bookcurios Chapter 363 Is it my older brother?
Chapter 363 Is it my older brother?
Before the two ships even got close, the battle broke out instantly, with arrows flying like locusts, whistling across the sea.
The shouts from both sides mingled with the roar of the waves, creating a bloody symphony. The two ships drew closer and closer, and the people on opposite sides became clearly visible; a bloody battle was inevitable.
Yun Qing looked at Mu Qingcheng, who was standing frozen on the deck, with conflicted eyes, and finally made up her mind: "Mo Yu Mo Feng! Take Nuan Nuan and leave!"
"Yes!" Mo Yu and Mo Feng accepted the order simultaneously. But when they turned to look at Mu Qingcheng, they sensed something was amiss.
"Master, look, what's wrong with Master Mu...?"
Yun Qing suddenly turned around and found that Mu Qingcheng's expression was indeed strange.
The sea breeze was fierce, ruffling her long, ink-black hair, a few strands clinging to her cheeks. Her gaze was fixed on the blue and white figure, her brows furrowed, her expression a mixture of shock, surprise, and sorrow…
Mo Yan held a jade-bone folding fan in his hand, not unfolding it, but casually closing it. His exceptionally handsome face and sharp eyes swept lightly over the opposing warship.
As if sensing something, he landed far away on the bow of Yun Qing's flagship—on Mu Qingcheng.
The moment Mu Qingcheng's eyes met Mo Yan's, she was struck as if by lightning, her whole body trembling violently!
"Mu Xiaonuan!"
The name he blurted out almost made Mu Qingcheng's heart stop beating, her blood rush back to his head, and her ears ring.
It's my brother...it really is Mu Qingyan! Only my brother likes to call her "Mu Xiaonuan"!
Mu Qingcheng stared intently at that face, her hands trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
Is it a hallucination? Is it an illusion caused by excessive tension and longing? Or is it an absurd joke played by this vast expanse of time and space?
Overwhelmed by shock and confusion, her face paled. She instinctively took a half step back, her back pressed against Yun Qing's chest, and a pair of hands pulled her into his embrace.
"Don't be afraid, Nuan Nuan, I'm here!"
Yun Qing's heart was entirely focused on Mu Qingcheng, and only noticed her unusual behavior when she prepared to carry her back to the cabin.
The moment Mo Yan saw Mu Qingcheng being embraced by another man, the initial shock and excitement on his face froze and shattered, transforming into a terrifying coldness and ferocity! The jade-bone fan in his hand made a "crackling" sound, as if it would be crushed by him at any moment!
"You, you put her down...!" The jade-bone folding fan was pointed at Yun Qing.
Yun Qing tightened his grip on Mu Qingcheng's arm, abruptly looking up. His gaze towards Mo Yan was no longer merely that of someone scrutinizing a powerful enemy; it carried a deeper layer of suspicion and wariness. He couldn't let go; instead, he held Mu Qingcheng even tighter.
"Ceasefire—!" Mo Yan said no more, waving his hand sharply, his voice resolute and unquestionable.
Miraculously, the cannons on the Southern Yan warships, which had been aimed and poised to fire, slowly lowered; the archers, whose bowstrings were taut, uniformly lowered their arrows. At the same time, the sounds of battle seemed to be cut off by a sharp blade, and suddenly fell silent, leaving only the waves still surging and roaring tirelessly.
Everyone was stunned, including Pei Jingyuan and his subordinates.
"Your Highness, what should we do...?" Pei Jingyuan asked, bewildered.
Yun Qing took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. His gaze was fixed on the blue and white figure on the bow of the opposite ship. He said in a low voice, "All troops on alert. Do not move rashly. Obey my orders." His hand never loosened its grip on Mu Qingcheng.
The two massive warships slowly approached each other, eventually meeting at shoulder, with a makeshift gangway erected between them. The sea breeze swept by, carrying the lingering stench of blood and gunpowder, the atmosphere as tense as a taut bowstring.
Mo Yan stepped onto the springboard first, his steps steady. Behind him, eight men and eight women followed closely, all holding strangely shaped weapons, their eyes cold and their silence as hard as iron, exuding a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
Upon seeing them board the ship, Pei Jingyuan and the others immediately drew their swords and blocked Yun Qing and Mu Qingcheng's path, instantly escalating the tense atmosphere on the deck once again.
However, at this moment——
Under the shocked, bewildered, and incredulous gazes of everyone, Mu Qingcheng rushed towards the blue and white figure without hesitation, and then—heavily and unreservedly threw herself into his arms!
"Nuan Nuan!" Yun Qing's heart tightened, and she reached out to pull her, but only touched her fluttering sleeve.
The deck was deathly silent.
Yun Qing's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his pupils contracted sharply, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. The people behind him were even more dumbfounded, completely unable to comprehend this sudden and dramatic change.
Mu Qingcheng hugged Mo Yan tightly, buried her head in his chest, and burst into tears. Her shoulders heaved violently, as if she wanted to cry out all the fear of separation, longing, grievances, and the huge shock of regaining what she had lost.
"Brother...is it really you? Is it really you?" She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice broken and shattered. Her hands trembled as she reached out to touch his face, as if trying to confirm that this was not just another empty dream.
Mo Yan looked down at her, the icy anger in his eyes had long since melted away, replaced by an intense heartache and tenderness, and even a hint of tears welled up in his eyes.
He gently cupped her face, wiping away her surging tears with his fingertips, his voice low and hoarse, unlike anything anyone had ever heard before: "It's me, Mu Xiaonuan. Don't be afraid, your brother is here."
He paused, looking at her wide, tearful eyes in astonishment, and said, word by word, "It's not just me. Dad, Mom... we're all here."
These words struck Mu Qingcheng like another thunderclap.
"Waaaaah—!" She cried even more heartbreakingly, an indescribable outpouring of emotions, a mixture of extreme sorrow and extreme joy, which almost drained all her strength.
"Alright, stop crying. If you cry any longer, you'll look like a little kitten, so ugly." Mu Qingyan's voice was full of affection as he gently patted her back to comfort her.
Mu Qingcheng looked up and took a closer look at Mu Qingyan, feeling that something was off.
"Brother, when did you arrive, and how did you get here? Did you also fall into a spacetime rift by plane like me?"
Mu Qingyan said with a touch of pride, "Of course that's impossible. Your brother is so capable, how could I do something so dangerous? It's a long story. When you meet Mom and Dad, let them tell you! I don't like telling stories to kids."
After saying that, he affectionately flicked her forehead, a common interaction between the siblings.
Mu Qingcheng covered her head, tears welling in her eyes as she smiled and asked, "Where are Mom and Dad? Waaaaah... I want to find Mom and Dad..."
Mu Qingyan's gaze, however, went over her sister's head and met Yun Qing's, who was pale-faced and had a complicated look in her eyes, not far away.
"They're not here. They're in the capital of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Come, I'll take you to them right now."
Mu Qingyan pulled Mu Qingcheng up and turned to leave!
"Nuan Nuan... Nuan Nuan..." Yun Qing's repeated calls brought Mu Qingcheng back to reality. She turned around and saw Yun Qing's worried expression. A jolt went through her; she had been too excited and forgotten that this was a battlefield.
Seeing that Mo Yan was about to take their Crown Princess away, Pei Jingyuan waved his hand, ordering his men to surround them: "Stop! You audacious madman, how dare you kidnap our Crown Princess!"
"The Crown Princess?" Mu Qingyan's face immediately darkened. He tightened his grip on Mu Qingcheng's wrist and said coldly, "You're saying she's your Crown Princess?"
Mu Qingcheng felt she should explain to the two of them: "Yun Qing, this is my brother, my own brother, Mu Qingyan... I told you..."
Yun Qing was stunned! Mo Yan is Nuan Nuan's brother? ...
Mu Qingcheng turned to Mu Qingyan and quickly explained, "Brother, listen to me, this is a misunderstanding. My story with Yun Qing is a long one, I'll explain it to you when I see Mom and Dad!"
Mu Qingyan glanced at Yun Qing, then at her younger sister, and said through gritted teeth, "Fine, Mu Xiaonuan, I'll take you to meet Mom and Dad right now. You'd better have a good reason!"
After saying that, he pulled Mu Qingcheng onto the diving board. Mu Qingcheng struggled but couldn't break free, and anxiously shouted to Yun Qing, "Yun Qing, Yun Qing..."