Shooting Star [Never Let You Go, Again Book 2]

4: Your Good Friend

Wei Ying twisted his body to see where the shouts were coming from.

A beautiful young lady was chasing after a toddler who was running past the tables and the cheering merchants towards Zhao Meng. "A-Xuan? There you are!" Zhao Meng picked him up and cuddled him. The lady apologised to the tradesmen, who smiled at the little boy, and walked to sit beside Zhao Meng.

"Zhao, dear, A-Xuan wanted to find you."

"Ah, well, here I am!" Zhao Meng threw the toddler in the air and caught him, reminding the Jiangs of what Wei Wuxian did with Meilien.

"Zhao Meng, this is?"

"Oh, let me introduce them." Zhao Meng took the pretty lady's hand in his and said, "This is my love, my wife, Feiyu. Feiyu, this is that childhood bestie I told you about, Wei Wuxian."

"Yingxiong Laozu, Xingguang Xian, it's an honour to meet you," the lady stood, bowed and sat back down.

Wei Wuxian waved, "Madam Zhao, what 'Laozu' nonsense, I'm your husband's best friend. Just call me Wei Wuxian like he does. At most, Master Wei would do just great. And who's this little boy?" Wei Wuxian lightly pinched the boy's chubby cheeks.

"This is A-Xuan. My son."

A-Xuan turned to look at the stranger and stared for a long time. And so did Wei Wuxian: the little one's face reminded him too much of Jin Ling...

"Xingguang Xian? Daddy, it's Xingguang Xian!"

"Yes, A-Xuan, it is."

Wei Wuxian smiled at him and tousled his hair. "A-Xuan? By any chance, is your name Zixuan?"

The little boy shook his head. "I'm Haoxuan. Zhao Haoxuan."

"Oh." Wei Wuxian smiled. Your name is only a mere hint, huh? Fancy home, rich father, beautiful mother... You peacock. So fed up with the cultivation world that you're not a Jin, nor a cultivator? Jin-xiong... Wei Wuxian sighed. He patted the boy's shoulder while he asked, "How old are you, Haoxuan?"

"Five!" He put up three fingers.

Wei Wuxian chortled and pulled out two more fingers. "Now that's five. Businessman of a father couldn't teach you to count yet?" Wei Wuxian, the couple and the Jiangs laughed.

When the waiter came with the plates and bags of dumplings, Wei Wuxian asked him to bring another bag with ten more.

"Master Wei, ten?" Yuan goggled at him.

"I've two friends expecting a child. That sister will want to eat a lot," he plopped down two blocks of silver on Yuan's tray, which made him dash back to the kitchen and come running in no time with a bag of ten wontons. "Baozhai, you guys stay here and finish your meal off. I'll be going back after a walk. Could you send this bag to the Unclean Realm? Tell it's from Xingguang Xian for their Sect Leader Nie and wife."

"Sure!"

"Well then, Zhao Meng, Feiyu-mei, goodbye. A-Zhan and I are going home today, we'll drop by sometime soon! A-Xuan..." Wei Wuxian smiled at the little boy. "You remind me of a brother of mine. Goodbye, A-Xuan!"

"Xingguang Xian, goodbye!" The little boy shouted cheerfully as the Starlight Immortal stepped out of the inn.

**********

Wei Wuxian strolled down the street, countless bags swinging from one hand, Chenqing twirling between his fingers in the other.

Jin Zixuan, ah, Jin Zixuan, what happened to your proud Jin-ness? And what's this no-core talk? Are you that through with it all? No matter how many times I say 'sorry' it'll never be enough... You're more down-to-earth this time, too. Still, ever the peacock! Guess you're fated to be a spoilt brat each lifetime.