Li Lingxiao carried Nuonuo back to the room and laid her on the bed, instructing a servant to find a pair of pajamas for her to change into.
Nuonuo was truly exhausted. Without any Daoist Arts protecting her body, she had relied on Brother Chuyi to guard her soul throughout the day; otherwise, her small body could never have withstood the resentment of the Spirit Child. As she sat on the bed, her little head began to nod uncontrollably.
Once the servant brought the pajamas, Li Lingxiao took them, intending to change the little one himself. However, he found that the child had already curled into a small ball and was fast asleep, clutching a squirrel in her arms.
Li Lingxiao looked at Nuonuo, then at the squirrel lying on his large bed—the same one she had brought back earlier. Seeing a "germ-ridden" squirrel curled up on his bedding, his brow furrowed so tightly it could have crushed a fly. He stepped forward, grabbed the squirrel by its tail, and tossed it out of the room without a moment’s hesitation.
Qiuqiu tumbled across the floor several times, only coming to a stop when its little head bumped against the wall.
"Hmph! You just wait! I’m going to tell on you to Nuonuo tomorrow!"
Qiuqiu stood outside Li Lingxiao’s door, chattering and cursing for quite a while. Only after it felt it had vented enough did it head out of the villa to sleep in its tree hollow.
Back inside, Li Lingxiao watched over Nuonuo, carefully tucking her into the blankets. Though he usually suffered from severe mysophobia, he didn't mind in the slightest that Nuonuo was still wearing her outdoor clothes in his bed. He tucked her in, gently smoothed her hair, and then tiptoed out of the bedroom.
Brother Chuyi had been sitting on the bedside table the entire time. Watching Li Lingxiao’s actions, he nodded with satisfaction. *As expected, the man chosen by Yama is truly extraordinary!*
Seeing that Li Lingxiao had left, Chuyi grabbed his Daoist robe, vanished in a flicker, and transformed into a wisp of green smoke, diving into Nuonuo’s forehead.
In her dream, Nuonuo saw Chuyi sitting cross-legged in the void. She hurried over and asked, "Brother Chuyi, Nuonuo helped the ghost baby find its mommy today. Can I see my mommy now?"
Nuonuo had thought that as long as she took care of the ghost baby and reunited it with its mother, she would be able to see her own. Chuyi’s response, however, left her disappointed.
"Not yet, Nuonuo. You need to learn the Daoist Arts and deal with many more ghosts yourself before you can see your mommy."
Upon hearing this, Nuonuo’s little head drooped instantly, and even the little tufts of hair on her head that had been standing high and proud went limp.
Chuyi felt his heart ache for her. This wasn't his intention either, but this was what the little ancestor’s mommy had decreed, and he dared not disobey. As Chuyi was wondering how to comfort her, Nuonuo quickly pulled herself together. She wiped the tear stains from her face with her tiny hands, looked up at Chuyi, and said in a voice filled with firm determination, "Brother Chuyi, then what must Nuonuo do to see my mommy?"
Seeing her like this made Chuyi’s heart ache even more. He forcibly suppressed the urge to pat her head and put on a solemn expression. "You must first learn the Daoist Arts from me. Once you have mastered all my skills, you will be able to see your mommy."
Nuonuo nodded her little head like a chick pecking at rice and said in her sweet, milky voice, "Nuonuo will do her best!" She even clenched her tiny pink fist to encourage herself.
Watching her actions, Chuyi nearly lost his composure. The little thing was simply too cute! He couldn't hold it in! He wanted to ruffle her hair!
"Ahem, very well. I shall teach you some simple Daoist Arts first. For instance... what would you like to learn first?"
Chuyi collected his thoughts, prepared to impart his knowledge, but suddenly realized he couldn't actually think of any *simple* techniques. After all, he was the most noble Dao Lord and Master in the heavens and on earth; how could he possibly have use for such low-level arts? He had long since tossed them to the back of his mind.
Nuonuo held her little head, thinking hard. She didn't know anything about them either!
The two of them, one large and one small, fell into deep thought. The large one had forgotten the simple techniques, and the small one had no idea what techniques existed at all. After a long silence, Chuyi finally spoke up: "Let’s do this. I’ll teach you how to meditate first. Cross your legs just like I am."
Nuonuo looked at the floating Chuyi, imitated his posture, sat down on the ground with a thud, folded her little feet together, and closed her eyes.
Chuyi peeked with one eye. Seeing the little one meditating with her eyes shut, he hurriedly conjured a massive encyclopedia of Daoist Arts from behind his back.
"Let me see... this one... ah, I remember now."
Chuyi scanned the pages of the techniques he had long forgotten. Before he could finish, a tiny, milky voice piped up: "Brother Chuyi, what are you looking at?"
Chuyi was so startled his Daoist cap nearly flew off. He scrambled to tuck the encyclopedia away.
"Nothing, nothing at all! Just reading a book. Nuonuo, keep your eyes closed. Don't think about anything; just feel your own body."
Chuyi floated down from the void and stood beside Nuonuo, looking down at the round, fuzzy-headed ball sitting on the ground. *I really want to pet her,* he thought.
***
Meanwhile, in the villa’s living room, Li Jingcheng sat on the sofa with a grave expression, looking at Li Lingxiao. "Third son, what is really going on with Nuonuo?"
Li Lingxiao sighed and recounted the events of three years ago when he had met Nuonuo’s mother.
Li Xiran was stunned to hear that her brother had fallen in love with a woman three years ago and even wanted to marry her. She had always kept her brother away from women since he was a child; she had even started to suspect he was gay!
"So, is there any news about Nuonuo’s mother?" Yun Jinxiu asked, looking at Li Lingxiao, though she already feared the answer.
Li Lingxiao shook his head. "My people questioned Cheng Nan and found that Nuonuo’s mother passed away when Nuonuo was six months old. It was an arranged marriage; she died shortly after taking Nuonuo into the Cheng Family."
Hearing that Nuonuo had been abused by the Cheng Family, Li Xiran’s temper flared instantly.
"Those damned animals! They abused her just because she wasn't their biological kin! Lingxiao, you must handle this properly. Don't let the Cheng Family get off easy."
Li Jingcheng’s face was grim as he thought of his granddaughter suffering for so many years.
"Don't worry, Father. They will spend the rest of their lives in prison."
Li Lingxiao had already uncovered all the Cheng Family’s dirty secrets; the couple would never see the light of day again. A flicker of cold malice passed through Li Lingxiao’s eyes. Bullying his daughter? Hmph, the price they would pay was one they could not afford.
Li Jingcheng nodded. He knew his son’s methods well. With the people who had bullied his granddaughter dealt with, it was time to discuss making Nuonuo’s identity public.
"Since Nuonuo is back, we must ensure she never suffers the slightest grievance again. My birthday banquet is in three days. I will announce her identity to the entire Imperial Capital then."
Li Jingcheng’s decision was met with immediate approval from the other three. This way, Nuonuo would truly be the little princess of their family.