Chapter 316: Suddenly Died in the Prison

Luo Hongli looked at them, sighed, turned and left the guest room, went to the kitchen and got a bowl of warm goat milk and a bowl of rice porridge.

Xiao Ningxun sat at the table, let Tuan Tuan sit on her arm, and picked up a spoon.

When the first spoon reached her mouth, Tuan Tuan cooperated by opening her mouth, and the rice porridge went down smoothly.

The second spoon was fine as well.

At the third spoon, she suddenly raised her little hand and slapped the spoon with a "pop".

The rice porridge spilled, all falling onto Xiao Ningxun's cuff.

Xiao Ningxun was stunned, not understanding what she had done wrong.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Xiao Ran, already eager, snatched the spoon, scooped a full spoonful of goat milk and brought it to Tuan Tuan's mouth, "Little runt, come, your third brother can't, look at Brother Jiu."

Tuan Tuan stared at the spoon for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks and blew hard.

"Hoo—"

The milk spray hit Xiao Ran's face.

Tuan Tuan pointed at Xiao Ran's face and giggled nonstop.

"Hahaha!" Luo Hongli gave Xiao Ran no respect and burst out laughing.

Xiao Er silently handed over a brocade handkerchief.

Xiao Ran wiped his face and laughed, "Alright, you've learned a trick!"

He, unwilling to give up, scooped another spoonful; this time he behaved, stretched out his arm, staying far away, "Open your mouth, ah—."

Tuan Tuan ignored him.

She turned her head, buried her face into Xiao Ningxun's chest, left a spot on Xiao Ran's back of the head, and her little hand also grabbed a strand of Xiao Ningxun's hair, calling in a babyish voice, "Brother."

Xiao Ningxun's heart softened immensely, took the spoon, and said in a light, slow voice, "Good girl, Tuan Tuan, have a little more, okay?"

The little head in her bosom moved, turned back slowly, and obediently opened her mouth to drink.

After much effort feeding her, a ring of milk stains clung to Tuan Tuan's mouth, Xiao Ningxun's sleeve was half wet, and milk droplets still clung to Xiao Ran's hair.

After eating, Tuan Tuan began to yawn endlessly, her little head drooping piece by piece.

But as soon as she was placed on the bed, she opened her eyes, pursed her lips and whined, reaching out to be held.

"I'll do it." Xiao Er suddenly spoke.

Everyone glanced at him in unison.

Luo Hongli couldn't help asking, "Can you? The one who usually carries a blade."

Xiao Ningxun placed Tuan Tuan into his arms.

When Xiao Er took her, all his muscles tightened.

He carefully mimicked Xiao Ningxun's earlier manner, letting Tuan Tuan's head rest on his shoulder.

Tuan Tuan twisted in his arms, seeming uncomfortable; her little hand grabbed at the air, and when it fell she clutched his earlobe.

Xiao Er froze completely.

Tuan Tuan, however, was satisfied.

She clutched the "new toy", her little head nudged Xiao Er's neck, and her eyelids slowly closed.

The room finally quieted down.

Xiao Er stood, unable to move, like a stone statue.

Xiao Ningxun said softly, "Sit down."

Xiao Er slowly moved to the edge of the chair and gently sat down.

Tuan Tuan fell asleep in his arms, her little mouth slightly open, still holding his earlobe.

Xiao Ningxun thanked Luo Hongli, "Thank you, Miss Luo, hurry back to rest."

Luo Hongli was startled, "What about Tuan Tuan?"

Xiao Ningxun replied, "It's fine, she won't stay like this for long; tomorrow she'll be fine."

Luo Hongli was about to ask how she knew, but seeing Xiao Ningxun's deep gaze, she vaguely understood, "Alright, I'm leaving. If you need anything, send someone to find me."

"Alright."

Luo Hongli turned and walked out.

Xiao Ningxun said softly, "Xiao Ran, Lu Qi, you both go back and rest; Xiao Er and I will watch over Tuan Tuan."

Xiao Ran and Lu Qi nodded and left the guest room.

Xiao Ningxun walked to the screen, changing clothes while saying, "Tuan Tuan's first two instances of qi leakage were caused by thunder and strong wind; this time it's rain."

Xiao Er nodded, lowly saying, "I've been pondering this too; it seems that whenever Miss does these, abnormalities appear."

"Third Young Master…" Xiao Er began to speak but stopped.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Er looked at Tuan Tuan in his arms, gritted his teeth, "If Miss can't recover this time…"

"That's also fine," Xiao Ningxun interrupted, "Tuan Tuan has been at Prince's Mansion since she was five. I regret missing her childhood."

"Then we can raise her again, why not? Whatever she becomes, whether she has those miracles or not, she's my younger sister, the shining pearl of Ning Prince's Mansion."

"It should be so!" Xiao Er emphatically nodded, his arm hugging the small body in his arms tighter, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Xiao Ningxun finished changing: "Give it to me, you also go back to change clothes; wearing wet clothes for long makes you sick."

Xiao Er slowly stood, gently placed Tuan Tuan back into Xiao Ningxun's arms: "I'll be right back."

Xiao Ningxun saw his sister sleeping soundly, and gently put her back onto the bed again.

Yet the little creature, as soon as she touched the bedding, immediately pried open a slit in her eyelids, her little mouth puckered, looking ready to whine again.

Xiao Ningxun helplessly said, "Fine, tonight we probably can't put her down."

Xiao Er returned, saw the scene, the two exchanged a glance, shook their heads in tacit understanding; someone has to keep eyes closed, so they took turns holding her.

After a few hours, Tuan Tuan stirred, and Xiao Er jolted, his arm instantly tightening.

Tuan Tuan opened her eyes and gazed blearily at the big, stubbly face before her.

She blinked, stretched out a tiny hand, and slapped Xiao Er's face with a pa.

Soft and squishy.

Xiao Er's eyes widened instantly.

Tuan Tuan, however, broke into a grin and laughed hee-hee-hee.

Her laugh was tender and crisp, like the first drop of morning dew rolling over a lotus leaf.

At that laugh, Xiao Ningxun, who had been dozing on the bed, snapped his eyes open and sat up with a whoosh.

"Brother, I'm hungry!" Tuan Tuan pouted.

Xiao Ningxun hurried to get her hot water for washing up, and also ordered the kitchen to bring another bowl of rice porridge.

The little one stood on the chair, her small body constantly wriggling, letting Xiao Ningxun wipe her face with a damp cloth.

When he wiped her chin, she suddenly grabbed a corner of the damp cloth and pulled hard toward herself.

"Hey, don't grab it!" Xiao Ningxun hadn't finished speaking when the wet cloth was wrenched from his hand, plopping into the basin and splashing water all over both of them.

Tuan Tuan looked at Xiao Ningxun's shirt, wet from her doing, then glanced down at her own equally wet front, blinked, and afterward.

"Hee-hee-hee..."

She burst into loud laughter, utterly delighted, her little body swaying back and forth, almost toppling off the chair.

Xiao Ningxun, quick-eyed and quick-handed, scooped her up in one motion.

The rice porridge was brought in.

Tuan Tuan, having slept enough, refused to sit still any longer, toddling around the room holding onto table and chair legs, babbling ee-ya ee-ya nonstop.

Xiao Er bent at the waist, following closely behind, afraid she would fall.

Xiao Ningxun gently blew on the rice porridge and fed her spoon by spoon, trailing behind his sister.

After every few bites, Tuan Tuan would reach for the spoon, trying to feed herself, while Xiao Ningxun dodged and fed her, sweat pouring down his forehead.

The door pushed open, and Xiao Ran and Lu Qi walked in.

"Little one, you're awake?"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Ran took out a small ball, rolling it back and forth on the table to attract her attention: "Look! Is it fun?"

Tuan Tuan was indeed drawn to it, climbing onto the chair and staring intently.

Xiao Ningxun seized the moment and quickly fed her a few more spoonfuls.

After the meal, rice grains clung to the table, the floor, Tuan Tuan's body, and Xiao Ningxun's hands.

After the meal, Xiao Ran placed the small ball on the bed.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up; she slid down from the chair, crawled onto the bed, and straightaway crawled toward the ball, using all four limbs, her little bottom wriggling.

She crawled quickly, picked up the ball, and began to wobble across the bed, walking and crawling.

"Yo! Little one, you can crawl!" Xiao Ran's eyes lit up; he sat on the bed's edge, extending an arm to loosely block her, preventing her from falling.

Lu Qi came over, also sat on the bed's edge, took out a small rattle, and shook it gently.

Hearing the movement, Tuan Tuan turned direction and crawled toward Lu Qi.

She crawled onto Lu Qi's leg, lifted her little head, reached for the rattle, and babbled ee-ya ee-ya, uttering incomprehensible words.

Lu Qi lowered the rattle a bit.

Tuan Tuan grabbed the handle and shook it hard, thump-thump, thump-thump.

Her eyes grew brighter, and she shook it with even more vigor.

Xiao Er wondered: "Where did you all get these toys?"

"Bought them on the street! I and Lu Qi, as soon as we opened our eyes, went to the street and bought them back for Tuan Tuan."

Tuan Tuan shook it for a while, lifted her little head to look at Lu Qi, tossed aside the rattle, and opened her arms.

Lu Qi was delighted, hurriedly picked her up, walked to the window to look outside: "Look, this is the little river, that is the little bridge..."

Tuan Tuan stared without blinking, her mouth babbling ee-ya ee-ya, uttering incomprehensible words.

Xiao Ran leaned over: "Little Tuan Tuan, look, doesn't that resemble a toad? Ugly ugly?"

Tuan Tuan strained to look in the direction he pointed, and her little mouth pursed.

She burst into a loud wail: "Ugly! I don't want it!"

Lu Qi and Xiao Er both glared at Xiao Ran in unison, then, flustered, began to coax: "Don't cry, don't cry, it's not ugly, it's nice!"

Xiao Ningxun couldn't help but rub his forehead: "Tuan Tuan, hurry up and recover, this is too exhausting."

Four grown-ups are spinning around you, Tuan Tuan!

The next day, Tuan Tuan woke from a sleep, finally returned to her original appearance, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Ping reported from outside the door: "Third Young Master, Ninth Young Master, the City Guard Camp sent someone to report that Shen Wanjin died a violent death in the great prison."