After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 39

The firewood made the cave very warm, causing Xie Zhiqing’s cheeks to feel hot. She cupped her face and watched Lang Sa continue to add more wood to the fire.

 

“Alright, it’s warm enough,” Xie Zhiqing said with a laugh, “How much hotter do you want it to be?”

 

Lang Sa pouted, stopped what he was doing, and sat back down next to Xie Zhiqing.

 

He reached out to touch the back of the little prince’s hand, making sure he was really warm before he felt relieved.

 

“Is it cold in Anyu during winter?” Lang Sa asked, “I’ve passed by a few times, but it was always spring or summer.”

 

Xie Zhiqing replied, “It’s cold, but not like the cold on the prairie. It almost never snows, but it rains, and when it rains, it gets very cold.”

 

Lang Sa nodded.

 

After a while, he asked, “How should we tell them about this?”

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing scratched his face, “I haven’t figured it out either. My brothers just went back. When they hear about this, they’ll definitely come to see me again. I don’t want them to have to make another trip so soon. But… I can’t hide it from them either.”

 

Xie Zhiqing said dejectedly, “I don’t know what to do.”

 

Lang Sa thought for a moment.

 

What Xie Zhiqing said made sense. The prince and princess who came this time did look quite delicate and couldn’t endure the continuous travel.

 

What if it were the eldest prince instead? That might not work either. According to Xiao Qing, his father was getting older, and many affairs in the court relied on this eldest prince to handle. He probably couldn’t be away for long.

 

But then again, there was still a long time before the baby was born. Xie Zhiqing’s family coming over early wouldn’t have much to do. This matter of visiting the prairie could be discussed later.

 

Xie Zhiqing’s thoughts were similar to his.

 

“I think, maybe… maybe we could…” Xie Zhiqing’s head was almost touching his chest, and his voice was so low it was almost inaudible, “Maybe we could wait until after the baby is born to invite them to visit…”

 

“Oh—” Lang Sa dragged out his response, bringing his face closer to Xie Zhiqing, crouching down to tease him, “So when will the baby be born? Hey, Xiao Qing, tell me, how big do you think the baby is in your belly now?”

 

He held out his right hand and made a fist, asking, “Is it this big?”

 

His expression was teasing, but his tone was quite serious.

 

Xie Zhiqing lowered his head, too embarrassed to look at Lang Sa’s face, so he missed his mischievous expression and only caught the serious tone. He thought the Wolf King was genuinely curious, so he followed his lead.

 

“Probably not…” Xie Zhiqing pressed down Lang Sa’s fist and touched his fingernail, gesturing and softly saying, “Maybe, only about this big…?”

 

Lang Sa found his small gesture so adorable that his heart felt like it was going to melt. He really wanted to hug him tight and shower him with affection.

 

He cleared his throat, struggled to suppress a smile, and instead of teasing him further, quietly held him in his arms.

 

Lang Sa opened his cloak and covered Xie Zhiqing with it. They leaned against each other, discussing in low voices how to tell Xie Zhiqing’s family about this in a letter.

 

Lang Sa said, “Once the letter is written, there’s no rush to send it. I’ll time it so your father and brothers receive it on New Year’s Eve. The whole family will be together, and there will be even more joy. What do you think?”

 

Xie Zhiqing tried to imagine that scene and suddenly felt a bit emotional.

 

That was their most cherished holiday, yet he wouldn’t be in Anyu.

 

His father and brothers would definitely feel regret, and maybe even guilt for not being with him. They would worry and miss him, and probably feel a bit sad.

 

If at that moment, they received news that he was doing well, and that soon there would be a new member in the family…

 

That would be perfect.

 

Xie Zhiqing wiped the corners of his eyes and secretly rubbed them against Lang Sa’s clothes, his voice heavy with emotion, saying “Okay.”

 

Lang Sa held him tighter, resting his chin on the top of Xie Zhiqing’s head, softly comforting him, “When the baby is born and you recover, we’ll go back together, okay? We’ll stay at your home for a while, alright?”

 

Xie Zhiqing nodded and said “Okay.”

 

Lang Sa felt a pang in his heart—what he hated most was seeing Xie Zhiqing sad and homesick because he was far from his family.

 

No matter what the reason, all of this was because of him.

 

Lang Sa felt deeply conflicted. Out of Xie Zhiqing’s sight, he let out a quiet sigh, adjusted his mood, and asked in a lighter tone, “Xiao Qing, have you thought of a name for the baby?”

 

Xie Zhiqing wiped his eyes, sat up straight in Lang Sa’s arms, and said, “Hmm… I have thought about it.”

 

Now it was Lang Sa’s turn to be surprised.

 

He had just casually brought up a lighter topic, not expecting that Xie Zhiqing had actually thought about it!

 

Lang Sa was too surprised to know how to respond for a moment.

 

“But I haven’t thought about it very seriously…” Xie Zhiqing said softly, looking down, “I was just thinking randomly…”

 

How could Lang Sa care if it was random or not? He grabbed Xie Zhiqing’s shoulders and raised his voice, asking, “What’s the name? Let me hear it.”

 

Xie Zhiqing lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, saying, “It’s… ‘Ling Yue.’ ‘Ling’ as in listening, ‘Yue’ as in moon. But that’s a girl’s name. If it’s a boy… I haven’t thought of a suitable one yet.”

 

“Ling Yue, Ling Yue, Xie Ling Yue,” Lang Sa murmured. “It sounds nice, it sounds nice!”

 

He praised repeatedly, “It sounds nice, let’s call the baby Ling Yue!”

 

Xie Zhiqing lowered his head and smiled.

 

That evening, when they returned home, it wasn’t too dark, and the weather was still good. Unexpectedly, not long after they got home, snowflakes began to fall outside.

 

Lang Sa remarked, “Good thing we came back early; if we’d been later, we’d have encountered the snow.”

 

Perhaps because they had mentioned it, by the time they finished washing up and were ready for bed, the small snowflakes had turned into a heavy snowfall.

 

Xie Zhiqing lay by the window, watching. He still had endless curiosity and love for the snow, and only after Lang Sa urged him several times did he obediently go to bed.

 

While lying in bed, Xie Zhiqing suddenly remembered something and began to chuckle to himself with his mouth covered.

 

Lang Sa, intrigued, propped up his head and asked, “What are you thinking about now, little brain?”

 

Xie Zhiqing said, “I was thinking, ‘A timely snow promises a good harvest,’ the old saying is really true!”

 

Lang Sa scratched his nose and said, “Alright, enough with the ancient sayings, hurry up and sleep.”

 

Xie Zhiqing nodded and closed his eyes.

 

But after a short while, he opened his eyes again and beckoned to Lang Sa, signaling him to come closer.

 

Lang Sa, puzzled, leaned closer to him.

 

Xie Zhiqing propped himself up and whispered in Lang Sa’s ear, “The prairie is also my home, Lang Sa.”

 

His voice was light, and such a simple sentence had taken him a long time to muster the courage to say.

 

His voice felt like little feathers, making Lang Sa’s heart both ticklish and sweet.

 

Lang Sa touched his lips, his tone low and gentle. He said, “Thank you… Xiao Qing.”

 

Thank you for coming into my life, thank you for staying by my side, thank you… for considering this place as home.

 

There were so many things he wanted to say, but as Lang Sa looked down at Xie Zhiqing, he felt all those words stuck in his chest, unable to come out.

 

He bent down and hugged Xie Zhiqing, placing a kiss on his ear.

 

Xie Zhiqing just smiled without saying a word.

 

After saying these things, Xie Zhiqing soon fell asleep.

 

That night, Lang Sa still suffered from insomnia, but unlike the previous nights, his feelings were not so complicated.

 

He felt much more at ease and peaceful.

 

He watched Xie Zhiqing and occasionally looked at the heavy snowfall outside, thinking that a timely snow really did promise a good harvest. This year was indeed a good year.

 

The letter was written awkwardly, with Xie Zhiqing blushing deeply every time he picked up the pen and wrote just a few words. Later, Lang Sa, seeing this, offered to help, but was refused.

 

The little prince was too embarrassed to say that Lang Sa’s handwriting was big, fat, and ugly, so he tactfully said that his tone and phrasing didn’t match the customs of the Central Plains.

 

Lang Sa actually believed him. He reflected on whether he had been too disrespectful to the Emperor of Anyu on their wedding day and considered whether his behavior was appropriate when Xie Zhifeng and his sister visited the prairie. In the end, he even bought a few books, trying to learn some Central Plains etiquette.

 

After studying diligently for an hour, he gave up halfway.

 

In the end, Xie Zhiqing still wrote the letter himself, stumbling over it. He skimmed through it once, not having the courage to read it carefully from start to finish, then folded it up and handed it to Lang Sa.

 

“That’s it, it can be sent to the post station…” Xie Zhiqing said softly, blushing.

 

Lang Sa started teasing him again, “Aren’t you going to check it? I can help you open it and check.”

 

“No, no!” Xie Zhiqing exclaimed in a panic, “No need to check, no need to check!”

 

Lang Sa laughed heartily.

 

The letter was successfully sent out—Lang Sa even arranged for a werewolf to deliver it to ensure it arrived on time. The letter reached the Emperor’s hands on New Year’s Eve.

 

***

 

This year’s New Year’s Eve was not much different from usual, yet everything felt different.

 

The songs and dances were the same as always, and the dishes were even more delicious than in previous years. However, almost everyone seemed absent-minded.

 

The Emperor had only a few bites of snacks before putting down his chopsticks. The milk squares he had just eaten were Xie Zhiqing’s favorite when he was around.

 

On this day of family reunion, he didn’t want to dampen everyone else’s spirits, but he couldn’t muster any enthusiasm, and his smile looked forced.

 

The Emperor’s unhappiness made the princes and princesses silently sigh in their hearts.

 

The youngest, Xie Zhiyue, didn’t understand why the festive day felt so somber.

 

The plate of milk squares in front of her remained untouched. The nanny thought it was because she didn’t like them and asked softly.

 

Xie Zhiyue whispered, “I’m saving them for brother.”

 

The child’s innocent words brought a pang to the hearts of the adults at the banquet.

 

Xie Zhiming couldn’t stand the heavy atmosphere anymore. He raised his voice and said, “Is it time for fireworks? Let’s start.”

 

The Emperor looked at him and nodded—though it was only just getting dark, far too early for fireworks.

 

But everyone knew the reason, and no one objected.

 

Let the brilliant fireworks add a bit of festive cheer.

 

The colorful fireworks rose into the sky one by one, bursting into beautiful flowers. The vibrant colors reflected on their faces, but couldn’t brighten their expressions.

 

Even the usually calm and patient Xie Zhifeng was running out of patience.

 

Among the Emperor’s children, he was the gentlest, most sensible, and not mischievous. He was always proper and kind.

 

But he didn’t want to stay at the family banquet any longer.

 

He thought of using the excuse of feeling unwell to leave early, but worried that this lie would make his father and brothers more anxious.

 

As he was struggling to think of a reason, a little eunuch from his palace quietly came to his side and whispered a few words to him.

 

“What?!” Xie Zhifeng turned his head, asking in surprise.

 

His voice was so loud that everyone turned to look at him.

 

“What’s wrong?” the Emperor asked anxiously.

 

“…” Xie Zhifeng looked bewildered, his expression showing he hadn’t fully grasped what was happening. He frowned slightly and said, “The wolf tribe’s messenger… has come to deliver a letter, right at the door of my residence.”

 

The wolf tribe messenger who had arrived was one of those who had escorted Xie Zhifeng and his sister back to Anyu. At the palace gate, he specifically requested to see the second prince.

 

Xie Zhifeng’s mind was in turmoil; he couldn’t tell if he was shocked or happy. He quickly said, “I need to see it!”

 

With that, he hurriedly reached for his wheelchair.

 

“Wait!” Xie Zhiming immediately stood up, swiftly moving to his brother’s side. “You’re not convenient; I’ll go see!”

 

Without a second thought, he dashed off.

 

His pace was quick, and he returned in no time. When he came back, Xie Zhiming held a letter that had already been opened— the Crown Prince of Anyu was so anxious that he had opened the letter addressed to his younger brother along the way.

 

In front of everyone’s eyes, he handed the letter to Xie Zhifeng. After a quick glance, the two brothers exchanged astonished looks, their mouths agape.

 

“What does the letter say?” the Emperor asked urgently. “Let me see it! Quickly, let me see it!”

 

Xie Zhiming slowly handed over the letter.

 

“What happened? What happened?” the Emperor urged, “Hurry up!”

 

When the letter finally reached his hands, he too showed the same puzzled expression as his sons.

 

In an instant, Xie Zhiqing’s letter had been passed around for everyone to read, except for the youngest, Xie Zhiyue, who knew nothing.

 

She pursed her lips and looked around, then jumped off her seat, ignoring the nanny’s attempts to stop her, and ran to the Emperor’s table, hugging his leg.

 

“Can Xiao Yue’er read brother’s letter?” Xie Zhiyue asked timidly.

 

Without waiting for an answer, she wriggled into her father’s arms and began to read the letter seriously.

 

A hint of confusion appeared on her face. However, it soon turned into joy.

 

“Xiao Yue’er is going to be an aunt!” she exclaimed, hugging the Emperor’s neck, “Xiao Yue’er is going to be an aunt!”

 

The Emperor held his daughter tightly, afraid she might fall from his lap. Holding her hand, he read the letter once more.

 

When he looked up again, the old Emperor’s eyes were red.

 

“…Father…” Xie Zhiyue murmured, “Why is Father crying?”

 

With her small, delicate fingers, she clumsily wiped the tears from her father’s face.

 

Her father was very old; his face was wrinkled, his beard was mostly white, and his eyes had become cloudy.

 

Xie Zhiyue grew frightened and asked timidly, “Brother is having a baby; isn’t Father happy?”

 

The old Emperor wiped the tears from his eyes with his wrinkled hand and murmured, “Happy, happy… Father is very happy…”

 

He carefully folded the letter and instructed the old eunuch beside him to put it away carefully.

 

He wiped his eyes, held his youngest daughter tightly, and signaled the nanny to replace the dishes and food. He let the princess sit by his side, continuing to enjoy the delicious meal they hadn’t finished.

 

The child’s emotions were sensitive, and she vaguely sensed that the atmosphere at the banquet had improved a bit. She looked up at the sky and happened to see a red firework explode.

 

Xie Zhiyue clapped her hands in delight and said, “More fireworks! Red is beautiful, Xiao Yue’er likes red!”

 

As soon as the princess finished speaking, another string of fireworks exploded in the sky.

 

The loud noise startled Xie Zhifeng. Once he recovered, he felt a bit embarrassed and covered his face with a laugh.

 

Behind him, Xie Zhiming patted his wheelchair and laughed as well.

 

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Xie Zhiming remarked.

 

Fireworks continued to burst one after another in the sky, filling the air with a faint smell of gunpowder.

 

Despite the overwhelming noise, the Crown Prince’s voice reached Xie Zhifeng’s ears. He looked up at his elder brother and echoed, “Yes, it truly is.”

 

What had been a cold and almost unbearable family banquet warmed up again.

 

Xie Zhiyue ultimately didn’t touch that plate of milk custard. She was tempted, her chopsticks hovering over the plate several times, but she never let them fall.

 

The old Emperor stroked his youngest daughter’s hair and asked gently, “Saving it for your brother?”

 

“Yes, for brother,” she replied, unable to take her eyes off the dessert, yet her words were firm.

 

The Emperor patted her head affectionately and said, “Alright, we’ll save it for him—later, we can bring it to him, okay?”

 

“Okay!” Xie Zhiyue cheered.