Fei Bai Mu raised her brows when she saw the people entering behind Hua Ning Shun. Save for the young man with the mask, she had seen all of them before so she knew that the whole core of the Hua family had come. It wasn't too surprising. After all, this was their youngest child they were leaving. And she had understood from her conversation with Hua Ning Shun back then that this was only done because they were afraid he was in danger. If not for that … there was no way the Hua family would give him away.
She glanced at the child that was clinging tightly to the young man with the mask. His aptitude for cultivation seemed great just as expected of a descendant of the Hua family. His expression was a bit worrisome though.
And … who was the man holding him? He bore no resemblance to the members of the Hua family and his strength was far above even that of Hua Ming Jun. Was he some hidden expert they had found to protect him?
She looked at him for a moment longer and then turned to Hua Ning Shun. "You've come."
"Mn. As we agreed. I … am sorry for making such a fuss."
"It's no problem. He is your youngest child, after all." Fei Bai Mu got up from her seat and walked over to Xin Lan, taking a closer look at the child. Seeing his face, she couldn't help but smile. Ah, the child was cute as well. The other disciples would be ecstatic to have him with them.
She looked up at the man holding him but the gaze she met with wasn't friendly at all. It was almost as if she had killed this guy's father. "You are …"
Xin Lan didn't bother to answer and instead looked at the child, trying to hand him over to her. Naturally, Hua Lin Yu wouldn't let him. He scrunched up his face and tried to hug him more closely.
Hua Ning Shun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This probably couldn't get any more embarrassing? He opened his eyes again and stepped over, giving his youngest son a smile. "Xiao Yu, we've arrived at the Jian Yi Sect, ah. This is Sect Master Fei. Don't you want to greet her?"
Xiao Yu's only answer was to cry even more heartrendingly. And why shouldn't he? His father was trying to trick him! This was the woman that wanted to separate him from his uncle Xin Lan!
Thinking of that, he grabbed onto Xin Lan's hair more tightly and buried his face in his shoulder.
Xin Lan's brows twitched. This wasn't how he had imagined things! They were already here, shouldn't somebody take the child away now? He might not be able to do anything to him because he still needed to become his lover in a few years but others didn't have that problem!
Fei Bai Mu didn't follow his wishes though. She just looked on with interest. It had been a while since she took in a disciple. Especially such a young one. Seeing how dependent he was on this person, she couldn't help but wonder how things would turn out. When this person left … would the child still be alright?
Hua Ning Shun felt even more awkward when he saw Fei Bai Mu look at his son and Xin Lan this way. Ah, if he had known things would turn out like this, he would have made sure Xin Lan didn't stay with them for this long. Then maybe things would be different now.
The people in the hall fell quiet, leaving only Hua Lin Yu's sobs.
Xin Lan's expression turned worse the longer he listened. Why was this child always crying? He had done almost nothing else for the past few weeks! Wouldn't he ever get tired of this? "Alright, enough yet. You'll have to stay here anyway. So stop crying already."
Both the Hua family and Fei Bai Mu turned to stare at Xin Lan, the former with some grievance for treating the child so harshly while the latter was just surprised. How come the child was so attached to the person that would treat him like this while he didn't even bother about his family that obviously loved him to pieces?
Hua Lin Yu cried even harder at Xin Lan's words. He did not want to stay! Why would Xin Lan leave him here?!
"What? Not satisfied? That's the way it is. Your father already made a promise with Sect Master Fei. Do you really want him to go back on his word?"
"Yes!" The child didn't bother about his father's at all and just clung to Xin Lan. "Don't leave!" Actually, he didn't mind staying at the Jian Yi Sect as long as Xin Lan stayed with him.
"Why wouldn't I leave? We're not even family. What reason do I have to stay with you?"
Hua Lin Yu stopped crying at once and stared at Xin Lan with teary eyes. Not family? That was why Xin Lan wanted to leave him? His head swiveled around to his father, full of reproach. "Why?"
Hua Ning Shun's lips twitched. What did his son mean, 'why'? How was he supposed to make Xin Lan his family? Become sworn brothers with him?
Xin Lan stared at the face of the stupid brat and almost wanted to laugh. "En. We're not. So stop clinging to me already."
"Then … then let's become family!"
Xin Lan scoffed. "Oh? How do you want to do that? You haven't even grown up. If you had, we could at least get married."
The eyes of the Hua family members grew wide. Marry?!
Hua Lin Yu blinked his eyes in curiosity. "Marry? Would we be a family then?"
"Mn. So go with Sect Master Fei and grow up first. I'll come and get you when you're an adult." With that, he pushed the stunned child into Sect Master Fei's arms and turned away, walking out of the hall as if nothing had happened at all.