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"Yo, Xiao Lin, what kind of wind blew you and your son out of the house today?"
Xiao Lin had just taken a seat on the stone stool in front of Nalan Jie when he heard the other man's sarcastic tone.
The reason Nalan Jie acted this way the moment Xiao Lin arrived was mainly because over the past few years, every time he went to the Xiao Clan to ask Xiao Lin to go out for a stroll, he was rejected under the pretext of cultivation.
Even on the rare occasions Xiao Lin did accompany him, he would head back very quickly. How could Nalan Jie not feel frustrated? As for the number of times Xiao Lin actually came to the Nalan house to find him, they were few enough to be counted on one hand!
If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Lin's attitude remained the same every time they met, Nalan Jie would have wondered if their relationship had grown distant.
So, with Xiao Lin making a rare visit today and even bringing his son along, Nalan Jie couldn't help but let out a few biting remarks to vent his annoyance.
"You're asking about today? It seems like a northwest wind is blowing outside, and since the Nalan house just happens to be in that direction, Zhan'er and I decided to drop by and see you on the way."
Xiao Lin began to talk nonsense with a perfectly straight face!
Hearing this, Nalan Jie nearly rolled his eyes. He realized that ever since Xiao Lin's wife passed away, the man's skin had grown thicker and thicker!
To the side, Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su watched Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie banter. They kept their eyes on their noses and their noses toward their hearts, pretending they couldn't hear a thing.
Clearly, they had seen this scene many times and had long since grown used to it. In fact, if they ever saw the two meet without bickering, they would probably suspect the sun had risen from the northwest!
However, this also showed that their relationship was truly extraordinary. After all, only true friends and brothers-in-arms would open their hearts like this, right?
Thinking of this, Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su couldn't help but glance at each other.
Regarding the friendship of the older generation, the two youngsters were actually quite envious. To be honest, they also wanted a best friend with whom they could talk about anything and enjoy wine together.
Though their own relationship was quite good because of their fathers—having grown up together since childhood—they both felt that compared to their fathers, they were still missing a little something.
Were they friends? Without a doubt, yes!
But were they "life-and-death" best friends like their fathers? That might require a question mark.
Perhaps it was the difference in their personalities. Xiao Zhan was more casual and free-spirited, while Nalan Su, much like his name suggests, was somewhat rigid and serious in his actions. This led to many instances where the two had different views on the same matter.
Additionally, both of their families were now among the top-ranked in the Jia Ma Empire, which led to a slight sense of mutual competition between them in private.
Combined, these reasons meant that the relationship between Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su could only be considered that of good friends, still a step away from the bond shared by Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie.
This was the main reason the two envied their fathers.
It wasn't that they hadn't thought about changing themselves to cater to the other.
But could such compromise truly make them best friends? Obviously, the answer was no.
Just look at Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie. Forget about compromising; they were constantly trying to take advantage of each other!
This was evident back before Xiao Zhan was even born, when Nalan Jie wanted Xiao Lin to have a daughter just so she could be his daughter-in-law.
That old fellow was truly wicked!
Of course, before Nalan Jie had Nalan Su, Xiao Lin had thought the exact same thing... Cough cough, it must be said, this was the key to them being best friends!
"Alright, you two go play on your own. We adults have some matters to discuss. Su'er, take Xiao Zhan for a walk around."
After bickering for a while and noticing the two kids nearby stifling their laughter, Nalan Jie decided to send the youngsters away first. How could he let the juniors keep watching their fathers make fools of themselves?
"Yes, Father." Hearing his father's command, Nalan Su immediately responded.
"Father, then I'll head out with Nalan Su for a stroll," Xiao Zhan spoke up as well.
"Go on," Xiao Lin replied.
Soon after, the two youngsters left one after the other.
In the courtyard, only Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie remained, sitting across from each other.
"The children are gone. Speak, what brings you here today? I don't believe you just came to the Nalan house on a whim."
It had to be said, as expected of a best friend, Nalan Jie instantly saw through Xiao Lin's thoughts.
After all, in Nalan Jie's eyes, Xiao Lin had become quite a shut-in since his wife died.
Back in the day, they used to visit entertainment houses together to listen to music and enjoy the atmosphere. Now, Xiao Lin had turned into a homebody, causing Nalan Jie to lose interest in visiting such places alone as well.
Cough cough, it seems something scandalous was revealed there!
"Heh, as expected of the roundworm in my stomach, you really do know me, Nalan Jie!" Xiao Lin took another verbal jab at Nalan Jie, and just as the other was about to retort, he cut him off again.
"I'm preparing to go on a long journey. It will likely take several years. While I'm away from the capital, I hope you can look after the Xiao Clan for me."
As he said this, Xiao Lin became slightly more serious, no longer wearing a joking expression. Xiao Lin's words caused the retort Nalan Jie had prepared to be swallowed right back down.
"Can I ask what you're planning to do?" Nalan Jie asked after a moment of silence.
"Experience and tempering!"
These few words made the corner of Nalan Jie's mouth twitch.
Fine, fine, you're already at the Dou Wang realm and you still want to go out for tempering? It seems every time you go on a long journey, it's all for the sake of cultivation!
At this moment, Nalan Jie wondered if Xiao Lin had been too stimulated by his wife's death and hadn't fully recovered yet, choosing to use cultivation to numb himself. However, to avoid bringing up painful memories, Nalan Jie decided not to mention it.
Still, he wanted to help Xiao Lin move on.
So, what should he do?
"Then I'll accompany you," was Nalan Jie's response.
However, after Nalan Jie put on an expression that screamed "I'm doing this entirely for your sake," Xiao Lin's mouth twitched.
"Hey, Nalan Jie, don't say things that are so easily misunderstood! I simply want to go out for tempering for a while; I don't need a companion!"
By the end, Xiao Lin was practically gritting his teeth.
What the hell was this! Fortunately, no outsiders heard their conversation, otherwise, people might think there was something improper between two grown men!
If such a misunderstanding actually occurred, Xiao Lin felt he would suffer a total social death. At that point, he might have to choose to kill his best friend to prove his innocence!
Of course, that was just a joke.
"Is that so? Then I suggest you find someone else to help you look after the Xiao Clan."
Knowing he might have misunderstood something and seeing Xiao Lin getting worked up, Nalan Jie still refused to apologize verbally, remaining stubborn instead.
"In the entire Jia Ma Empire, the only expert at or above the Dou Wang level that I can trust unconditionally is you! So, naturally, I can only ask for your help. If you're unwilling, then..."
"Who said I was unwilling? Shoo, shoo, hurry up and get going. It's the same whether you're at the Xiao Clan or not, I'll keep an eye on it. I just hope a fellow like you doesn't die out there during your tempering! If you die, I won't care about the Xiao Clan anymore!"
Before Xiao Lin could finish his sentence, Nalan Jie had already interrupted him.
In response, Xiao Lin had clearly expected this and only offered a faint smile. Perhaps this was the unspoken understanding between best friends—the occasional bickering mixed with deep care.
One could only say that in this life, having one such best friend is enough!
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