After spending hours and hours cooking together with XiHao, the dinner is finally ready.
They set the big table in the garden and start to bring all the many dishes there.

Naturally Ah went to invite MoonBin too, as well as every man she came across. Like every good grandma she is also keeping her eyes sharp for potential men for her granddaughter!!
images.app.goo.gl/AKXtvofvBCsjW4sSA

QinShi and Kun are already eating, the grandma couldn't wait.

She doesn't fully understand the meaning of the word holiday, she is one of those eastern.
Since she doesn't know how to relax, she only feels bored in the villa. She does all she can, but can't spend literally the whole day cooking, due to the lack of ingredients and the fact he doesn't know how to use most of the modern ways. She cooks nonetheless, though. She also went to explore the forested area of Bali and came back home with a sack of herbs, berries and river shrimps. XD

It's afternoon, she is bored, set the shrimps to get steam-cooked very slowly and she has nothing else to do before preparing the dinner. But at the same time it's late to go out and explore more, since she will have to prepare the dough to make dumplings.
Not knowing what she could possibly do, she heads out in the garden, followed by her GIGANTIC dog. She is like Jombak, even if of different breed: an immortal dog and like all the dogs of that kind, they are not ordinary, they have some magical powers too.
Awl, her dog, got wounded while fighting the guards who tried to take Liziqi away. She even killed three of those men and survived a bad stab and several hits.

Awl has a big bandage around her body and limps, but looks quite healthy and happy nonetheless.
Liziqi approaches the pool and sits by the border of it, just soaking her legs in the water, while Awl lies down next to her.
Shockingly, Awl doesn't bark at the Qiu.

After even Jin and Seo disappeared, his voice is suddenly heard by the future people, inside their minds.

"Causing the early death of the to-be General Zhou has saved the girl named Xi from his torments. She won't seek revenge against the Zhou and thus won't find SongYu nor try to force their marriage, resulting in the unbirth of their only child."

"The Avatar powers LianBi acquired allowed him to find out the unfairness his younger brother was going through due to their family. Unlike in the previous past, where he wouldn't have any contact with QinShi until the death of their family, now LianBi has taken him into custody and created a bound that will grow stronger at each passing day. LianBi won't ever be worried nor disturbed by his brother's vicinity and he won't, ever, force him to marry SongYu nor anyone else.
The inexistence of this marriage will have several consequences too, including the premature death of JinGoo, following the failed attempt to heal him from his drug addiction, as due to the fact QinShi won't get close to the Zhou, he won't be inspired to craft the amulet that saved his life in the original times.
In addition to this, QinShi won't visit Earth with SongYu, meaning that Renji won't come back and Seunghyun won't find out about Nortrig and his origins until later on.
Since SongYu and Aqua formally met in the protection camp where the priests escorted the chanpions' closest family to keep them safe from possible blackmailing from the rulers, the inexistence of the marriage between QinShi and SongYu will also delay their meeting, resulting in the lack of prerequisites which led to the birth of XianSeo."

Unlike one would expect, he doesn't scold them nor he tells them they must fix anything. He just gives them the information and concludes with: "You have a huge power in your arms, ponder your actions well."

The reason why Sao took this sudden interest in this far nephew of his is simple: Jeonha's edict. Aniyo, he doesn't plan to marry his nephew himself, as it would lead to no kind of advantage for their family, but he intends to combine him as soon as possible and with someone that will indeed strengthen even more the influence of the Yung.
He doesn't have any biological son to give away and sure won't give his little Princess' hand to anyone who is not her love, so the nephew will be the perfect candidate.

It took money to turn that little ignorant savage into a lord worth something, among Sacred Blood, and also lots of patience that luckily wasn't grim him but from the people he paid, since they couldn't even dare to complain with him.

Now, there are several parties of interest for the Yung, needing a bit more political influence, since they already have a military influence and huge richness.
The only appealing Zhou was taken at the speed of light, or he would have wanted him for himself, no joke, f*** the nephew. JinGoo is considered quite meh due to his problems with drugs.
The Princes are out of question for just a nephew, he'd love if Mizu got to like one, but he sure won't pressure things.
The favourite candidate so far, in Sao's mind, is one whom he believes nobody set their eyes on, yet. And that just because his father is one of those pain-in-ass ninnies who doesn't want to force his son to a combine marriage without his approval: the son of the Archduke of Suhyen, Liang.

Sao even goes to speak with the man, but regardless the offerings, Yoon was all against it unless his son would want it. How Sao hates the people who are, towards their children, exactly like he is towards his daughter!!!

Anyhow, Yoon says that if Liang will want it, there won't be any problems. So, Sao decides to instruct his nephew to go to look for the son of the Archduke on Earth and do all that is in his might to drag his attention and thus make Liang fall in love with him, or at least fall interested in the advantages of a Yung-Huang union.

He threatens to kill him if he fails and sends the poor guy on Earth to look for Liang on his own, after just showing him some painting of him. XD

Quite late evening.
He is walking out in the street, pondering whether he wants to return home right away or stop by some place. He rarely goes for the second option and for once it's almost tempting. He doubts Mun is even at home, so he doesn't have anything pulling him back.
He stops in front of a fine looking tavern, but before he could decide if to enter, some noises catch his attention.
Two boys seem to be arguing, both looking very young and well-dressed. One could be tricked into thinking they are two young nobles, if it wasn't for what, the taller one of the two, is growling at the other in a low tone: "This is my area, how dare you come to hunt in here?".
Intriguing.
"I didn't know, forgive me hyung-nim! I won't come here again!"
"Get lost!" The taller boy pushes the other rather roughly, causing him to fall. "Leave my men alone or I won't be as kind next time!"
He glances at the tavern again. That he knows, that's not a popular place among the youth, more among the adults though. They serve expensive drinks in there.
They are prostitutes. Turns out the drug-addict Zhou told the truth, there are really male prostitutes around, in the capital. How bold of them.

While the shorter boy stands up, he approaches him and grabs him by wrist, starting to pull him away with him.
Good, now he has him and he can't escape, no matter how much he struggles. But what is he even going to do with him? Take him to the IG? To his own hq? To LianBi? None of the options are as tempting as they normally would.
He ends up wandering aimslessly for a while, dragging that young prostitute with him.
After a while, he finds himself in front of the entrance of a very cheap and ugly inn. He didn't even realized it at first, that his path would lead them there. Or maybe it was his subconscious to lead him there?
It's night. He is alone. With a male prostitute and an inn, of the kind where they don't even ask for your name, just for your money.
What if...
He decides to go inside. Almost mechanically, as if he had been doing that same thing since forever, he goes to the innkeeper, leaves the money and takes the key for a room.
Once inside, he lets the prostitute go and locks themselves in.
They boy sure looks scared, but not as scared as someone knowing who he is. What prostitute could keep even the slightest bit of calm in such situation, with him?

"What's your name?" he asks, staring at the boy, who recoiled to be at some distance from him.
"SeokLim, naeuri..."
He'd bet his position as General that it's a lie. "How old are you?" He is sure he is underaged, but with that makeup and dressed that way, he can't really tell for sure how scandalously young he is.
"21, naeuri..."
"And the real age?"
"..." Just looks down.
He would say 18-19, but wouldn't make a bet on it. The makeup can be tricky. "Why are you scared? Isn't this what you normally do?"
"It's... it usually doesn't go like this, naeuri... forgive me..." He holds the sleeve of the opposite arm with one hand, looking really anxious. "Allow me to serve you!" he hurries to say, then runs to pour the cheap, free sake of the room in the short cup.
As he takes it to him, he accepts it and despite he finds it disgusting to even just look at, decides to drink it just to not be too harsh. It's horrid, nothing like the kind of liquors he is used to. It's even worse than he thought.
What the f*** am I doing? - he wonders. A side of him is really intrigued, though.
"Would you like to take a bath, naeuri...? So that... we can... can get more comfortable... w-with each others...?"
He nods, like in automatic. It's so unlike himself to be like this. But well... except the taste of that cheap sake still in his mouth, he is not feeling disgusted at all for what is supposed to come.

They move to that hole whoever built that inn decided to call a bathroom and while the boy starts to fill the bathtub with what he has there, he takes off the top clothes, keeping only his pants on. Only peasants and commoners bathe naked!!
It's all Mun's fault - he repeats himself. Why couldn't she let him just be an a**hole homophobic sh*t? Why did she have to put that doubt in his mind that maybe... maybe he actually likes all that instead? Because so far she seems to have been right all along...
"The water is ready, naeuri..." murmurs the boy, still looking just so frightened.
He looks at the water and just gets inside, lying into it.
'SeokLim' takes a cloth and uses it to pour some water on the top part of his body, he also starts to touch him around while rubbing that cloth on his skin, all very gently.
This little b*tch knows what he is doing - he thinks, feeling quite enticed already.

After the bath, they move to the bedroom again and he just sits on the bed. He is thoughtful.
'SeokLim' gets on the bed too and kneels behind him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and leaning his head on him.
"How old are you, for real?" he asks again, in a softer tone than before. "Tell me the truth."
"What does it matter...?"
"How many men have you been with, so far?"
The other remains silent for some time before answering: "Five, naeuri..."
"Any of them as old as me?"
"I don't know..."
"You do." One might be unable to tell how old an adult auriold is, but the difference between a young and an adult one is clear.
"Aniyo..."
He knew it. He gently breaks free from his hug and stands up from the bed. "Avoid to." He goes to wear his hanfu back.
"Naeuri, wait!" 'SeokLim' gets up from the bed too and follows him. "Please, naeuri!"
He doesn't listen and just continues to dress up. "You are too young for me." The makeup might make him look older, but his behaviour and naivety tells enough about his real age.
"Let me serve you in some other way at least..." he sounds almost desperate while saying that.
He leaves a few silver on the table near the bed. "Watch out, if you are caught it won't end well for you."
"I can't accept your money, naeuri..." The boy says while he walks towards the door.
He looks at him from above his shoulder, without turning around. "You still took care of me in some way. You did something." And leaves.