heaven officials blessing: Long ai edited

Lang Ying.17

"A... Mei..?" I heard a gentle voice behind us. I look back, and there stands the woman I have been trying to find for the last thirty years.

"A-yoong..." I stood before her. I was ready to run to her and embrace her. but it's also been thirty years. She may not have seen me the same way since then. She looked shocked. I didn't understand her expression until she looked at Kiyoshi. Ah, now I understand. I placed my hand on Kiyoshi's head while he hid behind me a little bit. "A-yoong, this is Kiyoshi, my adopted son."

She gave an obvious sign of relief. I took two steps towards her while Kiyoshi hid behind me.  A-yoong looked at me with a hesitant flicker of her hands. I reached out my hand to hers. She latched on to my hand with a sort of desperation. I couldn't take it anymore and yanked her into my arms. She is much taller now, so she can wrap her arms around my shoulders while I can reach her waist. I buried my face in her shoulder, while she buried her face in my hair. I couldn't help it anymore, and I let my tears stream from my eyes. This was something I have longed for since that day.

"I missed you, A-Mei," she whispered. I squeezed her tight in my arms.

"I missed you more, A-yoong." I rubbed my eyes over her shoulder. I looked up to her as we slightly separated. "Should I continue to call you A-Yoong? or A-song."

She smiled and booped my nose with hers.

"As long as it's from you, I am content with the title you choose to call me." She looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Is she my Aniang, then?" The both of us turned to Kiyoshi, who was standing behind us with a curious expression.

"um."

"that's uh-"

"Isn't that how it works?" He asked again. I looked back to A-song, who looked surprised and had just turned to me. My attention was pulled to a tint in her checks. I have seen her flustered a few times when she would accidentally flirt with me. I smirked and looked at Kiyoshi.

"She could be in the future." I felt the air shift from how fast she turned her head to look at me. "We'll just see if she's comfortable being called Aniang after some time."

"Oh, so like how it took a little while before I called you, mother?" he asked.

"Exactly," I told him.

'Honger, have you found anything?' I asked in the telepathic matrix.

'No, but I have others searching.' Honger responded.

'thank you, Honger.' The jingle of the beaded curtain sounded. With a turn of my head, I looked at the source. There, with his head bowed, was a young man, clad in purple, with raven hair set in a specific hairstyle I remember seeing when I found myself in Ghost City. His mask was that of some sort of demon. percaline material, with a fanged face.

"my lord." The young man spoke low. I know this man; this is Yin Yu. Yizen's shixiong. "I've found the bandaged boy."

I turned my entire body to look at him. Honger must have sent him to search for the kid.

"Bring him over." Honger commanded. I took A-song's hand and lifted Kiyoshi into my arm. I pulled her behind me as Ying Yu made his way to Honger. A-song and I stood beside the sitting space where my brother sat poised as always, while Honger had his right leg placed over his left knee. I saw the boy being held by the back of his shirt by Yin Yu. Once they stood before the five of us, Yin Yu released the back of the boy's shirt. The kid looked nervous about what was going on. I turned to A-song and handed Kiyoshi to her. She held him awkwardly for a moment before adjusting him in her arms. Kiyoshi wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned his head on his right arm. A-song looked at him with a gentle smile. I gave them a knowing smile. I looked back at the young man beside Yin Yu. When Yin Yu was retracting his hand, I saw his cursed shekel. My smile faltered for a second. My brother stood and walked up to my side. The young man heard him stand and look up before his eyes widened in fear. We made our way down the steps when he screamed again. I could hear A-song growl. I raised both hands before closing them into slanted fists.

"Can you please calm down?" I asked in a quiet voice. "It was our fault last time."

"We won't do it again." I could tell my brother was anxious with that response. The boy was panicking, and Yin Yu bowed before leaving. The young man was kneeling on the floor. I kneeled on the right side of him and began to gently pat his head. He flinched for a moment. continued to pet his head, making him look a little more relaxed.  My brother kneeled beside me. "You tell me, what's your name?"

The boy was still hiding his face in his hands. I could barely hear his mumble.

"Hmm?" my brother hummed with a smile.

"Perhaps he hasn't spoken to anyone in a long time and doesn't really know how to." Honger suggested. I continued to pet the young man's head when I glanced at him walking our way, then A-song, who contently held our son. I turned to the young man and pulled him into a gentle hug. He was stiff at first. I resumed my previous actions. He relaxed almost fully. I began to hum to him.

"It's alright," my brother said as I held onto the kid. "Just take it slow."

The kid slowly took his hands away from his face. He wrapped his arms over mine.

"Ying," he said with a raspy whisper.

"Is it the same Ying as Xiao Ying?" brother asked the young man. "Um... then are you from the country of Xianle?"

He shook his head in my arms.

"Yong..." he began quietly. "Yong'an..."

"..." I was silent as I began to squeeze him in my arms. I saw my brother look at me. I released a shaky breath. shakily, and on the brink of tears, "Do you know Bai Wxiang? Have you seen him?"

He began to dig his nails into my sleeves. I gave a sigh. I petted his head and just held on to him.

"Gege," Honger said, reaching for the flower sword. I gathered the young man in my arms and stood up with my left hand holding his back, while my right hand was hooked under his knees. "Get some rest. You can ask him more questions later."

"I'm fine," the flower sword responded. I could clearly see that Honger's hand was clearly on my older brother's waist. I don't think he knows. He sighed and turned his attention to the kid in my arms. He had his arms loose around mine.

"You gave yourself the name Ying because of Xiao Ying." The young man turned his face toward the flower sword. "That's a good thing."

Ying looked at his brother with an odd expression.

"But you're missing a surname." I looked at Honger, who looked a little annoyed. Oh no, is he really being petty about who my brother focuses his attention on? "Yong'an's national surname is Lang. So, what do you think of the name Lang Ying?"