Chapter 142 - 096 Dream of the Butterfly, Pull of the Heart_5
The youth merely glanced at her, then calmly lowered his head, remaining quiet and inconspicuous.
Ning Zijin narrowed her eyes and walked over with a smile.
"Dad, Uncle."
"Zijin is back." Uncle Ning Qinghuan greeted her with a laugh, "I was just talking about you with your dad. You’ve been married for so many years; it’s time to have children. The Ye family has such a vast estate, and he is their only son. It wouldn’t be right if you didn’t give them a child."
Ning Zijin’s smile faded slightly, her tone involuntarily cooling as she cast her gaze on the youth.
"This must be Uncle’s beloved son? His features indeed greatly resemble Uncle’s, truly worthy of father and son." The sarcasm in her voice went undetected by Ning Qinghuan, or even if he did notice, he didn’t care.
Ning Qinghuan, proud as ever of his son, promptly told the youth, "Zihuan, this is your eldest sister, Ning Zijin. In our family, she calls the shots. You’d better cling to her coattails."
The youth glanced at Ning Zijin and quickly lowered his gaze, her angle only allowing her to see his thick eyelashes.
"Eldest sister, greetings."
Ning Zijin nodded with a smile, "Zihuan, Ning Zihuan, that’s a fine name. Starting from tomorrow, you’ll be following me."
Ning Qinghuan immediately exclaimed in delight, "Zihuan, you haven’t thanked your elder sister yet."
Bringing Zihuan here was precisely with this intent in mind, but Ning Qinghuan hadn’t expected everything to proceed so smoothly. He merrily thought Zihuan truly was a lucky star.
"Thank you, elder sister." The youth responded with lowered eyes, his voice tinged with the hoarseness of adolescence, quiet yet filled with endless indifference.
Ning Zijin was quite satisfied with his performance; Ziqi was right, he was indeed an excellent prospect. He was a bit like her younger self but even better at concealing himself. She eagerly anticipated the kind of turmoil the hidden danger in his eyes would unleash.
She had been the same way in her youth, never rebuilding without first destroying, and even she feared her wild side. Thus, she held high hopes for the boy, looking forward to him bringing a new hope to the Ning Family.
At this moment, she had no idea that this seemingly tranquil, beautiful youth would, in the future, for one person, lay waste to an entire city, and among the ruins, the Ning Family that she cared for the most.
If she knew this would be the outcome, would she still make the same choice?
The answer was, yes.
"Get ready, we’re going somewhere tonight."
——
Gu Chunrong had anticipated this day, so the dress was prepared well in advance: a fluffy little pink gown, sweet and adorable to behold.
Bai Xiangxiang had a baby face, and this ostentatious princess style suited her perfectly, showing off her dimples as she smiled, sweetening the very hearts of those who saw her.
Gu Chunrong nodded with a smile, "My Xiangxiang is so beautiful."
Bai Xiangxiang, looking into the mirror while holding her dress, performed a Western curtsy and said to her reflection, "My Prince, stay right there and wait for me to find you..."
Gu Chunrong took out a crystal tiara to put on her, but she shook her head, "I don’t want to wear this." She pulled open the drawer of the vanity, taking out an exquisite box.
Upon opening it, there lay an intricately crafted, gorgeous butterfly hairpin.
She giggled, clipping it to her hair in front of the mirror, and instantly, the butterfly seemed to come to life, its colors glittering as if about to take flight, further accentuating the girl’s exquisite features and sparkling eyes.
When Bai Ran saw Bai Xiangxiang emerge, she indeed looked like a carefree princess protected from harm with such an innocent and pure smile that it seemed to radiate to those around.
Her gaze fell on her daughter’s hair, the butterfly pin shining brilliantly in the darkness, instantly drawing attention.
She couldn’t help but pause, an image of a certain person and their cheerful voice filled with laughter surfacing in her mind.
Pressing her lips together, she lowered her gaze, her brow furrowing deeper for a moment.
She had left her son at home; even though Gu Chunrong could be harsh, her opinion on her was declining, but her daughter still needed her support, so she would only treat her son well, daring not to harm a single hair on his head.
Gu Chunrong waved at them, "Ranran, go ahead without worries, I will take good care of Xi’er at home."
All the way, Bai Xiangxiang chattered nonstop, and Bai Ran felt like there was a buzzing fly circling her head, making her want to just swat it dead.