After a while, the atmosphere inside the imperial harem's eastern chamber was peaceful and warm. Mark sat on a long, cushioned sofa, but he barely had room to move, because on each of his thighs sat a child glued to him like little koalas.
Shen Yi, tiny and bright-eyed with her faint violet pupils, clung to the left side of his chest with both hands, staring up at him with a fierce possessiveness only a daughter could have. Lu Shan sat on his right, hugging Mark's arm with the determination of someone declaring, I won't let him disappear again.
Song Yue sat beside them with a soft smile, her fingers gently brushing Shen Yi's hair.
Lan Jing sat opposite, and nearby stood Mark's mother and father, wearing stiff, complicated expressions as they stared at their son, now an immortal, a clan head, a conqueror of worlds.
