Chapter 435: Princess Shu Invites the Divine Doctor

Chapter 435: Chapter 435: Princess Shu Invites the Divine Doctor

A soft shriek from Shen Ningning rang out from inside the carriage.

The horses pulling the carriage outside were scared out of their wits. They reared up high, causing the carriage to tilt violently along with them.

Before the Black Wolf King could bite Mo Lingwei, he was sent sliding into a corner along with the two of them!

With a series of dull thuds, the two humans and the wolf were knocked into a daze.

The commotion startled the Xiangyun Village villagers in the nearby fields!

「An hour later.」

Grandma Qin recombed Shen Ningning’s messy hair.

Only then did she look over at the Black Wolf King, who was sitting to one side, his eyes still filled with disdain.

On the other side, Mo Lingwei stood in his red robes with a frown, looking very much like a handsome groom.

Grandma Qin shook her head and sighed, then said to the Black Wolf King, "Mr. Lang, you need to be more careful. Xiao Mo is one of our own. You can’t just bite him whenever you feel like it."

The Black Wolf King let out a resentful whine.

They had just finished explaining the situation. He hadn’t known Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei were just playing a game.

He thought Mo Lingwei was genuinely forcing her into marriage.

Shen Ningning, with her big eyes, glanced at the bristling Black Wolf King and then at Mo Lingwei, whose face was dark and who looked a little worse for wear.

The little girl couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

Grandma Qin tapped the tip of her little nose. "And you can still laugh? You’re such a mischievous child. Who plays house by getting married for real? This is a lifelong commitment."

Shen Ningning pouted and lowered her head. She felt a little hurt but said nothing.

However, Mo Lingwei, who was standing beside her, glanced at the little girl.

He spoke up for her. "Grandma Qin, last time Dong Sanhua got married, you mentioned you were afraid you wouldn’t get to see Shen Ningning’s wedding day. She didn’t want you to have any regrets, and that’s what led to this seemingly absurd, but in reality, very filial act."

Grandma Qin was taken aback. When she realized what he meant, her eyes turned red and filled with emotion.

Shen Ningning threw herself into her grandmother’s arms, looking up at Grandma Qin’s head of white-streaked hair.

"Grandma, I’ll grow up quickly so you won’t have to worry about these things anymore. But you can’t leave Ningning, okay?"

Grandma Qin’s weathered hand gently stroked the little girl’s head before she finally hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her face. "My dear Ningning... Aigh..."

After everything was explained, Shen Ningning finally understood what getting married really meant.

The little girl realized she had nearly made a huge fool of herself, and her face remained red for the rest of the day.

Mo Lingwei stayed until the evening and had dinner with Grandma Qin and Shen Ningning.

「Meanwhile, in an abandoned thatched hut not far from Xiangyun Village.」

Lu Shaoyuan, his servant, and the betrothal gifts the servant was carrying had all been seized by the Crown Prince’s personal guard.

Wu Fang stood guard at the door, in charge of the detail.

Lu Shaoyuan’s hands were tied, and his ankles had not been spared either.

He shouted incessantly, "It’s already dark! How much longer are you going to keep me locked up? Shen Ningning and I have feelings for each other! We want to get married, so why does the Crown Prince insist on interfering?"

Lu Shaoyuan’s sharp, handsome features were filled with indignation.

He deeply regretted slacking off whenever his older brother had told him to practice his martial arts.

’Otherwise, he could have knocked out these members of the Crown Prince’s personal guard and rushed straight to Shen Ningning’s house to propose.’

’He had everything ready. His mother had even wanted to send a troupe of drummers and gong players, but Lu Shaoyuan felt it wasn’t the right time to make such a big scene, so he hadn’t agreed.’

’Is Shen Ningning sitting at home waiting for me right now?’

’Does she think I stood her up?’

’That Crown Prince ruins everything!’

Wu Fang looked coldly at Lu Shaoyuan, crossing his arms. "His Highness has already investigated. Princess Funing doesn’t want to marry you. She doesn’t understand the meaning of marriage and just thinks it’s a fun game of house."

"In fact, if we hadn’t stopped you from coming here with all these things, Mr. Lu, you would have been made a laughingstock across the entire Capital City once Grandma Qin rejected you! That would have been a real joke at the Lu family’s expense!"

Lu Shaoyuan still refused to believe it, craning his neck and yelling stubbornly.

Finally, Wu Fang, who had lost all patience, knocked him unconscious and had him sent back to the Lu family.

「The next morning.」 Lu Shaoyuan rushed to the National Academy, where Shen Ningning was talking with Ye Shangyi.

"Shen Ningning! The Crown Prince didn’t give you any trouble, did he?" Lu Shaoyuan asked, his brow furrowed with anxiety as he grabbed her small wrist.

Ye Shangyi looked on in surprise. "What’s wrong with you so early in the morning? Why would the Crown Prince give Ningning any trouble?"

Shen Ningning understood. ’It was my naivety that made Lu Shaoyuan misunderstand, too.’

"Lu Shaoyuan, I was just about to talk to you about that," the little girl said, looking embarrassed. She fidgeted with the hem of her clothes as she stammered, "I only learned yesterday that... getting married isn’t what I thought it meant. Two people have to truly be in love to get married."

"The reason I mentioned getting married to you yesterday was because Aunt Sanhua from my village got married, and my grandma seemed a little sad about it. She’s afraid she won’t be alive by the time I’m old enough to get married, so I wanted to fulfill her wish and spare her the regret."

Lu Shaoyuan’s eyes flew wide. Beside them, Ye Shangyi was so shocked that the pastry she was holding fell to the ground.

"What? You two were getting married? How could nobody tell me about something this big?" Ye Shangyi exclaimed, looking back and forth between them.

Lu Shaoyuan, however, looked as if all the air had been let out of him, his expression dimming instantly.

"I really thought you wanted to marry me..." ’Thank goodness Wu Fang stopped me yesterday,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I’d be the laughingstock of the entire Capital City today!’

Shen Ningning felt awkward and quickly asked, "You didn’t come over yesterday, did you?"

Lu Shaoyuan faltered for a moment. But he quickly lifted his chin, his handsome features as dazzling as ever, resuming the air of an arrogant young man.

"Of course not. I knew you were just playing a joke on me. Since it wasn’t real, it’s all good. I’m going back to class."

Lu Shaoyuan gave a dismissive wave and coolly turned to walk away.

Watching his retreating figure, Shen Ningning breathed a sigh of relief, but Ye Shangyi blinked, looking suspicious.

"Why do I get the feeling his voice was full of regret?"

...

One day, the Divine Doctor, Sima Han, asked Shen Ningning to accompany him on a visit.

"The person who asked for my help today is the wife of a high-ranking official. Unfortunately, this old man is getting on in years and really can’t be bothered with such things. Ningning, you should know her. If she gets too insistent, will you say a few words for your grandpa to help me out, alright?"

As he spoke, Sima Han took out a bag of pastries to bribe the little girl.

Shen Ningning accepted it happily, her dewy eyes sparkling brightly.

"No problem! I know how to be a good teammate for Grandpa Divine Doctor!" she said. "I get it! But Grandpa, who are we going to see this time?"

The words had barely left her mouth when the carriage came to a steady halt. The driver outside announced, "Your Highness the Princess, we have arrived at the Shu Royal Mansion."

Shen Ningning’s little hands, clutching the pastries, froze.

’Why are we at King Shu’s residence?!’

’In that case, the person who asked Grandpa Divine Doctor for help must be Princess Shu, right?’

A housekeeper was already waiting at the entrance. When he saw Sima Han arrive with Shen Ningning, his demeanor became even more respectful.

"The Princess Consort is already waiting for you in the rear garden," the housekeeper said with a warm smile, guiding them through a covered corridor with ornate carvings and painted beams.

When Princess Shu saw Shen Ningning arriving with Sima Han, she was slightly taken aback.

Sima Han cupped his hands in greeting and explained, "Princess Funing is exceptionally talented. This old one occasionally brings her along to teach her the Qihuang Skill. Today is no different. I hope the Princess Consort will not take offense."

Princess Shu immediately broke into a gentle smile. "I have met Ningning before. I dote on her as if she were my own family, so what is there to take offense at?"

"Divine Doctor, Ningning, please sit. It wasn’t easy to get the Divine Doctor to pay a visit, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll get straight to the point."

"I have been unable to conceive for many years. I’ve tried all sorts of remedies, but nothing has worked. Since you have the esteemed reputation of a Divine Doctor, Mr. Sima Sr., please take my pulse and tell me what the root of the problem is. When might I finally be able to have a child?"