On the way home, Qingheng was silent, and Xing Yue hesitated to speak.

“What’s wrong?” Qingheng noticed and looked at him.

“Are you in a bad mood?” Xing Yue pursed his lips. “Have we dragged you into this?”

Qingheng was taken aback by the question and paused for a moment.

After the moment of surprise passed, she couldn’t help but laugh. “No, you’ve never dragged me down. I don’t even think of it that way.” 

“Then it’s Lizheng…”

“He didn’t say anything.” Seeing how nervous he was, Qingheng smiled reassuringly. “Since he asked his questions and then decided to register you, that means he’s decided to let you stay. Don’t worry. If anyone from the village asks about you tomorrow, he’ll help you out.”

Xing Yue asked, “Are you two close?”

“Actually, most of the families in the fort get along quite well,” Qingheng said. “You’ll see for yourself later.”

Xing Yue felt relieved; he’d genuinely feared he might bring trouble upon Qingheng that was beyond his ability to handle.

As an adult, he shouldn’t be placing the entire burden on a teenager.

After a moment’s thought, he said slowly, “I’m not very familiar with the surroundings yet, and I’m still figuring things out. I’m not quite sure what I can do or what I should do right now. But if you have any requests in the future, just let me know—I won’t shirk my duties.”

Qingheng was slightly surprised.

He realized that Xing Yue seemed a bit out of touch with reality.

Xing Yue was clearly older, yet he seemed even more clueless than Qingheng—as if he’d been living in a vacuum all this time, unaware of reality and unsure of how to move forward.

He was wary of people, but if he actually encountered a cunning villain, he didn’t seem to have much ability to defend himself. As it stood, aside from his larger frame, he wasn’t much different from Qingguo.

Qingguo could speak, but only in baby talk like “ah-ah,” “ya-ya,” “ee-ya,” “ah-ya,” “wa-wa,” “hee-hee,” and “heh-heh”; Xing Yue could speak, but only the words Xing Zhao knew, and he stuttered through them;

Qingguo can’t walk, but he can crawl.

Xing Yue can walk, but right now he needs crutches or someone to hold onto; one wrong move and he’ll take a nasty fall. Hmm, when you compare the two, they do seem pretty similar.

However, Xing Yue didn’t possess the haughty arrogance that Qingheng had secretly feared.

He does seem to be living in a vacuum, but he isn’t stubbornly determined to stay there forever. When he encounters reality, he is surprised and bewildered, but he snaps out of that bewilderment and is willing to accept reality, to feel his way through it and adapt.

This alone exceeded Qingheng’s expectations.

So, after the initial surprise passed, Qingheng didn’t stand on ceremony. He immediately agreed to Xing Yue’s offer, grinning as he said, “Sure, whenever I have time, I’ll put you to work like a beast of burden.”

Xing Yue：“……”

Damn, I feel like I’ve walked into a trap.

The hooves clattered, and in the dim light, the carriage finally came to a stop in front of a courtyard just over three feet high.

Qingheng stretched his shoulders and back, shaking off the heavy gloom weighing on him. He let go of the reins and called out cheerfully, “We’re home.”

Then he nimbly jumped down from the cart and went to open the gate.

Xing Yue looked at the simple wooden door and the dark, quiet courtyard before him, then compared it to the faint sounds of laughter and commotion drifting from the neighboring yard. Only then did he clearly realize that Qingheng had no family—all his relatives were gone.

Earlier, the marriage contract had introduced Qingheng, stating that both his parents were deceased and that he would officiate his own wedding. Shocked by the prospect of signing the contract, Xing Yue had merely read the introduction as a string of words.

Now, having truly encountered Qingheng’s life, he finally felt the reality of it.

It turned out that Qingheng, just like him, had become an orphan at a young age, left all alone in the world. After opening the wooden gate, Qingheng returned to lead the old horse and pull the cart into the courtyard.

He had just lifted Xing Zhao—who was already dozing off in Xing Yue’s arms—and set him down on the ground, letting him lean against his legs. When he looked up, he saw Xing Yue staring out at the courtyard, his gaze unfocused and his expression lonely. He paused involuntarily. “What’s wrong?”

Xing Yue shook his head instinctively. Seeing that Qingheng was still watching him, he spoke up, “I didn’t expect it to be so quiet.”

“Quiet?” Qingheng smiled and gave him a sly wink. “I’ll give you something to cheer you up in a bit.”

Xing Yue didn’t understand and was about to ask what he meant by “entertainment.”

A childish voice came from next door: “Brother Heng, you’re back.” Xing Yue slowly got out of the carriage with Qingheng’s support, glancing up toward the voice.

It was a seven- or eight-year-old boy, dressed in a short tunic and sporting pigtails. Perhaps because it was evening, his family hadn’t tidied him up yet, and his pigtails hung crookedly and haphazardly at the back of his head.

Curious, the child was perched on the low wall separating the two courtyards, waving cheerfully at Qingheng: “Who are they? Just now, Guoguo was drawing a map, and Mom was changing his diaper.”

Qingheng took Xing Yue’s walking stick down and handed it to him, drawing out her words as she replied, “They’re some new friends. Have you guys eaten yet?”

“We have,” Jiu-ger wiggled his head from side to side. “Guoguo ate too—Mama fed him goat’s milk, and I helped her.”

“Did you help by drinking it?” Lady Wang said exasperatedly. Hearing the commotion, she came out of the room holding Qingguo, pinched Jiang Jiu’s cheek, and scolded him, “You drank more than half of that bowl of goat’s milk.”

“I was just worried he wouldn’t finish it,” Jiang Jiu said, edging away from the wall to avoid his mother’s hand, and turned to Qingheng: “Brother Qingheng, make some milk for Guoguo tomorrow morning. If he can’t finish it, wake me up, and I’ll help him drink it.”

Qingheng burst out laughing. “You little rascal! If we make milk tomorrow morning, I’ll just go feed you in your dreams. It’ll be much easier for you to drink it while you’re asleep.”

“Great!” Jiang Jiu’s eyes lit up instantly. He hopped up and down happily while leaning against the wall and started placing his order: “Then I want two bowls—big ones.”

Lady Wang couldn’t help but chuckle. She pinched his cheek and teased, “You’d better not drink too much in your sleep and end up looking for a bathroom everywhere.”

“I know what you mean, but I’m not going to make a mess,” Jiang Jiu said, lifting his chin proudly and snorting. “I’m not a little kid, after all.”

Lady Wang and Qingheng burst out laughing again.

After they had laughed, Qingheng took Qingguo from Lady Wang’s arms.

“I thought you weren’t coming back today. I’ve already fed the sheep for you. I just checked—all three are in the pen. Did you have a smooth trip?” Seeing a young man of about twenty standing in the courtyard, holding a small child by the hand, and with night falling—she being a young widow—Lady Wang didn’t look too closely. She lowered her voice and asked Qingheng, “Who are they?”

“It went fairly smoothly. Thanks for looking after the house for me these past couple of days.” Qingheng jiggled Qingguo in his arms. Seeing the boy’s eyes—moist and round like grapes—and watching him kick his legs happily while flashing a toothless grin, his heart instantly melted. He planted a kiss on the boy’s cheek.

Then he replied to Lady Wang, “They are members of the Xing Family. They’re sick, so I’ve brought them back to recuperate for a month. Once the older one recovers, he’ll return to duty; as for the younger one, I’ll take care of him.”

Lady Wang was taken aback.

“The details are a bit complicated; I’ll explain them to you in detail when I have time.” Qingheng cut to the chase and got down to business: “I plan to pay my taxes the day after tomorrow. Is that convenient for you?”

At the mention of taxes, Lady Wang couldn’t help but sigh.

But she didn’t dwell on it, replying, “That works. I’ll have the millet ready by tomorrow.” She then asked, “Have you had dinner yet? My stove is still warm—I’ll just throw on a few more logs…”

“No, we haven’t. But I was just about to make their beds, so I’ll light the stove to use as a lamp,” Qingheng replied with a smile.

“All right then.” Lady Wang didn’t press the matter. She said gently, “You must be tired after running around for two days. I won’t keep you. Have your dinner early, tidy up, and get some rest.”

With that, she patted Jiu-ger’s head. “Come on, let’s go home. Come back tomorrow morning to play with Guoguo.”

Jiu-ger was very well-behaved this time. He grunted, “See you tomorrow!”

Then he skipped and hopped behind his mother, clutching the hem of her skirt, his head pressed against her waist, and wiggled his bottom as he followed her back into the house.

Xing Zhao watched this little ger, who was about the same age as him, feeling both curious and utterly dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Xing Yue, looking at the swaddled bundle in Qingheng’s arms, finally recalled his earlier question about raising a son. He pointed and asked, “A son?” Seeing the bewildered look on his face, and remembering how he’d seemed to be wallowing in melancholy just moments ago, Qingheng couldn’t resist teasing him a little.

“That’s right!” He nodded decisively, grinned, and scooped up Qingguo, holding him right in front of his face. “This is the kid I had for you.”

Xing Yue: “???” 

Xing Yue: “!!!”

So the original host and Qingheng really were old acquaintances?

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively asked Xing Zhao, “Is this your… wait, no—is this my child with him?!” They were actually a couple?!

“No,” Xing Yue immediately snapped back to his senses. “How could I possibly have a child with him?”

“No, no…” Xing Yue was already getting confused and quickly corrected himself: “I can’t give birth—he’s the one who gave birth…” 

“He can actually give birth?!” A possibility struck Xing Yue, and his eyes widened suddenly as his pupils contracted in shock.

But he quickly realized something was off: “He’s so young—did I actually make him have a child?” 

“You… no, I’m not even human!” Xing Yue felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. 

Xing Zhao was bewildered, completely dumbfounded by what he’d heard.

“Big Brother!” He snapped out of his daze and said dazedly, “But you don’t even know him. He’s never been to Shangjing, and you’ve never left Shangjing.”

Xing Yue：“？？？”

Qingheng: “………………. ”

He never expected that just teasing someone would elicit such a reaction. He was dumbfounded and speechless, but then he pointed at Xing Yue and couldn’t help but burst out laughing, holding his stomach: “Hahahahahahahahahahaha…”

Xing Yue：“………………. ”

Xing Yue remained expressionless.

Xing Yue had given up on trying to salvage his shattered worldview.