026 Warmth and Simplicity, A New Family

Walking along the road, one ahead and one behind, the man was handsome and the woman beautiful, yet the atmosphere between them had inexplicably turned strange. To be honest, Xuan Ye was a man of few words, solitary and independent, unfamiliar with the art of appeasing or flattering others, even if the other person was an attractive young woman.

Peach Rabbit followed behind, her gaze fixed on the slender yet inexplicably upright figure ahead, her expression somewhat conflicted.

“Peach Rabbit, rest assured, the money I borrowed today—I’ll repay you tenfold in the future,” Xuan Ye said, breaking the awkward silence as he walked ahead.

“It’s… it’s alright,” Peach Rabbit forced a smile, her tone slightly downcast.

“Xuan Ye, why did you borrow the money?”

“To visit my teacher’s wife and younger disciple,” Xuan Ye replied, his voice awkward, slowing his pace to walk alongside Peach Rabbit.

“Oh? Don’t tell me you haven’t visited Admiral Zephyr’s home all this time?” Peach Rabbit stared at Xuan Ye, her mouth slightly agape.

“Well… um…” Xuan Ye scratched his nose in embarrassment, glancing aside, a little anxious. “I just didn’t know, that’s all.”

“That makes sense. Other than training, you do nothing else. I understand,” Peach Rabbit tilted her head slightly, finding nothing wrong with his answer and finally nodded in affirmation.

“I won’t go inside. You bring it out for me,” Xuan Ye said, standing at the entrance to the girls’ dormitory, turning to Peach Rabbit.

“Alright, wait here,” Peach Rabbit replied, then hopped into the dorm.

――――――――――

As dusk approached, Xuan Ye stood at the door of a three-story house, his whole body laden with gifts. Even Zephyr was adorned with small trinkets.

“Ding dong… ding dong…” The doorbell rang.

“I’m coming,” came a gentle, melodious voice. A young woman dressed in casual home clothes softly opened the door.

“You’re back,” she said, quickly stepping aside, smiling at Zephyr.

“Yes, something came up today, so I’m a bit late,” Zephyr replied, his smile radiating happiness.

“It’s fine. This must be young Xuan Ye—what a handsome boy,” she shifted her gaze, full of warmth, taking Xuan Ye by the hand. “No need to bring gifts, just come in, don’t stand outside.”

“Well… um… good evening, Madam,” Xuan Ye said, a little subdued.

“Good, good, come in… dinner will be ready soon.”

“Papa… Papa…” As soon as he stepped inside, a childish, clear voice called out. A round-faced little boy ran over, hugging Zephyr’s leg, his bright eyes full of delight.

“Were you good today?” Zephyr asked, his face full of affection as he picked up the child and kissed him.

“Yes, I listened to Mama today,” the boy said seriously, his expression solemn.

“Here, this is the big brother you’ve always wanted to meet.”

“Teacher, what’s your younger disciple’s name?” Xuan Ye set down his gifts, smiling at the child, who looked back at him with curiosity.

“Just call him Little Star.”

“Come here, Little Star, let big brother give you a hug,” Xuan Ye reached out, wanting to embrace the lively child.

But Little Star tilted his head, hesitating.

“Haha… it’s alright, he’s just not familiar yet. Play together more and it’ll be fine,” Zephyr laughed heartily, making Xuan Ye feel awkward.

“Come… dinner’s ready.”

“Let’s go, try your teacher’s wife’s cooking.”

“Alright.”

At the dinner table, Xuan Ye’s face twitched as he looked at the overflowing dishes in his bowl, and at two pairs of curious eyes, unsure where to even begin.

“Here, Xuan Ye, eat more,” the woman said, smiling as she kept adding food to his bowl.

“That’s enough, Madam, you should eat too.”

“Zephyr said you had a big appetite, so I cooked plenty. Don’t worry,” she replied.

“Thank you.”

All throughout, Xuan Ye kept eating, while beside him, a pair of loving eyes and a pair of curious eyes watched him intently. In the end, he found himself choking back tears during the meal.

After dinner, in the living room, Xuan Ye held a cup of hot tea and said apologetically, “Madam, I’m truly sorry it took me so long to visit you.”

“No need to apologize. Your teacher explained everything. Poor child, who knows how much you’ve suffered—training so hard, you must take care of your health,” she said softly, gently touching the three scars on Xuan Ye’s right cheek.

Such affectionate gestures made Xuan Ye’s face flush red.

“Pfft…” Zephyr, seeing Xuan Ye’s blush, couldn’t help himself and spat out his tea, laughing heartily.

“Haha… I never expected you to have a shy side,” Zephyr teased, making Xuan Ye wish he could disappear.

Truthfully, this kind of maternal affection was something Xuan Ye had always longed for, but in his previous life, it was nothing but a distant dream. Perhaps, at this moment, he finally felt a different kind of love.

“Don’t mind him. Let’s have our own conversation. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. The entire Navy says Zephyr has taken an excellent disciple—hardworking and diligent. Now I finally get to see for myself,” she said.

“Remember to rest during training, or your body won’t be able to handle it. From now on, come here for meals—this will always be your home.”

“If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me; I’ll make it for you.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

“Mama, Mama, is he really amazing?” the little one asked, curiosity on his face, glancing carefully at Xuan Ye.

“Call him big brother. Your brother is the most outstanding cadet in the Navy Academy.”

“Really?”

“By the way, Little Star, I brought you gifts—see if you like them,” Xuan Ye said, picking out many strange items from the pile of gifts, essentially toys and snacks.

Finally, among the many gifts, Little Star surrendered.

Night fell, the stars stretched across the sky, their brilliance shining down on the three-story house. Inside, one big and one small figure faced each other with utmost seriousness.

“I am the great pirate Chris! You, little Navy, state your name!” Xuan Ye, wearing a bizarre outfit and a pirate’s hat, pointed his toy stick at the little one dressed in a Navy uniform.

“Hmph, I am Admiral Little Star. Surrender now—you’re no match for me. For the sake of justice, I won’t kill you,” Little Star declared grandly, only three years old, holding a toy gun and looking at Xuan Ye with a solemn expression.

“Oh no, could you be the legendary undefeated Admiral?” Xuan Ye cried out in terror.

“Hmph, that’s me,” Little Star said, raising his head proudly and waving his gun. “Scared now, aren’t you?”

“If you want Chris to surrender, you’ll have to prove it with your skills!”

“Attack!”

“Charge!”

The big and small played together like children in the mud. Soon, Xuan Ye raised his hands in defeat, his face expressing surrender.

Seeing Xuan Ye admit defeat, the little one shouted joyfully, “Mama, Mama, I beat brother!”

“Yes, yes, Little Star is the best,” his mother replied indulgently, patting his head and smiling at Xuan Ye. “Come rest for a bit—you must be tired from playing with him.”

“It’s fine, I have nothing better to do,” Xuan Ye said, shaking his head. He patted the seat beside him. “Come here, Little Star. Let big brother tell you the story of two tigers.”

“Yay, yay!”

Warm and peaceful, Xuan Ye cherished this family feeling. From then on, whenever he had time, he would come here for meals and to play with the little one.

And so, half a month passed, and the competition finally began once more.