"Second brother, don't be too sad. We'll definitely see each other again in the future," Yao Guang said, shaking Tian Xuan's hand with tears in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Tian Shu looked at Yao Guang and thought to himself, "She's the youngest, so why does she seem so upset about the second oldest?"

Anyway, he didn't see it, he just felt that he was too calm and too composed.

Of course, he didn't sense that Tianxuan was particularly happy to have found her family.

Tian Shu felt that Tian Xuan's reaction might be what Hong Xiaoduo had once described as an escapist mentality, which is self-deception—avoiding thinking about something.

"Second brother, if you're sad, just cry. No one will laugh at you. Don't hold it in. Mother said that holding it in can cause mental illness," Yuheng advised.

Tianji thought for a moment and then said, "Yes, didn't Master say that we just can't be together every day anymore? Once we find our families, we'll have a fixed address, and we can keep in touch by letter. We should all study hard and strive to become stronger and more powerful. When we've all grown up, it won't be difficult for us to meet."

Yao Guang and Tian Quan Yu Heng nodded involuntarily at Tian Ji's words.

Only Tian Shu sighed inwardly, thinking that his younger siblings were still too young, too inexperienced, and too naive!

It's not as simple or easy as Tianji makes it out to be!

The boys were fine, but Yuheng and Yaoguang, the two younger sisters, were girls. How could their families easily agree to let them travel far away again?

"Also, Second Brother, could you teach me how to cook properly tomorrow? It's impossible to learn everything in just one day, so just teach me the important things, so that I can cook them well and they don't taste too bad," Tianji added.

“I can learn it too,” Tianquan chimed in.

Tianji immediately said, "Fourth brother, just forget it. Didn't Mother already say that she also has news about your family? Once Second brother returns to the manor, we'll leave and go straight to your house."

So, you shouldn't join in the fun.

“Why can’t I learn it? Mother said it’s not necessarily true.” Tianquan retorted, unconvinced.

"Shh, keep your voice down, we're staying at someone else's house," Tian Shu reminded them.

Tianquan immediately covered his mouth with his hand, not caring if others said he was noisy, but he didn't want others to say that Hong Xiaoduo's child was naughty.

Yao Guang shook Tian Xuan's hand again and whispered, "Second brother, why don't you sleep in Master's room tonight and keep him company? I noticed that Master seems unhappy; he must be reluctant to let you leave."

"Little sister, don't make any random arrangements. Master can't bear to part with him, but Mother can? Sister Feiyan can't bear to part with him? And us, including you, who can bear to be separated from Second Brother?"

"How can my second brother accompany me? He can't be in two places at once," Yuheng sighed.

Upon hearing this, Yao Guang's lips trembled, and she looked like she was about to cry!

"Alright, it's getting late, you should get some rest. Tianxuan, you especially need to rest well so you can be more energetic when you get back to your family," Tian Shu, the eldest among them, said.

After hearing this, Tianxuan smiled, turned to look at Tianquan, stepped forward and patted his shoulder, saying, "Did you hear what your elder brother said? Don't overthink it. Get enough rest to see your family, so they know that Mother has taken good care of us."

Upon hearing this, Tianquan opened his mouth as if to say something, but found that he didn't know how to respond to his second brother.

Yes, once we leave here, we'll go and check on our family members.

Being able to find family and not be an orphan is indeed a happy thing, but it feels like something is weighing on my heart.

Yuheng Yaoguang, Tianshu, and Tianquan, who were sleeping in another room, all went back to their own rooms.

Tianji closed the door and turned around, watching Tianxuan sitting on the edge of the bed, fiddling with a bunch of things. These were all farewell gifts they had given to Tianxuan. The reason they gave them to her in advance was because of what happened with Kaiyang.

When Kaiyang left with Hong Xiaoduo, she didn't tell everyone the reason. Therefore, only his master, who knew the truth, gave Kaiyang the sword manual, and his elder brother gave him his favorite bamboo-carved dagger.

The others simply gave him some trinkets to pass the time on the road, without giving him a formal farewell.

So, to avoid such a thing from happening again, the siblings discussed it and decided that it would be better to give the keepsake gift in advance.

"Second brother, are you really not going to leave those recipes to me? Even if they let you cook occasionally after you go home, they won't really let you focus on it."

"Your father is a fourth-rank prefect, how could he possibly let his son be a cook?" Tianji, who had already taken off his outer robe and was lying on his own bed, finally couldn't help but say to the person sleeping on the bed opposite him.

He extinguished the candles, but he knew Tianxuan was not asleep; it would be strange if she were.

"Don't worry about my affairs, and don't rush to plot against me or usurp my position. Perhaps before long, things will get better for you too," Tianxuan replied softly, her eyes closed on the bed.

"Second brother, you're wrong to say that. What do you mean by plotting to seize your power or usurp your position? It's already been confirmed that they are your family members, so this matter is a done deal."

Since you're not coming with us, someone has to step in and take care of the food, right?

As for my situation, there's still no news, isn't there? The bamboo slips are worn and the runes on them are no longer visible. It's possible that they might never be able to find out anything in the future." As Tianji said this, she suddenly realized that she wasn't saddened by the possibility of never finding her family again?

She had only one thought in her mind: it's not a big deal if she can't find them. There's nothing wrong with just following her and her master!

However, this time, the second brother, Tianxuan, did not respond.

...

Separated by a wall is Hong Xiaoduo's room.

She stood inside the door the whole time, and vaguely overheard some of the children's conversation.

The children were very well-behaved; even the youngest, Yaoguang, didn't cry.

For them, parting with their brothers and sisters who had grown up together through hardship was a sad and painful experience.

But this separation was because they found their own families, not because she had given them up for adoption. In this way, she felt no guilt towards them, and they would not resent her.

Yes, it's just the reluctance to part ways, the sadness of separation, and the regret of not being able to stay together!

Hong Xiaoduo remembered what Tianxuan had told the three Ye brothers: to go back the day after tomorrow.

The day after tomorrow, which means they will be leaving this place soon.

But why did Tianxuan's reaction make her feel uneasy? Was it because he was a few years older than Kaiyang back then...?