The Silly Alchemist

In one of the yards of the Ye Residence, there was a group of people. The person who said this was a handsome, matured young man. He looked young for his age.

“Of course. My grandson will not be a regular commoner. He’ll definitely be someone significant, someone, who can turn the evening clouds into rain,” said a very energetic middle-aged man next to the young man. At the same time, he gazed up at the evening sky, a hint of confusion in his eyes. 

“Look at you two father and son. You’re wasting time out here while the ladies are suffering inside. And talking nonsense too. Who said it would be a grandson? It might be an adorable granddaughter! What has the sky got to do with the child anyway, it’s just the weather,” huffed an elegant, beautiful woman.

“If I say the child will be a grandson, then he will be a grandson. If I say the sky is a sign by your grandson, then it is by your grandson. You’re just a woman, what do you know?” replied the middle-aged man solemnly.

“It’s true, it’s true...Ah, I’m sorry…” The young man was starting to nod in agreement when there was a problem…

“You ungrateful child, I regret giving birth to you! How great would it be if you were a daughter! Look at your sisters, they’ve been so kind and caring. Unlike you and that idiot, always making me upset,” shouted the woman, twisting the young man’s ear while glaring at the older man.

“What do you mean a daughter would be better? You only gave me one son! If this one didn’t turn out good, then I’d have to marry another,” interjected the older man immediately.

“You wouldn’t!! Hmmph, you said I would be your only one. Is it because I’m old now? That you want someone younger?” complained the woman, still glaring.

“My wife, my love for you is like the sun and the moon, it never changes. I said I’ll only love you, and so I’ll love only you forever,” coaxed the older man emotionally, immediately grabbing her hands.

“Oh, my husband…”

“My wife…”

Both of them, under the colourful skies, started their sweet declarations of love. After a decade, their love for each other was still as strong as ever.

“Lian’er, my love for you is like the evening rays, it’s never-ending…” When the older man was taking this opportunity to say something sweet when something peculiar happened.

The sun’s rays grew brighter, and at the same time became more beautiful as ever. No one would forget the beauty of it for the rest of their lives. Oddly, many people would have this weird feeling like the rays poured on a specific spot within the capital. And then, in a moment, the rays disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.

The skies returned to normal. Everyone suspected they’d only been dreaming.

At this very moment, no one cared about the sudden change in the skies because they heard the cries of a child.

“Congratulations, sir! Celebrations...” Common words of congratulations came from a smiling old lady.

“How is it? Is the madam okay?” asked the young man.

“Both the mother and the boy are safe…” The old lady had only just finished her sentence when the young man disappeared like the wind.

“The mother and the boy are safe. See, I was right. A grandson,” said the older man in delight. The older woman in his arms pinched him in annoyance.

“Then what about the past few kids? Whom you said were going to be grandsons?” accused the woman.

“A brother! He’s a brother! Sister, we have a brother now,” cried a little girl, who was holding hands with another girl only a little older than her. She then ran into the house, followed by a teenage boy.

The sisters were proof that the older man had been wrong before.

“I… I’d been right once too… That’s weird, the sky is back to normal again,” said the older man, pointing at the skies in an attempt to change the topic.

“Yeah, it’s like the rays disappeared once our grandson was born. This is unusual,” frowned the older woman, puzzled.

Before the older man could brag that he was right once again, the woman recalled something.

“You said your love for me was as never-ending as the evening rays. The rays are gone now…”

“Cough cough, about that…”

“Hmmph!”

…

While the old couple were bickering outside, there was another couple gazing emotionally at each other inside. One of them was the young man, while the other was a girl who’d just given birth. She was still lying on the bed.

Although she was very weak, she exuded an aura of undeniable, moving elegance.

“Honey, you must be tired,” said the young man to the weak girl, holding her dainty hands. He stared straight at her, not even looking at the tiny baby next to her pillow.

This scene seemed to say that he was different from other men, that the one he cared most about was his wife, not his son.

“Stop the act, I know what you want most is to carry the boy,” she said warmly. She wasn’t implying her husband was only putting up an act. He wanted both. As a wife, she was caring enough to know.

And she was very satisfied, content that her own husband cared for her, and was scared for her.

“Hehe, then let me hug our precious son…” The young man was also very straightforward. After a chuckle, he picked the baby, already wrapped bundle of cloth, up.

“Black eyes. Only a few strands of hair, not sure what colour…” he mused, examining the boy.

“Father, father, I want to carry him too,” cried a bubbly little girl. Unfortunately, looking at her tiny stature, who would let her carry a baby?

“Stop fooling around. I’ll let you look at him, but you can’t carry him,” said the young man sternly.

“Hmmph, then let me see,” huffed the little girl. Then, she happily bent over to look at him. Two children nearby came over to look too.

“Woah… He’s so cute…”

“Mm…”

“Yeah…”

The three kids talked amongst each other as both adults watched. The house filled with warmth and happiness. It felt like home.

The baby, on the other hand, didn’t understand what the feeling was. From within his bundle, he let out a loud cry…

…

After a night, a rumour started to spread across the city, that what they saw was a sign from the heavens, and it was because of one person- a newborn. And that was the Ye Family’s thirteenth prince, fresh from the oven.

The thirteenth prince. This didn’t mean his father had that many sons, it just meant that among the boys in his generation, he was ranked thirteenth among his cousins.

Of course, this was the ranking within the main branch of the family but not the whole family tree. If it were, he might be the thousand-and-first prince, or maybe a larger number.

The godly rays plus the prominent family propelled the thirteenth prince into the city’s spotlight. Everyone recognised him as God's child. No one objected or suspected, or at least not yet.

That was how this newborn, still wrapped in a bundle, became famous across the lands.

Many people lay predictions that he would definitely be outstanding, some even laying down lengthy prophecies for him.

At the age of one, he would run, jump and speak. His mind sharp as a ray of light.

At the age of two, he would read. He would start reading troves of books and his potential would shine through.

At the age of three, he would start learning douqi or magic, and he’d be a genius at it.

At the age of five, he would enter the royal academy, his abilities exceeding the masses.

At the age of ten, he would graduate with his name ringing across the lands, becoming a legend.

At the age of twenty-one, he would be a lord of the region, expanding his power across the lands.

It would be difficult for him to just be a normal person. He was to be the focal point of everyone’s attention. In his lifetime, he would meet many experts, making business ventures together. Meet many women, fall in love…

…

However, would that really happen?!