An Jing laughed again before saying, "Seeing as you’re so unhappy, let’s drop this topic and talk about something else. Tomorrow is Jing’er’s first birthday. Last time, my adoptive father mentioned in his letter that he has a surprise, I hope he doesn’t disappoint me too much."
It was just at that moment the courtyard door was knocked.
An Jing and Xiao Changyi heard the sound of knocking but no voice, which they found strange.
An Jing asked loudly, "Who is it?"
But nobody answered her.
The knocking on the courtyard door continued, the sound penetrating the room and reaching their ears.
An Jing and Xiao Changyi felt even more puzzled.
An Jing wanted to go see, but Xiao Changyi held her back, saying, "I’ll go."
After saying that, Xiao Changyi strode outside.
When Xiao Changyi opened the courtyard door and saw the old face outside, his cool lips trembled slightly, but he said nothing.
Upon seeing Xiao Changyi, the elderly man outside happily stepped forward, hugged Xiao Changyi’s waist, and tried to lift him with effort.
It was only when he really couldn’t lift Xiao Changyi that he laughed heartily and said to Xiao Changyi, "Yi Er, I still couldn’t lift you."
In this world, apart from the Emperor of Xiyun, no one would call Xiao Changyi ’Yi Er’, and the visitor was indeed the Emperor of Xiyun himself.
An Jing, curious about who was outside, stood in the main hall and watched. Upon seeing an old man trying to lift her husband by the waist, the familiar scene filled her with immediate joy, and she blurted out, "Adoptive father!"
Even though she had not actually seen the old man’s face clearly.
The Emperor of Xiyun first said something to Xiao Changyi, then turned his head, smiling at An Jing who was swiftly walking towards him, "Jingjing, this surprise is big enough, isn’t it?"
Seeing more white hairs on the head of the Emperor of Xiyun and considering how the Emperor, despite his age and poor health, had made the long journey to see them, her heart suddenly felt an intense sourness upon hearing his words about the surprise.
This was truly her own kin.
Yet An Jing’s face bore a bright smile as she said, "Big, very big, with adoptive father making a personal visit, the surprise must be huge. Please, come in, Adoptive father, don’t stand at the door."
"Hmm," the Emperor of Xiyun nodded to An Jing before turning to look at Xiao Changyi, who was expressionless, and cheerfully said, "Yi Yi, where are my four precious grandchildren? I want to see them, quickly take me to them."
Xiao Changyi didn’t speak and showed no reaction on his face, just turned and walked into the main hall.
The Emperor of Xiyun wasn’t upset by Xiao Changyi’s demeanor at all, but hurried to follow him.
As he followed Xiao Changyi, the Emperor told An Jing with a smile, "The path at the front here is much smoother than the others. The only part of my journey that wasn’t so bumpy was this stretch in front of your place. It’s lucky for me; otherwise, my old bones might’ve been scattered by now."
Since the Emperor of Xiyun and An Jing were behind Xiao Changyi, they did not notice his lips press tightly together upon hearing what the Emperor of Xiyun said.
Listening to the Emperor of Xiyun, An Jing felt both a pang of sadness and a touch of emotion.
Previously in the Imperial Palace, the Emperor of Xiyun always referred to himself as ’We’, but now, dressed as a commoner to avoid revealing his identity, he referred to himself as ’I’.
Because of this, An Jing felt the Emperor was more approachable than ever before, more like family—not just to her but to her husband—a dear relative who had travelled from afar.