Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Served with Family Discipline

Shen Ningning rushed over, grabbing Mo Lingwei’s arm and pleading desperately.

"Don’t blame my second brother, he didn’t mean to."

"Didn’t mean to?" Mo Lingwei’s tone was sharp. "I’ll summon him here and ask him exactly how he ’didn’t mean to’ injure you this badly."

Looking at the injury on her earlobe, if the person who did it had used just a little more force...

...it could have easily torn her entire earlobe off!

And Shen Ningning dared to say he didn’t mean it.

The palace attendants at the door knelt on the floor, trembling in fear.

The Crown Prince was furious. If the Xie family’s second son came now, he would be lucky to escape with his life!

The more Mo Lingwei thought about it, the angrier he became. His face cold, he turned and took down his personal sword from its stand.

"If you won’t let him come to me, then I’ll go find him myself."

Seeing him about to storm out,

Shen Ningning quickly ran in front of Mo Lingwei, blocking him with her small hands outstretched.

"Brother! I don’t want to cause trouble for the Xie family!"

Hearing this, Mo Lingwei lowered his gaze to the little girl.

Her big eyes were brimming with tears.

Shen Ningning sobbed, "My second brother blames me. He says I stole the real Shen Ningning’s name and her life."

"He’s right not to like me. I’ve also selfishly wished I were Uncle Xie’s biological daughter."

"If I were a daughter of the Xie family, I could enjoy my godfather’s and brother’s affection with a clear conscience, but I’m not."

"Every time they treat me with such care, my sense of debt and guilt grows a little more. No one in the Xie Mansion mentions the real young miss anymore."

"It’s only natural that my second brother won’t accept me. From now on, I’ll just avoid him."

"But please, don’t go looking for trouble with him. Godfather is so happy that he’s back, and I don’t want to be the one to ruin it. Besides, he didn’t mean to hurt me."

Mo Lingwei’s thin lips tightened, his expression as dark and cold as a block of ice.

’Shen Ningning just cares too much about the Xie family.’

’Otherwise, with her current status, who would dare harm her?’

When Mo Lingwei didn’t speak, Shen Ningning threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist and pleading.

Finally.

Mo Lingwei coldly tossed the sword aside.

"I can let him off this once. But if there is a second time, I will settle both the new and old scores with him at once."

Shen Ningning’s eyelashes trembled as tears streamed down her face.

’She would never provoke Xie Ming’an again.’

A group of Imperial Physicians were summoned to Zichen Palace by Mo Lingwei.

Shen Ningning was made to sit on the Crown Prince’s Six-Dragon Throne as the Imperial Physicians took her pulse and examined the wound on her ear one by one.

After hearing every Imperial Physician confirm that it wasn’t serious, the deep furrow in Mo Lingwei’s brow finally relaxed a little.

Mo Lingwei applied the medicine for her himself.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

Observing it up close, he saw that the crimson wound on her earlobe was like a blood-red thread embedded in white jade.

It looked painful.

Shen Ningning shook her head. "It doesn’t hurt at all."

After speaking, she even beamed at Mo Lingwei, her face like a blossoming flower.

"Because the medicine Brother gave me is especially good. It’s so nice and cool!"

Thinking of this, Shen Ningning swung her little feet. "I heard that when a girl reaches the age of hair-pinning, she gets her ears pierced to show she’s become an adult."

"Since my ear is already pierced now, does that mean I’ve become an adult too?"

The little girl’s innocent words made a nearby palace maid secretly purse her lips into a smile.

Mo Lingwei poked her little head. "You still have a long way to go before you grow up."

As she was leaving the palace, Shen Ningning confirmed with him again and again.

"Brother, you really won’t go looking for trouble with my second brother, right?"

Gazing into her bright, moist eyes, Mo Lingwei nodded and promised, "I will absolutely not look for trouble with him."

Only then did Shen Ningning let out a relieved sigh.

She then broke into a bright, lovely smile, her dimples showing faintly. "Then I’m going home! See you another day, Brother."

He watched her board the sedan chair and depart, and only after she was out of sight did his smile gradually fade, replaced by a cold glint in his eyes.

He turned and ordered a guard, "Go summon Xie Suzhi to see me."

He had promised Shen Ningning he would absolutely not look for trouble with Xie Ming’an.

’Very well, then. He’ll just find Xie Ming’an’s father to deal with him!’

Shen Ningning was riding in her sedan chair and had just left the palace road when she heard someone call out.

"Commandery Princess?"

The little girl lifted the curtain and saw Second Miss Chen, Chen Wanru, approaching from a short distance away with a palace maid and a personal maid.

Chen Wanru smiled faintly. "I just saw a sedan chair coming from the direction of Zichen Palace and guessed it was you, Commandery Princess."

’After all, who besides Shen Ningning would receive an invitation from the Crown Prince?’

Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. The rabbit-fur earmuffs she wore made her fair little face look even more delicate and fresh.

"Second Miss Chen, are you visiting the palace too?"

"Yes, Consort Rong invited my mother and me to the palace today for a little discussion on the Buddha’s Teachings."

Shen Ningning said, "Oh."

’The Chen family’s matriarch seems to enjoy Buddhist worship as well.’

She gave a sweet smile. "Then I won’t keep you. I’m going home."

Chen Wanru said quickly, "Commandery Princess, wait."

She took the Seven-color Gemstone Bracelet from her sleeve.

"Commandery Princess, my older brother said to give you this little trinket to enjoy. It was indeed improper of us to ask for your help in mediating before. Please take this to play with."

Shen Ningning placed her small hand on the bracelet and slowly pushed it back.

"Second Miss Chen, I cannot accept a reward for no merit. I can’t take this, please take it back."

"But..."

As the two were talking, Xie Ming’an passed by in the distance with a group of officials from the Ministry of Justice.

He turned his head and saw Shen Ningning’s little head poking out of the sedan, her small hand still resting on the bracelet.

At that moment, a young official following behind him was none other than Chen Wanru’s older brother, Chen Weiji.

Seeing Chen Wanru and Shen Ningning talking so cheerfully, Chen Weiji couldn’t help but smile. "Mr. Xie, it seems our respective younger sisters are getting along quite well."

Xie Ming’an’s cold eyes swept over the Seven-color Gemstone Bracelet, and his brow furrowed even deeper.

"She is not my sister." With that, he was the first to stride away.

Chen Weiji chuckled, turning back to the other officials with a hint of mockery. "You see? Our Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice is so impartial and relentless."

「That evening.」

When Xie Ming’an returned to the mansion, the housekeeper said, "Second Young Master, the Master is waiting for you in the study."

Xie Ming’an gave a faint acknowledgment and walked to the study.

Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Muchun and Wanchun walking out silently with their heads bowed, looking as if they had just been scolded.

When Wanchun saw him, she frowned subconsciously.

The two came before Xie Ming’an to greet him. "Second Young Master."

Xie Ming’an nodded and stepped into the study.

When Xie Suzhi saw him return, his expression was unreadable.

"Come with me to the ancestral hall." After saying this, he stood up first.

Xie Ming’an followed behind him, somewhat confused.

However, once they entered the ancestral hall, the housekeeper presented the family disciplinary rod with both hands.

Xie Suzhi took it in his hand and, without waiting for Xie Ming’an to speak, swung the rod fiercely!

He brought it down hard on the back of Xie Ming’an’s knees.

Xie Ming’an cried out in pain and immediately fell to his knees on the prayer cushion.

"Father!?" His brows furrowed sharply. He glanced back to see Xie Suzhi’s figure shrouded in the gloomy light from the snow outside, his face cold and furious.

"You insolent whelp!" Xie Suzhi roared. "Ningning is a child who has been formally acknowledged by our ancestors! She is part of the Xie family, yet you dared to lay a hand on her! She is so young, how dare you!"

Xie Ming’an gritted his teeth.

’So, Shen Ningning went and tattled.’

’He had long guessed she wouldn’t let it go so easily.’

Xie Ming’an wasn’t afraid of being punished by Xie Suzhi.

But he never imagined that his father would actually summon him to the ancestral hall and beat him in front of their ancestors—all for an outsider’s daughter!

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