Qingsui sat on the stone bench at Wangyou Terrace, staring dumbfounded at Dong Tianyun. She raised her hand and pointed at Yuanhou, Yu Mu, and the others who had similarly been summoned. “You called us here in the middle of the night just because… your daughter can speak now?!”

Dong Tianyun looked at her coldly and said slowly: “Isn’t that worth celebrating?”

Qingsui swallowed. This was a threat, wasn’t it? Otherwise why would he ask while touching Gujun at the same time? “Worth… worthy…” Qingsui gave two dry laughs.

Yuanhou, sitting beside her, patted her arm comfortingly. “People who’ve never been fathers are all like this.”

“Have you been one?” Dong Tianyun glanced at Qingsui from the corner of his eye while asking Yuanhou.

Yuanhou looked at Qingsui and said repeatedly: “Of course I haven’t!”

Yanji looked at Xiang Su with great anticipation. Jin Zhan pressed his lips tightly together, not wanting to laugh coldly aloud—Dong Tianyun was being far too conscientious as a father.

Chilin sat silently beside Dong Tianyun, her expression not very pleasant. Yu Mu glanced at her and shook his head with a slight smile. Chilin also looked at him. The more she understood Yu Mu, the more despicable she found him, yet when he smiled at her with such confidence and assurance, even though she knew he might propose something that would chill her heart, ridiculously enough, she still felt relieved because he had found another solution to her predicament.

Dong Tianyun placed Xiang Su on his lap and pointed at the people opposite. “Do you recognize them all?” Xiang Su nodded. Dong Tianyun pointed at Jin Zhan. “Who is he?” Actually, he wasn’t confident about Xiang Su, so he decided to ask about the person she was most familiar with, to let her shine.

Xiang Su curled her lip disdainfully. Her cheeks were too chubby, making it look like a silly smile. This game was far too insulting to her intelligence, but she had to preserve his dignity after all. Reluctantly and perfunctorily, she said: “Jin—Zhan—” Her voice was babyish with hardly any inflection—not at all forceful or resounding!

Dong Tianyun showed a proud expression. Even back when he held Gujun in his hand, he had never been this triumphant. He squinted his eyes and swept his gaze over everyone, clearly saying: Come praise my daughter!

Everyone was a bit speechless. Only Yanji broke convention and played along enthusiastically, pointing at himself and asking Xiang Su: “Who am I?”

Xiang Su rolled her eyes at him. She wanted to ignore him, but both Dong Tianyun and Yanji showed expectant looks. “Yanji.”

Jin Zhan couldn’t help but laugh coldly aloud. This whole scene made it hard to tell who the fool was.

Dong Tianyun’s mouth corners had been turned up the whole time, but when Xiang Su actually called out Yanji’s name, his expression turned gloomy instead. He lifted Xiang Su up to make her look at him. “Call me Daddy!” he said, glaring at her.

Xiang Su looked at him with puffed-up cheeks and said in her babyish voice: “Dong Tianyun.”

Chilin suddenly looked up at them, her hands inside her sleeves clenched tightly into fists.

Dong Tianyun froze for a moment. When this little meatball called him that way, he actually thought of Xiang Su. He lightly flicked her forehead, and when he spoke, somehow he sighed first. “Call me Daddy.”

“Dong Tianyun.” Xiang Su also became stubborn. She had been struggling all along—she had so much to say, but couldn’t say any of it. But she was deeply afraid that if she didn’t say it now, she would never have the chance in the future. She secretly glanced at Chilin. Chilin’s jaw was clenched tight, making the line of her chin even more distinct. She was staring blankly at her own knees, yet Xiang Su felt as if those fierce eyes were staring directly at her. She had died once at her hands and was truly somewhat afraid of her. Precisely because she understood Chilin’s determination to possess Junshang at all costs, she felt even more that she couldn’t endure and wait any longer.

“I…” She coughed once, perhaps from nervousness, perhaps because her throat wasn’t quite obedient yet. Everyone looked at her with interest, except Jin Zhan who showed a worried expression. “I want to marry Dong Tianyun!” She stood on Dong Tianyun’s lap, her arms and legs short and stumpy, her body chubby all over, her round fat face completely serious, looking… extremely laughable. Sure enough, Qingsui led the way, bursting into laughter.

“Dong Tianyun, what on earth have you been teaching your daughter?” Qingsui kept laughing, feeling that all the anger from being threatened earlier had been vented.

Dong Tianyun hadn’t expected that Xiang Su’s first complete sentence would be this. Shocked and somewhat angered, he glared at Jin Zhan with cold, forest-like eyes.

Jin Zhan’s face also turned cold. “I didn’t teach her that!” This girl had been thinking about saying this sentence for far too long—the moment she could speak, she immediately said it! Now it was worse—Chilin’s threat had increased by several degrees!

Dong Tianyun looked at Yanji with resentful anger, as if accusing him of corrupting the child.

Yanji had always dared to defy Dong Tianyun, but this time his face unexpectedly turned red, somewhat bashfully turning his head to deliberately look elsewhere. Dong Tianyun narrowed his eyes. So it was him after all! Without even thinking, he knew that what Yanji had taught Xiang Su was… to marry him!

“Just you?” The future father-in-law immediately sneered with contempt. “In your next life!”

Yanji had been blushing with youthful shyness, but hearing Dong Tianyun’s provocation, his face immediately turned green with anger. He was about to retort when Yuanhou’s deliberate laughter interrupted him.

“Why take a child’s foolish words so seriously?” Yuanhou then became stern. “Since we’ve decided to go to Dragon Prison Valley, everyone should rest well and conserve your energy. Don’t be distracted by these trivial matters anymore.” He was clearly the person most unwilling to have complications arise. If this child affected Chilin’s decision, even if it meant falling out with Dong Tianyun, he would stand on Chilin’s side. “Jin Zhan, take the child to your place. You don’t need to come along tomorrow either.”

“I want to go too!” Xiang Su’s chubby hands gripped the edge of the stone table, her chubby feet kicking at Dong Tianyun’s leg, speaking to Yuanhou with great determination. Actually, she understood Yuanhou’s intentions very well, but after hearing Chilin’s confession to Junshang, she truly couldn’t sit and wait for defeat any longer. If she couldn’t tell the truth, then wasn’t it acceptable to compete for Junshang’s heart in a different identity?

Yuanhou looked at her for a while. “You speaking up… is certainly timely.” He raised both eyebrows. “Children cannot go! It’s a dangerous place. We can barely take care of ourselves, with no way to also look after a burden.” He didn’t expect Xiang Su to understand these words—he hoped Dong Tianyun would understand.

A burden? Xiang Su sniffled, deeply hurt by this word. Indeed, she was Junshang’s burden…

“If she wants to go, she’ll go. I’ll just take her with me.” Dong Tianyun’s face was as dark as water. He was announcing a decision, not consulting with everyone. The word “burden” also angered him. Even if the little meatball didn’t understand Yuanhou saying this about her, he was angry on her behalf.

“Dong Tianyun!” Chilin finally couldn’t hold back. “Tomorrow when we go to that demonic place, everyone is taking enormous risks. If you bring a child, it’s not—”

Yu Mu pulled Chilin and cut off her words with a smile. “Dong Tianyun, if there’s an accident tomorrow, you’ll be our savior. Bringing her and being distracted puts all of us in more danger. Besides, you can’t let such a small child take risks.”

Dong Tianyun looked at him and sneered slightly: “You all just need to take care of yourselves. If there’s an accident, I’ll keep you all safe!”

Having said this much, Dong Tianyun flicked his sleeves and left. No one tried to persuade him further.

Qingsui had been very silent. Yuanhou watched her follow Yanji out of the hall and didn’t call out to stop her. Perhaps letting her face reality was actually a good thing. It’s just that… today, the timing wasn’t very good.

Xiang Su clutched Dong Tianyun’s lapel tightly. He walked very fast—she felt wind rushing past both ears. She knew Dong Tianyun was angry, but didn’t know why he was this angry.

Returning to the sleeping chamber, the flower root nanny took her to bathe, fed her flower juice again, took care of her various needs, and carried her back to Dong Tianyun’s side. He was carefully wiping Gujun under the lamp. Xiang Su sat on the bed watching, her heart also growing cold. When Dong Tianyun squinted his eyes while wiping his sword like this, the threatening and terrifying pressure was even greater than if he had actually drawn the sword.

Xiang Su waited for a long time, but he was still wiping, thinking about things as he wiped. If she didn’t tell him to rest, he might keep wiping until dawn, right? Although he had agreed to take her tomorrow, given his consistently terrible behavior, she really couldn’t trust him. Sticking her bottom up, she crawled down from the bed. Xiang Su tried walking a few steps—Nine Nether flower juice really was a good thing. After drinking it, her growth speed was truly advancing by leaps and bounds.

Dong Tianyun was too deeply absorbed in his thoughts and didn’t even notice Xiang Su crawling down from the bed. Feeling his knee itch, he looked down to see the tiny round chubby child with two bright, lively big eyes, lying on his leg and gazing up at him.

He couldn’t help but put down Gujun and pick her up, touching her short, soft hair. “Be good tomorrow. Don’t cause trouble.”

Xiang Su nodded. Being able to go was good enough.

“Let me take you to see Xiang Su, all right?” Dong Tianyun picked her up and stood. He didn’t really think Dragon Prison Valley was anything serious—he just particularly wanted to see her tonight.

“Not all right!” The meatball in his arms said it clearly and crisply.

Dong Tianyun was momentarily speechless, looking at Xiang Su in his arms, feeling that her ability to speak might not necessarily be a good thing.

“Then you stay here. I’ll go by myself.” He pretended to turn around, about to put her back on the bed. Actually, he just wanted to scare her. He didn’t know when it happened, but he had already grown accustomed to her clinging and couldn’t bear to leave her alone anywhere.

Xiang Su’s mouth turned down and two lines of sad tears flowed. Dong Tianyun looked at her helplessly. This child was too good at crying—that little appearance really softened one’s heart. “Sigh…” He couldn’t help but sigh. He wanted to say fine, they wouldn’t go, but was suddenly kissed by a tiny, extremely tender and soft little mouth, his words catching in his throat.

Her mouth was too small—when kissing, it couldn’t even cover half of his. Xiang Su hugged his beautifully lined neck. “Forget her! From now on… I’ll be with you!” She decided to make a bold confession. With the vicious dog Chilin behind her, she couldn’t be blamed for striking first!

Dong Tianyun immediately twisted his head away and tossed her back onto the bed. Xiang Su’s bottom hurt from the fall. She looked at Dong Tianyun with resentful anger. What kind of reaction was this? Throwing her to her death to silence her? Seeing the faint blush on his face, Xiang Su suddenly broke into a grin. Could it be… he was embarrassed?

Dong Tianyun steadied himself for a moment, then walked to the bed with a cold face, sat down, and looked down imposingly at the sweetly smiling little meatball. “I am your daddy. You must not do this in the future.”

Xiang Su wanted to jump up. Without even having a mother, what kind of daddy was he!

“Not Daddy!” She was so angry her words became incoherent.

Dong Tianyun frowned and turned to leave. Only then did Xiang Su realize he was really leaving and she couldn’t hold him back.

Who would have thought that taking the initiative to confess would result in such a failed situation? Xiang Su sat on the bed without even the mood to cry.

“You shouldn’t be too hasty. He still can’t forget ‘Xiang Su,’ and you, in his eyes, are still just a silly little child after all, and moreover… a daughter.” Jin Zhan walked in gracefully from the terrace. Clearly he had overheard everything. The wood forest aura really was a treasure for eavesdropping. Xiang Su glanced at him, not even having the energy to say these harsh words mocking him.

“You absolutely must not leave Dong Tianyun’s side recently. Chilin toward you—it’s hard to say she hasn’t thought of killing you. Just now I saw her being all mysterious and secretive with Yu Mu, not knowing what they were saying. Afraid of being discovered by them, I didn’t dare get close.”

Xiang Su glared at him again. He didn’t dare eavesdrop on Yu Mu and Chilin’s conversation, but brazenly came to eavesdrop on her and Dong Tianyun! That embarrassing scene just now was all seen by him!

“Right now, you should focus on growing up.” Jin Zhan shook his head looking at Xiang Su’s round, rolling body. “What Dong Tianyun likes is definitely not someone like you.”

“But he already made me call him Daddy!” Was it that she didn’t want to wait? It was urgent—she couldn’t wait anymore!

“They also made you call me Mother.” Jin Zhan snorted coldly, finally venting his frustration.

Xiang Su glanced at him, her mouth twitching. Jin Zhan had accumulated too much resentment toward the title “Mother.”

“No matter what, you should cling to Dong Tianyun first to preserve your life. Besides… if you follow him every step of the way, what can he do?”

Xiang Su smacked her lips, really wanting to tell Jin Zhan that when he smiled like that, he looked truly cunning.

Xiang Su was so sleepy her head kept nodding, but she persisted in waiting for Dong Tianyun to return. Thinking about him going to see the fake Xiang Su again, her heart felt both sour and bitter. When would she finally be able to tell him the truth?

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Dong Tianyun returned soundlessly.

Xiang Su blinked her eyes, and big teardrops fell one by one. Dong Tianyun, who had originally been thinking of retreating from her, saw this and immediately felt only heartache. He wiped her tears. “All right, go to sleep.” He patted her head.

Xiang Su rolled her eyes. It seemed a direct approach wouldn’t work—she could only use clever tactics. She suddenly threw herself into Dong Tianyun’s arms. “Scared! So scared alone!”

Sure enough, it was a useful tactic. Just as Dong Tianyun saying he was lonely made her heart twist like a knife, when she said she was scared alone, it also hit the soft spot in his heart.

Dong Tianyun’s expression softened as he picked her up, rocked her, and coaxed: “All right, I’m here. From now on… I’ll never let you be alone again.”

Xiang Su’s heart ached. Originally she was pretending to cry, but this time she really cried. Last time he had also promised her they’d be together forever, but the result was that once he left her behind, it was for fifty years. Now it was still this situation.

“Why are you still crying?” Dong Tianyun sat down, holding her to face him.

Xiang Su felt that at this moment, even if she had countless things to say, she didn’t want to say them. She just softly nestled in his embrace. Perhaps she was too greedy. Regardless of what identity it was, she had returned to his side. Being too anxious might truly harm him.

Dong Tianyun felt that this soft little meatball pressed close to his heart, leaning against him so quietly, gave him a feeling of satisfaction and peace of mind. He raised his hand and touched her hair. No matter what the future held, having her by his side right now… was good enough.