Chapter 428: Can Deep Affection Be Feigned?

Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Can Deep Affection Be Feigned?

The mere thought of meeting Princess Shu gave Shen Ningning a headache.

She looked back at her brothers, as if pleading for help.

But unexpectedly, Mo Lingwei, wanting to keep them from interfering, had already sent courtiers to surround her father and brothers, picking them off one by one.

By tying them up, he ensured they couldn’t come and drag Shen Ningning away.

Mo Lingwei noticed her subtle movements.

"What is it? You don’t want to see her?"

"No, it’s not that..." Shen Ningning’s watery, dark eyes filled with embarrassment.

’How can I tell him I personally saw King Shu holding Princess Consort Qi?’

Not wanting to upset Mo Lingwei, Shen Ningning braced herself and followed him into a warm resting room in the Hall of Honored Years.

There, she saw the legendary Princess Shu, who was said to be so adored by King Shu that he lavished all the resources of Shu State upon her.

She was indeed gentle and beautiful.

Nearing forty, Princess Shu wore a lotus-colored dress with a dark green silk shawl. Her hair ornaments and earrings were all made of expensive sapphires.

Her smile was so warm it was as if she were sitting in a soft halo of light.

"You must be Ningning. Ling Wei often mentions you in his letters to the Prince. Come, sit by my side and let me have a good look at you."

Shen Ningning sat down beside her and greeted her with poise, "Greetings, Princess Consort."

For some reason, as Shen Ningning drew closer, she caught the faint scent of medicinal herbs on Princess Shu.

Princess Shu took Shen Ningning’s hand and spoke to her at length, her words gentle and thoughtful.

Whenever she mentioned King Shu, the sweetness that filled her eyes didn’t seem fake.

’She must be a very happy woman.’

Just then, a maid entered with a bowl of medicine. "Princess Consort, it’s time for your midday medicine."

Princess Shu was a little displeased. "What is the meaning of this? I’m with a guest. Take the medicine away."

The maid looked troubled. "But the doctor said you must take this medicine three times a day, on time, or it won’t have any effect."

Mo Lingwei knitted his brows. "Aunt, are you taking fertility medicine again?"

Seeing she couldn’t hide it from him, Princess Shu could only nod.

"Though I am getting older, I still want to give the Prince a child of my own. Zhirou is wonderful, but she is not his flesh and blood."

Zhirou was an orphan girl whom King Shu and Princess Shu had taken in and raised for over a decade.

Princess Shu picked up the dark brown bowl and drank the medicine. Shen Ningning could tell how bitter it was just by the smell.

’To think she’s trying so desperately to have a child for King Shu at her age... she must love him immensely.’

The little girl recalled the affectionate scene between King Shu and Princess Consort Qi, and her feelings grew complicated.

After drinking the medicine, Princess Shu’s face turned pale from the bitterness.

Shen Ningning took out a loquat candy from her personal pouch.

"Princess Consort, have a candy. It will take away the bitterness."

Princess Shu smiled faintly and stroked Shen Ningning’s small face. "Good child, you’re so sweet. This candy is delicious."

Shen Ningning nodded. "We make them in Xiangyun Village. The loquat candies from our village are tastier than any other."

Over the years, under Shen Ningning’s guidance, the villagers of Xiangyun Village had worked together to make the "Xiangyun Loquat" brand famous throughout the land.

Now, every household in Xiangyun Village was making loquat candy, earning a lot of silver and building large houses for themselves.

As the maid was leaving with the medicine bowl, King Shu pushed aside the curtain and entered.

His expression changed the moment he saw the medicine bowl. "Yue He! You’re drinking that medicine again?"

King Shu strode over in a few quick steps, pulling the Princess Consort’s shoulders into a concerned embrace.

"Haven’t I told you? This medicine has side effects. It gives you heart palpitations and disrupts your sleep. Don’t drink it anymore. It truly doesn’t matter if we don’t have a child of our own. All I want is for you to be healthy and well."

He spoke with such deep and sincere affection that even Mo Lingwei’s cool eyes showed a hint of emotion, moved by the resilient love between his uncle and aunt.

Only Shen Ningning pressed her lips together, silently watching the couple.

Princess Shu smiled sweetly and patted King Shu’s hand.

"Even though the Prince is so considerate of me, I cannot be inconsiderate of the Prince. How about we find two concubines for the Prince this year?"

King Shu’s expression changed instantly, his tone becoming low and angry. "I will never have anyone but you!"

With that, he pulled Princess Shu into his arms and kissed her long hair with extreme tenderness.

Tears of emotion welled in Princess Shu’s eyes. Leaning against King Shu’s chest, she felt that the candy in her mouth was not as sweet as the feeling her husband gave her.

As a woman, she had been married to King Shu for nearly twenty years, yet he still loved her deeply, his affection unwavering.

In Shu State, she was the object of every woman’s envy.

How many women dreamed of finding a husband like King Shu—of noble birth, handsome, and completely devoted?

Princess Shu gave a sweet, shy smile and said softly to King Shu, "Prince, Ling Wei and Ningning are still here."

Only then did King Shu come to his senses. He looked at Mo Lingwei and Shen Ningning with an apologetic chuckle.

"My apologies for making a scene in front of you juniors. However, your aunt is not in good health, and she cannot keep drinking this medicine. Ling Wei, Ningning, if you see her taking it again, you must help me supervise her."

A faint, cool smile lifted Mo Lingwei’s eyes. "You are right, Uncle. I will be sure to persuade Aunt next time."

After staying a little longer, Mo Lingwei sensed that Shen Ningning was uncomfortable and took her to leave.

On the way to take her back to the Xie family, Mo Lingwei took the initiative to ask with concern, "Why are you so tense? Are you not used to being around them?"

Shen Ningning shook her head.

She lifted her fair, rosy-cheeked face, her dark eyes gazing at Mo Lingwei.

"Brother, do you think a man can fake loving a woman like that?"

Mo Lingwei was taken aback.

Then he scoffed. "Of course not. If he were faking it, he’d be bound to slip up eventually."

A moment later, he realized what she was implying. "Are you talking about my uncle? It’s true, his adoration for my aunt is so intense it can seem suspicious."

"But they’ve been married for twenty years. During that time, my aunt has borne no children, yet my uncle has never uttered a single word of blame. He’s forcefully suppressed all the courtiers’ suggestions that he take concubines for her sake."

"My aunt loves lotuses. If you go to Shu State, you’ll see that every town, even every village, is planted with different varieties of beautiful lotuses."

In Mo Lingwei’s heart, his own father, the Emperor, had failed his mother, the Empress, which was a source of shame for him.

But his uncle’s deep love for his aunt was exactly the kind of parental relationship he yearned for.

Moreover, Mo Lingwei had spent a lot of time with King Shu since he was a child, so their bond was naturally deep.

Hearing this, Shen Ningning could only close her little mouth and nod silently.

’Grown-ups’ relationships are so complicated.’

When Xie Ming’an saw Mo Lingwei bring Shen Ningning back, he breathed a secret sigh of relief.

「Back on Wolf Mountain.」

Shen Ningning felt that, given Princess Consort Qi’s personality, she would not easily let go of someone who knew her secret.

Although it was still unclear what her relationship with King Shu was.

But Shen Ningning had to protect herself and her stinky Second Brother in advance.

The next time Mengyi came flapping its wings, it cast a dark shadow as it swooped down from the sky and landed on Shen Ningning’s windowsill.

The little one took out the meat she had prepared for it.

"If you eat my meat, you have to do something for me. I need you to keep an eye on someone." She leaned over, covered her mouth with her small hand, and whispered a few words into Mengyi’s ear.

Mengyi flapped its wings, squawking loudly, "Okay, okay! For meat, I’ll do anything!"

Shen Ningning gave it two more pieces of cured meat.

The Black Wolf King and the rest of the pack sat at the little one’s feet, watching Mengyi with cold eyes.

"That stinky bird is insatiably greedy."

Wolf Three snorted coldly. "So what if it has a pair of wings and we don’t?"

After finishing the food, Mengyi flew away.

Shen Ningning let out a breath.

「A few days later.」

Good news came from the village.

Uncle Deng and Dong Sanhua were getting married!