and strode away.
Zong Hao: “??” I’m wearing a mask, aren’t I? Did I still manage to scare him? Am I… am I that terrifying?
Ichi sauntered over, looking like he wanted to knock some sense into his superior. “Marshal, are you even trying? You finally had him alone and you still managed to kill the conversation? You let the Second Young Master run away because he couldn’t stand to listen to you?”
Forget chasing a person—he couldn’t catch up even if he were on a rocket.
Zong Hao remained silent, for once offering no rebuttal.
He might be a bit slow, but after all this time and with Ichi’s constant “brain-filling” commentary, he finally realized his feelings for Ning Yunyi were indeed special.
Specifically, after that drunken night, his first thought had been whether he’d embarrassed himself in front of Ning Yunyi—whether his image had been ruined. That was the clearest sign that he truly cared what the man thought of him.
But he had messed everything up.
By the time Ning Yunyi caught up with the Second Prince, the Prince was already with Ning Xiaomiao. The little guy had seen the Prince many times and still assumed he was just that “silly merman,” so they were quite close.
With one person making an effort to be kind and the other playing along instinctively, they were getting along famously.
The guards stayed in the outer courtyard, so there was no worry about exposing Ning Yunyi as Mr. White.
The Second Prince had come to deliver a gift. Although he had returned to the palace, his time at the Ning house had been the happiest and most relaxed of his life. Though he’d been simple then, the sincere treatment he received was enough for him to cherish those memories forever.
He had considered continuing the act at the wedding banquet, even wanting to call him “Master” to deny his true identity, but the plan failed. He had to go back.
Still, he was profoundly grateful to the Nings. He knelt down and produced the purpose of his visit: a box of pearls. When he opened it, they shimmered with a brilliant light—not the pure white of ordinary pearls, but pearls with a shifting, iridescent luster. They were stunning, and under the sunlight, the glow was even more dazzling.
The little kitten had never seen such a thing. He was awestruck. “Waa, so pretty.”
He reached out a tiny hand to touch the pearl around his neck, then touched the box full of them, his eyes sparkling. “Are these really for me?”
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