Walking into the study of Hua Ning Shun, Xin Lan gave a faint smile and inclined his head. "Greetings. I hope I am not disturbing you."
Hua Ning Shun got up from his seat and motioned at the chair opposite his table. "No, I'm happy that you were able to come by. Please have a seat."
Xin Lan didn't make any more smalltalk and just sat down, looking at Hua Lin Yu's father expectantly. Anyway, he had already made his intentions clear. Now, it was the other side's turn to say what they wanted.
Hua Ning Shun sat back down himself and looked at Xin Lan for a moment, trying to figure out how to start. "I guess Xiao Yu has already told you my decision?"
Xin Lan nodded once again. "He did. As well as your requirements. I agree with both. If there is nothing else you want me to do before that, I would take him to the Jian Yi Sect immediately and then start to prepare to go to the dragon realm."
Hua Ning Shun nodded. "I don't have any problems with that. In fact, I merely want to have a word with you so we can better understand each other. You see, I only have two sons. I wasn't able to do much for Xiao Yu over the years but it doesn't change that I love my child. I only want for him what is best.
"Now, there's no doubt that he wants to marry you. But at the same time, he is young. I can't help but think that maybe marrying isn't something that should be done immediately. Because of that, I think it is good if you go to travel a bit first. If the two of you still think the same after that, then I don't see any problem with getting married at that time."
Xin Lan nodded, feeling that this wasn't asking too much. Anyway, Xiang Yu had asked him to become his lover back then, not even necessarily his husband. So even if they didn't get married immediately, it should count. "It is good to see that you are looking out for him this much. I don't mind it. In fact, I think that this will benefit him. If you have any other ideas, then please tell me. I will try to make all of that possible."
Hua Ning Shun hesitated for a moment and then awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, there is something we have been thinking about. Xiao Yu hasn't lived with us for long. Now, you're going to the dragon realm to travel and after that, the wedding might be imminent. Have you thought about where you are going to live after that? Will you stay in the dragon realm or come back here?"
Xin Lan gave a faint smile. So the Hua family was apparently worried that he would take their youngest family member away completely. Well, that was to be expected. "To be honest, that will depend on what Xiao Yu wants. I've lived for a long time and in many different places. I don't care much if I'm in the dragon realm or in the human realm. So if Xiao Yu wants to stay in the dragon realm, then that is what we will do. If he'd like to return here and be with his family, then I will naturally follow him. So you'll have to ask your son about that when the time comes."
Hua Ning Shun nodded with some relief and leaned back in his chair. "I see." In that case, they likely wouldn't need to worry much. Most likely, Xiao Yu would also want to spend some more time with them.
Xin Lan hummed and then raised his brows slightly. "Is there anything else you would like to talk about? Otherwise, I would take Xiao Yu over to the Jian Yi Sect now."
Hua Ning Shun wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "Well, you will be returning here to talk about going to the dragon realm afterward, right? Anyway, you probably need to prepare quite a few things."
Xin Lan gave another hum and leaned back, giving the head of the Hua family a long look. "Actually, what do you want to prepare? Most things that we will need will be available in the dragon realm itself. I could imagine giving Xiao Yu some items to protect himself but he likely won't even need them. After all, both his older brother and I will likely be at his side at all times. But I can understand if you're worried and want to do that. How about preparing that while we are at the Jian Yi Sect? We can come and get everything afterward and then go there."
"Do you mean to say you want to start your travels immediately?"
The corners of Xin Lan's mouth slightly quirked up. "I wouldn't see why not. Anyway, the dragon realm is my home. Going back there doesn't seem like something that needs much preparation. I don't know what exactly Xiao Yu will want to see but he did mention wanting to visit my place of birth, my home, and the dragon king's palace. None of that will require any preparation as far as I'm concerned."
"Then …" Hua Ning Shun couldn't help and get nervous now that he realized that his son's departure was actually this close by. "How long will you stay there?"
"I will leave that up to Hua Lin Yu and his older brother. But just as a reminder, the time flows differently between our realms. So the longer they want to stay, the more time will go by here.
"But anyway, it isn't as if he couldn't come and visit for all this time. I'm pretty sure that Xiao Yu is happy to have his family back as well. He likely wouldn't want to be separated from you all the time. Maybe we'll just take a short trip for now, then return for a while before we come back there. Nobody says that we have to travel continuously."
Hearing that, Hua Ning Shun heaved another sigh of relief. "That is true as well. Well, then I guess I shouldn't keep you any longer. You can take him to the Jian Yi Sect and then we will see each other again as soon as you finish there."
Xin Lan nodded and then got up, inclining his head before he left the room and went to pick up Hua Lin Yu. Naturally, the youth's older brother and the two Huo brothers followed as well when they left the Hua family's estate to go to the Jian Yi Sect.
Ah, looking at this, he felt like the two of them wouldn't have much time with just each other until the day they actually got married. He could just hope that this could already be called being his lover or he would really be in a bind in regard to his promise to Xiang Yu.