Doom and gloom be damned, love had its downsides, and mostly, it made one a bit stupider...
This reasoning seed to hold true through and through for Xu Feng.
Their party arrived in a grand entrance befitting neck braking turns—or at least one who enjoyed making a spectacle. Their BMW carriage wasn’t even near the most spectacular carriage in Yilin town, but their entourage was... different.
The steady rhythm of hooves against the dirt road announced their presence well before they stopped. Three horses led the carriage—one noticeably taller and stronger like it was ant for a giant—their sleek coats shining under the morning sun, while Xuan Jian and Xuan Yang flanked either side atop their individual steeds.
Xuan Jian’s pure white stallion exuded an almost divine elegance, his regal posture making it look like he had descended straight from the heavens. In contrast, Xuan Yang’s midnight-black stallion moved with silent nace, its controlled power evident in every step.
Together, the two made an impressive sight, drawing the attention of the few passersby in this relatively calm corner of Yilin Town.
Their destination? A small, inconspicuous inn tucked away from the busier streets. At first glance, it seed unimpressive, its wooden beams worn by ti and its entrance partially shadowed by an overhanging roof. But despite its humble exterior, the establishnt radiated an aura of security and quiet efficiency.
If one wasn’t attuned to the inner workings of Yilin Town, one would easily overlook this hidden gem. Even Bai Mo, who had lived in the town his whole life, had been unaware of its existence until Xu Hu Zhe led them here four days ago.
Now, it was Xu Feng’s turn to take it all in with curious eyes. Well, at least he tried to before he was distracted, yet again.
Moving about with children was much more chaotic than he had anticipated. The first day he arrived, baby carriers strapped all over him, was just the beginning. Even with ample support from every direction, the presence of children demanded a level of attention and care that even he found overwhelming at tis.
Si and San each held a child, but Xiao Long clearly wanted all of his dad’s attention.
The little cub squird, his chubby hands reaching towards Xu Feng as he nestled against Si, but his eyes remained fixed on his dad like a homing pigeon.
anwhile, Da Long, who had been relatively well behaved for the majority of the journey, had decided that now was the perfect mont to act aggrieved. His bright eyes locked onto Xuan Yang with an unmistakable plea, his tiny arms outstretched as if silently demanding to be lifted into the tall snake’s embrace.
Xu Feng rolled his eyes at the dramatics from every corner.
While all this was happening, Xuan Jian, a sticky one, had taken it upon himself to straighten Xu Feng’s slightly wind tousled hair. Never mind that he had been the one on horseback monts ago while Xu Feng had been comfortably seated in the carriage the entire ride.
Yet, sohow, it was Xu Feng’s appearance that concerned him most. All the eye rolls... still Xu Feng couldn’t deny he was glad to be ho.
Caught between amusent and exasperation, Xu Feng let out a huff. He grabbed Xuan Jian’s hands, pressing a quick peck at them in a wordless act of indulgence before finally addressing the entire group.
"Let’s get a move on!" he called out, voice carrying over the gentle din of the town.
If he didn’t, they would be standing under the morning sun until it turned into the evening sun!
Xu Hu Zhe and Xu Zeng, who had already made their way toward the inn’s entrance but were now retracing their steps to assist with their lively and slightly chaotic group paused their retreat.
The two cubs continued their demands, but they were safe and comfortable as they were. Xu Feng had decided to et the babies Xu Hu Zhe wanted to bring to Nanshan Estate. That would hold his attention for now, even so, he still plucked the naughty little dragon into his arms.
Xiao Long, now secure in his father’s arms, wiggled happily before calling out, "Da!" excitedly. His tiny hands clutched at Xu Feng’s robes, his bright eyes filled with mischief.
Xu Feng couldn’t help but smile, though his instincts told him the little dragon probably just wanted to relieve himself on him again. That would be entirely on brand for his devious son.
For so reason, Xiao Long had taken it upon himself to use only Xu Feng as a personal toilet. Never once had he spit up on Xuan Jian or Xuan Yang, nor had he so much as dribbled on Xu Zeng or Xu Hu Zhe.
No, his agenda was clear, and Xu Feng was the pri target.
Still, he wasn’t worried.
Modern diapers—both plastic and cloth—had revolutionized baby care in Nanshan Estate since their adventures in his space. Xu Si had even begun reinforcing the designs of the cloth diapers, making sure they were more absorbent and better fitted, especially for Xiao Long, their resident stinky boy.
As they moved forward, Xu Feng let his gaze drift to Xuan Yang, who now had a very comfortable Da Long nestled in his arms. Unlike his troublemaker of a twin, Da Long was beaming up at his father like he was the sun, moon, and stars combined.
Xu Feng opened his mouth to comnt on the difference in behavior, but before he knew it, his arms were empty.
Xiao Long had been stolen.
The little cub now found himself securely in Xuan Jian’s arms, his tiny expression imdiately morphing into an indignant pout.
Xu Feng barely contained his laughter, choosing instead to quicken his pace alongside Xu Zeng and Xu Hu Zhe. The awe Xiao Long had previously displayed for his dragon papa’s horseback antics was completely forgotten in the face of this grievous betrayal. The baby’s entire face seed to say: ’How dare you steal from Father! You heathen!!! You peasant!!!’
Gunpowder was in the air.
Xu Feng bit his lip to keep from laughing, pretending not to notice the growing tension between Papa and son as he fell in step with the others. He turned to Xu Zeng and Hu Zhe, eyebrows raised.
"I thought we were going into the inn?"
"They’re in the back," Xu Zeng answered casually, sparing a doting glance at his nephews before gesturing ahead.
Xu Hu Zhe was the one to elaborate. "We paid for their stay, but the group is very hardworking. They didn’t want to remain at our expense without doing anything worthwhile."
Sothing about his tone made Xu Feng pause, narrowing his eyes slightly at the masked man.
Hu Zhe seed a bit shifty but continued, "They are doing small chores for the family who runs the inn and staying in the shed at the back."
Xu Feng nodded, not particularly interested in the details beyond eting the children, but sothing about Hu Zhe’s tone had his curiosity piqued. He cast a glance toward his sworn brother, waiting.
Sure enough, Xu Zeng exhaled sharply, the corner of his lips tightening in irritation before Hu Zhe continued on. "When I was younger, the grandmother of this family would allow those of us who were holess to drink water from their well," Hu Zhe admitted with so fondness.
"Yes, but only water," Xu Zeng interjected, voice laced with disdain. "Hu Zhe hasn’t ntioned that the female head of the house wouldn’t spare those who were starving even a bite of food. She would even yell at her mother in law for sharing their water with the ’untouchables!’."
Xu Feng’s steps slowed slightly. That was... an interesting distinction. His gaze flickered toward Hu Zhe, but the man said nothing for a mont.
Xu Feng rely humd, keeping his thoughts to himself as they approached the back of the inn. He supposed he would see for himself soon enough what this ’head of household’ behaved in front of the boy she looked down on years ago.
Xu Hu Zhe smiled up at the other man before adding, "That is how it is. People do not feed those who are abandoned. It is how most households are. If they fed us, it would be taking food from their own families."
Xu Zeng was fired up but seed to calm down and deflate a bit. "I would have shared my food with you."
"You are different. Your brother is different too that’s why I serve him."
"Hmm," Xu Zeng humd in acceptance. "Momo is different too."
Xu Hu Zhe nodded with a smile before smoothly changing the subject, turning his attention to Xu Feng. "We will be parting with the servants from ho—those who went against our rules and colluded with outsiders. Maybe these people could join us?"
Xu Hu Zhe seed almost bashful as he made the suggestion, leaving Xu Feng montarily blindsided. The issue of servants wasn’t what had thrown him off—it was the way the two n in front of him interacted. Xu Zeng and Xu Hu Zhe had grown noticeably closer over the past four days, their constant bickering proof of an undeniable camaraderie.
Xu Feng had to shake himself awake from his stupor.
It wasn’t about whether they needed new servants—he could see that they did. It was about how expressive Xu Hu Zhe had beco. The normally reserved man was smiling more, acting his age, and Xu Zeng had rolled his eyes so many tis Xu Feng had lost count.
"Uh," Xu Feng gathered his thoughts, but Xu Hu Zhe pressed on. "We traveled with them for several days, and Bai Mo, Zeng, and I have taken turns monitoring them since we returned. Their characters seem trustworthy. They remind of myself as a child."
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