"Haha, you're quite the joker," Li Xueqin chuckled. "No matter what your name is, if you know our Xiao Tian, you're our guest, part of the family."
"Old Zhang, hurry up and serve the food," she called out towards the inner room after speaking.
It was evident she was still a bit annoyed. After all, someone had appeared at her home out of the blue, acting a bit arrogant and making jokes. Li Xueqin was already being pleasant, considering the circumstances.
Meanwhile, only Zhang Qilin knew that the Queen of Jingjue was speaking the truth. She truly was thousands of years old and alone, as all the people of Jingjue were gone.
The Queen of Jingjue now sensed something was amiss and spoke again.
"Wuchan Najiahai."
"What?" Li Xueqin blinked. The name sounded rather peculiar.
"My name," the Queen of Jingjue uttered a few words.
Wuchan Najiahai was the Queen of Jingjue's real name. Having been known as the Queen of Jingjue for so long, few people knew her actual name. She was born during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, a time extremely long ago.
"If you don't mind, I'll call you Jiahai," Li Xueqin said gently. Since the woman was willing to reveal her name, it was a sign of respect, and Li Xueqin's mood improved considerably.
The Queen of Jingjue trembled, and the aura around her fluctuated slightly. Seeing this, Zhang Qilin subtly gripped his Black Gold Ancient Saber, ready for battle. "Jiahai" was a name no one had ever called her, and Li Xueqin was the first. Moreover, it was an affront to the Queen's dignity. Was her true name something a commoner could utter?
However, remembering that this was Zhang Tian's home and that she had come of her own accord, the Queen of Jingjue gradually suppressed her feelings. After all, there was no need to fall out with Zhang Tian over such a trivial matter. The Queen of Jingjue wasn't foolish; falling out with Zhang Tian would bring her no benefit. In fact, her visit was intended to win him over. If she could bring Zhang Tian under her banner, perhaps the former glory of Jingjue Ancient City could be restored.
"Mm," the Queen of Jingjue responded with a soft hum.
Zhang Qilin withdrew his weapon, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. In his view, the Queen of Jingjue would never agree to such an insult to her dignity. He was surprised by her swift acceptance. He even wondered if this was still the person he knew. Historically, whether it was a great king or a minor one, directly addressing them by name was taboo, punishable by death. And here, she tolerated being called by a nickname. Her ability to endure this spoke volumes about her immense self-control.
"Jiahai, if you're alone, why don't you stay here? I have plenty of beds, and that Xiao Tian of mine is often not home. You can stay in his room." Li Xueqin's eyes twinkled as she subtly suggested, "a golden house for a cherished one."
"No, this queen prefers to be alone," the Queen of Jingjue said calmly, still referring to herself in the royal manner.
"This queen? I see, you're from some tribe in Jiangxin, aren't you? I understand now. Well, alright, if you ever want to come, you're welcome anytime." Li Xueqin seemed to have realized something, and a touch of sadness filled her heart. She understood why the Queen of Jingjue was so cold; her tribe had been annihilated by outsiders, leaving her as the sole survivor. Zhang Tian had found her, which was why she was here.
"Such a pitiful child, not only harmed by Xiao Fuji but also blinded. Sigh," Li Xueqin mused, her heart filled with sympathy. When it came to foreign invasions, Li Xueqin instinctively suspected Xiao Fuji was responsible. The more she thought about it, the more she felt pity for the Queen. Li Xueqin's gaze softened.
"Come, Jiahai, this is the food we've prepared. Eat quickly. You must have suffered a lot on your journey. It's alright, this will be your home from now on," Li Xueqin said repeatedly.
Queen of Jingjue: "????"
Zhang Qilin: "???"
Both were bewildered. What had Li Xueqin's imagination conjured? Her words were utterly strange. Soon, under Li Xueqin's enthusiastic hospitality, the four of them began their lunch.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian was walking towards Fatty's courtyard with Tuantuan. "Daddy, Tuantuan hasn't been to Grandma's house in a long time," Tuantuan said softly, holding onto Zhang Tian's arm.
"Then let's go visit," Zhang Tian replied after some thought. Zhang Qilin's silence had been worrying him, and he wanted to check on what was happening with him. Primarily, Zhang Tian was concerned if Zhang Qilin might be suffering from intermittent amnesia. If he had lost his memory, it would be troublesome. After all, no one could be sure if or when Zhang Qilin might forget. In fact, Zhang Tian hadn't seen any signs of amnesia in him over the past year.
With Tuantuan, Zhang Tian turned towards the courtyard. Along the way, many people greeted him, and Zhang Tian reciprocated their greetings. Not long after Zhang Tian had started walking, a figure caught his eye. It was a figure clad in white.
"Is that? Huo Xiuxiu?" Zhang Tian thought of the young girl as he recognized the figure. If he wasn't mistaken, it was her. Huo Xiuxiu was currently standing in front of a stall, seemingly buying something.
"Huo Xiuxiu?" Zhang Tian's voice called out. Huo Xiuxiu instinctively looked back.
"Ah? It's Brother Zhang! What are you doing here?" Huo Xiuxiu's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"I'm taking Tuantuan to the Xinyue Hotel. What about you?" Zhang Tian's gaze fell on the side. It was a small stall selling needles and thread, appearing somewhat rudimentary.
"Nothing much, just buying some needles and thread," Huo Xiuxiu said a little awkwardly.
"Is that so? By the way, I've found some information about Xie Yuchen," Zhang Tian said, remembering something.
"What? You found something? Brother Zhang, can you tell me his location?" Huo Xiuxiu sounded excited.
"I only found out where he went. As for his exact whereabouts, I'm not sure," Zhang Tian replied after a moment's thought. "According to investigations, he might have gone grave robbing. I'm not certain if it's true."
Huo Xiuxiu nodded, seemingly not as surprised. "I understand. Thank you, Brother Zhang." Huo Xiuxiu thanked him quickly.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be going then. Goodbye." Zhang Tian nodded and then left the stall with Tuantuan.
"Daddy, has the playboy gone missing?" Tuantuan asked curiously, her eyes wide. The little one had met Xie Yuchen, so her way of referring to him was rather peculiar.
"Yes, everyone is looking for him," Zhang Tian nodded slightly.
"The playboy will be fine, Tuantuan's intuition!" Tuantuan declared, clenching her small fists.
Watching Zhang Tian's departing back, Huo Xiuxiu looked puzzled. When did Zhang Tian have such a young child? Could it be an illegitimate daughter?
Soon, Zhang Tian and Tuantuan arrived at the antique shop. "Ooh yeah! Grandma, Grandpa, Tuantuan is back!" Tuantuan opened her arms and shouted joyfully. She then rushed inside. When Tuantuan saw the four people sitting neatly on the sofa, along with an unfamiliar woman, she stopped in her tracks, hands outstretched, unsure of what to do.
"Old Daddy, Old Mommy, I'm ba—"
"!!!!"
"How are you in my house???" Zhang Tian was stunned.