Chapter Forty-Nine: Aizhe

With Xuanxuan's arrival, the status of Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan within the Wanqi family plummeted, yet the two young boys didn’t mind in the slightest. Instead, they were filled with curiosity about their newly minted little sister.

They had long heard that their sister was a withdrawn child. But upon meeting her, they found her to be rather quiet yet incredibly adorable—a soft, doughy little bun of a girl whom they instantly adored.

Xuanxuan had always kept the habit of napping at noon, during which she would browse the StarNet or quietly practice her magic. Wanqi Lianhao had grown accustomed to her routine. Now that they were back in the old family estate, safety was no longer a concern, so he left Xuanxuan in her own bedroom and went to the study to discuss family affairs with Wanqi Yi and the others.

Before Xuanxuan could immerse herself in the StarNet, she discovered she had two uninvited guests in her new bedroom.

Two boys, sneaking in.

“Did you close the door?” The voice, careful and low, belonged to the older of the two, Wanqi Weihao. He frowned—what were they up to?

“Huh?” Wanqi Weihan suddenly realized, “I don’t think I did.”

He hurried back to the door to shut it, a bit too vigorously.

“Be gentle,” Weihao whispered. “If you wake Xuanxuan up and she cries, just wait and see what Grandma will do to you.”

Weihan shrank his neck, tiptoeing back to his brother’s side. “She’s not awake, is she?”

Weihao listened closely. No sound. He was a bit uncertain. “Probably not.”

“I think—” Weihan’s words cut off abruptly, his gaze fixed ahead. Weihao followed his line of sight and saw Xuanxuan sitting upright on the big bed, her bright eyes staring straight at them.

Weihao froze.

Weihan nudged his brother, whispering nervously, “She’s not going to cry, is she?”

He glanced at Xuanxuan, who, though watching them, seemed in no mood to cry. “Probably not.”

Xuanxuan looked curiously at the two boys, unsure of their purpose.

“Hello, Xuanxuan,” Weihao said, a little embarrassed by her gaze.

Xuanxuan nodded, looking at him, her eyes full of questions.

“Brother?” Weihao turned to his sibling.

“Should we still take her out to play?” Weihan asked. The two of them were heading out to join friends for a simulated mech battle—a contest using virtual mechs.

The brothers were the best in their age group, and they wanted to show off in front of their little sister, thinking to carry her along. But now, seeing Xuanxuan awake, they feared they wouldn’t be able to take her.

Though both were already fifteen, in the old days on Earth, that would make them no more than seven or eight. At such a young age, especially never having seen a child smaller than themselves, they had only heard that little kids could be terrifying when they cried. Of course, it never occurred to them what they’d do if Xuanxuan woke up crying after being carried away.

Xuanxuan looked at Weihan—carry her out to play?

Her eyes widened. She was deeply curious about the outside world, so she stretched out her arms, signaling for a hug.

Weihao hesitated. Did she really want him to pick her up?

Xuanxuan crawled off the soft bed, her steps unsteady on the plush surface. She wanted to reach the edge, but before she got there, she toppled straight off.

Weihao’s heart skipped a beat—if their sister got hurt, they’d be in serious trouble.

Despite their youth, years of physical training had made Weihao quite agile. He stepped forward quickly and caught Xuanxuan.

Xuanxuan, for her part, withdrew her “Shield of Air.”

She wrapped her arms around Weihao’s neck. He was still young and found her a bit heavy, and Xuanxuan feared he might drop her.

Weihao felt as though he were holding a soft, round dumpling, barely able to encircle her with his arms. Though it was a bit of a strain, holding Xuanxuan, he was enveloped in a gentle, milky scent that warmed his heart.

Looking at his adorable sister, Weihao couldn’t help but smile, his eyes narrowing.

“Brother,” Weihan said, nudging him.

Weihao looked over. “What is it?”

“Let me hold her for a while,” Weihan said, staring at the floor and scraping his toes across it.

Weihao was reluctant—he had only held his sister for a short while, but Weihan was his brother, after all. After a moment’s hesitation, he handed Xuanxuan over. “Make sure to hold her tight.”

Weihan’s face lit up as he accepted Xuanxuan, wiping his hands on his clothes before hugging her, grinning so widely his mouth nearly split. “Our sister is so good.”

Xuanxuan pursed her lips. For the sake of going out, she decided to forgive them for passing her back and forth.

“Let’s hurry. If we’re late, Third Uncle will find out,” Weihao urged as he quietly opened the door and led the way.

Weihan followed, carrying Xuanxuan in his arms.

Yi Qiong had seen the two young masters enter the room. She thought it was fine if they woke the young miss, but now… she hurried to the study.

“Patriarch, Young Master, Second Young Master, Master,” she addressed the room, assigned solely to Wanqi Lianhao and loyal only to him.

Lianhao frowned. “What is it?”

“The young miss—” Before Yi Qiong could finish, Lianhao had already pulled up the surveillance feed from Xuanxuan’s bedroom.

He saw the bed was empty. Though he trusted the Wanqi estate’s security, his heart skipped a beat. Fast-forwarding the footage, he saw the two brothers carrying Xuanxuan away.

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Wanqi Lianjun beside him. “Not only does big brother adore Xuanxuan, even his two nephews are fond of her.”

“Those rascals,” Lianjun muttered, worried his sons were too young to properly protect Xuanxuan, or that they might drop her.

“Yi Qiong, have a few more people follow them,” Lianhao instructed. Within the Wanqi estate, he wasn’t worried about Xuanxuan’s safety.

“Yes, sir,” Yi Qiong replied.

Wanqi Yi nodded. “It’s good they get along so well as siblings.”

Lianhao nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Wanqi Lianchen couldn’t help but mutter, “That little chubby girl is so heavy—I’m surprised Weihao and Weihan can even carry her.”

Wanqi Yi glared at him. Xuanxuan was his favorite, and Lianchen’s status in the family had fallen sharply as a result.

Lianchen shrank back and fell silent.

Chuckling, Lianhao said, “Xuanxuan is a bit chubby, but after a couple days’ rest, we’ll have her start physical training. Since Weihao and Weihan are still in the junior division, I’m thinking of enrolling her in school next term.”

Wanqi Yi nodded. The family wasn’t a martial clan like the Zhan family, but after so many years in the military, they still valued martial arts and physical training. For Xuanxuan’s age, school wasn’t too soon. She had attended before, but after the last accident, she’d been forced to return home. Now that she was back in the capital, of course, she should return to school.

Xuanxuan had no idea her days ahead were being so carefully planned. At the moment, she was being carried by Weihan.

Weihan was young and his grip was awkward, lacking strength. Xuanxuan was nervous, afraid she’d be dropped at any moment.

Luckily, Weihao noticed his brother was struggling and quickly took her back.

Weihan was a bit disappointed. Carrying his little sister was fun, but he simply wasn’t strong enough.

The place wasn’t far. Weihao carried Xuanxuan to the small building where he lived. The family usually dined in the dining room of Wanqi Yi’s building. The three brothers of the Wanqi family each had their own small residence, all close by.

Weihao and Weihan had already invited friends over to play at their place. With Xuanxuan’s return, they’d decided to bring her along as well.

Though she had only left her own living quarters to enter another, Xuanxuan was content. She was happy enough just to experience something new and learn a little more.

Compared to Weihan, Weihao was steadier, but he still carried Xuanxuan into his room with barely contained excitement.

“Hey, Weihao has a kid now!” someone exclaimed.

Xuanxuan glared at the boy—a little younger than the two brothers, with golden curls and rosy lips.

Normally, Xuanxuan might have found him pleasant enough, but now she thought, who raised this rude child? Where were his manners?

Weihao hesitated, seeing all his friends looking at him from their game. His face flushed, losing his usual composure. “No, no, this is my sister.”

The boy asked again, “That chubby kid is your sister?”

Xuanxuan glared at him again—so disagreeable! What’s with calling her ‘chubby’?

Weihao glared too, his embarrassment gone. “My sister’s not fat.”

“You’re the chubby one,” Weihan protested, following behind. He thought his sister was adorable, and she belonged to them—no one else could say otherwise.

“Hmph,” the golden-haired boy snorted, wrinkling his nose. “She is chubby. Ask them.”

Weihao, displeased, said, “My sister is cute.”

Xuanxuan patted his head. Though it was a bit childish, she was quite pleased with how the brothers stood up for her.

“Cute?” the boy sneered, returning to his mech model, saying no more.

Weihao set his new sister on the floor. Weihan fetched a small, soft cushion and placed it behind her.

Xuanxuan sat down unceremoniously, surveying the group of children before her. Though playing with little kids was beneath the dignity of a great alchemist, she reminded herself not to be petty—one must lay the groundwork before sharpening the blade.

There weren’t many children in the room—besides Weihao, Weihan, and the golden-haired boy, there were only two others, both friends of the brothers.

“Is she really your sister?” asked a brown-haired boy sitting beside Weihan, whispering.

“Of course,” Weihan said proudly, tilting his head up. Then he asked, “Isn’t she cute?”

Before the brown-haired boy could answer, the golden-haired boy snorted again.

“What are you laughing at, Ezra?” Weihan glared at him.

Only then did Xuanxuan learn the golden-haired boy’s name was Ezra.