Both Ziqing and Jun Beiyue were looking at the toddler now — one doting, one serious — and the toddler felt the pressure mounting more and more.

He was still so young, yet here he was, starting to feel like a third wheel!

“That’s right, you were three months along back then. Mommy hadn’t even gone into the Poison Beast World yet. Now you’re past your first birthday by three months,” Ziqing said with a faint smile, continuing on.

“Ohh…”

At last, the toddler’s meaningful “ohh” had turned into a full sigh. Did these two grown-ups have to keep talking to each other through him like this?

Hearing the change in the toddler’s tone, Jun Beiyue finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. He opened his arms wide, smiling fondly. “Son, did you miss your daddy?”

This was the first time the toddler had ever seen his father smile. He discovered, to his amazement, that Daddy could indeed smile — and that his smile was several times more handsome than Mommy’s!

He was still staring in awe when Jun Beiyue, unable to wait any longer, swept the toddler up and pulled him into a tight embrace!

This was the single greatest surprise of his entire life!

Completely unexpected, in every way. He had thought about having children — he’d even said, once the war ended, they would have a child. But he never could have imagined it would happen so quickly.

Suddenly there was a child, and suddenly the child was already this big — already causing trouble, already stirring up disasters.

Holding the toddler tightly, Jun Beiyue suddenly felt that having a little troublemaker whose messes he had to clean up was an incredible honor, an immense happiness.

Though he wasn’t a man of many words, he had never held anyone else — aside from the woman beside him — with such warmth, such nervous care.

Perhaps the toddler couldn’t yet feel or understand the full significance of this, his very first embrace.

But in this moment, he felt so warm, so safe — he felt, in that instant, like the happiest baby in the entire world!

This warmth and sense of security was even stronger than what he felt in Mommy’s arms.

In Mommy’s arms, faced with danger, he would surely step forward bravely — no matter how small, he was still a man!

But in Daddy’s arms, even if the sky itself came crashing down, he could sleep soundly, because Daddy was a real man, capable of holding the sky up higher than himself!

Watching Jun Beiyue hold the child like this, a wave of bittersweet emotion rushed over Ziqing’s heart. Though this embrace had come a little late, it had come at last — and it was every bit as tight, as full of love, as it should have been.

She was grateful — grateful that she had never let herself hate him, grateful that she had stayed rational enough to keep telling herself to seek the truth behind that misunderstanding.

She was grateful — grateful that even though Jun Beiyue hadn’t been the first to find her, in the end, it was still he who had taken her hand, carried their son, and led them both out of the Poison Beast World.

Watching the toddler grow bolder, more restless, daring more and more to squirm around in Jun Beiyue’s arms, and seeing the doting affection in Jun Beiyue’s eyes, Ziqing’s lips remained curved in a happy smile. She stepped forward, pinching the toddler’s little nose, and said, still addressing the child, “You still don’t have a name, do you? Let’s have Daddy pick one!”

At these words, the toddler immediately scrambled out of Jun Beiyue’s warm embrace, blinking those irresistibly captivating big eyes, pressing his little hands together at his chest, waiting with nervous anticipation!

Heaven only knew how long he had been waiting for this name!

The giant beast had told him — every child needed two names: a proper name, and a nickname!

He’d been brave enough to ask Mommy about anything, but never this — because the giant beast had also told him that the toddler’s name absolutely had to be chosen by Daddy!

At long last, the moment had finally come!

The toddler stared at Jun Beiyue with nervous anticipation. Jun Beiyue glanced at Ziqing, then back at him, and said with a smile, “If you don’t call me Daddy, I won’t give you a name.”

That’s right — he still hadn’t called him “Daddy” yet!

He still hadn’t heard his son say the word aloud with his own mouth! It didn’t count as official acknowledgment yet!

The toddler looked toward Ziqing. She just smiled foolishly, offering no help — not that the toddler was really asking for advice; he simply wanted to look at her.

“What, do you need your mother’s permission too?” Jun Beiyue asked teasingly, completely absorbed in this moment of family bliss, utterly indifferent to everyone and everything else around them.

Around them, Xuanyuan Lige had already retreated far away, perched on a distant rooftop, watching it all unfold. Second and Third Elder Meng remained unconscious to this day. Fifth Elder Meng was still in a daze, utterly stunned by that “this prince is busy” line. Baili Weisheng sat cross-legged off to the side, chin propped on one hand, watching them with a warm smile at the corners of his lips — a smile he himself probably wasn’t even aware of. Heaven only knew what he found so amusing.

Meanwhile, the four great poison beasts and the big dumb bear all stared fixedly at Jun Beiyue — some with scrutiny, some with suspicion, some with sheer delight.

Regardless of the surroundings, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of how much still needed to be dealt with — all of it could wait. Right now, Jun Beiyue was busy acknowledging his son!

Seeing the toddler still silent, still staring at him, Jun Beiyue’s brow slowly furrowed. Was this little rascal still thinking it over?

Seeing Jun Beiyue’s frown, the toddler was secretly delighted inside — he was doing this on purpose, after all — and glanced over at Ziqing again.

This left Jun Beiyue thoroughly puzzled, and he too turned to look at Ziqing.

Ziqing simply shrugged, feigning complete innocence.

“Still thinking it over?” Jun Beiyue asked, raising an eyebrow.

To his surprise, the toddler nodded very solemnly, which immediately provoked Jun Beiyue into mock outrage. “How dare you!”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

The toddler finally burst out laughing loudly. “Daddy’s flustered, Daddy fell for it, hahaha!”

Ziqing couldn’t help bursting into laughter too. So this was it — the mighty Prince Yao of Da Zhou, the War God of Longyuan, was destined to be utterly wrapped around his son’s little finger!

Of course Jun Beiyue wasn’t really angry — of course he’d seen through the toddler’s little test of his patience. He was simply playing along!

On any ordinary day, he’d probably have found this tiresome. But this was his own son. Watching the little one delight in his arms like this, he found himself, just like Ziqing, shaking his head helplessly while smiling all the same.

The toddler climbed out of Jun Beiyue’s arms. Jun Beiyue, with practiced ease, held out his hands and let the boy stand on his palms. Once upright, the toddler suddenly realized just how tall his father truly was. He rose on his tiptoes, small hands wrapping around Jun Beiyue’s neck, and finally spoke, in a very loud, very solemn voice, “Old man—”

Old man?

Jun Beiyue’s hand jerked, nearly dropping the little brat.

Old man? Where had “Daddy” gone?

The smile froze instantly on Ziqing’s lips — she had genuinely never taught him to say that!

Baili Weisheng, sitting off to the side, felt his hand go weak, his chin nearly hitting the ground. This little brat was without a doubt Jun Beiyue’s natural nemesis.

Even Fifth Elder Meng, nearby, was struck with amusement, quickly clapping a hand over his mouth as if afraid someone might catch him laughing.

Watching Jun Beiyue’s twitching mouth, the toddler asked, puzzled, “Did I get it wrong? You’re my old man, aren’t you?”

“No… no, that’s not wrong…” What else could Jun Beiyue possibly say?

Satisfied, the toddler pulled hard on Jun Beiyue’s face, drawing it close, and whispered into his ear, “…Daddy!”

At these words, Jun Beiyue’s eyes grew hot and a little damp. With one arm he held the toddler tight, and with the other he pulled Ziqing close, embracing them both firmly. “Let’s call him Buli, then. Ziqing — Jun Buli. What do you think?”