Chapter 159: Chapter 158: Dad and Cheng has Returned (3)

When Li Jain and his son stepped out of the passage, they did not appear on the old house ruins in Qingyang town. Instead, they found themselves in a narrow alley.

The passage behind them disappeared soon after without leaving any trace, as if it had never appeared. They walked out of the alley while observing their environment.

The familiar building structures helped Li Jain to relax a little: "This is Fengwu City. We can take a transportation carriage here to South River City.

Li Cheng nodded in understanding, then asked: "Father, which part of Fengwu City is this?"

Although he had been coming here for school, he only knows the path heading to each school that he and his brothers attend. He hasn’t really taken a walk around the city so he doesn’t know many places.

Li Jain shook his head: "I don’t know. I can only tell by the house’s style. Do you want to ask around?"

Li Cheng: "No need, it’s too troublesome."

Li Cheng did not ask more, and wasn’t interested. He will just follow his father’s arrangement. He couldn’t wait to get home.

It was almost nighttime, but the city was still busy, though not as crowded as during the day. Shops with night business were still open, and transportation carriages waited at the side of the street for customers traveling between cities.

Li Jain took Li Cheng to one of the larger transportation carriages and paid the driver to take them back to South River City.

Once the carriage began moving, the sound of wheels rolling against the road filled the quiet space.

Li Cheng sat beside Li Jain in the back of the carriage. His small hands were restless on his knees.

After a long while, he lowered his head and said softly: "Father, I am sorry."

Li Jain turned to look at him in confusion: "Sorry for what?"

"I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble."Li Cheng’s voice became even lower.

Li Jain was silent for a moment before he reached over and patted the child’s head: "It wasn’t at all a trouble. You didn’t know that you were going to be teleported."

Li Cheng pressed his lips together: "But Father still had to cross so far because of me. And my brothers are left home alone."

Li Jain smiled faintly: "If my child is somewhere else, then I will go and bring him back. I would do the same for every one of you. That’s not trouble, it’s my duty as your father."

Li Cheng’s cheeks flushed but he didn’t respond, his fingers tightened slightly on his knees.

Li Jain looked at him for a while and said: "Besides, as long as you found the answer you wanted, this trip was not completely useless."

Li Cheng shook his head dejectedly and sighed deeply, like an old man: "I did not."

Li Jain raised his brow slightly: "You did not?"

Li Cheng looked down and said with some confusion: "I still do not know what drew me close to Zhao Yun. At first, I thought it was because he had some special physique but it did not feel that simple. When I saw him, I felt like I should follow him."

Li Jain listened carefully. He had already noticed that Li Cheng’s attitude toward Zhao Yun was not normal. Li Cheng was not a child who became close to others easily. In fact, among the children, he was one of the hardest to move. Yet he had followed Zhao Yun out of the secret realm, without hesitation.

That meant there was something there. Maybe he didn’t look at Zhao Yun well, but he didn’t seem to have any abnormal physique.

Li Jain thought for a moment and said gently: "Take it easy. There’s still time, you might figure it out when you grow up."

Li Cheng lifted his head: "When I grow up? What does that have to do with it?"

Li Jain continued: "Since Zhao Yun said you will meet again, then perhaps you will really meet again in the future. When that time comes, you can observe him properly. There is no need to understand everything at once."

Li Cheng thought about it and nodded: "If it is fate."

Li Jain smiled: "Yes. If it is fate."

The carriage continued forward through the night.

Li Cheng leaned against his father and fell asleep. Li Jain quietly adjusted the cloak around him so he would not catch a cold.

...

By the time they returned to South River City, it was already late at night.

The residence was quiet when they entered.

The children had already gone to sleep. The lamps in the corridors were dim.

Li Jain nodded: "Your brothers are asleep. Let’s not wake them, go bath first, you will sleep with me tonight."

Liu Xiong came out after hearing the noise. He was wearing a loose robe, when he saw Li Jain, his eyes eased and a gentle smile bloomed on his face.

"You’re back"

Li Jain nodded: "Yes."

Liu Xiong walked closer: "How was your trip?"

"A little troublesome." Li Jain replied.

Liu Xiong raised a brow, clearly not believing that the matter was only a little troublesome.

"If you hadn’t returned by tomorrow, I was planning to go get you."

"That wouldn’t have been necessary." Li Jain shook his head, but he believed that Liu Xiong was capable of doing what he said.

Li Jain briefly explained what happened. He spoke about the secret realm connecting to another country, the four schools that had entered the trial, the stolen secret realm formation, and so on...

When Li Jain finished, Liu Xiong was silent for a while. He took a step forward and pulled Li Jain into his arms: "Let’s not worry about that for them. Now that you’ve returned safely is all that’s important."

Before Li Jain could ask what he was doing, a warm kiss landed on his lips. Li Jain froze for only a moment, before he relaxed invulnerably. Liu Xiong took the chance to deepen the kiss.

Liu Xiong’s arm wrapped around Li Jain’s waist, pulling him closer, while his other hand rested at the back of Li Jain’s neck.

Li Jain’s fingers tightened slightly against Liu Xiong’s sleeve, as his breath became uneven.

They are already lovers and had done this a few times, but Li Jain was still inexperienced and couldn’t keep up.

But he did not dislike it. It was just... Li Jain is at the bottleneck of his cultivation and doesn’t have the required materials to break through yet.

Usually, when they get close like this, he would start cultivating. But now that he was not, he felt it more.

The quiet corridor seemed to grow warmer, as their breathing became a little unstable. Just as Liu Xiong was about to push too far,

Li Cheng’s voice came from the other side of the hallway.

"Father, I am done bathing."

Both of them froze, and quickly separated.

Li Jain’s ears were slightly red, which amused Liu Xiong.

Li Cheng walked in with his damp hair falling over his shoulders. He looked at the two adults calmly, then pretended not to have seen anything.

Li Jain cleared his throat: "Good. It’s late, you should sleep.

Li Cheng nodded: "Yes. Goodnight, Uncle Xiong."

After he left, Li Jain turned back to Liu Xiong and said, "It is late. Goodnight."

Liu Xiong looked at him: "I can walk you back." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Li Jain shook his head: "No need."

Liu Xiong’s gaze became deeper. Clearly not planning to leave easily. Li Jain understood his meaning and said seriously: "My bed can only accommodate two people, and Cheng’er is sleeping with me tonight."

Liu Xiong stared at him for a moment, then he laughed softly.

He knew Li Jain was not deliberately rejecting him. This person was powerful enough to crush enemies without blinking, but in matters of affection, he was still terribly green. Sometimes, he was so direct that Liu Xiong did not know whether to laugh or feel helpless.

So Liu Xiong was tolerant, he leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Li Jain’s lips before saying goodnight.

Liu Xiong watched him leave toward his room before turning away.

When Li Jain entered his bedroom, Li Cheng was already sitting on the bed, pretending to arrange the blanket. He looked far too awake for a child who had fallen asleep in the carriage.

Li Jain paused at the door, while Li Cheng looked up at him meaningfully.

For a moment, father and son looked at each other without speaking.

Then Li Cheng asked calmly: "Father, is Uncle Liu going to become our second parent?"