Ye Muo was not as sad anymore after his hair was stroked and his cheek patted.
Only after he eventually calmed down did he start on carefully digesting Norton’s words. Tears still stained his cheeks, but his eyes glimmered once more. “Will we really meet again?”
He asked, already believing in it wholeheartedly and even starting to look forward to it. Norton’s words always came true. He’s never lied to Ye Muo before.
Ye Muo’s heart settled down.
Norton answered him without hesitation, “You will, but don’t be too hasty. Pursuing a goal at all makes mistakes more likely. Not to worry, I will come up with a solution. That future will definitely come one day.”
Ye Muo nodded hard. He was very good at waiting. For some reason, he felt like a wonderful future always followed after episodes of suffering.
He wasn’t suffering right now, just waiting. Ambrose and the others would also be waiting for him in the future. Therefore, he just had to grow up properly and reach that future.
“Okay, I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait.”
Norton looked at him with a serious expression. “And don’t think about it anymore. You’ll have all the time in the world once you grow up. Don’t think about it until I say you’re old enough to. Be patient, Xavier.”
Ye Muo’s response was earnest, “En, I won’t think about it anymore before you say I can, Dad. Try to, that is.”
His voice grew quieter, “I feel like I might not be able to prevent myself from thinking about it just a tiny bit at times, but I’ll try my best, Dad.”
Norton pressed their foreheads together. “Perhaps there will be no need for an impenetrable wall by the time you grow up. That would be a good time to bring it crashing down.”
“En.”
Theodore and Ano exchanged a look at the door.
Ano was a bit fuzzy on the details, but it seemed like Xavier had been coaxed out of his mood now, so he was at ease.
Theodore, meanwhile, let out a soft smile. He had reaffirmed once more that this was what he wanted– to reach that happy future together with Xavier.
Some distance away, Ambrose’s brows also relaxed. “Sure enough, he’s still a child.”
Although he didn’t know exactly what was going on, throwing a tantrum to the point of affecting one’s psychic power was something only a little Grantz would do.
Ethan also retook his seat. He had instinctively shot to his feet the moment he detected the disturbance. If Ambrose hadn’t held him back, he probably would have headed over already.
“Told you so. Xavier’s incredibly coddled.” he muttered under his breath.
Ambrose looked at him, amused. “Is that so?”
“What are you laughing at? Stop it.”
Ambrose’s smile deepened. “You’re far too overbearing, Ethan. It’s not like I was laughing at you.”
Ethan could only suck it up. Moments later, he stood up and hopped straight out the window, Ambrose’s laughter fading far behind him.
At breakfast, Ethan was pouring out a glass of milk when he saw Ye Muo walk in. “Still milk, right? Here, this is for you. Want some sugar? There’s also beef.”
Ambrose sat there, smiling gently. “Did you sleep well yesterday? I slept quite well, aside from hearing a certain little Grantz throwing a tantrum right before bedtime.”
This reference was a bit too on the nose. A certain little Grantz blushed furiously as he drank milk. He started stammering while raising his plate, “I-I-I want candy. Had enough beef.”
Theodore bravely spoke up to defend Ye Muo, “Xavier was not throwing a tantrum.”
Ye Muo felt immensely guilty with fork in hand, but he couldn’t help but think to himself that simply crying didn’t really count as a tantrum. Thus, he nodded along with Theodore. “Yeah, I didn’t.”
He soon stopped stressing over semantics, because Theodore explained simply, “Xavier just cried for a while and was easily coaxed. It’s because he’s always so responsible and mature.”
Ethan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Easily coaxed, huh? Wow, that sounds real mature.”
The spoon in Ye Muo’s hand fell with a clatter to the floor. He immediately ducked under the table to get it and didn’t come out for the longest time.
Why couldn’t there be a time machine down here?
He was regretting this a whole lot. Had he known things would turn out like this, he would’ve just admitted to throwing a tantrum in the first place.
A certain little Grantz failed to sprout back up into his seat between Norton and Ano.
Seeing this, Ambrose cleared his throat, “Alright, alright. That’s enough. No one is allowed to look at Xavier anymore.”
Even so, breakfast still took much longer to finish than usual.
After the meal.
Ambrose raised an eyebrow at Norton, who remained seated. He was usually the last one to leave the room, watching everyone else stand up before unhurriedly getting to his feet.
Ye Muo paused by the doorway, looking back with a touch of confusion at Ambrose and Norton at the table. Theodore stopped and glanced back as well.
Norton glanced at him. “Go ahead, Xavier. I’ll come find you soon.”
Ye Muo nodded obediently. He turned and broke out into a jog, intending to catch up to Ethan and Ano.
His pace soon slowed again. Ethan and Ano, who had been chatting animatedly as they walked, had stopped at some point to wait for him.
Ano reached out to pat the dust off Ye Muo’s clothes out of habit. “They must have things to discuss.”
Ethan also pressed a light hand to the child’s back, guiding him along. “Come on, let’s go.”
Back inside the dining room.
Ambrose poured himself another glass of strong liquor. “Doesn’t he get mad with you keeping such a close eye on him?”
Of course he noticed Norton’s psychic power being locked on Ye Muo at all times. Though he asked, Ambrose already knew Ye Muo wouldn’t be upset.
He had also monitored Xavier closely for a time. Ambrose had been both fearful and somewhat angry over what could’ve gone wrong when Ye Muo had left Elias’ side without permission. It was meant to ensure his safety as much as it was a punishment.
Back then, no matter where Ye Muo went, everyone else would instantly understand that this was a little Grantz under strict parental supervision. Only Ye Muo himself remained completely oblivious.
Ambrose had found it a bit strange at the time, but he understood the moment he met Norton.
The cub who had grown used to being carried around by the scruff of his neck naturally wouldn’t mind it when he did the same. He just curled up into a compliant little ball like usual.
That didn’t stop Ambrose from teasing Norton.
The man merely looked back at him, offering no response.
Ambrose was a bit disappointed he didn’t take the bait. “Is there something you want to say to me? It must be very important, if you’re willing to let Xavier leave your sight for once.”
The sunlight was lovely, casting a warm, gentle glow across the hallway.
Ye Muo finally said something when he turned around for the third time and confirmed Ethan was still staring at him, “Why are you staring at me, Ethan?”
He asked quite candidly. He liked being direct most of the time.
Ethan replied just as bluntly, “Why did you cry last night?”
Ye Muo suddenly found the cracks in the floor very interesting. Theodore wrapped his arms around Ye Muo and tried to shield him from sight. “Don’t keep staring at Xavier like that. He’s going to feel shy.”
After a moment of thought, Ethan started staring even more intently, until Ye Muo curled in on himself.
Ano came over as well. “Stop that. Xavier’s going to run off if this continues.”
Ye Muo’s head snapped back from scanning the hallway. He quietly retorted, “I was not.”
Ethan widened his stance to block one side of the hallway. “You’re not getting out of this that easily. Ano, go block the other side.”
“I would never bully Xavier.”
Ano said, taking his position on the other side.
Theodore’s expression grew serious. He shielded Ye Muo behind him. “Run, Xavier. I’ll try to buy you some time.”
Ye Muo tensed instinctively. He was already scanning the hallway. “How long do you think you can hold them–”
He paused before resting his head on Theodore’s shoulder. “I said I wasn’t going to run.”
Ethan was already advancing. Ye Muo started tensing again, backing away while clutching at Theodore’s shirt. “They’re going to catch me…”
Ano stood back and watched for a few seconds before taking ahold of Ye Muo’s shirt. “I wanna play too.”
A game of reverse tag was taking shape.
As the loyal teammate, Theodore spread his arms wide. “Don’t worry, Xavier. I’m quite experienced when it comes to this.”
They played around in the hallway for quite some time. Ye Muo even took a turn being ‘it’. After that, he slid down with his back to the railing to do a bit of sunbathing.
He had successfully convinced himself and wasn’t feeling as embarrassed anymore.
When Ethan pressed him for the reason again, Ye Muo buried the lower half of his face into his collar. His eyes continued to look candidly at Ethan. “I just felt really sad because I won’t be able to see you guys again when I leave soon. I like you, Ethan, and I like everyone else too.”
Ethan was stunned. He froze on the spot like a statue.
Ye Muo didn’t think it was a big deal. Compared to admitting he cried yesterday, confessing that parting made him sad and that he cared about them was much simpler.
He was remarkably honest about his emotions most of the time, often voicing his longings and affections. Some things he wouldn’t share unless prompted, but he wouldn’t lie about them in any case.
There were also things that Ye Muo thought he hid well, but he never did. At times, he wondered if there was a little cloud above his head that smiled when he was happy and rained when he was sad.
It took Ethan quite a while to regain control of his body. Flustered, he whirled around, only to whirl back around to stare into Ye Muo’s eyes again.
After that, he finally lowered his gaze, overwhelmed.
Leaving Ye Muo blinking in confusion.
Ano huffed lightly on the side. Who told him to tease Xavier? Now Ethan was the one suddenly very interested in the floor.
Worried that Ethan might still tease him about crying, Ye Muo quickly continued, “But I’m all better now, Ethan. None of us need to be sad, because Dad said we will meet again. We’re only saying goodbye for now for a better reunion. I’m actually still a bit worried, though. What if your life is really hard while I’m not here? And Ambrose…”
Ethan suddenly laughed. Some of the emotions he had been keeping bottled up inside dissipated. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
“But don’t be too worried, and don’t underestimate me, Xavier. I told you that I don’t regret a single moment of my life. I’ve always been living well. Even back at the Rift, I ate well and fought to my heart’s content.”
Ethan’s life might not have been long, but it was magnificent in its own way. The only person he got a headache over was probably Xavier. He couldn’t hit him, nor scold him, and the child was the first to let him taste the pain of parting. Yet the beautiful things he experienced far outweighed these small grievances.
The memories of Ye Muo calling his name and admitting he cherished Ethan came to mind.
So he smiled, joyful and earnest.
“I’ll live well even when you’re not here. So will the others. We’ll wait to see you again.”
……
Norton looked into Ambrose’s eyes.
“Have you sensed what Xavier can do?”
“He can prolong things.”
“No, not prolonging, reversing. You would understand if he ever entered your psychic domain.”
However, even Xavier, who was a bit deficient in common sense, understood it was extremely rude to intrude into another person’s psychic domain without their permission.
Ambrose sobered up as well. The two concepts were completely different. “Do you trust me that much?”
“I only trust myself and the Grantz. Come, view my memories.”
Norton extended a hand, an invitation that could not be turned down.
Ambrose accepted it without hesitation. As their hands met, he responded to Norton using psychic power, offering his own memories in return.
They were both psychically gifted Grantz. What they were attempting was not an exchange of memories, but entire lifetimes. A basic channel would not do.
Thus, before the exchange began, both of their psychic power spread out until they enveloped the entire planet near-simultaneously. Only then were the initial preparations for the exchange complete.
Author’s Corner
Muomuo: you can only bring up me crying once, you promised
Theodore went to attend a class on how to offer comfort. The teacher told him to just go home.
Theodore was confident: Teacher, can I graduate already?🤓
—
Today, I accidentally ran into Pangzhua, who had run away from home. I dragged it straight to the Grantz lost and found. In return, I got a whole bunch of mini Pangzhua charms made out of its shed fur to share with everyone!
