Just as the child was about to hit the ground, Jun Mohan finally released the arm that had been around Leng Ruoli's waist. He straightened up, stomped his foot on the ground, and leaped into the air, reaching out to catch the child. He smoothly caught the child in his arms and landed steadily on the grass.
The child in Jun Mohan's arms was a four or five-year-old boy. He was sallow and thin, with three bruises on his face. His large eyes were filled with terror, and his clothes were torn in several places.
Leng Ruoli looked up at the place where the little boy had fallen from. It was a not very high, jutting hillside, and the side facing their manor's purple orchid sea was a small, steep cliff, making the terrain quite precarious.
At the same time, Leng Ruoli also saw two figures looking down from the mountaintop, seemingly searching for the little boy who had just fallen. However, their vision was likely obstructed by the purple orchids, so they were now leaving in a fit of impatience.
"Little friend, where are your parents? How did you get to such a high place by yourself?" Leng Ruoli asked the little boy in a gentle voice.
As soon as the little boy heard the word "parents," he burst into loud cries.
"Wuwu... I want Daddy, I want Mommy... Wuwu..."
"Alright, alright, little friend, don't cry first. Tell us where your parents are, and then we can help you find your mommy."
Leng Ruoli patiently inquired again.
"Wuwu... My my... Daddy... and Mommy are right here, in this patch of purple orchids."
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan: "..."
"Then how did you get up to this hilltop?"
Leng Ruoli pointed to the place where he had fallen from the mountaintop.
"Wuwu... I want my Daddy and Mommy, ... They wanted to catch me... lock me up... wuwu..."
Upon hearing the little boy's words, Jun Mohan and Leng Ruoli exchanged glances. They could sense something was amiss from what the boy said.
But just then, Uncle Zhong, leading a group of men and women carrying hoes and holding woodcutting knives, walked over.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, where are you? Is that the cry of a child I hear?" Uncle Zhong shouted in a loud voice, calling out under the purple orchid trees.
Hearing this, Leng Ruoli immediately responded, "Uncle Zhong, we are here, we are here..."
Upon receiving Leng Ruoli's response, Uncle Zhong immediately led his men towards the source of the sound.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, we finally found you," Uncle Zhong said as he walked.
A few minutes later, Uncle Zhong arrived in front of the Cold King and his Consort first. When he saw Jun Mohan holding a little boy who was constantly sobbing, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Uncle Zhong initially thought he had misread, so he rubbed his eyes and confirmed he wasn't mistaken. His face instantly broke into a smile.
"Dou Ban, I can't believe the cry I heard earlier was really you? Where have you been lately? Your parents are worried sick," Uncle Zhong said with great emotion.
"Wuwu... Grandpa Zhong, up there... there are bad people, they... they caught me, locked me in a cage, and made me... made me unable to find Daddy and Mommy, wuwu..."
Seeing Uncle Zhong, Dou Ban's crying became uncontrollable. He could barely form coherent sentences, and his appearance was heartbreaking.
"It seems my suspicions were correct. Dou Ban was taken away. I don't know who did this, it's truly detestable," Uncle Zhong said, clenching his teeth in anger.
"Truly damnable, who is so wicked? How dare they steal a child from our manor?" echoed those who had followed Uncle Zhong.
Uncle Zhong was silent for a moment, then took the little boy from Jun Mohan's arms and said, "Dou Ban has been found. We'll discuss Dou Ban's disappearance back at the courtyard."
"Now, I would like to introduce everyone to the owners of our Buyetian Manor, the Cold King and the Cold Consort."
As he spoke, everyone shivered and knelt down to pay their respects to the Cold King and his Consort.
"Your humble subjects pay their respects to the Cold King and the Cold Consort!"
"Everyone rise. Today, Your Highness and I are here for leisure. Please carry on with your work as usual," Jun Mohan said, waving his hand and excusing them from the ceremony.
Only then did everyone dare to stand up straight.
The people working at the manor were hired by Uncle Zhong. They were not servants of the Cold King's mansion, but hired laborers that the Cold King had paid for.
These laborers were honest folk who lived around the manor. Because it was their first time seeing such a high-ranking Prince and Princess, they thought all royals were as arrogant as rumors described, so they were somewhat afraid.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, where did you find Dou Ban?" At this moment, Uncle Zhong, standing beside them, asked with a confused look.
"Uncle Zhong, this little brat fell from that hilltop above. His Highness flew into the air to catch him," Leng Ruoli said, glancing at Jun Mohan with her large almond-shaped eyes.
As she spoke, everyone looked up at the mountain in unison.
"Heavens, who heartless soul took the child up there? That place..."
"Yes, that place is..."
"Alright, everyone, let's go back and talk. Whoever is fastest, go inform Dou Ban's parents first and tell them we found Dou Ban. Ask them not to go into the mountains," Uncle Zhong said, then signaled the hired workers to disperse.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, let's go back too." Uncle Zhong also looked up at the mountaintop and said with a heavy heart.
Hearing this, the Cold King and his Consort nodded. However, seeing everyone's reaction, their doubts only grew. They wondered why everyone was so afraid of that mountaintop.
Alas, their flower viewing today had ended due to unforeseen circumstances.
Subsequently, along with Zhong
On the way, Uncle Zhong looked at the child in his arms and asked, "Dou Ban, who took you to play on that mountaintop?"
"Grandpa Zhong, I don't know. That day, my parents were working in the front, and I went to play under the purple orchid trees. I accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, I was locked in an iron cage by some older brothers, and they poked me with needles," Dou Ban replied, sobbing.
"They poked you with needles? These people are truly insane!" Uncle Zhong said, suddenly becoming enraged.
At this moment, Jun Mohan asked with confusion, "Uncle Zhong, what secrets are there on that mountaintop?"
"Your Highness, your subordinate is not very clear either. Those people only arrived on the mountaintop about half a month ago. On their first day on the mountain, they warned us not to mind any noises we heard at night and not to come out. Since then, due to this matter, scholars and young ladies and gentlemen who come to our manor to admire the flowers no longer dare to stay overnight," Uncle Zhong explained seriously to the two.