"Actually, I wish you would laugh more, laugh genuinely from the heart."

That was Ruan Tang's simple wish upon seeing the shooting star. She always felt that Xu Lai wasn't truly happy. The man was shrouded in too many mysteries, as if he carried too much on his shoulders. Ruan Tang wasn't sure if it was responsibility or something else. But if Xu Lai didn't speak of it, she wouldn't ask. If he chose to open up, she would listen in silence. Ruan Tang was never the type to press for answers until she got to the bottom of things, nor a woman who needed control over everything. Whether for a man or a woman, sometimes you just had to learn to play dumb or keep quiet. And Ruan Tang believed that when it came to his past, Xu Lai would eventually tell her himself—perhaps on a sunny afternoon or under a starry sky. She just needed to wait for the right moment.

The sound of the jade flute pierced straight to the heart.

After what might have been ten or perhaps even twenty minutes, Xu Lai finally lowered the jade flute. He turned, about to ask his wife how she liked the piece, but then he saw the tear stains on her cheeks.

Xu Lai was stunned. "Was my playing really that moving?"

The piece he had played was a biographical song composed for Emperor Qingfeng by a young man from a small, nameless clan. It was titled 'Qingfeng.' Xu Lai had only ever heard it once, and in these tens of thousands of years, this was the only time he had ever played it.

"I was thinking of Venerable Qingfeng, how he wandered alone without a home." Ruan Tang wiped away her tears, took Xu Lai's hand, and said earnestly, "But you have a daughter, and a beautiful girlfriend."

Xu Lai was speechless.

Was she comforting him or complimenting herself?

"So, live a good life. Tomorrow will be even better."

Ruan Tang didn't know why she said that, but after she did, she stared straight at Xu Lai. Perhaps she had been influenced by the music. The emotions in the song had seeped into her at that moment.

Xu Lai gently held his wife's soft little hands and chuckled. "It feels like you're trying to recruit me into a pyramid scheme or something."

"And you're not happy about me swindling you?" Ruan Tang retorted, slightly miffed. Besides, when had she ever swindled him?

"I'm ecstatic. In fact, you should swindle me for a lifetime. My money, my body—I'd let you take it all, willingly."

Ruan Tang shot Xu Lai an exasperated glare.

This man… You just couldn't give him an inch! Look at him. He couldn't stay serious for more than three sentences!

But Ruan Tang was very happy today, especially this evening. Although she hadn't talked much with Xu Lai about their past or future plans, she felt the distance between them had shrunk considerably.

She waved her hand. "I'm going to bed first. Good night."

"Good night," Xu Lai responded.

He looked up at the night sky, then raised the jade flute again, intending to play another tune, but his audience was gone. Suddenly lacking the mood, Xu Lai slowly rose and went back inside, cuddling into Ruan Tang's soft, fragrant body as he drifted off to sleep.

That night, Xu Lai slept especially soundly. He let go of all his vigilance and awareness and had a very beautiful dream.

In the dream, their family of three was still living in Haitang Court, flying kites on a hillside covered with blooming Haitang flowers. Wind chimes tinkled gently. Birds sang softly. Yiyi sat on Xu Lai's shoulders, giggling as she urged her daddy to chase after Ruan Tang, who was flying the kite. A warm atmosphere filled every corner of the dream.

Emperor Qingfeng had a home now.

「...」

「The next day.」

Xu Lai did something highly unusual and slept in, not waking until nine in the morning. Luckily, it was Saturday, so his daughter didn't have class, and even the workaholic Ruan Tang wasn't at work. Instead, she was in the kitchen, wearing an apron.

Cooking!?!

Xu Lai was instantly wide awake. "Yiyi, why didn't you stop your mom? What if she blows up the kitchen!"

Ruan Tang was fuming. Her cooking skills weren't great, but they weren't *that* terrible, were they?

"I'm just frying an egg for our daughter, what are you so afraid of!" Ruan Tang snapped, carrying a plate with the fried egg out from the kitchen.

Yiyi glanced at it and said pitifully, "Mommy, I'm not hungry."

The egg was completely burnt and inedible. The acrid smell wafted over from two feet away; it was even a bit choking.

When her mother said nothing, Xu Yiyi steeled herself, picked up the egg with her chopsticks, but hesitated, unable to bring herself to take a bite. Eventually, she saw Xu Lai standing a step away.

The little girl chirped cheerfully, "Daddy, you eat it! You just woke up, so you must be hungry."

Xu Lai was dumbfounded.

So much for my sweet, caring daughter! Forget keeping me warm, you're practically throwing me to the wolves!

"Alright then."

Just as Xu Lai was about to take the plate and save his daughter from this ordeal, he heard Ruan Tang say, "Xu Lai, yours is in the kitchen. I'll go get it for you."

Xu Lai was speechless.

Yiyi was speechless.

Sniffling, Yiyi hugged her bowl and sobbed, "Mommy is a devil."

WHOOSH.

While Ruan Tang wasn't looking, Xu Lai gulped down the burnt egg. Yiyi said happily, "Daddy, you're the best!"

Xu Lai smiled, as if to say it was nothing.

Yiyi went to a corner and whispered, "Beibei, I want to get a gift for Daddy. Do you have any recommendations?"

"In our shell-dweller communities, there are many ways to show filial piety to one's elders, but one is considered the foremost of all filial acts!" Beibei said solemnly, poking its head out of Yiyi's pocket.

Yiyi's little face grew somber. "What is it?"

"Gilding their tombstone!"

"..."

Xu Lai, who was just starting on the second fried egg, nearly spit it out when he heard their conversation.

Ruan Tang hastily patted his back, blaming herself. "Is it too salty? I knew I shouldn't have added a whole spoonful of salt."

Xu Lai nearly choked again hearing this. No wonder it was so salty.

Left with no other choice, Xu Lai went to the kitchen to cook a proper breakfast for his wife and daughter. For the rest of the day, Xu Lai and Ruan Tang were both off work, spending their time chatting and playing with Yiyi.

「As evening approached.」

Ruan Lan dragged her exhausted body back to Haitang Court. She stumbled unsteadily, a weary look on her face as she cried out, "Brother-in-law, save me, I'm dying!"

SWOOSH!

Ruan Tang and Yiyi, who were busy building with blocks, shot to their feet, only to sit back down again when Ruan Lan blurted out her next sentence: "I'm starving to death!"

His sister-in-law collapsed beside Xu Lai, her eyes glistening with tears. "You really can't afford to fail a class. A moment of laziness in school leads to a river of tears in tutoring. I can't eat your cooking at school, Brother-in-law. I feel like I'm going to die."

A glance at the clock showed that it was indeed dinnertime, so Xu Lai headed to the kitchen.

「Meanwhile.」

The entire Jiangbei region had been swept into a whirlwind of public opinion.

The Lin Family, which had dominated Jiangbei for over two hundred years, had suddenly vanished! Every single member of the clan, whether they were in Jiangbei, Jiangnan, or even outside of Hua Country, had disappeared without a trace.

The most bizarre part was that the entire Lin Family estate, with the sole exception of the "Lin Family" plaque hanging high above the gate, had also vanished as if struck by some mysterious force.

For a time, the major Martial Dao families of Jiangbei were thrown into chaos, a confusing mix of fear and excitement.

The Lin Family had ruled the Martial Dao world of Jiangbei for two hundred years, amassing countless wealth. Now that its leader had disappeared...

Then...

Shouldn't it be my family's turn to become the new Leading Family?

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