Chapter 8: The Plan to Adopt a Son

Song Yue carefully wiped the silver longevity lock, then seriously moved to put it around Xuan Sibei's neck. In order to persuade this rebellious person to join her side, she even offered her large house as an incentive: "What are you still hesitating for? Such a good opportunity, once it's gone, there's no turning back. Stay in my house, I'll even find you a job. It's much better than begging on the streets..."

After Yingdu was captured, the Yan army looted their palace, taking gold, silver, and other treasures. Some were damaged, and when everything was counted, it was discovered that more than half had gone missing.

Originally, Ji Wuchao suspected that it was the remaining people from Yingdu who had made the decision to destroy the treasures rather than let them be used by the enemy. But now, she had doubts. She suspected that a portion of the treasures had been taken by this seemingly gentle but deeply scheming young man.

He had enough people to secretly transport some of the treasures before the Yan army arrived, hiding them in carriages and taking them away unnoticed.

No one would refuse the sight of shiny silver. Now, in her innocent yet seemingly naïve demeanor, if he wasn't interested in her house that she was practically giving away, it was probably because he had too much money to spend... The missing treasures from Chu State must be with him.

"Thank you for your kindness, I truly appreciate it, but..." He lightly furrowed his brow, pushing away the longevity lock as if unsure how to refuse. His eyes seemed to express innocence. "The matter of recognizing family cannot be rushed; it needs careful consideration..."

He had lost his mother at a young age, and his cold-blooded father was never someone he could speak to. He didn't lack a desire for love from an elder. The woman before him was warm and had done him a favor… but for some reason, he always felt something was off.

Perhaps it was because, although she claimed to be in her thirties, her well-maintained face looked like a young woman in her twenties. Time had not left a trace on her. If it were someone else, by now he would have coldly sent them away, but this woman... always wore her thoughts on her face, so straightforward it made him helpless.

"You little brat, still acting distant..." Song Yue pushed the longevity lock back into his hand, deliberately opening his fingers so he could hold it tightly. She acted familiarly. "Enough! I'm not taking no for an answer. I've said I'll adopt you, and I will! Those two coins I gave you are probably gone by now, right? Fine! From now on, you'll stay with me, no need for inns. We'll live in my big house, and I'll make sure you eat and drink well!"

Xuan Sibei looked at her side profile, momentarily lost in thought, and didn't resist.

Qian Jiang, waiting outside the door, heard the soft creak of the door opening and thought the girl was coming out. But to his shock, he saw his usually cold and ruthless master, who was known for his dark and harsh methods, calmly holding hands with her, looking so docile. It froze his expression for a moment.

Song Yue, lost in her own thoughts and calculations, didn't notice their expressions. Even though some things hadn't gone according to plan, in the end, she was successfully bringing her "son" home.

[Hey, he hasn't acknowledged you as his adoptive mother yet…]

Song Yue: "It doesn't matter. We're going home now, so it's just a matter of time before he admits it... I'm just trying to set him on the right path, and in the end, I'll have saved him and done good for society. Who knows, he might even become my good son… No, my good helper."

She was very pleased with herself as she led Xuan Sibei out of the inn. She didn't notice, as they stepped over the threshold, that some people disguised as ordinary guests, with chopsticks in hand or their hands resting on the handles of knives at their waists, were watching them carefully. However, all the tension melted away under Xuan Sibei's calm and subtle signal.

As they walked through the busy streets, Xuan Sibei suddenly squeezed her hand and looked down at her, asking, "What's your name?"

"Song Yue." It was her real name, even more real than Ji Wuchao.

"Why didn't you ask my name?" His sharp, beautiful eyes were staring at her without blinking, and his gaze was deep and obscure.

Song Yue's first reaction: He noticed.

Her heart raced, but his lack of murderous intent allowed her to calm slightly. Fortunately, she was good at maintaining her composure. To an outsider, it would seem like she was just confused by his question. She responded, "I... I actually... I was afraid it would touch a sore spot... after all, a street beggar... without parents... how could I have a name? How about I give you one?"

"..." He turned his head away without replying.

Song Yue thought to herself that this kid was still not being honest, not even willing to tell her his name. After a moment of thought, she said, "If you're not going to speak, it means you agree. How about calling you... Wang Goudan (King Dog Egg)?"

Xuan Sibei glanced at her again, and this time she wasn't mistaken; his look was full of disdain.

"Then how about Wang Tiezhu (King Iron Pillar)?" She wasn't going to give up until he gave her a name!

Finally, as though he couldn't endure it any longer, he slightly narrowed his eyes and said, "Sibei."

"What Sibei?" Song Yue pretended to not understand.

"My name."

...

When they finally arrived at the "big house" that Song Yue had mentioned, the chilly wind blew the fallen leaves in front of the gate, swirling them up to her head, creating a desolate scene.

Song Yue: ...

As expected, cheap goods are never good. Although the house was complete, it was just too small! Passing through the courtyard, there were only two bedrooms, and not even a tea room to entertain guests!

Xuan Sibei, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised at all. When he had heard her say that her business was a loss, he had already expected this. Even if she had to sell everything, she wouldn't have much money left. She had probably scraped together just enough to buy this house, but with no money left for food.

A fragile, widowed woman eager to buy a house and settle down—was it for the promise she made to him? She wanted to adopt him, and had even planned for him to marry and have children in the future?

Well, so be it.

The place was small, but it was bearable. From what he had heard on the way, it seemed that she wanted to borrow some money to continue her business, and it would be normal for her to be away for ten or fifteen days. This wouldn't interfere with any of his plans.

He didn't want to reject her goodwill. In fact, if this chance acquaintance truly was what she said she was, someone who would age before him, perhaps he would be willing to take care of her.

This was probably the last trace of kindness he had left in the world. It felt good.

Song Yue knew that someone was following them, staying close to Xuan Sibei—probably his secret guards—but she pretended not to notice. Like a regular housewife, she let Xuan Sibei rest while she gave Xiao Cui a hand, tidying up the house a little. Then she ran to the kitchen to cook for him, being very enthusiastic.

In the evening, she brought several plates of home-cooked dishes to the table. At this point, she had already begun to see this young man as her own son. Seeing that he hadn't moved his chopsticks, she proactively served him more food. The dinner table suddenly felt warm, like home.

"Do you like my cooking?" She knew that to win over her 'son's' heart, she had to capture his stomach first!

Xuan Sibei tasted her cooking, and his eyes slowly brightened. "Hmm."

So this is the life of ordinary people, unexpectedly simple yet peacefully reassuring… It was something he had never experienced.

Even though he carried heavy responsibilities and harbored deep hatred, here, those dark emotions, as thick as ink, seemed to be slowly purified. They didn't come as frequently to his mind. Perhaps, he needed a simple, even somewhat foolish, companion like her—someone who posed no threat to him and didn't interfere with his plans. As a diversion in life, even if she were just a decoration, she would be a pleasant one to have around…

"Since you like it, shouldn't you sweetly call me 'Mother'?" Song Yue never missed an opportunity to tease him.

"..." He quickly retracted his earlier words.

As expected, he couldn't treat her as just a decoration. He had to admit, sometimes she could be quite annoying.

However, aside from constantly urging him to inherit her modest family business and her lack of intelligence, this woman was very much to his liking in every other aspect. A few minor flaws were tolerable.

Song Yue kept staring at Xuan Sibei's overly delicate face, thinking to herself, why does such a bad person have to look so harmless? Despite his apparent disdain for her, he had devoured the food she made… He was so contradictory.

Now that she had captured his attention, it was time to use all her skills to teach him, to guide this villainous boss back onto the right path!

The next day.

Xuan Sibei, skilled in martial arts, could sense everything around him even while lying in bed. Before dawn, through a small courtyard, he heard a faint, hollow footstep—completely devoid of internal energy—sneaking away, leaving the door. It was Song Yue's room.

Could she be hiding something?

As the sky gradually brightened, under the banyan tree in the courtyard, the young man was holding a thin leaf. A careful observer of martial arts would notice that the leaf, filled with true qi, had become completely straight and wasn't drooping at all. It resembled a sharp blade, and if it were to be thrown, one could imagine the lethal power it would possess.

At that moment, the gate was kicked open with a "bang," and Song Yue appeared, panting and holding several thick books. She placed them on the stone table, wiped the sweat from her face, and upon seeing him, exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't expect you to be so disciplined… Just in time, I found a few books for you. Too bad there's no teacher in Jiulong Bay… you'll have to read them yourself." To set this boy's moral compass, she had even woken up more than an hour early to go to the market and buy the books!

"Tao Te Ching?" Xuan Sibei frowned as he flipped through a few books. "The Analects?"

Secrets? Perhaps he had been overthinking. She was just a foolish woman.

"Do you... not like them?"

"..." He didn't answer.

Song Yue immediately showed signs of disappointment, her face visibly growing weary. She lowered her head, blushing, and picked up the books again. Perhaps the books were too heavy, and she wobbled as she walked. "Sorry, I acted on my own, really thought of you as my own son, but you don't even acknowledge me…"

She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly heard his low, deep voice:

"Stop."

_____________

(道德经)Tao Te Ching is a book about morality and virtue.

(论语)The Analects is a collection of Confucius' teachings, also focusing on ethics, governance, and social behavior.

She really picked books that suit him well! 😂"