After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 44

In front of Xie Zhiqing, Lang Sa had almost never shown such a fierce side. He resembled a real wolf, an overwhelming sense of oppression radiating from him.

 

However, Xie Zhiqing was not afraid. He hugged Lang Sa’s shoulders, nestled in his arms, and looked up, murmuring, “Are you really troubled by this?”

 

Lang Sa looked down at him.

 

Xie Zhiqing’s cheeks were flushed, a faint shadow extending from his cheek to his neck.

 

He seemed to need to muster a lot of courage. He closed his eyes and opened them again, then hooked his arms around Lang Sa’s neck, bringing the wolf king closer.

 

He leaned into Lang Sa’s ear and whispered, “Lang Sa, I… I want to tell you a secret…”

 

He murmured nonstop in Lang Sa’s ear, his rosy lips opening and closing, and before his last bit of shame was exhausted, he told Lang Sa everything he had read in that medical book when he was a child.

 

What he said wasn’t complicated, but to Lang Sa, it was like a thunderclap.

 

“I… I didn’t take it seriously at first, just thought it was nonsense… Besides, I was too young at the time, maybe I didn’t even remember everything…” Xie Zhiqing continued, still leaning close to his ear, “I never took it seriously. But later… later I…”

 

He released his hold on the wolf king’s neck and lowered his eyes to look at his still-flat belly.

 

He pursed his lips, his expression shy, even the tip of his nose was red.

 

He kept glancing up at Lang Sa, but each time his gaze didn’t linger, quickly looking away after a glance. Finally, he nestled back into Lang Sa’s arms, softly saying, “…Lang Sa, your secret base is a nice place.”

 

After that, Xie Zhiqing refused to say more.

 

The secret base was a nice place, and the person beside him was the right one.

 

A place imbued with the essence of the sun and moon, a person whose heart was in tune with his.

 

Lang Sa repeated these words in his heart, nearly moved to tears.

 

Xie Zhiqing sat on his lap, his whole body seeming to fit perfectly into his embrace. When he looked down, he could only see the top of the little prince’s furry head. His hair was jet black, his cheeks fair.

 

Lang Sa reached out and stroked his temple with his fingertip. The wolf king still couldn’t distinguish colors, only faintly seeing a small patch of light gray where he touched.

 

But in this black-and-white world, Xie Zhiqing was always bright, as if he always stood in the light.

 

He was lost in thought for so long that Xie Zhiqing was about to faint from embarrassment.

 

“Did you understand what I meant…” Xie Zhiqing bumped his forehead against Lang Sa’s shoulder, his voice as soft as a mosquito, “Say something.”

 

Lang Sa looked down at him, covering Xie Zhiqing’s hand with his own. Their palms overlapped, and together, through the clothes, they placed their hands on Xie Zhiqing’s belly.

 

The warmth there seemed to penetrate through the thick clothes into Lang Sa’s hand and heart.

 

Lang Sa hoarsely murmured, “Mm,” and lowered his head to find Xie Zhiqing’s lips.

 

Xie Zhiqing responded obediently, letting the wolf king suck on his lips.

 

The kiss was gentle and soft, yet their mingled breaths were still hot. In a daze, Xie Zhiqing thought he felt a cool moisture on his cheek. He wanted to open his eyes to see, but Lang Sa pressed his nape, kissing him deeper.

 

When the kiss ended, Lang Sa cupped his face with both hands, their foreheads touching as they continued to exchange breaths.

 

After a moment, Lang Sa whispered, “Xiao Qing, I…”

 

His voice carried a faint nasal sound, quiet but incredibly firm.

 

“…Xiao Qing, I love you…” he said, “I will always love you.”

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled at him, then wrapped his arms around his neck, softly saying, “Lang Sa, I don’t know what Xiaoxiao told you, but she asked me something similar a long time ago. I didn’t understand then. Now I do, you were talking about this.”

 

He tilted his head, looking thoughtful.

 

After a long time, Xie Zhiqing said softly, “Lang Sa, I thought seriously about what you just said… I really never thought about it.”

 

He honestly admitted, “Back then, I only saw this engagement as a transaction…”

 

The little prince had a simple mind, thinking only that the wolf king had solved a major problem for them, so it was reasonable to ask for some conditions in return.

 

“I thought it was very simple…” Xie Zhiqing spoke slowly, “At that time, I thought, as the prince of An Yu, I should do something for my father and brothers, for our country. I didn’t think much else.”

 

He rubbed his fingers and touched his nose, his despondent expression softening. He said, “Maybe because of this, because I initially saw it as a transaction, I now find it very good.”

 

He looked at Lang Sa, his eyes still bright.

 

“What you said… is true, of course.” Xie Zhiqing added, “To be honest, leaving my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, I naturally can’t bear it. But…”

 

Xie Zhiqing didn’t know how to continue, looking at Lang Sa with a troubled expression.

 

After a brief moment of thought, Xie Zhiqing’s expression became shy again.

 

“Lang Sa, I’ve told you before, An Yu is my home, and so is the prairie.” He leaned into Lang Sa’s ear, as if worried that someone else might hear his next words. “They are my family, and you and the baby… are also my family.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Lang Sa tightened his arms, holding him even closer.

 

Xie Zhiqing let out a soft cry and relaxed in Lang Sa’s embrace.

 

He didn’t know how much of a storm his words had stirred in Lang Sa’s heart.

 

Xie Zhiqing was gentle and kind-hearted. The joy and ease he displayed daily must have been genuine. But this wasn’t enough to dispel the fear and unease in Lang Sa’s heart—he always thought that Xie Zhiqing deserved a better life.

 

Perhaps things were good now, but Xie Zhiqing should have had an even better life—at least he shouldn’t have had to leave his family and hometown.

 

Lang Sa didn’t want to dwell on it, so he buried it deep in his heart, like a thorn.

 

But the thorn was bound to be touched eventually, and the day Lang Xiaoxiao bluntly brought it up, Lang Sa was forced to face it.

 

All the suppressed guilt and shame that had plagued him like a nightmare finally poured out, almost drowning him.

 

But Xie Zhiqing told him that they had the baby because they were in sync and truly loved each other.

 

Xie Zhiqing loved him; they were in love.

 

With a few simple words, his little prince had saved him from the overwhelming guilt.

 

Lang Sa looked down at the person in his arms, his chin pressed against his hair.

 

He thought, in this life, he had avoided the events that might have led to tragedy. He had taken Xie Zhiqing away and kept him safe.

 

Yet, it was Xie Zhiqing who had “saved” him.

 

He loosened his arms and gazed deeply at Xie Zhiqing.

 

The man’s expression was still gentle and serene, not realizing the strength he possessed.

 

Lang Sa thought, I cannot live without him.

 

At that moment, Lang Sa finally understood that keeping Xie Zhiqing by his side all the time was because he couldn’t live without him.

 

He couldn’t be without Xie Zhiqing.

 

He looked at his little prince until the man felt embarrassed and pushed his face away with a hand.

 

“Hey, you…” Xie Zhiqing, both shy and annoyed, said, “Did you understand what I said…”

 

“…I understand.” Lang Sa snapped out of his daze, held his hand, kissed it, and repeated, “I understand.”

 

Xie Zhiqing poked his shoulder, pursed his lips, and muttered, “It’s good that you understand…”

 

He then jokingly said, “Wolf King, you’re a mature adult, don’t say such strange things.”

 

Lang Sa’s eyes flickered. He turned his head slightly, avoiding Xie Zhiqing’s gaze.

 

“It’s not strange, it’s just…” Lang Sa cleared his throat, finally admitting, “I’ve always been really concerned—I was always afraid you weren’t happy, afraid you resented me.”

 

Xie Zhiqing laughed and hit him, saying, “There’s nothing to resent. It’s pretty good now… I think it’s really good!”

 

Xie Zhiqing rubbed his face, his eyes glancing quickly at his belly, a shallow smile slowly spreading across his face, though he still looked shy.

 

He repeated, “It’s really good.”

 

Lang Sa kissed his eyes, held the back of his head, and touched his nose with his, saying, “In a few years, when I’m no longer the Wolf King, we’ll leave the prairie and go back to An Yu, okay? We’ll settle down in your hometown.”

 

Xie Zhiqing agreed, but he couldn’t help feeling that Lang Sa was just trying to make him happy—after all, not just anyone could be the Wolf King. If Lang Sa didn’t do it, who would?

 

Perhaps noticing Xie Zhiqing’s doubts, Lang Sa immediately added, “Afterwards—”

 

He was interrupted after just three words.

 

“Who’s there?” Lang Sa looked towards the door in confusion, “Someone’s here, I’ll go check.”

 

He patted Xie Zhiqing’s bottom and put him down, then walked towards the door.

 

Outside stood Lu Lingling, struggling with several small food boxes, stumbling towards them.

 

“Why is it you?” Lang Sa asked in confusion, “What are you carrying?”

 

Hearing the noise, Xie Zhiqing quickly got up and, along with Lang Sa, hurriedly took the things from Lu Lingling’s hands.

 

“The chefs are too busy, so they grabbed me to help!” Lu Lingling said with a pout, “I’m leaving now, they’re still busy! These are fried glutinous rice balls, Wolf King, Princess, eat them while they’re hot!”

 

With that, she waved and ran off.

 

“Fried glutinous rice balls?!” Hearing the familiar dish name, Xie Zhiqing couldn’t wait, immediately opening the small food box.

 

Inside, there were indeed two bowls of golden fried glutinous rice balls.

 

Xie Zhiqing quickly took them out and called to Lang Sa, “Come on, come on!”

 

“Here it is,” Lang Sa responded. He worried Xie Zhiqing might fall, so he gently supported his waist, reminding him, “Slow down, don’t hurt yourself.”

 

Xie Zhiqing chuckled foolishly and said, “I got too excited! Didn’t I just tell you, during the Lantern Festival in An Yu, we always eat yuanxiao.”

 

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and scrunched up his face, complaining, “My eldest brother never let me eat too many, only allowed me to have two each time! He said yuanxiao is hard to digest… and he definitely wouldn’t let me eat fried ones.”

 

“Is that so?” Lang Sa stroked his chin, snatching the two bowls away, “Then you should eat less.”

 

Xie Zhiqing protested, “…Give them back!”

 

In the end, he couldn’t win against Lang Sa. They squeezed together and shared a small bowl of fried yuanxiao.

 

Xie Zhiqing was displeased, grumbling, “Back in An Yu, my eldest brother would control me, and now on the prairie, you have to control me too…”

 

After eating the yuanxiao, Xie Zhiqing found a plate of milk custard squares at the bottom of the food box.

 

Neatly stacked white squares, with a mint leaf on top as decoration.

 

“I can’t believe they have this…” Xie Zhiqing murmured.

 

“The chef asked me about the menu earlier, so I randomly picked a few things,” Lang Sa explained. “The chef described it, and I thought it sounded like something you would like, so I had him make it. I don’t know how it compares to the ones made by the imperial chefs, but give it a try.”

 

Xie Zhiqing picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, slowly chewing.

 

A faint sweetness spread in his mouth, the texture was delicate and smooth, with a rich milky flavor lingering between his teeth.

 

“I really like this… Xiaoyue always saves her portion for me. It’s strange, isn’t it? She’s a little girl but doesn’t like this kind of dessert,” Xie Zhiqing said wistfully. “Nobody knows, but during family feasts, my favorite thing is getting to eat two portions of the milk custard squares.”

 

He wrinkled his nose, embarrassed, “I can’t even say it… it’s so shameful. An An Yu prince, happy just because he gets to eat an extra dessert.”

 

He looked down at the plate, shook his head, and smiled, “I never thought I’d get to eat it again here… I don’t even remember the last time I had it.”

 

He tugged on Lang Sa’s sleeve, snuggling into the wolf king’s embrace.

 

He said, “The Lantern Festival… really is a good day for family reunions.”

 

Lang Sa’s throat tightened, holding him closer, he responded, “Yes, it’s a good day for family reunions.”

 

Xie Zhiqing looked up at him and smiled.

 

Later, Lu Lingling brought over many more dishes. Xie Zhiqing gently invited her to stay for dinner, but Lu Lingling said, “I heard from the chef that today is a big holiday for humans, and you should spend it with your family! Hehe, I won’t disturb you, princess!”

 

With that, she turned and ran off.

 

It was then that the two inside noticed it had started snowing outside.

 

Xie Zhiqing ran to the window to look out, happily saying, “There’s so much snow on the prairie!”

 

Lang Sa hugged him from behind, responding with a sound of agreement.

 

Xie Zhiqing continued watching the heavy snowfall outside, unaware that the gaze of the person behind him never left him.

 

The little prince was so easily satisfied; a snowfall was enough to make him feel happy and content. But he didn’t know that just watching him like this was enough to make Lang Sa feel happy and content.

 

So much had been revealed that night, Lang Sa’s heart felt full and overflowing. He held Xie Zhiqing, thinking only of one thing.

 

They would be together, they were a family.

 

Xie Zhiqing, himself, and their soon-to-be-born baby.

 

They would be together, and they would never be apart in this lifetime.