After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 27

Xie Zhiqing reluctantly and slowly pushed his brother toward the group.

 

Lang Xiaoxiao was playing with Xie Zhiyue’s hair.

 

“It looks so pretty. With this hairstyle, you look so gentle and soft,” Lang Xiaoxiao said, looking at Xie Zhiyue’s braids and then touching her own hair. “Unlike me, you can tell from my hair that I’m always rolling around on the ground.”

 

Lang Sa coldly remarked, “Even without this hairstyle, she wouldn’t be rolling on the ground—what kind of princess acts like you?”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao retorted angrily, “Shut up!”

 

She turned to Xie Zhiyue and said, “Princess of Anyu, let this princess help you with your hair!”

 

Xie Zhiyue: “…”

 

She actually started taking apart Xie Zhiyue’s hair, braiding it messily under her horrified gaze.

 

Xie Zhiyue didn’t have a mirror and couldn’t see what her hair looked like, but she instinctively felt something was wrong!

 

She looked around; the Wolf King uncle guiltily averted his eyes, and her two brothers also looked embarrassed.

 

Xie Zhiyue’s mouth quivered, and tears began to well up in her big eyes.

 

“Hey!” Lang Xiaoxiao panicked, “Don’t cry! Isn’t it pretty? Is it not pretty?!”

 

Xie Zhiyue: “…”

 

This time, she simply burst into tears.

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing quickly covered his face and hurried forward, saying, “Let me, let me.”

 

He untangled Xie Zhiyue’s mistreated hair and gently coaxed, “It looks very nice, a completely different style from usual.”

 

He smoothed out a few strands of her hair with his hand and said to Lang Xiaoxiao, “Xiao Yue’er usually stays in the palace and is very shy—she’s really not used to seeing people.”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao was unexpectedly at a loss, “Oh…”

 

She half-squatted, her eyes level with Xie Zhiyue’s, and apologized, “Please don’t cry anymore… I won’t touch your hair again.”

 

After a few words from her brother, Xie Zhiyue quickly let it go, though she was still wary of the overly lively wolf princess in front of her and turned her head away.

 

Behind her, Xie Zhiqing was still fiddling with her hair, but since he had been away from Anyu for a long time, he was no longer sure what hairstyles girls liked these days.

 

He tilted his head, thinking, and his hands slowed down.

 

The accompanying nanny, who had been watching from a distance, smiled and came over, saying, “Third Prince, let this old servant do it.”

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled and nodded, stepping aside.

 

“It seems I’ve been away for too long. I don’t even know what kind of hairstyles Xiao Yue’er likes now,” Xie Zhiqing said self-deprecatingly.

 

The nanny replied, “That’s not true. No matter how you do it, the princess will like it.”

 

Xie Zhiyue tugged at his sleeve, looking at him eagerly.

 

The slightly bittersweet atmosphere didn’t last long as Lang Xiaoxiao spoke up again, “Nanny, can you help me with my hair too? I want a gentle princess hairstyle!”

 

Lang Sa, sitting a few steps away, was finding it unbearable. He shifted his body, turned his back to them, and thought, this is too embarrassing, Lang Xiaoxiao is really too embarrassing.

 

The nanny cheerfully agreed and thoughtfully taught Lang Xiaoxiao how to do her hair—but predictably, Lang Xiaoxiao couldn’t learn it.

 

She gathered the hair by her ear and shouted to her brother in the distance, “Lang Sa, did you learn it?”

 

Lang Sa succinctly replied, “Get lost.”

 

Amid everyone’s laughter, Lang Xiaoxiao ran over and kicked the person in the back, but ended up getting hit in the leg by a small stone thrown by Lang Sa, causing her to flee in a panic.

 

Xie Zhiqing shook his head—those two siblings just couldn’t go a day without fighting.

 

He had seen this scene many times and wasn’t surprised, but there were always those who hadn’t seen it before—Xie Zhifeng was dumbfounded the entire time. It wasn’t until Lang Xiaoxiao was hit by the stone, yelped in pain, and awkwardly fled, tripping on the way, that he finally couldn’t hold back and laughed while covering his face.

 

He tugged on Xie Zhiqing’s sleeve and whispered, “The wolf tribe people are really interesting.”

 

Lang Sa had good hearing and could clearly hear the whisper from several meters away. He pursed his lips, feeling embarrassed in front of the Anyu princes and princesses because of his unreliable sister, and became even angrier, deciding to properly deal with Lang Xiaoxiao.

 

Xie Zhifeng and his siblings did not plan to stay on the prairie for long.

 

The climate here was cold and dry, and it had been snowing recently. For Xie Zhifeng, who was in poor health and had limited mobility, this was not a suitable place to live. The princess was still young and felt upset when she couldn’t see Xie Zhiqing. Similarly, if she didn’t see their father and the crown prince for a long time, she would also be unhappy.

 

Moreover, the prairie had little to entertain them. Neither of them could ride horses, and they couldn’t overcome their fear to get along with the wolf pack in a short time.

 

In short, they planned to leave after staying on the prairie for only ten days.

 

Calculating the travel time, they would probably return to Anyu around the New Year.

 

“The palace needs preparations as well. If I stay here, the crown prince might not be able to handle everything alone. I need to go back to help him,” Xie Zhifeng said.

 

“Alright then,” Xie Zhiqing replied sullenly.

 

At this moment, Lang Sa interjected, “If the princess is willing, you can stay a bit longer.”

 

Xie Zhifeng thought for a moment but still refused, saying, “One or two more days would be fine, but if we stay longer, she’ll definitely start making a fuss about going back to Anyu. Kids are like that.”

 

Lang Sa shrugged and said, “Alright,” then started preparing to escort the siblings back.

 

So, after a few days of excitement, it became quiet again.

 

In fact, the time spent traveling back and forth was longer than the time they actually stayed on the prairie.

 

Thinking of this, Xie Zhiqing couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

 

Making them go through all this trouble was really unnecessary.

 

Lang Sa comforted him, “Even if it takes twenty days to travel back and forth, they’re willing to come see you—their intention is far more important than the hardships of the journey.”

 

Xie Zhiqing looked at him, pursed his lips, and nodded.

 

On the return trip, Lang Sa gave them many furs and fabrics, enough to fill an entire carriage.

 

Xie Zhifeng didn’t decline too much and accepted everything.

 

Besides these, they also brought back… Lang Xiaoxiao.

 

She hid in the carriage where they packed the luggage, planning to go to Anyu with Xie Zhifeng and his siblings.

 

When Lang Sa dragged her out of the carriage, she was still kicking and screaming inside.

 

“What’s wrong with me going to Anyu? Why can’t I go?”

 

“…” Lang Sa was speechless. “Are you crazy? What are you going there for?”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao said, “I’m going to protect them! I’m highly skilled in martial arts!”

 

“And my personal guards aren’t highly skilled?”

 

“Then I’ll go learn how to braid pretty hairstyles!”

 

“Stop making a fuss,” Lang Sa gritted his teeth.

 

Xie Zhiqing quickly intervened and asked, “Xiaoxiao, why do you want to go to Anyu with my royal brother?”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao said, “I want to see what Central Plains men are like.”

 

She squeezed next to Xie Zhiqing and whispered, “Are they all like the Second Prince?”

 

Xie Zhiqing: “?”

 

He exchanged a glance with Lang Sa and cautiously asked, “Xiaoxiao, you wouldn’t happen to…”

 

Like my brother?!

 

Lang Xiaoxiao immediately understood and quickly said, “No, no! I wouldn’t dare think that!”

 

She touched her hair and candidly said, “How to put it, although the Second Prince is physically challenged, he is a very charming person. I am well aware of my own worth and definitely don’t match up to him—I’m just thinking…”

 

She cleared her throat, her expression a bit smug, and said, “I’m just thinking that if I could find someone like the Second Prince in Anyu, that would be wonderful!”

 

Lang Sa found her words extremely headache-inducing and waved his hand, saying, “Go ask Xie Zhifeng. If he’s willing to let you follow, then you can follow. Stop bothering me.”

 

So, Lang Xiaoxiao happily went to ask.

 

Xie Zhifeng naturally didn’t refuse. “Since the princess wants to visit Anyu, we welcome you. Please feel free.”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao cheered, “Great!”

 

A tribal princess followed behind the prince and princess of a small country.

 

This whimsical decision even lightened Xie Zhiqing’s sense of sadness about their departure.

 

He watched the two carriages slowly leave. They had arrived carrying two people, but now they were leaving with three.

 

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t help but laugh and cry, but on second thought, with Lang Xiaoxiao’s lively presence, the siblings wouldn’t feel bored.

 

However, this small episode couldn’t completely alleviate his reluctance to part with Xie Zhifeng.

 

After they left, Xie Zhiqing was noticeably distracted. He was absent-minded while eating, drinking water, and even when feeding Fufu.

 

Lang Sa sighed and, standing behind him, patted his head—yet this gesture only startled Xie Zhiqing rather than comforting him.

 

“I’ve instructed the attendants,” Lang Sa said slowly, “to send us a letter from each relay station to report their safety. Don’t worry too much.”

 

Xie Zhiqing forced a smile and nodded in response.

 

Seeing him like this, Lang Sa felt very uncomfortable too. He wanted to console him but couldn’t find the words.

 

In the end, Lang Sa knew better than anyone why Xie Zhiqing had left Anyu and come here.

 

One was too upset to speak, and the other didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, the room became quiet, even the little rabbits made no noise.

 

Finally, Ateus broke the silence.

 

It had just returned from a patrol around the prairie and, seeing the heavy atmosphere between its two masters, shook its ears and squeezed between them.

 

Xie Zhiqing forced himself to perk up and rubbed its face, smiling, “Ateus the mighty is back.”

 

Ateus might not understand exactly what was troubling Xie Zhiqing, but it could keenly sense that he wasn’t as happy as he appeared.

 

Tilting its head, its wolf face serious, it pushed Xie Zhiqing toward the bed until he sat down.

 

Xie Zhiqing fell onto the bed, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

 

Ateus shook its head and placed its upright wolf ears in Xie Zhiqing’s hand.

 

Its fur was not soft, rather rough and prickly, but its ears were relatively soft.

 

The pointed ears rubbed against Xie Zhiqing’s soft palm. The once fierce carnivore now appeared so docile, creating a curious contrast.

 

“Oh—I get it now!” Xie Zhiqing exclaimed in sudden realization. “You want me to rub your ears, right?”

 

Without any hesitation, he pinched Ateus’ ears, kneading and rubbing them, all the while exclaiming, “How cute, Ateus.”

 

Lang Sa, standing silently nearby with his arms crossed, watching, said, “?”

 

With a dark expression, he said to Ateus, “Time for bed, Ateus.”

 

Reluctantly, Ateus got up and left.

 

Xie Zhiqing didn’t think much of it. He didn’t notice Lang Sa’s expression, only thinking it was genuinely time for Ateus to rest. So he said, “Alright, go rest. Patrolling the prairie every day must be tiring.”

 

Ateus showed little reaction, keeping a stern face as it left. Before leaving, it even flicked its tail against the door.

 

It was indeed getting late.

 

Xie Zhiqing yawned and went to wash up. When he returned, he found Lang Sa sitting cross-legged on the floor, muttering something to himself.

 

Startled, Xie Zhiqing’s first thought was—Is Lang Sa going to sleep on the floor again?

 

His face heated up.

 

Since that one time, the two had naturally shared a bed. Except for the first day his brother came, they hadn’t slept apart since.

 

Hesitantly, Xie Zhiqing stepped forward, about to speak, but Lang Sa beat him to it.

 

“Ah, finally got it right!” Lang Sa said.

 

Xie Zhiqing asked in confusion, “What got right?”

 

Lang Sa cleared his throat, turned to face him, looking a bit unnatural.

 

He beckoned Xie Zhiqing over, saying, “Come here.”

 

Still puzzled, Xie Zhiqing walked over—

 

Lang Sa grabbed his hand and placed it on his own head.

 

Xie Zhiqing’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Beneath Lang Sa’s hair, a pair of small, pointed ears had appeared.