"Stinky brat, why did you only come now?" Zhu Ziyang's appearance immediately drew the attention of the people in the pavilion. The middle-aged beauty instantly showed a reproachful expression, walking quickly toward him and scolding.
"Mom, I just came out of seclusion." Zhu Ziyang could only smile apologetically, enduring Liang Ying's not-very-heavy pats while asking, "By the way, Mom, how come you're here? Where's Dad?"
"Hmph! Stinky brat, you really did great." Although Liang Ying verbally scolded Zhu Ziyang, the smile on her face revealed her inner joy. She said, "If Nannan hadn't told us, how long were you planning to keep it from me and your father?"
"If I say I just found out myself, would you believe me?" Zhu Ziyang could only smile bitterly.
"I believe you." Liang Ying nodded and said, "Fine, I won't delay you seeing the children. But Mom has to remind you—Nannan, you'd better compensate her properly. Such a good girl—if you let her down, I won't forgive you!"
"Aiya, Mom, how could your son be that kind of person!" Zhu Ziyang, hearing his mother's words, immediately felt wronged.
"Hmph! Who knows?" Liang Ying snorted, stepped aside, and walked outward, muttering as she went, "I don't know who this child takes after… definitely not me…"
Zhu Ziyang listened to Liang Ying's muttering, a bitter smile on his face. Only then did he turn and walk toward the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, Jiang Nannan and Zhang Lexuan had already stood up. Jiang Nannan's pretty face held longing and joy, along with considerable resentment. Her bright eyes carried a half-smiling expression, making Zhu Ziyang's heart hesitate. Zhang Lexuan's expression was simpler—longing and joy mixed, with a faint trace of fear. After all, in a sense, these two children were born while she kept it from Zhu Ziyang.
"Sister Lexuan, you've worked hard!" However, Zhu Ziyang's first words dispelled Zhang Lexuan's worries, instantly bringing a smile and happiness to her beautiful face. Zhu Ziyang did not neglect Jiang Nannan either. After expressing his stance to Zhang Lexuan, he said to Jiang Nannan, "Nannan, thank you!"
"Brother, you're finally out of seclusion." Jiang Nannan naturally understood the meaning behind Zhu Ziyang's words, but she did not follow his lead. Instead, she said playfully, "If you hadn't come out soon, the babies would almost be able to talk."
"Uh, hahaha, really?" Zhu Ziyang, hearing this, laughed傻ly and said, "Then doesn't that mean I didn't miss much!"
"Showing off!" Jiang Nannan rolled her eyes at Zhu Ziyang and said, "Alright, I'll go rest first. I won't disturb your family of four reuniting."
With that, silver light flashed, and Jiang Nannan instantly vanished from the pavilion, leaving only a bitterly smiling Zhu Ziyang and a face full of apology from Zhang Lexuan. Oh, right, and the two little ones are sleeping soundly.
"This girl!" How could Zhu Ziyang not hear the complaint and jealousy in Jiang Nannan's words? He helplessly shook his head, then stepped forward, sat beside Zhang Lexuan, and held her jade hand.
Zhang Lexuan smiled, leaning into Zhu Ziyang's embrace, enjoying this long-lost relaxation and sense of security.
"Sister Lexuan." Zhu Ziyang gently called.
"Hm?" Zhang Lexuan closed her eyes and responded.
"They…" Zhu Ziyang looked at the two little ones in the cribs—identical outfits, identical sleeping faces—naturally giving rise to a bit of love and protective spoiling in his heart. An unprecedented sense of responsibility fell upon him. So this is what it feels like to be a father—how wonderful.
"The left is the brother, the right is the sister!" Zhang Lexuan, hearing Zhu Ziyang mention the children, opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes revealed a doting look as she said to Zhu Ziyang.
"Oh oh, too great!" Zhu Ziyang, hearing this, felt immense surprise. Originally, Zhang Lexuan giving birth to twins for him was already surprising enough, but unexpectedly, they were a boy and a girl. This… how to put it—he was only twenty-two and already had both son and daughter, achieving what his father hadn't in four or five decades. Did this count as the student surpassing the master?
"The brother is very quiet, but the sister is really too mischievous. When she grows up, she'll definitely be a willful little girl!" Zhang Lexuan's face carried faint pride as she told Zhu Ziyang about the two children's personalities.
"So what if she's willful? She's Zhu Ziyang's daughter—what's wrong with being a bit willful?" Zhu Ziyang had already adapted to his role, instinctively defending his future little padded jacket.
"It's over—this child will definitely be spoiled by you in the future." Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but cover her forehead, saying with some helplessness.
"Hehe, it's fine." Zhu Ziyang grinned and said, "By the way, Sister Lexuan, have the babies been named?"
"Not yet." Zhang Lexuan shook her head and said, "Originally, we wanted Dad to name them, but Dad refused. He said this kind of thing must be done by you personally. But Mom gave the babies nicknames—the brother is Huanghuang, the sister is Jingjing."
"Understood." Zhu Ziyang nodded, then a teasing look appeared on his face as he said, "Sister Lexuan, you're calling Mom and Dad very smoothly!"
"Aiya!" Hearing Zhu Ziyang's teasing, Zhang Lexuan rarely showed shyness and said softly, "I've already given them grandchildren—of course it's normal to call them Mom and Dad. It's you who only knows how to tease me!"
"I was wrong, I was wrong!" Seeing this, Zhu Ziyang decisively admitted fault, hugging Zhang Lexuan tightly and saying, "Let's think about what names to give the babies."
——
Zhu Ziyang stayed in Mingdu for nearly two months. During these two months, he did nothing else but take care of the children, and in a very short time, the two little ones accepted him.
The two little ones' names had been decided: the brother was Zhu Yuhuang, bright as the sun, shining as the sun. As expected, this child would inherit his mother's position in the future and become the ruler of the empire. The sister was Zhu Yuyue, a bright little moon—she would be the most dazzling little princess on the Douluo Continent.
Of course, in the intervals of caring for the children, Zhu Ziyang still handled some proper matters. He still had five original golden pills on him. He took one, dissolved it into two equal portions of medicinal liquid, and gave them respectively to Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan.
Actually, before obtaining Zhu Ziyang's original golden pill liquid, Zhang Lexuan's soul power had already reached level 97. The reason for such an exaggerated increase was naturally because she had completed the Eighth Trial of the Taiyin, obtaining the final reward, besides a three-level soul power increase, all her soul ring years were also increased by ten thousand years, making her soul ring configuration an astonishing five black and four red.
Due to Zhang Lexuan's special status, she could not directly seclude herself to fully absorb the original golden pill liquid, so she could only absorb a little each day. At this rate, in at most one year, Zhang Lexuan would be able to fully absorb all the original golden pill liquid, and by then, her soul power should reach the level of a level 99 Limit Douluo.
Unlike Zhang Lexuan, after completing the Eighth Trial, Jiang Nannan's realm officially reached the Titled Douluo level. After absorbing her ninth soul ring, her cultivation reached level 92. As Zhu Ziyang had thought, the content of Jiang Nannan's Ninth Trial was also to raise her cultivation to level 99.
So, after obtaining the original golden pill liquid, Jiang Nannan immediately began seclusion in the Mingdu imperial palace and had not yet emerged. This was actually normal—the medicinal power of the original golden pill was something Zhu Ziyang knew all too well. According to his estimation, Jiang Nannan would need at most another half year to emerge, and by then, her cultivation should reach level 96 or 97.
Two months later, Zhu Ziyang left Mingdu.
Though he was very reluctant, he still had many things to do, and Zhang Lexuan also had many matters to handle. It was not yet time for a grand reunion, so he could only leave helplessly amid Liang Ying's scolding.
Before leaving, Zhu Ziyang specially left five bottles of diluted original golden pill liquid for Liang Ying. This liquid was made by dissolving one original golden pill into liquid and then diluting it with water. Although the medicinal power was greatly reduced, it could be absorbed by people with lower cultivation. Unlike the original golden pill or its undiluted liquid, even a Super Douluo would risk body explosion.
The purpose of Zhu Ziyang leaving five bottles of original golden pill liquid for Liang Ying was simple: one each for her, Zhu Changhe, and Zhu Ziguang, with the remaining two left to the couple's discretion. Zhu Ziyang didn't even need to guess—one bottle would definitely be sent by Zhu Changhe to Hong Zhen.
After leaving Mingdu, Zhu Ziyang returned directly to Shrek Academy. However, when he arrived at Shrek City, he did not choose to return to the academy but turned north and flew into the Star Dou Great Forest.
It had been over a year—he had to confirm with Di Tian whether their cooperation still held.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"The novel is already finished on Patreon."
[email protected]/facficmax10--------(@→a)
"Sorry for not uploading any chapters in 3 days, guys—my hard drive died on me."