After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 45

That night, after talking for so long, Xie Zhiqing felt a bit tired. It wasn’t until he was about to sleep that he vaguely remembered that he still didn’t know where Lang Xiaoxiao had gone.

 

With this question in mind, he soon fell asleep.

 

The next morning, he brought up the matter again.

 

Nobody knew what the siblings had talked about, but as soon as Xie Zhiqing mentioned Lang Xiaoxiao’s name, Lang Sa’s expression darkened immediately.

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing advised, “Xiaoxiao… she’s young, and sometimes she doesn’t think before she speaks or acts. As her brother, you know her personality well.”

 

Lang Sa said, “I know, that’s why I don’t bother talking to her.”

 

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade him, Xie Zhiqing felt anxious and helpless. He changed his approach and said, “We all think Xiao Qizhen is unreliable. Aren’t you worried about letting Xiaoxiao be with him alone?”

 

Unexpectedly, Lang Sa shook his head and said, “She didn’t leave with Xiao Qizhen.”

 

That day, after a big argument with Lang Sa, Lang Xiaoxiao left the grasslands alone. She didn’t go to find Xiao Qizhen as she had said she would but instead left directly.

 

She didn’t tell anyone and just left.

 

After waiting for a day in vain, Xiao Qizhen lost his patience and wanted to confront Lang Sa. Naturally, he couldn’t find him. As soon as he left his room, Lang Sa’s attendants stopped him.

 

It was said that Xiao Qizhen cursed loudly at the door, but the attendants neither responded nor retaliated. After cursing for a while and finding it pointless, he too decided to leave.

 

This time, Lang Sa’s attendants didn’t stop him and directly showed him the way off the grasslands.

 

Xiao Qizhen was furious but left.

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing was stunned upon hearing this and repeatedly lamented, “This is such a mess.”

 

He said with a complex expression, “I don’t know whether to be relieved or regretful. I think Xiaoxiao really likes him, but honestly, if Xiaoxiao were my sister, I wouldn’t want to agree to this marriage either.”

 

After pondering for a while, he whispered, “Alright, I still hope Xiaoxiao doesn’t marry him.”

 

Lang Sa nodded with a stern face and told him something else.

 

It turned out that the idea of marriage was suggested by Lang Xiaoxiao. The young girl didn’t understand anything and thought it was just a simple ceremony, not realizing how many complicated steps were involved for a prince like Xiao Qizhen to get married.

 

After hearing this, Xie Zhiqing sighed and said, “I see. The prince probably didn’t genuinely want to marry her either. No wonder he didn’t mind when you said the wolf tribe wouldn’t help him.”

 

Lang Sa replied, “Let her go if she wants to. Seeing her on the grasslands annoys me.”

 

Xie Zhiqing nodded, saying, “She’s skilled in martial arts; she shouldn’t get into any trouble. It’s good for her to go out and clear her mind. I was worried she would actually go to the Kingdom of Pianyang. Since she’s not with Xiao Qizhen, that’s even better.”

 

Lang Sa sighed softly and nodded, “We’ll talk about it later. Now, when I see her, I just want to discipline her again. Let’s not talk about it anymore. She’s the one who provokes others, no one can bully her.”

 

He waved his hand to change the topic, saying, “I don’t have the mind to deal with these things now. Once your situation is stable, I’ll send someone to find her.”

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing blushed slightly, not knowing how the topic turned to him. He turned around and whispered, “I… I don’t have any situation…”

 

Lang Sa sat behind him, resting his chin on Xie Zhiqing’s shoulder, saying, “I heard that the first three months of pregnancy are very dangerous for human women, so I’m worried.”

 

Xie Zhiqing pushed his face away and whispered, “I’m not a woman…”

 

“That doesn’t make me less worried.” Lang Sa said seriously, “I need to keep an eye on you all the time.”

 

Xie Zhiqing sighed, feeling that Lang Sa was even stricter than his elder brother.

 

When Lang Sa said he would keep an eye on him all day, he really didn’t leave his side. Apart from handling urgent matters, he left most other things to the experienced elders of the wolf tribe and stayed at home to take care of Xie Zhiqing.

 

A few days later, a letter arrived from Anyu.

 

It was a reply from Xie Zhifeng.

 

The letter was long overdue.

 

The servant who delivered the letter didn’t wait for a reply and returned directly. It was said that from the emperor to the princes of Anyu Kingdom, they were all scratching their heads, not knowing how to write the reply.

 

The servant couldn’t wait and came back first.

 

Who knew this delay would cause such a long wait.

 

Xie Zhiqing eagerly opened the letter.

 

The letter was brief, mainly advising Xie Zhiqing to take good care of himself during pregnancy.

 

The words were short but sincere: wanting to say more but feeling embarrassed, yet reducing the words might seem indifferent. The short letter was written with much thought.

 

Compared to Xie Zhiqing’s brief letter, it was somewhat similar in style.

 

At the end of the letter, Xie Zhifeng mentioned that their father was very concerned and prepared many gifts, which had already been sent to the grasslands along with Anyu’s best doctors carrying medical books. The journey was long, and with so many things, it might take another month to arrive, so he asked him to be patient.

 

Xie Zhiqing read the letter over and over again. He held the letter close to his chest, feeling warm inside.

 

Lang Sa, hugging him from behind, quickly read the letter through Xie Zhiqing’s hands.

 

At times like this, Lang Sa felt guilty again. He hugged Xie Zhiqing tighter and whispered, “I’ll find someone to see which route they are taking and send someone to meet them.”

 

Xie Zhiqing rubbed his eyes and smiled, saying “Okay.”

 

He also put the letter in the drawer, the one that held Fufu’s fur, Atte’s whiskers, and other precious items.

 

Lang Sa peeked inside and saw a small rabbit made of grass and two wooden hairpins.

 

Xie Zhiqing wasn’t lying. He had indeed kept the hairpins well in the drawer.

 

Lang Sa reached out to touch the hairpins, but Xie Zhiqing slapped his hand away.

 

“Don’t touch,” Xie Zhiqing shook his finger, “This drawer is full of my treasures, no one is allowed to touch them.”

 

Lang Sa wasn’t angry. He just smiled and said, “Alright, alright, your treasures, I won’t touch them.”

 

Then he pulled Xie Zhiqing into his arms again.

 

Five days later, the doctors from Anyu finally arrived at the grasslands.

 

Lang Sa happily led them into Xie Zhiqing’s room. “Happily” might be an exaggeration, but he was indeed very happy and relieved.

 

It wasn’t that the doctors Lang Sa had invited were unreliable, but the Wolf King had a strange mentality. He always felt that things from Anyu were better and more suitable for Xie Zhiqing.

 

Now that the doctors from Anyu had arrived, bringing both themselves and their medical books, Lang Sa finally felt relieved. He believed that Xie Zhiqing’s pregnancy would proceed smoothly without any mishaps.

 

The doctors from Anyu were indeed very dedicated. Despite their long journey to the grasslands, they didn’t rest and headed straight to Xie Zhiqing’s room.

 

These imperial physicians were all senior figures in the palace and knew Xie Zhiqing very well, so there was no need for extensive explanations about his situation.

 

The head physician, an old man, asked a few questions about Xie Zhiqing’s diet, daily routine, and lifestyle, specifically inquiring whether the Wolf King had a drinking habit.

 

Xie Zhiqing answered each question.

 

The old physician nodded as he listened, appearing quite satisfied, but frowned when Xie Zhiqing mentioned that he stayed indoors all day and was afraid to go outside.

 

“Third Prince, why are you afraid to go out?” the old physician asked. “Is it because you get tired easily from walking too long?”

 

Xie Zhiqing glanced at Lang Sa and whispered, “No… It’s just that it’s the coldest time on the grasslands now, and the Wolf King is afraid I’ll slip and fall, so he doesn’t let me go out.”

 

The physician: “…”

 

He looked at Lang Sa in confusion. After a moment, he seemed to realize that the Wolf King didn’t look like someone who would take advice easily, so he turned back to Xie Zhiqing and said, “Moderate exercise is still necessary. You can walk more as long as you don’t feel tired—of course, watch your step and don’t really fall. Also…”

 

He tapped Xie Zhiqing on the nose and said seriously, “Don’t eat too much, don’t get too fat.”

 

“…” Xie Zhiqing felt guilty, “Oh, okay.”

 

This old physician’s surname was Sun, and he had watched Xie Zhiqing grow up. Now that Xie Zhiqing was pregnant, Physician Sun appeared calm on the surface but was quite excited inside. Being straightforward by nature, he spoke directly to the Wolf King, with a somewhat urgent tone.

 

“Wolf King, I know you mean well for the Third Prince, but you need to use the right method!” Physician Sun said, pounding his fist into his palm. “We have a saying in the Central Plains: ‘stopping eating for fear of choking.’ Do you understand this? It means if someone chokes while eating, you don’t stop everyone from eating! Your current behavior is like stopping everyone from eating because of one choking incident!”

 

Physician Sun continued, “How can you not let someone go out because you’re afraid they’ll fall? How can a pregnant person not go out? Without going out, how can they exercise? Without exercise, their body will deteriorate. I’m not asking him to ride horses or hunt or climb mountains, just to walk a few steps! Wolf King, say something, do you understand?”

 

“…” Lang Sa gritted his teeth and replied, “Understood!”

 

Then he practically dragged the physician away.

 

Throughout this, Xie Zhiqing covered his mouth, stifling his laughter. No one dared to talk to the Wolf King like that.

 

Several times, Xie Zhiqing thought Lang Sa would beat up Physician Sun, but Lang Sa held back and eventually muttered, “Understood.”

 

After sending off Physician Sun, Lang Sa returned with a dark expression and said, “…We’ll go for a walk tomorrow.”

 

Xie Zhiqing struggled to hold back his laughter. Clearing his throat, he said, “How about today? Let’s go after dinner!”

 

Lang Sa grumbled, “Fine, we’ll go!”

 

Honestly, Lang Sa was indeed being overly cautious.

 

Xie Zhiqing had always been in good health, rarely falling ill. Since becoming pregnant, aside from being sleepy, he had no other adverse reactions.

 

Moreover, during this period, Lang Sa had even flattened the ground at their doorstep, shoveling snow three times a day to eliminate any possibility of Xie Zhiqing slipping.

 

That night, they walked hand in hand on the grasslands.

 

Xie Zhiqing was bundled up, wearing the fox hat from before and a pair of thick gloves that Lang Sa had made for him.

 

The hat was fluffy, and the gloves were warm, making it comfortable even in the snow.

 

As they walked, Lang Sa said, “I previously informed my parents, and today we received their reply. They’re on their way back to the grasslands.”

 

“Oh!” Xie Zhiqing exclaimed happily. “It has been a long time since I saw them. Where did they go this time?”

 

The last time the elderly couple returned to the grasslands was for Lang Xiaoxiao’s marriage.

 

Lang Sa mentioned a place and said, “It’s quite far. Even with their pace, it’ll take about half a month to get here.”

 

“We’re not in a hurry. There’s nothing urgent,” Xie Zhiqing said with envy. “They’re so leisurely. I wish I could go out and play too.”

 

Lang Sa tapped his nose and smiled, “Then, after the baby is born, we can go out.”

 

“Great!” Xie Zhiqing was initially happy but then frowned, saying, “But you’re the Wolf King, how can you leave?”

 

Lang Sa said, “I just won’t be the Wolf King anymore.”

 

Xie Zhiqing replied, “You’re talking nonsense again. Didn’t I just tell you the other day that you’re a grown-up now and shouldn’t always—”

 

Halfway through his sentence, Xie Zhiqing suddenly stopped.

 

He just realized!

 

The previous Wolf King was Lang Sa’s father, so the next Wolf King would be…

 

Xie Zhiqing’s face slowly turned red.

 

He stopped walking, unwilling to move forward.

 

Lang Sa bent down to look at him, still teasing, “What’s wrong? Don’t always what?”

 

Xie Zhiqing pursed his lips and turned away, whispering, “Nothing, nothing!”

 

“When I’m no longer the Wolf King—” Lang Sa dragged out his words, leaning closer to Xie Zhiqing, “we’ll let the baby be the Wolf King, how about that?”

 

Xie Zhiqing’s cheeks were burning. “The baby is too young! He can’t be the Wolf King!”

 

Although he knew Lang Sa was talking nonsense, he still seriously explained.

 

His adorable appearance made Lang Sa’s heart swell with affection.

 

He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his head and kissed Xie Zhiqing’s nose.

 

The young prince nervously closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling.

 

This anticipation for a kiss tugged at Lang Sa’s heart.

 

The Wolf King couldn’t hold back any longer. He opened his cloak and wrapped it around both of them, pressing Xie Zhiqing’s head towards him with one hand.

 

Xie Zhiqing’s cheeks felt cool but soon warmed up in the enclosed space under the cloak.

 

Lang Sa’s breath forcefully invaded his mouth, seizing Xie Zhiqing’s sweet breath.

 

Trembling all over, Xie Zhiqing wrapped his arms around Lang Sa’s strong back, shyly and carefully returning the kiss.

 

Snowflakes gently drifted down, some landing on them and others sliding through the small gaps in the cloak, settling on their hair.

 

Unnoticed, the young prince’s hair and the Wolf King’s braided hair were dusted with tiny snowflakes.