After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 69

The old emperor lowered his head and tapped Xie Lingyue’s nose. He looked at her carefully, wishing he could engrave her appearance in his heart.

 

Xie Lingyue had been fidgeting, but perhaps sensing the complex emotions in her grandfather’s gaze, she gradually calmed down.

 

She tilted her head and looked at the old man, occasionally poking his chin and face with her little fingers.

 

The old man said nothing, just quietly watched her, his gaze full of undisguised affection.

 

But as he looked, his eyes grew moist.

 

Xie Lingyue said, “Cry! Shy!”

 

The old emperor quickly turned his head to wipe his tears. He handed the baby back to Xie Zhiqing and said, “You two talk, you two talk.”

 

Xie Zhiqing looked at him with a bittersweet expression.

 

Later, Lang Sa cleared his throat and said, “Ah, don’t just stand there. Let me take you to rest.”

 

He gave Xie Zhiqing a meaningful glance, signaling him to keep the old emperor engaged in conversation, while he took Xie Lingyue and accompanied the others to the temporary guest rooms.

 

Earlier in the room, Lang Xiaoxiao had been somewhat intimidated by the old emperor’s presence and had hardly spoken. Now that they were finally leaving, she hurriedly went to Xie Zhifeng and Xie Zhiyue, chattering incessantly.

 

Xie Zhifeng was fine, but with the princess…

 

“My goodness, Princess, what have you been eating this past year? You’ve grown so tall!” Lang Xiaoxiao exclaimed with surprise, noting that the princess had reached her chin.

 

She circled around Xie Zhiyue several times, clapping her hands and saying, “The princess has grown taller and even more beautiful!”

 

Xie Zhiyue hung her head, her cheeks flushed.

 

Lang Xiaoxiao continued her enthusiastic praise, alternating between complimenting her grace and cuteness, almost running out of superlatives.

 

Lang Sa, holding the baby, walked at the back, finding the noise irritating. Helpless, he whistled for Ates, who came up and tugged at Lang Xiaoxiao’s pants, pulling her away from the siblings.

 

Xie Zhiyue was no longer as frightened as last time. Seeing the familiar large wolf, she hesitated and greeted it, though she had forgotten its name and could only say, “Hello again, um… Wolf Mister.”

 

Ates, with a reserved nod, displayed no extra expression on his cold wolf face, though his tail wagged rapidly behind him.

 

Lang Sa chuckled at the sight. After laughing, he felt a bit disgruntled that Ates was “Wolf Mister,” while he himself was “Wolf King Uncle.”

 

He touched his own face, thinking, I’m not that old, am I?

 

At this moment, Xie Zhifeng looked back.

 

He gazed at the baby in Lang Sa’s arms, his eyes showing a hint of excitement.

 

“…” Lang Sa was somewhat speechless but quickened his pace to catch up, asking softly, “Do you want to hold her?”

 

Xie Zhifeng nodded.

 

However, the baby was very resistant to this strange person.

 

As soon as she was placed in Xie Zhifeng’s arms, she struggled desperately, pushing his face with her tiny hands and dodging left and right, refusing to let him see her.

 

Xie Zhifeng: “…”

 

The second prince of Anyu was elegant and gentle, and he had never been so rejected before.

 

He looked to the Wolf King for help, awkwardly saying, “What’s going on?”

 

Lang Sa shook his head and said, “I don’t know,” while pulling Xie Lingyue back into his arms.

 

Xie Zhifeng’s hopes of bonding with his niece were dashed.

 

Later, Lang Sa led everyone to their temporary guest rooms, patiently teaching the baby that this was her uncle, Xie Zhifeng, who was her mother’s twin brother. The baby began to understand a bit more.

 

Though she remained puzzled about Xie Zhifeng, she was no longer as resistant.

 

However, the baby’s attention span was short, and soon Xie Lingyue’s interest shifted away from the strangers. Lang Sa wanted to hold her and talk to the others, but she refused.

 

It was Xie Zhifeng who played mediator, suggesting that since Lingyue was tired, she could play by herself.

 

Lang Sa had no choice—Xie Lingyue, as always, never listened to him.

 

He randomly picked a rattle from the toy box and handed it to her so she could play on her own.

 

In the guest room, the lively Lang Xiaoxiao was chatting with Xie Zhifeng and the princess, while Lang Sa sat nearby, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

 

He wondered what Xie Zhiqing and the old emperor were discussing, and thought about how much the young prince, who was so prone to tears, would miss his parents during their separation.

 

*

 

“Father, have some tea.”

 

Xie Zhiqing brewed a pot of tea and cheerfully invited the old emperor to taste it.

 

Xie Kuang took a sip and praised, “This tea is good. Did you grow it yourself?”

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled and said, “We don’t grow tea ourselves. Lang Sa cleared a piece of land for vegetables and hired others to help with the planting.”

 

He then picked up a cup of tea and sat next to Xie Kuang, continuing, “This tea was bought from outside by Lang Sa.”

 

He found it amusing and added, “The wolf tribe doesn’t have a tea-drinking habit and doesn’t understand it well. It took several trips to find it.”

 

Xie Kuang took another sip of tea. It was bitter at first, but had a sweet aftertaste.

 

After a while, he said, “The Wolf King has put in a lot of effort.”

 

Xie Zhiqing lowered his head, his ears flushed slightly.

 

The father and son had been apart for a long time, and their longing for each other was strong, but in their reunion, they felt awkward and didn’t know what to say.

 

Xie Kuang quietly observed his younger son’s profile, reflecting that Xiao Qing’er had truly grown up.

 

The child he had always protected under his wing was now about to become a guardian for another child.

 

Xie Kuang quickly blinked, waiting for the tingling in his eyes to subside before speaking again, “Xie Lingyue… you’ve taught her well. She is very smart.”

 

When it came to the baby, Xie Zhiqing couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. “She is indeed smart… but I didn’t teach her much. She learned most of it herself. The elders of the wolf tribe said it’s probably because of her human bloodline, which makes her smarter and learn things faster.”

 

Xie Kuang nodded with a smile.

 

The topic of the baby broke the awkward atmosphere between father and son, and their expressions visibly relaxed.

 

“How is the Crown Prince?” Xie Zhiqing asked. “Has he been worried about the recent disasters?”

 

Xie Kuang briefly described the situation, saying, “The wolf tribe princess who came to help us also did a lot. Please thank her on my behalf.”

 

Xie Zhiqing said, “Certainly.”

 

Then, Xie Kuang seemed to remember something and shook his head with a smile.

 

Having aged and spent many years as emperor, he had grown accustomed to a stern expression, with deep lines etched on his forehead.

 

At this moment, those lines seemed to soften with his smile. Xie Kuang said, “Zhimin is also quite troublesome.”

 

Xie Zhiqing didn’t believe it, “How could that be? The Crown Prince is the most reliable.”

 

Xie Kuang pouted and shook his head, “He’s just putting on an act in front of you. Recently, Zhimin showed off a rabbit toy he said you gave him. Xiao Qing’er, is that true?”

 

Xie Zhiqing: “…”

 

It was true, but…

 

Xie Zhiqing hesitated, “The Crown Prince… does he need to show it off?”

 

Xie Kuang continued to shake his head, “It’s not just him; Zhifeng also showed off. These kids…”

 

Xie Zhiqing: “.”

 

What is going on? Was their composed demeanor all just an act in front of him?

 

Xie Zhiqing felt a bit uneasy.

 

The toy was made from Fufu’s fur, something not very presentable. It might be acceptable as a gift for peers, but it seemed too shabby to present to the emperor.

 

Fortunately, Xie Kuang didn’t seem to expect any gifts from him.

 

“It’s fine if you didn’t prepare a gift for me,” the old emperor said slowly, “Recently, I found something in the palace and I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

 

Xie Zhiqing’s eyes lit up, “What is it?”

 

Xie Kuang took out an item from his chest and handed it over.

 

Xie Zhiqing unwrapped it—

 

It was a rattle.

 

He shook it to see.

 

The sound was ordinary, but the rattle itself was quite unique.

 

It was shaped like a rabbit.

 

Xie Zhiqing was puzzled and looked up at his father in confusion.

 

“You might not remember…” the old emperor said slowly, “This was your toy when you were little. Back when we were still in the princely residence and I was not yet emperor…”

 

Xie Kuang’s gaze grew distant, as if truly reminiscing about the past. He gestured with his hand to indicate the size of a baby of a few months, saying, “You were this small… Every day when I came back from court, the wet nurses would be waiting for me at the door with you. They said you would fuss and refuse to be calm until you saw me return. They liked to use this toy to amuse you, saying you would only be happy with this one and cried endlessly if it was anything else.”

 

Xie Zhiqing had no memories of this, but listening to the old emperor’s description made him feel as if he was transported back to the past.

 

He remained silent for a long time, and the only sound in the room was the occasional muffled noise from the rattle in his hand.

 

Xie Zhiqing’s nose grew warm. He put the rattle back into his sleeve and said softly, “Thank you, Father. I… I really like it.”

 

He looked up at the old emperor but was struck by the tears in his father’s eyes, causing him to quickly lower his head in a bid to hide his own emotions.

 

The rattle slipped from his sleeve and fell out, and Xie Zhiqing hurriedly reached to catch it. In the process, the rattle’s pellets flew up, hitting the drum surface with a thud.

 

At the same time, a similar thudding sound came from outside the room.

 

Xie Zhiqing looked up—

 

Lang Sa was coming in holding Xie Lingyue, who was also holding a rattle.

 

The little baby shook the rattle loudly, pressing it against her father’s ear, making a racket.

 

Xie Zhiqing wiped his face, his palms damp.

 

He picked up the rattle and placed it back carefully, then looked up and smiled at the old emperor.

 

In that moment, he suddenly understood why his father had given him a rattle.

 

Before the father and daughter entered, he quickly moved to squat beside the old emperor. He rested his head on the old emperor’s lap, wanting to say something but only managing to produce a few choked sounds.

 

The old emperor patted his head and bent down, whispering, “Xiao Qing’er, even if… even if you are far away and have become a parent yourself, in your father’s heart, you are still that little child…”

 

**Author’s Note:**

 

I just had general anesthesia while saving the draft and am feeling a bit dizzy (collapses).

 

I’ll correct any typos later.