Family. (5)

"Eh? Brother? The two of you?"

The man's sudden words evidently drew the attention of the Qing family, their gazes moving between Liang Chen and the newcomer. They were far more familiar with the newcomer than they were Liang Chen, their doors were always open for him, and that familiarity was the main source of their shock. There was also the fact that Yan Ling had spoken a great deal about the man who was to be her future husband, but she had never mentioned anything about his family, much less that the man she occasionally brought with her was his brother. The man looked slightly exasperated as he was faced with their gawking, sitting down at the seat that Qing Feng had pointed him towards.

"Our relationship is a bit complicated. If we go by technical terms then we are indeed brothers, but we were raised by different families and have taken different parents. In truth, this is our first time meeting. Hell, if it weren't for Sister-In-Law then I may never have gotten to meet him, there wasn't much reason for us to ever cross paths after all."

The man gestured towards Yan Ling with a nod, confirming Liang Chen's suspicion that she had something to do with his arrival. Yan Ling took his gaze head-on, a small smile on her face as she tilted her head in a way that made it seem like she was questioning why he was looking at her. The man spoke up again as Liang Chen was looking at Yan Ling, drawing his attention.

"Liang Chen, I have not come here on behalf of our people, nor have I come in an attempt to drag you back to us. I have come here as Ren Shuya, no titles, no positions, just me."

The first thing the man, no, Ren Shuya, did when he got Liang Chen's attention was to draw a clear line. He did not come here as a member of the Sebettu, he did not come here as one of their generals, he simply came as the estranged brother that never got to share the relationship that was supposed to be his.

Liang Chen's gaze lingered on Ren Shuya for a moment, he could feel the drifting gazes of the Qing family. It was quite obvious that there was a story to tell here, but they were sensible enough to know when to remain silent so they just waited with bated breath and allowed things to take their natural course. Eventually, Liang Chen's gaze slid towards the one responsible for this, the one watching it all with that small smile of hers.

"It's not a coincidence, is it?"

The situation was too perfect, too weird. Yan Ling, after entering the tutelage of the Nine Star Demon God, just so happened to enter the multiverse where his family had reincarnated? And not just the same multiverse, but the very same universe, even ending up meeting them? And then she also ended up getting acquainted with the one who would be his brother if he got to grow up normally? It was all too perfect, and no coincidence was ever perfect. Yan Ling just smiled when faced with his gaze, she didn't even try to hide it.

"'Family is the most important thing in the world, all facets of it.' He's a bit gruff but he can say some good things occasionally."

Nine Star Demon God. First he set up a meeting between Liang Chen and his birth parents and now it turned out that he had interfered again. Liang Chen had no idea what sort of relationship the Nine Star Demon God had with his birth parents, but it couldn't be shallow since he kept on interfering like this.

Liang Chen's gaze lingered on Yan Ling for a moment, the oh-so soft smile never leaving her face. She knew Liang Chen better than anyone, this twisted man of hers that was oh-so broken. He had lost many things through his life so it was understandable that he was afraid of making new connections, he had almost crumbled when she first brought him here. But he was strong now, it was fine to make connections, it was fine to reclaim that which he had lost, he didn't need to be lonely anymore.

His gaze eventually left Yan Ling, the two not exchanging any further words as his gaze slid across the Qing family and then finally settled on Ren Shuya. The expression he wore was polite and calm, but the exasperated and apologetic undertones still lingered there, he probably felt rather awkward about making something like this their first meeting.

"If you wait around for too long then the food will get cold. Don't waste Qing Lan's effort."

He lowered his head slightly as he spoke, picking up the spoon that had been placed by his seat. He dipped it in the stew and brought it to his mouth, savouring the taste as it slid down his throat. He had made this, others had helped, but in the end it was the result of his hard work. It was good, he had really put his heart into it so he could only call it delicious.

But there was a slight bitter taste that clung to the back of his throat, a stuffy sensation that almost made it feel as if some food had gotten stuck there. But as the others started to go back to eating, he forced that feeling down by pushing more food down his throat, the pleasant sound of familial chatter slowly filling his ears.

As he pushed the food down his throat, a finger gently poked his thigh under the table. There was only one person sitting right next to him, his gaze quietly drifting towards Yan Ling. Her eyes gestured down to her hand, which was opening and closing rapidly as it beckoned him.

He stretched out his free arm and took hold of her hand, their fingers entwining under the table. The bitter taste in the back of his throat subsided slightly as his hand warmed up. The two held hands while enjoying their meal, Yan Ling's gaze quietly drifting across the table.

"Look at it. We made this. Despite everything we've been through, despite how we've lived our lives, we've managed to make something like this, even if it may just last for a day right now."

Yan Ling knew what the situation was like right now, she knew about the attacks launched by the other Sphere of Existence. As long as that was going on, peaceful days like this would become harder and harder to get, especially when the one at your side was someone like Liang Chen, who seemed unable to just sit still. But still, they had managed to carve out a bit of peace for themselves. And that was why Yan Ling kept talking.

"We've lost many things, haven't we? Fathers. Mothers. Sisters. Friends. We gained them all and then lost them all. It's lonely, isn't it? It's painful, isn't it?"

Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper as she looked across the table. Liang Chen wasn't the only one that had lost things, Yan Ling had lost her fair share of things too. Her father, all but one sibling, her entire sect, even the person who was once her mother had been killed by Liang Chen. Hers was a life marred by loss. That was why she understood his pain and his reservations, both about this reincarnated family and the family he had rejected. But understanding did not equal acceptance.

"We've lost many things so we have less than normal people. So shouldn't we make up for it by treasuring what little we have, enough to at least make up for everything that we've lost?"

Yan Ling was certain that she was living up to that last part. She treasured everything she could get her hands on, she showered it all with enough love to suffocate them. Because that was how she knew to keep them by her side, Liang Chen's way of doing the same was unfortunately to keep them away so that they wouldn't get hurt by his actions. Naturally, she also knew that he had other reasons for keeping Ren Shuya and the others away. But wasn't it already fine? Didn't he deserve a little more?

"Just as friends can become family, what should be family can become friends. And for some people, perhaps that alone will be enough, don't you think?"

She squeezed his hand as she spoke, the same gentle gesture she always used to urge him on. If Liang Chen was the one who would become the world's greatest and sole evil then Yan Ling was the light that prevented him from fully submerging into that role, or perhaps she was the only one who could stop him from ever reaching that end. Always there, always urging him on to do the right thing, always there to save his human heart.

Liang Chen's gaze rose slightly as she squeezed his hand, drifting across the table and landing on Ren Shuya, who was chatting warmly with Qing Chun, idling away the minutes as they talked about their recent days. Ren Shuya had stayed true to his word, he hadn't asked or hinted at a single thing, he simply came here to enjoy a bit of peace. Liang Chen glanced at Yan Ling once more before his gaze landed on Ren Shuya again, a soft sigh escaping him.

"Alright. I'll join you for a visit, Ren Shuya. They deserve to at least see my future wife."