Song Yixuan emerged from behind the haystack. He tidied up his things, told Dahuang to stay hidden outside, and then walked into Liuxiang Tower as if nothing had happened.
Although he was young and the clothes he wore were not made of silk and satin, he had grown up in the Marquis Mansion since childhood, so he naturally carried an air of nobility and refinement. The waiter in Liuxiang Tower thought he was a noble young master from some family and didn't stop him at all. Instead, he greeted him with a smile.
Imitating Ji Lingchuan's tone, Song Yixuan said, "I'm here to find my father. I know where he is. You don't need to follow me."
After getting rid of the waiter, Song Yixuan quickened his pace and whispered, "Xiangxiang, Xiangxiang, Uncle is here to find you!"
He was very smart and decided to start searching from the first floor. So, before long, he heard the excited response of the little boy, "Jiujiu, Xiangxiang is here!"
Hearing the strong voice, Song Yixuan felt relieved. He stepped forward and opened the door. A small figure rushed towards him and hugged his leg, "Jiujiu, why did you come so late? Xiangxiang missed you!"
Grabbing Xiangxiang's hand, Song Yixuan said, "Alright, you ran out without saying a word. You've worried Grandpa so much. Come on, let's go home."
Xiangxiang stopped in his tracks and said while sucking his finger, "But, but they said they would help Xiangxiang find his mother."
Song Yixuan was extremely anxious, but he gently comforted the boy, "Sister is already waiting for us at home. You'll see her when we get home."
Only then did Xiangxiang smile and follow him out, "Okay, Jiujiu, let's go home."
With a straight face, Song Yixuan led Xiangxiang through the corridor and the lobby of the restaurant, and smoothly walked out of the main entrance of Liuxiang Tower. Dahuang was hiding in the haystack. When it saw Song Yixuan leading Xiangxiang out, it happily wagged its tail and came forward, nuzzling Xiangxiang's palm with its nose.
Seeing the courtyard gate of Liuxiang Tower right in front of him, a faint smile appeared on Song Yixuan's face. He thought he was really smart to be able to take someone away from under the nose of the brave and mighty General who protected the country.
He pulled Xiangxiang across the courtyard gate and was about to head home when he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and stopped in his tracks.
The familiar voice came from behind, "Song Yixuan, where do you think you're going, huh?"
Song Yixuan shivered all over. He stood there stiffly, forgetting to breathe. Dahuang... it had already run away with its tail between its legs as soon as it sensed Ji Lingchuan's presence.
Xiangxiang turned around. When he saw Ji Lingchuan behind them, his eyes lit up, "Big Booboo, you're back so soon?"
Song Yixuan twisted his stiff neck and slowly looked behind him. He met a pair of deep and cold phoenix eyes. Shocked by that look, he immediately stood up straight and stammered, "B-brother-in-law."
...
In a private room of Liuxiang Tower, Song Yixuan sat nervously in front of Ji Lingchuan, with his head slightly lowered and his face a bit pale.
Ji Lingchuan didn't say a word. He just quietly looked at Song Yixuan, carefully scanning the face and body of the boy he hadn't seen for a long time.
He wasn't as polite to Song Yixuan as he was to Xiangxiang. His imposing manner made Song Yixuan feel as if he were a criminal being interrogated. After all, he was still young and couldn't keep his composure. Song Yixuan tugged at his fingers and said, "Brother-in-law, l-long time no see."
Ji Lingchuan's voice was cold, "It has indeed been a long time. I didn't know that a person who was already dead could crawl out of the ground and stand alive in front of me."
Thinking that Ji Lingchuan had misunderstood, Song Yixuan hurriedly raised his head and said anxiously, "It's not what you think, brother-in-law! I just didn't want to stay in the capital anymore, so I begged Fourth Sister to send me away!"
Seeing his timid look, Ji Lingchuan remembered what Gu Yunzheng had said. At that time, Song Yixuan really had no breath left. He couldn't help but soften his heart.
Recalling the past, he was also just as young as Xiangxiang when he suffered the cruel hands of Song Nanxin and Tuoba Yuan. It was his disaster.
However, there was still no change in his expression.
"Is your heart disease cured?"
Song Yixuan nodded obediently, "Master helped me detoxify. My heart disease is cured, and I won't feel uncomfortable anymore."
"Tell me. What exactly happened? After leaving the capital, where did you go? And why are you here in Sucheng now?" Ji Lingchuan asked.
Song Yixuan looked at Ji Lingchuan in surprise.
Huh? Why was it different from what he had expected? Brother-in-law knew he had been deceived for so many years, but he didn't fly into a rage and punish him severely?
Steadying his mind, Song Yixuan thought for a moment and then decided to tell Ji Lingchuan the truth.
He told Ji Lingchuan everything about how they had lived in seclusion in Jiancheng for several years, how Song Yihuan had given birth to Xiangxiang, and how Qi Lei had suddenly fallen seriously ill.
After learning that they had come to Sucheng because they wanted to go to Yanyun from here, Ji Lingchuan clenched his fists tightly and said, "Nonsense! What time is it now? Yanyun is at war with Yu State. Although the battlefront is not in Sucheng for now, Yanyun has people patrolling the border every day. Once they are discovered, they will become captives and be at their mercy!"
Song Yixuan bit his lip and said, "We know... but Father's illness can't wait."
Ji Lingchuan fell silent.
He naturally knew how important Qi Lei was to Song Yihuan.
He knew her so well. For her relatives, she would do anything.
Back then, she had used herself as a pawn to plan everything for the sake of her biological mother and younger brother. Now that she had recognized Qi Lei as her father, she naturally wouldn't leave him alone.
But it was precisely because of this that he felt even more heartache for her.
In her life, it seemed that she had never really lived for herself. She was always running around for others. When faced with such difficulties, knowing that the medicine was in Yanyun, she never thought of asking him for help. Instead, she planned to travel a long distance across the border to pick it herself.
"Brother-in-law." Song Yixuan gently called out and grabbed Ji Lingchuan's sleeve.
Ji Lingchuan looked up. Song Yixuan looked at him pleadingly, "Don't blame Fourth Sister, okay? She just wanted to find a place where no one knew her, throw away her identity as the daughter of the Marquis Mansion, and live freely like an ordinary person."
How could Ji Lingchuan not know?
In the past four years, every time he sat in the small courtyard where she used to live and recalled her experiences, he gradually understood her determination to leave everything in the capital and go away resolutely.
The capital city was like a huge cage. Although there was the most delicate bird food there, which could keep her from cold and hunger, which bird didn't yearn for the blue sky?
"Since you call me brother-in-law, I will still protect you all as before."
Ji Lingchuan said, "Everything I said to you in Xingzhou still counts. I want to marry your sister. She will be the only one for me in this life. I'll figure out a way for your father's medicine."
"However, don't tell your sister about our meeting today for the time being. I have other plans."