The snowflakes were like mats that drifted and fluttered through the air.
Zuoqiu Xue sat cross-legged beneath a strong ancient tree while supporting her chin with her hands, and her clear eyes gazed into the distance while seemingly be slightly absent-minded.
Chen Lingjun had his hands placed behind his head while he leaned lazily against the roots of the ancient tree, and his eyes narrowed as he spoke casually. “It’s not strange that you feel uneasy. Because based upon the time, the Chen Clan’s Ancestral Worship Ceremony should had ended yesterday. Perhaps it won’t be long before we can meet Xi’er.”
Zuoqiu Xue’s eyes lit up but quickly became calm again, and she faintly sighed. “I’m just slightly worried.”
Chen Lingjun smiled and said, “You’re worried they’ll harm him? Don’t worry, he’s the son of I, Chen Lingjun. Since he dared to come to the Chen Clan now, then how could anything unexpected occur to him?”
Zuoqiu Xue glared at him and said, “He’s my son as well!”
Chen Lingjun roared with laughter. “Then what are you worried about?”
Zuoqiu Xue seemed to be slightly restless as she stood up and grabbed a bunch of falling snowflakes. As she experienced the coldness that came from the snowflakes melting in her palm, she said, “I’m worried because of Chen Lingkong. He dared to disregard Chen Taichong’s will and harm you all those years ago, so we can’t be certain that he wouldn’t dare to harm Xi’er this time. You ought to be clearly aware that Chen Lingkong is capable of anything once he goes into a frenzy.”
Chen Lingjun’s eyes narrowed slightly, and then he remained silent for a moment before he said, “That will probably not happen. According to Chen Taichong’s disposition, he will definitely not allow such mistakes to be repeated. So long as Chen Taichong is in the Chen Clan, then Chen Lingkong wouldn’t be able to accomplish his wishes.”
When he spoke up to here, a wisp of a complicated expression couldn’t help but appear on the corners of Chen Lingjun’s mouth. “A’Xue, don’t worry. Xi’er will definitely be fine.”
Zuoqiu Xue glanced at Chen Lingjun, and then a wisp of tenderness appeared in her eyes as she spoke in a gentle tone. “You’ve recalled the matters of the past again?”
Chen Lingjun didn’t deny it, and he laughed bitterly and sighed. “I’ve recovered the memories from my previous lifetime, so how could I possibly forget such incidents that were engraved deep into my heart.”
Zuoqiu Xue squatted down and grabbed Chen Lingjun’s hand before she said, “Since you don’t intend to make a fuss about it, then try to forget all of it. You’re not a descendant of the Divine Dao Protector Clans anymore, right?”
Chen Lingjun nodded. “Of course, I’m able to differentiate between the ties of the past and the karma of the present. My only wish is for our family to be reunited, and I have no other desires.”
Zuoqiu Xue rested her head on his shoulder and muttered. “I’m exactly the save. Only when I recall everything from the past do you finally understand what a truly want.”
Chen Lingjun patted her on the shoulder and didn’t speak further.
The two of them laid against each other beneath the ancient tree while snow fluttered through the heavens and the earth, and it made the atmosphere in the surroundings to seem tranquil and extraordinary.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sounds of footsteps treading through the snow resounded from afar.
Chen Lingjun and Zuoqiu Xue raised their heads in unison and looked swiftly into the distance.
A figure was walking through the boundless world while draped by snow. He footsteps were slightly hesitant yet slightly hurried as well.
At was just like his current state of mind, it was perturbed and excited.
That figure gradually became clearer. He was tall and handsome with snow white hair tied into a bun behind his head, and it fully displayed his handsome and firm face.
His black eyes seemed like a boundless starry sky yet was like a deep abyss as well, and as he walked through the snow and wind that covered the sky, he seemed like a nervous person that was returning home after a very long time.
Zuoqiu Xue’s body trembled when she saw this figure, and it was like she’d been frozen on the spot with an expression of disbelief on her face.
After that, Chen Lingjun opened his eyes wide while his lips parted slightly, and his expression was just like Zuoqiu Xue’s.
At practically the exact same moment, the tall figure had stopped on the spot as well, and his handsome face was covered in a complicated expression.
There was wild joy, frustration, anxiousness, excitement, and so on and so forth.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wind and snow continued to whistle through the heavens and the earth, yet the three of them were like status that were stunned on the spot while looking at each other, and all sorts of emotions were surging in the depths of their hearts.
They were all silent upon seeing each other yet their hearts were surging.
After so many years of being separated, they’d finally been reunited amidst the snow and wind that covered this world, and the indescribable emotions they felt rose and fell incessantly just like the snowflakes that fluttered wildly through this expanse of the world!
Such feelings were indescribable with words.
…
“Xi’er!” After a long time had passed, Zuoqiu Xue finally shouted and charged into the snow, and she grabbed Chen Xi in her arms while her body started to tremble from excitement.
Chen Xi’s body stiffened, and he hesitated for a long time before he finally spoke with difficulty. “Mother.”
It felt slightly unfamiliar to him. Because he’d never spoken this word since he was a young boy. Most importantly, he’d been brought up by his grandfather, Chen Tianli, since a young age, and he didn’t even know how he should speak to his mother!
However, this word was like a thunderclap that made Zuoqiu Xue’s heart surge. She lost control of her emotions, and two streams of clear and warm tears flowed from her eyes.
She held tightly onto Chen Xi while her knuckled had even turned slightly pale from exerting too much strength. It was like she was deeply afraid that it was a dream and Chen Xi would just suddenly vanish.
“Xi’er, you’ve really come. You really have come! Mother has been so worried. I’ve been constantly worried that we wouldn’t be able to meet again. I was worried that you and Hao’er would suffer hardships….” Zuoqiu Xue muttered while she poured out all the yearning that had been suppressed in her heart until now, and her tears flowed uncontrollably and drenched Chen Xi’s clothes.
Chen Xi’s figure was still stiff. He slowly lowered his head to gaze at the woman who’d lost control of her emotions and was crying as she muttered, and a wisp of pain and excitement couldn’t help but surge in his heart.
He took a deep breath and lightly rubbed her back, and he didn’t interrupt her at all and just listened silently.
Even though he was slightly unaccustomed to this, it was the first time Chen Xi felt extremely warm and safe.
During this entire process, Chen Lingjun just watched silently from afar while his expression alternated between revealing a gratified expression, dimming down, covered in wild joy, and filled with guilt.
Perhaps as Chen Xi’s father, he didn’t know how he should meet his son at this moment?
…
After a long time passed, Zuoqiu Xue’s emotions had gradually calmed down, yet she still refused to let go of Chen Xi.
Meanwhile, Chen Lingjun coughed dryly as he walked forward, and he gazed at Chen Xi as he said, “Xi’er.”
He was trying hard to maintain the dignity of a father, but because he was too excited, he seemed to be slightly stiff while his voice was rather weird.
“Father.” Chen Xi’s expression seemed much calmed as he spoke in a light voice. However, how could he possibly be that calm? He was just trying his best to maintain his composure.
He was worried that he would lose control and be unable to refrain from cursing this man who’d left without saying a word and left him, his grandfather, and his young brother behind!
Even if Chen Xi had forgiven Chen Lingjun a long time ago, and even if he knew that Chen Lingjun had no choice but to act in this way, how could such an incident be forgotten with such ease?
As if he’d noticed that Chen Xi’s attitude was slightly cold and indifferent, the guilty expression on Chen Lingjun’s face grew even denser, and he was even at a loss for what to do.
He wanted to speak yet hesitated repeatedly. In the end, he merely sighed with emotion and gazed at Chen Xi in silence.
The atmosphere here instantly became deathly silent.
…
Zuoqiu Xue seemed to have noticed the unusual atmosphere between them, and she raised her head to glance at Chen Xi before she glanced at Chen Lingjun. After that, she couldn’t help but sigh before she finally relaxed her embrace.
“Xi’er….” Zuoqiu Xue pondered for a long time and was just about to speak yet Chen Xi interrupted her. “Mother, don’t mention the matters of the past. I’ve come to take the two of you with me.”
“Right, right. The matters of the past are in the past, so there’s no need to mention it.” Chen Lingjun spoke hastily from the side while he smiled in a slightly embarrassed manner. It was very difficult to imagine that he was a leading figure who possessed monstrous authority and peerless might, and he’d led the Chen Clan to take over this plane in the Primal Chaos Origin.
Yet now, he was actually slightly cautious and at a loss for what to do when facing Chen Xi. So, it was truly unimaginable.
“You… don’t blame us?” Zuoqiu Xue couldn’t help but ask this question while she stared at Chen Xi.
“I don’t.” Chen Xi said casually, “Even if I did feel resentment in the past, I understand and have let go of it now.”
As he spoke, Chen Xi smiled and said, “Father, Mother, it has been so long since we’ve met. So, while we’re going to chat, there’s no reason to stand out in the snow like fools, right?”
Zuoqiu Xue and Chen Lingjun seemed as if they’d awakened from a dream, and they hurriedly said, “Right! Right! Right!”
Zuoqiu Xue held Chen Xi’s arm as she walked towards the ancient tree. At the same time, she instructed Chen Lingjun. “Lingjun, go boil snow to make tea. I’ll have a chat with Xi’er in the meantime. I, his mother, was actually completely unaware of everything that has occurred to him in these years, so I….”
As she spoke, two streams of clear tears couldn’t help but flow down her face.
Chen Xi hurriedly supported her to sit on the ground before he said, “Mother, don’t cry. I’ll tell you about everything I’ve experienced throughout these years. I’ll tell you everything you want to heart.”
Chen Xi sat by her side as well.
“Alright, then I want to hear about everything from when you were young until now. Don’t conceal anything from me, alright?” Zuoqiu Xue gazed at Chen Xi with a hopeful gaze, and she seemed extremely pitiable.
The borders of her eyes were slightly red, yet her pupils were pitch black and seemed to be suffused with a lively and bright glow. It caused her gorgeous and exquisite face to carry a form of warm beauty.
Chen Xi ordered his thoughts before he started speaking from the times when he was young in Pine Mist City….
His voice was calm, flat, and completely natural, yet it in their ears of Zuoqiu Xue, it was like his voice alternated between happiness, rage, hatred, resentment, and so on and so forth.
Her emotions rose and fell along with Chen Xi’s story, and she was unable to maintain her calm.
After an unknown period of time had passed, Chen Lingjun had made three cups of tea, and he placed it on the table in front of Chen Xi and Zuoqiu Xue before he sat silently at the side. He listened in silence while his heart was filled with complicated emotions and a myriad of thoughts.
Three people, three cups of tea, an ancient tree, and a background of wind and snow while Chen Xi described the past….
The atmosphere here was peaceful. There was a subtle feeling of unfamiliarity and distance between them from having reunited after so long, yet it gradually melted and dispersed along with the passage of time and as Chen Xi’s voice resounded.
After being apart from too long, one would naturally feel at a loss for what to do, feel overjoyed yet perturbed, and find it difficult to feel comfortable. They were all unable to calm themselves.
However, as the time they spent together grew, and as such a situation was constantly maintain, the familial bond they had was unconsciously fused together like blood that dissolved in water.
This was what a familial bond was, it was impossible to be corroded away by time and tribulations.
