She stood on tiptoe, peering through the crowd, but saw only unfamiliar backs.
Her nose tingled with sourness, the earlier joy instantly vanishing, and even the rabbit sugar painting in her hand no longer seemed appealing.
"Wah... Xiao Cui, where did you go..."
Her lips puckered, and her large eyes quickly misted over, glistening tears swirling in their sockets, on the verge of falling.
The rabbit ears of the sugar painting were slightly deformed from her grip, sticky syrup clinging to her fingers.
Yet she remained oblivious, standing bewildered in place, her small frame appearing especially frail amid the bustling crowd.
The little girl's tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
The elderly sugar painting vendor hastily set down his copper ladle, wiping her cheeks with his sleeve:
"Oh, my little friend, don't cry, don't cry. Look how lovely this sugar painting is, with its long rabbit ears. Grandpa gives it to you, no charge, alright?"
As he spoke, he pressed the rabbit sugar painting adorned with golden sugar frost into the girl's hand.
He then clumsily mimicked a rabbit's sound, making the girl giggle.
But the tears still rolled down, hanging on her chin like sparkling shards of crystal.
Su Yu happened upon this scene as he approached.
He observed the old man's hunched back and the polished copper ladle.
And the sugar painting in the girl's hand, shimmering with amber light under the sun. His steps slowed, and he took out a Silver Soul Coin, offering it to the old man:
"Elder, take this."
The old man looked up and, recognizing him, hurriedly waved his hands, the veins on the back of his hands tensing:
"Your Highness! This won't do! Just having you glance this way is an honor for this old man. How could I accept your money!"
"This sugar painting was meant for the child, consider it this old man sharing in your blessings!"
He even took half a step back, as if the Silver Soul Coin carried a scalding heat.
But Su Yu insistently pressed the coin into his hand, his fingertips brushing against the thick calluses on the old man's palm:
"You earn your living by your skill, you deserve it. The child likes your sugar painting—that's your talent. Keep it."
The old man clutched the heavy Silver Soul Coin, his hand trembling, his lips quivering for a long moment before he said with reddened eyes:
"Th-thank you, Your Highness..."
Su Yu said no more, smiling at the little girl who held the sugar painting with sparkling eyes, and crouched down before her.
"Little sister, what's your name?"
"Big brother? I'm Ning Rongrong. Big brother, what's your name?"
The little girl blinked her dewy eyes, the sugar painting in her hand nearly melting from the heat of her fingertips.
"Hello, Rongrong! I'm Su Yu, and this sister is Hu Liena."
Su Yu pointed to Hu Liena beside him and asked gently.
"Where are your parents? Why are you here alone?"
"I don't know!"
Ning Rongrong brought the sugar painting closer to her mouth, her small brows furrowing.
"Dad and Grandpa are over there!"
The girl pointed toward the Papal Hall's location, then added:
"Xiao Cui brought me out, Xiao Cui was just here..."
As she spoke, her eyes glistened with tears, and she instinctively put her fingers in her mouth, licking off the sticky sugar residue.
Hu Liena crouched down, gently straightening the girl's crooked hair ribbon.
"Don't worry, Xiao Cui probably went to buy something and will be back soon. Stay with us and wait for her return, alright?"
Ning Rongrong looked at Su Yu, then at Hu Liena, and nodded. She raised the sugar painting to Su Yu:
"Big brother, look! It's a rabbit sugar painting! It's sweet!"
"Mm, little sister, you eat it."
Hu Liena watched Ning Rongrong licking her fingers and couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. She took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it over:
"Little girl, sugar stains are sticky. Use this to wipe your hands."
Ning Rongrong blinked her sparkling eyes, took the handkerchief and wiped her hands carelessly, then raised the sugar painting to Su Yu again as if presenting a treasure:
"Brother Su Yu, look at this rabbit! Its ears are so long!"
"They are quite long, as cute as Rongrong's little braids."
Su Yu reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
Hu Liena didn't know Ning Rongrong, but he did - Ning Rongrong was the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Meanwhile, the maid named Xiao Cui, having discovered Ning Rongrong was missing, hurried back to the Papal Hall.
Inside the Papal Hall, the air still carried the solemn atmosphere from their previous discussions.
Ning Fengzhi and Bi Bidong were quietly discussing the details of their subsequent cooperation.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall, accompanied by the crisp sound of clanking armor.
"Your Holiness the Pope!"
A Holy Temple Knight in golden armor strode in, kneeling on one knee with his sword planted on the ground.
"There's a maid named Xiao Cui requesting an audience outside the hall. She says... she has urgent news to report. Your subordinate noticed she appears extremely flustered."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi slightly furrowed his brows.
Xiao Cui? Wasn't that the maid serving Rongrong?
Coming for an audience at this time, and in such a panicked state... could it be...
He instinctively glanced at Bi Bidong, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Bi Bidong sat upright on the papal throne, her expression unchanged as she calmly raised her hand:
"Let her in."
"Yes!" The knight acknowledged the order, stood up, and quickly withdrew.
Moments later, a woman in green maid's attire stumbled into the hall.
Her hair was disheveled, and dust stained her skirt - clear evidence of her hurried rush.
As soon as she entered the hall and saw Ning Fengzhi, she fell to her knees with a "thump," her voice choked with tears:
"Master! Something terrible has happened! The young lady... the young lady has disappeared!"
"What?" Ning Fengzhi abruptly stood up, his palms clenched so tightly they turned white.
"How could Rongrong disappear? Didn't I tell you to watch her carefully and not let her run off!"
"It's... it's this servant's fault!" Xiao Cui trembled as she cried.
"Just now I took the young lady to buy some snacks on the city streets. I only turned away for a moment to buy her some water, and when I looked back, the young lady was gone!"
"I searched everywhere but couldn't find her. I had no choice but to come seek the master's help..."
Ning Fengzhi's face instantly darkened.
Although Martial Soul Holy City maintained strict security, Rongrong was still young and the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
If someone recognized her identity and kidnapped her to threaten the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi looked up at Bi Bidong, his tone carrying some urgency:
"Your Holiness the Pope, this matter..."
Bi Bidong raised her hand to stop him, her gaze steady: "Master Ning, please remain calm."
"Martial Soul Holy City is filled with Holy Temple Knights. A child couldn't have gone far."
"Someone, pass down the order! Have the knights patrolling outside immediately seal off all streets!"
"Conduct a thorough search for a young girl with twin buns hairstyle, wearing a cyan dress, named Ning Rongrong."
"Yes!"
The golden-armored knight responded clearly and swiftly relayed the order.
Bi Bidong turned to Ning Fengzhi and said calmly, "The entire Holy City is under the Spirit Hall's control. She will certainly be safe."