Chapter 320

The gentle breeze gradually transformed into a howling wind. Though the two children didn’t fully understand, they sensed that something strange was happening. They looked around and saw the atmosphere in the residence darkening.

At their young age, the thing they feared most was anything supernatural. Their eyes saw everything around them turning black, and the swaying branches looked like they were heralding the arrival of ghosts. Seeing this, they began to show signs of fear.

“This manor must be haunted!”

“Aah! I’m scared of ghosts, no, I’m scared of ghosts.”

“You villain, you have to help me. You’re the owner of this manor, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. You have to protect me. I’m a prince, and the Emperor told you to take care of me.” The two children shouted and scrambled to hide behind Mu Heng.

Though they considered Mu Heng an enemy, he was also the person they trusted most in the capital. No one understood how these two children, with no family left, felt. No one could comprehend the fear they experienced being thrown into prison and then brought here.

Their attempts to create chaos for Mu Heng were their way of getting his attention. If he noticed them, it meant they were safe.

Since Mu Heng hadn’t killed them from the start, it meant he would protect them. This was the simple logic of the two children. Otherwise, they would just be crying and wailing like the other two princes in the royal palace.

“My duty is to protect you from bad people, but as for the ghosts in this manor...” Mu Heng glanced at them and then gave a wicked smile.

“If a ghost snaps your necks, there won’t be any evidence to blame anyone.” As he finished speaking, the two children’s eyes widened. They were already trembling with fear, and the wind grew even stronger, and finally, the younger prince, Tang An, couldn’t endure it any longer.

“No! Boo-hoo, I’m scared of ghosts. Help me.” Seeing Tang An cry, Jing Ziyang, who had been holding back, also burst into tears.

“Waaah. Mother, help me. Waaah.” The two children started crying loudly, looking utterly pitiable.

"Hehe," at that moment, a child’s giggle echoed, and the small, chubby hands clapped together in delight. Soon, the dark shadow that had enveloped the main house gradually disappeared, revealing a clear sky as if nothing had happened.

"Y-You, you’re a demon child!"

"Did you do that?" The two children, seeing the situation improve, pointed at Xihao, who looked as if he had just claimed victory. This reaction piqued Mu Heng’s interest even more.

"Little Xihao, did you do this?" The father gently touched his son’s cheek with affection.

"Keekee," the little one giggled. Though he couldn’t speak yet, his mischievous demeanor made it clear to Mu Heng that his son was a little rascal.

"H-He admitted it."

"He really did it." The two children exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fear.

"Good, from now on, you’re our boss."

"Yeah, you lead us from now on," they nodded vigorously. Xihao, who had intended to have fun scaring them, suddenly recalled something.

Wasn’t he starting his path as a villain in a novel? Even these troublemakers were beginning to follow him. In the future, he would have to fight against Noble Consort Wei’s son, the true protagonist!

Looking at the two mischievous kids, Xihao realized he might have made a mistake in scaring them. Who would have thought their minds were truly empty? Maybe pretending to ignore them would have been better.

Seeing the children make an agreement, Mu Heng felt a bit pleased. If Xihao had supporters in the future, his life would be much better. Hence, Mu Heng decided to take good care of the two princes to turn them into an asset for his son! It was the true beginning of a villainous alliance!

That night, Mu Heng and Xihao went to bed early. Yueqian, who bathed daily, took her time. She also checked minor accounts and had a novel to write for the Art Institute in the Du Region. So, it was quite late by the time she went to bed.

"Hoo hoo," the sound of crying carried on the wind, causing Yueqian’s small steps to halt. She followed the sound and found it coming from the room where little Tang An, the new arrival, was staying. Guards were stationed at the entrance, more to prevent the boy from misbehaving than to protect him. It was more like being imprisoned than anything else.

Yueqian nodded slightly at the guard, who stepped aside to let her in. She saw a small figure curled up into a ball, completely covered by a blanket as if doing so would not let others see that he was crying.

Seeing the child who had lost everything, once living a good life but now a prisoner of war, held here as a hostage, merely to prevent the tribes from further invasions. If the tribe no longer valued them and decided to launch an attack, the hostages would be the first to be dealt with.

To intimidate the tribe into surrendering, the hostages only held that much importance. However... that was an issue for the adults. For children like Prince Tang An, could he really accept it? Yueqian, knowing she couldn’t console the child with words and stop his crying, reached into her interdimensional space of the department store and pulled out a lollipop the size of her palm.

“Want some candy?” Her clear voice rang out beside Tang An. Startled, the young boy hadn’t realized someone was next to him. The little ball of a boy shifted and slowly peeked out from under the blanket to see his nighttime visitor.

He recognized her as the wife of that vile man but noticed the strange, colorful object in her hand.

“What is that?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady and wiping his tears under the blanket.

“It’s candy,” Yueqian offered it to him. Seeing that he wasn’t eager to eat it, or perhaps didn’t know how to, she took out another one and touched it to her lips.

“Try it. It’s delicious.” Tempted by her coaxing, Tang An looked down at the brightly colored treat in his hand and tentatively mimicked her. As soon as his tongue touched it, he was amazed.

“It’s delicious!” His eyes sparkled. Even back in his tribe, he had never tasted something so sweet and delicate.

"Glad you like it," Yueqian laughed, unaware that someone was hiding and watching them. After seeing Tang An enjoying the lollipop, his stomach growled loudly.

Growl!

"Who’s there?" Tang An tilted his head and found Jing Ziyang peeking in.

"W-What are you two doing?!" Jing Ziyang revealed himself when caught. He tried to look nonchalant, hands on his hips, pretending he hadn’t been spying for a while. But having eaten little at dinner due to unfamiliarity, his stomach growled again, causing him further embarrassment.

Growl!

Seeing this, Yueqian smiled. In truth, she didn’t like these mischievous boys, but hearing their cries in the dark made her feel guilty. Despite their young age, they had been sent away for the safety of their tribe. Wasn’t this child labor? In her previous world, children aged 1-5 were to be cared for and protected by their parents. Here, they seemed to have no value.

Conversely, only when they grew older and accomplished something did they become significant! Was this right? Why did children have to go through such hardships?!

“Want to try?” Yueqian pulled out another lollipop from her interdimensional space and handed it to Jing Ziyang. Hesitant but driven by hunger, he accepted it with a shamefaced expression.

In fact, he had heard Tang An crying and had been crying himself, though he was better at keeping quiet. He had come seeking the only friend who could understand him here, but who would have thought that when he arrived, he would see the other party’s happy scene?

At first, he felt betrayed until he tasted the sweet treat from Furen Mu, the wife of that vile man!

"Delicious!!" He exclaimed loudly, feeling just like Tang An. He had never tasted such delicious candy before.

If Yueqian had given this to a child born in the capital, the reaction wouldn’t have been as intense. They had many sweets to choose from. But these boys came from a tribe where even princes and princesses rarely tasted luxurious foods. It was like the Red Earth City. Just having a full meal every meal was considered special.

It was no surprise that they loved the candy so much, even though it was just a simple lollipop!

"I’m glad you like it," Yueqian nodded. Seeing her warm smile, the two boys felt their hearts race. The warmth that spread through them slowly eased their feelings of sadness and emptiness.

In truth, as a prince, their father had over ten wives. Therefore, their feelings of love for their father weren’t very strong. In their tribe, there was only poverty. Often, their father would force their mothers to go without food. For Jing Ziyang, it was even worse; his mother had died in the tribe when he was just three years old, so his attachment to the tribe wasn’t deep.

He only felt unsafe being taken away from his familiar surroundings, but it wasn’t as if he was deeply heartbroken.

"You, why are you being kind to us?" Jing Ziyang asked directly. This startled the child, Tang An, who immediately stopped licking his sweet treat.

"Hmm, maybe because I’m thinking of selling you."

"Y-You wicked woman! You can’t do that. We’re princes. If you try, your Emperor won’t allow it. You’ll be executed!" Jing Ziyang was shocked, not expecting Yueqian to respond like that. His reaction made Yueqian laugh.

She slowly stood up and prepared to leave. Before going, she looked at the two boys with a warm gaze once more.

"Since you know my husband and I can’t harm you, or we’d face execution by the Emperor, just stay here and be happy. After all, this place is safe for you," Yueqian looked into their eyes.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow, I have things to explain to you about the residence. Oh...and if you’re still hungry, go to the kitchen. Your food from today is still there. And don’t worry about us poisoning you. If you die, it would be our fault too."

Yueqian smiled at them before walking out, leaving the boys to their thoughts.

“C-can we really stay here? Brother Ziyang, we won’t be harmed anymore, right?” Tang An asked the older boy, who had previously declared himself as the elder brother.

Jing Ziyang thought for a moment before replying.

“Well, she’s the mother of Boss Xihao, and that vile man is his father. So, we should stay here and be a bit nicer to them. Otherwise, Boss Xihao might summon ghosts to deal with us.”In the end, Ziyang had found a way out for himself... and thus, the adorable little gang of villains was fully formed.