Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 803 If Time Could Slow Down

As Chen Xuan fled in terror, he kept begging for mercy with a forced smile, feeling a tightness in his chest. Scenes from the past flashed through his mind. This lovable little old man, who used to never admit defeat or grow old, now didn't even feel pain when he hit people.

"Father-in-law, please stop hitting me! I know I was wrong. If you hit me again, I'll kill you!" Chen Xuan shouted as usual, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. However, no one noticed that his voice was slightly hoarse. If they had, they would have thought that he was being beaten by the old man and was very aggrieved.

In the past, the old man would often chase him around, jumping and hitting him, but this time he had to deliberately slow down his movements to cooperate, afraid that the old man wouldn't be able to hit him.

He doesn't know if he'll be able to continue being disciplined like this in the future; there's no doubt that every time he does, it will be one less time.

Of course, you should coax and amuse the elder you respect the most. The elder knows this too. This is the tacit understanding between the two. Don't be fooled by their gritted teeth and glaring eyes. They are actually very happy inside, and a hearty smile can't help but appear on their lips.

At his age, he'd seen and experienced everything. He didn't care how many girls Chen Xuan had around him, nor did he want an apology. Rather, he felt something was missing if he didn't have a playful fight with this son-in-law who was exactly to his liking.

'This kid really understands me; it's made me feel younger too. Ah, how many more times can I have this?'

Although the old man had come to terms with everything, he still felt a little helpless and reluctant to part with it.

What I'm reluctant to leave behind isn't this bustling world, but the worry that these children will be sad after I'm gone.

The old man, though not one to back down, retorted angrily, his voice weak but powerful: "I'd rather beat you to death, you brat! Just looking at you makes me angry. I've never had a pleasant encounter with you. Why did I have to run into you? I think you're deliberately trying to provoke me!"

"No, Father-in-law, I'm a very obedient and well-behaved son-in-law, okay? It's you who's petty. I don't know what I did to offend you. Tell me and I'll change, okay?" Chen Xuan said, feigning grievance. As he spoke, he seemed to run away but subtly wiggled his buttocks so that he could be slapped.

With a glare, the old man said, "You think I'm petty? Fine, I'm petty. Today I'll beat you until your head is a pig's head. You're not wrong, you're wrong to have met me. Show me how you can change your ways."

"This is unreasonable!" Chen Xuan scratched his butt and muttered weakly, "You don't even have the strength to hit someone? Haven't you eaten?"

"Whoa, I've got a short temper! Nobody can stop me, I'm going to beat this bastard to a pulp today!"

No one stopped him; everyone was watching the show with mixed feelings. It was supposed to be a joyful and happy scene, but everyone felt uneasy.

Seeing this, Eunuch Wang smiled, but his eyes were slightly red. He was both worried and relieved. He hadn't seen the Emperor so lively in a long time. He was only so happy when he was with his son-in-law.

He was genuinely worried about the old emperor's health, fearing that such a commotion might lead to something serious. Even though he knew Chen Xuan was being discreet, he still couldn't help but worry.

The little princess pursed her lips tightly, her smile tinged with tears. In the past, she would have tried to persuade them to stop fighting, but now she couldn't utter a single word.

Even if I dare not face it, I know that my father's days are numbered. How many more times can he make such a fuss?

With Chen Xuan's careful cooperation, the old man chased after him for a full fifteen minutes before stopping. He casually tossed aside the broken fishing rod, put his hands on his hips, panting but with a satisfied look on his face, and hummed, "I couldn't beat you to death. One hundred and thirty-three blows in total. If the rod hadn't broken, I could have kept beating you. I finally feel good."

Chen Xuan, looking utterly disheveled, deliberately made his hair look like a bird's nest, his clothes were ripped into beggar's clothes, and you could vaguely see the white flesh on his buttocks. His face and body were covered with deliberately displayed red marks, making him look as miserable as could be. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had suffered a long period of inhuman torture.

Even so, he shamelessly stepped forward to help the old man, still arguing defiantly, "Fine, fine, you're really something, okay? If I hadn't been hungry, would you have been able to beat me? Next time, once I've eaten, you won't be able to touch a single hair on my head."

As he spoke, he quietly channeled a wisp of true energy to help the old man catch his breath.

The elderly man, who was originally panting and sweating, suddenly felt much better. His back and legs no longer ached, and he felt like he was ten years younger.

Chen Xuan knew his limits and was always paying attention to the old man's physical condition. Appropriate exercise was beneficial and harmless, but there had to be a limit. Given the old man's current physical condition, exceeding a certain limit would only hasten his death.

However, what made Chen Xuan feel bitter was that while he could alleviate the old man's physical fatigue and bring him back to his pre-inactivity state, he couldn't improve his original physical condition. There was nothing he could do.

The old man's body was nearing its end, like a piece of rotten wood about to crumble at any moment. If it were just a matter of making him decades younger and return to his peak for a short time, Chen Xuan could indeed do it, but how long could that last? A quarter of an hour or half an hour? If he really did that, the old man would surely die on the spot after the brief peak!

I'll stay with him for as long as I can. I can only watch him slowly walk towards the end of his life. If I let him briefly return to his peak just because I can't bear to see him on the verge of death, it would be like a strong medicine that would completely end his already limited life.

"Ha, I wouldn't even bother to call you out on it. Every time I beat you until you're crying for your parents, you're just a pathetic coward after you've eaten your fill, a complete waste of food," the old man said disdainfully, then added irritably, "I'm not so old that I can't walk anymore, do you need to help me?"

Despite saying that, he didn't push Chen Xuan away; he was quite pleased with his son-in-law's filial piety.

"Yes, yes, father-in-law, you're still going strong for your age. I'm just trying to curry favor with you," Chen Xuan said shamelessly.

After helping the old man sit down, Chen Xuan fawned over him, massaging his shoulders and legs, and checking on his health. The result, however, left him with a bitter feeling. If everything was normal and there were no unexpected events, the old man would be able to reach his destination in about ten days, or even within an hour!

By this time, the little princess had calmed down, and her face showed no abnormality. She stepped forward, both amused and exasperated, and said, "Father, you're both over a hundred years old combined, why are you still acting like children, pinching each other whenever you see each other? I really don't know what to say to you."

"I just can't stand this brat. I can't help but want to beat him up whenever he appears in front of me," the old man said with a grin after glaring at Chen Xuan. He didn't just seem to dislike him; he was clearly enjoying himself.

The little princess immediately said helplessly, "You can't always act like this every time you meet."

谁让这家伙把我最疼爱的小扶摇给拐跑了，哪怕一千个满意，但该揍还是得揍，老人家心头哼哼，浑浊的双眼看着小公主打趣道：“怎么，小扶摇可是心疼你家夫君了？我可舍不得宝贝闺女伤心，大不了下次见面我尽量不打他就是啦”

Faced with her father's teasing, the little princess should have retorted playfully, but the thought of her father's short lifespan made her heart ache, and her eyes immediately reddened. She looked away, trying to appear nonchalant, and said, "Go ahead and tease me, I can't be bothered with it."

Seeing that she didn't dare to look at him and her voice was choked with sobs, the old emperor felt a pang of heartache and asked with concern, "Oh dear, my little Fuyao, what's wrong? Did someone bully you? Tell your father, and no matter who it is, your father will avenge you!"

As he spoke, he wanted to stand up and give the little princess a hug to lean on. No matter how old a child is or whether they are married, in their parents' eyes they will always be a child who needs shelter from the wind and rain.

"No one is bullying me. I have my father to back me up, and my husband who has never been defeated to protect me. Who would dare to bully me? I just accidentally got some dust in my eyes," the little princess said, still not daring to look at him. She turned away and rubbed her eyes, trying to remain calm.

Chen Xuan carefully helped the old man towards the little princess. He waited for Chen Xuan to say irritably, "Did you, you brat, bully my little Fuyao? I think you haven't had enough of being beaten yet!" "Father-in-law, you're innocent! My wife tells me to go east, and I wouldn't dare go west. She tells me to kill a cow, and I wouldn't dare chase away a chicken. How could I dare to bully her?" Chen Xuan said exaggeratedly. If he hadn't been helping the old man, he would have jumped up and down.

Giving him a knowing look, the old man knew why the little princess was upset. He came to her side and said tactlessly, "Little Fuyao, be good. If this brat bullied you, tell Daddy, and I'll break his legs."

The old father kept harping on this point, just like how he always felt compelled to beat up his husband whenever he saw him. Despite feeling a pang of sadness, the little princess almost couldn't help but laugh.

Turning around, she helped the old man to his side, and the little princess lowered her head, trying to sound calm and casual as she said, "Daddy, you're going to be a grandfather."

"Hehe, is that so? It's good that she wasn't bullied. It's good to be a grandfather, it's good to be a grandfather," the old man patted the little princess's hand with a look of satisfaction, not quite understanding what was happening.

He paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. His cloudy eyes lit up as he looked at the little princess, stammering, "Little Fuyao, what did you say? I didn't hear you."

The little princess looked up, her eyes filled with happiness, and spoke slowly and deliberately so he could hear her clearly: "Daddy, I said, you're going to be a grandfather!"

"I'm going to be a grandfather! I'm going to be a grandfather! Haha, great! Great!" the old man exclaimed joyfully, his body trembling with happiness, as endless joy welled up in his heart, like an eighty-year-old child who had just received candy.

Overjoyed, a sense of relief welled up in the depths of his eyes, as if his greatest wish in life had been fulfilled. But then came a deep regret, for he knew his situation and would never have the chance to see the grandson that Xiao Fuyao and the brat had.

The old man wasn't without grandchildren, he even had great-grandchildren, but he always favored the grandchildren born to Xiao Fuyao. Although both were equally dear to him, Xiao Fuyao was one of the few remaining traces of maternal affection in the cold, icy palace he had lived in for so many years as emperor.

To put it bluntly, he had many princes and princesses, but only one daughter, Fuyao.

Fearing the old man might overjoy himself and cause an accident, the little princess and Chen Xuan helped him sit down again before saying, "Yes, Daddy, you're going to be a grandfather soon. How many months has it been? It was already there when we were in Yinlong County, but Daddy left without saying goodbye and didn't even have a chance to tell you this good news."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across the old man's face as he said sheepishly, "Well, an old friend invited me, and he was in a rush. I should have known better than to go."

Old Deng is lying so easily! "Old buddy, invite me out"? He's clearly just out having fun. Chen Xuan almost burst out laughing.

Noticing Chen Xuan's expression, the old man turned around, glared at him, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"I didn't laugh," Chen Xuan quickly said, putting on a serious face.

The little princess came to the rescue, gently shaking the old man's arm, biting her lip and looking expectantly, saying, "Father, my husband and I haven't discussed naming your grandson yet. Why don't you help us come up with one? We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, so why don't you come up with one for each?"

She knew her father wouldn't live to see the birth of his child, and she wanted to make up for his regret of not being able to see his grandson in this way.

The old man was quite tempted, but still shook his head and said, "Forget it, you two should discuss it yourselves. If I'm not satisfied with what I come up with, who knows how that brat will upset me later."

“That’s impossible,” Chen Xuan immediately stated.

However, the old man suddenly remembered something, his expression instantly changed, and he glared at Chen Xuan, gritting his teeth, "I really want to beat you to death, you bastard!"

He was furious. It turned out that this bastard had gotten involved with a girl while his daughter was pregnant. Even though he knew that Xiao Fuyao must have agreed to it or even helped him arrange it, he was still incredibly angry as a father.

Seeing that the two were about to clash again, the little princess understood that since her father had already spoken, he definitely wouldn't participate in the naming process. After all, he had been emperor for so many years, and his absolute authority was likely still intact. She also knew why he had suddenly raised the issue, so she took the initiative to change the subject, saying, "Father, don't blame my husband. He seems unreliable, but he's actually quite slow on some things and doesn't care at all. I had to help him arrange it before he reluctantly agreed. It's really not what you think."

"So this kid's been putting on airs all along?" the old man said irritably.

Chen Xuan glanced gratefully at the little princess, knowing she was speaking well of him.

Everyone knows the old man wasn't angry at all; it was just the attitude a father should have.

Then the little princess greeted the women who had been standing to the side, saying, "Father, let me introduce you. This is Sister Dujuan, and you know Sisters Yunlan and Yunxin. Then there's Miss He Hongyi, Miss Guo Qingxue, and the little maid Roujia, whom you've met many times. They came to see you after learning you were here."

Upon hearing this, Lao Deng instantly understood. The younger sister his daughter introduced was already the brat's bedmate, so the one called "girl" was probably just a figurehead. As for the little girl Su Roujia, she was currently just a follower.

After the little princess finished her introduction, all the women bowed in unison and said, "Junior greets Uncle."

The old man didn't give them any attitude at this time, only towards Chen Xuan. He treated them all as juniors, waving his hand and saying with a smile, "Good, good, you're all good children. Don't be shy. I'm just an old man now, so please make yourselves at home."

Uncle Xie

The women secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this retired emperor was very easy to get along with, and there was no pressure at all.

Chen Xuan joked, "Well, it's getting late, Sister Juan, Roujia, let's get something to eat first."

The old man, who had been smiling just a second ago, turned around, rolled his eyes at Chen Xuan, and said irritably, "You're such a troublemaker, eating and eating. Are you a pig? Will you starve to death?"

"I was just thinking that if you're full, you'll have the strength to beat me up," Chen Xuan said with a serious face, as if he were thinking of you.

...(End of this chapter)