Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 718 A Steadfast Heart

"You! Why didn't you tell me beforehand that this was your parents' house?!"

Shi Yao was warmly pressed down onto the old sofa by Tang Zijun's mother. Holding a steaming cup of tea in her hand, her face was flushed red. Taking advantage of the moment when Tang Zijun's mother turned around to go to the kitchen to get fruit, she immediately lowered her voice and glared at Tang Zijun with suppressed anger, her eyes seeming to want to poke two holes in him.

Tang Zijun was leaning against the doorframe, enjoying the long-lost, comforting atmosphere. Upon hearing this, she simply shrugged indifferently, her voice low. "You didn't even ask."

"Didn't I ask downstairs?!" Shi Yao was almost speechless with anger, her voice unconsciously rising a little, attracting attention from the direction of the kitchen. Tang Zijun's mother poked her head out and asked with concern, "What's wrong, young lady? Is the water too hot?"

"No, no, Auntie, the water temperature is just right!" Shi Yao quickly forced a smile, her expression instantly changing. Her voice was so sweet it could drip honey. Only after Tang Zijun's mother turned her head away did she silently lip-read and roar at Tang Zijun, her eyes fierce.

Tang Zijun sighed helplessly, took two steps closer, lowered her voice, and spoke with an undeniable seriousness.

"Alright, watch your mouth. My parents... they don't know my and Tang Cao's true identities." He pointed to himself, then gestured vaguely out the window. "In their eyes, I'm just... well, a web novelist. They're ordinary people, the most ordinary kind."

He understood Yao's shock and discomfort.

Although the existence of magical girls has been exposed globally, and supernatural powers are no longer just urban legends, most ordinary people are gradually accepting this bizarre new world amidst their fears. However, for elderly people like his parents, who have lived their entire lives in a stable small town and hold relatively traditional views—

Accepting that "superhumans exist in the world" is one thing.

Accepting that your son or daughter is one of them, or even one who fights against world-destroying monsters every day... that's a completely different matter.

This kind of parental love is all too common in the country.

They don't ask their children to become dragons or phoenixes; they only hope for peace, stability, and a quiet life. "Simplicity is the true essence of life"—a phrase Tang Zijun used to find somewhat pretentious or even unambitious—became a reality after experiencing the Deep Sea Evil God, the claw marks tearing through the void, the despairing deduction at the end of time, and the impending path of annihilation...

At this moment, Tang Zijun understood the weight of those words with profound clarity.

No need to worry about twisted monsters crawling out from under the bed.

No need to worry about being dragged into endless madness in your sleep...

There's no need to worry about being completely erased from time and from the meaning of existence in the next second.

He lived an ordinary life, got married, had children, and lived a mundane life...

Instead of being burdened by the weight of the world, about to embark on a terrifying, unknown path where even gods have perished.

An indescribable bitterness and intense nostalgia surged into his heart like a tide. Every old object in this ordinary living room felt like a thorn piercing his weary soul.

This chaotic, misunderstanding-filled, and tender atmosphere of home became, ironically, his last and warmest harbor, for his lone boat, which was about to head towards the eye of the storm and was destined to sink.

Meanwhile, another intense, hushed discussion was taking place in the kitchen.

"Did you see that? Did you see that?!" Tang Zijun's mother excitedly nudged her husband, who was cooking next to her, with her elbow as she quickly chopped the dumpling filling. Her eyes were shining brightly. "She really brought a girl back! I knew you weren't getting any younger. Look at that girl, she's beautiful and has a great figure, such a good temperament. It's just... well, her clothes are a bit strange, and she talks a bit oddly, but it's okay, she's young."

Tang Zijun's father was focused on tossing the wok, trying his best to maintain the composed image that a head of the family should have. When he heard this, he only hummed in response, but the slightly upturned corners of his mouth and the noticeably lighter movements of his hands betrayed his inner excitement.

"Say something!" Tang Zijun's mother nudged him again in annoyance. "Don't just focus on cooking. It's the young lady's first time visiting. As her father, you need to behave properly. Don't let her think our family is ill-mannered."

"...I understand." Tang Zijun's father finally spoke, his voice deliberately low and steady, carrying a sense of authority that said, "I have my own ideas." "What's the rush? The dishes aren't ready yet. You, you take the fruit out first, chat with the young lady, don't neglect her. I'll go out after I finish cooking this dish."

He tried hard to keep a straight face, attempting to project the composure and dignity befitting a father and the head of the family, while secretly encouraging himself: I can't let the girl look down on me; I have to be composed and reliable!

A meal can be unsettling, making you feel like you're sitting on pins and needles, yet also inexplicably intoxicated.

Tang Zijun's mother was incredibly enthusiastic, constantly piling dumplings into her bowl and bombarding her with questions: "Shiyao, eat more of these shrimp dumplings... How long have you known our Tang Zijun?"... "Shiyao, try some of Auntie's stewed ribs, they've been stewing for hours..."... "Are you usually busy with work? What do you do?"... "Shiyao—"

Every question felt like a hot potato. Shi Yao wore a sweet, obedient smile, but inside she was screaming: "Auntie! I'm not your son's girlfriend! We like the same girl! We're rivals! Do you understand what rivals are?! Can I say that? Saying it might get the two of them sent to their graves on the spot!"

You can't say! You absolutely can't say!

It's impossible to explain! The more you try to explain, the worse it gets!

She could only grit her teeth and use all her acting skills to play the role of a quiet, obedient, and somewhat shy friend of Tang Zijun, fabricating an ordinary job full of loopholes and vaguely responding to the elders' concern.

Strangely...

This feeling of being cared for as if she were one's own child, this warm and fuzzy atmosphere at the dinner table, this clumsy yet incredibly real warmth that belongs to home, seeped into the core of her shadow, which had been cold for countless years, like a cup of hot cocoa on a winter's day.

She looked at the smile lines at the corners of Tang Zijun's mother's eyes, listened to Tang Zijun's father's occasional calm agreement (though he maintained a certain air of composure), and felt the unusually relaxed aura of Tang Zijun beside her, despite her silence.

It feels so good to have family.

The thought popped up without warning, startling even herself.

As a shadow woman, she was used to the loneliness in the shadows and the coldness of power, but at this moment, she found herself craving this trivial warmth, even tinged with a little misunderstanding.

After the meal, Tang Zijun's mother busied herself clearing the dishes, while Tang Zijun's father, hands behind his back, paced back and forth, trying to maintain the dignity of the patriarch, and gestured towards the study. "Tang Zijun, come with me for a moment."

Tang Zijun nodded, gave Shi Yao a look that said, "Good luck, and deal with my mother well," and followed her father into the study.

The study was small, and the bookshelves were mostly filled with reference books and old magazines, which smelled of stale ink.

Tang Zijun's father walked behind the desk, but didn't sit down immediately. Instead, he turned around, looked at his son who was now half a head taller than him, and said with a deliberately indifferent tone, "Be nicer to that girl in the future."

That's what he said, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Tang Zijun was one of almost instinctive trust and reassurance. This son, from childhood to adulthood, seemed to have never really caused him any worry, being excessively independent.

Tang Zijun stood before her father, speechless for a moment.

He simply wanted to look at that familiar face a little longer before embarking on this journey, to feel that silent yet profound fatherly love a little more. A thousand words were stuck in his throat, and in the end, they all turned into a quiet gaze.

Seeing his son's hesitant expression, Tang Zijun's father didn't say much. He knew Tang Zijun too well; the boy had something on his mind, didn't want to talk about it, and couldn't get anything out of him by asking. His gaze lingered on the bookshelf for a moment, finally settling on a book with a blue cover...

He reached out and pulled it out from the old book with its severely worn spine.

That was a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

The cover was faded and the corners were curled up, indicating that it had been read many times.

Tang Zijun's father took the book, turned around, and solemnly placed it in Tang Zijun's hands. His movements were steady, carrying a kind of concern unique to fathers of the old era—a concern that was not good at expressing but extremely earnest.

"Here you go." His voice remained steady, without much inflection. "Didn't you always say you wanted to write something online? Reading this more will do you good."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, his gaze falling on the thick, old book.

"As the old saying goes, young people shouldn't read Water Margin, and old people shouldn't read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Water Margin is about rebellion, which can easily make young people impulsive. Romance of the Three Kingdoms... is mostly about power struggles, the downfall of heroes, and the changing of dynasties... it's too somber, and old people can easily feel saddened by it."

Tang Zijun held the heavy book "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in her hands, feeling the rough texture of the pages, and looked up at her father with some confusion.

But then her father raised his gaze and looked down at Tang Zijun’s young and calm face. His eyes, which had seen the passage of time and the ways of the world, now shone with a complex and profound light, carrying a hint of expectation and wisdom that was not easily detected.

"However, for you young people, this somber book... might just be just right."

He raised his voice slightly and spoke clearly, word by word.

"Because you can always see an irrepressible, vibrant energy in these somber words."

Tang Zijun slightly raised her head.

Holding the book "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" with his fingers slightly clenched, his knuckles turning white, he looked at his father's face, which was etched with the marks of time yet still upright and resolute. His eyes, which had been confused and heavy, instantly became incredibly clear and sharp, like stars that had been polished.

An indescribable warmth and an unprecedented sense of unwavering strength surged into his very being from his father's simple words and from that old book that carried a thousand years of wisdom and history.

He took a deep breath, a genuine smile of relief and unwavering determination appeared on his face, and he responded in a clear and powerful voice.

"Dad, I understand."