Let us rewind to three hours earlier.
Although Shen Wang had specifically instructed the night before that Xie Ning should stay home for a few days and not go out causing trouble, when Xie Ning learned where Shen Wang was headed, his eyes lit up, and he insisted on tagging along no matter what.
Shen Wang refused flatly: "No."
This was no joke—he had important matters to attend to and wouldn't be able to split his attention to look after Xie Ning.
"How about I take you next month instead?" Shen Wang tried to negotiate.
Xie Ning's eyes darted around several times, then he turned his back and pretended to go to sleep.
Watching his retreating figure, Shen Wang sighed inwardly, then tucked the blanket around him.
And so, he departed under the cover of night.
Hearing the sounds behind him gradually fade away, Xie Ning sat up in bed. There was no trace of disappointment on his face from being refused—instead, there was the excitement of someone about to do something mischievous.
The more he was told he couldn't go, the more he wanted to go.
Besides, this time he was going with an important mission!
He immediately went to find Wei Zhao and pulled out all the stops to plead with him. "Please, please! I really want to go have fun~"
"I promise I'll stay right by your side and won't run off!"
"Everyone's been there except me… I've been in the capital this long and haven't even seen such a lively place yet…"
Hit with this barrage of pleas, Wei Zhao kept stepping back, covering his face as he reluctantly replied: "Fine, but you promised—you must stay right by my side."
Xie Ning nodded his head frantically, his eyes sparkling like stars.
"There will be a lot of people there. If we do get separated, remember to blow this whistle, and I'll know where you are." Although he had Xie Ning's guarantee, Wei Zhao didn't dare fully trust it, so he prepared a contingency plan.
It was a wooden whistle, somewhat rough in appearance, but its surface had been polished smooth so it wouldn't hurt to hold, with a long cord threaded through it.
Xie Ning put it around his neck and immediately couldn't wait to try it out.
The moment he blew the whistle, Xiao Bai, who had been lying nearby, started running circles around him, so excited he seemed to have lost all sense of direction.
Seeing this, Xie Ning extended a finger and wagged it left and right, saying mercilessly: "Xiao Bai, you can't come. Stay home and behave—I'll bring you back a big chicken leg."
Xiao Bai seemed to understand his words and let out a dejected bark, his circling slowing down.
"Woof woof—"
Xie Ning ruffled his head a few times to comfort him.
"Good boy."
With that, the three of them set off.
…
At the market at the foot of the mountain.
Various stalls lined the street in a row, displaying a dazzling array of goods. Xie Ning felt his eyes couldn't keep up with everything. In addition, there were vendors carrying shoulder poles with vegetables they'd grown themselves.
All sorts of noisy sounds mixed together, and people had to stand very close to each other just to hear what was being said.
The road wasn't wide, and people coming and going had to squeeze past each other as they walked.
"Hold my hand—don't get separated," Wei Zhao reminded him.
But Xie Ning had turned his head and spotted something, completely missing what Wei Zhao had said. He ran over excitedly and crouched in front of a stall to look.
Wei Zhao had been keeping an eye on him the whole time. Seeing this, he immediately stepped forward to follow, feeling even more uneasy about him.
He even felt a hint of regret—if he'd known, he wouldn't have agreed so easily.
But since things had come to this, he could only be more careful, keeping an eye on him at all times. As long as he was right under his nose, nothing should go wrong, right?
Wei Zhao stepped forward, standing beside him, following his gaze.
"I want this one!"
Before he could even ask, Xie Ning pointed at one of them and declared with complete confidence.
Wei Zhao glanced at it—it was an adorable rabbit, its belly puffed up round and full, looking rather similar to Xie Ning himself.
Without wasting words, he pulled a few coins from his waist. "One of these, please."
The sugar painting vendor responded enthusiastically, deftly kneading the sugar in his hands, then pulling out a long strip and holding one end to Xie Ning's lips.
"Come on, take a deep breath, and blow hard."
Xie Ning followed the instructions, inhaling deeply until his cheeks puffed up like a frog's, then gathered all his strength and blew it all out.
"There we go, that's right!"
The vendor shouted, quickly shaping the sugar as Xie Ning blew, and soon a rough animal form began to take shape.
Then, with a few practiced twists of his hands, an adorable little rabbit emerged.
Seeing that this was the result of his own hard blowing, Xie Ning clapped happily. "I'm so amazing!"
For the rest of the walk, Xie Ning treasured the little rabbit, not eating it, and carefully guarding it, afraid that some passerby might accidentally bump into it and break it.
Wei Zhao thought he was just reluctant to part with it, so he comforted him, "It's fine. If you like it, we can buy another one later."
Xie Ning shook his head mysteriously.
He didn't say why, but then he spotted another pendant he liked, his eyes shining brightly at the items on the stall.
"Young master, which one do you like?"
The stall owner enthusiastically invited him to pick one up and try it.
Wei Zhao caught up a step behind, and upon hearing this, nodded as well. "If you like it, go ahead and try it."
He noticed that Xie Ning seemed to have a fondness for gold and jade ornaments, always jangling with accessories hanging all over him. With his round cheeks and fair skin, the fine jade only made him look all the more splendid.
Those cheap snacks, he could ask Wei Zhao to buy without hesitation, but the ornaments before him were clearly more expensive.
Father had taught him more than just to do his own things himself—he also taught him that if he wanted something, he had to earn the money to buy it himself.
Xie Ning had quite a lot of money in his little savings, and if you really counted it up, he was actually a little rich young master.
He took out his small pouch, pulled out a gold leaf, looked up at the stall owner, tilted his head, and asked, "Is this enough?"
Seeing the gold in his hand, the stall owner's eyes widened slightly.
Wei Zhao naturally saw it too, and immediately covered his hand, smiling at the stall owner. "How much? I'll pay."
After handing over the money and receiving the goods, he didn't forget to remind Xie Ning to put his gold leaf away properly.
Xie Ning still didn't understand. "Was what I had before not enough? I still have a lot more."
Hearing this, Wei Zhao pressed his hand to his forehead and quickly stopped him from pulling out more, explaining in a low voice, "It's too much. That gold could buy the entire stall."
Wei Zhao spoke earnestly, "There are many people here with wandering eyes. If you suddenly pull out too much money, you'll easily draw attention."
After hearing what he said, Xie Ning suddenly understood.
After a long moment, Xie Ning spoke up abruptly as he walked, "My father said the same thing once. You're a lot like my father."
Wei Zhao continued to hold his forehead. He felt that from now on, he would need to supervise Xie Ning's studies and calligraphy seriously.
Otherwise, who knew what shocking words he might utter in the future.
With a wooden expression, he corrected him, "You shouldn't say that. It's disrespectful to your elders."
"It's fine. My father is wonderful," Xie Ning said, hopping along with a little rabbit-shaped sugar figurine in his hand. "When he comes home next time, I'll tell him that you're the first good friend I've made here. He'll definitely like you too."
Sometimes, Wei Zhao felt he couldn't keep up with Xie Ning's train of thought, never knowing what he would say next.
"If Ningbao likes someone, Father will like them too; if Father likes someone, Ningbao will like them as well."
After saying this, Xie Ning suddenly began to giggle adorably to himself.
Wei Zhao: "…"
For some reason, he felt like laughing along too.
The two of them strolled and shopped all the way, until Qingyi, who was following beside them, had both hands full of purchases.
At this moment, Xie Ning and Wei Zhao were standing in front of a mask stall, picking out styles they liked.
Seeing this, Qingyi let out a slight sigh. Buy away, buy away—the young master rarely gets this happy.
Xie Ning picked up a puppy mask and put it on his own face, then picked up a fox-style mask and held it up to Wei Zhao's face.
"Does it look good?"
Through the mask, his voice came out muffled and indistinct.
Wei Zhao tilted his head, took a few seconds to react, then nodded affirmatively. In fact, throughout this whole outing, he hadn't said no to anything.
If he showed even the slightest hint of disagreement, Xie Ning would unleash his little combo of tricks, and Wei Zhao would inevitably surrender.
Even when he later saw Xie Ning's triumphant little expression, Wei Zhao could only shake his head helplessly, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his lips.
After buying those two masks, Xie Ning rolled his eyes around. It seemed he had finally remembered that he still carried an important mission on his shoulders today.
He had almost been dazzled by the pleasures of the world just now.
Through his investigations over this period of time, he had clearly learned that among the three people who had bullied Wei Zhao by the wall that day, the ringleader was Wei Zhao's cousin, Wei Jiyu.
Xie Ning drew a big circle around his name.
The other two were his friends, also well-known young masters from prestigious families in the capital.
But Xie Ning didn't care about any of that. He couldn't understand all that talk about "persimmons" and "peaches" anyway.
He had only one thought in his mind: if someone bullies his friend, he would bully them right back.
So before coming here, he had secretly eavesdropped and learned that those three would also be coming to this area today. But where exactly they were, he didn't know.
That was why he had been dragging Wei Zhao around on this aimless stroll—it wasn't because he wanted to shop.
By now, they had walked the entire street and had almost reached the end. Xie Ning was momentarily puzzled. Had he misheard, or had they changed their plans at the last minute and not come?
After agonizing for a few seconds, Xie Ning suddenly pointed at a grand restaurant up ahead and shouted, "I want to go play in there!"
His voice was so loud that passersby kept turning to look in his direction.
Xie Ning maintained his pose, showing not the slightest bit of embarrassment.
Following the direction of his finger, Wei Zhao looked over, confused but compliant. "Let's go."
Huh? He wasn't even going to ask why!
Xie Ning couldn't believe how smoothly it went. He'd even prepared an excuse, but damn it—it wasn't needed!
This tavern was called Drunken Intent Pavilion, and it was quite renowned in the capital. Its specialty wasn't the food, but rather the hot springs within the establishment, where water from the spring source was kept perpetually warm. Such luxury was typically reserved for royalty alone, and even this scaled-down version was immensely popular.
The moment they entered, a waiter greeted them with enthusiastic warmth.
"Honored guests, would you care for food and drink, or would you like to experience our signature hot springs?"
Xie Ning and Wei Zhao exchanged a glance, then Wei Zhao spoke up: "The hot springs, please. And bring us some of your best-selling pastries as well."
Xie Ning, overhearing this from the side, expressed his complete satisfaction with a series of eager nods.
Wei Zhao caught sight of his expression and assumed he was simply delighted with the place.
The two followed the waiter's lead to a private room. The hot spring was modest in size—just enough to accommodate two people or so.
Numerous folding screens were arranged in staggered patterns throughout the space. From the doorway, only a faint, shadowy figure could be glimpsed within.
The candlelight inside was dim, and the silence was so profound that even the softest footsteps could be heard with perfect clarity.
"If you need anything, honored guests, just give a call," the waiter said with a bow before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.
Xie Ning rounded the folding screens. The hot spring inside was billowing with steam, looking like a piping-hot hotpot.
At that thought, he couldn't help but lick his lips. He craved hotpot now.
The next second, he shook his head, casting aside such irrelevant musings.
Why did his mind so easily drift toward delicious food? This was absolutely not his fault—it was simply that those things were far too tasty! Mm!
Wei Zhao, standing at the inner edge, had already shed half his robes and was about to enter the water when he wondered why Xie Ning hadn't made a move yet.
Hadn't he been so excited to come here just moments ago?
He poked his head out to check the situation and spotted Xie Ning tiptoeing toward the door, clutching one of the masks he'd purchased earlier.
"?" Wei Zhao was puzzled. "Where are you off to?"
Even as he spoke, he began pulling his clothes back on.
But Xie Ning was quick to slip away, turning his head with a cheeky grin. "I… I'm just stepping out to take a piss. You go ahead and soak first."
With that, he dashed out.
Seeing that there was no time to dress, Wei Zhao could only instruct Qingyi to follow. "Stay close to him. Keep an eye on him."
At this, Qingyi gave a slight nod. With his long legs and long strides, a few large steps were all it took to catch up.
Xie Ning glanced back at him but said nothing.
The moment he'd entered earlier, he'd spotted those figures and watched them head upstairs—though he hadn't been able to make out which room they'd entered.
Xie Ning assumed a thoughtful expression, then without much hesitation, made a beeline for the staircase.
Qingyi didn't understand what was happening, but he kept his master's orders firmly in mind and hurried after him.
Once upstairs, Xie Ning walked along, eavesdropping on the sounds within each room. With so many people, they couldn't possibly be quiet, and the walls here weren't particularly soundproof.
Sure enough, before long, Xie Ning stopped in front of a door.
He let out a delighted little giggle, then put on the mask he'd prepared and pulled out the chili powder he'd readied in advance from his sleeve.
This was his Plan A. If it didn't work, he'd have to adapt on the fly and execute Plan B.
But… something seemed a little off.
Xie Ning tilted his head. What was it?
After thinking for a few seconds without recalling, he let it go.
He gently opened the door and hunched over, slowly shuffling inside. Calling it walking would be generous—it was more like inching along. Besides, the noise inside was already loud enough that this faint sound couldn't be heard at all.
Qingyi stood behind him, utterly stunned, clamping his hand tightly over his mouth while wailing inwardly: "No, no, no! So does he follow him in now, or go back to inform the young master? Help!"
Xie Ning continued like this, creeping to the edge of the screen, now only about a step away from the people inside.
He could hear their conversation crystal clear.
Just as he was fumbling out his things, ready to hurl them out in one go—
A shop assistant's voice suddenly came from the doorway. "Guest, this is the Earth-class room, reserved for distinguished patrons. You may not linger here."
Qingyi opened his mouth, his gaze darting back and forth in hesitation. "Al… alright."
The shop assistant gave a slight smile, stepped one pace inside the doorway, and called out toward the room: "Guest, is there anything you need?"
"…"
That sudden commotion thoroughly startled the people inside.
In an instant, low curses and the sound of trickling water came from within.
Xie Ning's position happened to be in a blind spot—between two screens, invisible from both inside and out. However, if they stepped out, they would definitely notice him.
Xie Ning carefully backed up, trying to move toward the wall.
But unfortunately, he didn't know there was a low stool behind him, and he bumped straight into it, the stool scraping against the floor with a harsh screech.
"Who's there?!"
Xie Ning recognized that voice—it was the leader from last time, Wei Jiyu. There were others inside too, but Xie Ning wasn't familiar with them.
The two locked eyes.
Wei Jiyu frowned, sizing up this intruder who was even wearing a mask, all covered up—clearly not a good person at first glance. His brow furrowed even deeper. "Who the hell are you?!"
He strode forward quickly, reaching out to tear off Xie Ning's mask and get a look.
But Xie Ning reacted faster than him—he stuck his rear out, swiftly scrambled to his feet, then turned and bolted for the exit, slipping away from the other's grasp like a loach.
Everything would have been perfect.
If Qingyi hadn't been standing at the door, and hadn't been recognized.
Wei Jiyu was furious, chasing to the doorway, only to find a familiar face. Of course he knew Qingyi.
Recalling this, he suddenly found Xie Ning's figure somewhat familiar. "You… you're that guy from the other day!"
"Fine, fine—I hadn't even gone looking for you, and you deliver yourself right to my door." Wei Jiyu let out a cold snort, his expression turning somewhat sinister.
He had grown up spoiled by his family, surrounded by sycophantic friends who only flattered him—never once had he been toyed with like this, and twice at that.
Wei Jiyu's teeth itched with anger, silently resolving to teach this little brat a harsh lesson today to vent his frustration.
"Men!" Wei Jiyu curled a smile at the corner of his mouth, raising a finger to point at Xie Ning. "Seize him."
By now, Qingyi had already been bound by the other side's men, unable to move. Seeing that Xie Ning was about to be tied up too, his heart was frantic. "Young master, run!"
Xie Ning was only a few steps away from them. He glanced back slightly—even if he ran, he certainly wouldn't outrun them.
So he decisively scattered all the chili powder that hadn't been put to use earlier.
"Ah—my eyes, what is this?!"
The men who had been lunging at him immediately clutched their eyes in pain, spinning in place like headless flies.
Seeing this, Wei Jiyu coldly spat out a few words, "A bunch of useless trash."
He had no intention of bothering with them—only the irritation of having his plans ruined.
His gaze swept across the room. He had come out this time purely for entertainment and had only brought a few attendants, but there was no way he would let Xie Ning slip through his fingers again.
"You, you, and you—get him!"
The people he pointed at were the shop's waiters. Upon hearing this, they exchanged uneasy glances, not wanting to get involved in such a matter and end up with a heap of trouble.
Wei Jiyu saw their reluctance and let out a cold laugh, his tone laced with threat. "I'm a distinguished guest of your shop. Don't listen to me, and see if I don't have this place shut down by tomorrow."
Xie Ning, standing nearby, heard this and puffed out his cheeks, scoffing disdainfully. "Anyone can borrow a tiger's might by wearing a fox's skin!"
At that, everyone's attention shifted to him.
Xie Ning rubbed his nose and gave a light cough. "My father is…"
The words had barely left his mouth when he paused slightly, realizing something was wrong—he had been too quick to speak and had forgotten he hadn't found his father yet.
"Hahahahahaha…" Wei Jiyu pointed at his nose and mocked, "Can't make up a story anymore, can you!"
Xie Ning held his breath.
Xie Ning couldn't take it anymore. "My father is Shen Wang, you know. You should all have heard of him."
A godfather is still a father—so what!
Earlier, when he was bored at the residence, he had pestered to go find his godfather at his workplace to play, but Butler Liu had come to persuade him, saying that his godfather was very busy every day and that many people sought him out. That surely meant he was a very high-ranking official.
Some people nearby heard this and shared the gossip they had picked up recently.
"I think I've heard something—Lord Shen does seem to have recently gained an illegitimate son, kept in the residence and doted on like a treasure."
"Right, right. My neighbor's cousin's sister's father-in-law apparently served as a tutor to that illegitimate son and has even seen him."
"…"
Hearing this, Wei Jiyu's expression shifted again and again, before he finally forced himself to calm down and compose himself.
"You won't even take off your mask—who knows who you really are, or whether you're just spouting lies?" Wei Jiyu sneered.
Hearing his words, Xie Ning was not provoked in the slightest, nor did he show any intention of proving himself. He simply turned to leave.
Wei Jiyu stamped his foot in a rage. "He's definitely lying! Grab him now!"
The shop waiters exchanged glances once more. On one side was a generous regular customer who had visited many times; on the other, a child who hadn't even shown his face.
After hesitating for a moment, they complied and stepped forward to help seize Xie Ning.
But a second before they could touch him, Wei Zhao arrived just in time, pulling Xie Ning to his side in one swift motion.
His clothes hadn't even been properly straightened—creased and disheveled, clearly showing he had rushed over. At this moment, his eyes held only the relief of having caught his breath.
Wei Zhao stepped forward, shielding Xie Ning behind him. "If you have any problem, take it up with me."
The moment he appeared, Wei Jiyu's expression twisted slightly. "And who do we have here… you? You think you're worthy?"
"I see you two love spending time together so much—could it be that neither of you has parents? Hahahaha… Well, that makes you quite the match."
Wei Jiyu's smile carried not only mockery but also a hint of contempt.
On ordinary days, Wei Jiyu often said such things, and Wei Zhao had grown numb to them—letting them go in one ear and out the other, never taking them to heart.
But at this moment, Xie Ning, standing behind him, heard those words, and beneath his mask, his small face had already turned completely expressionless.
That remark had struck his most sensitive nerve.
He could be cursed at in any way, but no one was ever allowed to speak ill of his father.
Even with Wei Zhao blocking his way, it wasn't enough to stop Xie Ning's movements.
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?" Wei Jiyu instinctively took a step back. "If anything happens to me, my family won't let you get away with it."
Xie Ning: "Oh."
Wei Jiyu: "…"
Step by step, he was forced backward, thinking to himself that this person was simply too overbearing. If only he hadn't brought so few men today, otherwise…
The next moment, he backed all the way to the wall, his back pressed flat against it. He watched Xie Ning's movements without blinking, afraid that he might pull the same trick again and make him suffer like those others.
But Xie Ning just stared at him for a long while, then suddenly pivoted on his heel, dashed into the private room, and ran back out clutching something unknown in his arms.
Wei Jiyu's eyes went wide.
By the time he realized what it was, he knew he'd been tricked again!
Xie Ning had never intended to clash head-on with him from the start—he'd only been diverting his attention to make it easier to carry out his next move.
Too cunning! Too vicious!
What Xie Ning had taken was all of his clothes!
"What are you all standing there gaping for?! Go after him! If you don't catch him, by the time we get back to the manor, I'll make your lives hell!" Wei Jiyu shouted furiously.
The servants who were still covering their eyes heard this and seemed to be struck by something even more terrifying and dreadful.
Even though they were already feeling unwell, their vision blurry, they held their breath and staggered after him.
Xie Ning ran while grabbing whatever he could get his hands on and hurling it behind him, trying to create obstacles for those chasing him.
In an instant, the shop attendants who had been minding their own business began to wail as well.
"Have mercy!"
"Not that one! That's expensive!!"
Wei Zhao was caught in a dilemma. He could only go to the nearest attendant first and try to soothe the one who was on the verge of a breakdown. "We'll pay for it! We'll pay!"
The attendant gave a bitter smile. "But I still have to clean it up."
"We'll clean it! We'll clean it!" Wei Zhao quickly responded, wiping at the nonexistent cold sweat on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Wei Jiyu wasn't just standing around either. He leaned over the railing, watching the movements of those below, and gave a live commentary: "He's going left! Right, right!"
"He's hiding behind that door up ahead! He's out!"
Xie Ning, relying on his daily experience, was giving the pursuers quite a run for their money.
Seeing this, Wei Jiyu stamped his feet in fury. "A bunch of idiots! Do I feed you for nothing?! You can't even catch a little brat!"
He had draped a loose outer robe over himself, casually wrapped around his body, but underneath it, there was nothing at all.
He never expected Xie Ning to come up with such a vicious trick. A cold, ruthless glint surfaced in Wei Jiyu's eyes.
"It seems I'll have to handle this myself."
By now, the scene below had descended into chaos. Unaware guests, thinking something terrible had happened, screamed and rushed toward the main hall, while those who had been watching from nearby were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
On the first floor, Xie Ning had no place left to hide, so he ran up to the second floor, then swiftly dashed to the third.
Even the men chasing behind him were muttering inwardly—this damn kid has way too much stamina. He'd been running for ages, and he still wasn't tired?
Wei Jiyu, standing on the second floor, curled the corner of his mouth. This time, you won't get away.
Thinking this, he gave chase.
Thanks to his advantage in position, he was now closest to Xie Ning. He reached out his hand—just a little more, and he could grab him—
But the next second, Xie Ning neatly and decisively tossed away the clothes he'd been clutching the whole way, not forgetting to stick out his tongue in provocation. "Here, take them back!"
And because he was so close, Wei Jiyu had nowhere to dodge. His own clothes covered his head, blocking his vision.
The servants who had been chasing behind him hadn't expected Wei Jiyu to stop so suddenly.
So, like dominoes, one tripped over another, and the last one, unable to avoid it, stepped right on the hem of Wei Jiyu's robes.
Before anyone could react, Wei Jiyu lunged forward—but his clothes stayed right where they were.
At that moment, the only thing covering him was a messy pile of clothes over his head. His body was completely exposed, his pale white rear in full view.
"AHHHHHHHHH—"
The next second, nearly everyone in the restaurant heard that scream.
Xie Ning turned his head at the sound. He slowed his pace, walking while looking back, then couldn't help but burst out with a "pfft" laugh.
"Hehehehehehe~"
"Serves you right for cursing my daddy and bullying people!" Xie Ning said, tilting his head.
Then the next second, he ran smack into someone. The mask that had already been loosened from all the running fell off completely.
"Ow—" Xie Ning rubbed his sore head in pain, then looked up along his line of sight.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Xie Ning's eyes went wide, and he forgot to move, even forgot to blink.
A figure in moon-white robes, simple to the extreme, but the ornaments at his waist proclaimed great nobility. His features were stunningly beautiful, his expression utterly cold, his gaze indifferent.
This uncle in front of him is so pretty—he's definitely the second most handsome person in the world.
The first was, of course, his daddy. No arguments accepted.
Xie Ning stared for a good while before snapping out of it. He flashed a shy smile and was about to greet him.
Then the man lowered his lashes, gave him a cold look, and spat out even more merciless words. "So Shen Wang has a son who causes this much trouble?"
Though it was phrased as a question, there was not a trace of questioning in his tone—rather, it carried the weight of an approaching storm.
The smile on Xie Ning's face froze, gradually shifting into a wary gaze.
He took back his earlier praise—this guy was clearly the second most annoying person in the world! The first was still lying face-down downstairs.
Xie Ning didn't want to hear this person speak anymore. He turned to leave, only to find the back of his collar hooked by a single finger.
Xie Ning's elbows started flailing as he desperately tried to run, only to end up being lifted by one hand like a little chick.
"…AHHHH, damn it!" Xie Ning was going crazy inside.
Seeing that he couldn't struggle free, Xie Ning sniffled and loudly protested, "I hate you!"
Xiao Teng: "Oh."
Just like that?
He really was just a child, so immature. Who would care about his liking someone?
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's your name?"
Xie Ning was still fuming. Hearing this, he let out a huff of air through his nose. "Only the person I like is worthy of knowing my name!"
Xiao Teng: "…Hah."
…
"Take a look for yourself. All of this trouble down there was caused by you."
Xiao Teng pulled Xie Ning over and made him look down from the railing.
Xie Ning's eyelashes trembled. He took a serious look at the scene below—a mess of debris, all sorts of things he had casually thrown on the ground earlier. People had already started cleaning up.
On top of that, a crowd of onlookers had gathered at the entrance again. The originally lively tavern now had even more people, yet carried a hint of desolation. There was no way business could continue today.
A whole day's earnings, wasted for nothing.
Gradually, he realized that all of it seemed to be because of him. Xie Ning lowered his head, and a sense of guilt welled up inside him.
Seeing that the effect had been achieved, Xiao Teng continued, "Go apologize to that person."
With that, he tilted his chin.
Xie Ning followed his gaze and saw that he was referring to Wei Jiyu. In an instant, all the feelings from before vanished into thin air. He shouted, "I! DON'T! WANT TO!"
Almost at the same time, his tears spilled out—big, bean-sized droplets falling one after another, completely unstoppable.
For some reason, the more Xie Ning thought about it, the sadder he became. He cried and sniffled, his voice so choked that he couldn't speak at all.
At this point, he couldn't care less about anything else. He crouched down right where he was, burying his head into his knees. His tears quickly soaked through his clothes.
On normal days, almost every emotion showed on his face, and when he cried, he wanted the whole world to see. But this time, he made no sound at all—only a faint, barely audible sob escaped.
Wei Zhao came up at that moment. Seeing Xie Ning crying, he panicked and crouched down beside him, coaxing in a low voice, "What's wrong? Don't cry, don't cry."
But it had no effect.
Wei Zhao then produced a piece of candy from who knows where—one of his favorites—and said in a deliberately casual tone, "Oh my, I wonder who dropped a piece of candy here. Seems like it just happens to be your favorite flavor."
"…" Still no reaction.
Wei Zhao felt that this time seemed a bit different. He looked up at the only other person standing beside Xie Ning.
His perception was far better than Xie Ning's, and although he didn't know who the man was, he could tell that this person was wealthy and powerful—not someone they could afford to offend.
"Did you… say something just now?" Wei Zhao ventured cautiously.
Xiao Teng didn't reply. He glanced at Xie Ning, who was still crying, and let out a soft "tsk" in his heart.
Not only did he love causing trouble, but he also loved crying.
His face remained taut. He had no intention of condescending to explain or comfort anyone. He made a hand gesture.
Suddenly, a figure in black silently knelt on one knee.
"Go and summon Shen Wang here," Xiao Teng ordered with a stern face.
As if—whose child was it, whose responsibility to soothe them? Did he look like someone who would do that?
The figure in black only replied with a "Yes" before vanishing without a sound the next second.
Wei Zhao was stunned by the scene. Lord Shen was already one of the highest-ranking officials in the capital, and the number of people who could casually order him around was few indeed. A bold guess suddenly formed in his mind, but he dared not voice it.
He glanced sideways at Xie Ning, his feelings complicated.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Lord Shen will be here soon," Wei Zhao murmured softly, gently patting his back.
It took a while before Xie Ning gradually stopped sobbing and lifted his head. His eyes were rimmed with red, and his cheeks, having been covered for so long, were flushed with a rosy hue, still bearing traces of unshed tears.
Xie Ning sniffled but said nothing. In truth, he couldn't speak at all at this moment—his throat ached terribly.
He reached out his hand, signaling Wei Zhao with his eyes.
Wei Zhao tentatively placed the candy in his palm, and Xie Ning took it, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
Eating something sweet makes your mood sweet too.
But Xie Ning didn't move an inch—he didn't want to turn his head and catch sight of that annoying fellow.
He rolled the candy around his mouth with the tip of his tongue, letting the sweetness fill every corner, and his mood did seem to improve just a little.
Xie Ning thought, if he came to comfort him right now, he might just forgive him.
He secretly turned his head to glance over there.
But he found that Xiao Teng had already left his spot and was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, resting, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all.
Xie Ning: "…Hmph!"
What he got first wasn't the comfort he'd imagined, but Shen Wang's figure, charging in with great urgency, his gaze locking onto him the moment he entered.
"Didn't I tell you to stay home these past few days?" Shen Wang's face was full of helplessness.
Having come up from below, he could easily guess whose handiwork this likely was.
On ordinary days it would be fine—just spend some money to smooth things over—but today, of all days, His Majesty had to show up too, and the two of them had run into each other. Just perfect.
"Are you hurt?" Shen Wang pulled him close, checking him over.
Xie Ning obediently let himself be examined, shaking his head.
At this moment, he was feeling guilty from the scolding, so he'd do just about anything he was told. He even expected his godfather to keep asking what had happened, or whether he'd blame him for causing too much trouble.
Shen Wang only let out a soft sigh.
If he knew what Xie Ning was thinking, he'd probably just lightly scold him—wasn't it obvious at a glance that this was just a bit of roughhousing?
So he asked instead, "Did you win?"
Hearing this, Xie Ning's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, his expression practically begging for praise.
Shen Wang gently pinched his nose, a hint of confusion in his voice. "If you won, why are you crying?"
At those words, Xie Ning turned to look at the culprit who had made him cry, staring quietly without a word.
Shen Wang followed his gaze and fell silent.
…He should have just not asked.
Xiao Teng, who had caught every word of their conversation, felt a faint understanding pass through his mind, along with a trace of disapproval he didn't even realize he harbored.
No wonder he acted so spoiled and reckless, like a little demon who feared nothing under heaven or earth—so there was someone backing him up.
Such indulgence. What nonsense.
With that thought, Xiao Teng ended his feigned rest and opened his eyes, looking at the two of them.
Shen Wang rose to his feet and gave a bow.
Since there were others nearby, he guessed His Majesty wouldn't want to reveal his identity, so he didn't speak.
The silent exchange between Xiao Teng and Shen Wang went completely unnoticed by Xie Ning.
The moment he saw Xiao Teng, he couldn't help making a face—crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. "Nyah nyah nyah~"
And the instant Xiao Teng looked his way, he'd immediately duck behind Shen Wang, burying his whole face in Shen Wang's robes.
Xiao Teng: "…"
Childish.
Even if he didn't dodge, with his senses reaching in all directions, he could see everything clearly.
But it was precisely this dodging motion that made him feel a sudden pang of nostalgia, a long-missed sense of familiarity washing over him.
Xiao Teng gently stroked the half of a green fish-shaped jade pendant at his waist with one hand, lost in thought.