However, the little fox merely pouted and then said, "But judging by his current state, it seems he's quite eager to come out."
Hearing the little fox speak, Ye Tiancheng seemed to recall something and responded vaguely, "Mm, perhaps after sealing himself for a thousand years, his views have changed somewhat. Moreover, our appearance might have given him some hope, which is why he's become more proactive."
As for some other speculations, Ye Tiancheng didn't want to voice them for now, as he was unsure of the impact they might have on the little fox.
Considering the little fox's feelings, Ye Tiancheng decided not to bring them up for the time being.
However, there was another matter they could discuss and consider in advance, which would make it easier to decide how to proceed later.
Ye Tiancheng then said to the little fox, "Right, we always have to bring that A Zi out. Once he's out, we can't just not watch him, because he's not human after all, and we brought him out. We have an obligation and responsibility to supervise him."
"But if he wants to follow us, Mingzhu and the others will definitely need to know. So, we need to provide an explanation to Mingzhu."
"This is what I'm thinking: A Zi looks so much like you. We can say that A Zi might be your relative, your brother. We happened to find him this time and brought him back with us. What do you think?"
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's suggestion, the little fox's first reaction was to frown slightly, a hint of reluctance showing on his face.
However, the little fox ultimately chose the more rational side and said to Ye Tiancheng, "Big Brother, you decide these things."
Seeing the little fox like this, Ye Tiancheng felt helpless. He then held the little fox's shoulders, making him face him directly. "It can't just be me deciding. Why do I need to ask for your opinion? Because your opinion is the most important. After all, this matter concerns you greatly. I will respect your wishes."
"If you truly feel unwilling, don't force yourself. There's no need to make yourself unhappy, understand? Since Big Brother has accepted you, and you are with Big Brother, Big Brother will definitely not let you be wronged."
Despite Ye Tiancheng saying this, the little fox still hesitated. "I think the important matters are more important. And no matter what, I ultimately want Big Brother to have an easier time, so I will choose to help Big Brother."
"I think Big Brother should worry more about whether A Zi will be willing to become brothers with me."
Ye Tiancheng thought to himself that A Zi would be more than willing, but he couldn't say that out loud. Furthermore, his words about the little fox's feelings weren't insincere or an attempt at emotional blackmail; they were genuine.
So, Ye Tiancheng insisted to the little fox, "Little fox, don't you trust Big Brother?"
"For Big Brother, this isn't the only solution, and Big Brother won't be in a difficult position if you reject this plan."
"Big Brother says your wishes are most important, and that's the truth. If you truly don't want it, then just say you don't want it. You have the right to express your true thoughts. Big Brother also cares about your true thoughts and doesn't want you to be wronged in any way, nor will he have any opinion of you because of it. Do you understand?"
The little fox's rationality told him that being obedient and compliant might be the best approach, making it easier for everyone to accept him.
But how could he not have his own little emotions? The little fox was indeed quite unwilling to become brothers with A Zi.
It wasn't primarily about being brothers with A Zi. What the little fox minded was that if A Zi became his brother, then A Zi would also become Ye Tiancheng's brother. Then, he would be the same as himself. And as they spent more time together, if A Zi genuinely did things, his status in Ye Tiancheng's eyes would rise linearly.
A Zi was so capable, much more so than him. After all, A Zi had lived for so many more years. In this case, A Zi would likely become even more important to Ye Tiancheng.
The little fox minded the possibility of this outcome very much, so he subconsciously rejected A Zi.
But revealing such a small thought would make him seem petty and unlikeable. The little fox was reluctant to show it.
However, since Ye Tiancheng had said so much, the little fox couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. He hesitated, with a hint of unspoken expectation, and quietly asked Ye Tiancheng, "Is that true? If I really don't want it, it's okay like this?"
Ye Tiancheng smiled and hugged him as comfort, then encouraged him to speak his true thoughts. "Of course, it's okay. Big Brother is telling the truth, not a single word is insincere."
The little fox gritted his teeth and finally said it, "Then, okay, I'm really a bit unwilling. I don't like..."
As he spoke, his voice became increasingly muffled and indistinct. Ye Tiancheng couldn't hear the words that seemed to be humming in his throat and asked, "Don't like what?"
The little fox paused slightly and finally expressed his true inner thoughts, "I don't like him becoming the same as me, having the same status."
Ye Tiancheng suddenly understood. The little fox's thought was actually simple and normal. He understood it immediately and didn't blame the little fox at all, nor did he think the little fox was being ungenerous.
Humans, or rather, all sentient beings in the world, possess jealousy. They will develop a possessive desire for things they love or care about.
This feeling is not limited to romantic love. For example, in families with multiple children, the children might wish they were the most cherished and favored child of their parents, thus rejecting their siblings. This also happens between siblings and even friends.
They wish to be the closest to the other person and don't want the attention of the person they care about to be diverted by others. They will develop strong hostility towards those who appear and might take away what they possess.
For someone like the little fox, who already had very little, in essence, given his background, he could easily feel that he had always had nothing, and that he was the only lifeline for the little fox.
For those already present around Ye Tiancheng, such as Hou Mingzhu, Ye Qingcheng, and Fatty, they were undeniable. Because they appeared earlier, they were easier to accept. They were accustomed to their presence from the beginning, and it was understood that they were bound to exist, so they learned to coexist peacefully with them.
Since they had accepted the current balance, they would naturally be more sensitive to new presences that might disrupt this balance.
Ye Tiancheng also roughly understood that the little fox's initial dislike for Ou Xiaoxue was partly due to similar reasons.
However, the little fox was also very sensible and felt that his thoughts were unreasonable, so he never mentioned them openly, suppressing his emotions deep within his heart.
Suppressing emotions isn't a good thing. Ye Tiancheng felt like sighing. In the future, he really needed to encourage the little fox more to express his inner thoughts. He wouldn't hold a grudge against the little fox because of it, but if the little fox constantly suppressed negative emotions, it would definitely not be good for him. He needed to be guided with more patience.
"It's alright. Your thoughts are normal. If you don't like him, then don't like him. Anyway, you are the one who holds his weakness. So, if he comes to our home in the future, the only one he will have a connection with is you."
"If you are willing to accept him, then we will accept him. If you don't like him, and we, who are inherently closer to you from the beginning, how could we distance ourselves from you because of him? Don't you agree?"
Ye Tiancheng comforted the little fox, saying, "You are doing great. Expressing your true thoughts is the most important thing. We care about you very much. But if you don't say anything, we won't know anything, and we might accidentally make you sad. Then, we will also feel very guilty and sad."
"In short, it's a great thing that you're willing to speak now. Don't worry, as I said, this isn't the only solution. Since you're unwilling, there are other plans."
"At worst, we can inconvenience A Zi a bit. He wants to come out and follow us anyway. Paying a price for that is only right and proper."
The little fox buried himself in Ye Tiancheng's arms and finally replied softly, "Thank you, Big Brother."
Ye Tiancheng didn't say much more. He just held the child and comforted him for a while, then rubbed his head. After all, he was his own child, so he would naturally be more accommodating. As for others, they were outsiders. Whether they would become family or friends later was another matter. At least for now, the little fox was definitely more important.
Even if A Zi were to join their big family in the future, it would certainly be because the little fox accepted him, not because they accepted A Zi over the little fox.
This matter had reached a conclusion with the little fox's discussion. Since the little fox was unwilling, Ye Tiancheng would let it go. He indeed had other plans, which were not very friendly to A Zi. But for Ye Tiancheng, the little fox was more important.
To make the little fox feel at ease, Ye Tiancheng certainly didn't mind letting A Zi suffer some inconvenience.
After reaching a consensus, Ye Tiancheng began to consider how to bring A Zi out of the space. Ye Tiancheng asked the little fox to go and check the information first, while he himself summoned the Nuwa Stone.
"Little Stone, are you there? I have something I want to ask you. If you have time, come and discuss it with us."
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's voice, the Nuwa Stone quickly responded. Because of its guilt today, the Nuwa Stone was always available when called. "Yes, yes, I'm here! Brother Ye, what do you want to ask me?"
Ye Tiancheng then said to the Nuwa Stone, "It's like this. We encountered an even more troublesome problem this time when we went to retrieve the fragments of the Fuxi Qin."
Hearing this opening, the Nuwa Stone didn't find it unfamiliar. This familiar feeling had been present since Ye Tiancheng went to get the second fragment of the Fuxi Qin.
"What kind of difficulty have you encountered this time? Is it particularly tricky? I heard you and Sister-in-law talking earlier, and it seemed like the process went quite smoothly."
Ye Tiancheng was a bit speechless. "The communication was, of course, very smooth. They were willing to hand over the fragments of the Fuxi Qin. The problem now is that we can't take it away. We're stuck at this point, isn't that awkward?"
As soon as Ye Tiancheng said this, the Nuwa Stone was also speechless. Indeed, who would have thought the pitfall would be here this time? They gave you the item, and they weren't intentionally making things difficult, so who could you blame for not being able to take it?