Nan Zhenting said with a choked voice, "Child, you deserve this bow. I seemed to have given you a home, but you not only didn't get the warmth of a home but were bullied instead. I clearly knew that you and Nan Xiao were in love, but because of me, you were forced to separate."
Lan Yuxi held back her tears with all her might, tilting her head back as she listened to his words.
Nan Zhenting sighed, "I know why you are unwilling to be with Nan Xiao even though you have him in your heart. As I said before, if you are still willing to accept Nan Xiao, I will handle the rest."
Old Hong snorted, "Stop making empty promises! If you could handle it, this situation wouldn't have happened today!"
Nan Zhenting frowned slightly, "Senior brother, it's been over forty years. I don't ask for your forgiveness, only that you stand with me and prevent these two children from repeating our mistakes."
Lan Yuxi looked over in shock. She never knew her master and Old Nan were fellow disciples.
Old Hong huffily turned his head away, "Our Yuxi doesn't care to marry your son!"
Lan Haolin smiled and patted Old Hong's hand, "Old Hong, you are so right!"
Luo Wanqi tightly grasped Lan Yuxi's hand. As her best friend, she knew best the place Nan Xiao occupied in her heart.
Lan Yuxi smiled at her, but her smile was tinged with bitterness.
"No one can decide this, Yuxi has the final say!"
As soon as Nan Zhenting finished speaking, Nan Xiao entered, carrying two children.
Nan Zhenting frowned displeasantly. This brat was once again disregarding his words. He had told him not to appear, not to appear! Yet he insisted on showing up. With so many people here, wasn't he afraid of being drowned by their spittle?
Nan Xiao walked to Lan Yuxi with the two children in his arms and said in a deep voice, "I heard what you just said. If you don't want to marry, and I don't want to marry anyone else but you, then let's continue like this. However, I want to implore you to let me raise the two children with you, because children cannot grow up without a father's love. Since you adopted them, you should be responsible for them."
Lan Yuxi slowly raised her misty eyes. The first thing that met her gaze was Mu Mu's small eyes filled with longing, followed by Zhao Zhao's small face, which was trying hard to remain calm. She didn't dare to look at Nan Xiao, because if she did, she would feel even more reluctant.
Luo Wanqi held her slightly trembling hand again.
After a long moment, Lan Yuxi gently parted her cherry lips and uttered a "Good." At that moment, she had no idea that this single "Good" would lead her to be manipulated by Nan Xiao for a lifetime.
"I've booked a private room at the Emperor Grand Hotel. You can take everyone there for lunch. To avoid affecting everyone's mood, my grandfather and I will leave first."
As Nan Xiao spoke, he was about to put down the two children. However, the moment he bent down, Mu Mu tightly hugged his neck. Zhao Zhao's small body also squirmed; he didn't want to be separated from his father either.
Lan Yuxi looked at the children's reactions and was so angry she wished she could pull these two little troublemakers off him. But this profound blood relation was not something she could sever just because she wanted to.
She raised an eyebrow and looked at the two children, "You two don't want to be separated from him?"
Zhao Zhao struggled internally and didn't speak. Mu Mu, however, nodded very honestly, "I don't want to be separated from Daddy!"
Lan Yuxi nodded, "Alright, then you can go with them."
Seeing his mother's displeased expression, Zhao Zhao quickly said, "Mom, I'll stay with you, let sister go with Daddy."
Lan Yuxi felt a warmth in her heart. Her little bomber jacket was pretty good; at least it wasn't as leaky as Mu Mu's little worn-out padded jacket. But the next second, Lan Yuxi was crushed by her son's reluctant gaze.
Lan Yuxi suppressed her heartache and raised her hand to her forehead, "All of you go. If you don't want to come back tonight, you don't have to."
"Mom..." Mu Mu pouted and reached out to grab her hand.
"Mom has so many guests to entertain, I don't have time to look after you. You can go if you want to."
As Lan Yuxi said this, her heart was bleeding. These two little beings, whom she had given birth to through life-threatening peril, were being whisked away just like that.
Lan Yuxi stood up and gently rubbed her children's heads, "Listen to your father when you are with him. No matter who it is, no matter what they say to you, don't leave your father's side."
Mu Mu nodded her little head heavily.
Zhao Zhao seriously promised, "Mom, I will protect my sister."
Nan Xiao looked deeply at Lan Yuxi. Her cool, clear face was reflected in his eyes and imprinted in his heart. Xi Bao, please forgive me for using the children's feelings for me. If you don't acknowledge me, this is the only way.
Lan Yuxi noticed him looking at her and smiled, stroking Zhao Zhao's little face, "Mom believes you can protect your sister and yourself."
Seeing that the two children were about to leave with Nan Xiao, and her daughter wasn't stopping them, Tang Wan quickly stood up and walked over.
"Baby, your mother doesn't have time to take care of you, but Grandma does! Why don't you stay home and play with Grandma?"
Mu Mu smiled sweetly, "Grandma, we'll come back tonight to accompany you."
Tang Wan looked to her daughter for help.
Lan Yuxi helped her sit down, "Mom, they don't like listening to us adults talk. Let them go play. They'll be back tonight."
With her daughter saying so, what else could she, as a mother, say? She could only watch as Nan Xiao, with his son, took the two children away.
Noon, Emperor Grand Hotel.
In the restroom, Luo Wanqi saw that no one was inside and lowered her voice to complain, "These two little rascals! You went through hell to give birth to them, and I painstakingly raised them. And now, as soon as they see their biological father, who only contributed two little tadpoles, they abandon us so heartlessly."
Lan Yuxi's mouth twitched, "Are you jealous?"
"How can I not be jealous! It's been almost four years, what has he been doing? Now, as soon as the two children are back, they've become his personal property."
Lan Yuxi sighed, "I always thought I was giving them the best, but I overlooked their longing for a father's love. But don't worry, they're just experiencing a fleeting novelty. Once they get tired of being with him, they'll naturally come back to us."
"Alas! Let's hope so."
Luo Wanqi was about to continue her grumbling when she heard a clatter outside. The two women exchanged a glance and quickly went out.
Tang Wan saw them come out and ignored the overturned trash can she had bumped. She grabbed Lan Yuxi's hand.
"Yuxi, are Zhao Zhao and Mu Mu your and Nan Xiao's children?!"
Lan Yuxi pursed her lips and nodded. Since it had been overheard, there was no point in lying. She just didn't know what kind of storm her admission would stir up.