If it had been in the past, Xiao Changyi would not have dared to kneel, nor would he have dared to call the Emperor of Xiyun "righteous father" or "imperial father," for fear of harming him just as he had feared harming Old Hunter Liu, his benefactor. But now, he was convinced by his wife that he was not a harbinger of doom; he would not bring death to others, and naturally, he would not bring it upon the Emperor of Xiyun.
The Emperor of Xiyun was completely taken by surprise when Xiao Changyi knelt down. At first, he was stunned, and then his old eyes quickly moistened, his lips quivering with emotion.
His Yi Er was calling himself a royal son; his Yi Er finally called him "imperial father." He had waited for so long, having thought that he would never hear it in his lifetime...
His Yi Er had accepted him as a father...
Although they were not related by blood, their bond was stronger than that of blood relatives. Now, his Yi Er had finally accepted him as a father, and he, overjoyed!
"Get up, get up, quick, get up!" The Emperor of Xiyun hurriedly called out, his voice choked with emotion.
An Jing, listening, felt a pang in her heart. The title "imperial father" must have been something the Emperor of Xiyun had waited a long time to hear.
She glanced at her husband and saw that he still showed no expression, but An Jing knew that all his emotions were hidden beneath that expressionless façade.
As soon as Xiao Changyi got up, he did not look at the Emperor of Xiyun, whose eyes were turning red. Instead, he walked up to the stage with An Jing. The seat for the King of Eternal Victory had also been arranged on the stage, a bit lower than that of the Emperor of Xiyun, but at the same height as the Crown Prince’s. However, the Crown Prince was seated to the right of the Emperor of Xiyun, while the King of Eternal Victory was to the left.
In this setting, the right was considered more honorable. No matter how high the seat of the King of Eternal Victory was, it could not be higher than that of the Crown Prince, otherwise, there would surely be people whispering behind their backs.
As for where to sit, Xiao Changyi did not care much; he would rather be in the furthest corner, away from having to see anyone.
Xiao Changyi, when he walked onto the stage, did not immediately sit down, but instead casually tossed the scroll he was holding in the direction of the Emperor of Xiyun without looking to see if the Emperor caught it, and said, "This is your birthday gift."
The Emperor of Xiyun, who barely caught the scroll, was pleasantly stunned.
Xiao Changyi did not even glance at the Emperor of Xiyun and therefore was unaware of his expression. It was only after sitting down with An Jing that he looked towards the Emperor of Xiyun and saw him looking dazed and foolish; Xiao Changyi’s cold gaze was full of disdain.
Seeing the disdain in the depths of Xiao Changyi’s eyes, An Jing felt it funny, yet under the table, the hand that was clasped with Xiao Changyi’s tightened considerably.
Originally, the Emperor of Xiyun had offered him a home which he dared not accept; now, she and he had already built a small home together. Even without the Emperor of Xiyun, without Su Chengyu, he would not be alone.
Xiao Changyi felt the strength applied to his hand and turned his head to look at An Jing. Then, he also tightened his grip, interlocking their fingers even more.
Su Chengyu was delighted to see that Xiao Changyi had fully accepted the Emperor of Xiyun as his adoptive father and walked over next to the Emperor, reminding him, "Your Majesty, aren’t you going to see what the gift elder brother has given you for your birthday?"
It was only then that the Emperor of Xiyun came back to his senses. He first looked at Xiao Changyi with a cheerful gaze before joyfully opening the scroll. Inside were four characters—"Longevity without Bound"—written in Xiao Changyi’s handwriting. He had taught Xiao Changyi every character himself; he could not be mistaken. Receiving Xiao Changyi’s calligraphy filled the Emperor of Xiyun with such delight that he treated the scroll as if it were a treasure, unable to part with it for a long time.
Even after finally putting it away, he instructed Eunuch Fu to place it in his sleeping quarters, as he wanted to look at it every day.
An Jing: "..." Imperial father, my husband is now so lawless, you should bear some responsibility for that too, for pampering him so much!