In the past few days, the child was carried by Yang Ruo Lan. Like any child who had just hit one month of age, he was plump and his black eyes darted around attentively. His fat little hands grabbed at the air and he was extremely adorable. Every single segment of his finger was quite fat. Yang Ruo Lan liked him genuinely.
Furthermore, the coos and noises of this young one were music to her ears. Even his crying was able to make her heart shiver slightly. This was a unique sensation.
Right now, Yang Ruo Lan found it hard to leave the Lower Three Heavens for her son.
Lan Mei Xian brought Wu Qian Qian and left seven to eight days ago. They headed straight for the Upper Three Heavens.
"Senior Sister… I have something to ask you." Tie Bu Tian looked at Yang Ruo Lan and the corners of her eyes were red. She said calmly, "If you see him, please don't tell him."
In the past few days, Tie Bu Tian noticed that Yang Ruo Lan liked the child very much. She did not mind Yang Ruo Lan 'taking over' the child most of the time and she tacitly permitted it. This was enough to make Yang Ruo Lan content.
Yang Ruo Lan looked at her with warm but helpless eyes. "Bu Tian, do you… really want it to be like this? Why don't you think for yourself, or for the child?"
Tie Bu Tian shook her head calmly and said, "I have thought through it."
Yang Ruo Lan sighed sadly.
"This woman is so resolute but she also understood human emotions very well. Even though she was in a position of strength, she does not take advantage of it. In most aspects, she is generous and on top of all these, she was beautiful, understanding, and caring… It would be nearly impossible to find a similar woman even if you search the entire Nine Heavens!"
She did not understand how could Chu Yang not fall for this kind-hearted beauty. Which vixen was able to seduce him away?
Even if he was a dummy, he should have been realized that even if the other woman was extremely beautiful, it was probably because of make-up. Could he not see something wrong?
How could he live up to his moniker of King of Hell Chu, who was able to use his intellect to stun the world!
This was a true insult! She was infuriated!
"If… there's time, I'll bring you to the Chu Clan in the Upper Three Heavens to play… Will you reject this idea?" Yang Ruo Lan probed.
She could not appear rushed. Tie Bu Tian had a mind of her own and she was also a far-sighted girl. If she tried to rush it, it would not be pretty.
Tie Bu Tian frowned and smiled faintly as she said, "So that's the case… however… the matters of the country are more important. Even if we go, we can't stay there for long."
"If you're willing to go, it's great!" Yang Ruo Lan said in delight.
"Come, come, Yang Yang, let me carry you…" Yang Ruo Lan clapped her hands and prepared to bid her grandson farewell.
The matter of appellation was too perplexing.
He was evidently her 'grandson' but she did not want to admit it.
How could she call herself 'auntie'?
Hence, Yang Ruo Lan could only call herself 'I' in front of her 'grandson'.
Little Tie Yang was in Tie Bu Tian's arms. He reached out happily with his two hands. In this period of time, while the child knew nothing, he became familiar with Yang Ruo Lan's touch.
Yang Ruo Lan carried him over carefully as she caressed his fat head.
For a normal baby, it would take one hundred days before he could support his head with his neck. However, Tie Yang was a freak. He had just turned one month old and he was already able to look around…
She cuddled him for a long while before reluctantly returning him to Tie Bu Tian. Tie Yang reached out with his hands and tried to return to Yang Ruo Lan's embrace…
Yang Ruo Lan's heart was in agony and she almost cried.
She forcibly turned her head to the side and said to her husband, "Let's go."
Chu Fei Ling looked at his grandson in Tie Bu Tian's embrace longingly too and his lips trembled. He sighed sadly as he turned to leave.
According to customs, a newly-born baby could not be carried by another man. However, Chu Fei Ling had every reason to carry the child as he was his grandfather. However, his status had yet to be acknowledged so he did not get a chance to carry him.
The two of them turned to leave. Behind them, little Tie Yang sensed that something was amiss and he burst out crying.
Two streaks of tears streamed down Yang Ruo Lan's face. Chu Fei Ling grabbed her and the two of them decided to leave as fast as they could. With one whoosh, their figures disappeared.
Tie Bu Tian looked at the two of them until both of them had disappeared. She stood for a long while and lowered her head to look at the crying child. Then, she sighed.
"I wish you… safe passage. May your family be reunited soon," said Tie Bu Tian quietly. When she said the words 'family be united', her heart throbbed painfully and she almost cried. She mumbled to herself, "Don't forget what I said. Don't… tell him… If not, I won't know what to do."
Then, she turned around resolutely and carried her child back into the city.
Yang Ruo Lan and Chu Fei Ling flew further and further away. However, the cries of the baby reverberated in their ears.
Yang Ruo Lan appeared despondent. She looked back for every three steps she took and tears glimmered in her eyes.
"If we find our child, do we tell him?" Yang Ruo Lan asked.
"This…" Chu Fei Ling mumbled. He found this matter perplexing too. He had been separated from his son for 18 years. As they were about to meet once more, this dilemma appeared.
According to Tie Bu Tian, Chu Yang already had a new love. This was certain.
Furthermore, Chu Yang still did not know that Tie Bu Tian was a girl.
If they told him, it was tantamount to breaking their son's existing relationship up the moment they met… while forcing him to accept an uncomfortable truth!
To Chu Yang, this may be too cruel!
Tie Bu Tian appeared to have thought of this, which was why she made that request.
However, the more she thought for Chu Yang, the more they thought that she was a rare catch, and the more apologetic they felt toward her.
This matter made both of them deeply conflicted.
"Let us go and see," Chu Fei Ling said, "For this matter, we need to see how things will turn out."
"You're right," said Yang Ruo Lan, who felt much more relieved. She suddenly thought of something as she said excitedly, "Right now, in the Nine Heavens Continent, it is normal for a man to have more than one wife. If our son really cannot… let go of his feelings, there's nothing wrong with him marrying two. So what if he has two? After all, isn't it better for the Chu Clan to have more people?"
Chu Fei Ling glared and said, "Since when is it this easy?"
He recalled how his wife hated all men who took more than one wife. Not only would she refuse to interact with them, she even wanted to beat them up! Right now, however, when it came to her son, she wanted him to have concubines without even knowing them well…
A comparison was difficult indeed.
"Even if he can marry more than one… what will their seniority be like? This will require differentiation at the very least, right?" Chu Fei Ling sighed. "Do you think our son will be happy to let his beloved become his 'little wife'?"
Yang Ruo Lan blinked. She seemed uncertain and said, "What do you think? You and he were once sworn brothers. You should understand him better."
Chu Fei Ling's face turned black. The term 'sworn brothers' annoyed him the most. This was the greatest joke of his life, especially since he had to beg to become 'sworn brother' with his son. He said, "Can you not bring this up?"
"So you're saying that… your sworn brother isn't a good man?" Yang Ruo Lan looked at her husband in jest.
"Let's be serious."
"Tell me then, I'm asking you."
"Eh… for this, with my understanding of him, I don't think it's possible," Chu Fei Ling recalled the time he had spent with Chu Yang, all the bits and pieces, and he intoned slowly and came up with his conclusion, "That guy is obstinate. Once he has a target in mind, not even the strength of nine bulls can pull him back!"
Yang Ruo Lan sighed and said, "Can… Tie Bu Tian be the little wife?"
Chu Fei Ling glared at her, sighed, and said, "What do you think?"
"I don't think so…" Yang Ruo Lan was depressed. "No matter what, she's still the hegemon of the Lower Three Heavens! She is still a sovereign! How can she be willing to be someone else's concubine? Even without all these, she gave birth to the eldest grandson of the Chu Clan! Will she really be willing to be the little wife?"
"If you know the answer, why do you still ask?" Chu Fei Ling sighed.
"This is a complicated affair!" Yang Ruo Lan frowned. In so many years, this was the first time she cared so much about something. However, she never expected it to be this unsolvable.
"Let's just wait and see," comforted Chu Fei Ling.
"I don't think it's just the two of them… have you seen that girl, Wu Qian Qian? She evidently has feelings for our son. She probably thought about him day and night!" Yang Ruo Lan frowned. "There're three!"
Chu Fei Ling sighed non-stop.
"Why is he so popular among girls? When I was young, why wasn't I as popular?"
"Our son is talented indeed!" Yang Ruo Lan suddenly became happy and gleeful. "Without doing much, he got three girls to fall for him so deeply! Every single one of them is extraordinary too. They are all stunningly beautiful and talented! In the entire Nine Heavens, including the scions of the Nine Great Families, can anyone of them compare to my son?"
Chu Fei Ling was tongue-tied.
This was evidently a horrible mess, so why was she proud of it?
Furthermore, she was in such low spirits just now and in the blink of an eye, she became excited and even took pride in this…
Chu Fei Ling could help but sigh and thought, "Women, they're impossible to understand… I have been married for 20 years and yet, I do not know her completely…"
He did not know whether to laugh or cry at her unique way of thinking…
"Let's go, let's go, we need to get to the Middle Three Heavens and find him. Let's see if what we've heard is true!"
One day later.
Yang Ruo Lan and Chu Fei Ling reached an inn in the Middle Three Heavens.
They asked for news and they were instantly stunned!
"What? Many great clans are fighting to the death near the Lake of Death? It has started? King of Hell Chu is a central figure?" Yang Ruo Lan's face turned snowy pale.
"The Shi Clan from the Upper Three Heavens are taking part too? They're fighting against King of Hell Chu?" Chu Fei Ling felt as if someone had hit him in the head with a bat.
Without even thinking, the two of them threw some money down, packaged their food, and left without stopping.
"Quick! Quick, quick, quick!"