“Ha! What can I teach? That kid just has to rely on his own effort.”
“When he was little and sickly, we thought of sending him to the Qingyuan Sect to toughen him up. Who knew he’d accidentally go and get on the Qianlong List? He turned out way cooler than his old man.”
Surrounded by relatives who treated him like a celebrity, Li Dalong pretended to be modest with his hands gesturing wildly, but the wrinkles on his face looked like they were dancing in excitement.
Truth be told, Dalong felt a bit nervous.
After all, his son and Little Ice Girl were now on the Qianlong List, and he didn’t even know it until county magistrate came galloping in early one morning to tell him.
So impressive!
Old Li was still buzzing with energy when suddenly the atmosphere turned quiet, and he felt a tap on his waist.
He looked up:
“Whoa! Son, you’re back!”
“Our Li family’s dragon among phoenixes is here! Quick, sit down!”
“All that hard work in the South Border, surely the Emperor is going to reward you, right? How much are we talking?”
“A marquis title is certainly in the bag!”
The whole family laughed and showered him with compliments, but there was something vaguely different about the atmosphere, or maybe it wasn’t different at all.
Anyway, when everyone was gathered, he was still frail back then, and back then, uncles and aunts were all smiles showering him with praise; the only difference was the content of their compliments.
Even Little Li had seen bigger crowds than just a family reunion.
When faced with the relatives’ praises, he still ground his toes into the floor.
Li Mo and Ying Bing found their seats, one next to Li Dalong and the other beside Gu Xueqin.
In front of family and friends, the two grew a bit more introverted, reverting to a somewhat distant demeanor, just as it was before arriving at the Qingyuan Sect.
After all, so many eyes were upon them.
He lowered his voice and asked, “Dad, hasn’t it been just a little while? Why did Auntie and Uncle come over?”
“They came to fish for information,” Li Dalong said discreetly.
Li Mo was puzzled. Fish for what kind of information?
“You don’t know what nickname you have on the Qianlong List?”
“God Hammer… Little… Wife-Inviting Duelist?”
“You already know yet you’re asking?” Li Dalong raised his cup to toast with his brother-in-law.
“……”
Li Mo clenched his fists tightly.
Who said there weren’t rival forces against the best leading man of the Qingyuan Sect? Huh?
Yantian Sect! Just you wait for thirty years on the east and thirty years on the west!
As he sat in the lively atmosphere beside Ying Bing, it only got hotter, plus Ying Bing was just like an Ice Chunk, cold as ice, so no one dared to approach her.
All the firepower focused on Little Li’s supposed achievements.
Seeing the two of them sitting politely together, Auntie recalled how they used to argue and wondered why they seemed so calm, squinting her eyes as she asked, “Little Mo, it’s already such a time, and you still haven’t mentioned a marriage?”
In the Da Yu Dynasty, matchmaking marriages at around ten years old were fairly common.
Creak—
Hmm?
Right after Auntie asked, she looked puzzled, hearing a loud creaking noise nearby.
“Mom and Dad have mutual feelings, which is why I admire free love. I’m not into that matchmaker business,” Li Mo said, sitting up straight with a serious expression.
“Ah, free love, huh?” Uncle Li Xiaolong lightly coughed. “If you ever have feelings, just tell me. I know some charming young ladies among my acquaintances; a concubine would still be a good addition to the household.”
Creak!
“…I haven’t even married yet. What do you mean ‘concubine’?!”
Li Mo’s expression shifted slightly as he waved his hands repeatedly.
Uncle’s eyes were sharp, glancing at the training outfits on the two: “Let’s not think too much about matchmaking for the kids. Little Mo and Little Ice Girl are bound to be focused on martial arts; after all, they’re aiming for the top of the Qianlong List, right?”
Li Mo nodded, signaling that Uncle was spot on.
He, Li Mo, had his heart aimed at the martial arts.
That evening, he planned to ask Ice Chunk about how to project a golden crow, so his pursuit of the dao needed no further elaboration.
A friendly reminder: Top right corner has functions to “Switch Simplified/Traditional,” “Adjust Font Size,” “Read Background Color,” etc.
Who would’ve thought, Uncle had another drink and stroked his beard: “But I will say this.”
“You two made it to the Qianlong List together—that’s great! Teamwork, mutual progress, it’s a lovely tale.”
“……”
Li Mo’s eyelids twitched.
This is bad—he forgot to change the subject.
“Hey, yeah! You two fit pretty well in those outfits,” Li Dalong said, his eyes sparkling.
“Training outfits, these were specially made by the sect for me and Ying Bing.”
“Why is one black and one blue? They don’t even match in style!”
Faced with this soul-searching question, Little Li suddenly found himself tongue-tied.
“I’m going to take a break now.”
Ying Bing glanced at Li Mo, stood up, and headed out of the room.
“Kiddo, what’s the deal in the South Border?”
Gu Xueqin changed the subject. She had genuinely worried for a long time, and now seeing her son healthy made her feel like she had escaped from danger.
Li Mo let out a breath and started recounting what he could about his experiences in the South Border.
After a few rounds of drinks, he excused himself and got up from the table.
He unconsciously headed toward the side room, then corrected his steps to his own bedroom.
Of course, Ice Chunk wouldn’t be sharing a room with him.
They could only temporarily “go their separate ways.”
The relatives watched the two head off to their respective rooms, exchanging looks, hardly able to imagine how those two would end up together.
If only Little Ice were not handsome, but too frigid. When she was little, leading her home, he thought she was mute.
But just one glance from those eyes made you feel like Meng Po had added extra water to her soup.
“Aren’t those two little enemies?” Auntie said, slightly puzzled.
Uncle watched Li Mo head to his room, raising an eyebrow: “Heh, aren’t enemies a good thing? You guys should worry less about those two little ones’ affairs in the future.”
With Little Ice’s personality, she wouldn’t let anyone close who didn’t catch her eye.
If they couldn’t even chat, how could they be enemies?
It’s quite different when you consider the word ‘unique.’
Auntie and the second uncle, along with the relatives, felt that these two kids didn’t seem like they were up to anything, but since Uncle had spoken, they nodded in agreement.
For instance, the second uncle only brought this up because his superior mentioned it several times, so he came to relay it.
As friends and family left, the hall grew silent once more.
Li Dalong watched the two kids disappear into their rooms and sighed in relief.
He and Gu Xueqin had their worries.
Little Ice still kept her cool demeanor, but it was clear she was somewhat different. Other relatives and friends wouldn’t pick up on this, but the couple had watched her grow up and felt an inexplicable sixth sense.
This time, that feeling was even stronger.
Luckily, they hadn’t reached the stage of sharing a room yet.
They hadn’t even gotten engaged—what would they do if something went wrong?
Old Li exchanged looks with his wife, relieved yet feeling a bit empty inside.
“Dear, where are the dictionary and old mirror? Bring them to me.”
“What for?”
“I need to find a good character beforehand to name the child later…”
“Just forget it.”
Gu Xueqin shot him a glare.
Little Mo was fine, just a bit mischievous. When the private tutor brought him home, he said the kid was smart, but he just couldn’t control him.
Li Dalong?
That’s a guy who, after eight tries, could still misquote from “A Man Has Responsibilities” to “Responsible for Everyone.”
Oh right, both father and son had the same private tutor.
…….
