He paused and thought about it, perhaps realizing that his offer wasn't very appealing.

"I'll obediently go into your cage."

Shen Yulou wrapped her arms around Chi Yuan's waist and sweetly acted coquettishly, her body swaying back and forth like a noodle.

"Perhaps you can let A-Ling tell you himself, it's not up to me to decide."

As the small boat reached the stream, the little insect ignored the gu pot in its father's hand and darted into the fur on its father's head with lightning speed.

"Uh-huh!"

The baby doesn't want to be in the black jar, and the baby doesn't like black jars either.

Ever since the little one was starving inside the Gu jar and couldn't climb out, he's stopped liking it.

The couple watched helplessly as their baby crawled into their hair and hid, using only 80% of their usual catching ability.

"Baby is so amazing! He crawls so fast, even the dads can't catch him!"

The chubby bug proudly swished its tail.

The small boat soon docked successfully. A-Ling, wearing a straw hat, stood beside the boat, her hair tied up, white with a hint of yellow.

His rough hands gripped the oars tightly; he was over fifty years old, with a hunched back.

"Master Priest?"

He nodded to Chi Yuan, then looked at Shen Yulou.

"He is the newly appointed Holy Son this year."

Chi Yuan patted Shen Yulou on the back and introduced him to A Ling. He said that Shen Yulou had been oblivious to the outside world for many years and spent his days guarding his boat, so he naturally did not recognize Shen Yulou.

"The Holy Son truly possesses extraordinary bearing."

A-Ling smiled, his voice hoarse, and stepped aside a few paces to make room for them to board the boat.

"I wonder if you gentlemen are here today purely to cross the river, or if you happen to want to hear my story as well?"

He used the oar to push off from the bank and the small boat drifted into the stream.

The three of them entered the simple boat awning together, and A-Ling made sure to tie his oars tightly.

"I'd like to hear your story. I've heard it from the priest's attendant, so I'm very curious."

Noticing the way A-Ling was looking at Chi Yuan, Shen Yulou lightly tapped her knee.

These two must have had some kind of interaction behind the scenes.

"What did the priest's attendant say?"

"Every time I tell your story, it capsizes at the crucial moment."

"Does Your Majesty believe this?"

"I believe you."

Shen Yulou took out a prepared mooncake from her sleeve and handed it to him as a way to start their conversation.

"If a single piece of cake could buy you all the stories of your first half of life, wouldn't that be a terrible deal?"

"There's no question of whether it's worth it or not; it's just a matter of whether I'm willing to do it or not."

A-Ling turned his head, lifted the curtain on the boat awning, and then slowly closed it again.

"Let's begin now."

Chi Yuan poured himself a glass of cold water with his long, slender fingers, then lowered his eyes to stare at the crack at the bottom of the glass.

“I was born posthumously. When I was born, my mother sent me to be raised by a renowned Gu master in one of the thirty-eight villages of Miao territory.”

"The Gu Master was young and vigorous when he first started teaching me. He spared no effort and devoted all his knowledge to me."

Shen Yulou rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

This love story is really long; it goes back to when we were kids.

He thought Ah Ling would just tell the love story of how she met the man.

"And then what? Why did you stop talking?"

After hearing what A-Ling said, he remained silent for a long time. Shen Yulou urged him to continue.

"Your master treated you so well, no wonder you later became a renowned Gu master in Miao territory."

"He is not my master."

A-Ling opened her mouth and slowly uttered the next words.

“He was a good brother to my father. Before my father passed away, he asked him to take good care of me, so my mother sent me to him.”

"We have knelt and kowtowed three times and prostrated ourselves six times in worship to Chiyou and Panhu..."

"What?"

A look of bewilderment crossed Shen Yulou's eyes. Just then, the small boat reached the edge of the waterfall and plunged vertically down.

Chi Yuan quickly reached out and grabbed Shen Yulou's waist, falling into the water with him.

"Foster father and son".