Chapter 10: Candy
Xiao Qing’s father was the emperor of Jaran.
While other continents had long abolished the emperor system, most regions in Daizhou still retained the feudal imperial system. Daizhou was fragmented, its people poor and weak, and it didn’t even have a Supreme Federation President on the international stage.
Many people from Daizhou desperately tried to immigrate to the Yunzhou continent, longing for a life free from worries about food and clothing.
Therefore, when the news broke that Fei Zhiyan was preparing to merge the Jaran region of Daizhou into Yunzhou, Xiao Qing, along with the vast majority of the population, felt that happiness had come too suddenly.
Yunzhou. In the minds of the people of Daizhou, Yunzhou was practically a paradise. There were skyscrapers and luxury cars everywhere, the economy was dozens of times stronger than Daizhou’s, and Yunzhou’s Yuncheng was the technological center of the world, attracting countless people.
If Jaran merged with Yunzhou, wouldn’t they be able to live a better life? It was the same with Huazhou; after merging with Yunzhou, its economic strength had grown at an astonishing rate, and its entertainment industry had now successfully become world-class.
But this beautiful dream was soon shattered. Xiao Qing, as the emperor’s illegitimate daughter, was forced to participate in the plan to assassinate Fei Zhiyan. The members of her family were unwilling to give up their power and status and tried to block the plan to merge Jaran with Yunzhou.
And so, Xiao Qing came to Yunzhou and became a maid in the villa.
But her days here were very comfortable. Although Xiao Qing was an illegitimate child of the royal family, her situation was only slightly better than that of an ordinary person, just enough to have food to eat and clothes to wear. But Yunzhou had countless forms of entertainment and beautiful dresses that Xiao Qing would be willing to eat instant noodles for a month to buy.
Unfortunately, these days did not last long. Almost everyone in her family had failed, leaving only Xiao Qing and another prince alive. A few days ago, that prince, her nominal brother, contacted her and told her to kill Fei Zhiyan’s son.
Xiao Qing found it absurd. She didn’t want to do it, but her brother threatened to expose her identity to Fei Zhiyan if she didn’t.
With no other choice, Xiao Qing could only grit her teeth and start to act.
At first, Xiao Qing targeted Fei Luo, that quiet, reclusive child. But just as she was about to make her move, her plan was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Nuonuo.
And so, by a twist of fate, Xiao Qing changed her target to Nuonuo.
Under the sun, Xiao Qing looked at the child running with stumbling steps, a smile of relief on her face. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to harm the little cub. Especially not a little cub who would obediently hold her hand and follow her with complete trust.
Nuonuo hugged the ball, his hair, damp with sweat, clinging softly to his forehead. His eyes were cleaner than the washed sky. He ran to his papa and held up his little ball high.
“Ball, ball, Papa!”
Seeing the look of longing for praise in Nuonuo’s eyes, Fei Zhiyan let out a soft laugh. “No more playing. Go wash your hands.”
The sun was getting hotter. Playing outside for too long would burn the child’s skin.
Auntie Wu quickly came over and led Nuonuo back inside to wash his hands.
Fei Zhiyan took the towel the butler handed him and meticulously wiped his fingers clean. As he passed by Xiao Qing, he said slowly, “Follow me.”
The other maids who were cleaning couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Qing. Usually, the maids only went into the villa to clean at specific times because Fei Zhiyan disliked having too many people in the house. What’s more, this time Fei Zhiyan was personally leading her in. Xiao Qing felt that in that instant, the gazes on her were particularly intense.
A girl who shared a room with Xiao Qing had a look of envy in her eyes, as well as a hint of determination. She took a few deep breaths before lowering her head and continuing to clean the lawn.
Xiao Qing sighed with a bitter smile and followed Fei Zhiyan into the villa.
Fei Zhiyan sat on the sofa, took off his glasses, and slowly wiped them with a tissue. His fingers were long and slender, with well-defined knuckles. Even a simple act of wiping looked elegant and noble.
Looking at the imposing Mr. Fei, Xiao Qing, who thought she could face death calmly, felt a surge of fear once again. The oppressive aura of a person in high power was really not something everyone could withstand.
Just as Xiao Qing was about to break down and confess everything, ready to beg for death, a childish voice rang out.
“Papa!”
Nuonuo, his little face and hands washed clean, came running in. Seeing his papa sitting on the sofa, he let out a big sigh of relief, his eyes sparkling with light.
Walking up to Fei Zhiyan, Nuonuo tilted his little face up and stretched out his arms for a hug.
Seeing Nuonuo’s desire to be glued to him, Fei Zhiyan raised an eyebrow with a hint of helplessness. “Can’t be away from me for a single moment?”
Although he said that, Fei Zhiyan still picked Nuonuo up. In just two short days, Fei Zhiyan’s movements of holding a child had gone from clumsy to skilled.
Nuonuo sat on his papa’s lap, swinging his little feet and babbling away. “Pa gone, Nuonuo wook and wook, &￥% see!”
Compared to Nuonuo’s rapid progress in walking, his speech was still a jumble that was impossible to understand even with guesswork. But Nuonuo didn’t need a response; he could happily talk all by himself. In the two years he spent in the transport pod, this was how he had played by himself.
After finishing his story, counting on his little fingers, Nuonuo suddenly saw Xiao Qing standing to the side and broke into a big grin.
“Big Sister, ball, ya!”
Xiao Qing didn’t expect Nuonuo to talk to her and could only force a smile.
Nuonuo, however, was very happy. He had had a great time playing with this big sister. And every time he brought the ball back, this big sister would give him a thumbs-up and praise him.
Nuonuo’s cheeks were flushed. He gestured with his little hands, trying to tell his papa how amazing he was. “Me… me pway… gweat!”
Nuonuo gave a thumbs-up, imitating how Xiao Qing had praised him, to show his papa.
Seeing the little one needing praise even for just playing with a ball, a hint of a smile appeared in Fei Zhiyan’s eyes. “I know, little one.”
Pinching the little one’s flushed cheek, Fei Zhiyan finally looked up, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Xiao Qing. “Why didn’t you do it?”
Fei Zhiyan’s sharp eyes pinned Xiao Qing to the spot. The moment he saw Xiao Qing standing unharmed on the lawn, he had guessed that this person had not harmed Nuonuo. If Xiao Qing had made a move, the mark Fei Zhiyan had left in her body would have only made her heart explode, killing her instantly.
Xiao Qing avoided his gaze, swallowed, and finally answered in a whisper. “I… I couldn’t bear to.”
Fei Zhiyan gave the girl a cold look and averted his gaze. He had seen many soft-hearted people like Xiao Qing and had always been scornful of them. Unable to be decisive and ruthless, the people of the Jaran royal family were truly pathetic.
“All your family is gone. Don’t you have anything to say?”
Fei Zhiyan poked Nuonuo’s soft little cheek and asked nonchalantly.
Nuonuo, having his cheek poked, pouted unhappily and turned his head to sit to the side, ignoring his papa.
Xiao Qing opened her mouth, wanting to say that she wasn’t actually close to those family members, but in the end, she remained silent. She was about to die anyway, so it didn’t matter whether she said these things or not. It was just a pity that the long dress she had saved up to buy would never see the summer it was meant for.
Nuonuo turned his head and saw the wet tear tracks on Xiao Qing’s face. He let out a little “ya” and his eyes widened.
“Big Sister, wipe, wipe.”
Nuonuo took out the tissue Auntie Wu had put in his little pocket and held it out to Xiao Qing.
Seeing the worry on Nuonuo’s face, Xiao Qing’s tears flowed even more fiercely. “Thank you, Nuonuo.”
Nuonuo saw the big sister crying, tugged at his papa’s clothes, and blinked in confusion. “Papa, cwy, cwy, ya.”
Fei Zhiyan saw the bewilderment on Nuonuo’s little face and lowered his eyes without a word.
Nuonuo couldn’t see his papa’s expression. His little head turned back and forth between his papa and Xiao Qing. Finally, he slowly climbed down from the sofa.
“No cwy, ya.”
Nuonuo took out a piece of candy he had been hiding in his pocket for a long time, stood on his tiptoes, and tried to hand it to Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing knew that this was a piece of candy Nuonuo had saved for himself, saying he was keeping it for his papa. But now, the child was giving the candy to her.
Xiao Qing’s heart felt as if it had instantly fallen into a pile of sugar. There was so much sweetness that it made her feel a hint of bitterness.
“Thank you.”
Xiao Qing crouched down and, with tears streaming down her face, rubbed Nuonuo’s little head.
Nuonuo shyly covered his head where he had been rubbed, ran back to his papa’s arms, and peeked out at Xiao Qing.
Fei Zhiyan looked at the child’s bright, sparkling eyes, his own eyes lowered, his fingertips tapping lightly on the sofa.
The atmosphere in the living room was as still as water, so oppressive it made one’s heart race.
After a long while, Fei Zhiyan looked at the way Nuonuo was snuggling into his embrace and suddenly let out a soft sigh. “You can’t stay here anymore.”
Fei Zhiyan’s voice was like a cool spring, with a unique rhythm, very soothing and pleasant to listen to. But to Xiao Qing’s ears, it was undoubtedly the sound of a death sentence. She felt as if she had finally been waiting for it.
“I understand.”
Xiao Qing lowered her head, waiting for someone to come and take her away. But after waiting for a long time, besides Nuonuo calling out “Papa,” she heard nothing else.
Lifting her eyes, she met Fei Zhiyan’s cold and impatient gaze. Xiao Qing’s heart jumped, and she quickly lowered her eyes again.
“What are you looking at? Still not leaving?”
It was a rare moment for Fei Zhiyan to show mercy, but the person opposite him was so foolish, just standing there dumbly.
Hearing this, Xiao Qing was suddenly startled. What… what does this mean? Was I… spared?
Xiao Qing didn’t dare to ask. She didn’t even dare to look up. She left the place with unsteady steps and a dizzy head.
It wasn’t until she had truly left the villa and settled down in a small city in Yunzhou that she still felt a sense of disbelief. She had really escaped with her life. Although she was still being secretly monitored by people sent by Mr. Fei, Xiao Qing felt that there was nothing she was more grateful for than surviving at the hands of Mr. Fei.
Xiao Qing sometimes couldn’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t met the Nuonuo who would give her candy, would her fate have ended that morning?
