At this moment, Xie Ning was naturally not at Shen Wang's residence.
Although Lang Xuan had volunteered to say he could look after the child, he himself was a young master who had never lifted a finger to do any work in his life.
He took Xie Ning out for a meal, and afterwards felt completely drained, only then realizing how exhausting it was to take care of a child.
But since he had already made the claim, he couldn't just send Xie Ning back like that.
If he couldn't do it himself, he could always find someone to help, right?
So, Lang Xuan brought Xie Ning to a place he frequented—the Spring Breeze Pavilion.
Just from the name, one could tell what kind of place it was. However, Lang Xuan wouldn't dare bring Xie Ning to any establishment of ill repute. The women in this establishment were all performers, so wouldn't they be perfect for entertaining a child?
Lang Xuan then half-reclined on a couch nearby, leisurely gazing at the scenery outside the window, occasionally glancing over at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning was currently surrounded by three young women, seated in the middle of them, with a table full of various foods set before him.
"Try this peony flower pastry—it's crispy and flaky, sweet without being cloying."
"That one will make you thirsty if you eat too much. Better have some of this plum drink to quench your thirst."
"No, no, no, young master should try this ice cream—it melts the moment it touches your tongue, so refreshing."
The three women seated around Xie Ning were all eagerly recommending the food in their hands. Although he wanted to try everything, but…
Xie Ning patted his round, chubby belly, so full that he couldn't help but let out a burp.
This made all three women burst into laughter.
Xie Ning showed a slightly embarrassed smile, his mouth still stuffed with food, and mumbled indistinctly: "Sister Fu Yu, Sister San Qiu, Sister Lan Zhi, I can't eat anymore."
After saying this, he looked at them with a pitiful expression.
It had only been an hour or two, yet Xie Ning had already memorized all their names, even addressing each of them by name in his refusal.
Moreover, throughout that time, he had been staring at them with his big round eyes and complimenting them: "Sisters, you're so pretty!"
Hearing these sweet words, the women couldn't help but feel shy, covering their mouths with handkerchiefs and giggling softly.
Having seen plenty of smooth talkers in their daily lives, they knew Xie Ning was just a child—and how could a child's words be false?
Fu Yu smiled as she placed the food in her hand back on the table, then pinched Xie Ning's cheek. "Alright then, no more eating. How about we play a game now?"
"That's right, that's right. Young master, what would you like to play?" San Qiu chimed in from the side.
At that moment, Lang Xuan, who had been lying motionless nearby, seemed to notice the commotion from their side. He sat up and reached out, saying: "Don't give him anything cold. If he gets sick from it, I'll probably get an earful of dirty looks."
"He hasn't," Fu Yu said, looking over at the sound of his voice and explaining: "The young master said he's already full."
Lang Xuan glanced at the sky.
After a moment, he stood up and said: "It's getting late. Let's call it a day here."
Hearing this, Fu Yu looked a little disappointed. "If you bring the young master again next time, do come by often."
Lang Xuan teased: "So I can't come by myself then?"
The three women all laughed at his words.
Xie Ning knew it was time to go home. He hopped down from his chair and waved goodbye. "Bye-bye, all you beautiful sisters! Next time I'll come play with you again."
"Goodbye, young master."
After saying this, Lang Xuan took Xie Ning's hand and led him back to Shen Wang's residence.
Although he hadn't done much that day, for some reason he still felt exhausted, and was already thinking about having someone massage his shoulders once they returned.
He'd have to make a big show of how hard he'd worked today in front of Shen Wang.
The moment they entered, they discovered an unexpected guest in the residence.
Then, the next second, Xie Ning broke free from his grip and dashed over, "Uncle Qingyuan!"
"Ningbao," the moment Wen Qingyuan saw him, he immediately stepped forward and spun him around to check him over, his face full of worry, "Are you alright?"
Xie Ning obediently let himself be examined, shaking his head in response, "I'm fine! I was really capable—I found Father all by myself!"
Hearing this, Wen Qingyuan looked at him with delight, "Our Ningbao really is capable."
Xie Ning basked happily in the praise.
Then Wen Qingyuan looked up at the person who had returned with Xie Ning, guessing tentatively, "Then this lord here—might you be Lord Pei Huaiyi?"
Xie Qingci had told him before that his best friend in the capital was this Lord Pei.
As long as he entrusted Xie Ning into Lord Pei's hands, he could return to Jizhou with peace of mind.
Lang Xuan raised an eyebrow, a question forming in his mind—how did this get tied to Pei Huaiyi?
Could Xie Ning actually be Pei Huaiyi's illegitimate son? As if he had stumbled upon some shocking secret, his expression was one of barely concealed astonishment, and he couldn't help but be stunned by his own speculation.
"Xie Ning is Pei Huaiyi's child?" Lang Xuan nearly dropped his jaw.
Hearing this, Wen Qingyuan asked in shock, "You're not Lord Pei?"
"I'm not."
After saying this, the two stared at each other for a few seconds, then simultaneously turned to look at Xin Yi, who was standing off to the side.
Lang Xuan raised his eyebrows frantically, his expression urgently asking where Shen Wang was.
Meanwhile, Wen Qingyuan looked utterly bewildered, unable to make sense of the situation.
He had thought that Xie Ning had heard his words, gone to find Lord Pei, and then successfully located his biological father on his own—but judging by what was before him, that didn't seem to be the case.
Xin Yi clasped his hands in salute, "The master is still handling official matters. He should return shortly."
At this point, Wen Qingyuan clung to a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps Xie Ning's father had stumbled upon recognizing him by chance—even without Lord Pei, the father and son had still managed to find each other.
…
Half an hour later, Shen Wang returned to the residence.
By now, Xie Ning was sitting in a chair, his head lolling to one side, overcome with drowsiness.
The moment he entered, everyone stood up. Xie Ning also sensed the commotion and forced his eyes open just a crack, calling out in a low voice, "Father."
Xie Ning raised a hand to rub his eyes, trying to wake himself up.
Shen Wang glanced at him, then said to Butler Liu, "Carry him back to his room first. Let him sleep."
As he drew closer, he keenly caught a faint trace of alcohol on Xie Ning. He instinctively furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze sharp as he shot a glance at Lang Xuan.
Lang Xuan realized it the instant their eyes met, immediately averting his gaze elsewhere, too guilty to look at him.
Shen Wang: "…"
He inwardly regretted having trusted Lang Xuan's nonsense again.
But looking at Xie Ning before him, whose eyelids were practically glued shut, he couldn't very well lose his temper at this moment. He forcibly suppressed the anger rising in his chest.
Upon hearing his words, Butler Liu nodded and asked softly, "The side room has already been cleaned and prepared today. Shall the young master sleep there?"
Shen Wang's brow furrowed slightly. Though it had been cleaned, no one had stayed overnight at the residence in a long time, so it was bound to be uncomfortable to sleep in.
He let out a sigh and said, "He'll sleep in my quarters. I'll take the side room."
His thought was that he could sleep anywhere, but the child was delicately raised—if he fell ill because of poor accommodations, in the end it would still be him who had to deal with the trouble.
Hearing his words, Butler Liu revealed a knowing smile.
Then, beaming, he scooped up the drowsy Xie Ning and soothed him gently, "Young master, shall we go rest first?"
Xie Ning naturally had no objection to this—it was already well past his usual bedtime, and his eyelids were practically glued together.
Once they left, only the three of them remained in the main hall.
Wen Qingyuan studied Shen Wang for a good while, his expression cold and stern, looking very much like someone not to be trifled with. Though he and Xie Ning bore no resemblance to each other, the fact that a man could give birth was already shocking enough—he felt that any other oddity could be explained away.
Besides, just now he had seen how tender Shen Wang was with Xie Ning; the man clearly had a loving heart for his child.
"Are you Ningbao's biological father?" Wen Qingyuan asked with some uncertainty.
Unexpectedly, Shen Wang also shook his head. "No."
He then explained that Xie Ning had suddenly hugged him on the street and called him father. He had asked Wen Qingyuan to come precisely because he wanted to find out who Xie Ning's real father was, so the child could be sent to him.
So it turned out that Xie Ning, in his silliness, had mistaken someone else for his father.
Wen Qingyuan was left speechless. "Actually, I don't know either."
"When Qingci entrusted Ningbao to me back then, he only said to bring him to the capital and hand him over to Lord Pei Huaiyi. He never stated who Ningbao's biological father was," Wen Qingyuan explained.
The few of them exchanged blank looks for a while.
Shen Wang confirmed once more, "Pei Huaiyi? The current Minister of Rites?"
Wen Qingyuan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Ah, right—Qingci also gave me a token, saying that once Lord Pei saw it, everything would become clear."
"Where's the token?" Lang Xuan leaned in and asked.
Wen Qingyuan pulled a white jade chess piece from his sleeve and handed it to them.
Lang Xuan took it and examined it carefully. "The material of this piece is indeed fine—made of top-grade agate. But it's hardly unique; plenty of people in the capital use this kind."
No matter how he looked at it, it was just a chess piece.
Shen Wang glanced at it and continued, "Did he leave any message?"
Wen Qingyuan thought for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Qingci left in a hurry. There was no time."
The words carried an ambiguous implication, and Shen Wang and Lang Xuan nearly confirmed what they had already suspected—Xie Ning's mother must have already passed away, which was why he had no choice but to travel thousands of miles to the capital to seek out his kin.
Now, with even his biological father unknown, Xie Ning was truly a pitiful child.
Lang Xuan sighed at the thought.
Truth be told, after a day spent together, he had grown quite fond of the child—he was utterly endearing.
One could say that almost everyone who met him couldn't help but like him.
"It's getting late today. Rest here for the night, and tomorrow I'll send someone to find Pei Huaiyi," Shen Wang arranged.
Shen Wang, for his part, found it acceptable—having a lead was a good thing, far better than losing contact entirely.
For now, there was nothing to do but proceed as such. Wen Qingyuan nodded in agreement.
A flicker of doubt passed through his mind. This lord's residence clearly belonged to someone of power and influence. He had no connection to Ningbao, and yet he was helping them with such wholehearted dedication.
Wen Qingyuan's thoughts churned for a long while before he finally settled on a conclusion.
This lord is truly a good man—he must be a good official.
A moment later, a maidservant approached him with lowered eyes and extended her right hand, guiding him toward the guest quarters.
…
Shen Wang returned to his own room first. The bed was now occupied by Xie Ning.
He walked to the bedside and looked at Xie Ning's serene face, his thoughts unreadable.
Xie Ning let out a few muffled, sleepy sounds, his voice thick and clingy, without even opening his eyes as he spoke: "Father, you're back. I saved you half the blanket."
With that, he wiggled his bottom, signaling for Shen Wang to come sleep in the bed too.
Hearing this, Shen Wang was silent for a moment. He quietly straightened the bedding, and only after a long while did he let out a soft acknowledgment.
But the only response he received was Xie Ning's faint snoring.