After the laughter died down and the wine had made its rounds, the lively atmosphere gradually settled.
Shi Hao set down the Pottery Jar in his hands. Watching the campfire flicker, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
He looked at the children nestled beside their parents, at Da Zhuang laughing as his father clapped him on the shoulder, and at Er Meng being scolded as his mother tugged his ear...
An indescribable loneliness welled up in the boy's heart.
He quietly walked over to Ye Xuan and sat down beside him. Head lowered, he absentmindedly traced circles in the dirt with one finger.
"What's wrong?"
Ye Xuan set down his wine cup and turned to look at the little fellow, whose mood had suddenly darkened.
Shi Hao sniffled and looked up. Tears glimmered in his big eyes, and his voice was a little hoarse.
"Big Brother..."
"I miss my parents."
Though he had the village chief for a grandfather, Big Brother Ye Xuan, and the Willow Deity in Stone Village, he was still just a child.
The upheaval all those years ago had separated him from his parents. Now, though he was famous throughout the world, his longing for family had only grown stronger with age.
"They went to the Primordial Divine Mountain to find medicine for me. It's been so many years, and there's still been no news..."
Shi Hao murmured softly, his words heavy with longing and worry.
Seeing the boy so vulnerable, Qingyi and the Demoness put away their smiles, their hearts aching.
Who could have imagined that Desolate, who swept all before him, had such a tender side deep down?
Ye Xuan reached out and gently tousled Shi Hao's hair, the warmth of his palm passing through the boy's locks.
"If you miss them, what