Chapter 913 Family Reunion (First Update)

Grandma Zhou's family was celebrating her birthday in a few days, so they bought rice, flour, and spices. Xiao Heng helped carry them in, and coincidentally, they ran into Grandma Zhou's grandson studying his lessons.

The child didn't know how to pronounce some characters or write the stroke order, so Xiao Heng taught him a few words.

When he returned home, the children had gone to play in the backyard, and Xuanyuan Qi also went to the backyard to enjoy family time with Jingkong.

Although my son is good, he's past the age of being cute and adorable. Where can he be as fun as Xiao Jingkong?

Gu Jiao was tidying up her clothes in the east room, and she neatly spread her beautiful dresses all over the bed.

When Xiao Heng entered the room, she was admiring her clothes one by one.

A look of enjoyment and a touch of smugness appeared on her face.

Xiao Heng came to her side and looked at her with amusement: "What happened? Why are you so happy?" As he spoke, his gaze fell on the clothes all over the bed, and he exclaimed in amazement, "Where did all these clothes come from?"

Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and said, "My mother made it!"

Xiao Heng smiled in surprise: "You called her 'Mother'?"

Gu Jiao blinked: "...Mm."

"Does this girl ever get shy?" Xiao Heng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing at?" Gu Jiao asked seriously.

Xiao Heng cleared his throat: "Ahem, it's nothing."

You're cute.

Of course, Xiao Heng's laughter was not just because she amused him; there was another very important reason: he was genuinely happy for her.

He didn't know what she had gone through to have such a hurdle in her heart.

Regardless, she overcame that hurdle today.

In fact, Xiao Heng knew that these clothes were made for her by Yao Shi. They left the capital last March, and it is now May. For a whole year and two months, Yao Shi has not seen Gu Jiao.

But Yao Shi never stopped missing Gu Jiao. When she had nothing to do, she would make clothes for Gu Jiao, but she didn't make many for Gu Xiaobao.

These are only the best parts that Yao carefully selected; there are many others that Yao thought were not good enough and did not include at all.

After showing Xiao Heng her clothes, Gu Jiao sat on the edge of the bed and began folding them one by one.

Xiao Heng sat on the other side of the bed, handing her clothes as he did so, saying, "I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Okay," Gu Jiao said.

It seems this girl is really happy tonight, otherwise, given her usual personality, she would definitely have listened to the bad news first.

Infected by her emotions, Xiao Heng's lips unconsciously curved slightly upward: "The good news is that our wedding date has been moved up, we don't have to wait until October."

"Huh?" Gu Jiao paused in folding clothes, looking at him with surprise.

Xiao Heng said, "It was my uncle, the Emperor, who changed it to the 18th of next month. We haven't had time to announce it yet. The reason is that the Empress Dowager of Zhao is unwell and needs a grand wedding to bring good luck, so the marriage between the two countries has been brought forward."

Gu Jiao: Auntie, you're being cheeky too.

Enraged by the Marquis of Xuanping's constant boasting of his little daughter, Empress Dowager Zhuang finally abandoned her principles: she wanted a great-grandson, now, immediately!

Xiao Heng looked at her gently and said, "But don't worry, it's just that the date has been moved up, the wedding won't be simplified."

In fact, Princess Xinyang had already begun preparing for the wedding in the first month of the lunar calendar, and everything was already in place.

Seeing her silence, Xiao Heng said, "Of course, if you don't want to move it forward, I'll have someone change the wedding date back."

Gu Jiao said in a serious tone, "It doesn't matter whether it's earlier or later, the main thing is to bring good luck to my great-aunt."

Xiao Heng suppressed a laugh.

"Then, what's the bad news?" Gu Jiao asked.

At this point, Xiao Heng sighed, “Ah, the bad news is that we’re getting married, and I’ll revert to my identity as Xiao Heng, no longer Xiao Liulang. According to the rules, I can’t stay here before the wedding, and my great-uncle comes back late, so the homework of Jingkong, Gu Yan, and Xiao Shun… I’ll have to trouble you.”

Gu Jiao: A bolt from the blue!

...

After nightfall, the family sat down together in the main room for dinner.

Xiao Jingkong insisted on sitting next to Gu Jiao, and he continued to use his own special small tableware and vegetarian dishes.

Xuanyuan Qi sat on his other side, listening to him smugly showing off his little tableware: "This wooden bowl was made by Jiaojiao, this spoon was also made by Jiaojiao, and the patterns on the chopsticks were carved by Brother Xiaoshun..."

He spoke of it as if it were his own treasure, and it was clear that he was carefully cared for in this home.

Gu Xiaobao grabbed his chopsticks, messing up the tableware he had painstakingly arranged. He wasn't angry, but simply picked up a wooden bowl and handed it to Gu Xiaobao: "You can only play with this. You'll poke yourself with the chopsticks and spoon."

Gu Xiaobao obediently took the wooden bowl and clumsily began to play with it.

Xuanyuan Qi never imagined that he would have a day when he could reunite with his family members other than his son.

Everyone enjoyed the meal.

Xuanyuan Qi's gaze kept shifting between Xiao Jingkong and Gu Jiao, and even Liao Chen noticed it.

It's not strange that he's looking at Jingkong, after all, he's his grand-nephew. But why does he keep staring at that girl?

Xuan Yuanqi sighed softly, "I never thought that one day she would be able to live like a normal person."

"Father, what did you say?" Liao Chen thought his father was talking to him, but he didn't hear clearly.

"Ah, it's nothing," Xuan Yuanqi said. "Let's eat."

...

After the meal, Xuanyuan Qi should head back.

Anguo Gong's men had prepared a house in the capital in advance, and Xuanyuan Qi and Liao Chen also lived there.

Xuanyuan Qi bid farewell to his family, and Gu Jiao led Xiao Jingkong to the door to see the father and son off.

"You talk to your great-uncle for a while, I'll go boil some water," Gu Jiao said to Xiao Jingkong.

"Okay, Jiaojiao!" Xiao Jingkong nodded and let go of Gu Jiao's hand.

Gu Jiao turned and went inside.

Xuanyuan Qi knelt down on one knee, looked at him intently, removed a grain of rice stuck to the corner of his mouth, and said kindly, "Jingkong, would you like to stay with your great-uncle for a few days?"

"Why?" Xiao Jingkong asked.

Xuanyuan Qi said, "Because my great-uncle misses you very much and wants to see you more often."

Xiao Jingkong said "Oh," and then said, "If you miss me, you can come see me! I can't leave. My bad brother-in-law has already left. I have to stay and keep Jiaojiao company! I can't let Jiaojiao be lonely!"

Xuanyuan Qi smiled, patted his little shoulder and said, "Okay, I won't let Jiaojiao be lonely."

Little Jingkong saw the two off at the door, waved to them from inside the threshold, and said goodbye in a cute way: "Goodbye, Grand-Uncle! Goodbye, Master!"

The father and son rode away.

Xiao Jingkong closed the courtyard gate, tiptoed to insert the bolt, and ended his cute act in a second.

With a serious little face and his hands behind his back, he walked in the same way that Grandpa Zhao next door took his stroll.

...

After leaving the alley, Xuanyuan Qi said to his son, "Jingkong is doing very well. You made the right decision to entrust him to Jiaojiao."

Liao Chen said, "It wasn't me who entrusted it; the little monk chose it himself."

Xuanyuan Qi was slightly surprised: "Really?"

Liao Chen said, "Yes, the family that was going to adopt him went back on their word. Just then, that girl came to the temple to buy a mountain, so the little monk went down the mountain with her."

Xuanyuan Qi seemed to be thinking: "That really is... fate."

Liao Chen gave him a deep look: "Father, why do I feel that you treat that girl differently?"

Xuanyuan Qi glanced at his son and said, "Don't keep calling her 'little girl,' it's disrespectful."

Liao Chen laughed: "Father, she's twelve years younger than me! She's the adopted daughter of the Duke of Anguo and my cousin, so according to seniority, she should call me uncle!"

Xuanyuan Qi opened his mouth, then hesitated, saying, "In short, you are not allowed to call her 'girl'."

"Okay, Dad, just call her by her name, alright?" Liao Chen said, glancing at his father. "You can't even call her by her name, can you?"

As Xuanyuan Qi was pondering how to answer his son's question, suddenly his ears twitched, and he whirled around: "Someone went towards Biyue Alley! It's a master!"

Liao Chen narrowed his eyes and said, "I'll go take a look!"

Having said that, he used his lightness skill to disappear into the night.

...

Gu Jiao was washing Xiao Jingkong's hair in the backyard when she sensed a rapidly approaching aura, seemingly heading towards Xiao Jingkong.

Her eyes flickered, and she turned around to shield Xiao Jingkong behind her, drawing the red-tasseled spear from the side.

However, before she could make a move, Liao Chen arrived.

Liao Chen didn't give the man a chance to enter the courtyard, and sent him flying with a single palm strike.

Liao Chen chased after him.

Gu Jiao called Yu Ya'er over and asked her to continue washing Xiao Jingkong's hair, while she herself went out to chase after her.

Liao Chen cornered the opponent in the alley across the street, and the two began to fight fiercely.

However, the opponent's skill was inferior to Liao Chen's, and Liao Chen struck down with another palm, sending the opponent flying and crashing into the wall behind him.

Liao Chen looked at him coldly: "Who are you? What is your purpose?"

The other person clutched their aching chest, refusing to answer, and instead gritted their teeth, angrily saying, "You're taking advantage of my vulnerability! If I were in my prime, I wouldn't have lost to you!"

Gu Jiao walked to Chen's side, looked at him closely, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?"

(End of this chapter)