Having found a demon, I've decided to raise her.

My daughter, although I am not mature and do not know how to treat you, and I do not understand anything, please forgive my selfishness in insisting on bringing you into this world.

I want you to see this beautiful scene with me.

……

Xiaoxiao...

Chen Mei knelt on the ground and made the same choice as before: no matter what, even if she was covered in wounds, she would not give up on this child.

As she watched her grandfather's cane strike her, she instinctively closed her eyes.

Bang!

The heavy thud felt like something hard had hit someone, but she didn't feel any pain for a long time, which surprised her.

"who are you?"

Someone asked, "It seems someone is blocking my way?"

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the back of his figure, which was backlit. A familiar feeling washed over her, and she looked at him in disbelief.

Blood trickled down his head, dripping onto his clothes, yet he stood ramrod straight before her, arms outstretched to shield her behind him, and said in a resolute tone—

"My name is Chen Ming."

The tall man stood firmly in front of her like a mountain, making her feel momentarily disoriented.

Watching him grow from a small child to a thin teenager, and finally to the composed man he is now, I've watched him grow up since I was a child.

Gradually, it changed from her holding his hand to him standing in front of her, sheltering her from the wind and rain.

"Obviously..."

She subconsciously called his name softly, making him hear her. He turned around, looked into her pale eyes, and a smile appeared on his resolute face as he said—

"I'm sorry, I was late last time."

In reality, it was too late; he wasn't even born when this happened. "You were born before I was born," a sentiment that was ultimately unavoidable. Now that it's happening again in this place, she absolutely won't be left to bear it alone.

If you ask why...

Because he is her lover, her husband, protecting her is his responsibility.

Grandpa looked at the man whose head was covered in blood and frowned as he said—

"You're not from here. How did you get in? Who are you?"

A strange man barged into someone's home and interrupted their family matters. What kind of behavior is this? The old man felt something was wrong and his gaze toward the man grew increasingly hostile.

Chen Ming turned around and looked at his grandfather, who, despite his advanced age, still exuded a dignified air... He blinked. Under normal circumstances, if he simply acted cute, his grandfather would be overjoyed and indulge him in everything.

Um... of course not now. Although I am his grandson, that's a matter for the future.

So this place is really abyss level difficulty?

It's much harder than in real life.

"Chen Ming?"

The young man who stopped the old man subconsciously repeated Chen Ming's name. Chen Ming looked at the other man and then subconsciously paused.

This guy is so handsome.

With sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his angular face had a somewhat aloof air, yet it wasn't overly distant. The muscles in his arms were very well-defined, conveying a sense of power without being exaggerated.

He was wearing a white, thick shirt, which was a little too big at the cuffs, perhaps because it was worn out, revealing his strong collarbone and neck.

His tan is somewhat bronze, probably from frequently helping with chores around the house and university internships. He and Chen Ming, who prefers to stay at home, probably don't have much in common.

Chen Ming stared at him, stunned. The other man looked over as well, and the two stared at each other for a long time.

It's strange, why am I so interested in a handsome guy? Chen Ming raised an eyebrow, feeling a strong sense of familiarity with him, but couldn't quite place him...

Grandpa couldn't take it anymore after being hugged by that guy, so he pushed him away and said—

"Nineteen, let me go."

"Seventh Brother, I'll let you go as long as you don't hit Xiaomei."

Nineteen was still blocking her grandfather's way.

Chen Ming felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Upon hearing the name "Nineteen," he suddenly widened his eyes and stared intently at the person.

Nineteen...nineteen...

That's...

"Dad???"

Chen Jun is the nineteenth child in his family, so people in his hometown call him Nineteen. His grandfather is the seventh child, so the younger generation calls him Seventh Brother.

In the past, people used to call their parents "father" and "mother," but that was something only wealthy families would do. People in rural areas felt that such a prestigious title wouldn't bring good luck, so they preferred to use more ordinary or common terms.

So, the father calls his grandfather "Seventh Brother" and his mother "Seventh Sister-in-law," while the elders call the father "Nineteenth," and the younger generation can call him "Nineteenth Brother."

However, this is not mandatory; some people are simply called by their names, depending on which way it sounds more natural.

In the local dialect, "Seventh Brother" and "Nineteenth Brother" are very easy to pronounce, and Chen Ming thinks that's probably why he's been called that for his whole life.

So although Nineteen calls Grandpa "Seventh Brother", they are not brothers, but father and son. Nineteen is Chen Jun.

A huge wave of emotions surged within him, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and he stared blankly with his mouth agape.

You must be kidding me!

Is this what my dad looked like when he was young?

Holy crap, so handsome!

What an incredibly handsome man! There's simply no way he could be connected to his brother at home, who's going through a midlife crisis, nagging all day, and has a beer belly.

what is this?

Is time a cruel butcher's knife?

Chen Ming's face remained expressionless, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This is truly...unbelievable...

Chapter 849 I'll beat you to death, you little bastard!

"..."

Chen Ming looked at his handsome father and grandfather. It seemed this wasn't just a father-son situation, but even a grandfather-grandson situation, and Chen Ming was in a very difficult position.

May I vote?

He glanced back at Chen Mei behind him, his lips twitching. For his wife's sake, he couldn't give up, so he gritted his teeth and stood there.

He noticed his father was looking at him strangely, which made him break out in a cold sweat.

Chen Jun frowned, looking at the man who seemed to be two years older than him. He had a strange feeling, as if he was familiar with him, but there was an extra layer of connection between them.

It’s weird.

As he stopped Seventh Brother, he said to him—

"You know Xiaomei? Why are you meddling in our family affairs?"

The front door should be closed. Did the other party sneak in? And they came while dealing with a scandal, even taking a blow for their sister. All signs point to something suspicious.

Everyone fell silent, sensing that something was wrong, and stared at the man who had suddenly appeared.

Chen Ming felt unprecedented pressure.

Everyone here is his elder. Even the little kids following behind the adults are at least his older brothers and sisters. After all, he wasn't born yet, and his parents weren't married.

The shame of having to announce to all his relatives that he was Chen Mei's lover was so intense that he felt like he was digging a three-bedroom apartment out of his shoe.

What kind of devilish trial is this?

However, if it's for the people behind me, then there's nothing I wouldn't risk.

He gritted his teeth and said—

"I am Xiaomei's man, so I've come!"

His voice resonated powerfully in the silent ancestral hall, carrying a sense of resignation, even as blood spurted from his forehead.

But his hand was held out steadily, and he used his broad arms to protect Chen Mei behind him.

Everyone was stunned, staring at the fearless man, and an uproar ensued.

No matter how they asked, Xiaomei refused to say who the other person was, only saying she didn't know. Everyone had given up hope, thinking that the other person had already run away.

Unexpectedly, he suddenly appeared here and took the initiative to admit his relationship with Xiaomei.

"So it was you!"

Seventh Brother's eyes widened in horror. He actually flung aside the shocked Chen Jun, raised his cane, and brought it down on Chen Jun's head without any mercy, as if he wanted to kill him.

"Seventh Brother, no!"

Chen Jun felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Seventh Brother was impulsive and acted without restraint. The guy opposite him looked stupid and didn't dodge at all. This was going to be bad!

"what!"

People around gasped in surprise. Seeing that the young man didn't flinch, the timid ones instinctively closed their eyes.

"Mingming!"

Chen Mei gasped in surprise as she stood on the ground, her heart clenching for him. She instinctively tried to pull him away, but he remained unmoved.

Bang-!

Click.

Chen Ming felt a sudden dizziness, and his senses went completely white for a moment, but he quickly regained his balance and could see the figure in front of him clearly again.

"Huh...huh..."

Grandpa held a wooden cane broken in two in his hand, his thin chest he was breathing heavily, and he glared at Chen Ming like an angry Vajra.

How could he possibly forgive someone who had treated his daughter so lightly? Even if Xiaomei wasn't his biological daughter but was adopted, the affection he had for her over the years was genuine.

For an elderly body to still exude such vitality is truly remarkable. Another trickle of blood flowed down from the center of Chen Ming's forehead.