Wolf-Raised Cub with a Space: Surviving the Disaster Years

He stood up and looked past Chen Shaobei, expecting to see a small figure appear.

The Emperor and everyone else turned their heads to look.

’What did the little girl who had supposedly captured the Crown Prince’s favor look like?’

However, there was no one behind Chen Shaobei.

With a grave expression, he strode up to Mo Lingwei.

"Crown Prince..." Chen Shaobei cupped his fist.

Mo Lingwei’s eyes, as tranquil as still water, betrayed no emotion.

"Where is Shen Ningning?" he asked.

Chen Shaobei pressed his lips together. "Miss Shen... she couldn’t make it."

He turned his head, whispering a few words to Mo Lingwei.

No one else could hear clearly, but to Mo Lingwei, the words struck like a clap of thunder.

Chen Shaobei explained that when he had gone to pick her up, he was stopped by the old village chief of Xiangyun Village.

Apparently, early that morning, Chief Wang had brought a man and a woman to the village, claiming they were Shen Ningning’s biological parents!

They had held a dazed Shen Ningning in their arms, weeping uncontrollably.

They not only stated the exact time and reason she went missing but also produced her infant clothes and a cloth doll as proof of their identity.

Grandma Qin recognized the fabric; it was the same material Shen Ningning had been wrapped in when she found her in the woods.

The couple also said that Shen Ningning’s home was in Xitai Village, where a whole host of relatives were waiting for her.

They had come this time to claim her and take her home.

Chief Wang vouched for them, but Grandma Qin, still worried, went with Shen Ningning to Xitai Village.

That was why Chen Shaobei hadn’t even seen Shen Ningning.

As Mo Lingwei took in the full story, the tranquility in his eyes vanished, replaced by a dark frost.

"How is that possible?" His gaze turned chillingly intense. "None of our people have found anything. How did this group learn that Shen Ningning was looking for her parents?"

Chen Shaobei nodded, his expression somber. "I found it strange as well, which is why I came to report to you first, Crown Prince."

"If you wish for me to intervene, I will go at once..."

Before he could finish, Mo Lingwei was already striding out.

The Emperor had watched them whispering, clueless as to what was happening. Seeing Mo Lingwei about to leave, he shot to his feet. "Ling Wei! Today is your birthday! Where are you going?"

Mo Lingwei didn’t answer. He only cast a cold, sideways glance as he passed the Emperor and Consort Li.

The look in his eyes was fierce and pitch-black.

Consort Li silently lowered her gaze.

Mo Lingwei tossed a sentence over his shoulder, "I have something to attend to. Father, you should stay and finish the meal. Consider my birthday celebrated."

With that, Chen Shaobei hurried after him, and the two of them vanished from the garden.

The Emperor froze, then his brows knitted in anger. "You... you..."

He swallowed the curses on the tip of his tongue, planting his hands on his hips and huffing, "You could have at least had a bite to eat before leaving!"

Of course, Mo Lingwei was going to find Shen Ningning.

He suspected it was all a scam.

...

Shen Ningning was taken to Xitai Village.

As soon as she reached the village entrance, she was mobbed by a crowd of overly enthusiastic villagers.

They all reached out to pinch and squeeze her small face and body, as if they were incredibly fond of her.

"Oh! This must be Ningning, right? I’m your Third Aunt!"

"I’m your Seventh Grand-uncle. Our Ningning is such a good girl."

Amid the cacophony of voices, they turned her this way and that, scrutinizing her from every angle.

The couple who had brought her kept saying proudly, "Ningning is from our Xitai Village, of course she’d grow up to be so lovely!"

A little frightened, Shen Ningning hid behind Grandma Qin.

Today, to attend Mo Lingwei’s birthday banquet, she had specially worn her favorite sapphire-blue dress.

She wore a cluster of blue velvet flowers in her hair, which looked especially adorable with her two small hair buns.

Someone, she didn’t know who, yanked the blue velvet flowers from her hair.

Grandma Qin shielded the little girl, fending off the reaching hands.

"If you all keep this up, I’m taking the child and leaving!" she shouted furiously.

The villagers actually calmed down, glancing at the couple beside Shen Ningning.

Chief Wang stepped forward to mediate. "Alright, alright. I know you’re all excited to have just found your child, but you must consider Ningning’s feelings. She’s still little, don’t frighten her."

The couple quickly said, "Look at us, it’s our fault. We were just too happy. Come, Ningning, Father and Mother will show you our home."

They took Shen Ningning by the hand and led her toward a village house.

The cottage was reasonably well-built, with white walls, black roof tiles, and three rooms.

Chickens, ducks, and geese were kept in the tidy courtyard, and it was clear the lady of the house was very meticulous.

A twelve-year-old boy stood at the entrance to the house.

He had a somewhat foolish expression and drooled as he stared at Shen Ningning.

"Ningning, this is your older brother, Zuchang."

The little girl glanced at him with her dark eyes, feeling only that he was a stranger.

She hugged Grandma Qin tighter, and when she turned her head, she saw the villagers outside the courtyard staring at her with fixed gazes.

Their stares made her uncomfortable.

The little girl pleaded in her soft, sweet voice, "I want to ask this aunt and uncle a few questions alone."

Chief Wang replied at once, "Of course you can."

He took the initiative to go to the door, shooed the villagers away, and then closed it.

The couple smiled. "Ningning, why do you still call us Aunt and Uncle? That’s so distant. We’re your father and mother."

There was still a hint of vigilance in Grandma Qin’s eyes. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Shielding the little girl, she said, "There’s nothing wrong with her calling you that. Even if you are her biological parents, she hasn’t seen you since she was a baby. It’s only natural for her to be wary."

Upon hearing this, the woman’s expression changed, and she immediately covered her face and burst into tears.

"It’s all our fault for being so careless," she sobbed. "We were taking her to visit relatives when we ran into bandits on the road. In our panic to escape, we lost her."

Her husband led Grandma Qin and Shen Ningning inside to sit down.

The man looked like an honest farmer, his skin tanned dark from the sun.

He sighed as well. "Grandma Qin, as you can see, our family isn’t poor. We have a son, but he... he hasn’t been right in the head since his sister was lost."

"You can ask around. Everyone in Xitai Village knows we lost a daughter four years ago."

Grandma Qin sat down on a chair, holding Shen Ningning in her lap. She hadn’t let go of her since they first walked in.

She thought for a moment before asking, "What did you say your names were again?"

The woman quickly wiped her tears. "My surname is Qian. My family was poor when I was a child, and my parents weren’t very attentive, so they never gave me a proper name. Everyone just started calling me Si Niang."

"This is my husband, Wu Cui."

Wu Cui added, "Our identities and household registrations are on file at the Ministry of Revenue. Grandma Qin, you can go and check for yourself."

"That’s right," Qian Siniang nodded. "Chief Wang checked everything thoroughly before he brought us to find Ningning."

Shen Ningning’s dark, dewy eyes studied the couple, Wu Cui and Qian Siniang.

Both Wu Cui and Qian Siniang had round faces and long, narrow eyes.

’She didn’t think she looked much like them.’

The little girl couldn’t help but ask, "Then... can you tell me what distinguishing features I have?"

"You have a red mole on your right hand," Qian Siniang said without a moment’s hesitation.

Shen Ningning was taken aback.

’On the way here, she had kept her fists clenched the entire time. They shouldn’t have had a chance to see it.’

’But the fact that she had a red mole on her hand wasn’t exactly a secret if someone bothered to ask around.’

’At least Qin Fangmei had seen it. She had even mocked Shen Ningning, calling it a "poverty mole."’

Grandma Qin clearly felt this wasn’t enough proof to establish their identities.

She asked again, "Is there anything else besides that?"

Qian Siniang quickly waved her hands. "Yes, yes! We left something with Ningning back then."

Shen Ningning’s dewy eyes suddenly went wide.

"What was it?"

’The Ruyi with her name carved on it... only she and Grandma knew about that.’

’Could it be? Are they really her father and mother?’