The group moved to the study. Ge Jinsheng took a seat along with Ge Nianlan while the others remained standing. He glanced at his son worriedly. He had never seen the boy carry such a serious expression on his face. Although he wanted to ask questions, he knew that it would be better if he held his tongue and asked after the situation was clarified.
Ge Nianlan looked at the man. “So? What happened?”
The man lowered his gaze. “This humble one is named Yuan Qiao. I am the late Raven Saint’s aide. Young Master Na is her liege’s only disciple, and a member from one of the far branches of the Na Clan. I am not sure if the Young Lord knows this, but members of the Na Clan cultivate a very specific path that will allow them to communicate and manipulate animals. However, there is a bit of talent that comes into play. One needs to be calm from within and without, in order to tap into the depths of nature. Young Master Na is one of those people.
“After the late Raven Saint’s passing, Young Master Na was given to the main branch of the Na Clan to raise. I’m sure everyone here would realize how dangerous that decision would be. There are many people vying for the position of the next Raven Saint and many of those people are already adults. None of them have any consideration for family, so they end up plotting against each other, much less a stranger who has no blood connection. And as Young Master Na grew older and showed more promise, they turned their claws towards them.”
Yuan Qiao took a deep breath.
“I am Young Master Na’s guardian and I also take care of the Raven Saint’s territory as I am well-versed in the goings on. It was…it was my fault. I was careless. That night, Young Master Na was heading home after a day at the main residence of the Na Clan. Normally, I pick them up myself, but I was so busy with the construction of the new dam that I allowed a servant to take care of them. On the way back, the carriage was attacked by several assassins and they kidnapped Young Master Na.
“They brought them to an underground lair and attempted to conduct experiments, to figure out just how Young Master Na could communicate with animals so well despite their young age. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, they were already so…”
Yuan Qiao took a moment to steady himself. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
“I lost control in front of Young Master Na. And for that, I am ashamed.”
“You killed them,” Ge Nianlan said.
Yuan Qiao nodded.
Ge Nianlan sighed and crossed his legs. “Well, you did it because you were enraged over what happened to your master. I can’t fault you for that. However, now we’re in a bit of a pickle.”
“What happened?” Ge Jinsheng asked.
“Na Yongkai has lost their memories,” Ge Nianlan said. “They said they only remember what happened before and after. They don’t know who you are, Mr. Yuan. They only know you as the scary man who killed a bunch of people in front of them. As for why they were scared of everyone else, I assume it’s because of trauma. They didn’t like that people kept trying to grab them.”
The room fell silent.
Ge Nianlan glanced around before softly clearing his throat. “Father, I have an idea.”
“Speak.”
“Ling Tong and Lord Nie both have younger appearances, so I think it would be helpful if either of them could serve as the guardian Young Master Na temporarily. For now, I think they should remain in Black Mane Palace. Luo-ge, Zheng-jie, me and A-Huai will look after him as well. Once they trust us enough, we’ll get Physician Lv to take a look at them.”
Ge Jinsheng hummed. He turned to Yuan Qiao. “Any objections?”
“No! Not at all! The Young Lord is brilliant to come up with that plan so quickly,” Yuan Qiao said, his eyes brimming with tears again. Yuan Qiao fell to his knees and prostrated. “Thank you, Young Lord.”
Ge Nianlan awkwardly waved. “No need to thank me.”
Yuan Qiao slowly stood as he wiped away his tears.
Ge Jinsheng sighed. “So, what of the Na Clan?”
Ge Nianlan sat patiently as Ge Jinsheng and the others spoke more about the kidnappers and what to do about the Na Clan. He shifted for a moment and slid off the chair. He turned to Ge Jinsheng and waited until Guan Yongqin’s words fizzled out before he spoke.
“Father, may I return to the dining hall?”
“Oh, yes. Of course. You must be hungry,” Ge Jinsheng said with a small pat to Ge Nianlan’s head.
Ge Nianlan smiled silently and left only when Ling Tong was beside him.
Ling Tong did not hide herself. She watched Ge Nianlan until the boy glanced over his shoulder with a sigh.
“What’s wrong? Are you upset that I saddled you with another responsibility?” Ge Nianlan asked. He chuckled to himself. “Lord Nie’s expression when I brought him up was hilarious. Though, I didn’t think you would have any gripes about it. Don’t worry, Ling Tong. I’ll keep the child close to me so it won’t double your workload.”
“Young Lord, you’re quite kind.”
Ge Nianlan stopped walking. He looked at Ling Tong strangely. “I didn’t know puppets could get sick.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then, why are you suddenly talking such nonsense?” Ge Nianlan asked.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“If I help the future Raven Saint for my benefit, I can’t really be called kind, can I?” Ge Nianlan said.
Ling Tong said nothing else, but Ge Nianlan could tell by her strangely softened gaze that she thought otherwise.
Ge Nianlan turned away with a slight shudder. What was this horrible feeling? Although he had relived being misunderstood many times over, this was different. It made him uncomfortable and…disgusted.
The boy shook his head and quickened his pace. He did not want to be alone with Ling Tong right now.
When he arrived at the dining hall, he knocked three times before entering.
On the ground, Huai Zhen sat with Na Yongkai. Both children had bowls of rice in their hands and a sprawl of other dishes before them. When they realized that it was Ge Nianlan who entered, Na Yongkai quickly relaxed. They shifted and watched Ge Nianlan settle down on the ground beside them with a bright smile.
“I spoke to my father and he said that it will be our responsibility to watch you for now,” Ge Nianlan said. He took the bowl Huai Zhen handed him. “I’ll also introduce you to some big brothers and sisters that I know. They’re a little older than us, so if you need anything, go to them for help, alright?”
Na Yongkai hesitated and glanced at Ge Nianlan.
Although he couldn’t hear their inner thoughts, he read the message loud and clear: Why can’t I come to you?
“You could come to me too,” Ge Nianlan said. “Or A-Huai.”
Na Yongkai nodded, but their eyes remained on Ge Nianlan and didn’t drift over to Huai Zhen for even a second.
Huai Zhen watched Na Yongkai silently and then glanced at Ge Nianlan, who was smilingly talking about something else. He glanced at his hands and fidgeted for a moment before he leaned over.
“Nianlan,” Huai Zhen whispered.
Ge Nianlan looked over. “Huh?”
Huai Zhen was silent for a moment before he softly cleared his throat. “Never mind. I forgot.”
“Forgot?” Ge Nianlan echoed. He frowned slightly before humming. “Then, tell me if you remember.”
Huai Zhen nodded. He glanced at Na Yongkai, who had turned back to eating, and sighed softly. He really was not being like himself today.
Once the children finished dinner, the maids came to bring them to their respective rooms. However, the moment a servant approached Na Yongkai, the child jumped back in horror and ran for Ge Nianlan. The boy, caught unaware, nearly tripped over his own feet to catch the child who had flung themselves at him.
Ge Nianlan held out his hand to keep the servants from rushing over and simply patted the trembling child on the back.
“It’s okay. They’re my servants. They won’t hurt you.”
Na Yongkai shook their head and burrowed deeper into Ge Nianlan’s arms.
Ge Nianlan looked up at Huai Zhen helplessly.
“They’ve imprinted on you,” Huai Zhen observed.
“Im—what?” Ge Nianlan stared at his friend in shock.
“When an animal is born, they form an extremely close bond with the first animal that they see, who is usually their mother,” Huai Zhen explained. He glanced at Na Yongkai, who clearly was not even paying attention to their surroundings. “I suppose, in this case, you are the first person who has given them a sense of security, since such traumatic events, so they’ve imprinted on you.”
“That’s just…animal behavior,” Ge Nianlan said as he unconsciously hugged Na Yongkai in return. He sighed. “Forget it. If it’s like this, then that’s fine too. But…Yongkai, you have to get up. We need to bathe you and treat your wounds.”
Na Yongkai shook their head.
“Don’t you want to feel better?” Ge Nianlan asked.
Na Yongkai only clung to Ge Nianlan.
Ge Nianlan groaned internally. If he was a cultivator, he would have no trouble lifting Na Yongkai. But the truth of the matter is that he wasn’t! He was just a flesh and blood human being!
Ge Nianlan looked at Huai Zhen helplessly. To his surprise, the boy coldly turned away.
“A-Huai—”
“I’ll head out first. I’m tired,” Huai Zhen said.
…Was he pouting?
…
Ge Nianlan should be the one pouting! He just wanted to help out this traumatized kid, but now he has extra baggage to lug around! If anyone should be upset, it should be him? What was Huai Zhen’s reaction!?
It took another half hour until Na Yongkai finally released Ge Nianlan and followed him to take a bath, only on the premise that the two would be bathing together. Ge Nianlan tried to hold back his displeasure. Not only was he going to help a child younger than him bathe, but he was also going to dress his wounds?
Despite having already experienced a horrible life thanks to the cursed artifact, that didn’t mean he took care of anyone during it. From the beginning, he was a pampered young master, and at the end, he was a carefully treasured fugitive! It was always others taking care of him and never the other way around!
He glanced at the child tailing behind him and sighed.
Na Yongkai should be honored.
The bath was drawn and Na Yongkai stepped in first.
Ge Nianlan frowned at the amount of blood that polluted the water almost immediately. He sighed and waved for the maid to replace the water.
For now, they would be wiping and cleaning Na Yongkai with towels and a basin of water.
The pampered young lord rolled up his sleeves and pants. He took his shoes off and tied his hair into a bun as he held Na Yongkai’s head down and started to scrub their hair.
Although the lice had already been taken out by Yuan Qiao and the other servants, Ge Nianlan still had to untangle the matted, tangled hair. His nose scrunched in disgust; in contrast, his movements were exceedingly gentle. His skills were so relaxing that Na Yongkai ended up falling asleep. Ge Nianlan only discovered this when he pulled the child up, only for the child’s head to lull onto his shoulder.
Ge Nianlan sighed as his maids giggled from where they watched.
“What am I going to do with you?” Ge Nianlan grumbled as he tilted Na Yongkai upwards. He turned to the maids. “Help me dry the Young Master.”
The maids worked quickly, making sure to take care and not wake Na Yongkai up. Following that, Ge Nianlan quickly bandaged the child up, as per the maids’ instructions. Only after everything was finished did Ge Nianlan order Na Yongkai to be placed on his bed while he bathed.
He let out a soft sigh and shrank into the warm water. He closed his eyes as his brows furrowed. He couldn’t think of possibly how he was saddled with this responsibility. He had calculated several outcomes, but why him? Was it because he looked too friendly? His face as Baili Yihong was definitely better in cases like this…
As Ge Nianlan was bemoaning his misfortune, there was a soft knock on the door. Ge Nianlan sat up as the doors creaked open.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Ge Nianlan relaxed and watched as Huai Zhen walked around the silk screen.
“They’re sleeping here too?” Huai Zhen asked with a small frown.
Ge Nianlan glanced at the lion in his arms and smiled. He leaned over the tub. “We can all squeeze in together. My bed is big!”
“Forget it. If you’re already sleeping with them, then I’m going back to my room.”
Ge Nianlan clicked his tongue and grabbed Huai Zhen’s wrist. He gently tugged him over. “A-Huai, why are you pouting like I’ve brought in a concubine?”
“What are you saying?” Huai Zhen hissed.
“Isn’t this like those stories? The first wife is upset that her husband brought back a concubine so—ah!”
Ge Nianlan pulled his hand back and held it to his chest. “Are you crazy?”
He rubbed at the clear bite mark and pouted. He glared at Huai Zhen, but seeing that the boy was truly upset, he huffed and shifted closer again.
“The joke wasn’t funny. I’m sorry.”
“…I’m sorry for biting you.”
Ge Nianlan hummed. “So, just sleep here, alright? You already walked all the way over.”
Huai Zhen glanced at Ge Nianlan. “They might be scared if they wake up and I’m there.”
“I’ll sleep in the middle,” Ge Nianlan said with a grin.
“You sound like a playboy.”
“A what?”
“Someone who has many partners at once,” Huai Zhen said.
Ge Nianlan shook his head. “I don’t have any partners. I just have a lot of friends.”
Huai Zhen rolled his eyes and went to sit on the divan. “Hurry up if you’re done bathing.”
Ge Nianlan sloshed his way out of the tub and quickly got dressed. As he was about to pull Huai Zhen towards the bed, he was tugged back and fell into the boy’s arms. Huai Zhen glared down at him and pushed him off gently.
“Grab a towel. Your hair is still wet.”
“It’s fi—”
“I don’t want your wet hair in my face again.”
Ge Nianlan pouted, yet still did as he was told.
Only after his hair was dry enough did Huai Zhen let Ge Nianlan jump into the bed.
Na Yongkai shifted, their eyes opening drowsily.
“Yongkai, look! A-Huai came to sleep with us,” Ge Nianlan said as he shimmied under the covers.
Na Yongkai looked at Huai Zhen. A small smile lifted on their face. Their hand reached over Ge Nianlan to tug on the corner of Huai Zhen’s sleeve.
Ge Nianlan glanced at the small arm over his chest and glanced at Huai Zhen.
“Yongkai, do you want us to switch?”
Na Yongkai shyly nodded.
Ge Nianlan smiled and patted Huai Zhen. “You see? I told you they like you!”
Huai Zhen hesitantly scooted in first and laid down. Almost immediately, Na Yongkai huddled closer, almost touching but not quite. Ge Nianlan watched with a small smile until Huai Zhen glared at him. He swallowed his grin and laid down.
“They like you,” Ge Nianlan whispered. “It’s because you were so nice to them earlier.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Huai Zhen snapped.
“What a lie,” Ge Nianlan sighed. “I know you were very patient with them.”
Huai Zhen glanced at Ge Nianlan. If anything, he just followed the other boy’s example. He had no idea what to do in the situation otherwise.
Ge Nianlan let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. “Goodnight, A-Huai.”
“…Goodnight.”
Silence settled over the large room. The children on either side of Huai Zhen began to breath evenly. Na Yongkai shifted even closer to Huai Zhen in their sleep and curled in against them. Ge Nianlan, on the other hand, kicked his blankets off and tangled their legs together. Huai Zhen’s eyes slowly opened and he glanced between the two children.
Although he was annoyed, for some reason, he couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.
He fixed Ge Nianlan’s blanket. He readjusted Na Yongkai’s pillow. Then, he closed his eyes, hugged the black lion stuffed animal closer to his chest, and drifted off to sleep.
i’ve only had Na Yongkai for a chapter and a half, but if anything happens to them i will kill everyone and then myself (as goes the meme but AAAAAAAA I !!!! LOVE !!!! THEM!!!!!!!! SO SMALL AND WITH THE BOYS LOOKING AFTER THEM, SLEEP CUDDLE HHHHHHH 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺)
hehe thanks for reading!!
It had me smile like a lunatic. Ge Nianlan is so very good at what he doesn’t want to be (gentle and kind). And, A-Huai getting jealous is just chef kiss. He is so cute…. Nah…. They all are so cute. That fixing of blanket and readjusting of pillow had me buzzing like a bee. What a beautiful family they will make! 🥰🥰🥰Thanks for the chapter.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa thank you so much!!!!!!!!thanks for reading!!
Thanks for the chapter. Can’t wait they grow up and Huai Zhen want Nianlan all for himself 🤭
😭 imagine if his posessiveness just grows worse with age LMAO thanks for reading!!
Huai Zhen gets jealous so easily haha
Thanks for the chapter ^^
thanks for reading!!