Xiao Ningning saw that Xia Qingyue's eyes were red and swollen, and she quickly spoke to comfort her.
Hearing these words, Xia Qingyue almost broke down in tears again... Her daughter was so young... such a tiny child!! She couldn't even clearly describe where her chest and belly hurt, yet she was understanding enough to break one's heart!!
At the same time, Xia Qingyue knew that no matter how she tried to persuade her, Xiao Ningning would wait for Ye Chen to return before eating anything.
So, gritting her teeth, she said, "Be a good girl, Ningning. I'll stay here and wait for Daddy to come back with you!!"
To prevent her daughter from hurting her wounds by talking more, Xia Qingyue kept comforting Xiao Ningning, "Don't worry, Ningning, Daddy will definitely come back!! And he will love you, oh, so much!!"
"Really?!"
Hearing this, a happy sparkle immediately lit up Xiao Ningning's bright, watery eyes.
"Really!"
Xia Qingyue nodded, praying continuously in her heart, "He will definitely come back!!"
But... could Ye Chen really come back?
Xia Qingyue prayed ceaselessly in her heart, wishing desperately that Ye Chen would appear right before her eyes, yet deep down, how could she not know that the chances of Ye Chen returning were slim to none!!
Both the Gu Family and the Lin Family were first-tier families in Jinling City, practically capable of covering the sky with one hand.
To ordinary people like Ye Chen, if they wanted to kill someone—whether a few or even a dozen lives—they would just do it on a whim, completely disregarding it.
She truly couldn't imagine what method Ye Chen could possibly use to escape back here.
At the mere thought of this, Xia Qingyue couldn't stop her tears from streaming down...
"Ye Chen!"
"Did you hear what your daughter said!?"
"She was afraid you'd leave again, so she wouldn't even eat her favorite chicken leg!!"
"Even though her wounds hurt terribly, she pretended they didn't, just so she could wait for you to come back!!"
"Ye Chen, you must come back. You must come back safely!!"
"Daddy!"
"It's Daddy coming back!"
Just as Xia Qingyue was deep in prayer, Xiao Ningning suddenly cried out with boundless joy.
The next moment, Xia Qingyue saw Ye Chen walking step by step toward the bedside. A complex myriad of emotions swirled in his eyes—doting affection, astonishment, guilt, heartache... all intertwining together.
"Daddy... are you my Daddy?"
Xiao Xixi tilted her face upward, asking with a look of eager anticipation.
"I am!"
In an instant, a sharp pang hit the bridge of Ye Chen's nose, and he almost broke down in tears as well: "Ningning, I am Daddy, I am Daddy!"
"Daddy... Daddy!"
Xiao Ningning cried out loudly, completely disregarding the pain of her wounds. She stretched out both arms and shouted excitedly, "Daddy, Ningning finally gets to see you! Ningning finally gets to see you!!"
"Daddy... did you beat up the bad guys and chase them away?"
"Daddy... are you hurt? Are you hungry?"
Xiao Ningning asked impatiently, her bright, watery eyes filled with concern, "Daddy... there's lots of good food here. Mom and I saved the best chicken leg for Daddy!"
Plop! Plop!
Listening to these words from his daughter, Ye Chen could no longer hold back. Hot tears fell in heavy drops from his eye sockets.
This was his daughter!!
This was his, Ye Chen's, daughter!!
Clearly, she was heavily injured...
Clearly, she was very weak and hungry...
Yet she still insisted on waiting for Daddy to come back, saving the best things for Daddy...
"Ningning!!"
"My daughter!!"
Looking at such an understanding Xiao Ningning, Ye Chen could hold back no longer. He completely broke down, pulling Xiao Ningning into his embrace and repeating over and over: "The bad guys have already been beaten and chased away!! Daddy isn't hurt!! From today on, Daddy will protect Ningning forever... and never, ever let Ningning suffer even the slightest bit of harm again!!"
"Really?"
Xiao Ningning tightly hugged Ye Chen and said, "Daddy, you won't leave Mom and Ningning anymore, right? You'll always protect Mom and Ningning, right?"
"Right! Daddy won't leave anymore..."
Ye Chen stroked Xiao Ningning's soft hair, his tone gentler than ever before: "Daddy will always stay with Mom and Ningning, so that Mom and Ningning will never be harmed ever again!!"
"Okay."
Xiao Ningning nodded earnestly: "Daddy will protect me and Mom, and our family of three will always be together!! Daddy, you must never, ever go away, or else Mom will get scared and cry secretly at night..."
Hearing this, Ye Chen's body shook violently.
Just what had these mother and daughter been through all these years!!
A sharp pain pierced Ye Chen's heart, and immediately, a scene flashed before his eyes.
In the dead of night, Xia Qingyue lying in bed, shedding tears in secret... along with Xiao Ningning's heartbreakingly sensible demeanor.
Fearing that Xiao Ningning's innocent childish words might reveal even more, Xia Qingyue hurriedly changed the subject: "Her tummy has rumbled several times already."
"Nuh-uh, Ningning's not hungry... I'm saving the chicken leg for Daddy to eat in a little bit..."
"Gurgle~"
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Ningning's stomach growled again.
Looking at such an understanding daughter, Ye Chen felt a fresh ache in his nose. He picked up the chicken leg and finished it in three or four bites.
Xia Qingyue was stunned. Xiao Ningning clearly loved eating chicken legs; how could Ye Chen possibly have missed that?
Just as she was about to hint at something, she saw that Ye Chen had already shelled a shrimp and said, "Ningning's constitution is too weak. Her digestive system might not handle greasy, meaty foods well, so it's best to start with fish and shrimp."
While explaining, Ye Chen had already brought the large shrimp to Xiao Ningning's lips, saying softly, "The chicken leg was delicious, and Daddy is full now. Now, Daddy will feed Ningning some shrimp."
"Open wide!"
Xiao Ningning obediently opened her mouth.
Xia Qingyue suddenly understood. She hurriedly finished the chicken leg in her own hand, and then joined Ye Chen, feeding Ningning food from both sides.
"Delicious... Ningning loves it when Daddy and Mom are both right here!" Xiao Ningning said happily in a cute, milky voice.
Because Xiao Ningning's body was very weak, Ye Chen didn't dare let her eat too much.
After she was about sixty percent full, Ye Chen played with Xiao Ningning for a little while before coaxing her to rest.
Xia Qingyue watched quietly from the side, waiting until Xiao Ningning had fallen soundly asleep before asking, "You... the Gu Family and the Lin Family didn't do anything to you, did they?"
"No."
Ye Chen shook his head and said, "Gu Tianhao and Lin Yuanhong probably provoked some big figure, and they were killed by people from the War Department and the Ministry of Defense!"
"What?!"
Xia Qingyue was startled. Wasn't this far too sudden and too coincidental?
"Furthermore, the War Department and the Ministry of Defense have also issued orders to arrest everyone from the Gu and Lin Families! From now on, you and Ningning will never have to be afraid again!" Ye Chen added.
"Yeah!" Xia Qingyue nodded forcefully, then fell silent. She wasn't quite sure how to face Ye Chen...
Back then, Xia Qingyue was Ye Chen's savior.
However, when the two of them became intimate, Ye Chen had been poisoned with a potent toxin, and his consciousness was blurred.
Moreover, Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue had never established a formal relationship; they weren't lovers, let alone husband and wife.
*Under those circumstances, she had insisted on giving birth to the child!... And she did so without Ye Chen's consent!!*
At the thought of this, Xia Qingyue couldn't help clenching her fists.
After a long while, she finally spoke: "Ye Chen, although you are Ningning's father... I don't want to tie you down with a child. Because that night, you were unconscious..."
"I gave birth to Ningning without discussing it with you either, doing entirely as I pleased! So, you don't need to worry about me!"
"And you certainly don't need to feel guilty because of this, or say anything about taking responsibility!!"
By the time she uttered the very last syllable, Xia Qingyue's eyes were already brimming with a mist of tears.
She, too, was a proud person; she refused to use Xiao Ningning to shackle or drag Ye Chen down!
"Do you think I rushed back just because of guilt?"
Ye Chen gave a bitter smile, then slowly fished a ring out of his pocket.
"Qingyue, love and guilt—I can tell the difference... This ring, I bought it five years ago at a roadside stall!!"
"Back then, I imagined countless scenarios of proposing to you... But I didn't dare!! Because I was gravely injured and hunted by enemies, living one day at a time without knowing if I'd see tomorrow, I didn't dare drag you down with me!!"
"Now I'm back... regardless of whether Xiao Ningning exists or not, I was always going to propose to you!!"
With that, Ye Chen dropped directly onto one knee, presenting the ring in his hand for Xia Qingyue to see.
"This ring isn't valuable, because back then I only had five yuan to my name... Will you... wear this five-yuan ring?"
Cupping the ring in both hands, Ye Chen quietly awaited Xia Qingyue's answer.
"Sob, sob..."
Looking at Ye Chen kneeling on one knee with a look of absolute sincerity, Xia Qingyue could no longer hold back the mist of tears in her lovely eyes, and they burst through the floodgates in an instant!
After letting out a sob, she hurriedly covered her mouth tightly with her delicate hand... After a long while, she finally steadied her emotions, nodded frantically, and said, "I do, I do!!"
Seeing Xia Qingyue agree, Ye Chen finally smiled.
Then, he gently slipped that five-yuan ring onto Xia Qingyue's ring finger.
"From now on... you are my wife!"
Ye Chen smiled as he stood up, gently gathering Xia Qingyue's soft, boneless waist into his arm, his eyes overflowing with doting affection.
"Yeah!"
Xia Qingyue nodded vigorously, her tear-stained, pretty face tinged with a few shades of shy modesty.
And as Ye Chen looked at her appearance, a sharp ache pierced his heart once more!!
Five years ago, Xia Qingyue was youthful and beautiful, with a tall, graceful figure, exquisite facial features, and sparkling, expressive eyes... Back then, she was known as the First Goddess of Jinling City.
But what about now?
Five years later, Xia Qingyue looked a bit more mature and possessed a deeper feminine charm.
Yet, she had suffered horribly; the whole person had wasted away, and even... the backs of her hands, her wrists, and even her neck bore bruises and congealed blood!!
Those sparkling, expressive eyes were nowhere to be found anymore!!
When Ye Chen returned from the Nanshan Villa, he had already had his subordinates thoroughly investigate everything regarding Xia Qingyue and the Xia Family.
The Xia Family was a second-tier family in Jinling City.
In order to climb social ladders, the Xia Family had arranged a marriage alliance with the Jiang Family—a first-tier family in Jinling City—planning to marry Xia Qingyue off to the Jiang Family's second young master.
Xia Qingyue refused to submit even unto death, whereupon Elder Xia locked her in a room and sternly berated her: "You'd rather die than agree? Fine! Then once you're dead, I'll have your corpse shipped over to the Jiang Family!"
From then on, Xia Qingyue was locked in that pitch-black, sunless room for a full three months.
It wasn't until the day before the wedding that Xia Qingyue was released by Elder Xia.
By that time, Xia Qingyue's belly was already protruding... Xiao Ningning was six months along!!
Upon seeing this, Elder Xia flew into a rage, immediately issuing an order to expel Xia Qingyue from the family before personally going to the Jiang Family to make amends. Only then was the wedding canceled!!
And from that day onward, Xia Qingyue became a rootless duckweed. On one hand, she had to rack her brains to survive; on the other hand, she pondered how to provide a warm home for the child growing inside her belly!!
Four months later, Xiao Ningning was born. At that moment, Xia Qingyue thought all her hardships were finally coming to an end...
As a result, the appearance of Gu Nanfei plunged her right back into hell!!
After that, Xiao Ningning became a mobile blood bank for Gu Nanfei's son. He also warned Xia Qingyue that she was forbidden to take Xiao Ningning away from Jinling, otherwise he would strangle Xiao Ningning with his own hands and then feed her corpse to the dogs!!
Had it not been for Xiao Ningning still living in her heart, Xia Qingyue likely would have committed suicide countless times over!!
*These past five years... just how on earth did you survive them!*
At this thought, Ye Chen couldn't help feeling a tightness in his throat. He pulled Xia Qingyue tightly into his embrace and said word by word, "Qingyue, you've suffered these past years!"
"Tomorrow, I will accompany you back to the Xia Family! I want to marry you... I want an official wedding with an eight-bearer sedan chair!! I want to tell everyone that you are Ye Chen's wife!"
"An official marriage..." Hearing these resolute and powerful vows, Xia Qingyue's eyes misted over with tears once again.
These past five years, she hadn't waited in vain!
Xia Qingyue held Ye Chen tightly. After crying her heart out, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, sinking deeper and deeper.
She hadn't rested properly these past few days, especially with the events of last night, which had kept her so worried that she didn't dare close her eyes for a single second.
At this moment, both Ye Chen and Xiao Ningning were safe and sound, and seeing Xiao Ningning's breathing grow increasingly steady, her little face—smooth as mutton-fat jade—growing rosier and rosier, Xia Qingyue finally set her mind at ease.
Added to the presence of Ye Chen right beside her, Xia Qingyue finally relaxed completely.
Before long, she fell asleep.
A moment later, Ye Chen looked down to see Xia Qingyue's delicate brows furrowed tightly. Even in her sleep, her expression still looked so heartbreaking!
Another pang of ache struck Ye Chen's heart. He reached out and gently smoothed away those furrowed brows.
Then, he carefully laid Xia Qingyue down onto the soft bed.
Both Xia Qingyue and Xiao Ningning were sleeping soundly. Ye Chen stared at the two of them as mother and daughter for a long, long time... before reluctantly tearing his gaze away and walking out the door.
"Master!"
Outside the door, God of War Chen Junlin, God of Slaughter Nie Wuji, Saint of Medicine Hua Yuntian, and the richest man Ma Huayun all bowed in unison.
"Hmm."
Faced with these high-profile figures capable of easily triggering global turmoil, Ye Chen merely nodded slightly, then asked, "The matter I asked you to investigate—how did it go?"
God of Slaughter Nie Wuji replied in an icy tone, "Reporting to Master, I have noted down every single one of those who hunted you down back then, without missing a single one. With just a single word from you, they will be headless."
"Good!"
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. Since he had returned, the grudges of the past should all be settled!
"Master."
The richest man Ma Huayun said with a hesitant expression, "Reporting to Master, I have already found the cemetery with the best feng shui in Jinling City... However, in the old graves at Nanshan, while Foster Father's remains are still there, Foster Sister's remains are missing!"
The Foster Father and Foster Sister he spoke of were none other than Ye Chen's adoptive father and adoptive sister.
Five years ago, when Ye Chen was hunted down by enemies, his adoptive father Su Tianyang and adoptive sister Su Mumu were also implicated and harmed by treacherous villains!!
"Mumu's grave is empty!?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes trembled violently, and he said sternly, "Investigate!! Go and find out what happened, and make sure you track down my sister's whereabouts!"
"Yes!"
Seeing Ye Chen flare up, dozens of disciples dropped to their knees simultaneously.
These disciples either ruled over their own territories or possessed wealth rivaling nations, yet they behaved with extreme caution and trepidation in front of Ye Chen.
These disciples had all been to the summit of Kunlun Mountain; they knew profoundly just how powerful Ye Chen was.
The young man before them had ten thousand outer sect disciples spread across the entire world, not just in Daxia Country... Every single nation on this planet had his disciples.
In addition to those outer sect disciples, Ye Chen also commanded ten thousand Kunlun inner sect disciples!... And Ye Chen himself had achieved sainthood through martial arts, revered as "Ye Kunlun"!
"Master, we will do everything in our power to recover Foster Sister's remains."
At this moment, the richest man Ma Huayun bowed and said, "Before this, disciple has already purchased a manor for you, along with a super sports car. Once Little Junior Sister's injuries stabilize, you and Mistress can move right in."
"Hmm... You've put thought into it."
Ye Chen nodded and was just about to give further instructions when his expression suddenly shifted.
He had returned in such a hurry that he hadn't brought a single thing with him...
Those priceless antique treasures, gold and silver fortunes rivaling nations, the Dragon-Head Black Gold Card symbolizing status and authority... and various other items had actually all been left behind at the summit of Kunlun Mountain.
If he were to make another trip back, he would likely delay taking Xia Qingyue home and proposing to her!!
Seeing Ye Chen frown, the disciples asked one after another, "Master, what's wrong...?"
"I want to host a wedding of epic proportions for Qingyue, but I rushed back and didn't bring anything at all!" Ye Chen said with a slight, speechless smile.
"This..."
After hesitating for a few seconds, God of War Ye Junlin took the lead: "If Master doesn't mind, disciple happens to possess a Cullinan diamond, which was the trophy of war after a foreign alien race was exterminated!"
The Cullinan diamond, of great weight, pure and transparent with a faint blue tint, was about the size of an adult man's fist and represented the finest grade of diamond.
Once upon a time, this diamond was even used by several monarchs to inlay into their scepters and crowns, symbolizing supreme value and power!!!
"Master!"
God of Slaughter Nie Wuji also spoke up: "Disciple also has a diamond in his possession—the Sancy Diamond! This diamond originally belonged to a foreign royal duke. After I assassinated him, I simply took the diamond with me on the way back."
The Sancy Diamond was one of the ten most famous diamonds in the world. The pale-yellow Sancy Diamond clearly originated from India, and it was said to be the first large diamond cut with symmetrical facets.
Its value was not a whit inferior to the Cullinan diamond held by Ye Junlin.
"Master!"
Saint of Medicine Hua Yuntian hurriedly chimed in: "Disciple spent ten painstaking years, gathering herbs in extreme cold regions for three years, gathering herbs in scorching hot regions for three years, and finally refining hundreds of famous medicinal ingredients to forge three Youth-Preserving Pills. Once consumed by women, they can retain their youth for ten whole years!! I wish to present these three medicinal pills to Mistress..."
"Master!"
The richest man Ma Huayun chimed in competitively, "My Tengli Group has been established for decades and holds some degree of influence... I know several world-renowned designers! So, Mistress's wedding dress will be handled by disciple!! Disciple guarantees that he will custom-make a uniquely noble wedding dress for Mistress, along with a one-of-a-kind wedding venue!!"
"Master!"
Another disciple rushed to speak: "Your unworthy disciple doesn't have much skill... but I still have over a thousand gold and jade shops across Daxia Country! The betrothal gifts for Master's wedding day will be handled by disciple to get them all sorted out!!"
"Master!"
Another disciple scrambled to voice his contribution: "Your unworthy disciple is talentless, but usually enjoys collecting cars, and currently has around several hundred limited-edition luxury cars collected... The wedding motorcade can be left to disciple to arrange!"
"Master..."
"Master..."
"Master..."
Listening to his disciples speaking up eagerly one after another, Ye Chen felt his head spinning.