Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Reunion with the Benefactor from a Past Life Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Reunion with the Benefactor from a Past Life Everything had just begun, the wheels of history had veered off their destined path, Feng Xiangxue did not become the Commandery Princess, would Dugu Wu end up crippled?
The chocolate in her mouth melted, slightly bitter yet sweet upon reflection.
Feng Bailing ate expressionlessly and regained some strength.
Unconsciously, she arrived near Yi Garden. The corpses of assassins had been cleared, and there weren’t many people around.
After the assassination, the security in the Imperial Palace was tightened, with guards stationed every few steps.
The Imperial Palace was vast, and aimlessly searching was not a method; Feng Bailing thought she needed to ask someone.
There was a commotion by the artificial hills near the lake.
“Dugu Xiaojin, give it to me.”
The spoiled voice of a child carried over.
Feng Bailing approached and saw a richly dressed little girl angrily blocking a little boy.
It was the day of the Spring Banquet, and many had brought their children.
For fear of disturbing the Empress Dowager’s peace, they were taken care of by their respective nannies in a side hall.
Logically, at this hour, the children should have returned with their families, or perhaps these children were from the palace?
The little girl was small, rounded and smooth with a noble aire about her, probably three or four years old.
She was holding a golden slingshot, aiming it at the little boy.
The little boy was turned away from Feng Bailing; Feng Bailing could not see his face clearly. He was taller than the little girl, and his clothes did not suggest he was from a prominent family.
He remained silent, holding the small creature in his arms even tighter.
“It is my dog, I want to kill it with a slingshot, that would be its good fortune. Give it back to me quickly, or else I will hit you too.”
The little girl waved the slingshot in her hand, her domineering attitude revealing that she must be a little tyrant at home.
Seeing that the little boy remained unresponsive, she pushed him, but he did not budge, and she instead fell to the ground.
She had always been one to command wind and rain since birth, never before treated coldly . Watching the little boy’s handsome face devoid of any expression and not helping her up, she suddenly was overwhelmed with anger.
She grabbed a handful of stones and slingshotted them towards the little boy.
The girl had just launched a stone, the little boy sidestepped, and the stone flew past him.
Stone after stone he dodged; though young, he clearly was trained in martial arts; his opponent could not touch him.
“Dugu Xiaojin, I command you in my capacity as the Imperial Eldest Granddaughter, stand and take it, or else, I’ll have Grandpa Emperor behead you and your entire family.”
The girl, both anxious and furious, stood arrogantly pointing at the little boy, entirely embodying the demeanor of someone superior.
Despite her young age, her threats were bold and audacious.
The little boy pressed his lips together, his fists clenched in anger.
But recalling how the Princess Consort Shun had sternly warned him before he left, his fists reluctantly unclenched.
“Dugu Xiaojin, having entered the Imperial Palace, whatever the Imperial Grandsons command you to do, you do. They are the sovereigns, you are the subject, it is your fate. Be obedient, or beware your father finds you a stepmother to discipline you.”
He did not want a stepmother!
As if recalling a traumatic experience, the little boy’s eyes darkened, and he no longer dodged.
A stone hit his forehead, skin broke and blood oozed out.
“Die, for not listening to me, for ignoring me, for not playing with me.”
The little girl, furious, continued hurling stone after stone relentlessly.
A stone flew by, striking the little girl’s forehead, instantly raising a large bump.
Another stone flew and hit the other side of the little girl’s forehead, breaking the skin and drawing blood.
The little girl was startled and looked around, finding no one.
From all directions, stones flew towards her, whistling through the air.
“Queen Mother, brother, come save Xiao Xiu.”
Terrified, the little girl dropped her slingshot and ran away crying.
The little boy frowned as he looked around.
“Which little silly goose told you not to fight back and you just don’t?”
From behind the rockery, a mysterious red figure emerged, teasingly speaking.
Upon seeing it was a woman, Dugu Xiaojin immediately thought to run.
“Hey, don’t run. If you run, the little one in your arms won’t survive.”
Feng Bailing noticed that throughout being hit, the little boy had been protecting the little one in his arms.
It was a white-furred cub, its pristine fur stained with blood, showing numerous wounds, apparently inflicted by the overindulged little girl.
From her mouth came cries for Grandpa, she was Nalan Yan’er’s daughter.
The little boy hesitated, then stopped and turned around.
Feng Bailing clearly saw the child’s face.
He looked like a little sticky rice dumpling, with thick eyelashes, a small and straight nose, and a pair of deep brown eyes. He seemed very uneasy, barely daring to look straight at Feng Bailing.
In her mind, scenes flashed by like fleeting light and shadows.
On the street, the little boy awkwardly placed down buns; she smiled at him, and he ran off blushing…
It felt like something was stuck in her chest, and Feng Bailing was unable to speak for a long while.
After her family was destroyed, having lost everything, she wandered like a living corpse.
In her last days, the only warmth in her life came from the little boy before her.
They were strangers only having met by chance on the street.
He didn’t mind her dirty and ugly appearance, and would leave a few buns for her at that hour every day.
Sadly, until her death, she never knew his name.
“Your name is Dugu Xiaojin?”
Feng Bailing’s nose was tingling, she walked forward.
Her smile made her eyes seem like they could speak, leaving Dugu Xiaojin in slight stupefaction.
Although he couldn’t see her face clearly, for the first time in his life, he felt that perhaps women weren’t so frightening.
“Come here, let me check it out.”
Feng Bailing motioned him over with a wave, and Dugu Xiaojin hesitated for a moment before moving just beyond a step from her, handing over the little white dog.
Upon examination, Feng Bailing realized it was not a dog but a young wolf.
The cub looked much like a dog but its paws were somewhat different.
She took out iodine, scissors, and gauze, and started to bandage the little wolf cub.
In no time, the cub was dressed, breathing steady, fed by Feng Bailing with a half packet of mixed anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medicine, and it fell asleep.
Seeing Feng Bailing’s adept movements, Dugu Xiaojin suddenly remembered something, his eyes brightened, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards a nearby side hall.