"So, we're becoming parents."
Ren nodded softly, pushing aside the cluttered thoughts in his mind to focus on Yoruichi. His brow suddenly furrowed.
Yoruichi was still in the same posture, leaning her head on her arms as she sprawled across the desk, putting pressure on her abdomen.
"Yoruichi, you're pregnant! You shouldn't be lying face down like that. Get down from there right now!"
"And what was with you kicking the door open earlier? You even used Shunpo. Aren't you worried about hurting the baby?"
Ren wasn't entirely sure if that position would actually harm the fetus, but he figured it was best to change it regardless.
Yoruichi curled her lip. She had known Ren would react this way.
"The baby hasn't even fully formed yet. How could it get hurt?"
"Mr. Serious, it seems you're even more worried than I am."
Despite her words, Yoruichi sat up from the desk, preparing to hop down to the floor.
Ren stood up quickly, his expression turning solemn as he held out his arms.
"Careful now. Let me carry you down."
"Haha, then make sure you've got a good grip."
Yoruichi draped her arms over Ren's shoulders. With a gentle lift, he lowered her slowly to the floor.
Ren tentatively reached out, his hand softly stroking his wife's smooth, flat stomach. Through the fabric, he felt her warmth and the inkling of a new life deep within.
"Hehe, Mr. Serious. It's our child. You're going to be a father."
"I'm going to be a mother. Thinking about it now, it still doesn't feel real. It's like a dream."
Ren reluctantly let go, instead cupping Yoruichi's delicate face. His fingertips brushed from her jawline to her long, elegant neck, then back up to her cheek.
Her playful smile was reflected in his eyes. He felt as if he could share in the happiness she was feeling at that moment.
Yet, he realized deep down that he didn't actually feel all that joyful.
'Right. A man like me having a child... it really is like a dream.'
Yoruichi took Ren's large hand and rubbed it against her face. She felt the calluses earned from years of sword practice, a rough sensation against her skin.
But in this moment, Yoruichi felt an indescribable joy.
"A name..."
Yoruichi murmured under her breath, causing Ren to glance at her curiously.
"What was that?"
"I was talking about a name."
Yoruichi held Ren's hand against her belly. Her usual carefree and bold demeanor had vanished, replaced by a tenderness as soft as water.
"A name for our child. Have you thought of one yet?"
"Of course, of course."
Ren nodded calmly. Leading Yoruichi behind the desk, he pushed the chair back and pulled a set of calligraphy tools from a drawer.
This set had been a gift from Aizen years ago. He had cherished it ever since, rarely bringing it out for ordinary use.
After years of practice, while Ren wouldn't claim to be a master, he had developed a very neat hand.
At the very least, his writing was perfectly legible now, unlike before when anyone who saw it would complain about how messy it was.
He smoothed a sheet of paper on the desk, weighing it down with a paperweight. He dipped his brush in ink, but as the tip neared the white surface, he paused.
Ren turned to Yoruichi and asked, "Do you have any names in mind?"
"The child is part of the Shihoin family, so the least you can do is name them. It gives you some sense of participation as a father," Yoruichi teased. "Besides, I'm not very good at coming up with names."
Ren's expression softened. Clearly in a good mood, he retorted, "How could I not have a sense of participation? Without my hard work, would this child even be here?"
Yoruichi laughed heartily and urged him on. "Hahaha! Just write it already. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of name you've chosen."
"Yoruichi, promise you won't laugh at me."
Ren made her promise. This was a name he had thought of a long time ago, one that held a certain significance for him.
If he wrote it now and Yoruichi didn't like it, she probably would mock him on the spot.
Knowing her, she was entirely capable of doing just that.
"I won't laugh, I won't! As long as it's a name you picked seriously, how could I laugh?"
At Yoruichi's urging, Ren set the brush to paper. His hand moved with a flourish, the characters flowing out in a single, inspired stroke.
"Phew."
He blew on the ink and fanned it with his hand, admiring his work. He nodded repeatedly, satisfied with the calligraphy.
It was a fine piece of writing, perhaps the best he had produced in years.
Yoruichi leaned forward, her golden eyes scanning the characters on the page.
"Tou... ichirou!"
"Shihoin Touichirou!"
Yoruichi's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but pat her husband's shoulder excitedly.
Slap! Slap!
"Mr. Serious, I didn't expect you to come up with such a good name! It even has a number in it. This is better than I imagined."
"It's much, much better than any of the names I spent so long trying to think of."
Ren grew curious. "Oh? Tell me then, what names did you come up with?"
Yoruichi's face flushed. She opened her mouth to speak, but seeing the expectation in Ren's eyes, she finally gritted her teeth and told him.
"Don't you dare laugh! It was... it was..."
"If it's a boy, his name will be Yaoyorozu Kamikiyo. If it's a girl, it'll be Sanzen Ruri."
"Huh?"
Ren's eyes narrowed, as if he had heard something impossible.
He instinctively dug a finger into his ear and asked for confirmation, repeating the names.
"Yaoyorozu Kamikiyo? Sanzen Ruri?"
"Yoruichi, are you serious?"
Yoruichi feigned outrage and snapped, "You said you wouldn't laugh!"
"I never agreed to that. Besides, I'm not laughing."
Ren turned his head slightly, avoiding Yoruichi's gaze so she wouldn't see his expression, which was on the verge of cracking.
Honestly, the names Yoruichi had picked were... hard to handle.
Yoruichi shouted, "You're still laughing! You haven't stopped!"
"I'm not laughing. I'm really not."
Ren forced himself to suppress his amusement. Fortunately, his poker face had always been one of his strengths.
When he turned back to her, his expression had returned to its usual composure.
"Whew. Yoruichi, I have to say, you were right about not being the one to pick the name."
If the child actually had to use the names Yoruichi came up with, they probably wouldn't be able to show their face in public once they grew up.
In terms of sheer eighth-grade syndrome, those names were on par with that first-generation captain's Eternal Life.
"I told you I'm not good at this!" Yoruichi barked, though she then muttered in an almost inaudible voice, "Even though I thought those two names were pretty cool..."
"Yoruichi, you really have no talent in this area."
Ren had to admit, there was always someone more extreme. Yoruichi was a peak he could only marvel at.
He had originally thought he was bad at naming, having gone back and forth between Touichirou and Touman.
However, considering the poor reputation of a certain person named Liu Bobo, he had decided on Touichirou first.
Now it seemed that compared to Yoruichi's bizarre choices, he practically had the talent of a grandmaster.
His confidence was instantly restored!
Yoruichi quickly changed the subject.
"Hey, Mr. Serious. That name is fine, but it looks like it's for a boy."
"The baby is too small to determine the gender right now. If it turns out to be a girl, what should we call her?"
Ren had already planned for this, of course.
He set the first paper aside and began to write again.
Yoruichi watched his brushwork and softly read the girl's name.
"Hikari?"
"Shihoin Hikari!"
A hint of confusion crossed Yoruichi's face. "How come there's no number in this one?"
Ren said gently, "Adding a number felt a bit awkward. Like your name, Yoruichi—it feels a bit neutral, not very feminine."
"If it's a girl, I want her name to be softer, brighter... warmer."
Yoruichi nodded firmly. "That makes sense!"
Then she realized what he had said and glared at him.
"Are you saying my name isn't feminine enough?"
"Yoruichi, do you really think you act like a typical girl?" Ren sighed.
"Hmm... you have a point there."
Yoruichi pursed her lips and nodded in subconscious agreement.
She knew she was a tomboy; she didn't have the delicate nature of ordinary girls.
A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she looked at Ren with her golden eyes.
"Ren, in your heart, what was this child supposed to be named?"
Ren was spreading the two pieces of calligraphy on the desk. Hearing her question, he turned back with a look of confusion.
He pointed at the two names he had just written.
"These two."
"No, that's not what I mean," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "I'm not talking about the names you chose now. I'm talking about what you would have named them based on your original name."
"I remember you said you were picked up from a mill by that old man from the Shimazu family. Then, through a series of accidents, you became Ren. Originally you would have been Ren Shimazu, and then after marrying into the Shihoin family, you became Ren Shihoin."
"But if you take away the Shihoin surname and the name others gave you, what was your original name?"
"In that case, what would you have named the child?"
"That's what I want to know!"
Ren understood. He saw what Yoruichi was getting at.
Honestly, she could have just said that simply instead of using so many words. It seemed Yoruichi wasn't just bad at naming, but also a bit clumsy at articulating her thoughts.
"This was my previous surname."
Ren dipped his brush in the ink and solemnly wrote the character on a clean sheet of paper.
"It was a major surname in my previous life. It's said my ancestors were... never mind."
As he finished the final stroke, Yoruichi looked puzzled, as if she almost recognized it. "Li?" she ventured.
She looked at Ren. "Your previous surname was Li?"
"Yes."
Ren nodded.
Yoruichi asked again, "And your given name? Did you have a courtesy name or a pseudonym?"
"A courtesy name? No, I never had one."
Ren didn't look up. He continued to write while speaking. "As for my name, it was taken from this book."
As Ren's brush moved, two large characters appeared on the paper.
"Zhou Yi!"
"Yoruichi, have you heard of it?"
Yoruichi frowned, staring at the characters for a while before finally shaking her head.
"No."
"That's not surprising."
Ren wasn't discouraged. Even in his old world, very few people had actually read the I Ching, let alone here in the Soul Society.
Even Nobunaga Oda, the most knowledgeable person he knew, might not have read it.
If his name hadn't come from it, he wouldn't have looked at the book either.
Although he had forgotten most of the content by now, he still remembered the origin of his name clearly.
Ren picked up the brush again and wrote four large characters with bold strokes.
"Dazai Qianyuan!"
Looking at the newly written characters, Ren felt a surge of joy. He was in excellent form today; every time he put brush to paper, he reached heights he hadn't thought possible.
In all his years of practicing calligraphy, today's brushwork was his best.
"Yoruichi, do you recognize these?"
Yoruichi nodded, then shook her head. "I know three of them, but I don't know the other one."
She reached out and pointed as she spoke. "Dazai... something... Yuan."
Strange. She remembered learning this before, but she couldn't quite recall it.
"It's 'Dazai Qianyuan'," Ren explained. "'Da' means great, of course. 'Zai' is an exclamation. As for 'Qianyuan', it refers to the heavens, the emperor, and the great virtue of the Son of Heaven."
"Qianyuan is taken from the first hexagram of the I Ching, 'Qian'. One of the Ten Wings says: 'Great is Qian the Origin! All things owe to it their beginning. It contains all the meaning of Heaven.'"
When Kublai Khan declared himself Great Khan and established the Yuan Dynasty, the name was taken from this very passage.
However, considering they were in a different world, Ren didn't go into too much detail and kept his explanation simple.
"In this context, 'Qianyuan' is the origin of Qian. Qian is heaven, and Yuan is the beginning. It is the beginning of the Heavenly Way."
"To put it simply, it refers to the grand and vigorous energy of the origin, the driving force upon which all things depend for their creation and evolution. This vigorous and ceaseless energy perfectly mirrors the extension of the phrase 'As Heaven maintains its vigor through movement, a gentleman should unceasingly strive for self-improvement.' It permeates the entire process of the Heavenly Way's operation."
"And my name was taken from these two characters."
Seeing that Yoruichi was still a bit confused, struggling to even get the pronunciation right, Ren took her hand.
He guided her finger down the characters one by one. "Read after me. Da! Zai! Qian! Yuan!"
"Da! Zai! Qian! Yuan!"
"That's right. Dazai Qianyuan."
"Dazai Qianyuan."
With Ren's guidance, Yoruichi's pronunciation became more accurate, gradually matching his.
After reading it a few more times, she quickly memorized the sounds of the four characters.
She tilted her head back, her golden eyes sparkling like the bright stars in the sky.
At that moment, her clear eyes reflected her husband's serious face. That starlight shone only for the tall figure before her.
"Mr. Serious, your name is two of those four characters."
"So your name is..."
"Li Dazai?"
Ren had been nodding along, but hearing her words, he almost lost his composure instantly.
The pride he had been feeling vanished in a heartbeat.
Ren's cheek twitched. Looking at Yoruichi, who seemed so innocent, he wrestled with his thoughts before letting out a deep sigh.
It seemed that despite his explanation, Yoruichi hadn't absorbed a thing. She had only been focusing on the pronunciation.
Ren said helplessly, "It's the last two characters."
Yoruichi blinked, nodding with a look of dawning comprehension. She looked back down at the large characters on the paper.
She spoke each syllable distinctly.
"Li! Qian! Yuan!"
"Li! Qianyuan!"
"Li Qianyuan!"
"Exactly, Yoruichi. That's it."
Ren listened to his old name. It still sounded familiar.
It had been a long time since anyone had called him that.
He remembered back when he was a child in elementary school, his name had also been taken from that phrase, though it wasn't those two characters. Instead, it was the same as the name of the dynasty Kublai Khan had founded.
Li Dayuan.
Later, when he got older and studied history in middle school, he felt the name was... well, a bit too much, and terribly old-fashioned. So he changed it to this.
Li Qianyuan!
Perhaps his fate was too weak to carry such a grand name, which was why he had passed away so young and ended up in this miserable world of spirits.
If he had been transported to a cultivation world, that would be the kind of name held by an Immortal Emperor or a True Lord—a name for a great figure beloved by heaven and earth.
But ultimately, his virtue hadn't matched his name; he hadn't been able to bear such a heavy destiny.
Yoruichi repeated the name dozens of times until she had engraved Ren's original name into her heart. Her watery eyes were still bright as she looked at him.
"And what about the child's name?"
Ren switched to a new sheet of paper. As he prepared to write, a sudden sense of amusement hit him. He kept a straight face, however, and wrote with a steady hand.
Li Bilie!
Li Minggong!
"Cough... If it's a boy, his name will be Li Bilie!"
'Yes, that's a good name!'
Ren barely managed to keep from laughing out loud.
He genuinely felt that way. If one ignored the name of the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, it was actually quite nice.
He wouldn't actually use that name anyway, and they didn't even know the baby's gender yet. He considered it an Easter egg he was leaving for the child.
He certainly didn't think this was just for fun!
Definitely not!
"And if it's a girl, her name will be Li Minggong."
Ren nodded with a touch of self-satisfaction. That was also a good name.
The term Minggong was taken from the Daming Palace of the Tang Dynasty—now a 5A-level national tourist attraction and one of the top one hundred archaeological discoveries of the century.
"What do you think, Yoruichi?"
Yoruichi blinked, a look of pure confusion in her eyes.
What should she do? There was another character... she didn't seem to recognize.
She clearly remembered learning it before; it was one of those familiar things where she knew people with that character in their names, but she just couldn't say it. It was the kind of feeling where she only needed a tiny hint to remember, but she really didn't want to ask for one right now.
She was racking her brain.
It had been like this with the character Qian earlier, and now it was happening again.
Was it because she hadn't looked at a book in so long that she'd forgotten everything she learned as a child?
Yoruichi thought about it for a moment before finally deciding to give up on thinking altogether.
She held up the paper, pretending to admire the writing for a moment before putting on a look of agreement.
"It really is a good name."
Even though she didn't know what was so good about it or what it was supposed to mean.
"Yoruichi, since you're pregnant, don't go into work for a while. Leave the division's duties to Lieutenant Omaeda and Soifon."
"I'll take a few days off too, so I can stay home and keep you company."
Upon hearing Ren's words, Yoruichi immediately dropped the paper. Her eyes sparkled even more brilliantly as she nodded her head like a chick pecking for grain.
"Alright, alright! I've spent enough time at the division anyway. A few days of relaxation sounds perfect. You have to make sure we have plenty of fun."
"Of course."
Looking at the joy radiating from Yoruichi, Ren's gaze softened, and his usually stern expression turned gentle.
'I wonder if my performance today fits the role of a husband and father?'
'If so, please give me a thunderous round of applause.'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]