Zhang Qilin and Zhang Tian, along with others, soon sat down at the table.
Although they had already eaten, Zhang Qilin still symbolically ate a little in response to his mother's enthusiasm.
"Qilin, you had a headache earlier, were you running a fever? This kid must have taken you somewhere to catch a cold."
"It's fine, we have a doctor at home."
Li Xueqin said with concern. Zhang Qilin glanced at Zhang Tian.
Then he spoke.
"It's fine, I just remembered some things. Thank you."
He wasn't very good at expressing gratitude or speaking. The fact that he said this much was already a big change in Zhang Tian's opinion.
Seeing that Zhang Qilin was indeed alright, Li Xueqin gently patted his hand and nodded with satisfaction.
"It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay. But you, Zhang Tian!"
Suddenly, his mother seemed to change into a different person, her expression stern.
Zhang Tian instinctively sat up straighter.
Good heavens, that sense of pressure from his lineage was coming on.
"Tell me, where have you been these past few days!"
Her face was stern, as if she were about to devour Zhang Tian.
"Qilin, I'm just scolding Xiao Tian. Xiao Tian needs a good talking-to, so just pretend you don't see it, okay?"
She even remembered to reassure Zhang Qilin.
"Mom, we went to the sea to play. There were lots of young girls there, so many. And I even managed to get their contact information."
Zhang Tian quickly interjected, fearing he would be scolded if he spoke too late.
"Young girls? Really! That's great..."
"No, how could you take Qilin there? What if you corrupt Qilin!"
"Don't do it again!"
She said, but her lips curved into a smile.
"Old Zhang, let's go pay respects at our father's grave later. Our Zhang Tian has finally opened up."
Li Xueqin said with a serious expression.
The father, who was present, actually nodded.
"Of course. Let's burn some money. If we don't burn money, we'd be letting down his spirit in heaven."
The father said, and Zhang Tian's head was filled with black lines.
Zhang Tian clearly remembered that he was born after ten months of pregnancy. How could he feel so different?
Zhang Qilin remained silent on the side.
But he liked this atmosphere very much; it made him feel comfortable.
Soon, the meal was over quickly. After finishing, Zhang Tian helped his mother wash the dishes, while Zhang Qilin was playing chess with his mother.
Zhang Qilin, without anyone knowing where he learned it, was playing chess at the same level as his father.
"Xiao Tian, look at Qilin. I taught him once, and he learned it. Ah, he's a promising student."
"In the future, Qilin, come often. Dad will teach you chess."
The father said, looking at his own chess game. All his moves were blocked by Zhang Qilin.
It was clear he had lost.
"What the hell, I taught you, and you beat me?"
The father rubbed his eyes, a little shocked.
"No, you can't leave. You have to play chess with me."
Seeing Zhang Tian about to leave with Zhang Qilin, the father stood up directly.
He grabbed the young man's hand. Zhang Tian's father didn't have many hobbies.
His only hobby was chess. Now that he had met such an intelligent Zhang Qilin, he naturally didn't want to let him go.
"Dad, next time for sure."
Zhang Tian said, and quickly led Zhang Qilin away from the antique shop.
"Sorry, they can be a bit too enthusiastic."
Zhang Tian let go of Zhang Qilin's hand and said.
"It's fine, I like the atmosphere here."
Zhang Qilin rarely spoke, especially after the chess match, which had completely stunned his father for a whole year.
He never expected that someone who didn't know how to play chess could actually defeat his teacher.
"Cough, cough, come often in the future."
Zhang Tian coughed dryly. He felt like he had become invisible at home now.
They walked back in silence.
They soon returned to the siheyuan.
Fatty had already gone to bed early, while Hu Bayi was researching his things.
Zhang Tian, on the other hand, returned to his room.
At night, Zhang Qilin sat on the ground, his gaze fixed on the starry sky.
A scene that had flashed through his mind earlier was still vivid.
It was an image of a woman. Although it was fleeting, it gave him an inexplicable feeling.
Looking at the stars, he then turned his gaze back to under his bed.
"Come out."
He said slowly. In the moonlight, the little fox shyly crawled out.
Its pure white fur seemed to glow in the moonlight.
It stuck out its pink little tongue.
"Hehe, it's cold outside. Can Tuantuan stay here for the night?"
She said shamelessly.
"Why are you here with me and not elsewhere?"
Zhang Qilin looked at it. He had always been curious why the little fox followed him.
"I feel a trace of my mother's scent on you. And, my mother said that I should follow the most powerful person from now on."
"That way, I'll be safer!"
The little fox pouted and said seriously.
"On me?"
Zhang Qilin looked at himself, his high nose sniffing himself.
He couldn't detect any scent.
"Our fox clan has a special sense. If you pass by or have been to a place with my mother, we can sense it."
The little fox blinked its eyes.
It followed Zhang Qilin primarily because it felt its mother's presence on him.
Another reason was that Zhang Qilin was the strongest in the team, so the little fox naturally sought out strong individuals.
"Who is your mother?"
"My ancestor was a fox from the Shang Dynasty, and I don't know which dynasty my mother was from. Anyway, I'm also a few hundred years old."
The little fox said. Zhang Qilin didn't say much.
He could see that this little fox was quite pitiable. Its mother was nowhere to be found, and it had been trapped in a tomb for so many years.
It was somewhat similar to himself.
Zhang Qilin stopped looking at the little fox and instead gazed at the stars.
Beside him, the little fox sat by his right leg, looking at the sky.
Both had different thoughts and different goals.
And late at night, Zhang Tian's parents were kneeling before a photograph.
"Ancestor spirit, our Zhang Tian has finally made something of himself. He even knows how to get a girl's contact information."
"Ancestor spirit, I must play chess and beat Qilin."
Li Xueqin: "???"
The next morning, Fatty woke up the earliest.
He was standing in the courtyard, holding a rooster.
The rooster was crowing at the top of its lungs, its voice nearly hoarse.
"Fatty, what are you doing? Not letting people sleep in the morning?"
Hu Bayi rubbed his eyes and walked out of the room.
He had been pondering late into the night yesterday and had finally fallen asleep, only to be woken up by Fatty's torment this early in the morning.
"Old Hu, wake up. Young people need to be energetic!"
Fatty said seriously. Hu Bayi looked at him closely.
"What did you do last night?"
Hu Bayi looked at Fatty.
"Old Hu, what are you talking about? Fatty is just like usual, right?"
Fatty said earnestly.
"He didn't have his consort to accompany him last night. His consort went to break through her cultivation and didn't have time to bother with Fatty."
Suddenly, a voice came. Fatty flinched. Was he also being monitored?
However, the next moment, Zhang Tian appeared, wearing a yellow Taoist robe.
He walked out of the door with light steps.
"Holy crap, boss, wearing the yellow robe!"
"What are you doing? Are you playing a Taoist priest?"
Fatty exclaimed, his small eyes constantly scanning Zhang Tian's robe.
"What do you know? This is called a Celestial Master's robe."
Zhang Tian glared at Fatty, then patted Fatty's belly.
"Hmm, full of kidney essence."
Fatty glared at Zhang Tian, then broke into a smile.
"Hehe, boss, where are you going today? Take Fatty along..."
Fatty blinked his eyes.
"Fortune telling. You can come if you want, but only if you sit there and don't move around. We are experts, not loafers."
Zhang Tian said. Fatty quickly patted his chest.
"Don't worry, boss. Fatty is the steadiest."
Zhang Tian nodded, and then looked around. Zhang Qilin seemed to have gone out, and Zhang Tian didn't bother about it.
After all, he had his own things to do, which was normal.
Then, a few of them tidied up, and Zhang Tian, Hu Bayi, and Fatty left the siheyuan.