Ye Qingtian, dressed in a white robe, wore a kind smile, resembling a friendly elderly man in a park. However, mistaking him for a mere old man would be a grave error.
He was the strongest of the Ye family in the present day, revered as Ancestor Qingtian within the clan!
Qingtian!
The name itself exuded a formidable aura!
"Is the Ye family's curse real? I can't comprehend it. If, as you say, every birth in the Ye family is accompanied by a death, and my daughter has been alive for a year and a half, then does that mean you..."
He was deeply curious about this curse, as it defied all logic and understanding.
"There's nothing impossible. The curse is indeed real. Furthermore, before your daughter was born, the strongest in the Ye family wasn't me, but Ancestor Tianqiong. Ancestor Tianqiong was at the ninth level of the Saint realm, just one step away from reaching a legendary state.
However, at that time, we didn't know your wife was pregnant. So, on the night Ancestor Tianqiong passed away, the Ye family experienced significant turmoil. But later, after someone mentioned your existence, we deduced the outcome. It was only after that I emerged and found Master Chen."
Thus, the curse was true, and everything seemed to be a ripple effect. Even if they were unaware, someone would still perish.
The death of the strongest paved the way for the new generation's strength.
"But this doesn't align with common sense, nor with the basic principles of biological survival. Not even theory could account for such a situation. I still cannot understand it."
Ye Qingtian smiled faintly. They, too, struggled to comprehend it, but this was the Ye family's destiny.
"Then, why did you choose to feign death and leave secretly during the Ye family's internal strife? If you had chosen to eliminate the Ye family back then, these current events would not have occurred. With Ancestor Tianqiong's cultivation at the time, he could have easily eradicated the Ye family, so why did you spare them?
Also, why didn't you intervene in my father's affairs back then? If you had acted, my father wouldn't have died."
Ye Longlin stared intently at him, his eyes filled with accusation.
Ye Qingtian remained silent, merely posing a question in return: "Without those events back then, would you be where you are today?"
His words silenced Ye Longlin, leaving him speechless. Yet, he remained resentful, his tone conveying his lingering dissatisfaction. "If you have nothing else, you may leave. I have matters to attend to."
Ye Qingtian, however, found this more intriguing. "Is there nothing else you wish to ask?"
"No."
Sensing Ye Longlin's displeasure, Ye Qingtian sighed softly before leaving him with a parting remark.
"No matter what you think, you are still a child of the Ye family."
After he departed, Xuan Niao emerged from the room.
"Boss, the investigation is complete."
"The Xia family in Chang'an still exists. Here is all the information on the Xia family, though their current situation isn't very good."
Xuan Niao handed him a document. After Ye Longlin finished reading it, he calmly stated, "I understand."
"Prepare the car. We're going to the mall."
Autumn had arrived; it was time to get new clothes.
The autumn clothes he bought for the little girl last year were already too small. Children were in a growth spurt, and an outfit could only be worn for about three months before it became too tight.
With autumn upon them, if he didn't buy clothes soon, the little girl would have nothing to wear.
"Yiyi, come down! Daddy will take you to buy clothes."
Ye Longlin called out from the courtyard. Hearing this, the little girl in the room immediately became excited.
"Coming, coming!"
The little girl, not even wearing shoes, ran down from the second floor, her bare feet padding on the floor. It took her quite some time to descend the stairs.
Seeing that the little girl wasn't wearing shoes, Ye Longlin walked over, picked her up, and tickled the soles of her feet, saying, "Who told you not to wear shoes, hmm? Look, your stinky feet have become dirty."
"Yiyi isn't dirty, Daddy is dirty."
...
Xuan Niao drove the father and daughter to the mall. The man and the child walked hand in hand, with Xuan Niao following behind. Even his normally stoic face seemed to exude an aura of unapproachability.
The little girl had never been to such a large mall before. Her previous necessities and living arrangements were all managed by Qin Shimeng, and even some of her skincare products were sent directly from the capital. The child's world was limited to the small town.
Therefore, upon entering the mall, the little girl became incredibly excited and... exhilarated!
"Stop looking. Let's head directly to the children's clothing section on the third floor."
"Okay."
They took the elevator to the third floor and entered a children's clothing store.
"Hello, sir."
A sales assistant quickly approached them, a smile gracing her lips as she saw Ye Longlin with his child.
"Wow, the little one is so adorable."
The sales assistant, likely never having seen such a cute child, exclaimed instinctively.
Indeed, the little girl was remarkably charming. To this day, everyone who had met her couldn't help but adore her.
Ye Churan politely replied, "Thank you, big sister."
"What kind of clothes do you like, little one? I can get them for you."
The sales assistant said with a smile. She wasn't ignoring Ye Longlin; rather, she knew that anyone visiting a children's clothing store was there to buy clothes for a child, and the child's opinion was of utmost importance.
"Yiyi doesn't know. Daddy, Yiyi wants clothes, Yiyi wants new clothes."
Ye Churan tugged at Ye Longlin's trousers, pouting adorably.
"Alright, alright. Please get these few pieces for me."
Ye Longlin, feeling a bit helpless, pointed to several clothes hanging at the top. After confirming the sizes, he took out the appropriate ones from the cabinet.
Xuan Niao followed behind them, and to an outsider, it would appear they were a family.
Just then, Xuan Niao's phone rang in his pocket. He took it out and saw it was his sister-in-law. He stepped forward and handed the phone to Ye Longlin. "Boss, it's Sister-in-law calling."
Ye Longlin answered, and a voice came from the other end: "Husband~ What are you guys up to?"
"Taking Yiyi to buy clothes. Autumn is here, and the little one is almost out of clothes. Have Grandpa's funeral arrangements been completed?"
Mu Hanqi replied, "Yes, yes. I've already arrived at the airport. Can you pick me up?"
"I'll have Xuan Niao pick you up. Call Xuan Niao when you get here. I'll wait for you at the mall, and after I'm done shopping, I'll take Yiyi to eat first."
Mu Hanqi became angry. "Ye Longlin!! You've forgotten your wife because of your daughter, haven't you? Is your daughter more important or is your wife more important?"
Ye Longlin rolled his eyes, turned on the speakerphone, and handed the phone to Ye Churan. He whispered, "Yiyi, it's Mommy."
Ye Churan's eyes lit up, and she immediately exclaimed, "Mommy!"
Upon hearing Ye Churan's voice, Mu Hanqi's tone softened instantly. "Yiyi, is Daddy buying you clothes?"
"Yes, yes! So many beautiful clothes! Mommy, when are you coming back? Yiyi misses you."