After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 18.2
Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate,
The man’s figure on the official road, riding a horse, is vigorous like the wind, while Huo Changjue, who is riding behind him, is in a miserable state.
Huo Changjue couldn’t quite understand why Huo Pingxiao’s emotions had gotten so out of control.
Although he didn’t spend much time with his older brother Huo Pingxiao, he understood his temperament quite well. Usually, in times of peace, Huo Pingxiao always had a carefree and lazy demeanor.
It seemed as if the sky was about to fall, but it had nothing to do with him. There was nothing worth his concern.
As the commander-in-chief, Huo Pingxiao appeared arrogant and domineering in battle, with a sharp and exposed edge. However, his style of doing things was very steady.
After all, with a single command, tens of thousands of lives could be involved. Huo Pingxiao’s outwardly carefree but inwardly restrained nature made him strong but not stubborn.
Huo Changjue had never seen him so anxious before. It seemed that ever since he mentioned a person named Li Yifang, the man’s state of mind had been off.
The ancestral mansion was still a distance away from the western market. Huo Changjue, being a civilian official, hadn’t ridden a horse for a long time. Naturally, he couldn’t keep up with Huo Pingxiao, who seemed to have been born on horseback.
Huo Changjue secretly felt that at his older brother’s speed, after running for the time it takes to burn several incense sticks, even a horse with ordinary stamina would be exhausted by him.
Finally, they arrived at the official road of the western market.
Huo Pingxiao dismounted and strode confidently in the direction of the western market office. He wore an exquisite leather belt around his waist, and the jades on both sides jingled with each step. His excessively handsome appearance and noble demeanor attracted the attention of passersby, but they dared not gaze too intently due to the intimidating aura he exuded.
“Brother, wait for me!”
Huo Changjue had just dismounted and was almost running, but he couldn’t keep up with Huo Pingxiao’s brisk pace.
Meanwhile,
Li Yifang happened to encounter several street enforcers under his command. The leader among them was unaware that he had already reported to the Judicial Office in the capital, providing a summary of the recent investigation into the local situation in the city streets.
Ruan Xi saw that the vendor at the food stall ahead had just fished out a crispy golden fried giant shrimp from the wok. Seizing the opportunity when Li Yifang wasn’t paying attention, he scurried towards the stall with his short legs, eager to be the first to buy the delicious treat.
Last time, he had missed out on the giant shrimp because of the long queue, but this time, he would be the first to get one!
The boy’s dark pupils shimmered with light as he panted and ran forward, his chubby face blushing.
At this moment, there are only a few steps left between Huo Pingxiao and Ruan Xi.
The man was tall, and the little boy’s height barely reached his knees, so Ruan Xi couldn’t see him within his field of vision, and Ruan Xi didn’t expect the man walking at his side to be this fast.
Before Ruan Xi could avoid Huo Pingxiao, he bumped into him with a “thud.”
The boy held an oil-paper-wrapped package in his small hands, and the emerald-colored pastries inside tumbled to the ground as he fell. After rolling a few times, the surfaces of those pastries were covered with dust.
Ruan Xi’s little face gradually showed disappointment, and he didn’t mind the pain as he childishly asked the imposing stranger in front of him, “Uncle, why weren’t you looking at the road?”
Huo Pingxiao frowned lightly and was about to inquire about the boy’s condition when he took a closer look at Ruan Xi’s appearance, and his expression suddenly froze.
Could this be the child?
With this thought in mind, Huo Pingxiao lifted the child into the air, holding him by his armpits.
Facing the sunlight, he squinted his eyes and silently examined the boy’s face.
Ruan Xi, although somewhat fearful, has been braver than ordinary children since birth. Therefore, when suddenly lifted by a stranger, the boy did not cry or fuss. He only kicked his little feet back and forth a few times, pleading, “Uncle, please put me down~ Otherwise, the street guard will come to arrest you!”
Children like Ruan Xi judged people by their temperament.
Huo Pingxiao had delicate and handsome features, and his appearance was striking. However, his aura was too intense, and the savage scar on his neck almost captured the boy’s entire attention.
He emits a warm and intense amber scent all over, and this thick pine resin fragrance is like his temperament, dominant and chilling.
Li Yifang’s aura is very gentle, and the subtle scent of ink permeates the man’s clothes. Therefore, Ruan Xi is not afraid of him; instead, he feels quite fond of Li Yifang.
Huo Pingxiao, on the other hand, smelled a familiar faint medicinal fragrance from the boy. After placing the little guy back on the ground, he was about to ask about his identity.
At this moment, Li Yifang finally noticed that Ruan Xi was no longer by his side and hurriedly looked around for him. When he saw the tall man standing in front of Ruan Xi, Li Yifang’s expression changed slightly.
It turns out to be Marquis Dingbei.
Li Yifang quickly walks up to the two of them and picks up Ruan Xi.
Ruan Xi, feeling as if he has been pardoned, calls out to him with a clear voice, “Uncle Li!”
Uncle Li…?
The furrow between Huo Pingxiao’s eyebrows deepens.
This indicates that the boy in front of him is not this man’s child.
“The child’s actions were improper. I hope Marquis Hou can forgive him.”
Li Yifang said calmly, but he saw Huoping Xiao standing there with an inscrutable expression, as if lost in his own thoughts. His gaze showed surprise and bewilderment as if he had suddenly gone mad.
Li Yifang did not want to cause any trouble and knew that there was no time to delay the departure. Taking advantage of Huo Pingxiao’s distraction, he quickly walked towards the carriage with Ruan Xi in his arms.
After a while, Huo Changjue finally caught up with Huo Pingxiao, panting and asking, “Elder brother, what’s wrong with you? Li Yifang was just in front of you, why did you let him go?”
Huo Pingxiao only knew that Huo Changjue seemed to have said something to him, but he had no idea what was said.
In his mind, all that flashed were the timid expressions that Ruan An had avoided after waking up in the thatched house, and the gentle and weak water-like expression in the almond eyes of the girl.
—”Did something happen between us that day?”
—”What happened? I have a fiancé in Chang’an.”
—”Chang’an is full of talents, and he must focus on preparing for the imperial examination. He wants to become a magistrate for the people. When he passes the examination and stabilizes his career, we will naturally choose an auspicious day for the wedding.”
Huo Pingxiao suddenly remembered the conversation with Ruan An in the cave that day, and the faint medicinal fragrance, familiar and slightly bitter, still lingered in his nostrils.
Just like her scent.
He became even more certain of his thoughts – that girl seemed to have given birth to his son.
When he came back to his senses and saw that there was no sign of Ruan Xi around, Huo Pingxiao asked in a deep voice, “Where is the child just now?”
“Li Yifang took him away.”
After Huo Changjue finished speaking, he pointed to the gradually distant carriage on the official road and said, “They are taking that carriage; it looks like they are leaving the city.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Pingxiao, with a gloomy expression, walked briskly toward the direction of the spirited horses. The man elegantly mounted the horse, gave it a sharp whip on the flank with a “snap,” and galloped directly in the direction the carriage was heading.
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