204. Surprise Party

Seeing that everyone had left and Brother Xie had turned his back, the little dumpling immediately sneaked to the spot where he had been pulling weeds and summoned the surprise party gift box to put it down.

The box is square, with a red base and small pink dots. It is tied with a colorful bag, with a knot at the top.

The little girl looked at it and was pleasantly surprised to find that Sister Jiefufu had taught her!

It's a bow!

She grabbed one of the straps and pulled, and the box opened.

Then, the box suddenly became transparent and disappeared.

And then...

That was the end of it.

Nothing happened.

The little dumpling stared blankly at the empty ground and looked around at the unchanged scene.

This doesn't seem right, does it?

Did the system give her a fake one?

She thought about it for a long time and felt that something must have gone wrong.

Perhaps... it's because she didn't chant the incantation?

The little dumpling thought it must be like that!

So she stood up straight, put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and began to chant the spell she had made up, looking quite serious: "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the stars in the sky are twinkling, the flowers on the ground are blooming, the fairy moon is casting a spell, change, change, change!"

She recited it earnestly and loudly, and after she finished, she opened her eyes triumphantly, waiting to see if the spell would take effect.

But when he opened his eyes, the scene before him had not changed at all. It was still the desolate official road, with the roadside weeds still swaying in the wind, and not even a single new flower.

The little dumpling was stunned. She recited the incantation again, even raising her voice, but the result was the same; nothing appeared.

The little dumpling's face was full of confusion. She looked down at her little hands, then at her surroundings, and muttered to herself, "What's going on? Did Yue'er mispronounce the spell?"

The little dumpling frowned and tried again, this time reciting the spell even faster, but still nothing changed.

Xie Wenling had his back to the little dumpling, but he had already heard her chanting the incantation.

He slowly turned around after the little dumpling finished reciting the incantation for the third time.

Seeing that the scene hadn't changed at all, he was just as surprised as the little dumpling: "Princess, have you finished casting your spell?"

The little dumpling blushed, then belatedly realized her embarrassment: "Moon...Moon doesn't know, maybe the magic didn't work today..."

"Is that so... Actually, the county princess's sentiment is more precious than magic. Why don't I send someone to arrange things here, and we can come back here tomorrow to wait for Prince Dou, shall we?"

The little dumpling blinked its round eyes and nodded as if it understood: "Then Brother Xie should decorate it beautifully, just like the courtyard during the New Year!"

"Don't worry. Let's go home first and come back to wait for Prince Dou early tomorrow morning."

-

Xie Wenling sent the little dumpling back to the Marquis's residence, and then returned to his own residence.

He instructed his servants to set up a simple welcoming area along the eastern official road. Then he buried himself in his work.

That night.

The guard in charge of the arrangements reported to Xie Wenling with a look of shock: "My lord! The area along the eastern official road... is ready!"

Xie Wenling paused, looking up at the guard without saying a word.

Seeing the look in his eyes, the guard hurriedly added, "Sir, it's true! Our men were still preparing the materials when they saw the venue already set up from afar. But when they went to check, there wasn't a soul in sight!"

Xie Wenling remained silent for a moment, then lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.

He recalled the way the little dumpling had said "I know magic" during the day, and the slight stirring in his heart gradually became clear.

She cured his illness in the same way before.

He didn't know how she did it, but he knew that the name of the lucky star couldn't cover everything up.

Once others learn of this extraordinary power, countless covetous individuals will come, bringing with them danger.

He suppressed the thoughts in his eyes and said calmly, "I sent another team to make arrangements in advance. You don't need to ask any more questions. You may leave."

Although the guard still had doubts, he dared not say anything and bowed as he withdrew.

Xie Wenling was the only one left in the room. He paused for a moment, then continued to review official documents.

He wouldn't ask any more questions, nor would he be curious.

All he could do was keep this secret for her.

-

The next morning.

Xie Wenling led the little dumpling towards the official road to the east.

As soon as we reached the intersection, the little girl excitedly jumped out of the car: "Wow! It's so beautiful! Even prettier than the courtyard we had for Chinese New Year!"

There used to be a simple pavilion by the official road, but now it looks exceptionally exquisite.

A curtain made of wildflowers hangs under the eaves of the pavilion, swaying gently in the breeze and releasing a rich floral fragrance.

Colorful lights hung from the trees, and flower petals covered the ground.

On the surrounding open ground, colorful pebbles were used to create various patterns.

In the very center is the character "豆" (bean).

"Brother Xie, you decorated it so beautifully!" The little dumpling looked at Xie Wenling with admiration.

Xie Wenling paused for a moment: "...You flatter me."

Now, he is the only person in the world who knows who actually set up this venue.

"Now, let's wait for the Shining Bean Prince!"

-

Dou Shichen sat in the swaying carriage, his shoulders trembling, tears streaming down his face like broken beads, splashing onto the back of his hand and leaving a small wet patch.

He narrowly escaped the bandits' encirclement, but his carriage, which he was so proud of as to travel smoothly, was mostly broken, and the gifts he brought for his father and mother were all lost. His joyful journey home ended in embarrassment and disappointment.

"Damn bandits! They not only stole my things, but they also blocked my way home!" He choked out his curses, his voice full of grievance. "And those government soldiers, they're paid by the court, and they can't even catch a few bandits, they're useless!"

After cursing the bandits, he vented his anger on the imperial court: "And the emperor! He claims to be a wise ruler, but what is he? He can't even control a band of bandits! If I hadn't been lucky, I would have been killed by them long ago!"

He cursed this and that, interspersed with sobs, his little mouth busy as he said, "And the Duke of Anguo! If it weren't for his rebellion, would the court be in such chaos? Would the soldiers be too busy suppressing the rebellion to deal with the bandits? I wouldn't have encountered all this mess!"

"The most despicable one is Xie Wenling! How hateful! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been separated from my father and mother, and I still can't go home now!"

He became more and more agitated as he cursed, and his tears fell even more profusely, blurring everything in front of him through a mist of tears.

He felt incredibly unlucky, as if the whole world was against him, and even seeing his father and mother had become a luxury.

Just as he was immersed in grief and anger, preparing to vent his anger with a few more curses, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something unusual outside the window out of the corner of his eye—beside the once desolate official road, a beautiful pavilion had appeared out of nowhere, with strings of wildflowers hanging under the eaves, and the wind carrying their fragrance.

Dou Shichen was stunned. He rubbed his swollen eyes and looked carefully around the pavilion.

Upon seeing this, he was even more stunned.

The open space outside the pavilion was beautifully decorated, with colorful pebbles forming various patterns, including the character "豆" (bean).

Huh? Why is it the character "豆" (bean)?

"This...this is..." Dou Shichen opened his mouth, his voice still a little hoarse, his heart full of doubts.

Just then, a light footstep sound accompanied by a clear child's voice rang out: "Shining Bean Prince! You've finally arrived!"

Dou Shichen looked in the direction of the sound and saw the little dumpling hopping and skipping towards him.

"Sparkling Bean Prince, look! These are all surprises that Yue'er and Brother Xie prepared for you!" The little dumpling ran up to him, pointing at the pebble patterns, her eyes sparkling. "And your name too, isn't it pretty?"

Looking at the little dumpling's expectant eyes and the whimsical decorations, Dou Shichen felt as if his heart had been warmed by water. His initial anger gradually dissipated, replaced by a feeling of being touched and wronged by someone's sudden concern.

He never expected that someone would prepare such a surprise for him during his most miserable and distressed time.

He sniffled, and tears welled up in his eyes. He burst into tears, sobbing, "Waaaaaah, so good... so good, thank you soaaaah..."

The little dumpling was a bit confused by his crying and thanking, so she looked up at Dou Shichen and said, "Shining Bean Prince, do you miss your daddy and mommy? Don't cry, don't cry, Yue'er is here with you!"

Looking into her bright eyes, Dou Shichen felt a mix of sadness and warmth in his heart.

His grievances hadn't subsided; recalling the disheveled journey home and his longing for his parents, his nose still stung with tears.

However… when his gaze fell on Xie Wenling not far away, his mood, which had just softened, soured again.