Chapter 32: Family Reunion

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyi could barely contain his excitement as he took in his surroundings.

That familiar feeling—he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Sky Sword City, after six long months, I’m finally home!” He broke into hearty laughter and headed straight for the Gu family estate.

As people caught sight of Gu Qingyi in his tattered clothes, they all wrinkled their noses in disgust.

Everyone turned away and started gossiping about Gu Qingyi.

“Since when do beggars get into Sky Sword City? What a disgrace!” a pretty young lady grumbled, pinching her nose. “I have no idea what the city guards are doing. I’m definitely going to report them to the City Lord! Such negligence.”

“Exactly! They should throw him out right now,” a young man beside her quickly agreed, eager to please.

“Wait, look! Isn’t he heading toward the Gu family?” someone cried, panic creeping onto their face. “And didn’t he just say his name was Gu Qingyi?”

“No way! He really is! Then this beggar must be the eldest young master of the Gu family!” someone exclaimed, clapping their hands in shock. “Alright, show’s over! The storytellers will have a field day with this tomorrow. We’ll just enjoy the gossip then!”

With laughter lingering, the onlookers scattered, vanishing as quickly as they had gathered.

……………………

Half a cup of tea’s time later, at the gates of the Gu family.

Gu Qingyi, looking ragged and filthy, stood at the grand entrance, hesitating as he stared at the ornate doors. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and knocked hard. Thud, thud, thud. “Is anyone there?”

The clamor at the gate quickly caught the attention of a maid inside.

With a slightly suspicious look, she strode over and pulled the door open with a creak.

The maid eyed Gu Qingyi up and down, confusion written all over her face.

After a moment, she spoke, tense. “Hello, did you come to the wrong place? This is the Gu family! If you just want a bowl of water, I can bring it to you—but you need to leave right away!”

Gu Qingyi stared back at the maid, surprise clear on his face.

His usually cold, stoic features—like a statue—softened with a faint smile.

He spoke softly. “That’s right. I came for the Gu family. Would you let me through? I want to go inside.”

They locked eyes, tension crackling in the air.

The maid immediately threw her arms out to block Gu Qingyi’s path.

Her expression turned serious as she demanded, “What did you say? You came to the Gu family? Who are you, really? Are you planning something against us? I’ll tell you this now—if you want to harm the Gu family, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Gu Qingyi looked at the determined maid blocking his way and couldn’t help but feel helpless.

He gave a wry, bitter smile. “How is it possible to come home and end up stuck outside?”

………………………

“Xiao Yu, what’s happening at the gate? Why is it so noisy?” The commotion outside quickly drew the attention of people inside.

Hearing her young lady’s voice, Xiao Yu braced herself against the door, making sure Gu Qingyi couldn’t get in.

Panicking, she shouted, “Miss, something happened! Don’t come out!”

Inside, Gu Qingxiao realized something was wrong, put down her work, and gracefully hurried to the entrance.

What greeted her was Xiao Yu, arms spread anxiously across the doorway. Gu Qingxiao’s heart tightened and she asked softly, “Xiao Yu, what’s going on?”

Seeing Gu Qingxiao already there, Xiao Yu scolded her, frustration clear in her voice. “Miss, why did you come out? I specifically told you not to!”

Gu Qingyi felt like he’d just walked into a comedy, encountering two lovable fools the moment he came home. He couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry as he called out, “Xiao’er, your big brother’s back! This welcome committee is something else!”

Gu Qingxiao stared at the scruffy, beggar-looking Gu Qingyi and froze, completely stunned.

She could hardly believe her eyes—this disheveled, dirty man was actually her brother, Gu Qingyi.

It felt as though time stood still, the whole world falling silent. Questions and disbelief swirled in Gu Qingxiao’s mind as she stared at her brother, searching for even the tiniest familiar detail.

Half in shock, Gu Qingxiao blurted, “What? You’re really my brother? Do you know how worried Mother and I were when you vanished? How could you let yourself get like this after six months away?”

Xiao Yu looked between the siblings, utterly dazed and wondering if she’d just misheard. Was this filthy beggar really their eldest young master?

What had she just done?

“I’m so sorry, Young Master! I didn’t realize it was you, so I kept blocking you outside. I really am sorry!” Xiao Yu dropped to her knees, bowing apologetically.

“What are you doing? Get up. It’s fine, I’ve gotten used to this kind of thing.” Gu Qingyi gave her a gentle smile and reached down to help her up.

“Xiao Yu, go ahead and leave us. I want to talk to my brother for a bit,” Gu Qingxiao said softly, casting a glance at Xiao Yu.

“Yes, Miss. Young Master, I’ll be going then,” Xiao Yu stammered as she quickly stood and slipped away.

Gu Qingxiao stared at Gu Qingyi, who had been missing for half a year.

Unable to hold it in anymore, she suddenly rushed forward, throwing her arms around Gu Qingyi as tears streamed down her face.

Big, glistening tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Brother, I’ve missed you so much ever since you disappeared without a word!” Gu Qingxiao choked, her eyes red and brimming with tears. “Mother almost went mad searching for you, scouring everywhere for any trace! No one heard anything about you!”

“If I hadn’t kept persuading her, Mother would’ve searched the world for you herself. But you’re back now, and that’s all that matters! Come, let me take you to see Mother!” Gu Qingxiao wiped her tears away, breaking into a bright smile as she reached for Gu Qingyi’s hand.

“I can’t go see Mother looking like this. Let me freshen up first,” Gu Qingyi said, glancing down at himself and shaking his head.

“Alright, hurry up and wash up, Brother. I’ll wait and we’ll see Mother together!” Gu Qingxiao agreed, nodding firmly.

…………….

Gu Qingyi made his way to the courtyard he once called home.

With a creak, the door opened.

Everything inside felt both strangely familiar and a little foreign.

He quietly thought to himself, “I can’t believe I’ve been gone so long, yet the room is spotless. That must be Xiao’er’s doing.” He ran his hand along the surface, feeling the weight of the passing years. “Time slips by so quickly. It’s been six months since I arrived in this world.”

After cleaning himself up, Gu Qingyi joined his sister Gu Qingxiao to see Shen Yue.

When they entered the room, Shen Yue was lying in bed, her eyes dull. The room was dim, and even in the shadows Gu Qingyi could see that time had softened her once beautiful face with traces of age.

Gu Qingxiao looked at Shen Yue, worry twisting in her heart. “Mother, look! Brother is home!” As soon as Shen Yue saw them, her eyes sparkled with new life.

She sat up, barely able to contain her excitement. “This is wonderful! Son, you’re finally home! These past months, I couldn’t eat or sleep, just longing for you to come back. The heavens have answered my prayers—you’re finally here!” Shen Yue tightly grasped Gu Qingyi’s hands, joy overflowing from her eyes. “You made it back just in time! Today’s the Mid-Autumn Festival. Our family is together again! Tonight, we’ll have a proper feast.”

Gu Qingyi was a little surprised. “So it’s already the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

…………….

Night fell, and the moon hung in the sky—bright, round, and impossibly large.

The table was covered with a rich spread of dishes. The whole family sat together, the room buzzing with laughter and happiness.

Shen Yue and Gu Qingxiao kept piling food into Gu Qingyi’s bowl, beaming with joy. “Eat up! Look how thin you’ve gotten. You need to regain your strength!”

Looking at his overflowing bowl, Gu Qingyi’s heart filled with warmth. For the first time in this vast, unfamiliar world, he felt true family—the love of his mother and sister.

“I wonder how my birth parents are, back on the other side of the world. Are they missing me as much as I miss them?”

For tonight, surrounded by this reunion, Gu Qingyi was able to forget the pain of separation. He treasured every moment of this hard-earned togetherness, quietly thinking of his family far away.

After dinner, the family strolled beneath the moonlight, chatting about all sorts of little things, savoring the joy of the festival.

A cool night breeze drifted past, but it couldn’t cool their happiness. Bathed in moonlight, every face shone with contentment.

In that moment, Gu Qingyi truly felt the warmth of home and the strength of family love.

He understood now—no matter where he went, his family would always be his most cherished support.

On this night of reunion, Gu Qingyi felt so lucky and grateful for this deep, unwavering love.

Yet, as the joyful festival continued, Gu Qingyi couldn’t help but think of his birth parents, worlds away.

He stared up at the full moon, lost in thought. “Are they out there right now, missing me too? Waiting for me to come home?”

Under this bright, moonlit sky, Gu Qingyi made a silent vow: “I’ll work hard to cultivate, to become strong enough to cross worlds and find my birth parents!”

But for now, he would cherish this family love and use his own hands to give his loved ones an even better future.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, spent with his reunited family, became an eternal memory in Gu Qingyi’s heart.

On this special day, Gu Qingyi grasped the true meaning of life and felt his resolve grow stronger.

Unbeknownst to him, on this beautiful night, his birth parents in another world were also thinking of him, hoping he’d soon return to their side.

Moonlight poured over the family, cloaking them in a veil of silver.

On this Mid-Autumn night, with everyone together beneath the glowing moon, Gu Qingyi reveled in their love and closeness.

And during this treasured time, Gu Qingyi made a quiet wish in his heart: “May my family stay safe and happy, and may I one day reach the peak of cultivation, cross the void, and reunite with my birth parents back on Blue Star!”