At some point, an old man appeared less than three meters in front of Bao Bao. It was as if he had crossed the boundaries of time and space to arrive there, and yet as if he had always been there.
Great Emperor Tianyuan? Great Emperor Tianyuan! So this was Great Emperor Tianyuan...
Looking at the old man not far ahead, Bai Yang's heart skipped a beat.
He had heard far too many legends about him. Now, at last, he was seeing him with his own eyes!
Bao Bao's next action confirmed Bai Yang's guess.
Bao Bao, who had been holding Bai Yang's arm in an affectionate embrace, immediately lit up with boundless dependence the moment the old man appeared. She took two steps over, grabbed his arm, and shook it as she said, "Daddy, you're here!"
The old man first looked at Bai Yang and gave him a slight nod. His face showed no particular emotion—neither warmth nor distance, neither scrutiny nor dislike. After that fleeting, bland expression, he turned to Bao Bao with boundless tenderness.
The old man patted Bao Bao's head affectionately and said, "You're a grown young woman now, and you're still acting spoiled with your daddy?"
"Nooo. In front of you, Daddy, Bao Bao will always be a little girl." Bao Bao made a face, then rested her head on his shoulder and murmured like a cat.
The old man smiled even more tenderly and shook his head. "You... when will you ever grow up? You haven't come home in so long. It seems you forgot all about your daddy ages ago."
"I didn't! I've missed you so much, Daddy, but I had things to do and couldn't get away." Bao Bao protested, tilting her head up as she shook his arm and acted cute.