Qin Xuan frowned.
At that moment, he clearly sensed an unusual aura.
It flashed and vanished, yet the aura felt somewhat familiar to him.
It seemed to appear out of nowhere and instantly recede into nothingness.
Qin Xuan shook his head slightly. Perhaps he was being overly cautious since he had just arrived in the capital; maybe he had misperceived it.
Having just arrived in the capital, the only conflicts he'd had were with Xiao Yiying and Xiao Yize of the Xiao family.
If it were the arrogant Xiao family coming to confront him, given the demeanor of those two, they would have likely been shouting orders at him by now.
Shaking his head, Qin Xuan couldn't be bothered to think about it.
What was important now was to find an opportunity to attend the auction. Having been away from the capital for many years, auctions were often a mixed bag, likely containing plenty of information.
He had come to the capital this time precisely to uncover the truth of what happened back then.
Since there were no leads, doing something before the martial arts exchange meet wouldn't be a bad idea.
Having seen the world in his low points, Qin Xuan harbored no illusions about this martial arts exchange meet of the Long Kingdom.
It was merely a favor to Dan Bende, and incidentally, a chance to search for clues.
"What's wrong?"
Ling'er seemed to sense Qin Xuan's unease and looked around, asking.
"Nothing," Qin Xuan shook his head slightly and continued forward.
"Oh."
Ling'er stuck out her tongue and then followed closely.
"Hey, that..."
"What?"
Qin Xuan turned around and saw Ling'er's expression, a mixture of mischievous playfulness and a hint of shyness.
"Is something the matter?"
Ling'er shyly looked up at Qin Xuan, her hands unconsciously fidgeting together, before finally speaking.
"Um... can I keep calling you 'gege' from now on?"
"Ah?"
Qin Xuan's steps faltered, and he almost collided with Ling'er.
"No, how old are you?"
"Didn't you see my name tag just now? Oh right, what do you call it, ID card. I saw yours too," Ling'er playfully stuck out her tongue.
"You really are, gege."
Qin Xuan's mouth twitched as he looked at the innocent-looking girl before him, who appeared so vulnerable.
Ling'er's image gradually overlapped with Qin Lin's in Qin Xuan's eyes.
Did he have another sister?
In the end, he didn't refuse.
He nodded in resignation, turned, and walked away.
"Gege, you agreed! Hey, gege, wait for me."
"Hurry up."
"Gege, can you not call me that? Just call me Ling'er."
"Ling'er? Lin'er? Sigh, fine, Ling'er."
Perhaps at some point, Qin Xuan didn't realize that the girl named Ling'er behind him had touched the softest part of his heart.
It wasn't romantic love, but a long-lost familial affection.
The capital, Xiao Family Compound.
Xiao Hongkun stomped in furiously.
Today was truly a string of bad luck. He had finally managed to snatch half a day of leisure, enjoying tea leisurely with his third brother.
Then, a phone call informed him that his son was in trouble.
He rushed to the hospital, and seeing that Xiao Yize's condition was stable, he was about to ponder how to avenge his son when his eldest brother's call came.
The sarcastic tone in his eldest brother's voice was clearly loaded with implications.
This only fueled Xiao Hongkun's already burning anger.
You're the eldest, fine, but you're not the family head. Why should I return without any explanation?
No sooner had he hung up the phone than the busy tone on his mobile continued to beep incessantly. Immediately after, he received a call from his Uncle Shi Yan.
Still, he was to return to the Xiao family immediately.
How could Xiao Hongkun not feel indignant? His son was in the hospital, albeit no longer in critical danger.
Despite his anger, Xiao Hongkun wouldn't dare defy Xiao Hongzhang. However, he had to heed Xiao Shi Yan's words.
When Uncle Shi Yan spoke, it was almost certainly the will of his father, the head of the Xiao family.
However, he hadn't returned alone; he had also brought back the brat from the fourth branch.
So, after all this, it was this ungrateful wretch who had been causing trouble.
His son was lying in the hospital bed, while Xing Yu was bouncing around with impunity.
Would he be allowed to continue enjoying himself?
Leaving two people to watch Xiao Yize, Xiao Hongkun, with Xing Yu in tow, had rushed back without delay.