”Mei’er, what are you doing keeping your brother at the door? Quickly bring him in,” She said.

Luo Mei found the opportunity to skip out of this awkward situation with Du Yuhan, so she followed what her mother said.

”Come on in.”

She let the two of them walk into the house.

”It’s good to see you, Senior Nangong,” Alex greeted her, and so did Du Yuhan.

”It’s good to see you two too,” she said. “Also, call me Aunt. No need to call me senior.”

”Okay, aunt Nangong,” Alex said.

”Anyway, I haven’t seen you in a decade, how are you doing, young man?” she asked.

”I’m doing fine,” Alex said.

”And you? The last time we saw you we had to ask you to leave. How are you doing?” she asked Du Yuhan.

”I… I’m doing alright, I guess,” Du Yuhan said.

Alex looked at the two awkwardly. ‘Asked to leave? What happened?’ he wondered.

”Don’t worry, nephew Yu. It was nothing serious. It wasn’t that we didn’t welcome him, but that our daughter didn’t want to meet him so she asked us to ask him to leave on her behalf.”

”Were it for us, we would have never asked him to leave,” Shi Nangong said.

Luo Mei walked in the front, not daring to show her face when this particular subject was being talked about.

The four of them walked over to the living room where they were made to sit on the magnificent sofa that was there.

Luo Mei and Shi Nangong sat on the other side.

Alex looked around the room and asked, “where’s Uncle Keng and Sister Xing?”

”My husband is on a business trip. He should return in 2 to 3 days, so if you stay you might be able to meet him.”

”As for Xing’er, I’m afraid she’s an elder at her sect and won’t be returning for a few good years,” Shi Nangong said.

”Junior brother,” Luo Mei interjected. “Where were you all this time? Were you really captured by the beasts? What about Pearl? Is he alright?”

Alex laughed a little as he realized he was going to have to tell the story of the last 10 years all over again.

However, since the audience was new, he told everything all over again.

”There’s an empire beyond the forest?” Shi Nangong asked with a horrified face.

”Did you not know aunt Nangong?” Alex asked.

”No. How could we?” she asked.

”Did sister not tell you?” he asked.

”I… I didn’t even think it was possible for you to go to the other empire,” she said. “I mean people did mention it, but how could you have escaped the Saint beasts?”

”So I never even thought of the other empire from that point forth,” Luo Mei said.

”Well, at least you are back now. What do you plan on doing? You’re an Alchemist, right? You can become an alchemist in the capital,” Shi Nangong said.

”I… I don’t plan on staying here for much,” Alex said. “In just 2 or 3 months, I will be returning.”

”Eh? You’re going back?” Luo Mei asked.

”Yes,” Alex said. “I can take you along if you want.”

”I…” Luo Mei glanced at Du Yuhan quickly before returning back to Alex. “I don’t think I want to.”

Shi Nangong sighed. “Nephew Yu, how are your medical skills? Have they improved?” she asked.

”I would say so, yes,” Alex said.

”Oh great! I have had this really bad pain in my back for a few days, can you help me check it?” she said.

”Umm, sure,” Alex said.

”Come, come. You can check me in the other room,” Shi Nangong said and took Alex away.

As Alex walked away, he saw Luo Mei’s eyes flash with panic while Du Yuhan looked thankful.

After going a little further away, Alex asked, “Are you really in need of my help, aunt Nangong?” he asked.

”Hehe, of course not. I just want the two lovebirds to talk it out,” she said.

”I thought so,” Alex said. “Do you know what’s wrong with those two? Brother Yuhan said a bit, but I don’t know if you know sister’s end of the deal.”

”She’s just confused right now,” Shi Nangong said. “Her heart is in two places and she can’t decide what to do.”

”In two places? Is she in love with someone else?” Alex asked.

”Not someone, something. Ever since she was young, we talked about how talented she was and how great she would be in the future.”

”So, she doesn’t know if she wants to focus on cultivation or love,” Shi Nangong said.

”Oh,” Alex said. “I honestly thought it would be more serious. So it’s just that.”

”Well, it’s supposed to be just that, but this girl is so indecisive that she’s let the young man wait for her for nearly 5 years.”

”If she doesn’t make a choice this time, I’m going to force her to,” Shi Nangong said with a surprising amount of annoyance in her voice.

However, Alex couldn’t argue against her as he did feel that way too after hearing what was going on.

’If both of them truly love each other, then they should just talk and work it out,’ he thought.

”Well, since I already brought you away, want to tell me more about yourself? Do you have someone you love?” Shi Nangong asked.

”No,” Alex said. There wasn’t a single hesitation in him at all. As far as he understood himself, he didn’t even have a crush on anyone.

”Well, you should try and find someone for yourself too. You should be 30 too right. Only a few years before you are considered adult,” Shi Nangong said.

”Let’s see what life has,” Alex said while hiding a chuckle to himself. He didn’t want to tell her what she got wrong about him since there was no way of knowing it without him telling her.

’That is true though,’ he thought. ‘I should be about 30 right now. At least, the other me. I wonder if he is doing fine and if he found someone to marry. 30 is very close to the time to get married.’

A woman walked up to the two of them and Alex recognized her, or so he thought.

”Oh, I heard you were back young lord,” the woman bowed to greet him.

”Um… Meng Yun?” he asked. He still wasn’t sure if there was a way to distinguish the two twins.

”Yes, it’s me,” Meng Yun said.

”Oh, hi. How are you doing? How’s life?” Alex started making small conversation.

Shi Nangong took the chance to leave and go back to her own work of handling the manor and the business in the absence of her husband.

People came in one by one to ask for stuff, and she needed to be there to handle it.

As Alex and Meng Yun talked, with Meng Yun always calling him ‘young lord’, Alex heard someone walk towards them.

When Alex turned to see, it was Meng Fei.

”Sister,” Meng Fei hurriedly came up to Meng Yun.

”What’s wrong?” she asked.

Meng Fei came close to Meng Yun and whispered, “he’s back.”

”Who is back?” Alex asked.

”I’m sorry. No time to explain,” Meng Yun said as her spiritual sense spread out in search for Luo Mei. When she found her, she sent a message directly.

”Is there a problem?” Alex asked.

”Not one you should worry about,” Meng Yun said, but Alex wasn’t listening. Spiritual sense spread from him like a barrier from an activated formation.

He sensed every entity that was currently in the house, and that included a man that was very audaciously entering the house.

Alex saw the face, but he had never seen him before.

Alex also saw the anger flare in his sister’s eyes and knew this wasn’t just some guy.

”Who’s he?” Alex asked.

”He’s Tian Chen, son of the Tians,” Meng Yun said. “They are a rival merchant family and have been trying to join hands with the master for a while now.”

”One of the ways they are trying is by asking young lady’s hand in marriage. Every so often he comes to court young lady, but—”

”Does sister like him?” Alex asked.

”She hates him,” Meng Yun said.

”Well, that’s all I need to know.”