Chapter 396: Cute Baby Relay Race

Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Cute Baby Relay Race

The citizens, having heard of Xie Mingxu’s triumphant return, had been gathered at the south gate since early morning.

When Shen Ningning arrived, all she could see was a dense sea of heads before her.

The people were cheering with excitement as the Xie Family Army began to enter the city.

The clamor of gongs and drums filled the air.

Wanchun covered her ears and shouted to Shen Ningning, "Princess, how about I lift you up so you can see!"

The little girl, however, anxiously stood on her tiptoes to get a better look. "But I want to go to the front."

Muchun and Wanchun shielded her, shouting at the crowd, "Stop pushing! The Princess is here, stop pushing!"

Shen Ningning had actually brought a large retinue, but they had all been separated by the surging crowd!

Muchun and Wanchun stayed pressed tightly against the little girl, which was the only reason they weren’t swept away themselves.

Their shouts were quickly swallowed by the roar of the enthusiastic crowd.

Someone in the crowd yelled, "General Xie has entered the city! I see the Great General!"

Shen Ningning made a swift decision, reaching out her little hands. "Sister Wanchun, up~"

Once she was lifted up, she could indeed see much farther.

Muchun and Wanchun hoisted the little girl up together.

Squad after squad of formidable, able-bodied soldiers marched past, carrying their war banners as they returned home in glory.

Xie Mingxu, clad in light silver armor, approached slowly on a white horse with a sword at his hip.

He was like a glorious god of war, shattering the dawn and heralding an era of prosperity!

Little hearts practically bubbled in Shen Ningning’s big eyes as she watched.

"Brother! Brother!" she cried, waving her little hands, her sweet, childish voice seeming to pierce the sky.

Xie Mingxu’s ears twitched. His cool, intense gaze swept over the crowd, searching for a familiar little figure.

Then he saw her. Held high above the teeming crowd, Shen Ningning was waving her little hands, her round, adorable face alight with pure joy.

"Ningning." A smile broke across Xie Mingxu’s coolly handsome face.

He immediately pulled on the reins, guiding his horse toward the front of the crowd. "Ningning! Come to Brother."

Xie Mingxu reached out a hand.

But Shen Ningning had no way of getting through; a dense tide of people separated them.

The people, packed shoulder-to-shoulder, couldn’t move back an inch. The crowd was simply too dense.

Shen Ningning pouted, her little face etched with anxiety.

She tugged on the sleeve of the man in front of her. "Hold me!"

The burly, dark-faced man froze for a moment before subconsciously taking the soft little child into his arms.

Then, Shen Ningning proactively reached out a chubby hand and tapped the man in front of him, an elderly gentleman.

"Hold me!"

The old man, trembling slightly, quickly took the fair, delicate child into his arms.

And so, in a relay of outstretched hands held high, Shen Ningning was passed from one person to the next, making her way toward Xie Mingxu.

Finally, just as she’d hoped, she landed right in Xie Mingxu’s embrace.

A wave of gentle laughter rippled through the crowd.

"Ningning, did you miss your brother?" Xie Mingxu’s large hand brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. He bounced her lightly in his arms and felt that the little girl had grown taller. Her face was still round and plump, with adorable baby fat.

Shen Ningning’s round eyes glistened. "I did! I missed you so much, Brother! Every time I said I missed you, Lord Xie would say bad things about you. Hmph! When we get home, you have to punish him for me!"

Xie Mingxu paused, taking a moment to process this before he remembered that "Lord Xie" was, in fact, his own younger brother.

"Did he bother you?" Xie Mingxu narrowed his eyes, and the sharp, deadly aura he had honed on the battlefield instantly flared around him.

He tightened his grip, holding Shen Ningning securely with one arm while his other hand clenched the reins.

"Don’t worry. First, I have to report to the Emperor, but I’ll deal with him for you as soon as I get back to the mansion." With that, Xie Mingxu gently spurred his horse, heading straight down the long street toward the Imperial City.

Shen Ningning elegantly pressed down the hem of her dress with her small hands as the whooshing wind blew through the fine wisps of her dark hair.

She could hear the deafening roar of congratulations from the citizens on both sides of the street.

In their hearts, Xie Mingxu was like an undefeated Heavenly God. By crushing Changliu Country, he had allowed them all to vent their frustrations.

When they reached the entrance to the street where the Xie Mansion was located, Xie Mingxu reined in his horse.

"Wait here. I will take my sister back to the mansion and be right out," he instructed the soldiers behind him.

Then, holding Shen Ningning, he dismounted and strode into the side street.

The little girl, draped over her brother’s shoulder, glanced back.

She saw a female general in the ranks, wearing a red-tasseled cape and seated on a chestnut horse. She looked incredibly majestic.

Shen Ningning’s eyes met those of Fang Qingdai.

The woman narrowed her sharp eyes, her gaze turning scrutinizing.

The little girl remembered that this was Cangyun Country’s only female general, a legendary woman who was said to be the equal of any man.

She couldn’t resist raising her little chubby hand and giving a wave.

"Hello, Auntie!"

From that distance, Fang Qingdai naturally couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she could read the charming smile on the girl’s round, adorable face.

Fang Qingdai was taken aback.

The way Shen Ningning smiled... it truly bore a striking resemblance to an old friend of hers.

Xie Mingxu carried Shen Ningning through the main gates of the Xie Mansion. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"The Eldest Young Master is back! Before the Master left for the palace this morning, he instructed me to prepare the finest dishes and wine!" Uncle Pang and the other servants rushed forward to greet them joyfully.

Xie Ming’an was dressed in a cyan robe with a bamboo motif. His bearing was refined, like a gentleman carved from jade.

He strode over, his voice filled with delight. "Big Brother!"

However, when Xie Ming’an saw Shen Ningning’s little hands wrapped tightly around Xie Mingxu’s neck, his pace slowed, and his long brows furrowed.

"Ningning, come to your second brother. Big Brother is covered in dust from his journey and hasn’t even bathed yet. He’s dirty."

"I don’t want to! I want Brother to hold me!" Shen Ningning turned her head away and plopped it right down on Xie Mingxu’s shoulder, not forgetting to look back and blow a raspberry at Xie Ming’an.

Xie Ming’an’s demeanor turned sharp. He decisively reached out, intending to snatch her away!

Xie Mingxu raised a cool eyebrow and immediately lifted a fist to block him. Unwilling to back down, Xie Ming’an reversed his grip and swept his hand up from below, trying to grab Shen Ningning’s little foot.

However, Xie Mingxu was faster. Holding Ningning, he sidestepped the grab, then lifted his long leg and gave Xie Ming’an a light kick on the behind.

It sent him stumbling back a few inches.

Uncle Pang was so surprised he didn’t know if he should intervene or not.

’Why have the two brothers started sparring?!’

"Big Brother!" Xie Ming’an exclaimed, dusting off his robes with a dark expression. "Can’t you let me save a little face in front of our sister?"

Shen Ningning, however, covered her mouth with her little hands, her sweet voice bubbling with laughter.

"Lord Xie got a kick on his bottom!"

Xie Ming’an pressed his thin lips together, looking even more displeased.

’This little rascal! The moment Big Brother returns, she stops calling me Second Brother.’

Xie Mingxu’s handsome face was stern and majestic.

"I’m in a hurry to enter the palace and report to the Emperor. The army is waiting for me at the mouth of the street, so I don’t have time to mess around with you."

"But when I return, you’d better be ready to confess exactly how you’ve been bullying Ningning while I was gone."

As he spoke, he looked down at the little girl, and his eyes, usually as piercingly cold as snowmelt, filled with a gentle smile as warm as the winter sun.

"Ningning, you wait for Brother at home. This is for you to play with. I brought it back especially for you."

He pulled a perfectly round, jade-green orb from his robes. It was about the size of a baby’s fist.

After handing her the gift, Xie Mingxu hurried away.

Shen Ningning cupped the jade-green orb in her two little hands, blinking her big eyes with curiosity.

"What is this?"

Xie Ming’an stepped forward and bent down, looking at Shen Ningning. "Call me ’Good Second Brother,’ and I’ll tell you."