"Could that possibly be fake?"
Gongxi Chou grew anxious as soon as he heard that.
He had spent years searching for his elder brother and nephew. Now that he had finally found them, how could anyone question who he was? He declared firmly, his words ringing with conviction, "That's right. I'm your second uncle, you're my eldest nephew, and your father is my elder brother!"
Gongxi Chou had a face that made him look entirely trustworthy.
The two of them also looked alike and belonged to the same clan. Even their two Life Lamps stood right next to each other. Jimò Qiu's little bit of suspicion went pop and vanished, and an unfamiliar, bittersweet warmth welled up inside him. Although he had taken the passing of the teacher who had depended on him and whom he had depended on in stride, without the slightest grief or sorrow, it remained an undeniable fact that the teacher had left him behind in this world. He wasn't sad, but he was lonely.
Now that he had found an elder blood relative, it was as if something had filled the corner of his heart that had been hollow and drafty. His gaze softened. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to call Gongxi Chou his second uncle. He merely nodded at him, reservedly.
"Mm."
That counted as accepting the family tie.
Even so, that brief "mm" made Gongxi Chou's heart blossom with joy. In his ears, the imaginary sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers grew even louder. Jimò Qiu immediately interrupted his foolish elation, looking toward Gong Cheng, who was watching them like a tiger eyeing its prey. The latter hadn't taken advantage of their tender reunion to launch a sneak attack. It was hard to say whether he was confident in