Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Autumn Falls on the Emerald Screen, a Serendipitous 

Feeling (Part Four)

"You'd better answer my questions honestly, or else..."

Si Cang Qing held his two fidgeting children, letting them wriggle against his body, his gaze indifferent as 

he looked at Yang Rumei. "Speak!"

Slightly displeased with his tone, but seeing his cold expression and knowing from their time together that he 

was inherently aloof, Yang Rumei didn't pursue the matter further. She simply asked seriously, "Why did 

Xiaotian return to Luyang alone a while ago?"

Although she didn't concern herself with worldly affairs, he was still her son who had left home, and she had 

learned a lot from Qiu Ji's secret agents. Rather than saying she had beaten this man for her injured children, it 

was more accurate to say she was teaching him a lesson for her eldest son. She was always extremely protective 

of her own; her son could not be bullied by outsiders in the slightest!

Si Cang Qing pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and didn't know how to answer. There were many things he 

didn't feel the need to tell unrelated people.

"What? I'm practically your mother now, aren't I? What are you trying to hide?" Yang Rumei pressed aggressively, 

saying, "Xiao Tian has been sensible since he was little, and we haven't interfered much... That doesn't mean he's 

unloved. If he didn't truly love you, I wouldn't care about your status; I'd teach you a lesson today!"

"You're the emperor, and we can't force you to dote on Xiao Tian alone, but if you can't give him what he wants, 

then let go now!"

No one knows a child better than their mother. Just by looking at Qiu Ping Tian's attitude towards Si Cang Qing 

today, she knew how much her eldest son valued this man. Her son, seemingly gentle and humble, was actually 

cold-hearted and indifferent to everything, except for his strange love of money since childhood.

Si Cang Qing remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly: "Qiu is my wife, and I won't let go."

"Hmph, you'll have to have the ability to do so!"

Without saying anything more, Si Cang Qing simply lowered his eyes, watching the child in his arms begin to 

doze off. Whether he had the ability or not, he didn't need to prove it to others… His affair with Qiu was none of 

Qiu's business, not even her parents'.

The only reason he was willing to listen to this person's lecture was because she was Qiu's mother.

"How can you…" Yang Rumei frowned, staring intently at Si Cang Qing's face. No matter what she said, he 

remained indifferent.

"Really, what kind of taste does Xiaotian have?"

Muttering to himself, Yang Rumei looked at her eldest son who had rushed over and sighed helplessly, "Fine, 

I'll make this clear today. If I ever find out that Xiaotian is heartbroken because of you, I won't let him off easily!"

"Mother…" Qiu Ping Tian walked up to the two of them and asked with a light laugh, "What were you talking 

about?"

"Alright, alright, don't use that attitude towards outsiders on your mother! I'm not a man-eating tiger, what could I 

possibly do to your husband?"

Hearing this, Qiu Ping Tian laughed, "Where is there a tiger as young and beautiful as you, Mother? I was just 

asking casually!"

"Come on," Yang Rumei chuckled, glancing at Si Cang Qing. "It's late, I won't disturb your rest... Xiaotian, stay at 

the manor for a few more days, don't keep arguing with your father."

"Mother, don't worry, I'm not a child anymore! You go to sleep!" Pushing her mother aside, Qiu Ping Tian smiled 

and saw her out the door. Turning back to see the two children in Si Cang Qing's arms, she sighed, rubbing her 

forehead in exasperation. "I forgot about these two little devils!"

Sitting down beside Si Cang Qing, Qiu Ping Tian said softly, "Qingdi, are you tired? Let me hold you..." She 

reached for the children.

"Nothing," Si Cang Qing replied indifferently, noticing the man's slightly furrowed brows. "What happened?"

"Nothing," leaning on her shoulder, Qiu Ping Tian sighed helplessly. "Just another scolding from Father... I'm 

destined to be this unfilial son!"

Si Cang Qing listened silently, unsure how to comfort her troubled mind. “Hehe, Qingdi, don’t worry. My father 

and I have always been like this… He’s rigid and boring, always trying to impose his ideas on me. Back then, I 

was quite unruly, so naturally I didn’t want to.”

“Later, one time, I don’t remember what it was about, we had a very unpleasant argument. Mother sided with 

Father and beat me. At that time, Qiu Ji’s merchant caravan couldn’t find anyone to take charge, so I left home 

without a word for two years.”

“When I returned, Father said, ‘If you’re so capable, then never set foot in this door again.’ I slammed the door 

and left. Looking back, it was impulsive, but I still harbored resentment, so I never came back.”

Hearing this, Si Cang Qing leaned forward and gently kissed the other’s forehead. He had never experienced the 

relationship between parents and children, so he couldn’t offer any words of comfort.

He tilted his head back and kissed the other person, a smile playing on his lips. "But I've long since come to terms 

with it. Father is father after all… Although he's prone to lecturing, at least he didn't force me to abandon 

commerce for literature, and I'm still grateful to him for that."

Back then, the Qiu family's decline was a war without bloodshed. Qiu Yiwu, a scholar by nature, and indifferent 

to wealth, allowed the Qiu family to decay. At that time, Qiu Ping Tian was only ten years old. Having loved 

business since childhood, he resolutely took over the management of Qiu Ji. Qiu Yiwu verbally expressed his 

disapproval, but he truly entrusted the shop to him.

“I suppose the two of us—father and son—will never have the chance to chat calmly and peacefully in this 

lifetime, but…” Qiu Ping Tiang broke into a radiant smile. “Father really does look up to you… Thanks to you, 

his attitude toward me has improved considerably.”

"QingDi, do you know what Father said to me just now?"

Si Cang Qing shook his head slightly, only to see the other man smile enigmatically. “ “As for him, although he’s 

unhappy that I, a man, married a man as his wife, the fact remains that it’s already been decided. So he lectured me 

on the proper etiquette and customs for women… Really, he’s getting senile!”

Looking gently into the man's smiling eyes, Si Cang Qing listened quietly as he spoke, from the father-son 

conversation in the study to his past experiences.

"Ah, never mind, it's too late..." Qiu Ping Tian glanced at the sky outside the window, smiling as he looked at 

the sleeping child in Si Cang Qing's arms, "These two children are sleeping so soundly, they've taken up all my 

space!"

Hearing this, a smile flashed across Si Cang Qing's face, and he got up and followed the man to Qiu Ping Tian's 

bedroom. Carefully placing the two children on the bed and tucking them in, Si Cang Qing was about to turn 

around when someone hugged him from behind. Sensing something was wrong, he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Without an immediate answer, Qiu Ping Tian held him tightly for a long time before finally asking in a muffled 

voice, "Brother Qing, do you really like children?"

Stunned, Si Cang Qing didn't answer.

"I heard Tianbi mention it once, but I didn't take it to heart," Qiu Ping Tian sighed, recalling Si Cang Qing's 

earlier attitude towards his two younger brothers, "But... now it seems you really do like children."

Pulling his arm away, Si Cang Qing turned around and hugged him, asking, "So what if I like them?" Like them? 

Not entirely! These two children were just too clingy, and besides, they were Qiu's younger brothers.

To be honest, Si Cang Qing was simply a little more lenient with children.

"We're both men..."

Hearing the sigh from the person beside him, Si Cang Qing was slightly puzzled, but then suddenly understood 

what the other meant… Was it because of the issue of heirs? Back then, it had been the same problem—which 

was why the court officials and his father, the Emperor, had all opposed his marriage to Feng Lan, and he’d had 

no choice but to silence their objections with a firm stance.

“It’s no problem,” Si Cang Qing replied softly. “Having you all is enough.”

These simple words were the least like sweet talk imaginable. Qiu Ping Tian immediately smiled, “How rare! 

My brother Qing can even speak sweet words now?” 

“I’m just telling the truth.”

His cool, detached voice strangely put him at ease. Qiu Ping Tian said softly, “Since I’ve decided to marry you, 

I won’t be troubled by my status as a man. But… you are, after all, the emperor. Having children will inevitably 

be a major issue. No one mentions it now because you are still young. But as time goes on, I fear the court officials 

will…” 

His gaze instantly turned cold as Si Cang Qing said in a frosty tone, “They wouldn’t dare!”

“I understand,” Qiu Ping Tian replied, “but this is indeed an unavoidable problem!” True—it was a thorn in 

the side of every one of them.

“Qiu, there’s no need to worry about such trivial matters.”

That single, detached sentence silenced all of Qiu Ping Tian’s doubts and concerns.

“Brother Qing…”

Si Cang Qing gazed at him impassively, his hand resting on Qiu Pingti’s waist, sliding down inch by inch as he 

began to gently massage the area.

“You…” His cheeks flushed slightly, and Qiu Pingti lifted his head, pressing his lips against his partner’s with 

passion and initiative, his hands growing increasingly eager.

The discussion about having children was interrupted by a sudden outburst of passion.

“Brother,” Qiu Ping Tian said, his voice strained. Suddenly remembering his younger brother sleeping in their 

bed, he hurriedly nudged his partner. “Our younger brother is still here…”

“It’s fine.”

A passionate kiss once again silenced all of Qiu Ping Tian’s reservations. Si Cang Qing waved his hand toward 

the bed, and the curtains fell, separating the inner and outer spaces.

Gently caressing the bare back of the person in his arms, Si Cang Qing closed his eyes to rest, and his thoughts 

turned to the other man’s earlier concern. An heir? Although it might disappoint the Emperor, he… would not do 

anything to hurt those people again, not even for the sake of continuing the family line or preserving the empire.

The throne of the realm belongs to the virtuous.

Perhaps… it was time to select a new generation of capable leaders.

He had never cared about the empire to begin with; everything he had done was merely a means of 

self-preservation after accepting this role. Later, his actions were intertwined with his feelings for 

Si Cang Jue Tian and the responsibilities of his position, yet… even these were not enough to compel him to do 

anything he did not wish to do.

Nothing was more important to him than the people by his side.

Si Cang Jue Tian had accepted Feng Lan back then, and later accepted the others as well; he must have come to 

view the matter of offspring with detachment. After all, he, Si Cang Qing, owed nothing to anyone.

His thoughts gradually drifted away. Listening to the steady, interlacing breaths beside him, Si Cang Qing felt his 

eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

Outside the window, a sudden gust of wind stirred, accompanied by a soft clatter.

Startled, Si Cang Qing couldn’t help but furrow his brow. It seemed… the hand wrapped around Qiu Ping Tian’s 

body instinctively brushed against the inner side of his sleeve, where he felt a dampness still warm to the touch.

Even someone as aloof as Si Cang Qing felt a sudden surge of a bittersweet, almost absurd sensation—

Which of the twins, he wondered, had actually wet the bed?!

It looked like he wouldn’t be getting any rest tonight!

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