84 Dinner

So, was it the emperor who was doubting his loyalty?

Was that the reason why Zhou Sheng had been sent to his family? To infiltrate them or to weaken them from the inside?

However, why didn't the monarch believe him? Because of the matter of the army tally? Or did the emperor know that Ning Fu had sent one of his subordinates to ensure about Imperial matters when he had just returned to the capital?

Fearing for the worst, Ning Fu asked, "Why? Did His Majesty ask you to look into him or his subordinates?"

Ning Fu takes at the naivety of his subordinate and replied, "His Majesty is so benevolent. How would he think that this bastard has a heart made out of stone and treacherous thoughts? But we as His Majesty's shield can't forget how this guy had lingered in The Imperial Palace for days on end before Zhou Sheng had entered the palace?"

At the Head Commander's callous response, Ning Fu had an irresistible urge to beat him up and since he couldn't control his impulse, he smacked the head of the other person.

When the Head Commander realised that his own subordinate was flicking him, he roared in anger and just as he was about to give the other person, a piece of his mind, he turned around and saw that the person next to him wasn't his subordinate.

Oh!

Damn.

It was the demon reincarnate - Ning Fu himself and since he had already been caught, Head Commander felt it was better to lessen his losses than to tussle with the bloodthirsty person.

Therefore, he activated his own qingqong had left the Ning Manor all the while leaping from one roof to another - huffing and puffing.

The Head Commander vowed to himself to avenge his honour another day - the day he had a lot of subordinates with him and Nung Fu was by himself far away from his own territory.

Meanwhile, Ning Fu wondered if he should talk about the foolishness of this person with the monarch or would that be seen as crossing his limits.

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In his last life, Zhou Sheng had been known as the devil of the Business World. So, even if he was in the body of a child, he still had the use of all that he had learnt in the last world. 

Therefore, it came as no surprise to him when after living in The Fu Manor for a few days, he realised that something untoward was going on behind the backs of the masters of the family. 

A servant girl came up to his door and asked softly, "Young Master, the elder madame is calling you to have dinner." Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

Zhou Sheng put down the book he was reading and questioned, "Where are old master and big brother Ning?"

The girl replied, "Old master has gone out to visit his friends and the first Young Master has still not returned from the barracks." 

Though Zhou Sheng wanted to talk about his misgivings with the males of the first branch of the Ning family, it seemed that neither of the males we're ever at home when he himself was here. 

Even after the adoption, he spent most of the day in the Imperial Palace and when he returned back to the manor, the other two males were either outside or resting. 

Sighing to himself, he replied, "I'll go and eat." 

Soon enough, he followed the servant girl to the front rooms. 

Meanwhile, Ning Fu had already returned from his inspection of the barracks and he also went to have his meal with his mother. 

The old lady always tried to have one meal together with the entire family when he was in the capital because most of the time he was waging war on the borders or simply guarding them. 

Coincidentally, both Ning Fu and Zhou Sheng entered the front hall at the same time as saw the old lady eagerly awaiting them and welcoming them inside. 

Zhou Sheng almost couldn't hide the smile that lot up his face at this scene of familial love. He knew the lady had her own considerations for treating him so well.

But for a person who had been marred in the dirty waters of business deals in his last life and had to go against his own family for the sake of his best friend, this scene was akin to balm on his tired and weary soul. 

His heart had an inexplicable sting of pain but he tried to hide his thoughts behind a benign smile. 

Both the males greeted the lady, "Mother." 

However, Ning Fu was perplexed when he saw how his own mother didn't give him any reply beyond a shadow nod of her head but took Zhou Sheng's hands in her own and called sweetly, "Come, child. You are gone throughout the day. Finally, you are back home. Come, have dinner with mother." 

Damn!

For a second, Unit Commander Ning Fu had the illusion that Zhou Sheng was the flesh and blood of his mother, while he himself was simply someone picked up from a dumpster in some back alley. 

Humph!

Ning Fu snorted at the hypocrisy of his mother. 

How come she never talked so sweetly to him?

Whenever she faced him, the only words that came out of her mouth were, "Rascal this, scoundrel that." 

He watched as Zhou Sheng gave a sweet smile to his mother - as if butter itself wouldn't melt in his mouth and his mother kept on parting his hand. 

Ning Fu stared as his mother arranged an entire table full of food in front of the other boy and then looked at the glass of plain water placed in front of his own seat. 

He had the irrational idea to throw a hissy fit like a child but then sighed to himself. 

Truly, the ancients were right in their sayings. The grass was always greener on the other end. 

But still thinking about it, the other boy didn't even have a clan to his name and was an orphan so it wasn't good if he himself felt jealous or wronged if he had to share his familial relations and love with him. 

Now that Zhou Sheng was already a member of the Ning Clan, Ning Fu vowed to take care of him as his own brother - as long as the other person didn't put the entire clan into jeopardy. 

Looking at him, the child was so thin and malnourished. He must have suffered outside. 

This was good. Ning Fu had always wanted a younger brother or sister but sadly, he was an only child.

Now that they were brothers, he would protect and cherish this boy.

Moreover, since he himself was always away from the Imperial Capital, Zhou Sheng could stay at home to look after his parents and they, in turn, could back him up in the Imperial Court. 

When Old Madame Ning saw her own child sighing and moping while partaking dinner, she turned towards him and asked, "What is it, rascal? Why are you sighing as if your beloved left you for another man?" 

Zhou Sheng choked on his food when he heard those words and Ning Fu gave his mother the stink eye. 

Why did his mother never care for his image?

In front of so many servants and the new addition to the family, she was asking him such things.

What did she mean that he had lost his beloved?

Was he so inept that he would allow his beloved to be stolen away by someone else?

Humph!

Ning Fu kept quiet and didn't respond because he knew if he arose to her bait, he would be the one on the losing end of a verbal spar. 

However, before he could console himself, he heard Zhou Shing turn towards his mother, "Mother, is there someone in big brother's heart? Who is she?" 

His mother slanted a crafty glance at him and harrumphed, "Him? Where will he find someone to keep him company with his furrowed brows and pinched mouth all day? Sometimes, I wonder if he was dropped by the nanny as a child because he never smiles. Why would a respectable girl give such a cold-faced the time of her day?" 

It was at this point that Ning Fu realised that his earlier thoughts we're going down the wrong track. 

He didn't even have anyone to spend his life with so where come would someone steal his so-called beloved. 

Then, he heard his mother turn towards Zhou Sheng, "Child, you have to grow up quickly and bring a beautiful daughter in law for me. I can only have some hope from you. If I place my hopes in your elder brother, I would die and meet King Yama before seeing the face, my grandchildren." 

Zhou Sheng didn't dare and carry on with the banter and the rest of the meal was spent talking about inconsequential things. 

Afterwards, both of them were shooed away by the old lady, bid farewell to her and walked towards their own courtyards.