Without his freedom, Ning Fei knew nothing about what was happening between the imperial court and the martial arts world. He didn’t even know who had captured him or where he was being kept. This dungeon had many cells but it was always very quiet, seeming to only contain himself. Every day a doctor came to check on his wounds, delicious meals were delivered as well, but no one came to interrogate him or let him know exactly what was going on.
Ning Fei was anxious. He didn’t manage to accomplish what his father had set him out to do: compete in the imperial martial examinations. Ning Fei didn’t know if news of his failure had reached Ming Jian Villa yet, or if it did, what his father had done to his mother, his little brother and his little sister. Ning Fei hated himself a little more every time he thought about his family suffering because of his own mistake. There wasn’t a moment that he didn’t want to escape this cage, but there had been no chances.
“Fei Er!” When his mother appeared with his little brother and sister, Ning Fei thought he’d been dreaming.
“Big brother!” Two little bodies ran headlong into him. One on the left and one on the right, both hugging tight to Ning Fei, crying.
“Mother?” Ning Fei was stock still as his little siblings clung onto him, and felt as if he finally woke when he heard them crying. He watched his mother, Madam Wang(1), and his voice and body both trembled, “How did you guys get here?”
Madam Wang wiped her tears as she told Ning Fei about how her role as a dancer had been stricken from the official records, how she’d been taken out of Ming Jian Villa by the senior chancellor, how they’d been protected the whole way to the capital. Madam Wang was brimming with emotion, stuttering with excitement as she spoke and recounted the whole story. Ning Fei felt again that he’d returned to the realm of dreams as he listened to her story.
Luo Wei stood and listened patiently behind the turn of the hall. On the road, the mother and the two little ones were hounded by assassins from the Ming Jian Villa. Even though the name of the Senior Chancellor had not provoked Long Xuan, it was enough to provoke the master of the villa. Luo Wei had planned a few fake assassination attempts of his own under the names of Long Xuan and the Junior Chancellor. He believed that these attempts must have left deep impressions on this family of three. As he expected, he heard the three of them talking over one another to describe what it’d been like on the road to Ning Fei.
Luo Wei turned to leave. He wanted to give the family in the dungeon time to catch up privately through the night.
The morning after, the reunited family of four were brought to Luo Wei’s study.
“Third young master,” Having already been received with warmth by Luo Wei, Madam Wang was ever polite in front of him as she paid her respects.
“Big brother Wei,” The two kids smiled at Luo Wei with bright innocence. Beautiful and warm people can get children on their side very easily, and Luo Wei was just one such person. Ning Fei, however, stood frozen next to his mother.
“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Luo Wei smiled gently, patting the heads of the two little kids, “Why don’t you guys go eat breakfast with your mother?”
“Young master,” Madam Wang called out to Luo Wei, then tugged on Ning Fei’s sleeve, wanting him to pay respects to Luo Wei.
“Madam, feel free to take these two little rascals for breakfast,” Luo Wei smiled, “I’d like to have a few words with Ning Fei.”
Madam Wang excused herself with the two kids, following Xiao Xiao out.
Luo Wei regarded Ning Fei and found himself remembering that young general from the past life, riding a white horse and holding his silver spear at his side. It made him feel suddenly as if he was back there again. Luo Wei had no great hatred towards Ning Fei. The general had only followed orders when he came to confiscate the property of the Luo Estate. He never touched Luo Wei. Just the opposite, in the three months that Luo Wei had to endure humiliation in the palace, Ning Fei was the only one who pleaded for him in front of Long Xuan.
Ning Fei stood quietly as well. His worries were calmed now with his mother and his siblings safe. He also regarded Luo Wei, the third young master of the senior chancellor’s estate. Everyone had told him that this third son of the Luo family was a useless dullard. He didn’t expect to see that Luo Wei was actually a warm and beautiful youth.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Madam Wang – A clarification that Madam Wang is not the same as Madam Wang-Ning.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:
Thank you guys for following again! : ) I received a few more coffees over on Ko-Fi and I’m really appreciative! The cost of the website is half covered, and I’m sure within the next few months we could just cover all of it. I’m doing this just for fun so having help from you guys and seeing all your comments makes me so happy.
I really like Ning Fei!! He’s very straightforward, and his love for Long Xuan in the last life felt so one-sided… like he owned the second prince. I hope you guys will like him eventually too, he’s an honest guy.