The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 36: 36. Xiao Yue! Xiao Xi!

Lin Zhenghai cupped his fists.

"As you command, Patriarch. I’ll have the clan meeting arranged immediately."

The remaining elders quickly echoed his words.

"We shall carry out your orders at once."

With that, they respectfully bid their farewells before turning to leave, each already considering the discussions that would soon unfold.

Lin Xuan watched as the group of elders departed, each of them looking far more satisfied than when they had arrived.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Looks like Elder Su really made life difficult for the Supreme Elder.

Still...

His gaze gradually turned towards Lin Zhenghai.

Lin Zhenghai can’t remain the Supreme Elder forever.

The position carried far too much influence within the clan.

Leaving a man with questionable loyalties in that seat was anything but wise.

He would have to find a suitable opportunity to remove him.

Just then, Lin Xuan glanced toward a nearby wall and smiled.

"You’ve been hiding there long enough. Won’t you introduce your friend to your father?"

A small head cautiously peeked out from behind the wall.

Seeing that she had been discovered, Lin Zhaoyue immediately sprang out from behind the wall, pulling another little girl along with her.

"Ah! There you are, Father!"

She hurried over with an innocent smile.

"I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

Lin Xuan folded his arms.

"Oh? You’ve been looking everywhere for me?"

Lin Zhaoyue simply grinned back.

The two stared at each other for several long seconds.

Lin Xuan waited.

Surely she was about to introduce the little girl standing beside her.

Instead...

She just kept smiling.

"..."

Lin Xuan blinked.

Does she not intend to introduce her? Wasn’t she supposed to be a regressor?

After giving a few awkward coughs, he finally gave up waiting.

He crouched down until he was at eye level with the little girl.

"Hello there. My name is Lin Xuan. What’s yours?"

The little girl blinked, seemingly snapping out of a daze.

"L-Lin Zhaoxi..."

she answered softly.

Her eyes never left Lin Xuan’s face.

Ever since she was adopted, Nanny Liu had told her stories about the clan’s Patriarch.

To the little girl, the man before her wasn’t just the Patriarch, he was the hero from all of Grandma’s stories.

Lin Xuan chuckled softly before reaching out to gently ruffle Lin Zhaoxi’s hair.

"You’ve made yourself quite an interesting friend."

Lin Zhaoyue’s eyes immediately lit up.

"I know!"

She skipped over to Zhaoxi’s side and wrapped an arm around her.

"She’s super cute too! Look at her!"

As if to prove her point, Lin Zhaoyue reached up and began rubbing Zhaoxi’s head alongside Lin Xuan.

The pair’s hands moved in unison, leaving the poor little girl standing there with a dazed expression.

"..."

Lin Xuan paused for a moment and then he took a small step back.

Looking at the two girls, he couldn’t help but smile.

...That’s actually pretty adorable.

Still, Lin Xuan couldn’t recall ever hearing of someone named Lin Zhaoxi before he entered seclusion. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Is she from one of the branch families? If so, what is she doing here? Was there an uprising?

Rather than continue guessing, he decided to ask directly.

"So, Zhaoxi. What are your parents’ names?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Zhaoyue’s expression changed as her eyes widened.

A voice suddenly echoed inside Lin Xuan’s mind.

"Papa! How can you be so insensitive?"

Lin Xuan blinked.

Insensitive? What did I say?

Before he could ask, Lin Zhaoxi answered with a gentle smile.

"I don’t have any parents, Patriarch. They... passed away when I was very young."

Realization dawned on Lin Xuan.

...Ah.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"My apologies."

Lin Zhaoxi quickly shook her head.

"I-it’s alright, Patriarch. I’m doing really well. Granny Liu takes very good care of me."

"Granny Liu?"

Lin Zhaoyue nodded.

"Xiao Xi was adopted by Granny Liu about five months ago."

"I see."

Lin Xuan smiled warmly at the little girl.

"If you’re Nanny Liu’s granddaughter, then you can call me ’Uncle.’ ’Patriarch’ is too distant."

Lin Zhaoxi’s eyes widened.

"R-Really?"

"Of course."

She hesitated for a brief moment before softly calling out, "...Uncle."

Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

"That’s more like it."

He then looked at the two girls.

"Now then, what brings you here?"

Lin Zhaoyue immediately folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks.

"What brings us here? You’re seriously asking me that?

We’re here because you abandoned your daughter for half a year!

Half a year!

I’m only ten years old, and I don’t even have a mother. You can’t just leave me by myself for that long!"

Lin Xuan’s lips twitched.

...You’re a regressor. Wouldn’t you enjoy having more freedom?

Of course, those thoughts remained in his head.

Instead, he smiled helplessly.

"My mistake. To make it up to you, how about we head into town and have some fun?"

He turned to Lin Zhaoxi.

"What about you, Little Xi? Would you like to come too?"

Lin Zhaoxi nodded enthusiastically.

"I would!"

"Good."

Without another word, Lin Xuan lifted one girl into each arm before stepping onto his flying sword.

Whoosh!

The sword rose gracefully into the sky.

The autumn wind brushed against their faces as the Lin Estate rapidly shrank beneath them.

After flying for a while, Lin Zhaoyue stared down at the sword beneath their feet and couldn’t help but asked,"...Papa. Why are you using this flying sword?"

She recognized this flying sword very well.

It was the very same sword her father had carried until the day he died in her previous life.

Even while lying on his deathbed, he had refused to part with it, insisting it was the only keepsake her mother had left behind.

The memory made her chest tighten.

Why...?

What was the point of treasuring someone who abandoned you... someone who forgot you even existed?

No matter how many times she thought about it, she simply couldn’t understand.

In her previous life, she had even arranged countless blind dates for him but all she had earned was nothing but a stern lecture.

Now he was using it without any hesitation as if it was merely a tool, a convenient tool.

Lin Xuan glanced down at the sword beneath his feet before chuckling.

"Well... I can’t exactly ride on my spear, can I?"

Lin Zhaoyue’s eyes slowly widened as she turned to stare at her father with confusion.