Xiao Ningning saw that Xia Qingyue's eyes were red and swollen, and she quickly spoke to comfort her.
When Xia Qingyue heard this, she almost broke down in tears again... Such a little girl... Such a little kid!! Even though she could not clearly describe the pain in her chest and stomach, she was so sensible that it broke her heart!!
At the same time, Xia Qingyue also knew that no matter how she persuaded, Xiao Ningning would wait until Ye Chen came back before eating anything.
So she gritted her teeth and said, "Be a good girl, Ningning. I'll stay here with you and wait for Daddy to come back!!"
To prevent the little girl from speaking and causing her wounds to hurt more, Xia Qingyue could only keep comforting Xiao Ningning, "Don't worry, Ningning, Daddy will definitely come back!! And he will definitely love you very much, so very much!!"
"Really?!"
Hearing this, Xiao Ningning's sparkling eyes immediately flashed with a joyful glow.
"Really!"
Xia Qingyue nodded, praying constantly in her heart, "He will definitely come back!!"
But... could Ye Chen really come back?
Xia Qingyue prayed endlessly in her heart, wishing that Ye Chen would appear right before her eyes, yet how could she not know in her heart that the chances of Ye Chen coming back were extremely slim!
Both the Gu Family and the Lin Family were first-tier families in Jinling City, practically powerful enough to cover the sky with one hand.
For ordinary people like Ye Chen, killing a few or even a dozen lives was something they could do on a whim, completely disregarding them.
She truly couldn't imagine what method Ye Chen could have to escape back.
At the mere thought of this, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but let her tears stream down...
"Ye Chen!"
"Did you hear what your daughter said?!"
"She was afraid you would leave again, so she wouldn't even eat her favorite chicken leg!!"
"Even though her wounds clearly hurt, she pretended they didn't, just to wait for you to come back!!"
"Ye Chen, you must come back. You must come back safely!!"
"Daddy!"
"It's Daddy back!"
Just as Xia Qingyue was praying continuously, Xiao Ningning suddenly cried out with utmost joy.
The next moment, Xia Qingyue saw Ye Chen walking step by step toward the bedside. His eyes were a mixture of complicated emotions—doting, surprised, guilty, and heartbroken—all intertwined together.
"Daddy... are you my daddy?"
Xiao Xixi raised her face and asked expectantly.
"I am!"
In an instant, a lump formed in Ye Chen's throat, and he almost burst into tears as well: "Ningning, I am Daddy, I am Daddy!"
"Daddy... Daddy!"
Xiao Ningning called out loudly, completely disregarding the pain of her wounds, and stretched out both hands while shouting 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, and are you hungry?"
Xiao Ningning asked impatiently, her sparkling eyes filled with care. "Daddy... there is so much delicious food here, and Mommy and I saved the best chicken leg for Daddy!"
Plop!
Hearing these words from his daughter, Ye Chen could no longer hold back, and hot tears fell in large drops from his eye sockets.
This was his daughter!!
This was his, Ye Chen's, daughter!!
Clearly she had been severely injured...
Clearly she was very weak and very hungry...
Yet she still insisted on waiting for Daddy to come back, saving the best thing for him...
"Ningning!!"
"My daughter!!"
Looking at such a sensible Xiao Ningning, Ye Chen could no longer contain himself. He broke down completely in tears, pulled Xiao Ningning into his arms, and repeated over and over again: "The bad guys have already been beaten away!! Daddy won't get hurt!! From today on, Daddy will protect Ningning forever... and never, never let Ningning suffer even half an ounce of harm again!!"
"Really?"
Xiao Ningning hugged Ye Chen tightly and said, "Daddy, you won't leave Mommy and Ningning anymore, right? You'll always protect Mommy and Ningning, right?"
"Right! Daddy won't leave anymore..."
Ye Chen stroked Xiao Ningning's soft hair, his tone unprecedentedly gentle. "Daddy will always stay with Mommy and Ningning, so that Mommy and Ningning will never be harmed ever again!!"
"Okay."
Xiao Ningning nodded earnestly. "Daddy will protect me and Mommy, and our family of three will always be together!! Daddy, you must never leave, otherwise Mommy will get scared and cry secretly at night..."
Hearing this, Ye Chen's body shuddered violently.
What on earth had these two mother and daughter been through all these years?!
Pain gripped Ye Chen's heart, and immediately afterwards, 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 sensible little face.
Xia Qingyue was afraid that Xiao Ningning's innocent words might reveal even more, so she quickly changed the subject. "Her stomach has growled several times already."
"Nonsense, Ningning is not hungry... I'll give the chicken leg to Daddy to eat in a moment..."
"Gurgle~"
Before she finished speaking, Xiao Ningning's stomach growled again.
Looking at such a sensible daughter, Ye Chen felt a tightness in his throat. He picked up the chicken leg and finished it in three or four bites.
Xia Qingyue was stunned as she watched. Xiao Ningning clearly loved eating chicken leg, so why didn't Ye Chen seem to notice?
Just as she was about to hint at something, she saw that Ye Chen had already peeled a shrimp and said, "Ningning's constitution is too weak, her stomach and intestines might not be able to handle greasy, meaty food, so it's better to start with fish and shrimp."
While explaining, Ye Chen had already brought the large shrimp to Xiao Ningning's lips and said softly, "The chicken leg was delicious, and Daddy is full. Now, Daddy will feed Ningning some shrimp."
"Ah!"
Xiao Ningning obediently opened her mouth.
Xia Qingyue came to a sudden realization and hurriedly finished the chicken leg in her own hand, then joined Ye Chen, feeding Ningning food from both sides.
"Delicious... Ningning likes it like this, with both Daddy and Mommy by my side!" Xiao Ningning said happily, in her sweet, childish voice.
Because Xiao Ningning's body was very weak, Ye Chen did not dare let her eat too much.
After she was six parts full, Ye Chen played with Xiao Ningning for a little while before coaxing her to rest.
Xia Qingyue watched quietly from the side until Xiao Ningning fell soundly asleep, and only then did she speak up to ask, "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 shot, and they were killed by people from the War Department and the Ministry of War!"
"What?!"
Xia Qingyue was startled. Wasn't this too sudden and too coincidental?
"Furthermore, the War Department and the Ministry of War have also issued orders to arrest everyone from the Gu Family and the Lin Family! From now on, you and Ningning will never have to be afraid again!" Ye Chen added.
"Mhm!" Xia Qingyue nodded hard, and then fell silent. She was somewhat at a loss as to how to face Ye Chen...
Back then, Xia Qingyue was a savior who had saved Ye Chen's life.
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 not established a relationship; they were not lovers, let alone husband and wife.
*Under such circumstances, she insisted on giving birth to the child!... And she did so without even getting Ye Chen's consent!!*
At the mere thought of this, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but clench her fists tightly.
After a long while, she finally spoke up, "Ye Chen, even though you are Ningning's daddy... I don't want to use the child to tie you down. Because that night, you were unconscious..."
"I gave birth to Ningning without even discussing it with you, entirely acting on my own accord! Therefore, you don't need to take responsibility for me!"
"Even less do you need to feel guilty because of this and say things like you have to take responsibility!!"
By the time she uttered the very last word, Xia Qingyue's eyes were already brimming with a mist of tears.
She, too, was a proud person; she did not want to rely on Xiao Ningning to tie down or burden Ye Chen!
"Did you think I rushed back just because of guilt?"
Ye Chen gave a bitter smile, and then slowly pulled a ring out from his pocket.
"Qingyue, love and guilt, I can tell them apart... This ring, I bought it five years ago at a street stall!!"
"At that time, I imagined countless scenarios of proposing to you... But I didn't dare!! Because I was severely injured and being hunted down by enemies, with no guarantee of tomorrow, I didn't dare drag you down with me!"
"Now I am back... Regardless of whether there is Xiao Ningning or not, I am going to propose to you!!"
With that, Ye Chen dropped directly onto one knee and presented the ring in his hand to Xia Qingyue.
"This ring is not valuable, because back then... all I had on my entire body was five yuan... Would you... be willing to wear this five-yuan ring?"
Ye Chen held the ring cupped in both hands, waiting quietly for Xia Qingyue's answer.
"Sob, sob..."
Looking at Ye Chen kneeling on one knee with a completely earnest expression, Xia Qingyue could no longer hold back the mist of tears in her lovely eyes, and in an instant, her tears broke through the floodgates!
After crying out loud, she hurriedly used her delicate hand to tightly cover her mouth... After a good while, she steadied her emotions and nodded frantically: "I do, I do!!"
Seeing Xia Qingyue agree, Ye Chen finally smiled.
Then, he gently slid 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 putting his arm around Xia Qingyue's willow-slender waist, his eyes overflowing with doting affection.
"Mhm!"
Xia Qingyue nodded hard, her tear-stained, pretty face tinged with a few shades of shyness.
As Ye Chen looked at her appearance, a pang of heartache struck him deep within!!
Five years ago, Xia Qingyue was youthful and beautiful, with a tall, graceful figure, exquisite facial features, and sparkling, lively eyes... Back then, she was known as the number one goddess of Jinling City.
But what about now?
Five years later, Xia Qingyue looked somewhat more mature, and possessed more womanly charm.
Yet, she had been subjected to endless torment; she had lost weight entirely, and even... the backs of her hands, her wrists, and her neck bore bruises and congealed blood!!
Those lively, sparkling eyes were no longer anywhere to be found!!
When Ye Chen returned from the Half-Mountain Villa, he had already had people 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 Clan, a first-tier family in Jinling City, intending to marry Xia Qingyue off to the second young master of the Jiang Clan.
Xia Qingyue refused to submit even unto death, and as a result, Old Master Xia locked her up in a room and scolded her viciously: "You refuse even if it means death? Fine! Then when you die, I'll have your corpse delivered to the Jiang Clan!"
Afterwards, Xia Qingyue was locked inside that pitch-black, sunless little room for a full three months.
It wasn't until the day before the wedding that Xia Qingyue was released by Old Master Xia.
By that time, Xia Qingyue's belly was already protruding... Xiao Ningning was six months along!!
Upon seeing this scene, Old Master Xia flew into a rage, directly issuing an order to expel Xia Qingyue from the family, and then personally went to the Jiang Clan to make amends so that the wedding matter could be called off!
From that day onward, Xia Qingyue became like rootless duckweed. On one hand, she had to try every possible means to survive, while on the other, she thought about how to give the child in her womb a warm home!!
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 back into hell once more!!
Consequently, 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, or else he would strangle Xiao Ningning with his own hands and then feed her corpse to the dogs!!
If not for Xiao Ningning still being in her heart, Xia Qingyue probably would have committed suicide countless times over!!
*Just how did you survive these past five years?!*
At the thought of all this, a lump formed in Ye Chen's throat, and he pulled Xia Qingyue tightly into his arms, saying word by word: "Qingyue, you've suffered all these years!"
"Tomorrow, I'll accompany you back to the Xia Family! I want to marry you... I want a grand wedding with eight palanquin bearers, a proper and honorable marriage!! I want to tell everyone that you are Ye Chen's wife!"
"A proper and honorable marriage..." Hearing these resolute and powerful vows, Xia Qingyue's eyes welled up with tears once again.
These past five years, she had not waited in vain!
Xia Qingyue hugged Ye Chen tightly. After crying her heart out, her eyelids grew softer and increasingly heavy.
These past few days, she hadn't been able to rest properly, especially with the events of last night, which had made Xia Qingyue worry so much that she didn't dare close her eyes for the entire night.
At this moment, both Ye Chen and Xiao Ningning were safe and sound, and looking at Xiao Ningning's increasingly steady breathing and her sheep-fat-jade-like face turning more and more rosy, Xia Qingyue finally set her mind at ease.
Coupled with Ye Chen's presence by her side, Xia Qingyue finally relaxed her entire being.
Before long, she fell asleep.
A moment later, Ye Chen looked down and saw that Xia Qingyue's delicate brows were tightly furrowed; even in her dreams, her expression still looked so heart-wrenching!
Another pang of heartache pierced Ye Chen's heart. He reached out and gently smoothed away those furrowed brows.
Only then did he carefully lay Xia Qingyue down onto the soft bed.
Both Xia Qingyue and Xiao Ningning were sleeping soundly. Ye Chen stared at the mother and daughter for a long, long time... before reluctantly looking 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 Richest Man Ma Huayun bowed in unison.
"Mhm."
Faced with these heavyweight figures who could easily cause global turmoil, Ye Chen merely nodded slightly and then asked, "How are the matters I asked you to investigate coming along?"
God of Slaughter Nie Wuji said in an icy tone, "Reporting to Master, those people who hunted you down back then have all been memorized by me without a single omission. The moment you give the word, they will be beheaded."
"Good!"
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes. Since he had returned, the old scores from back then should all be settled as well!
"Master."
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... It's just that, inside the old Nanshan graves, Master's foster father's remains are still there, but Master's foster sister's remains are missing!"
The foster father and foster sister he referred to were precisely Ye Chen's adoptive father and adoptive younger sister.
Five years ago, Ye Chen was hunted down by enemies, and his adoptive father Su Tianyang and adoptive younger sister Su Muhuai were implicated as a result, being harmed by treacherous villains!!
"Muhuai's grave is empty?!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes trembled violently, and he said sternly, "Investigate!! Go and find out what on earth happened, and make sure you track down my sister's whereabouts!"
"Yes!"
Seeing Ye Chen flare up with anger, dozens of disciples dropped to their knees in unison.
These disciples were either overlords of their own regions or possessed wealth that rivaled nations, yet in front of Ye Chen, they behaved with utmost caution.
These disciples had all been to the summit of Kunlun Mountain, and they knew very well just how formidable Ye Chen was.
The young man before them had ten thousand outer disciples spread all across the world. Not just in the Great Xia Country... every single nation on this planet had his disciples.
Aside from these outer disciples, Ye Chen also had ten thousand Kunlun inner disciples! And Ye Chen himself had achieved sainthood through martial arts, hailed as "Ye Kunlun"!
"Master, we will do everything in our power to recover Junior Sister's remains."
At this moment, Richest Man Ma Huayun bowed and said, "Before that, this disciple has already helped you purchase a villa, as well as a super sports car. Once Little Junior Sister's injuries stabilize, you and Mistress can move in."
"Mhm... You've been thoughtful."
Ye Chen nodded and was just about to give some instructions when his expression suddenly changed.
He had returned in a rush, not bringing a single thing with him...
Those priceless antique treasures, gold and silver wealth that could rival a nation, the Dragon-Head Black Gold Card symbolizing status and power... and so on, had all been left behind at the summit of Kunlun Mountain.
If he were to make another trip back, he would likely delay going home with Xia Qingyue and proposing to her!!
Seeing Ye Chen frown, his disciples asked one after another, "Master, what's wrong...?"
"I want to hold an epoch-making wedding for Qingyue, but I returned in such a rush that I didn't bring anything!" Ye Chen said with a slight wry smile.
"This..."
After hesitating for a few seconds, God of War Ye Junlin took the lead: "If Master doesn't mind, this disciple happens to carry a Cullinan diamond, which was the spoils of war after an alien tribe was annihilated!"
The Cullinan diamond weighed heavily, was pure and transparent, carried a pale blue hue, and was roughly the size of an adult man's fist. It was a diamond of the finest grade.
Once upon a time, this diamond was even used by several monarchs to be embedded in scepters and crowns, symbolizing supreme value and power!!!
"Master!"
God of Slaughter Nie Wuji also spoke up: "This disciple also has a diamond in his possession, the Regent Diamond! This diamond originally belonged to a certain foreign royal duke. After I assassinated him, I casually brought this diamond back."
The Regent Diamond was one of the ten most famous diamonds in the world. Pale yellow in color and clearly of Indian origin, it was said to be the first large diamond to be cut with symmetrical facets.
Its value was not a whit inferior to Ye Junlin's Cullinan diamond.
"Master!"
Saint of Medicine Hua Yuntian also hurriedly said, "This disciple spent ten grueling years, gathering herbs in extremely cold regions for three years and in scorching hot regions for three years, and then refined them with hundreds of rare medicines, finally successfully brewing three Youth-Preserving Pills. Once ingested by a woman, they can maintain her youth for ten years!! These three pills, I wish to present to Mistress..."
"Master!"
Richest Man Ma Huayun vied to speak: "My Tunli Group has been established for decades, and its influence is decent... I know several world-renowned designers! Therefore, leave Mistress's wedding dress to this disciple to handle!! This disciple guarantees that we will custom-make a uniquely noble wedding dress for Mistress, as well as a one-of-a-kind wedding venue!!"
"Master!"
Another disciple rushed to say, "This disciple is untalented and lacks any great skills... but I have over a thousand gold and jade shops across the Great Xia Country! Master's betrothal gifts on the day of the wedding will be taken care of by this disciple!!"
"Master!"
Yet another disciple rushed to speak: "This disciple is untalented, but usually enjoys collecting cars, and currently has close to a few hundred limited-edition luxury cars collected... The wedding motorcade can be left to this disciple to arrange!!"
"Master..."
"Master..."
"Master..."
Listening to his disciples eagerly speaking up one after another, Ye Chen felt his head throbbing.