After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 60

On their way back, the two of them detoured to that secret base.

 

The cave was situated beneath a steep cliff. Although small steps had been built, it was still dangerous. Ever since Xie Zhiqing became pregnant, Lang Sa hadn’t allowed him to come here.

 

Now that the baby had been born and Xie Zhiqing’s body had mostly recovered, Lang Sa had the idea of using the place again.

 

Today, he had hidden a chicken there, intending to roast it for Xie Zhiqing.

 

In the small cave, a fire was lit, and the warm flames cast a soft glow on Xie Zhiqing’s face.

 

The little prince was squinting his eyes, holding his cheeks in his hands as he watched. His diet had been light and bland for some time now, and as he looked at what Lang Sa was preparing, he couldn’t help but feel his mouth water.

 

Lang Sa laughed and tapped his nose.

 

Later, Lang Sa slowly cut the roasted chicken with a small knife, and the two of them hid in that little cave, sharing the delicious roasted chicken.

 

Xie Zhiqing ate to his heart’s content and remarked, “Grand Physician Sun told me not to eat too much!”

 

And that was true. The climate on the grasslands was dry, and during Xie Zhiqing’s pregnancy, it had been the coldest and driest part of winter. Grand Physician Sun had been worried that eating too much oily and rich food would cause him to overheat, so he had strictly controlled Xie Zhiqing’s diet.

 

It had made Xie Zhiqing crave such foods all the more.

 

After finishing the roasted chicken, Xie Zhiqing leaned against Lang Sa’s shoulder. The little prince suddenly smiled, thinking of something.

 

Lang Sa pressed his forehead against Xie Zhiqing’s and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

 

Xie Zhiqing rubbed his forehead against Lang Sa’s cheek and said, “The last time we came here was several months ago. I was just thinking, it seems like these past few months, our lives have revolved around the baby, and we’ve rarely had this kind of time alone together.”

 

Lang Sa’s heart melted at those simple words.

 

Xie Zhiqing had a way of easily stirring up his emotions.

 

Lang Sa held him close, kissed the tip of his nose, and said, “Don’t worry, we have a lifetime ahead of us to spend together.”

 

Xie Zhiqing squinted his eyes and smiled sweetly.

 

He snuggled in the Wolf King’s arms for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked, “When did you go out to catch a chicken these past two days?”

 

They were together almost every moment of every day, and he couldn’t recall Lang Sa ever leaving.

 

Lang Sa shook his head and said, “I didn’t go. I had someone else do it. Do you remember the elder who helped Lingyue with the Zhihua process? His son caught it for me.”

 

Xie Zhiqing furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before suddenly recalling, “I remember! His name is Lang Weiwei!”

 

He laughed after saying the name.

 

“Lang Xiaoxiao, Lang Pengpeng, Lang Weiwei,” Xie Zhiqing counted off on his fingers, “Why do they all have doubled names? It’s so cute.”

 

Then he looked at Lang Sa and asked, “Your Highness the Wolf King, did you secretly change your name? Was it originally a doubled name too?”

 

Lang Sa gave him a look that said, “Say that again if you dare.”

 

But Xie Zhiqing wasn’t afraid at all. He shook his head and continued, “Let me guess! What could it be? Lang Sasa? Or… Lang Er’er?”

 

Lang Sa pinched his lips, raising his eyebrows high. “I was named this from birth! I’ve never changed it!”

 

Xie Zhiqing, with his mouth pinched, continued to mumble nonsensically, “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, haha!”

 

Lang Sa could only sigh helplessly, “I’m the Wolf King! How could the Wolf King’s name be a doubled one!”

 

Xie Zhiqing covered his mouth and laughed.

 

After laughing, he had a new question, “Hey—so, was it decided from birth that you would be the Wolf King?”

 

“Yes,” Lang Sa shrugged, “There was no other choice. Our generation wasn’t very capable. I was the only one who fully underwent Zhihua. It wasn’t until years later that Lang Xiaoxiao appeared. So at the time, I had to be the Wolf King; there was no other candidate.”

 

He joked, “I was like a duck being forced onto the perch. I had no choice but to do it.”

 

Xie Zhiqing pressed his hand against Lang Sa’s and said, “But you’ve done a great job! Lang Sa is very impressive!”

 

The Wolf King shamelessly nodded, “Yes, I’ve done very well.”

 

Then Xie Zhiqing wrinkled his nose and gave him a little shove.

 

Talking about the Wolf King’s successor, Xie Zhiqing asked, “You mentioned before that you were considering Xiaoxiao. How’s that going? Do you think she can do it?”

 

Lang Sa thought for a moment and said, “We’ll see, but not yet.”

 

He started to look a bit frustrated, “I should have started training her earlier… I wasn’t thinking about it back then.”

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled and comforted him, “It’s not too late to start now. There’s no rush.”

 

Lang Sa replied, “There is a rush, of course there is.”

 

“So eager to retire?” Xie Zhiqing teased him, “My father was emperor for many years before he passed the throne to my eldest brother.”

 

“It’s not about retiring early. It’s about…” Lang Sa wrapped his arm around Xie Zhiqing’s shoulders, turned to look at him, and said, “spending more time with you. Every day I spend as Wolf King is a day less with you. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

 

Xie Zhiqing twisted his fingers, his face slowly turning red. He buried his face in Lang Sa’s shoulder and whispered, “Y-you’re spending time with me now too…”

 

Lang Sa said, “But it’s not the same.”

 

How was it different? Lang Sa didn’t elaborate.

 

Xie Zhiqing waited for a while, but when no explanation came, he lifted his head to look at Lang Sa.

 

Lang Sa just kept gazing at him, and that look was warmer than the flames burning beside them.

 

Lang Sa didn’t say anything, but that look conveyed so much.

 

Xie Zhiqing didn’t ask further. He just closed his eyes and leaned into Lang Sa’s embrace. Neither of them spoke; they just stayed close to each other. These quiet moments together were the best times.

 

After some time, the fire in the little cave finally burned out.

 

Lang Sa came back to his senses and patted Xie Zhiqing’s hand. “Let’s go home.”

 

As they emerged from the secret base, they realized that the sky outside had turned completely dark.

 

Unknowingly, they had spent the entire afternoon there.

 

Lang Sa undid his cloak and draped it over Xie Zhiqing. He then crouched down in front of him and tilted his head, signaling, “Hop on.”

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled shyly, obediently climbed onto his back, and just like every time before, the Wolf King carried him home.

 

The soft moonlight cast a clear silhouette of the person in front of him. Xie Zhiqing leaned against Lang Sa’s face and whispered, “The moon is so bright tonight.“(TLn- THIS MEANS I LOVE YOU AGHHDFDG)

 

Lang Sa looked up and, puzzled, said, “Is it? It doesn’t seem that bright.”

 

As soon as he said this, Lang Sa suddenly paused, as if something had crossed his mind.

 

He looked up at the moon again, and his arms tightened around Xie Zhiqing’s legs.

 

Xie Zhiqing, not understanding, asked, “What’s wrong?”

 

“…” Lang Sa hesitated for a moment before saying, “Nothing.”

 

He carried Xie Zhiqing on his back and continued walking on the path home.

 

He had just suddenly realized something.

 

He understood why Xie Zhiqing had named their baby Xie Lingyue.

 

That day… that day when they left the secret base, Xie Zhiqing had also been carried on his back like this. The moonlight back then was much brighter than tonight, and Xie Zhiqing had happily remarked on his back how beautiful the moon was.

 

The moonlight had illuminated their path home, and perhaps, it had also illuminated the path in his heart.

 

Afterward, he named their baby “Lingyue.”

 

Lingyue, Lingyue.

 

Lang Sa silently repeated the name in his mind. Each time he did, his love for Xie Zhiqing grew deeper.

 

He looked up at the moon again. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the moonlight seemed to have brightened considerably since earlier.

 

He patted Xie Zhiqing’s bottom, urging him to look up too.

 

“Huh?” Xie Zhiqing asked in confusion. “Was there fog just now? It feels a lot brighter now!”

 

He pointed at the ground and said, “Lang Sa, can you tell the difference? The ground wasn’t this bright earlier.”

 

Lang Sa replied, “It seems so.”

 

He adjusted Xie Zhiqing’s position on his back and said, “This moonlight is just perfect.”

 

Xie Zhiqing let out a satisfied “Mm.”

 

After a while, he leaned close to Lang Sa’s ear and whispered, “Mm, just perfect!”

 

Lang Sa turned back and smiled, touching Xie Zhiqing’s nose with his own.

 

He continued carrying Xie Zhiqing, walking with him along the moonlit path back home.

 

*

 

Several things happened in the days that followed.

 

First, there was good news regarding Xie Lingyue.

 

Her Zhihua process was nearly complete.

 

In just two months, the little wolf cub had been fully separated, and Xie Lingyue was in excellent condition.

 

This speed was unprecedented, faster than any of the previous Wolf Kings.

 

The experienced old Wolf King speculated that it was likely due to the mix of human blood.

 

However, to ensure that Xie Lingyue’s condition remained stable, the old Wolf King suggested it would be safer to observe her for another week.

 

Xie Zhiqing thought that since two months had already passed, a few more days wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Lingyue’s safety was the most important thing, so he happily agreed.

 

After that, he received a letter from Anyu.

 

The letter stated that their planned visit would likely be delayed.

 

The weather had been unfavorable this year, with a severe drought in winter followed by floods in spring. Anyu, a small agricultural country, was particularly vulnerable to bad weather.

 

Xie Zhiming, empathetic to the people’s plight, personally went out to gather public opinion, leaving Xie Zhifeng to help handle state affairs.

 

For the time being, none of them could leave, so the trip had to be postponed.

 

After reading the letter, Xie Zhiqing murmured, “Is it really that serious…”

 

He was more concerned about the situation back home than about himself.

 

“My brother just ascended the throne, and now he’s facing this kind of trouble…” Xie Zhiqing rested his chin in his hand, his brow furrowed in worry.

 

Though he didn’t understand much about politics, he knew how challenging the situation must be. “My brother must be really stressed right now…”

 

“I’ll think of something to help,” Lang Sa comforted him. “How about this, I’ll send someone over to see if they can lend a hand.”

 

Xie Zhiqing pitifully replied, “Okay.”

 

The task naturally fell to Lang Xiaoxiao.

 

When she heard she could go to Anyu, she immediately thought of the elegant prince and the lovely princess there and agreed without hesitation.

 

Before leaving, Lang Sa pulled her ear and repeatedly reminded her, “You’re not going there to have fun, you’re going to help. Understand?”

 

Lang Xiaoxiao replied, “Got it, got it!”

 

She then dragged a large package over to Xie Zhiqing, saying, “It’s all for the little wolf cub!”

 

When Xie Zhiqing opened it—

 

It was more clothes.

 

Lang Xiaoxiao grinned, “Hehe, little Lingyue already has plenty of clothes! I bought some for Wu Yema too!”

 

Ah, this wolf princess certainly loved dressing up her little wolf.

 

But…

 

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t help but recall the strangely colored flowers that occasionally appeared on Tanis’s head or ears. Looking at the odd clothes in that bundle, he fell into deep thought.

 

Finally, he awkwardly said, “Uh, okay, thank you, Xiaoxiao.”

 

*

 

And so, Lang Xiaoxiao left.

 

The preparations for his father and brothers’ postponed visit were delayed; the most boisterous person on the grasslands, Lang Xiaoxiao, had left, and the constant chatter in his ears had quieted down; Xie Lingyue’s Zhihua was complete, so there was no longer a need to be constantly on edge.

 

It was as if Xie Zhiqing’s life had suddenly slowed down.

 

But soon, something else happened.

 

Xie Lingyue was growing quickly. At two and a half months old, she could already recognize people.

 

Author’s Note:

 

I’m revising the wolf cub’s name. Now it sounds awful… I’m speechless and frustrated.

 

“智化” (Zhìhuà) refers to a process in which a character (in this case, the wolf cub Xie Lingyue) gains or develops intelligence, self-awareness, or human-like qualities. This term is often used in fantasy settings where animals, mythical creatures, or non-human beings undergo a transformation that allows them to think, act, or appear more like humans.

 

Xie Lingyue’s “Zhihua” seems to indicate her transformation from a wolf cub into a being with more human-like attributes, including intelligence and possibly a human form. This process is significant because it determines when she can fully integrate into the human world and be recognized as part of the family.