Chapter 482: After You Left, I Was Scared and Fell Asleep

Chapter 482: Chapter 482: After You Left, I Was Scared and Fell Asleep

With nothing amiss on Wang Qiao’er’s end, the villagers dispersed and went home to rest.

Uncle Liu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Sister-in-law Liu, annoyed by his fidgeting, sat up abruptly.

"What are you doing? Are you going to sleep or not?"

Likely afraid of waking Liu Hu next door, Sister-in-law Liu lowered her voice.

Uncle Liu sat up. "I feel like something’s even more wrong."

Sister-in-law Liu shot him a look. "What on earth is wrong with you?"

"In Wang Qiao’er’s yard, there were footprints from several people in the mud, but on my way back, those tracks just vanished. Isn’t that strange?"

"What’s so strange about that?" Sister-in-law Liu scoffed, unconcerned. "It hasn’t been raining, so their feet weren’t wet. Of course the footprints would get fainter and fainter."

Uncle Liu frowned. "Exactly. It hasn’t been raining, so where did the water in her yard come from?"

Sister-in-law Liu had just lain back down, but his words made her realize he had a point. It was a little strange.

She thought for a moment. "It must be the spring water people gave her to help out; some of it must have spilled on the ground. Alright, it’s getting late. Hurry up and sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Granny Chen and a few others from the village to keep a close eye on her."

Uncle Liu lay back down again.

He thought it over slowly. ’It’s very strange.’

’If it really was Deng Fugui who came back, then why did it look like there were footprints from three or four people?’

’And besides, how could Wang Qiao’er not recognize the figure of her own son?’

Mulling over these questions, Uncle Liu gradually fell asleep.

*

First thing in the morning, Shen Ningning led the wolf pack down the mountain.

Their immense and imposing presence scared Wang Qiao’er so much that she didn’t even dare to step out of her yard.

Sister-in-law Liu, carrying a basket of vegetables, spotted them and called out a greeting from a distance.

"Ningning! Oh, why have you brought all these masters down the mountain today?"

Shen Ningning beamed. "I haven’t stayed in the village for a while, and I heard there was a thief last night, so I brought the pack to stay for a couple of days."

Sister-in-law Liu laughed heartily. "I feel so much safer with you all here! My husband was so worried last night he couldn’t sleep. I’ll go tell him the good news right away."

Shen Ningning gave a sweet smile, though a flash of guilt crossed her plump, pretty face.

The truth was, although Mo Lingwei was staying at her home, the Black Wolf King had had a long talk with her the previous night, lecturing her that unrelated men and women must maintain a proper distance.

How could an innocent, unmarried man and woman live under the same roof?

So, at the insistence of the wolf pack and Grandma Qin, Shen Ningning had no choice but to bring the wolves down the mountain to stay.

The large house on the mountain was left for Mo Lingwei to live in by himself.

He was the Crown Prince, after all. It wouldn’t be right to have him live crowded together with everyone in the village.

Afraid of revealing his whereabouts, Shen Ningning hadn’t told Sister-in-law Liu the truth just now.

Shen Ningning led the Black Wolf King past Wang Qiao’er’s door.

The young girl’s resigned voice faded into the distance. "Wolf Father, are you satisfied now? Sigh, I’ll just listen to you and stay in the village for three days."

She would accompany Mo Lingwei for his meals during the day and return to the village to sleep at night.

The Black Wolf King nodded in satisfaction.

Wang Qiao’er slipped out of her house furtively and quickly walked out of the village.

When she reached an old forest some distance from Wolf Mountain, before she could even blow her whistle, three or four burly mountain bandits jumped out impatiently from the bushes.

They spoke in coarse, brutish tones. "Sister-in-law, didn’t you say these wolves are usually on the mountain? We just saw it clear as day, that Princess led the wolves right into the village."

One of them glared. "You’re not trying to get us killed, are you? We just wanted to steal some valuables, but it seems you want our lives!"

"After all, these people in Xiangyun Village used to be your neighbors. You were on good terms, so you must be trying to set us brothers up, right?!"

That was right. Wang Qiao’er had lied to the villagers.

She hadn’t returned because she had nowhere else to go.

Instead, after being kicked out by the Ba Family, she had joined a group of mountain bandits and become the leader’s wife.

After the bandit leader died, she led the remaining bandits, roaming from place to place and committing crimes.

She and her son, Deng Fugui, had been separated long ago during that big snowstorm.

Wang Qiao’er’s face was a mask of pure malice. "Bullshit! I hate those people in Xiangyun Village to the bone. I wish every single one of them would die ten times over."

"If you hadn’t been so careless while scouting the place and gotten seen by that guy from the Liu Family, I wouldn’t have had to put on that act last night."

"But now we have a tricky problem. I don’t know what’s gotten into Shen Ningning, but she’s suddenly decided to move down the mountain with her wolf pack to live here. I don’t think we can make a move on the village anymore."

The bandits glanced at each other, all feeling that this was a terrible development.

They didn’t dare mess with a pack of wolves.

"What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here!"

"No!" Wang Qiao’er snapped. "We’re not leaving now. I’ve spent all this time acting pathetic and enduring all those condescending looks. If I just leave now, what was the point of it all? If we’re going to leave, we’re going to set a fire and grab some things first."

The bandits exclaimed that she was insane.

"Sister-in-law, are you trying to get us killed? That’s Princess Funing! Offending her... let’s not even talk about whether that pack of wolves is easy to deal with. Her backers are the government and the Royal Family! How could we possibly afford to provoke them?"

Wang Qiao’er’s eyes darted around rapidly.

"Alright, listen to me. She’s living in the village with Grandma Qin and the wolf pack, so that mansion on Wolf Mountain must be empty."

"I heard she’s hoarded a lot of jade. All the treasures from Wolf Mountain are kept in that house. We’ll take advantage of her absence and haul all the good stuff away!"

The more she spoke, the brighter the cunning glint in her eyes became.

It was as if she had already succeeded.

She wasn’t just going to steal things and leave; she was also going to set a fire and burn down the old village chief’s house.

She would make Dong Sanhua and her family perish in the flames!

Hearing this, the bandits all thought Wang Qiao’er’s plan sounded reliable.

"But Wolf Mountain is so big. How are we supposed to find her house?"

"Tonight, you’ll go into the mountains and scout it out. Once you find it, we’ll make our move tomorrow!" Wang Qiao’er finished with a cold laugh.

’Those treasures would soon be all hers.’

...

Night fell. Countless stars glittered, and the Milky Way shone brilliantly.

After finishing her meal with Mo Lingwei, Shen Ningning prepared to return to the village to rest.

Mo Lingwei stood at the door and sighed. "Are you really going to leave me here all alone?"

Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. "Are you scared, Brother?"

Mo Lingwei pursed his lips, his sharp brows and narrow eyes completely jet-black.

"The house is so big. If I said I was scared, would you actually stay?"

Before Shen Ningning could speak, the Black Wolf King behind her had already grabbed the girl’s sleeve with his teeth and was tugging her back.

His unwelcoming wolf eyes even shot a glare at Mo Lingwei.

It was as if to say: ’Don’t try any tricks, kid.’

Mo Lingwei scoffed inwardly.

Shen Ningning smiled sweetly, but with a hint of helplessness. "There’s nothing I can do. Wolf Father and Grandma both said we have to follow the rules. Brother, you should get some rest. I’ll be back early tomorrow to keep you company."

Mo Lingwei watched as the young girl led her pack of wolves down the mountain.

The feigned pitifulness in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, dark fog.

Mo Lingwei looked around. The house was very large and very quiet.

’How boring.’

He strode back to his room on his long legs and fell asleep almost immediately.

「The next morning.」

Sure enough, Shen Ningning went to bring Mo Lingwei his breakfast before dawn.

However, she noticed what looked like footprints near the house.

She looked at them in surprise. Later, while Mo Lingwei was eating breakfast, she asked, "Brother, did you go for a walk outside last night?"

Mo Lingwei passed her a peeled egg and raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "No. After you left, I was so scared that I fell right asleep."

’Strange...’

Shen Ningning was puzzled.

’Wolf Mountain’s fearsome reputation is known far and wide. Who would dare to fly in the face of danger and wander around the mountain?’