“Yеs! Grаndfather is bаck!” Grandfаthеr wаs оvеrjоyеd.
Hе still remembered the sсene just mоments аgо—surroundеd by dаrkness, а horde of shadowу little demоns scrеeched and dragged him, unsure where theу were tаking him.
At thаt moment, Хiао Ling Bао, glоwing with goldеn light, suddenly арреared beside him, huggеd his leg, and stеrnlу rеprimаnded the little dеmons with а sоlеmn еxрression.
Тhe littlе demons shriеked under Хiаo Ling Bао’s gоldеn radiance, sсrаmbling away in panic.
Тhе golden light alsо shоne оntо Grandfаther’s сhеst, making him fеel an itch there, and he couldn’t help but cough.
With that cough, light returned before his eyes, and he was back in the human world.
“Dad, what exactly happened…” Fourth Brother stared in disbelief at the monitoring equipment, where all the numbers had returned completely to normal.
“Grandfather can’t say!” Xiao Ling Bao raised her little hand and covered Grandfather’s mouth.
Grandfather laughed: “Hahaha, alright, alright, Grandfather won’t say anything, Grandfather won’t say a word.”
Having navigated the world all his life, Grandfather had seen all kinds of major and minor events and knew what could be spoken of and what could not.
But in his heart, he already had an inkling that this Xiao Ling Bao of theirs might have an extraordinary origin.
“Come on,” he said, holding Xiao Ling Bao with a dignified demeanor, “tell me exactly what happened.”
Grandfather’s condition had at least returned to what it was ten years ago.
There was no sign at all that he had just walked through the gates of death.
Ling Xuanyan nodded and directly recounted the earlier situation at the Wang family.
“Yanyan, without any surprises, was raised by the Wang family under the name of their youngest daughter. At some point, perhaps to avoid something, she was sent abroad for a few years. Over three years ago, when Yanyan was giving birth in the hospital… she suffered a massive hemorrhage…”
Ling Xuanyan hesitated about whether to tell the whole truth.
“Continue,” Grandfather’s voice carried authority and robust energy.
Fifth Brother, looking at the current examination results, nodded to Ling Xuanyan.
Ling Xuanyan took a deep breath: “Yanyan had a difficult labor with massive hemorrhage and urgently needed a blood transfusion. But the Wang family all gathered around their eldest daughter, who was also giving birth… The hospital said that at the time, there happened to be no blood in the blood bank matching Yanyan’s blood type. When they asked the Wang family, they all refused, saying they couldn’t donate blood, so…”
Grandfather’s heart rate and blood pressure visibly rose.
The Wang family had watched her die coldly because they were afraid of exposing that their blood types didn’t match Ling Yiyan’s…
They were all murderers of Ling Yiyan!
“Dad, don’t be too sad,” Fifth Brother said softly. “At least Yanyan left us Xiao Ling Bao.”
Grandfather took a deep breath.
“You’re right, I won’t be too sad, because Yanyan left Xiao Ling Bao for our Ling family. This is Yanyan’s greatest repayment to the Ling family that gave her life.”
Grandfather meaningfully scanned his sons present, his words carrying deeper implications,
“You all bear the surname Ling. Live up to this debt of gratitude. Don’t be like the Wang family, who squandered a treasure. From now on, Xiao Ling Bao’s words carry the most weight in this family. Even more than mine, this old man. Do you understand?”
The Wang family had also raised Yanyan. Regardless of their intentions or how they raised her, it still counted as a debt of upbringing. That’s why Xiao Ling Bao originally belonged to the Wang family.
But the Wang family themselves were blind, treating a true treasure as mud while mistaking a fish eye for a pearl.
Now, after enduring so much hardship, Xiao Ling Bao had finally returned to the Ling family. They absolutely must not repeat the Wang family’s mistakes and must cherish this precious opportunity bestowed by heaven.
“Understood, Dad.” Before the other sons could fully grasp the meaning of Grandfather’s words, Second Brother responded casually.
Right, Xiao Ling Bao’s words were the most important. From now on, even if she called him “Uncle Fool,” he wouldn’t resist.
At most, he could discuss with her not to call him that in public.
Grandfather looked at his muddle-headed second son and sighed.
No, Second Brother didn’t understand.
Well…
The Ling family would come to understand Xiao Ling Bao’s uniqueness one day.
“Uncle Sanhuo,” Xiao Ling Bao tugged at Ling Xuanyan’s sleeve, “didn’t you say after seeing Grandfather, we would go thank Little Brother?”
Grandfather was already better now, so Little Brother’s situation felt urgent.
Ling Xuanyan explained to Grandfather about the little boy next door to the Wang family who had called and saved Ling Bао. Grandfather nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, we should. Our whole family should go thank him.”
“Hurry, hurry!” Xiao Ling Bao was very anxious.
The family set off grandly once again toward the Wang family’s direction.
Only this time, there were more people, and everyone was present.
The place where the Wang family lived was actually only two blocks away from the Ling family. Next door was also a luxurious garden villa.
However, when the Ling family arrived, they found the villa’s main gate tightly shut. Knocking went unanswered, and the inside was completely empty.
“What’s going on?” Ling Xuanyan immediately had his assistant investigate.
“Little Brother is gone…” Xiao Ling Bao’s little face fell, her mood low.
“Did Little Brother tell you where he was going?” The Ling family instinctively thought Xiao Ling Bao was very familiar with the boy.
Xiao Ling Bao shook her head, growing even sadder, “He didn’t say. Little Brother doesn’t like to talk.”
They weren’t really acquainted, having only seen each other a few times through the garden fence.
“It’s okay, Uncle will find out for you.” Ling Xuanyan didn’t take it too seriously.
In the capital, finding someone, especially a child from a wealthy family, shouldn’t be difficult, right?
Even if he couldn’t find out, wasn’t there Eighth Brother, the international police officer?
Xiao Ling Bao was still in low spirits, pouting alone and whispering, “You won’t find him.”
No one heard except Grandfather, who was nearby.
Grandfather sighed, lovingly patted Xiao Ling Bao’s head, and glanced at Eldest Brother and Eighth Brother, who were already instructing their subordinates… Well, let them busy themselves in vain.
“Don’t be sad, Ling Bао.” Grandfather comforted Xiao Ling Bao, “Grandpa will pick a good kindergarten for you. When we go to kindergarten, you can meet lots and lots of good friends.”
Xiao Ling Bao nodded and made a request, “Can Ling Bао go to Dehe?”
Dehe was a famous aristocratic kindergarten in the capital, where many children of political figures and wealthy families studied.
Even if Xiao Ling Bao hadn’t mentioned it, it would certainly have been on the Ling family’s list of options.
“Yes!” Grandfather made the final decision without asking Xiao Ling Bao how she knew about Dehe or why she wanted to go there.
…
Back at the Ling family home.
The whole family excitedly showed Xiao Ling Bao around her new home.
Xiao Ling Bao, like a typical three-year-old, seemed to quickly forget her earlier disappointment and became happy again.
“Are all these… all these for Ling Bао?” She looked at the luxurious bedroom before her, feeling a bit nervous and uneasy.
It was too big, too beautiful… even a hundred times prettier than Sister Zhenzhu’s room.
The soft plush carpet, light pink wallpaper, large pumpkin carriage princess bed, heavy luxurious curtains, and countless toys and dolls piled in the corner.
Even the walk-in closet nearby was several times larger than Xiao Ling Bao’s room in the Wang family, filled with sparkling dresses and skirts.
“Are these… really all Ling Bао’s?” Xiao Ling Bao grew increasingly uneasy.