At that moment, two more people slowly walked out of the main hall. Both were dressed in elegant white robes, with an extraordinary bearing that marked them as members of distinguished families.
The man walking in front was about nineteen years old, tall and slightly stout. It was none other than Liang Cheng.
He glanced down at his own attire, the corners of his mouth curling upward in a look of smug satisfaction.
“It seems this young master’s elegance is as great as ever.”
Liang Cheng sighed narcissistically, as if no one else were around. “After training day after day in the Xuanniao Guard, I was worried this magnificent face of mine would be worn down by the years.”
The young gentleman standing beside Liang Cheng was Lu Yunqing, also a member of the Xuanniao Guard.
Lu Yunqing was long used to his cousin Liang Cheng’s vanity. He could not even be bothered to pay attention to it and walked straight toward Lu Jiahe.
“Father, there’s no need to worry.”
Lu Yunqing said firmly, “From what I know of our elder brother, if he has learned that our little sister safely gave birth to twins, he must already be on his way here.”
“Elder brother must have been delayed by some trivial matters, which is why he hasn’t made it back in time.”
Lu Yunqing patted his chest and promised his father, Lu Jiahe, “Father, elder brother has never let us down. That was true in the past, and it will certainly be true in the future!”
It was that way before, and it would surely be that way from now on!
Liang Cheng finally caught up at this point and took over the conversation, offering comfort.
“Yes!”
“Uncle!”
“Are you still not clear about Brother Xuan’s abilities?”
“Just set your mind completely at ease.”
“Half a year ago, Uncle Feng mentioned to me and Cousin Yunqing—”
“Brother Xuan had come back, but he ran into some small matters that needed handling.”
“Once Brother Xuan finishes dealing with them, he will naturally return.”
The two of them, Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing, naturally understood what was on Lu Jiahe’s mind.
His coming outside was simply to see whether Lu Xuan had appeared.
Hearing their words, Lu Jiahe’s brows relaxed a little, though a trace of worry still lingered in his eyes.
He sighed and said, “You’re right. Xuan’er has always been steady. He won’t let us down.”
When Shen Yunwei heard Liang Cheng and the others mention the name Lu Xuan, his thoughts could not help but drift far away, and Lu Xuan’s figure appeared in his mind.
That young man, so young yet always calm and unhurried, as if he could remain composed even if the sky were falling.
Lu Xuan!
“It’s little Xuan!”
Shen Yunwei murmured softly.
That young man always gave people an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
“Father-in-law Lu, don’t think too much about it. Let the two of us go inside and sit down first.”
“These matters can just be left to the younger generation to handle.”
Shen Yunwei was about to instruct his sons to greet the guests in the residence on his behalf.
Shen Yunwei was just about to tell his sons to entertain the guests in the residence in his place.
Suddenly!
A few hearty, cheerful voices full of laughter drifted over to where Lu Jiahe and the others stood.
“Whoa, everyone’s here? What a full house!”
“Old Lu, it’s really lively over here!”
“Indeed, thanks to Old Lu.”
“Thanks to Old Lu’s good fortune, this old bag of bones hasn’t felt such liveliness in a long time. It really brings back memories!”
Before the words had faded, three afterimages streaked swiftly across the sky above the residence. In the blink of an eye, they passed through the crowded throng and landed steadily before Shen Yunwei and the others.
The moment these three appeared, everyone’s gaze was instantly drawn to them, including all the guests who had come to the Shen family’s banquet.
Shen Yunwei, Lu Jiahe, and the others heard the voices and turned to look.
For a moment, the focus of the entire scene converged on the three of them.
Their positioning was rather unusual.
On the left and right stood two elders with white hair and beards. The years had carved deep and shallow wrinkles into their faces, yet could not conceal the steady air about them.
And in the middle stood a young man, tall and imposing, dressed in a deep black brocade robe embroidered with dark patterns.
It gave off a faint sheen in the sunlight, and every cut was just right, fully displaying his extraordinary bearing.
One of the elders raised a hand and slowly stroked his beard, his smile gentle, his gaze like a torch. He unhurriedly scanned his surroundings, a touch of leisure and composure in his expression.
These two elders were none other than Li Chengfeng and Li Chengxing, who had rushed over from Baidao Prefecture at full speed.
As for why they had hurried over so urgently?
It was actually a little amusing—they had shamelessly come to share in the joy of this great celebration and seek some good fortune.
When Lu Xuan learned of their reason, he was speechless for a moment, secretly grumbling that the excuse was rather far-fetched.
Still, Lu Xuan had not refused their request in the end.
Because Lu Xuan thought it over briefly.
Oh well!
It was a good opportunity to let the Li family become familiar with the Shen family as well.
In the future, if the Shen family ran into trouble, they could go to Baidao Prefecture to seek Li Chengfeng’s help.
Having one more way out meant having one more choice.
When Lu Jiahe and the others caught sight of the young man standing in the middle, their ordinary expressions were instantly filled with shock. Everyone’s eyes slowly widened, as if they could not believe what they were seeing.
Then, unconcealable joy quickly spread across their faces, impossible to suppress any longer.
“Xuan’er!”
Lu Jiahe was the first to blurt out, his voice carrying the joy that comes after disbelief.
“It’s little Xuan!”
Shen Yunwei’s voice trembled slightly. He too was overjoyed at Lu Xuan’s appearance.
“Elder brother!”
Lu Yun’an and Lu Yunqing both raised their voices in excitement, their youthful natures showing fully, their eyes filled with the joy of reunion with their elder brother.
“Brother Xuan!”
Liang Cheng shouted along too, his excitement making his voice crack a little, his body trembling uncontrollably.
“Father!”
“Old Master Shen!”
Lu Xuan’s voice was calm and powerful, carrying a kind of reassuring strength.
Then, when Lu Xuan walked steadily and unhurriedly up to Lu Jiahe and Shen Yunwei, he merely gave a slight nod, his gaze carrying a touch of warmth and respect.
Though there were not many words or elaborate formalities, this simple gesture was Lu Xuan’s way of expressing his feelings.
Lu Jiahe quickly stepped forward and gripped Lu Xuan’s shoulders tightly, his eyes full of gratification and excitement. “Wonderful, Xuan’er, you’re finally back!”
“Good, good, it’s good that you’re back!”
As Lu Jiahe murmured to himself, he also carefully examined Lu Xuan’s complexion.
From his face to his build, he did not miss a single detail, full of worry about whether his son might have been hurt while away.
After looking him over, Lu Jiahe saw that his son’s face was ruddy, his breathing steady, and his whole body radiated health and vitality.
Only then did his anxious heart settle, and he slowly let go of his hands.
Shen Yunwei also walked up with a smile and patted Lu Xuan’s shoulder, his tone carrying the affection of an elder. “Little Xuan, you must have had a hard journey.”
“Let’s go inside and rest for a while first!”
Now that one of the most important principal figures had finally arrived, Shen Yunwei was genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
At this point, no guest mattered anymore. As long as Lu Xuan and the Lu family were here, that was enough.
Lu Xuan smiled slightly and said, “Thank you for your concern, Old Master Shen.”
At this moment, Liang Cheng, that irreverent fellow, also excitedly crowded around.
And his movements were very familiar—he casually put his right arm around Lu Xuan’s shoulder, a carefree grin on his face, and teased,
“Brother Xuan, you really kept us waiting!”
“You’ve got everyone missing you terribly!”
Liang Cheng did not realize in the slightest that the shoulder he was so casually draping his arm over belonged to a supreme being standing at the pinnacle of cultivation in the Great Xia Dynasty.
A Dongxu True Lord!
If Liang Cheng knew this fact, he would probably jump for joy.
From then on, it would be a bragging right he could use for the rest of his life.
Lu Yunqing, standing to the side, was still somewhat reserved in front of his elder brother, his tone carrying immense respect. “Elder brother, with you back, our Lu family is going to be lively.”
“Little sister’s twins, plus your return—our Lu family has double happiness!”
At this point, Li Chengfeng and Li Chengxing also slowly walked over.
“Father, Old Master Shen, these two are my good friends in the Xuanniao Guard!”
“Li Chengfeng, the Xuanniao Envoy of Baidao Prefecture, and Li Chengxing, Deputy Director of the Xuanniao Guard!”
“Uh, uh, greetings, my lords!”
When Lu Jiahe and Shen Yunwei heard this, surprise instantly appeared on their faces. They hurriedly prepared to bow, saying, “Greetings, my lords!”
However, just as the two of them had bent forward slightly—
An invisible yet immense force quietly caught them, making it impossible for them to continue bowing.
“Ah!”
Li Chengxing quickly spoke up to stop them, a gentle smile on his face. “That won’t do! We’ve come today as Lu Xuan’s friends.”
“We two really can’t accept such grand courtesy.”
Lu Xuan did not pay much attention to their pleasantries.
In the end, Lu Xuan’s gaze finally fell in the direction of the inner courtyard. He had already sensed where his little sister was.
Lu Xuan said softly, “Father, I’ll go see little sister and the children first.”
Lu Jiahe nodded with a face full of smiles and said, “Go on. Your little sister and your two little nephews are all waiting for you to come back.”
As he spoke, Lu Jiahe turned to look at Li Chengfeng and Li Chengxing, then continued, “Father-in-law Shen and I won’t go over. We’ll stay here and entertain these two old brothers first.”
After a short while of friendly conversation, Lu Jiahe had already grown familiar with Li Chengxing and the other man. They addressed each other as brothers, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
Lu Xuan smiled slightly and then strode toward the inner courtyard. Liang Cheng and Lu Yunqing exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
In the inner courtyard, a main room was quiet and warm, with five or six maids standing outside the door, ready at all times.
Inside the room, Lu Qingqing lay lazily on the soft bed. Though her face was still somewhat pale, the happiness and contentment between her brows were impossible to conceal.
Shen Yuan stood to the side, steadily holding a child in each arm.
Looking at the two children in his arms, Shen Yuan’s face was filled with a happiness he could not hide.
