Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 460 - 453: Heart-to-Heart Talk

Chapter 460: Chapter 453: Heart-to-Heart Talk

After being tied up by Cheng Ziang, Luoya could only obediently follow behind him. Since Nina was still angry, going back could potentially infuriate Nina once again, so Luoya thought it would be better for Cheng Ziang to keep an eye on her.

"You release this thing, my hand hurts. I promise I won’t run away if you let me go." Seeing that the hard way wasn’t working, Luoya started to soften up, looking at him pitifully.

"It’s fine, mine hurts too. We are in this together!" Cheng Ziang raised his hand and showed her the reddened mark on his wrist from the restraint.

"I’m tired, can I go sit in the carriage?" Seeing plan one was unsuccessful, Luoya proposed another one.

"Are you planning to let me carry you or piggyback you if you are tired?" Cheng Ziang turned to her and asked with a teasing smile.

"Neither, you rascal!" Luoya huddled herself up, frowning as she spoke.

"Then, behave and walk." Cheng Ziang stopped paying attention to her.

Observing the two of them, Hu Daoke felt an inexplicable feeling of a young couple bickering. Upon noticing Cheng Ziang’s gaze on him, he purposely cleared his throat and looked away.

"What absurd thoughts is this guy having again!" Cheng Ziang stared at him, thinking to himself.

In the carriage, Nina was still crying non-stop while Tangmo was kindly comforting her. Even though it seemed disingenuous, Luoya had created a perfect opportunity for her to get closer to Nina.

Luo’er is a man who values family and marriage mediators’ words. If they can get Nina on their side, as long as she brings up the match between Tangmo and Luo’er, Luo’er will definitely not object.

Luo’er is different from Luoya. For Luo’er, Nina is the best weapon in his hand.

Hearing the sobbing from the carriage, Cheng Ziang sighed and turned to look at Luoya. She was walking behind him, head bowed, and not making a sound.

Cheng Ziang had never experienced familial love, so he could not resolve the conflict between Luoya and her mother. Perhaps Luo’er could, but he was currently unconscious, and his survival uncertain.

After a moment, he sighed softly, planning to find a topic to chat with Luoya. No matter what, given their current relationship, it was certain that Luoya would not open her heart to him.

Thinking like this, he took a soft silk handkerchief out of his pocket, and grabbed Luoya’s delicate wrist, pulling the surprised girl towards him.

"What are you doing?" Seeing his actions, Luoya asked defensively.

Cheng Ziang looked up at her but didn’t speak. He moved the handcuffs up Luoya’s wrist, revealing the reddened area caused by the restraints. Then he wrapped the soft handkerchief around her wrist before locking the handcuffs back into place. This way, with the silk in between, her wrist would not be strangled that badly anymore.

"So smooth..." For the first time, Luoya felt the softness of silk, and couldn’t help but exclaim. She lifted her head to look at Cheng Ziang. A hint of warmth surged in her heart and spread across her face. To avoid him seeing her expression, she quickly lowered her head in some embarrassment.

"Let’s go!" Having dealt with everything, Cheng Ziang raised his head to look at her and called out.

Luoya didn’t say anything, but Cheng Ziang could tell that she was much more obedient than before, and not as resistant.

After a silent walk, Cheng Ziang suddenly called out, "Luoya."

"Huh?" Despite still not being used to her new name, upon hearing him call, Luoya instinctively lifted her head to look at him, cluelessly.

"Do you speak Chinese?" Cheng Ziang turned his head, looking at her as he asked.

Luoya shifted her gaze away and stayed silent for a while before she murmured, "A little ... a little bit... "

"Was it your mother who taught you?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Yes!" Luoya nodded.

Upon hearing her response, for some reason, Cheng Ziang involuntarily sighed, and then spoke, "You know, your Chinese was taught to your mother by your father, and your surname comes from him too."

"No... Luoya?" Luoya looked at him and asked.

"Hmm," Cheng Ziang nodded, then said, "According to our tradition, your surname is a single one and it is placed before your name."

"Your side..." Luoya stared at him in a trance then asked, "What is it like on your side?"

"You have never been to Earth, have you? That’s your home too. You also have a grandfather there," Cheng Ziang said.

"Grandfather?" The concept of a grandfather was foreign to Luoya.

"Uh, how can I put it," Cheng Ziang knew she didn’t quite understand the concept of a grandfather, after pondering for a moment he said, "He is your father’s father, which should feel the same as your mother’s mother. Like the Queen of Ilanadale, once you meet her, you should have an idea of what a grandfather is. However, according to our tradition, grandfathers always love you more than your parents."

Hearing his words, Luoya lowered her head and seemed to go silent, lost in her thoughts.

Looking at her, Cheng Ziang suddenly thought of something and said, "After your mother and your father separated, they agreed to meet in Ilanadale. But she ran to the Ancient States, probably because she was pregnant with you."

"Why do you know so much about my parents?" Luoya lifted her head and asked with a frown.

"Ah, your brother talked about it with us," Cheng Ziang shrugged, saying it matter-of-factly.

Upon hearing his words, Luoya dropped her eyes, after a moment of silence, she said with some self-reproach, "It’s all because of me that my mother couldn’t return to Ilanadale and was bullied in the Ancient States. She is the princess of Ilanadale, she could have just dumped me in the Ancient States, why did she stay to take care of me?"

"According to your mother’s personality, she couldn’t bear to part with you or your brother. She might have wanted to return to Ilanadale and become a princess, but she wanted to be a competent mother more," Cheng Ziang said.

"Then why did she agree to let my father take Luo...my brother to the Otherworld? Isn’t it true happiness for a family to stay together!" Luoya looked up at him, her voice choking back tears.

Cheng Ziang was taken aback, staring at her. After a moment of silence, he asked cautiously, "Didn’t your mother tell you about your father?"

"What about my father?" Luoya widened her eyes, looking at him, obviously unaware of the things between Luo Chuan and Nina.

"Your father is from Earth, he can’t stay in the Otherworld for a long time. When your brother was only five or six years old, his body was already severely eroded by magic power. If he didn’t return to Earth, he would die sooner or later," Cheng Ziang explained.

"How could it be," Luoya’s face changed and she exclaimed, "Then what happened next?"

"Later..." Cheng Ziang’s gaze was doubtful, he glanced several times in the direction of the carriage.

"What’s wrong, why did you stop talking?" Luoya asked anxiously.

"Come here!" Cheng Ziang grabbed her wrist and took a few steps back to keep some distance from the carriage.

"What are you trying to do?" Luoya asked suspiciously.

"What I’m going to tell you, it’s better not to let your mother know. I’m afraid she can’t handle it," Cheng Ziang, staring at the carriage, said.

"What’s wrong with him?" Luoya looked at him, a sense of unease rising from the bottom of her heart.

"He..." After hesitating for a long time, Cheng Ziang still decided to tell Luoya the truth, "Your father, he probably died the year you were born."

"Dead..." Hearing this news, Luoya felt as if it was a bolt out of the blue, and her tears involuntarily rolled down.

"So, have we been waiting in vain for these twenty difficult years?" Luoya couldn’t help but ask aloud.

"Luoya, what’s in your head, a gourd?" Cheng Ziang looked at her somewhat incomprehensibly.

Although he could understand that Luoya had not seen her father and so lacked feelings for him, that was still her father. When the members of the advance team heard this news, they were all wiping away their tears, but she went so far as to worry about the hardship that she and her mother had endured for over two decades.

"We’ve been struggling here for so many years, and he just irresponsibly left. Has he ever thought of me and my mother?" Luoya cried out.