When Li Lingxiao carried Nuonuo back to the Li Family Villa, the entire estate was illuminated. The butler had already been waiting at the entrance with a medical team. Seeing the little mite covered in mud, everyone gasped in shock.
"Prepare hot water and call the doctor," Li Lingxiao’s voice was chillingly cold. "Also, arrange for a DNA test immediately."
The doctor carried Nuonuo into the bathroom to wash the mud from her body.
Li Lingxiao watched the little girl in the bathtub; the overlapping old and new scars on her body made him clench his fists.
When the doctor began to carefully treat Nuonuo's wounds, Li Lingxiao could not bear to look at the injuries on her body. He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the hydrangeas blooming in the garden. Those were Lu Ranran’s favorite flowers.
"Sir, the results are in," the special assistant said, walking over quickly with the report. "The match is 99.99%. She is indeed your daughter."
Li Lingxiao’s hands trembled slightly. He took the report, his gaze settling on Nuonuo’s sleeping face.
This was his daughter!
Three years ago, Lu Ranran had suddenly vanished. He had spent three years searching for her, but had found absolutely no trace. He never imagined he would meet his daughter in such a way.
Who on earth had taken Ranran away?
Where was Ranran now, or had she already…
Li Lingxiao dared not let his thoughts continue. For now, he could only wait for the doctor to treat Nuonuo and wait for her to wake up.
Once the doctor finished the treatment, Li Lingxiao hurried forward to ask, "How is she?"
The doctor frowned and said, "The little miss was beaten too severely. She suffered a heavy blow to the back of her head, resulting in a mild concussion, and she has fallen into a coma. I will administer medication first to let her get some rest, and the wounds on her body will need careful nursing."
Upon hearing the doctor’s words, Li Lingxiao’s expression turned instantly grim.
"Go, find out who buried my daughter there."
Li Lingxiao said coldly to the subordinates behind him.
The subordinates immediately set out to investigate.
Li Lingxiao sat by the bedside, looking at Nuonuo. Her chubby little face resembled Lu Ranran’s so closely that he found himself lost in a trance.
Three years ago, Lu Ranran had saved him. After spending time together, he had fallen in love with her, and they had become intimate. Just when he thought everything was falling into place and that he and Lu Ranran were about to walk down the aisle, she had vanished into thin air. He had leveraged every connection the Li family possessed, but after three years of searching, he had never found her.For three years, he had never stopped searching. What exactly had happened to Lu Ranran? There hadn't been a single scrap of news for three years, and now, she had left him only with a daughter.
He should have been there to watch Nuonuo be born, to watch her grow up. Nuonuo should have had a happy family with both her mother and father by her side, destined to be the little princess who commanded the attention of the entire Imperial Capital.
But now, his little princess lay before him, her body covered in scars. When he found the person who had abused her, he would never let them off!
In her dream, Nuonuo saw Brother Chuyi, the person she had seen just as she was losing consciousness.
Brother Chuyi was still wearing that same Daoist robe, the bell in his hand particularly eye-catching.
"Brother Chuyi, why did you save Nuonuo?"
Nuonuo had never met this handsome older boy before. Looking at him, her small face was filled with gratitude; if this beautiful boy hadn't appeared to save her, she surely would have died.
"Little one, I was sent by your mommy. There was no time to explain back then. Your mommy is a very powerful figure in the Underworld, and when she realized something was wrong, she sent me to save you. By the way, Nuonuo, you must not tell anyone about your mommy. This is a secret between us."
Nuonuo listened, half-understanding, but the mention of her mommy filled her round eyes with tears. "Can Nuonuo see Mommy?"
Brother Chuyi shook his head regretfully and said, "I can't let you see her right now. Your mommy is facing a few problems and needs your help. Once things improve for her, I will be able to let you see her."
Hearing that she could see her mommy, a hopeful smile instantly lit up Nuonuo’s small face. "Brother Chuyi, is what you’re saying true?"
"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you? Your mommy is trying to open a chain of Meng Po soup shops in the Underworld, but there’s been some unrest there lately. You need to help your mommy earn Yin Virtue to change her recent luck."
Brother Chuyi didn't even blink as he spun this lie. Her mommy having trouble? Ha! If that were true, the entire Underworld wouldn't be able to survive.
Although Nuonuo didn't quite understand, all she knew was that her mommy was in trouble, so she nodded without a moment's hesitation. "Okay! Nuonuo wants to help Mommy!"
Nuonuo's voice was soft and milky, yet filled with such determination that anyone who heard it would be completely charmed.