Chapter 290 - Starry Sky
"First brother! FInally! Where were you? I've been trying to contact you since yesterday," Hao Xuan grumbled.
"I'm sorry Ninth brother, things have been a little hectic."
Hao Xuan brows furrowed upon listening to the tone of his voice. Even though it was just audio, he could still clearly hear the weariness from First's voice.
"First brother, is everything okay?"
"Yeah...yeah, nothing I can't handle. I need you to do me a favor brother," First said gravely. He was quite hesitant to bring Hao Xuan into the mix but there was no choice anymore.
"Sure, anything."
"Go to Anya (First's wife) and ask for the "box". She'll give you a storage ring, bring it to me."
"Of course. I'll go pick it up right now. Where should I come to drop it off?"
"Nowhere. I need you to keep it on you. Within the next 24 hours you'll be getting orders from upstairs to officially join me, bring it then."
Hao Xuan's frown deepened.
'Why all the secrecy?'
But he didn't ask First about that of course and simply agreed to his condition. He had a lot to talk about with him and wanted to do it in person.
After hanging up he walked back to the mansion on foot. It only took him a little more than half an hour to get out there but the journey back took close to two hours even with his speed, which wasn't slow in any way.
The first thing he did after returning was to go see Xu Qing. She was in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Hey, are you free right now?"
She turned around with a knife in one hand and a half-cut cabbage in the other.
"What do you think?" she asked with a smile which left Hao Xuan quite embarrassed.
"I meant after," he clarified.
"Nothing, why?" she replied while turning back around and shaking one of the pots on the stove in front of her.
"Let's go on a date. Just you and me."
*Clang*
Her hand jerked, shaking the pot hard, almost spilling the contents.
She didn't turn around but Hao Xuan could see the blush going all the way down to the base of her neck.
"W-Why all of a sudden?" she mumbled while trying to hide her face.
"Why not? I will be leaving soon to go on another mission so it will be a while until I return. Let's go out today and see some sights. I haven't been to any of the local spots."
Xu Qing didn't respond and continued chopping the vegetables with a lowered head, but Hao Xuan didn't give up either.
He kept pestering her until she said yes at which point he told all his severs to get their things sorted out as they would be leaving in a day or two, the same went for Jin Wang.
Hao Xuan took out the new carriage that was bought after he had to ditch the last one and left with Xu Qing.
The first stop was, of course, First's house where he met with Anya.
Both Xin Qiye and Han Ming (First's son and his younger sister) greeted them enthusiastically. Xin Qiye stuck to Xu Qing like glue, playing with her hair and trying to eat them like noodles.
Han Ming kept hanging around Hao Xuan, inquiring about his day and what he was up to. It was pretty cute but he had to send her away to talk to Anya alone.
When he asked for the "box" her expression turned grave. For the first time in all the time he had known her, she had such a somber expression on her face that it shocked Hao Xuan to the core.
She gave him the storage ring which looked strange. It had deep engravings all around it and when Hao Xuan held it in his hands, it gave off a very cold energy.
"Sister, what exactly is in here?" he asked while examining the ring carefully.
Anya sat down on a chair next to him and let out a deep breath.
"Something I hoped he would never need. If he's asking for this then the situation is much worse than it seems."
She looked up to meet Hao Xuan's eyes and grabbed his hand tightly, "I know you haven't known us for a long time, but both of us consider you our family, you know that right?" she spoke softly and with a soft smile that shook Hao Xuan from the inside out.
"Sister, what's going on?"
She shook her head.
"That stupid man always tries to do things alone. When you see him next time, please tell him to come back home alright? Qiye'er will be 3 soon, tell him.....tell him he needs his father, okay?"
Hao Xuan straightened his back and nodded, "I will. And I will be there next to him. I will bring him back myself."
"Mm, thank you," she patted Hao Xuan's head lovingly and quickly walked out of the room.
Hao Xuan could hear the teardrops fell to the ground.
He never realized this but First had always had his back.
He hadn't been home himself for months but always told Hao Xuan to take his time and enjoy and to let him handle everything. All the while his wife and kid were here waiting for him while he was out fighting enemies Hao Xuan didn't even know existed.
Suffice to say, he wasn't in the mood to enjoy anything after that.
Still, he had brought Xu Qing out so they went shopping.
Only she didn't buy anything for herself but for kids at the orphanage she visited daily.
It was Hao Xuan that bought a bunch of new clothes that fit his new dimensions and refilled on the many consumables in the storage.
All in all, it cost more than a million gold coins to get the formation plates he needed.
When the sun was setting they stopped by a restaurant that was famous around this area. Hao Xuan booked the entire top floor and sat facing the window to see the sunset in all its majesty.
Xu Qing was right next to him but she was looking at him instead of the sunset, not that she would be able to see it anyway.
When the sun had just gone below the horizon, Hao Xuan's vision went dark for an instant.
A few seconds later he came to and saw Xu Qing staring at him from above, her visage filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" her concerned voice rang in his ears.
She was right there but it sounded like the voice was coming from very far away. A high pitched ringing kept sounding in his ears.
"What...happened?" he asked while getting up.
"You passed out," she replied while handing him a tissue.
Hao Xuan took it but didn't know what to do with it so he just looked at her, at which point she gestured towards his eyes. He wiped and saw blood on it.
Apparently, he had been bleeding from his eyes.
"What the f*ck..." he quickly got up and started looking around for a mirror when he felt a hand on his back and then a soft embrace.
Xu Qing hugged him from behind.
"Hey, it's okay," she whispered, "Sooner or later, it will all be okay."
He could feel her warm breath through his shirt and her heart beating faster and faster.
'Is she worried about me?' he completely forgot about his own bloody tears and instead patted her hands.
"Are 'you' okay? Why are you saying that? Is everything not okay right now?"
"Nn, everything is just..perfect. But in the future, if something happens I want you to remember that it will be okay. As long as you don't give up, everything will be okay in the end."
"Hahaha," he couldn't help but break out in laughter. Did she think he was dying or something?
"I know I know. I don't give up easily, that's one of my few redeeming qualities."
It seemed like him passing out affected Xu Qing a lot. She was very talkative throughout the evening and they stayed there until late at night.
When they got back she made some tea and they sat under the maple tree looking up at the night sky.
Sometime after that just as Hao Xuan was getting drowsy he felt a pull on his shirt. He turned and saw Xu Qing looking up.
Her hair moved with the wind and the starlight illuminated her entire figure. It was like all the light in the world was just for her.
Her bewitching smile, her graceful demeanor, her heavenly looks, her saintly heart, every time he looked at her he fell deeper and deeper in love with her.
This indescribably perfect beauty was in Hao Xuan's embrace right now but he still couldn't believe it.
At that moment, if someone had asked him what was the one thing he wanted in the world, his answer would be nothing. because with her by his side, he had everything.
"As long as you can see the stars in the sky, know that somewhere out there I will be looking up at them as well, alright?" she glanced at him and pointed up with her index finger, "So whenever you're feeling down, just look up and smile."
The corner of his lips arched up into a dazzling smile as he leaned in and kissed her. She obviously wasn't expecting that but still, there was no resistance.
And instead of pulling back she came in even closer and kissed him back while putting her hands around his neck.
"As long as you are waiting for me to come back, I'll be the happiest man in the universe," Hao Xuan whispered into her ears which made her already blushed cheeks seem like freshly picked tomatoes and then he leaned in for another kiss.