Xu Yiyi nodded, though she didn't fully understand.
"Why the sudden lecture on profound truths?" Ruan Tang asked, holding her daughter's hand.
Xu Lai, holding Yiyi's other hand, replied with a serious expression, "Because one day she will become the Empress of the Immortal Domain, ruling over tens of billions of star systems. She must know who needs help and who should be ignored."
"Dad of the Empress, if you're so powerful, why didn't you save that old man with cancer?"
"There are fates at play beyond our control."
"Can you stop bluffing?"
"Alright, alright. The night is getting chilly, let's head home."
Under the streetlight, the shadows of the family of three stretched out, growing longer as they walked away. Fleeting shadows, just like the different paths people's lives take. Some long, some short. Some bright, some extinguished.
***
Meanwhile, in Yanjing, at the Jiang Family estate.
