What King Yan said next rendered Xu Ran speechless and made him want to beat him up.
Following those words, King Yan added, "But you can't stop Zheng from falling in love with someone else. After all, he is now in a new situation. I can arrange for him to meet whomever he wants."
Even though most of the childe with high status were SUB, but there were also a loft of TOP. If Liu Tong was not a childe, there would be a lot of people who liked him. What King Yan meant was that Xu Ran just one of Liu Tong's men-in-waiting .
Xu Ran was contemplating how to respond to King Yan so that he wouldn't have to think about it in the future when Liu Tong burst in. "I won't have anyone else. I only want Ran. If you truly are my brother, you should not ruin my life. I'm doing well now, and I don't want anyone else to get in the way."
King Yan and Xu Ran were both taken aback, especially King Yan. When his brother discovered that he intended to find a man for him, he became angry. What should he do?
Xu Ran reacted quickly and pulled Liu Tong over and comforted him, "Tongtong, don't be angry. He's doing it for your own good. I know you won't, just the two of us."
Liu Tong was angry when he heard Xu Ran's words. He remembered how heartbroken he felt when he thought Xu Ran would marry someone else. He had already felt it once, but King Yan had allowed Xu Ran to feel it again. Liu Tong had never been so angry as he was right now.
Xu Ran hugged Liu Tong and buried his head on his shoulder. He gently patted his back and said, "It's okay, Tongtong. I'm not upset. I know what he said isn't true. You won't want anyone else. Don't be sad, okay?"
"Ran, Ran," Liu Tong kept calling Xu Ran's name when he was weak, as if to confirm his existence.
All this travel has caused physical fatigue. When he met his elder brother, who resembled him perfectly, he was not yet ready to embrace him. Liu Tong couldn't help but feel uneasy when he heard this.
Xu Ran consoled Liu Tong while hinting to King Yan that what he had just said was a joke and that Liu Tong should not take it seriously.
King Yan was also frightened. After he got Xu Ran's hint, he said quickly , "Zheng, don't be sad. I didn't mean that. I'm worried that he will fail you, so I'm scaring him like this. I won't say it again if you don't like it. And if anyone else wants to break you up in the future, I will punch him for you, okay?"
"Ran won't let me down!" Liu Tong replied to King Yan with certainty.
King Yan hid his face behind his hands. Before his younger brother could accept him, he made him upset. What should he do? Despite being misunderstood, Xu Ran was grateful for Liu Tong's protection.
He said to Liu Tong, "Well, Tongtong, please do not be angry. King Yan said that because he was worried that I would fail you. Don't be angry with him. There won't be anyone else anyway, right?"
Liu Tong nodded and said that he understood. He parted ways with Xu Ran and turned to face King Yan. "I was about to accept you when you said something like this. I've been living with Ran for many years and have made it through the most difficult times. I'm confident he won't let me down. And I'm not going to let him down either. Let me reconsider if I want a brother as King."
Liu Tong said that and took Xu Ran to leave, regardless of the reaction of King Yan.
They walked along the way they had come, and as they walked Xu Ran laughed.
Liu Tong looked back at him in confusion, "Ran, what are you laughing at?"
Xu Ran said while smiling, "I'm laughing because my Tongtong is amazing! You just threatened a king."
Speaking of this, Liu Tong patted his chest with have a lingering fear and returned to his usual temper. He asked Xu Ran, "Ran, do you think he will blame us? After all, he is the king."
Xu Ran shook his head. "I don't think he will. He truly wants you to accept him and is eagerly awaiting your response. He is genuinely paying close attention to you. He discovered us seven years ago, but he never compelled us to move to Yanzhou or allowed us to live in peace for so long. If it hadn't been for the plague, we should have been like before until..."
Xu Ran didn't say until what because he didn't want him to hear it because it was too treason and heresy.
After Xu Ran stopped, Liu Tong stared at him, as if waiting for his following words.
Xu Ran shook his head and said. "Nothing, Tongtong, you have to decide whether to accept this brother. I also told him to help us look for a house. Whether you like him or not, we have to go. Then we'll start a small business to help support the family. Yanzhou is far superior to Xu Village, and it is better for the children. We can return in a few years."
Liu Tong lowered his voice and said to Xu Ran, "Ran, in fact, when I first met him, I felt as if he were my biological brother. I want to become close to him, but I'm not sure whether that's okay."
Xu Ran scratched his nose and said with a smile, "What's wrong with that? You are twins, just like Tangtang and Guoguo. It's normal for you to be close."
"But..." Liu Tong hesitated.
Xu Ran asked him, "But what?" Do you have any other concerns? "
"Ran, I'm still a little worried. He's the king after all. Would he think I accepted him because of his status? I want nothing from him, you know that, Ran."
Xu Ran pinched his face and said, "Why do you think so much? If he firmly thinks this, he will not attempt to find you. I've never seen you ponder so deeply before. If you choose to accept him, I will not stand in your way. In reality, you don't have a good impression of your father. It's not a terrible thing for you to accept King Yan after all these years. You should talk to him so you can make a decision."
Liu Tong thought about it and nodded. "Ran, I got it."
Xu Ran and Liu Tong didn't linger too long before returning to their courtyard home by the light of the lamp. It was a really active place. Baozi was conversing with the two children who were older than him. Xu Ran and the others could make out words like "home," "south," and "road."
He guessed that Baozi was telling people that he was not native and he was from the South.
When Xu Ran entered, he noticed that the two children resembled King Yan. Baozi was speaking animatedly, and the two children sat on the stone stools, intently listening. They were completely unaware of the arrival of Xu Ran and Liu Tong. Xu Ran put his finger to his lips and motioned for Liu Tong to remain silent. Liu Tong nodded, clearly understanding.
After a while, Xu Ran found that more and more people were gathering in the yard, but no one said a word. They were staring at the three children who were seated on the stone stools and talking to one another.
However, the children noticed it. They stopped and looked up.
Baoziand stood up in surprise after he saw Xu Ran and Liu Tong , "Dad, Daddy, you're back! I met two new friends, Dad. Come here and I'll tell you."
Baozi came over and grabbed Xu Ran's hand. Xu Ran obediently walked over and listened to his introduction. "Dad, they are the children of Daddy's brother. This brother is called Yan Lan, and he is a childe like me. This brother is called Yan Hao, he is a kid, Yan Lan brother, Yan Hao brother, this is my Daddy. And the two that look exactly alike are my two brothers, you can also call them brother. By the way, what should you call my Dad and Daddy?"
Baozi seemed to be stumped by this question, and Yan Lan and Yan Hao also seemed to be considering seriously about it.
Xu Ran laughed and patted him. "Why are you acting like a grown-up? Who did you get that tone of voice from？ Yan Lan and Yan Hao are your cousin. As for what they should call me and your Daddy, I am not very sure."
Even after all these years, Xu Ran couldn't decide what to call him. In current parlance, they should call him uncle and Liu Tong aunt, but it doesn't seem proper here.
Xu Ran and the three children both looked at Liu Tong. Liu Tong had already decided to accept King Yan, so he didn't play coy. "I'm your father's brother. You can call me as Uncle. You can also refer to him as Uncle."
Yan Lan and Yan Hao are unquestionably good boys. They obediently cried out when they heard Liu Tong say this. Liu Tong visited with his family without informing King Yan. Xu Ran also realized that Liu Tong saw himself as the king's brother rather than sister, so he wouldn't have to worry about embarrassing himself in the future.
Then Xu Ran called everyone who was hanging around to get to know one another. Yan Lan and Yan Hao appeared to have a good impression of his family. They welcomed everyone politely. Then Xu Ran and the others noticed King Yan's spouse, who had come to look for the children.
He was a little startled to see his children were with a group of strangers, but after he saw Liu Tong, all the shock disappeared. He said with a smile, "You look exactly like him. You are finally here, and the king can rest easy now."
The King Yan's spouse appeared kind, with a slight smile on his face that made people feel happy. Liu Tong appeared to be very popular with King Yan's spouse. He continued to speak with him. It was impolite for Xu Ran to interrupt the talk of two Ge'ers, so he began to play with the children.
Despite the fact that it was late, no one was tired. King Yan had no concubines and just two children, neither of whom had ever had playmates. As a result, they were ecstatic when they met Baozi, who was adept at talking and quite playful. Furthermore, Xu Ran, the big child, joined them.
Tangtang and Guoguo grew up and never played any of the games that Xu Ran had created particularly for Baozi. Xu Ran, on the other hand, asked them to play with them today.
In addition, another big child, Childe Du, Du Xin, who would appear in any hectic scene, joined the team. While Shao Yu was speaking with King Yan's spouse, Lu Qi and Gao Quan crossed their arms and observed. Joy was bursting at the seams.
Meanwhile, in his study, King Yan reflected about himself. He felt compelled to apologize to his brother and have a decent talk with him the next morning. Then he made the decision to go to bed first. After all, it had been a long day for him.
King Yan's servants had been asked to leave. It was not until King Yan left his study that he called them again.
The courtyard King Yan had set up for Xu Ran was right next to his own. As a result, if he wished to return to his, he had to pass via Xu Ran's courtyard. He could hear laughing inside the minute he walked over.
King Yan asked his servant, "What's going on inside? Who is making a noise this late at night? Doesn't he know who is living here?"
King Yan was about to get angry as he spoke.
Yan Chuan, whom the old King Yan had sent to the new King Yan, had been waiting on him for dozens of years. Because King Yan trusted him, Yan Chuan was well aware of Liu Tong's existence. Hearing the ruckus inside and sensing King Yan's anger, Yan Chuan requested that someone go in and have a look right away.
Before long, that servant went back. He whispered in Yan Chuan's ear. Yan Chuan nodded, asked him to leave and then answered King Yan, bowing, "Your Highness, it's His Highness and the princes inside. They are playing with the children of Second Childe, and it's their voices."
King Yan knew his children very well. Usually, they were hard to please, yet they were laughing so happily right now. King Yan got excited and waved his hand. "Let's go! I want to go in to take a look too."
Following that, King Yan went within himself. He didn't ask Yan Chuan to tell them, instead observing the joyous scene from a distance beneath the lantern. King Yan may have been infected with joy, as seen by his genuine smile.
It seemed that today, he had been laughing more than he had used to for a few days.
At the same time, King Yan's spouse was telling Liu Tong that King Yan didn't like to laugh, "Well! In everyday situations, he wears a long face. He seldom smiles, like if he owes someone money. I'm not sure why I decided to marry him at the time."
Liu Tong stared at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant. Thus, King Yan's spouse started to tell Liu Tong about his love story with King Yan.
King Yan's spouse did not come from a well-to-do household. He was the Ge'er of the dean of Yanzhou Academy and was born into a literary family. Xiao Qingyun was his name. Because he was the only Ge'er in his family, he had been spoiled from childhood.
He had met and fallen in love with King Yan by coincidence. King Yan had no intention of marrying a Ge'er from a noble family. In addition, he had affections for Xiao Qingyun, thus they married.
After marrying, Xiao Qingyun altered his stormy personality, lived in the garden quietly, and began to do housework for King Yan. King Yan had been quite kind to him. He'd never said anything about marrying a concubine, even if Xiao Qingyun hadn't become pregnant in the first few years of their marriage.
Xiao Qingyun felt terrible and even sought a divorce, asking that King Yan marry someone else.
King Yan was very affectionate towards his spouse. He had only said that, "When I married you, I had previously considered these things. This is not your fault, and you are not to blame. We are still young. We could certainly have our own children."
One year after the ruckus, Xiao Qingyun became pregnant. Despite the fact that their first kid was a Ge'er, they had been very happy.
After having a kid, Xiao Qingyun put the backyard under stricter control after consulting with King Yan. It was always a good idea to be cautious. There have always been social climbers who hoped to move up the social ladder through marriage. Although King Yan would never allow it, what if it did happen? It would be inconvenient for the two. Fortunately, Xiao Qingyun was wise and had already had numerous prospective house wreckers punished. Nothing has happened in the backyard since then.
One year after Yan Lan had been born, Xiao Qingyun had got pregnant again. This time it was Yan Hao.
The two were satisfied with one Ge'er and one man.
They had been leading a good life.
Liu Tong's story was not kept from King Yan's spouse. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't since King Yan had spent the whole day thinking about it.
Xiao Qingyun had been hearing King Yan nagging for a long time, and he had begun to consider it himself. As a result, the entire family had been anticipating Liu Tong's arrival. Liu Tong was moved by Xiao Qingyun's sincerity, which did not appear to be feigned in any way.
They had been conversing for quite some time, and it was becoming late. The winter evenings were bitterly cold. After a period of sitting, everyone's hands and feet were icy cold. As a result, Xiao Qingyun urged everyone to go to bed.
The three children parted unwillingly and agreed to play together tomorrow.
When Xiao Qingyun had greeted them, he hadn't brought any servants with him, so he walked towards his own yard with each kid in one hand.
He took a few steps forward and noticed King Yan looking at them from behind the lantern. That man remained tall and straight in the light. He might even see a sliver of a smile on his face. Xiao Qingyun and the kids approached. "Satisfied? Will you have a good sleep tonight?"
King Yan was well aware that Xiao Qingyun was making fun of him. King Yan had tossed and turned in bed at night because he had waited for Liu Tong and the others for a long time before they came.
King Yan talked back, "Is Yun'er jealous?"
Xiao Qingyun glared at him. "What are you talking about?"
King Yan smiled and didn't say anything else. He just smiled and shook his head as he proceeded to Xiao Qingyun's side, holding Yan Hao's hand. The entire family moved cautiously ahead. Yan Chuan, who was standing behind them, smiled as he saw this scene, and tears welled up in his eyes.
'Old King Yan, Second Childe is back, finally.'
_____
Xu Ran and the others had slept for half a day during the day, but they hadn't slept well on the journey, so they had a good night's sleep. It was already light when he awoke the next morning. Only Baozi slept next to him, and Liu Tong was nowhere to be found.
Xu Ran reached out to touch the bedsheet with his hand. It was already cold outside. He believed Liu Tong had been awake for some time.
Xu Ran rolled lightly on the bed. He didn't want to get out of bed. It was too cold, far colder than in the south, and he might have to stay here for a few more years. Xu Ran found it difficult to accept this.
He had to get up, even if he didn't want to. After all, he wasn't in his own house. Furthermore, King Yan was now observing him. If King Yan discovered that Tongtong had risen sooner than him, he may criticize Xu Ran. Xu Ran didn't want anyone to have any information about him.
At that thought, Xu Ran didn't feel cold anymore. He sat up and got out of bed quickly. When he got dressed, he woke Baozi up.
Xu Ran said, "Baozi, you really can sleep. You've been sleeping for a day and night, and you haven't woken up yet."
Baozi rubbed his eyes and glanced at his father, confused. He didn't seem to hear what his father had said. Based on it, it appeared that Baozi had not yet had enough sleep...
Xu Ran extended his hands. Baozi was not only a foodie, but also a sleep god. Xu Ran had the impression that he was rearing a pig. He wasn't happy about it. He didn't want to be a pig daddy, after all...
Xu Ran opened the door, went out and stretched himself before taking Baozi out. Gu Yu had been waiting outside. He saw them and greeted them. Xu Ran didn't like these overelaborate formalities and said, "It's fine. We don't care about these formalities. You don't have to bow down to us from now on. It keeps us apart. Do you know where my spouse is?"
Gu Yu answered Xu Ran with his head lowered, "To Second Brother-in-law, Second Childe is in the kitchen. He went there the moment he got up in the morning. He asked me to wait at the door for you and the little childe to wake up."
Xu Ran frowned. It didn't take long for Xu Ran to figure out why Liu Tong had gone to the kitchen in such cold weather, certainly not to warm himself.
The cold wind outside kept blowing. Xu Ran pulled his coat tighter and asked Baozi if he was cold. When he saw Baozi shaking his head, he said to Gu Yu, "Do you know where the kitchen is? Could you take us to the kitchen?"
Gu Yu kept nodding. "I do. I'll take you there now."
Gu Yu led Xu Ran and Baozi into the kitchen. Xu Ran noticed Liu Tong kneading the dough and a large kettle of water beginning to boil next to him. The chef, on the other hand, was putting something in bowls of cooked sliced noodles. Liu Tong most likely cooked them all, and there were numerous bowls of them.
Xu Ran took Baozi in and no one stopped them. Xu Ran walked behind Liu Tong and called him, "Tongtong."
Baozi also called out, "Daddy."
Liu Tong looked back at him and asked with a smile, "It's so cold. Why are you up so early? I haven't even finished cooking the sliced noodles yet."
Xu Ran said, "It's so cold, but why did you come to the kitchen yourself? If you want to eat something, just tell them.Tell them how to prepare it if they can't. You are not required to do it yourself. You've been with me for years, and I've forbidden you from touching frigid water in the winter since you gave birth to Baozi. That's something you can't do to yourself."
Liu Tong answered Xu Ran while kneading the dough, "I'm not that delicate. Besides, I'm using hot water. I remember what you've told me. There are cooked noodles over there. Have them with Baozi first. When the water is boiling, I will slice the dough then. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Xu Ran said, "I'm not hungry. I'll wait for you. Are you cooking for all?"
Liu Tong nodded. Seeing the water in the pot boiling, he told Xu Ran, "I've cooked a lot, and it should be enough. I asked the kitchen staff and no one had had breakfast yet. When I finish this pot, that would be enough for all."
Xu Ran nodded. "In that case, we'll have breakfast together. I'll have Gu Yu ask King Yan where to eat."
Liu Tong nodded and went on cooking. Xu Ran went out with Baozi and talked to Gu Yu. After that, Gu Yu left at once.
07.13.21