In the snowy landscape, Fang Wenxun followed behind Yu Ce, stepping into his footprints. He couldn’t help but feel that the current Yu Ce was different from before, as if his mood was off, with a somber and indifferent expression, like a thin layer of frost had settled upon him.
“Junior Brother Yu, it’s really great that you’re back this time. The Sect Master has mentioned you many times, insisting on calling you back for this sect-wide competition no matter what.”
Yu Ce remained silent, not uttering a word. The two little kids walked alongside him, their eyes curiously exploring the surroundings of Rongyun Sect.
Seeing his lack of response, Fang Wenxun felt a bit awkward. Nevertheless, he knew that since Yu Ce was isolated from the sect when he first joined, he didn’t like to socialize with his fellow disciples. Trying to find a topic, Fang Wenxun continued, “By the way, why did you bring two kids with you? Who are they to you?”
Rongyun Sect didn’t have any rules against bringing children inside; it was just unusual for someone to bring them, especially when it was Yu Ce. Rumor had it that there were less than ten dragons left, and Yu Ce probably didn’t have many friends or relatives within the clan. So, why did he suddenly come back this time with two three-year-old kids?
The children each had a white dragon horn on their heads, likely relatives from his family. After all, it was highly unlikely that they were Yu Ce’s own offspring.
Upon hearing Fang Wenxun mention the two little kids, Yu Ce’s expression finally softened. He lowered his gaze to the two little heads that were still busy looking around.
How should he introduce his children?
Shen Tanqi.
Do you have them in your heart at all?
If he told Fang Wenxun that they were Shen Tanqi’s children, Fang Wenxun might think he was losing his mind.
When a child’s biological father denies them, who in the world would believe it?
“My children,” Yu Ce calmly spoke.
Since Shen Tanqi didn’t want them, he did.
Fang Wenxun understood and chuckled, “So, they’re your children, huh…”
After a moment, realizing what Yu Ce had just said, Fang Wenxun lifted his head in horror, “What did you just say?”
“While I was traveling, someone else gave birth to him,” Yu Ce looked at Fang Wenxun with indifference, “What’s the matter, Senior Brother?”
Fang Wenxun: …
This is hardly an explanation at all!
Even if Yu Ce’s explanation sounded reasonable, Fang Wenxun still felt like the entire world had been overturned—the recognized genius disciple of Rongyun Sect, returning from a journey with two precious sons whose mother was a mystery.
Isn’t this too fantastical?
Did he forget to take his medicine today, or was he currently in a dream?
Fang Wenxun pinched his thigh fiercely, concealed within his sleeve. After confirming that this wasn’t a dream, he broke into a cold sweat on his forehead and awkwardly said, “Good, good. Congratulations, Junior Brother, on the joyous addition to your family.”
Oh God, Yu Ce had indeed brought back two kids after giving birth outside!
Fang Wenxun felt like a walking corpse, his whole being taken aback by this revelation. He stared blankly at the two children beside Yu Ce.
Once it was mentioned, the more he looked, the more they seemed alike!
Unconsciously, as they passed by Shen Tanqi’s residence, Yu Ce suddenly stopped in his tracks. His gaze fell upon the numerous red lanterns that had appeared on the pavilion by the Yaoting Waterside, and he seemed lost in thought.
Seeing him come to a halt, Fang Wenxun just regained his senses. Following Yu Ce’s gaze, he too noticed the beautiful red lanterns. It seemed Shen Tanqi had flawlessly executed his plan, and tonight, he would celebrate with Xiao Qingyu over a few drinks.
He suddenly felt that Shen Tanqi seemed more like a normal person now compared to Yu Ce. At least, he wouldn’t unexpectedly have two kids.
Fang Wenxun felt a strange sense of relief, highly satisfied with the lanterns. He whispered to Yu Ce, “Junior Brother, did you see that? Your Senior Brother Shen has truly changed. He personally hung these lanterns to celebrate the birthday of our new junior brother.”
“Is that so?”
Yu Ce stood still, lifted his head, and stared at the tree of red lanterns with a dim and unclear gaze. The scene reminded him of the festive lanterns he had seen during his travels among the common people.
He repeated, each word deliberate, “Personally, hung them.”
In the past, he bought a luxurious pair of golden mandarin duck quilts for Shen Tanqi. Now, Shen Tanqi was decorating a tree with red lanterns for their new junior brother.
In just three short years.
Is it really so difficult to endure? Yu Ce’s heart felt restless, and he couldn’t bear it. The red of the lanterns seemed glaring, and he knew that these mundane feelings of jealousy shouldn’t be present in the mindset of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. It would only affect his mental state.
However, he was genuinely uncomfortable.
“Junior Brother Yu?”
“Junior Brother Yu?”
Fang Wenxun called several times, “Junior Brother Yu, why does your face look so bad? Have you encountered something unpleasant recently?”
Yu Ce withdrew his gaze from the Yaoting waterside pavilion, his voice gradually turning cold, “Yes, there are some things that are quite unpleasant.”
Right now, he really wanted, desperately wanted, to drag certain people back to the cave, just like he did in the past.
“In life, eight or nine out of ten things don’t go as planned, but there’s always a way to solve them.” Fang Wenxun patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Look, even someone like Senior Brother Shen can change for love. What miracles in the world can’t happen?”
Yu Ce turned to look at him, and his gaze seemed even more irritated. Startled, Fang Wenxun awkwardly chuckled, not sure which words had touched Yu Ce’s nerves.
Did he say something wrong?
After a moment, Yu Ce gently pushed the two children towards Fang Wenxun and calmly said, “Stay with Uncle Fang. Dad has something to attend to.”
He wanted to personally, face-to-face, confront Shen Tanqi and get some clarity.
Fang Wenxun quickly reached out to stop him, asking, “Junior Brother, where are you going?”
Yu Ce looked towards the Yaoting waterside pavilion not far away and replied, “I need to see Senior Brother Shen.”
After saying this, he was about to leave after settling the two kids. Suddenly, Fang Wenxun grabbed his arm and urgently pulled him back, saying, “Why the rush, Junior Brother? Don’t you know? The Sect Master has already instructed that as soon as you return, you should immediately go to the Rongyun Pavilion to see him. As for Senior Brother Shen, you can visit him later.”
Upon hearing the mention of the Sect Master, Yu Ce’s steps faltered. He looked towards the exquisite and serene waterside pavilion, his fingertips tightening, almost on the verge of breaking the skin.
After a moment, he turned away, not looking back, and whispered, “Got it. I’ll go immediately.”
“Dad, are you leaving?” The older brother looked up, tugging at the edge of Yu Ce’s clothes. “When will you come back?”
Yu Ce gently rubbed the heads of both kids and said in a soothing tone, “Very soon. Both of you, don’t wander around, okay?”
The older brother nodded, holding hands with his younger brother, who was still trying to appear cool in his black attire. With a sweet smile, he said, “Goodbye, Dad. I promise to take good care of my little brother and keep him from running around.”
Upon hearing this, the younger brother in black seemed to grit his teeth and said, “You’d better take care of yourself, idiot.”
As they spoke, Yu Ce had already walked away. Fang Wenxun quickly separated the two kids, who seemed on the verge of arguing, and said, “No fighting, okay? You two are good brothers.”
How come neither of Yu Ce’s kids seems to have inherited his temperament?
One is so innocent and romantic, almost like a blank canvas, while the other is mature and aloof, resembling a little adult.
Upon hearing Fang Wenxun’s words, the older brother chuckled softly and said in a childish voice, “Uncle, we’re not fighting. My little brother likes me the most.”
The younger brother quickly covered his mouth, his ears turning red. “When did I ever say that?”
“Uh… two nights ago, you talked in your sleep. You said you liked your brother the most…”
The younger brother’s face instantly turned crimson, strongly denying, “I think you were the one dreaming.”
Fang Wenxun couldn’t help but chuckle at the innocent words of the children. After spending so long in the sect with dull routines, suddenly having two adorable kids around brought a sense of joy to him.
“Uncle Fang, will you take us for a stroll?” Fang Wenxun held one child in each hand, ready to leave the Yaoting waterside pavilion. However, he noticed that the wooden door of the pavilion loft slowly opened.
A figure in red walked through the snow, blossoming like a cluster of splendid and dew-drenched red plum blossoms in the white landscape.
“Senior Brother Fang?”
Shen Tanqi was draped in a pure white cloak, emphasizing the red shirt on him, resembling a flower painting. He adjusted the collar and his gaze fell upon the two little ones beside Fang Wenxun.
So, the children’s voices he heard earlier were not from a dream…
Seeing him come out, Fang Wenxun happily waved and said, “Junior Brother, come here. Guess whose kids these are.”
Shen Tanqi walked over, looking at the two adorable kids beside Fang Wenxun. He hadn’t seen them clearly from a distance, but up close, he was momentarily stunned by the children’s charming looks.
However, why were both of their heads adorned with white dragon horns?
Looking so soft and adorable, could they be little deer spirits?
Shen Tanqi had never seen such delicately cute kids before; in the modern world, they could easily become child stars.
He bent down, somewhat surprised, and looked at Fang Wenxun. “Senior Brother, where did you get these kids?”
Fang Wenxun: …
“Cough, cough,” he cleared his throat and said, “Senior Brother hasn’t gotten married yet.”
He couldn’t just make things up; he still had to find a wife in the future.
Fang Wenxun smiled and pushed the two cute little ones in front of Shen Tanqi, explaining, “These are Junior Brother Yu’s kids.”
The smile on Shen Tanqi’s face instantly froze.
Who?
Dude, who are you talking about?
“Junior Brother Yu?” Shen Tanqi stood up abruptly, looking around, “He’s back? Where is he?”
Damn, why did the male lead return so early? This is not logical!
The system didn’t inform him that the male lead would return before the sect competition, and he even brought two children. What could have triggered the male lead like this? Oh no, oh no, he hasn’t prepared anything yet, and he’s feeling so anxious. It’s like preparing to go into battle, only to return to the camp and find out it’s already full of enemy troops.
Fang Wenxun no longer avoided mentioning Yu Ce in front of Shen Tanqi. He smiled and said, “He was called by the Sect Master. It’s been a while since they met, so I guess they need to chat until night before the Sect Master lets him come back.”
Pausing for a moment, Fang Wenxun, as if suddenly remembering Yu Ce’s instructions before leaving, obediently kept the two little ones by his side and asked, “By the way, I haven’t asked, what are your names?”
The two kids looked at each other and then, eventually, the older brother spoke first, confidently saying, “I’m called Dandan1‘Dandan’ means ‘egg egg’, and my younger brother is called Erdan2‘Erdan’ means ‘second egg’.”
The younger brother covered his brother’s mouth, seemingly embarrassed. In a slightly adult-like manner, he cleared his throat, “Those are our nicknames. Actually, he’s called Yu Jin, and I’m called Yu Yuan.”
Upon hearing these names, Shen Tanqi’s eyes and brows suddenly softened with a smile. Even his fear of the male lead diminished a bit. He gently rubbed Yu Yuan’s little head and said softly, “Yu Yuan, Taro, you’re a little taro ball3
‘Taro ball’ is a traditional Taiwanese cuisine dessert made of taro.. Yu Jin, Goldfish, your brother is a little goldfish. Such cute names. Who gave you these names?”
Though they didn’t know what Shen Tanqi meant by ‘Taro,’ the kids strangely felt that the nickname he gave them sounded much nicer than the ones Yu Ce came up with.
As he rubbed their heads, little Yu Yuan felt somewhat uncomfortable and lowered his head. He said, “Our nanny gave us these names. She said they are good names because ‘Dragon Soars Today’ and ‘Hidden Dragon in the Abyss’ both sound good.”
Anyway, they sounded better than Egg Egg and Second Egg.
Taro Ball looked about three years old but surprisingly spoke very clearly. Shen Tanqi had never seen such a smart and adorable child. He crouched down, looked them in the eyes, and smiled, “Good babies, have you had breakfast?”
Both Little Taro Ball and Little Goldfish stared at him blankly and shook their heads.
Shen Tanqi’s smile was truly charming, making people inexplicably feel a sense of warmth. There was an urge to snuggle into his arms, letting him rub their heads.
Why is that?
It’s so strange.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
