Chapter 1519: He Can Only Come To Me
Red Lotus brought the child to Ye Zhiqiu’s side. Ye Zhiqiu said nothing, nor did he look at the mother and son. With one hand, he leaned on a hoe whose handle was covered in cracks; with the other, he smoked a cigarette. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his expression was serious, his mind seemingly lost in thought.
The little boy wanted to speak, but Red Lotus stopped him just in time. She knew Ye Zhiqiu must be deep in thought about something, so it was best not to interrupt and distract him.
Although the little boy was lively, he wasn't mischievous. After being stopped by Red Lotus, he wisely closed his mouth. He glanced at his father, Ye Zhiqiu, then turned his gaze to where the spatial rift had just healed, his eyes still brimming with curiosity.
A cigarette burned down to its end. Ye Zhiqiu sighed, then tossed away the cigarette butt in his hand. Only then did Red Lotus, who had been standing beside him, holding the child, finally speak.
"I thought he was here to cause trouble, but now it seems different from what I imagined."
Although Red Lotus had been some distance away, it wasn't a great distance. Moreover, when Ye Zhiqiu and Xiao Kang were talking, neither of them had cast any soundproofing enchantments. In such circumstances, it was no difficult task for Red Lotus, with her strength, to overhear their conversation. It was precisely because she had heard their exchange that Red Lotus made this judgment.
"Alas, he indeed didn't come to trouble us, but he brought trouble upon our family of three. Our originally peaceful life has been disrupted by his arrival."
Ye Zhiqiu sighed, then spoke with a troubled expression. Red Lotus smiled; compared to Ye Zhiqiu's worried face, she seemed considerably more relaxed.
Ye Zhiqiu pondered for a moment, then nodded gently, seemingly acknowledging Red Lotus's statement.
"Perhaps, as you say, the situation isn't as bad as I imagined. I also hope that's indeed the truth."
Although there was a hint of uncertainty in Ye Zhiqiu's words, it was clear from his tone that he strongly hoped events would unfold in the direction he wished for.
"Are you going to deliver the message for him?"
Red Lotus asked again. She knew perfectly well who Xiao Kang had been referring to, so she didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
"Yes. Although I didn't promise him, I still want to help him. Perhaps he guessed all along that I would. After all these years, with his intelligence, there's no way he wouldn't know what kind of person I am."
This time, Ye Zhiqiu didn't even hesitate, giving Red Lotus a direct, affirmative reply. Red Lotus showed no surprise at Ye Zhiqiu's straightforwardness; it was as if she had long anticipated his positive answer, thus feeling not a bit astonished.
"Since we've been living in seclusion here, we've completely cut off contact with the outside world. Neither you nor I know what the situation is like out there now, so do you want to first understand the external circumstances before making a decision?"
Ye Zhiqiu shook his head upon hearing this, then spoke. "I know what you're worried about, but there's no need. I'm just delivering a message for him, which is simply a Communication Talisman. I have no intention of leaving seclusion. The decision we made to live here wasn't just idle talk."
Red Lotus smiled upon hearing this, gently placing down the child who was struggling to get out of her arms, and then said.
"You've misunderstood me. I'm not worried you'll come out of seclusion because of this. In fact, whether you choose to continue living in seclusion or to re-enter the world, I'll always support you and never abandon you. My words just now were merely a reminder, hoping you'll make the right decision. But there's one thing I'm truly curious about: how did that child, Xiao Kang, find this place?"
As Red Lotus spoke, the little boy had already run to Ye Zhiqiu's front and extended his hands towards him. Ye Zhiqiu understood the boy's meaning, put down his hoe, and scooped the little boy into his arms.
Ye Zhiqiu, who had originally worn a serious expression, broke into a smile the moment he held the little boy. The worries in his heart seemed to vanish in that instant.
"Don't say you're curious; I'm just as curious. But thinking it over carefully, it's not entirely impossible. The fact that he could do this shows he's quite capable now."
After saying that, Ye Zhiqiu began to play with the child. Red Lotus watched the scene, a happy smile spreading across her face. After a slight hesitation, she spoke to Ye Zhiqiu, who was still amusing the boy.
"Do you think everything he said today is true or false? Could this be a smokescreen he's released to achieve his goals?"
Ye Zhiqiu heard her, and while still playing with the child in his arms, he replied without turning his head. "I was just thinking about that. Based on my understanding of him, and after careful analysis of the whole situation, I don't think this is a smokescreen he's released. Because once he investigated Xiujuan's death thoroughly back then, he would have no reason to act this way again. The reason he asked me to deliver the message is likely because he has no face left to confront Yang Haoran, nor to face those around Yang Haoran who treated him well. If Yang Haoran were in my shoes just now, Yang Haoran probably wouldn't doubt the truthfulness of those words, but Yang Haoran definitely wouldn't accept him as a person anymore. That's because Yang Haoran can be irresponsible towards himself, but he cannot be irresponsible towards those around him."
At this point, Ye Zhiqiu paused slightly, then continued. "I think he also clearly understands that Yang Haoran won't accept him again, so having someone else deliver the message is the best approach. As for why he came to me, among Yang Haoran's trusted confidants, only I share a deep bond with him. He could only come to me."
Red Lotus nodded as she listened to Ye Zhiqiu's analysis. Clearly, she strongly agreed with his assessment. Ye Zhiqiu, after a brief pause, continued to speak.
"Compared to how he found this place, I'm more curious about what grand gift he prepared for Yang Haoran. What Yang Haoran wants. . . what Yang Haoran wants is nothing more than apotheosis. What kind of grand gift could provide immense help for Yang Haoran to achieve godhood?"
Ye Zhiqiu stopped playing with the child. He held the boy in his arms, and as he spoke, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by an expression of doubt and curiosity.
"Haha, if you can't guess, then of course I'm even less likely to."
Red Lotus said with a smile. Ye Zhiqiu responded with a faint smile, gently shook his head, and decided not to dwell on the question any further.
"Forget it. He's no longer the young boy I once knew. Now, his cunning is probably no less profound than that of his Uncle Yang. It won't be easy to figure out what he's thinking, so I'd rather not try to guess. Let Yang Haoran figure it out slowly."
As these words fell, a Communication Talisman appeared out of thin air in Ye Zhiqiu's hand. He then whispered a few words to the talisman, and it instantly turned to ash between his two fingers.
This Communication Talisman was sent by Ye Zhiqiu to Yang Haoran. The content, of course, concerned Xiao Kang's appearance today and the message Xiao Kang had asked him to deliver.
However, considering the limitations of a Communication Talisman, Ye Zhiqiu didn't ramble on. Instead, he condensed the entire process into a few concise sentences. Although not detailed, they contained all the key points. He believed that with Yang Haoran's intelligence, he would definitely be able to fill in the blanks and fully understand these brief words.
From the moment the talisman appeared out of thin air between Ye Zhiqiu's fingers, to when it turned to ash, the little boy in his arms watched the entire process. Having never witnessed such a miraculous sight before, his eyes were wide, filled not only with intense curiosity but also strong interest.
"Daddy, how did you do that? Why did a piece of paper suddenly appear in your hand, and why did it suddenly burn up? It's so amazing! How did you do it?"
Ye Zhiqiu looked at the little boy in his arms, then ruffled his head, his face full of doting affection, and replied with a smile.
"Daddy's doing magic tricks, isn't it amazing?"
The little boy nodded his head repeatedly upon hearing this.
"Mm-hmm, it's really amazing! Was that big brother just now also doing magic tricks?"
Ye Zhiqiu and Red Lotus both understood what the little boy meant. They knew he was referring to the scene where Xiao Kang tore open space as he left. As for Xiao Kang's arrival, the little boy hadn't witnessed that.
"That's right, that was also a magic trick."
Ye Zhiqiu replied straightforwardly, his face beaming with a smile. Anyone else would have seen he was just humoring the child, but the little boy didn't believe his father was deceiving him at all; he genuinely thought that was the truth.
"That's incredible! I want to learn magic tricks too!"
The little boy's face was full of excitement, but Ye Zhiqiu's reply was perfunctory.
"Alright, alright. But you're still too young now. When you're older, if you still want to learn magic after you understand what it truly is, then Daddy will teach you."
The little boy, who had been full of excitement, had his enthusiasm instantly wiped away upon hearing Ye Zhiqiu's words. He pouted, his face radiating unhappiness.
"Heh heh, if he genuinely likes it, I think you should let him learn. And the earlier he starts building a foundation, the better. Having no sword in hand and having a sword but not using it are two different matters entirely. You and I both know how chaotic this world is; it's hard to survive without capability. We can't always be by his side protecting him. There will always be times when he's not with us. If he encounters danger in such circumstances and has no abilities of his own, then the only outcome awaiting him is a dead end."
Red Lotus spoke at this moment. Ye Zhiqiu didn't respond immediately, instead his face showed an expression of contemplation. He didn't treat Red Lotus as perfunctorily as he did the little boy; after all, Red Lotus wasn't a child. Seeing this, Red Lotus continued to speak.
"You want him to live a peaceful life, far from fighting and killing, and there's nothing wrong with that idea. But I think it's best if he still has the ability to protect himself. That way, both you and I can feel a bit more at ease, don't you think?"
Comments