Chapter 52
The little cub, thinking it all too much of a coincidence, shook her head and sighed inwardly.
Could this really be a destined fate that could not be avoided?
The youth had already walked over, offering his greetings to everyone present.
He was remarkably handsome, lacking the free-spirited and unrestrained grace of his father, Wen Shi, yet possessing an exquisite prettiness unique to a young man.
Such a handsome and delicate youth, however, cared little for lavish robes or elaborate ornaments. Dressed in simple attire with quiet eyes, he stood silently by Elder Wen’s side after giving his greetings, entirely devoid of any lively or boisterous energy.
This quiet yet handsome youth exuded a certain premature maturity and poise. Elder Wen was exceedingly fond of this well-behaved grandson, especially since Yu Youyou remembered that Wen’s lineage had been passed down through a single heir for generations.
Despite Wen Shi having a harem full of wives and concubines, romancing people day in and day out, and living an utterly unbound life, all those wives and concubines combined had produced only this single seedling. Naturally, he was Elder Wen’s most precious treasure of a grandson.
At that moment, Elder Wen smiled proudly and said to Chu Xingyun, “This child has been of a quiet disposition since he was little. He looks cold, but deep down he knows right from wrong. Not long ago, he even mentioned you to me, saying how deeply he admired the legends of your previous travels.”
Elder Wen and the former sect master were close, lifelong friends, so he naturally frequented the Primordial Sect, and Chu Xingyun was well acquainted with the youth.
Chu Xingyun smiled as he glanced at the downcast youth, tucked his precious little cub a bit more securely into his arms, and said gently, “The last time I saw A-Yu was many years ago. Seeing him now at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, he truly is a heroic youth.”
To have reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment at such an age was indeed a sign of extraordinary talent. Elder Wen had always taken immense pride in his beloved grandson’s cultivation and aptitude.
Hearing Chu Xingyun’s praise, he felt as though his heart had been stroked just right. Beaming with a smile while feigning modesty, he replied, “It is merely that he spent a bit longer in closed-door seclusion; he cannot compare to your talent, nor to your breadth of experience.”
Such modesty was merely for the sake of politeness.
If one were to take it seriously and agree, “Indeed, he is no match for me,” Elder Wen’s expression would undoubtedly turn as dark as ink.
Yet Chu Xingyun genuinely believed that Wen Yu’s cultivation was commendable.
To possess such a level of cultivation at this age meant that, barring any accidents, given time, he would undoubtedly become a great cultivator.
Elder Wen continued with a sigh of emotion, “This child’s talent far surpasses both mine and his father’s. He is the hope of the Wen family, and I only hope he can cultivate diligently and become the pillar of the Wen clan in the future.”
When elders started talking about their grandsons, it was easy for them to ramble on endlessly. Yu Youyou paid them no mind, burying her face in her eldest senior brother’s embrace and softly humming to herself.
As for Ao Xin, the black dragon... having been locked away for so many years as a lifelong bachelor, he was utterly incapable of comprehending any sense of paternal love and merely found the conversation tedious.
This wasn’t even his grandson, so why on earth should he listen to this nonsense!
Seeing the old man opposite bragging to the heavens, Ao Xin curled his lip and sneered, “His talent isn’t all that impressive anyway. When this lord was his age, my demonic arts were already consummated—”
“Eat a pastry... eat a pastry!” The panicked cub urgently shoved a piece of her favorite osmanthus pastry straight into the damned dragon’s mouth. While inwardly lamenting the sacrifice of her precious pastry, she deployed the swiftest speed and rhetoric of her life to seal the black dragon’s lips.
It was the sort of conversation best brushed off with a polite laugh.
Although what the black dragon spoke was the truth, how utterly embarrassing it was.
The sweet, sticky osmanthus pastry was stuffed right into the handsome black-robed man’s mouth. Interrupted mid-sentence, the black dragon instantly widened a pair of dangerous eyes to glare at the audacious little creature who dared to lay hands inside a dragon’s mouth.
Chu Xingyun still maintained his spring-breeze smile, but Elder Wen grew tense. Disregarding the black dragon’s sharp tongue and offensive nature, he worried anxiously that this clearly malevolent entity might lash out at Yu Youyou.
Even the aloof Immortal Qingwu glanced over.
That tiny, plump bun of a child wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between the black dragon’s teeth.
However, the black-robed man paused. While chewing the osmanthus pastry with large bites, he glared at the cub with dissatisfaction and grumbled, “I told you I don’t like sweets. Were you even paying attention?” He added with a feigned grievance, “Give me two of your minced meat flatbreads!”
The cub knew how to pick them. Those minced meat flatbreads had been personally bought by the little cub from the most famous flatbread stall at the foot of the imperial capital before they left Chu Xingyun’s home.
...Because Fairy Youyou guarded her eldest senior brother with such profound affection, despite the aging emperor’s scowling and dramatic declarations of bitter resentment toward Chu Xingyun, he was exceptionally courteous and friendly to Fairy Youyou.
Knowing she lacked mortal gold and jewels, he had proactively presented dozens of massive chests filled with gold, silver, and exquisite mortal jewelry, declaring, “My brother’s junior sister is simply one of our own.”
The old emperor was actually quite a decent sort.
The wealthy little cub had swept through the imperial capital during those few days, filling a massive storage pouch entirely with delicious treats.
Yet, no matter how many goodies one had, there was always a fear they might eventually run out.
Seeing the black dragon demand not one, but two flatbreads, Yu Youyou instantly covered her storage pouch with a protective, guarded expression and burrowed deeper into her eldest senior brother’s embrace.
“Just one!” she loudly barged into a bargain.
“...One then, fine.” The black dragon grumbled loudly, taking the opportunity to complain, “To think this... this lord accompanies you every day, and you can only spare a single flatbread.”
Yu Youyou buried her head without a word for a moment, then reluctantly handed over two flatbreads.
On second thought, being this generous surely meant it was true love.
Sure enough, chomping down on two flatbreads, the black dragon cast sideways glances at Chu Xingyun, exuding a heavy aura of smugness.
Clearly, the little demon lord still favored Lord Black Dragon just a little bit more.
Chu Xingyun: ......
Chu Xingyun felt a headache coming on.
With the cub and the dragon going back and forth, the youth standing quietly with lowered head lifted his gaze for a fleeting second. Watching the two bickering and acting so joyfully, he quietly lowered his eyes once more.
Lord Chu had no time to bicker with the blockhead. Noticing Elder Wen’s slight surprise at how easily he handled the black dragon, Chu Xingyun smiled and said to Elder Wen, “Senior Ao Xin has always shared a deep affection with my little junior sister, and they are simply accustomed to playing around.”
The black dragon, still biting into a flatbread, forced himself not to look too smug, though he ultimately failed and let out a few loud grunts in response.
Elder Wen had never expected that a dignified supreme master of the demonic path would be willing to compromise so much for a child. After a long pause, he sighed with emotion, “That is truly a marvelous bond.”
Whether it was due to some peculiarity in the Gong family bloodline, most of these descendants possessed extraordinary innate talents.
If not high talent in cultivation, it was a remarkable affinity for winning people over. Of course, Elder Wen lowered his eyes slightly... the maternal grandfather of this child belonged to that category of terrifying cultivation talent.
As for this child herself, despite being seemingly useless in the path of cultivation, great cultivators inexplicably adored her.
Chu Xingyun was one thing; as the disciple of Sect Master Yu, he naturally cherished the sect master’s beloved daughter.
Yet even a demonic dragon like Ao Xin...
“I see Youyou has grown much rounder lately, which just shows how much better she thrives staying by her father’s side,” Elder Wen said, turning his head to look at his beloved grandson standing quietly, before smiling at Chu Xingyun. “It’s a pity Youyou and A-Yu are rather far apart in age. Otherwise, if they could play together, it might bring a bit more liveliness to A-Yu.”
One was already a youth while the other was still a toddler; expecting them to play together was nothing short of absurd.
Upon hearing this, Yu Youyou nodded repeatedly in agreement.
She truly had no desire to play with Wen Yu.
It wasn’t because of any flaw in his character.
In truth, within the memories of the original novel’s Yu Youyou, when Wen Yu was pushed toward her by his father and grandfather with hints of a potential matrimonial alliance, he himself did not seem all that inclined to curry favor with her.
Unlike his father, Wen Shi, who fawned over, flattered, and waited hand and foot upon Gong Miaohua, the young man showed no such inclinations.
As he grew older, he would become even more handsome, yet his demeanor grew increasingly melancholic, as though he harbored some inescapable burden deep within his heart, giving off an intensely oppressive aura.
In the original novel, while in Yu Youyou’s company, he never refused her commands, yet he never once bared his soul or professed any genuine affection.
He seemed to mechanically fulfill the demands set by Elder Wen and his father, treating Yu Youyou with a mechanical kindness rather than anything born from the depths of his heart.
Because he was taciturn and uninteresting, the Yu Youyou of the novel hadn't liked him much and frequently humiliated him.
Yet he never once displayed any anger.
To be fair, although the little cub verbally claimed to be terrified of Elder Wen trying to force a match, that was directed solely at Elder Wen.
She harbored no aversion or repulsion toward Wen Yu, who was taciturn and preferred to quietly blend into the background. Of course, she didn't like him either.
To her, Wen Yu was merely an acquaintance she happened to know.
However, since Wen Yu had never committed any villainous deeds in the book, Yu Youyou didn't dislike him. In fact, just moments ago, she had even offered her most beloved little pastry simply to save the other person’s young master from embarrassment.
Beyond that, however, there was nothing more... She blankly bobbed her little head to indicate that she and Wen Yu simply couldn't play together, leaving Elder Wen staring in speechless amusement.
“This child...” He gazed at her affectionately for a moment.
Chu Xingyun, however, frowned slightly.
Why did it feel as though Elder Wen was desperately trying to avoid any connection with his little junior sister?
He acted as though he was terrified the two children might actually end up playing together.
Though Chu Xingyun himself disliked the idea of external wildflowers constantly attracting his little cub’s attention, he could not tolerate anyone else picking flaws in her either. Smiling at the handsome youth, he remarked, “My little junior sister has numerous friends and is currently getting along wonderfully with Senior Ao Xin. You are quite right, it is indeed a pity.”
Their little junior sister would hardly deign to notice a mere Foundation Establishment fledgling; anyone qualified to play with the cub needed to be at least at the Heavenly Demon tier.
Before his voice had even faded, the black dragon, puffed up with pride, lifted his chin and declared, “This cub’s heart currently holds only this lord! She lacks no companions whatsoever!”
Don't even think about stuffing anyone else into the little demon lord’s heart.
It was already crowded enough as it was.
Whether it was the blockhead's exceptional performance or a genuine realization of the hidden meaning behind Elder Wen’s words, Elder Wen choked for a moment before sighing, “Youyou is lively and adorable. By comparison, I only wish A-Yu could be as lively as Youyou.”
Dropping the subject entirely, the little one buried her head, feigning ignorance, and hummed twice inwardly.
She had caught every bit of it; she had clearly been the one being looked down upon.
Both her eldest senior brother and the black dragon were simply standing up for her.
In the past, the little cub would never have been able to deduce so much.
Times had changed, however. Having undergone rigorous tempering within the imperial palace, she was now a knowledgeable cub who had witnessed court intrigues and grown countless crafty wits.
Though inwardly relieved that Elder Wen had never intended to bestow his precious grandson upon her—sparing her a mountain of trouble—by comparison, she still...