Thus, Prince Xuanping and Princess Xuanping returned to Nanping with their two children.
As soon as they got out of the car, He Ziyi and He Zi'an rushed out, "Father, Mother!"
Xiao Yao hugged He Zi'an tightly, "How was it? Did you misbehave at your grandparents' house? Did you get into any trouble?"
He Zi'an wrinkled his nose and said disdainfully, "Hmph, how could I get into trouble? It's He Ziyi who gets into trouble! I would never cause any trouble!"
"You think I don't know," Xiao Yao pinched He Zi'an's nose, "With all the mischief you have in you, you must have caused at least fifty percent of the trouble."
Hmph, trying to compete with me. Xiao Yao felt quite pleased as she watched He Zi'an instantly become dejected, feeling a sense of triumph.
"Hey? Who are they?" He Zi'an was the first to notice the two brothers.
"Oh, they are the two older brothers I found for you, named Zi Xi and Zi Yao. You should call them brothers from now on, okay?" Xiao Yao cheerfully pushed the two forward. The two boys were momentarily stunned; weren't they just companions? Why were they suddenly brothers?!
In fact, this was also one of Xiao Yao's ideas—first the family name, then the gentleman.
She had them change their courtesy names to match her sons' names, publicly claiming that they were adopted sons of He Yu on a whim. Surely no one would doubt it.
After all, Xuanping Wang had always acted according to his whims. Previously, he had brought home a princess from Jiangnan; now adopting two sons from Jiangnan would naturally raise no eyebrows.
Hearing this from Xiao Yao, the two children had no suspicions and called the two boys brothers.
He Ziyi was particularly hospitable and pulled He Ziyao over, saying, "I am He Zi'an's brother. I am five years old this year; how old are you?"
He Ziyao opened his mouth but did not make a sound. Xiao Yao frowned, about to speak, when He Zi Xi smiled and said, "My brother can't talk, so if you have any questions, just ask me."
He Ziyi widened his mouth and turned to look at He Ziyao. He Ziyao scratched his head, pressed his lips together, and nodded slightly. He Ziyi's voice immediately became cautious, "So... how old are you?"
"I am the younger brother. My name is He Zi Xi, and I am eight years old this year. He is my older brother, named He Ziyao, and he is ten years old."
"Oh! Then I am He Zi'an's older brother; I am the Third Prince! Hey, He Zi'an, you are still the youngest!" He Ziyi looked at He Zi'an with malice.
"Shut up!" He Zi'an said unhappily. "You're not that much older than me; we're both five years old! Don't act so superior!"
Turning to look at the two of them, he smiled and said, "My name is He Zi'an; I am five years old this year!"
"Alright, let's take the two older brothers to see our home," Xiao Yao said.
"Okay!" The children answered loudly and ran towards Xiao Residence.
Once the children left, the scene quieted down. Xiao Moxian frowned and said, "Are you really going to raise these two kids?"
"What does it matter?" He Yu replied with a smile. "After all, it's just two mouths to feed; my Xuanping Prince's Mansion can afford to raise two children."
"But what about them..."
"We have our own plans for that," He Yu shook his head. "Elder brother, please don't ask; there are some things I can only apologize for and cannot explain."
Xiao Moxian nodded in understanding and did not ask further.
Xiao Moxian's wife, Li, helped with the tidying up. Xiao Yao looked around and asked, "Hey, Sister-in-law, where are Honghong and Sheng'er?"
Xiao Tong, whose given name is Honghong, is the eldest daughter of Xiao Moxian and Li, while Xiao Sheng is their son.
Honghong is also five years old this year, and Xiao Sheng is a little over four. Li smiled and said, "They're in the yard. This time, our parents specifically arranged a separate yard for the kids to stay together."
"Are they going to be restless all night?" Xiao Yao asked in surprise.
"Not just at night; they haven't stopped from morning till evening!" Li shook her head and laughed helplessly.
"Aren't our parents worried?"
"What's there to worry about? Our parents are quite happy," Li replied. "It's been a long time since our family had this much excitement. It's just the kids making noise; let them have their fun. Besides, we're the only ones living around here for miles, so we won't disturb the neighbors."
"Alright..." Xiao Yao said helplessly before asking again, "Those two little ones haven't caused any trouble, have they?"
"What trouble can kids cause? They're all being good!" Li laughed at how tense Xiao Yao was. "Besides, that black cloud and golden stream have become quite a novelty for Honghong and Sheng'er. Now those two big cats are being raised in the woods over there with them."
Hearing this, Xiao Yao also laughed. "Looks like they've really been let loose. Well, it's rare for them to come back; let them enjoy themselves. Oh, by the way, where are our parents?"
Dad went to the farm, and Mom went to the temple to pray. They'll be back in the afternoon. You all rest for now; I'll come to call you later.
"Okay." Xiao Yao nodded.
Since the kids had their own yard, Xiao Yao and He Yu decided to stay in Xiao Yao's original yard. Yun Bi had come back with the two young masters earlier, so she naturally came over first to tidy things up.
Yun Yue was both happy and excited. Xiao Yao seemed to have returned to her younger days and said to Yun Yue, "Go find your sisters and catch up. There's nothing going on at home anyway."
"Thank you, Master!" Yun Yue happily ran outside.
He Yu shook his head upon seeing this. "You spoil the servants."
"What does it matter? It's our own home," Xiao Yao replied nonchalantly. "This isn't the capital where every move is watched. Here, it's just us from the Xiao Family; we have much more freedom."
He Yu smiled. "Alright, let's take a bath and change clothes first. We can't be looking disheveled when the in-laws return."
"True, let's bathe first."
Meanwhile, the He Family brothers took the Zhong Brothers to their courtyard. He Ziyi said, "Oh, by the way, we have two Clouded Leopards in our yard, but they're very well-behaved, so there's no need to be afraid."
He Ziyao nodded, while He Zi'an looked puzzled. "Huh? Aren't you all scared?"
"Oh, aren't you the ones who don't need to be scared?" He Zi Xi said with a smile.
On their way here, Xiao Yao had already given them instructions and told the brothers not to reveal their backgrounds to anyone, including Xiao Yao's two sons. This was a secret known only to the four of them, and no fifth person could know.
"That's true." After all, children are children. He Zi'an didn't suspect anything and pulled the Zhong Brothers back to the courtyard.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Moxian and Li were already in the courtyard; it was surprising how quickly they had arrived. Li approached the Zhong Brothers gently and said, "Just got back and looking tired. You'll be meeting your grandparents soon, so go wash up first."
The Zhong Brothers obediently nodded and followed Li to take a bath.
Knowing that Xiao Yao was coming back, the elderly couple hurried home after noon.
He Yu and Xiao Mo Yi, along with a group of children, met the elderly couple in the main courtyard. It had been many years since they last saw each other, and seeing that the Parents were still in good health eased Xiao Yao's worries.
Xiao Yao couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, but she didn't want to cry at that moment. She quickly pushed the Zhong Brothers forward and said, "Parents, these are the two grandsons I found for you!"
"Oh? Where did these two children come from?"
He Yu then explained the children's situation but concealed their backgrounds, simply stating that they were orphans being chased by local bullies. Mrs. Xiao was moved upon hearing this and held the hands of the two children, repeatedly saying, "Good, good! This is a good deed; there’s no harm in it."
"Yes," Xiao Yao nodded with a smile.
Xiao Guangzheng kept nodding as well. Mrs. Xiao patted the hands of the two children and kindly said, "It's alright; you don't need to be shy. This is your home."
The two children nodded. Mrs. Xiao looked up and asked, "Are you planning to take these two children back to Beijing as well?"
"Yes," He Yu replied with a nod. "Since I have taken them as my adopted sons, I naturally need to bring them back to the capital. Moreover, I see that both of them have good potential in various aspects. If nurtured well, they could assist my He Ziyi and Zi An in the future, which would be quite beneficial."
"That works," Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Guangzheng understood from He Yu's words that he already had a clear plan in mind and did not ask further.
After all, no matter what, He Yu was still a prince. Despite his young age, he had likely experienced much more than Xiao Moxian, so his decisions naturally had their own reasoning, and they chose not to complicate matters.
Regardless of who it was, whenever there were more children around, it would become quite lively.
The Zhong Brothers were still a bit reserved, while the remaining four Cubs were showing off their skills. Although they behaved relatively well during meals, they were quite rowdy before and after eating. Xiao Tong, being a girl among these boys, was completely turned into a tomboy by them.
Li was worried beside them, saying, "This child doesn't learn any feminine skills and can't settle down. She's always acting crazy, not like a proper girl."
"What's the difference? She's just a child; she'll grow out of it," Xiao Yao replied dismissively. "Besides, if girls are tougher, they'll be less bullied in the future."
"Yao Yao is right," Mrs. Xiao nodded in agreement. "It's a blessing for the child to be able to run and jump. What does it matter if she's a girl or a boy? She'll be fine as she grows up. Besides, our Xiao Family has a Family Business, so we don't have to worry about Honghong not being able to get married."
"Exactly," Xiao Yao said confidently. "With me as her aunt supporting her, there's no way she won't find a good match."
Li chuckled and said, "Alright then, if Honghong can't get married in the future, I'll have to trouble you to find her a good husband."
"That's no problem at all," He Yu chimed in with a smile, taking over from Xiao Yao. "It's our family matter, so it's only natural for us to help."
The whole family laughed together.
At some point, Wu Yun and Liu Jin also joined the children's game, while brothers He Ziyao and He Zi Xi gradually loosened up and started playing with the kids.
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