*****

- Yu Family Manor -

After we finished dinner, the girls set off to the Sleepless Starlight once more to secure us two rooms to spend the night in. One room for the girls, and another, smaller one for me. Luckily, the store still offered this temporary 'hotel-like' service, and I assumed they would continue doing so until a lot of the destroyed residential areas are completely rebuilt. They were making a lot off of this, after all, and many other bedroom stores were starting to copy them.

In any case, I was currently at the destroyed Yu family manor, where I was told I could find Yu Ao. And indeed, the moment I arrived at the site, I spotted the Yu family patriarch standing in front of the half-demolished gates of the garden. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was pretty downcast at the site of his beloved, now-ruined home.

I slowly walked up behind him, and tried to keep my footsteps as light as possible as to not disturb him suddenly, but he seemed to have heard them anyway.

"So you've come, my son-in-law."

"I've said this numerous times already, but...I'm not your son-in-law," I muttered. Then, in a quieter tone, "Not yet, anyway..."

He chuckled lightly. "You're willing to say 'not yet' now? It seems you are finally falling for my two adorable daughters' charms."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What did you call me here for?"

I asked, despite already knowing. But hey, formalities were formalities, and I might as well play along.

"...I'll keep this short, since I know you have a long journey ahead of you tomorrow," Yu Ao said after a short silence. "Please...keep my daughters safe."

I sighed. "As expected...don't worry, patriarch. I wouldn't take them with me if I wasn't planning on protecting them...I promise."

The patriarch finally turned around to face me, and smiled. "You really have fallen in love with my daughters, hm?"

I averted my gaze. "Don't know what you mean. They're just my companions for now, nothing more."

"For now, hm..." Yu Ao leaned in closer, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I backed away in disgust, and he laughed.

"My dear son-in-law, remember your promise here today," he said. "If my daughters end up being hurt, either physically or emotionally, you're the person I'm going to question."

"Wait, emotionally? I never promis-"

"Too bad," he cut me off. "My daughters are in love with you, so unless you can figure out some way to reject them without hurting their feelings, you're stuck with them for the rest of your life."

"W-What?"

Yu Ao sighed, and then gently rubbed his glabella. "Jesus...you're the first boy I've met who doesn't jump at the chance of being able to marry one of my daughters, with their social standing and looks...well, I suppose that's part of the reason why they fell in love with you in the first place. Boys like you...are rare nowadays. It's really hard to find someone who genuinely does not care about reputation, social standing, money, stuff like that."

I shrugged. "I just see no point in choosing your lifelong partner over things that can be both earned and lost in the blink of an eye."

"...Heh. I like that philosophy," Yu Ao said with a grin. "Alright, dear boy, you should probably head to your next destination. I believe...matriarch Qing would also like to speak with you, yes?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was just planning to head over there."

"You will find her in the Qing family residency," Yu Ao replied. "But before that...why don't you call me 'father-in-law' once, haha!"

"In your dreams," I immediately rejected.

"Haha..." he laughed it off, as if it was a joke.

But in reality, he was actually hoping I would do it. The slight disappointment in his eyes is enough to prove that.

And so, after I turned away from him and was about to leave, I said one last thing.

"In the future...when we all come back to Shenzhen sometime...if you are still here, then I'll call you father-in-law or whatever you want."

Hearing this, his spirits immediately lifted, and he smiled as I gave a little wave, and disappeared from sight.

*****

- Qing Family Manor -

Unlike Yu Ao, Qing Xin was sitting on a bench near the Qing family residency when I found her. She appeared to be very calm, but upon closer inspection, she didn't seem to be her usual self.

She spotted me, then patted down on the bench, signaling for me to come sit beside her. I obliged.

And then, to my surprise, she suddenly leaned in on me, and rested her head on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of the seat, but then she would've just crashed onto the bench, so I remained still. It was only then that I realized her cheeks were flushed red, and I spotted an empty bottle of wine near one of the legs of the bench.

She...was drinking?

"U-Uh...aunt Qing?"

"...Xuan Kai..." she murmured, using my shoulder as support. Luckily, no one else was around, or else her image as the cold matriarch of the Qing family would crumble to pieces. A tear emerged from her right eye, and I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed them again.

Sometimes, in cases like this, it was better to just stay silent than to try to comfort them. For one, I wasn't good at comforting people, especially not girls, and for two, I doubted anything I said right now would get through to her, seeing as how she was drunk.

"Xuan Kai...I...I don't want Yue'Er to leave, you know? I don't...despite what I say on the surface..." she murmured, sobbing.

"...Yeah," I said quietly. "I know."

"But...I know...she'll be happier with you and the rest of the girls, so..." Qing Xin continued, sniffing softly, then looked up at me. "...Take care of her, okay? I leave my precious daughter...in your hands."

I nodded firmly. "Don't worry, auntie. I definitely won't let any harm come to her."

Qing Xin smiled at my words. "Thank you, Xuan Kai...I am so grateful for a nephew like you. And...I'm happy that Yue'Er has found such a nice person willing to take care of her for life."

F-For life? Uh...aren't we moving the conversation a bit fast here?

I didn't say anything though, since I didn't want to dim her mood again. Instead, she continued.

"Yue'Er...she's not my real daughter, but I treat her otherwise," she said, a distant look in her eyes. "Did you know? She's actually the daughter of one of my maids who passed away right after giving birth to her. When I told Yue'Er this truth, you know what she said?"

I shook my head. "What?"

"She merely pulled me into a hug and said 'Mom, you're the best mom I could ever ask for!'"

This was part of the story that I didn't know. It was commonly known that Qing Yue wasn't Qing Xin's real daughter but instead her maid's, but what people failed to recognize was just how hard Qing Xin tried to be the best mother she could for a daughter who wasn't even her own.

"Ever since then...I treated her even better than before. I thought of her as my true own daughter, and didn't bother marrying anyone or having any kids of my own. Because...she was all I needed. And seeing a smile on her face...is my only wish in life."

"...I see," I said in response, unsure of what else to say.

Qing Xin wiped away the tears on her face, and got off of my shoulder.

"Ah...apologies, Xuan Kai. I was drunk," she said, a melancholy smile on her face.

"Yeah...you were drunk. Don't worry...this conversation never happened," I replied, understanding the meaning of her words.

She nodded, and turned around. "Goodbye, Xuan Kai...if you ever do come back to Shenzhen in the future...I will be waiting."

I grinned. "Of course we will, aunt Qing. This city is Qing Yue's - and my - home. No matter where we go, how far we go...we will never forget our roots. In the end...after all is said and done...we will return here - for it is where we were born."

I turned around as well, and the two of us, with our backs to each other, said our final goodbyes.

"Farewell, aunt Qing."

"Farewell, Xuan Kai. And...say goodbye to Qing Yue for me as well."

I nodded, and walked away.

*****

- Later That Night, The Sleepless Starlight -

By the time I returned, the girls had already slept. Obsidia also slept with them, and even Mei Gui...though I had no doubt she was forced to by all the other girls. Knowing her, she would've waited until I came back, no matter how long it took. Hell, she's probably still awake even now.

I sighed and entered my own room, which was beside theirs. They had told me where the key was hidden through a text message.

Level One Light Magic - Dispel.

Getting rid of the dispel spell on the floor, I bent down and picked up the key, which had been hidden underneath a carpet illusion. I opened the door and entered it, locking it behind me.