Chapter 186 - INSIDE THE BLACK EGG IS...

"IS it really okay for Brother Ji Yun, Brother Ze, and Sister Yuqi to wait here with me?" Luo Yan asked as he put the black egg on the table.  "It may take a long while before Little Ancestor hatches.  It might get boring."

"Xiao Yan, it's fine.  Ji Yun and I are taking almost the same classes and I tell you, the both of us don't have anything important to do right now.  So, we don't mind waiting here with you."

"He's right," Shen Ji Yun agreed.

He was sitting in front of the rabbit.  He actually wanted for him to sit beside him.  But before he could offer the said seat, that gnome already pulled Luo Yan to his side.  Seriously, he truly couldn't understand why that gnome was so against him since day 1.

"There's also nothing important on my side," Su Yuqi followed.

"That's great," Luo Yan said, smiling brightly at them.

 "How come you only asked them?" Luo Jin suddenly inserted.

Luo Yan glanced at his younger brother.  Because of his game avatar, he looked like a cute, sulking kid.  With cheeks bulging and lips pouting.  Which was even more adorable considering how he really looked like in reality.  

"Oh, then does Ah Jin have something else to do?  I'm sorry if I just assumed things," he said looking all apologetic.  "If you have, then you can go and do that," he added with an understanding smile.

Argh.  Luo Jin felt like he just kicked his own foot.  He crossed both arms in front of his chest and sulked even more.  "W-whatever.  I'm free anyway."

Bai Ze burst out laughing when he saw the interaction between the two.  "Xiao Jin, how can you act so childish?"

Luo Jin glared at his older cousin.  "Your childish!  Your who—" he stopped right in time.  If he said 'your whole family is childish' wouldn't that also include him?  

He then heard a little chuckle from Su Yuqi.  He glanced at her and saw her looking at him with a small amused smile on her lips.  His face immediately heated up uncontrollably.  He quickly glanced away and chose not to say anything that would only make him appear more foolish.

Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, cluck his tongue.  It was not that loud, the others probably didn't even notice of hear it.  The reason was most likely his expressionless face.  So no one noticed that he was disappointed that the gnome did not really leave.

"By the way, tomorrow is the start of Mid-Autumn festival, have the two of you already packed?" Bai Ze asked his two cousins.

Luo Jin just shrugged.  Contrary to him, Luo Yan's answer was bit more laced with excitement.

"Yes, I've already packed my bags since yesterday."

"Is Xiao Yan excited to come and visit us?"

"I am.  I want to meet Uncle Chen again.  Also Auntie and Granpa.  As well as the little cousin."

Luo Yan already knew about the members of his mother's maiden family.  There's the uncle who visited him at the hospital when he was still confined there.  Bai Chen.  His wife – Sun Xiulan.  They had two sons – the twenty-year-old Bai Ze and the five-year-old Bai Ye.  Then there's the patriarch of the family – Bai Zhen.  Although the one who was truly acting as the head of the family now was Bai Chen.

It's mainly because of the illness of Bai Zhen.  According to Luo Ren, their grandfather had Alzheimer's.  An illness where one slowly forgot the memories that they had gathered throughout the years.  Memories that made them who they were as a person.  The memories of their loved ones were being eroded from their mind.  Truly, it's one heartbreaking illness.

Luo Ren said that their grandfather's illness only worsened when that accident happened seven years ago.  Luo Yan wondered if it would really be okay to meet him.  After all, he looked so much like his mother.  Wouldn't his appearance off-set an attack or something?  Oh well, he'd just deal with it if it ever happened.

But despite his small worries, Luo Yan truly wished that he could also be like a family to them.   

"Don't be too excited in wanting to meet Xiao Ye.  I'm warning you now, Xiao Yan.  That brat is a little devil," Bai Ze said in a very serious tone as if his little brother was indeed the devil.  

"I think Xiao Ye is really cute," Su Yuqi said, refuting Bai Ze.  "He took all the cute genes from your parents.  That's why none was left to you."  

"Hey, Su Yuqi!  Are you picking a fight?"

"As if you can defeat me," Su Yuqi responded mockingly.

"Hey--!"

"I agree with Yuqi," Shen Ji Yun injected. 

"Wait- which one did you agree with?" Bai Ze asked.  "The one about Xiao Ye or the one about me not being able to defeat her?"

"Both," Shen Ji Yun answered straightforwardly without even batting an eye.

This time, it was Luo Yan who laughed.  It was truly fun to watch whenever the three interacted.  Because it showed how close they were.  

Shen Ji Yun stared at the rabbit's smiling face.  Maybe he should tell Bai Ze to make a fool of himself more often when they're together with Luo Yan.  That way, he could see him laugh so freely.

Seeing the interaction of the three, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something.  "Sister Yuqi also lives in B City, right?" he asked Su Yuqi. 

Su Yuqi nodded.  "That's right."

"Then can Brother Ji Yun and Sister Yuqi visit us at the Bai household before we return to S City on Sunday?" Luo Yan suggested.  "That way, the five of us can officially meet."

"I'll go," Shen Ji Yun said, as if he couldn't wait to tell everyone his answer.  Which was true in a sense.  Since he's already planning to visit anyway.

Bai Ze glanced at Shen Ji Yun.  What's up with this guy?  It might not be so obvious, but he could tell that Shen Ji Yun was really excited right now.  Did he want to meet his cousins that badly?

He just ignored it and turned his attention back to Luo Yan.  "That's a brilliant idea, Xiao Yan."

"I also don't mind going.  I live pretty close to Bai Ze anyway," Su Yuqi said.

Luo Jin originally wanted to refuse.  Why did they have to let this Shen Ji Yun guy visit them?  It's already annoying seeing his expressionless mug in VR, now they had to see it in reality too?  But when he heard Su Yuqi's answer, he could only shut his mouth.

"Great!" Luo Yan happily clapped his hands.

Then, all of a sudden, the black egg on the table started to shake.  Luo Yan thought it was just his imagination.  But when it shook even harder, he knew that it's definitely not.

"Is this guy going to hatch?" Bai Ze asked, staring at the black egg.

"Duh, what else could it be?" Su Yuqi said sarcastically.

Bai Ze wanted to say a snappy comeback when the egg was suddenly surrounded by a dark shadow.  So his attention was pulled back to it once again.  "Is this something normal?"

Luo Yan unknowingly looked at Shen Ji Yun.  He didn't know why.  Probably to seek for an answer.  Or maybe… reassurance?  Which the other gave.  Shen Ji Yun nodded at him.  His expression was still non-existent but his blue eyes were silently telling him that 'it's okay'.  And surprisingly, he truly felt that it would really be okay.

So he put his attention back to his Little Ancestor.

The dark shadow started to recede.  When it completely disappeared, the egg started to crack.  Slowly from the top to the bottom.  A small black paw kicked the egg shell and the crack became even larger.  Until the black egg completely cracked.  

What's inside was a small black puppy.  No- wait, that's not right.  It's not a puppy but a baby fox with three fluffy tails behind it.  The fox's fur was so black that it almost seemed like black ink would seep out of it.  But there were parts that were striated with silver.  That just added to its charm.  And lastly, there was a spherical dark blue gem embedded on its forehead.  

The baby fox slowly opened its eyes.  The pair of eyes were almost similar to the brightest blue sapphire.  It stared at Luo Yan and blinked its eyes slowly.  It tilted its head and then it squeaked.  And Luo Yan was sure he heard the word;

[Mash… ter?]