Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai stood in the shadows at the alley entrance, neither too close nor too far.
Chenchen's parents held him; the man's hands were large, and the woman's hands were white. Their fingers were intertwined, encircling Chenchen in the middle.
Chenchen nestled on the man's shoulder, her head tilted to the side, the ears of her fox-fur hat drooping down.
He only felt that his father's shoulders were broad and his mother's hands were warm.
Qiguan Yuan heard it.
The parents didn't speak, but Qiguan Yuan heard their voices. "Merciful God, may you protect our child and let him grow up peacefully and joyfully."
That was the parents' last prayer to God.
Qiguan Yuan looked at them for a while, then spoke, " Chenchen."
Chenchen lifted her head from the man's shoulder and looked over in the direction of the voice.
He saw the handsome older brother standing under the streetlight, his light blue robe fluttering slightly in the wind. Next to him stood a very tall older brother, dressed in black, whose face was not clearly visible, but who seemed unapproachable.
Chenchen's eyes lit up, and she lifted her little hand from the man's shoulder, waving at Qiguan Yuan: "Brother!"
The sound could be heard very clearly in the alley.
Qiguan Yuan raised his hand and gently beckoned in his direction. "Come to your brother."
Chenchen couldn't bear to part with him.
He hugged his father's neck and then reached out to touch his mother's face.
The woman's tears fell and dripped onto the back of his hand.
Chenchen pulled his hand back to look at it, then reached out again to wipe it for her.
He kissed his father's face first, then his mother's face, twice, once on the left and once on the right.
After kissing them, he looked at them, his lips trembled slightly, but he quickly composed himself. "Mom and Dad, please come back soon, Chenchen is waiting for you."
The woman ruffled his hair, running her fingers through his hair from root to tip.
Her fingers were transparent, passing through Chenchen's hair, but he didn't feel it. He only felt his mother touching him, very lightly, like the wind.
The man put him down, patted his head, and held his hand an inch above his head without lowering it. "Go on, our darling."
Chenchen turned and ran away.
His legs were short, his steps were small, and when he ran, his body swayed, and the ears of his fox-hat bounced up and down.
When he reached Qiguan Yuan, there was no one left at the alley entrance behind him.
The streetlights were still on, and only his own shadow stretched out on the ground, a long one trailing behind him.
He turned around, looked at the empty alleyway, and blinked. "Brother, Mom and Dad are gone?"
Qiguan Yuan took his hand. "Let's go."
Chenchen lowered his head, looking at the tips of his shoes. "Mom and Dad are impolite children. They clearly told Chenchen that when saying goodbye, he should say, 'I'm leaving now.'"
Qiguan Yuan turned him around and led him forward.
Chenchen's steps are small; he has to take two steps to keep up with her for every one step she takes.
Qiguan Yuan then walked slowly, so Chenchen no longer needed to run. She walked beside him, looking up at his face. "Then Chenchen will talk to them when they come back."
Qiguan Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, when they come back, Chenchen will tell them."
Pei Yubai walked on the other side of Qiguan Yuan.
He reached out and grasped Qiguan Yuan's other hand.
Qiguan Yuan glanced at him sideways. "Is my little jealous man jealous again?"
Pei Yubai didn't say yes or no. He held Qiguan Yuan's hand, his fingers interlacing between Qi Guanyuan's. " Yuanyuan, what are you going to do with this child?"
Qiguan Yuan glanced down at Chenchen.
Chenchen was looking up at the Ferris wheel, her mouth slightly open, her eyelashes very long.
His face was still pale, and his lips were bloodless, but his eyes were bright.
"Can you find out where he lives?" Qiguan Yuan asked.
Pei Yubai took out his phone and snapped a picture of Chenchen.
Chenchen blinked, didn't flinch, and continued watching the Ferris wheel.
Pei Yubai sent the photo to his assistant and typed. "Check this child's information, address, family situation, and guardian."
After sending the message, he put his phone back in his pocket.
The three people walked out of the alley and walked back along the bluestone path.
The amusement park lights shone from the front, growing brighter and brighter, and the voices of people grew closer and closer.
The ice cream shop was still open, with a queue at the window.
The old man selling balloons was still standing there, clutching a large handful of balloons in his hand—red, yellow, blue, and green—swaying in the wind.
The carousel music was still playing, jingling and clanging, and could be heard from a great distance.
A person was standing at the entrance of the amusement park.
She was wearing a gaudy, bright red dress covered in shimmering golden feathers.
He stood there, holding nothing, his hands hanging at his sides, looking completely out of place with the bustling surroundings, like a bird that had wandered into the human world.
Qiguan Yuan stopped and handed Chenchen's hand to Pei Yubai: "Hold his hand and wait for me. I need to say a few words to an old friend."
Pei Yubai took Chenchen's hand.
Pei Yubai glanced down at Chenchen, Chenchen looked up at him and shrank back.
This older brother is so fierce.
He secretly looked away and continued watching the Ferris wheel.
Qiguan Yuan walked up to Lu Zhao.
Lu Zhao looked at him, his lips turned down, his face scrunched up, looking rather miserable.
He called out "senior," the last syllable falling, carrying a sense of grievance as if to say, "I've finally found you."
"Senior, did you disturb the mortals' connection?" Lu Zhao's voice was very low, afraid that others would hear him, and also afraid that Qiguan Yuan would not hear him.
Qiguan Yuan nodded honestly. "It moved."
Lu Zhao's face furrowed further. "Senior, those guys are looking for me. They say they sensed the Power of Marriage and are asking if I've interfered with mortals' destiny without authorization, demanding a reasonable explanation."
His voice was full of frustration when he finished speaking.
He was bombarded with questions by those people for ages, until he was completely overwhelmed.
Qiguan Yuan looked at him, his expression blank.
"Just give me your name. If they have any objections, I'm ready to go back and fight them anytime."
Lu Zhao opened his mouth, then swallowed the words that were about to come out. Although he didn't understand, he still nodded.
He naturally didn't know that Qiguan Yuan was never afraid of those people. In the Upper Realm, everyone would avoid mentioning Qiguan Yuan if they could.
This fox is capricious; today it torments the rain god, tomorrow it torments the god of agriculture.
If something doesn't go their way, they'll start a fight; if they can't win, they'll arrange marriages for others.
He's incredibly difficult to deal with; nobody wants to mess with him.
He's practically a great demon king from the upper realm.
Lu Zhao was unaware that those people also thought this matter was related to Lu Zhao, which was why they came to find Lu Zhao.
After all, Qiguan Yuan hadn't been heard from for eight hundred years; who would have thought he would suddenly cause trouble?
Having resolved this matter, Lu Zhao added, "Senior, you can go back for a visit if you have time. I recently discovered some things about the Tree of Fate, and the divine status of the person you're looking for should be related to this."
The fact that the Yue Lao sacrificed his divine power to save people for the sake of the Moon Official was known in the upper realm, and Lu Zhao had also been keeping an eye on the Tree of Fate.
He actually discovered something not long ago.
Qiguan Yuan nodded, indicating that he would go to find him.
After delivering the message, Lu Zhao left, his head still feeling a little numb.