The moment Liu Yuâan steps outside the portal, heâs surprised by all the strangers⌠or not, in front of him.
His dad, his mum, his older brother, his wife and son, his second older brother, his second sister-in-law and their daughter, his second paternal uncle and aunt-in-law, his third paternal uncle and aunt-in-law, his fourth uncle-in-law and paternal aunt, his fifth uncle-in-law and paternal auntâŚ
Practically everyone within three degrees of his family tree is here, forming a semicircle centred at the portal, with a radius of about two metres.
And of course, the person directly in front of him is his father, His Highness, with his mother in tow and his second niece in his lap. His mother is holding some brat he doesnât recognise in her lap, probably another nephew of his. In front of them are two little pipsqueaks who immediately rushed forth to hug his thigh and call him âuncle!â
Meanwhile, his uncles and aunts and uncles-in-law and aunts-in-law are next to his parents, while his poor older brothers and sisters-in-law are at the edge of the semicircle or even in another row entirelyâŚ
â Fuhuang , what in the worldâŚâ Liu Yuâan seems to shrink a little.
Shao Yanxi, following right behind Liu Yuâan, is currently shocked by a whole conga-line of people surrounding them like policemen surrounding a criminal. He canât help but look directly at Liu YuâanââWhat in the world did you do to be under arrest by so many uniform-clad officials. Then he blanks out completely hearing Liu Yuâan call that middle-aged man holding a kid in his lap âfather; his majesty.â
Huh?
Relatives?
Common peasant? Conscription? What?
His little feet thatâs barely out of the portal is shaking. Is it a bit too late for him to take a step back?
Meanwhile, the extended family is also observing Shao Yanxi in turn. What kind of damned fae has snatched away their treasured triple-S son/younger brother/paternal nephew/maternal nephew�
Well⌠His looks are passable at least.
Though he really is a damned fae, isnât he? Holding a bouquet of flowers instead of souvenirs from the virtual world?
âFuhuang, please, youâre scaring him,â Liu Yuâan takes Shao Yanxi into his embrace, which pulls Shao Yanxi right out of the portal and stopped his attempt at retreating.
Its duty complete, the portal shuts down.
And the rather judgemental-looking extended family immediately put on business smiles on that remark, spooking Shao Yanxi even more, and decide to stuff the flower into Liu Yuâanâs hand and then bury his face in him entirely.
Liu Yuâan pauses and looks at him a little funny, before caressing the heads of the two pipsqueaks to let him go. He then starts pulling out flowers from the bouquet, handing one to his mother, â muhou , this is Yanxiâs present for you from the Virtual World called a brilliant rose. Itâs a flower specifically bred to present to respected female relatives. Itâs highly sought after and we could only find and bring one; itâs really hard to grow one, apparently.â
Then he starts making up stories and diligently handing out all the flowers of the bouquet.
Shao Yanxi ââŚâ
Respected relatives? Highly sought after? Hard to grow?
He thinks he finally knows the extent to which the definition of âobsequiousâ could extend.
The bouquet? They were walking past a flower garden a few hours before they left. A flower shop attendant saw them holding hands and said itâs a blessing.
Though Shao Yanxi also knows Liu Yuâan is doing it for him⌠The kind of mediation between a son-in-law and a mother-in-law⌠kinda.
So he also replies âyesâ contrary to his heart when Liu Yuâan asks him to back him up, saying âright, Yanxi?â
The mother finally speaks up, âyouâre Yanxi, right? Thatâs a good name; welcome to the Main World.â
âHello, I am Shao Yanxi,â he says, nervously.
Despite having seen presidents and chief executives and prime ministers and their spouses countless times in the Virtual World, this is still Liu Yuâanâs mother so he is anxious. Liu Yuâan is holding his hand to offer him emotional support.
Instead it is the mother who rolls her eyes discreetly seeing Liu Yuâan hold Shao Yanxiâs hand. Damned brat.
âYanxi, here, let me introduce you,â since they all seem to be free somehow, and are extending their necks like giraffes with curiosity, he might as well introduce everyone now.
âMy father, His MajestyâŚâ
âYour MajestyâŚâ
Liu Yuâan stops him, âcall him fuhuang, or dad.â
The corner of the mouth of the person in question twitches. Damned brat!
The niece who saw it chuckles and tells Liu Yuâan, âuncle, uncle! I saw grandpaâs mouth twitch just now!â
⌠Then the crowd breaks out in muffled laughter.
Despite the fatherâs face growing rather grim, the atmosphere has become a bit more lively. Thereâs lots of âwelcome to the Main World,â âwelcome to the Royal Family,â âauntie, you sure are prettyâ and âno no no, heâs a man! You must call him uncleâs going around.
Shao Yanxi canât help but also smile, and also call âfuhuang, muhouâ like Liu Yuâan does, then greeting the relatives as a whole, âhello, nice to meet you all.â
The relatives are pretty friendly. Of course, they also thought about challenging him and judging him, but⌠Liu Yuâanâs super overbearing protectiveness, backed up by his triple-S psychic strength, they⌠would rather back off.
âAlright, alright, letâs go home now.â His Majesty decrees, looking at the couple, thinking, âho, with a hostage in the royal family, the damned brat is finally going to do my bidding.â
Liu Yuâan sighs in relief, clearly not having made the logical connection yet.
Shao Yanxi, meanwhile, canât help but be overjoyed inside being welcomed so warmly. It is really rare for him; the relatives are all very nice people.
He worried before coming that there might be discrimination or just plain hostility from the family to him, an outsider. Of course, he didnât even know they were the royal family or he would have been even more anxious. Anyway, he was worried Liu Yuâan might be stuck between a rock and a hard place if the relationship between him and the in-laws were sour.