Chapter 2 - Family

Without him even realizing, evening arrived, the sun casting a warm glow over Taizun City, its golden light spilling through the windows of Chen Shenghlei's room. He had fallen asleep shortly after his exhausting running session, sprawled on his bed with an arm draped over his eyes.

A gentle knock on the door stirred him from his slumber. "Young Master Chen? Your parents have arrived," came the soft, familiar voice of Yu Laoma, a motherly woman in her forties who had cared for Chen Shenghlei since he was a child. As she herself was childless, she gradually grew fond of this young boy.

Chen Shenghlei rubbed his eyes and sat up, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

"Thank you, Mrs. Laoma. I'll be out in a moment," he called back.

Yu Laoma entered the room and started folding the blankets. She said, "Don't you know, young master, sleeping in the evening is a bad omen? Besides, you need to hurry up. Your parents are already in the main hall. They missed you."

"Missed me, huh?" Chen Shenghlei muttered to himself. He hadn't seen his parents since he had reincarnated into this world. The idea of facing them filled him with a mix of excitement and anxiety. In his past life, he was an orphan deprived of any love and care. But again, these people were not his real parents, so he was conflicted.

As the maid said, soon he freshened up. Walking to the main hall, Chen Shenghlei felt his heart pound. His parents, Chen Tianglong and Zhao Yumei, were a stunning couple, both in the ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm. Both were city defense generals under the city lord, protecting Taizun from demonic beasts and other threats.

In the Violet Domain, myriad stages of cultivation existed, including the Innate Realm, Body Tempering, Qi Condensing, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, False God, True God, Void Refinement, Dharma Phase, Saint Stage, King Stage, Emperor Stage, Great Emperor, and Immortal.

However, in smaller locales like Taizun, even cultivators at the Qi Condensing or Gathering Realm levels were considered giants. The highest-ranking cultivator in Taizun was the city lord, Lu Wen, who had reached the fourth stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. As a result, the Chen family enjoyed extensive prestige within the city.

Soon his gaze drifted towards his mother, Zhao Yumei, who was an absolute beauty and mature woman, with an elegance that turned heads wherever she went. His father, Chen Tianglong, was also a handsome man with a commanding presence and a gentle demeanor, making him wonder why the original owner was so different from this Taoist couple.

As he approached, he could hear the hum of conversation. His parents' voices, calm and soothing, filled him with a sense of strange familiarity and warmth that he had never known in his past life.

"Ah, there's our little elephant," his father said gently, his eyes twinkling with affection. Despite his words, there was nothing but love in his gaze.

Chen Shenghlei smiled sheepishly. "Father, Mother," he greeted, bowing respectfully.

Although he was an adult, as someone who never had a childhood, he didn't mind acting like a kid. Besides, he couldn't just go to them and confess he wasn't their child; that would make things more complicated.

Zhao Yumei's face lit up with a radiant smile. "My baby boy, come here," she said, opening her arms wide. Chen Shenghlei stepped forward strangely into her embrace, feeling the warmth of her love envelop him. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, and he cherished it deeply. He didn't know why, but he could feel immense love radiating from this woman.

But was this love for him or the original owner? He thought.

"How have you been, son?" Chen Tianglong asked, placing a hand on Chen's shoulder. "We heard you had a bit of a fall earlier. Anything serious, or should we go to the divine doctor?"

Chen Shenghlei looked up at his father, his eyes filled with determination.

"I'm fine, Father. I've been training hard. I want to become strong and make you both proud."

Zhao Yumei's expression softened, her eyes misting slightly. "You've always made us proud, Shenghlei. But you need to take care of yourself. Laoma told us you haven't been eating much. Why is that?"

Chen Shenghlei hesitated, looking down at his hands. Thinking eating was the cause of this colossal form, now his mother still wants him to eat more. Sometimes even love can be harmful. "I... I just want to become someone who can protect our family. I want to be strong enough to keep everyone safe... and mom, you don't need to say anything. I want to lose weight..."

Zhao Yumei's heart ached at his words. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Had Chen Zhen said something to you again? Should I scold him? My boy, these people are just jealous of you. You're just healthy, not fat at all."

Chen Shenghlei said reluctantly, "Don't lie to me, Mother."

Zhao Yumei felt as if lightning had struck her. In the past, every time she told him not to eat much, he started crying, and then Zhao Yumei couldn't do anything, after all, she didn't have the heart to see her son cry. Thus she agreed to every demand he made.

Thinking that her son had matured upon she hugged him even tighter. All the while, a figure stood at the doorway, watching silently. It was Chen Shenghlei's elder brother, Chen Zhen. Unlike Shenghlei, Chen Zhen was tall and lean, with sharp features and an intense gaze. He often gave the impression of being cold and indifferent, but deep down, he cared deeply for his younger brother and family.

"Are you just going to stand there, Zhen, or will you come join us?" Chen Tianglong called out, noticing his eldest son's presence.

Chen Zhen stepped into the room, his expression neutral.

"I just wanted to see if the piglet was still alive," he said.

Chen Shenghlei fixed his brother with a sharp look, a subtle grin playing at the corners of his mouth. Memories of the original owner's tendencies flooded his mind: tears over trivial matters and endless gripes about his brother. Yet, as someone different from the original, he remained composed in the face of Zhen's antics, replying with a calm,

"I'm doing just fine, thank you."

Chen Zhen's gaze softened ever so slightly as he regarded his brother, opting for silence and settling into a quiet seat on the nearby wooden chair.

The family spent the evening together, sharing tales and laughter. Chen Shenghlei felt a newfound sense of belonging, unlike any he had experienced before. He hung on every word of his father's battlefield stories and his mother's accounts of court life, soaking in the details with rapt attention.

Later, as Chen Shenghlei retired to his room for the night, a profound sense of peace enveloped him. For the first time, he had a family who embraced and cared for him.

Even though he hadn't awakened any system or gained special cheat, ability, or golden finger, Chen Shenghlei was unwavering in his determination to protect his dear family, especially his beloved mother, and for that, he needed to eradicate the root of the problem before the poisonous plant even grows up.

( End of this chapter)