Lin Yijun’s chest felt tight and wrong as he quietly watched Zhou Sheng sit down and talk with Wen Zhihao with an open and friendly expression. Despite the grey robes and the altered features, Lin Yijun still recognised Zhou Sheng’s mannerisms.
He wanted to be down there too...No, he wanted Wen Zhihao gone so that he could talk with Zhou Sheng.
But he remembered Zhou Sheng’s harsh face that night. How he had lost standing in Zhou Sheng’s eyes when he failed to understand what was happening.
Lin Yijun’s hands clenched, as his heart thumped erratically in his chest. He just needed to go down there. He just needed to say—
—Say what?
What would be right? What would be enough?
He couldn’t get the thoughts out of his head. He was wracked with indecision. And there was no one Lin Yijun could talk to about this, no one to help him sort it all out.
The faction that Liu Yijun technically belonged to, the faction that his parents were in, was headed by Elder Wang.
Elder Wang and the others maintained a disdainful attitude towards the actions of Liu Zhongmin and the others. They, as cultivators, were not obliged to help the mortals.
The mortals should help themselves, or else they’d become lazy. We’re not their servants!
And so none of them had volunteered to aid Liu Zhongmin in a task that had no reward and took away their cultivation time.
While Lin Yijun hadn’t echoed their condescending words, he also didn’t join the efforts. Because...he hadn’t known how. Because he hadn’t known if he wanted to…
Zhou Sheng was different from the mortals that Wen Zhihao bought back.
Years ago, when he bought Zhou Sheng back, his parents and Elder Wang hadn’t been like this. They had seen Zhou Sheng’s cultivation potential, and the Sect Leader Elder accepted Zhou Sheng into the sect as a disciple.
But of the mortals Wen Zhihao bought back—Lin Yijun had examined them from afar—none of them had the same potential as Zhou Sheng did.
They weren’t the same as Zhou Sheng. They won’t be as good as Zhou Sheng.
But they and Zhou Sheng both liked Wen Zhihao.
Lin Yijun's heart felt sour watching Zhou Sheng relaxing in Wen Zhihao’s presence.
Wen Zhihao already has so many friends! Why is he friends with Zhou Sheng too?
Zhou Sheng is my friend—
—No, Zhou Sheng isn’t anymore…
Zhou Sheng, the person Lin Yijun liked the most, was smiling at Wen Zhihao instead…
What did Wen Zhihao have that Lin Yijun didn’t? Lin Yijun was stronger, Lin Yijun was richer, more handsome and had a golden family background.
“I’ll return and see you again soon,” Zhou Sheng was saying.
“You know where to find me. Ah, now that Sun Fuyu is no longer helping you out, let me give you some more calming stones for the mortals…”
Zhou Sheng patted a child on the head and stroked a demonic beast before leaving.
In a knee-jerk reaction, Lin Yijun followed Zhou Sheng as he walked out of the sect and into the surrounding forests. There, Zhou Sheng’s aura disappeared without a trace.
Lin Yijun slumped. After stretching out his qi and finding nothing again and again, he could only head back to the Sect by himself.
After Lin Yijun left, Wen Zhihao soon forgot him in favour of more important matters.
As the non-cultivators gathered back in the kittens’ enclosure, Wen Zhihao had everyone recite the words they should have learnt earlier. Thank you, past life knowledge of optimal information retention…
Somehow, the rest of the afternoon flowed away and it was time for dinner. Wen Zhihao led everyone back to the kitchens. While the others ate, he asked Aunty Liu Jing for another food box because he had given one away to Zhou Sheng.
“Next time, tell him to come here so I can tailor a box for him!” Aunty Liu Jing said.
“I’ll tell him, but he seems a little shy,” Wen Zhihao said.
Liu Jing knew who Zhou Sheng was—he was the allegedly-rogue cultivator who Xiao Fuyu had been helping to retrieve the poor people who had been enslaved. Shy was not what she would describe Zhou Sheng as, but she already knew that Xiao Wen’s brain circuits were a bit different from everyone else.
“At least you should tell me what he likes,” Liu Jing finally said.
Wen Zhihao nodded. “Yes, Aunty. I remembered he liked dumplings...”
After dinner, Wen Zhihao took the children back with him to the rooms and ran the baths for them. Now that they’ve become more familiar with their surroundings, they were able to play in the water and talk amongst themselves in their little voices.
“Cute little baobei cats!”
“No, I think the big ones are better!”
“Cute big baobei cats!”
“I think Uncle is the best...”
“What about Grandma? Grandma is so nice...”
“SPLASH!” Bubbly little laughter.
“Splash you back!”
Needless to say, the bathrooms were very wet and messy after that. Wen Zhihao ended up ‘showering’ himself and had to change his clothes too.
Wen Zhihao finished drying the hair of the last child just as Sun Fuyu returned. He couldn’t help but pinch the cheek of the child, Ah-Yi. “Your Little Uncle Sun is back,” he said, putting aside the towel.
“Little Uncle!” Ah-Yi jumped up from the bed and ran over and opened the door first.
Sun Fuyu stepped in. His hair was a little messy, and his face drooped tiredly. However, his eyes brightened when they met Wen Zhihao’s.
“Wen-ge.”
Wen Zhihao navigated past the toys and miscellany scattered on the ground. “Welcome back, Xiao Yu,” he greeted, leaning forward to accept Sun Fuyu’s light kiss.
Ah-Yi grabbed the bottom of Sun Fuyu’s robes and looked up. “Welcome back, Little Uncle!”
Sun Fuyu looked down and patted little Yi’s head. “En, I’m back.”
Wen Zhihao looped an arm around Sun Fuyu’s waist. “Little Uncle is tired. If you want, you can give him a hug to help him power up again!”
“Okay!” Ah-Yi hugged Sun Fuyu’s leg.
Sun Fuyu’s lips curled up. The things Wen-ge says! he thought fondly. Ah-Yi wasn’t a cultivator, he couldn’t actually help Sun Fuyu regain qi!
“Now you kids, clean up the toys and get into bed, okay?” Wen Zhihao said. “When I come back, you better be pretending to sleep!”
Ruan Lanxi giggled. “Yes, Uncle!”
The moment he and Sun Fuyu left the room, the children burst into noisy action.
He and Sun Fuyu exchanged a little about their day, and then while Sun Fuyu washed up, Wen Zhihao headed back to his old room to tuck all the children in and pat their heads until they all fell asleep.
And then he went to Sun Fuyu’s bed and hugged his own Xiao Yu.
“...You smell different,” Wen Zhihao realised. He tugged Sun Fuyu closer and sniffed his just-dried hair. “Like mangoes.”
In the darkness, it was difficult to see the hint of redness on Sun Fuyu’s cheeks. “En,” he agreed shyly, as Wen-ge stroked his hair. The tingling sensation sent a shiver down his spine. He tilted his head up and kissed Wen-ge on the lips. “Wen-ge likes it?”
Wen Zhihao’s heart swelled with warmth. “It’s sweet, like you.” He pulled Sun Fuyu closer to him.
A nice place to live, a nice job to work at, lively children, and someone to say ‘welcome back’ to...Wen Zhihao found that he was very content with this kind of life.
Sun Fuyu took the initiative to place a hand over Wen Zhihao’s waist and to tangle their legs together.
“I’m glad I met Xiao Yu,” Wen Zhihao murmured quietly.
“En,” Sun Fuyu agreed. He remained still, tightly aware of Wen-ge’s heartbeat, and how his hand was touching Wen-ge waist…
As always, Wen-ge fell asleep first. Sun Fuyu nudged his head closer to Wen-ge, happy that changing his hair wash worked.
More fanart! Xiao Yu and his Wen-ge by We Need Holy Water 🤗🤗🤗
Ohhh, another OG work I’ve been reading on Chrysanthemum Garden is Living Selfishly While Working Towards A Peaceful Life. The villain is so horrible, it’s great. And also the little brother is the CUTEST, I just want to rub his hair and mess it all up 🤣🤣
TFTC
also I tried clicking on the link but it didn't work
a cookie for your hard work since I'm too poor to give you a kofi
but thank you for the cookie! indeed, there are multiple ways to support me and one of them is reading and the second one is commenting!! 🤗🤗🤗
He just needed to say—
—Say what?
What would be right? What would be enough?
Sorry is a good start though I wonder if he has ever said sorry before? At least not in a situation as serious as this.
Sorry is a good start indeed! I don't think he has, at least not to an equal or someone weaker than him..., and yeah, not in this kind of situation
Shy was not what she would describe Zhou Sheng as, but she already knew that Xiao Wen’s brain circuits were a bit different from everyone else.
ikr, that's a marvellous brain he's got there xDD
Also, how he told the kids they better be pretending to sleep. He knows what's up lmao XD
Thank you
🤭🤭🤭 indeed, it's a good brain 🤭🤭
Actually, as a child, I've pretended to sleep before...and then I end up falling asleep for real 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Telling them to pretend to sleep is a lot less stressful for the kids too, rather than having them be anxious about not being able to fall asleep!! 🤣
Thank you for reading!!!
@bafflinghaze oh dang I never thought of it like that. I does indeed take the pressure off xD I'll use that if I ever have to babysit XD
It's alright, even if the children don't grow up to be powerful cultivators (assuming they don't pick up WZ's method of cultivation that is) they can still help their uncle in other ways.
Yes, either way, they'll grow up to be good people!
Thank you so much author. I literally love Wen Zihao so much! I hope the children prove those elders wrong and show them what a loving environment can do to affect a child's growth potential!
Also, If we ant to send fan art where do we send it?
Thank you so much author!!!! Keep up the good work!
Oh, for sure, a good environment will definitely change their growth potential for the better!
For fanart, if you want to enter the Chrysanthemum Garden event with the prize draw https://chrysanthemumgarden.com/cgs-10k-discord-members-celebration/ then there is a google form you can fill out https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdos2k46ks0kfEuKgcCE7mdtjTgKCONS9BoR4Bg8Mq-82N6MQ/viewform
If you don't care for the event, then you can send me a url/link to your artwork in a comment or by directly messaging me here on SH!
Thank you for your support minniemousez!!
thank you for all the reccomendations o^>^o
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy some of them too!
TFTC! Also I’m really enjoying “The Reincarnated Villainous Young Master's Guide to Happiness”
Thanks for reading!
You know, I tried to start reading The Reincarnated Villainous Young Master's Guide to Happiness but it kept switching tenses (between past and present) and that's one of the things I find hard to keep reading
TYFC
Why do I get the feeling that this is the calm before the storm? Meh wrong genre here we only accept dog food if something do happens the protag will take care of it
... unless... he’s got some maturing to do if he wants back in his ”friends” grace... this makes me think about that quote from hellsing ultimate about how the monsters never grows up and stays eternally (murder) children at heart... something cultivators have in common in many stories...
Wow my mind went to weird places this chappy guess it was too much of a sugar overload...
I wish you all a good day .....
Maybe it is the calm before the storm... but not quite sure since I haven't even written the chapter yet 🤣
Too much sugar overload 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you, I hope you also have a good day!
They got a family without making the babies!!
SF "let's get married sooner"
WZ "Ok..."
yep! I prefer the adoption method of babies instead of the mpreg method hahaha
@bafflinghaze yeah I don't get how abo is even BL
@KuqKu Men giving birth is fine (see: transmen who do have their own kids). A/B/O was originally a smut/kink trope anyway
Thank you for the Chapter!
Thank you for reading!