After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Part 2  Part 3

“Thank you for today,” Yu Baixi said once there was no one else left in the study.

“It’s nothing.” Qi Jia waved his hand and smiled slightly, chiding: “They were clearly trying to block you up; I couldn’t just ignore it.”

“Oh?” The Heavenly Emperor raised an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s true,” Qi Jia said. “I heard it crystal clear. At first, they wanted to persuade the Prince to go back because they were afraid of your anger. But when they got to the palace doors and saw the Prince still kneeling there perfectly fine, those people started having crooked thoughts. Not a single person urged the Prince to go back; instead, they crowded around chirping and saying sarcastic things… Why do I feel like your title of ‘Evil Heavenly Emperor’ has been stigmatized?”

Hearing him say this, Yu Baixi, the “Evil Heavenly Emperor” himself, wasn’t angry. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up: “Your reading of Daily Life of Palace Strife has paid off.”

“Of course. Did you think I was only reading miscellaneous books for fun?” Qi Jia’s tone was proud.

That said, standing before the desk and making eye contact with Yu Baixi felt awkward and uncomfortable—largely because he was currently in human form and had to stand.

In the past, when he spoke to the Emperor in the study, he was basically squatting, crawling, or lying down!

Yu Baixi seemed to sense the difference as well. The Emperor unconsciously rubbed his fingers together before slowly placing that hand on the table.

“Why are you dressed so formally today?” he asked.

Qi Jia: “When am I not formal? Well? Does your Lordship look good in this?”

He lifted his arms. As his long sleeves fluttered, his slender and graceful waist was fully revealed.

“It’s almost the same style as the one you wore yesterday. It turns out many of the Empress’s casual clothes are similar in style… Could this be the ‘couple’s outfit’ mentioned in the storybooks?”

Yu Baixi blinked: “…I do not know.”

“I figured you wouldn’t.” Qi Jia turned his head and beamed: “Your Majesty has never had the time to study fashion, have you?”

The Emperor looked at him and said nothing, which counted as silent admission.

“So, you haven’t said if it looks good yet?” Qi Jia pressed further.

Feeling that staring at each other across the desk was too awkward, he simply walked around the desk to stand directly in front of the Emperor.

If the Han siblings were still here, they would have been even more shocked—after all, for over ten thousand years, no one had dared to bypass the desk to stand so close to His Majesty.

Qi Jia, however, stood there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Though he wore the same white brocade with gold silk threads, and the material and style were similar, the effect was quite different from when the Emperor wore it.

Unlike Yu Baixi’s purely transcendent aura from the previous night, Qi Jia was perhaps a bit leaner, or perhaps he was simply born with “enchanting bones.” Wearing this outfit, he looked regal yet added a few touches of exquisite beauty, like a white peony in full bloom—grand yet seductive.

Qi Jia didn’t like using incense. Because he spent so much time squatting on white magnolias, his body carried the scent of orchids and a hint of sunshine.

Fresh and elegant, his appearance surpassed even the peony.

Looking at the young man, Yu Baixi rubbed his fingers on the table again and said, “It looks good.”

“Tell me, why was I fat when I was ‘Jiu-Jiu’ (the bird), gaining weight just by eating a little, but I’m not fat as a human?”

As Qi Jia spoke, he pinched his own waist and even conjured a mirror, turning left and right in front of the Emperor to check himself out.

This was a question he had been puzzled by for a long time: “I clearly ate so much this morning!”

Yu Baixi mused: “Perhaps it’s because your previous cultivation damaged your physical foundation, so you won’t get fat.”

“Me?” Qi Jia turned back to look at the Emperor: “What kind of technique did I practice that could damage my foundation? Was I that stupid?”

To him, who remembered nothing, a damaged foundation didn’t really matter—he didn’t remember it and didn’t feel any physical discomfort.

But the matter of being stupid was very important!

Yu Baixi still had no intention of telling him: “When you recover your memory, you will know.”

Qi Jia: “…”

“It wasn’t stupidity; you had your own difficulties.”

Guessing where the young man’s insecurities lay, the Emperor didn’t stay silent this time. Instead, he made excuses for him: “Besides, you are not ugly like this.”

“Only ‘not ugly’?!” Qi Jia’s tone rose.

“…Beautiful,” Yu Baixi said again after a momentary daze.

Only then was Qi Jia satisfied. The smile on the young man in the mirror deepened. He continued to ask, “Then, do you prefer me like this, or back in my bird form?”

“Either is fine.” This time, the Emperor answered without hesitation.

Qi Jia: “…”

Qi Jia narrowed his eyes and asked ruthlessly: “That day in the pool, the first time you showed me your dragon tail, was it out of desire, or just because of your injuries?”

Yu Baixi: “?”

Qi Jia tilted his head, his jade-like face wearing an expression that wouldn’t tolerate being brushed off. Crucially, he had been curious about this for a long time!

Yu Baixi: “…”

His long eyelashes drooped heavily. After reopening his eyes and staring at the youth for a long while, the Emperor finally spoke: “…Does the Empress think that this Sovereign would go into heat simply by seeing your human form?”

Qi Jia: “Why, is that not allowed?”

As he spoke, he lifted his sleeve again to reveal his lean waist. The faint scent of orchids drifted out; the Empress was quite confident in his appearance.

The Emperor: “…”

After another moment of silence, Yu Baixi said: “This Sovereign has not yet reached such a level of… thirst.”

He said this with such solemnity that it didn’t seem like a forced denial. This left Qi Jia a bit helpless—if the other party really was attracted to his human form, he would have… launched a fierce offensive! He would have used it to take this man down!

What a pity…

However, Qi Jia wasn’t surprised by Yu Baixi’s denial.

He was a cultivator, after all. How could he be so superficial? Especially given someone of his realm who had once almost become a God.

Mentioning this made Qi Jia a bit angry again: “Are those clan elders all muddled in the head? You’ve done so much for the Heavenly Realm, yet all they think about is hurrying to appoint a Crown Prince!”

Since the Han siblings were there earlier, he, as the Empress, had to show respect to the elders of the same clan and couldn’t complain much. Now, he had no such reservations:

“The point is, they’re using the method of blackening your name! What good does that do them?! Unless… they don’t want to appoint a Prince, they want to overthrow your rule!”

Qi Jia spoke while looking at Yu Baixi, but he still felt awkward… In the end, he turned back into a small bird and—pata—landed right in the Emperor’s hand that was resting on the desk.

Squatting in the palm of the other’s hand, the little “Fat Jiu” stood tall. Instantly, he felt comfortable and right. He narrowed his eyes and signaled: “Groom my feathers.”

The Emperor conjured a comb out of thin air and began the daily grooming task.

The warm down feathers spread out. The little fat bird, who had originally curled into a ball, now lay quite cooperatively in the Emperor’s palm.

Flipping left, then flipping right.

When the comb reached a particularly comfortable spot, he would stop moving, his face full of enjoyment.

But a moment later, he huffed angrily again: “Next time I run into them, I won’t just talk to them for the duration of one incense stick.”

The Emperor let out a direct laugh.

Without anyone describing it, he could imagine Qi Jia using his identity as Empress to stop those clan elders—his tongue wouldn’t lose.

He hadn’t known before that this person could be so talkative.

“Are you going to hold an education conference?” The Emperor’s voice still held a trace of laughter.

“Aren’t they part of your clan? Then it should be a ‘Family Discipline Rectification Meeting’.”

The little round bird said lazily: “You’re a junior and find it hard to speak up; the Chief Ministers are external officials and can’t easily criticize clan elders. I reckon in these ten thousand years, no one has regulated them anymore. Isn’t it time someone gave them a lesson?”

A wave of cool spiritual energy soothed the fat bird. Qi Jia was no longer angry and conveniently thought of a hundred and one measures to rectify the family discipline.

However, mentioning his clan elders, the Emperor had no reaction.

He showed neither heartbreak nor anger. He simply continued to soothe the fat bird, saying: “The only thing the clan has cared about all these years is the imperial succession.”

“You’re right about that.” Qi Jia remembered the conversation he overheard and narrowed his eyes comfortably, then suddenly snapped them open: “Wait, you’re only ten thousand-plus years old. Compared to the lifespan of a dragon, aren’t you still a child? And they only care about the next generation?”

“Perhaps they think I’m dying,” the Emperor sneered, his voice full of irony.

“Jiu?” Qi Jia opened his eyes wide, asking with his gaze: What’s the situation?

“…Don’t worry, it won’t be that fast.”

The Emperor increased the pressure of the grooming until the little fat bird relaxed again.

His face remained devoid of joy or sorrow, and his voice returned to a calm, cold indifference: “It’s also because they cannot influence this Sovereign… Before me, every generation of Heavenly Emperor was known for being benevolent and generous.”

“Benevolent?” Qi Jia’s voice rose slightly, tinged with doubt and sarcasm.

But his whole bird body secretly shifted direction to continue being petted in a different spot. He narrowed his eyes comfortably: “Benevolence means appearing easy to talk to, which means hearing even more nonsense every day. That’s so annoying.”

“…Mhm.” Yu Baixi gave a low response, neither confirming nor denying.

“But not appearing ‘benevolent’ doesn’t mean you aren’t a good Emperor!”

Qi Jia continued: “A gentleman does not act falsely; his actions must be righteous. Judging a Heavenly Emperor’s character based on whether he seems easy to talk to? I think their brains are out of order.”

The Emperor gave another low laugh: “Mhm.”

“Therefore, the Empress does not need to go out of his way to deal with them.”

“…That won’t do.” Qi Jia opened his eyes to look at Yu Baixi: “I have to protect you! We are one!”

Yu Baixi’s gray-blue eyes shook.

Qi Jia said: “You don’t like to argue, and you don’t have anyone around you to speak for you. How can your reputation be good?”

As he spoke, the little round bird rolled his eyes: “Even if we don’t care about external opinions, I can’t stand people splashing dirty water on us without splashing it back. It makes me angry!”

“…Don’t be angry.”

Cool spiritual energy poured out. The Emperor increased the grooming intensity, but his expression went blank for a moment.

Qi Jia saw it clearly. Although he was preoccupied with the comfort, he still asked: “What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.” Yu Baixi snapped back to reality, looking at the little round bird again and couldn’t help but poke its soft belly: “I just thought of some past events.”

“Oh?” Qi Jia was immediately interested. He didn’t even notice his belly being poked as he sat up, his eyes shining: “What past events? Are they about me?”

“…Mhm.” Yu Baixi nodded.

But he wouldn’t say another word.

Qi Jia: ???

So much for being “one”!

Despite several rounds of questioning, the other party wouldn’t speak. The little fat bird became unhappy again, simply flipped over to lie down, and changed to let the other groom his back.

“Don’t be cross.” Yu Baixi’s voice was deep, actually carrying a few hints of gentle, water-like coaxing.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t speak, but that this bird was too clever; he couldn’t reveal even a hint of information.

Only at an angle where the fat bird couldn’t see, the Emperor still found it hard to hide his daze. His eyes were gloomy and sharp, like a dark, bottomless abyss: “‘A thousand years of merit and fault, ten thousand volumes of history, let them judge as they please’… You once said that.”

Qi Jia: “Hmm?”

Because of the sound, the little round bird’s body twitched, and Qi Jia looked back at him.

“You never cared about your own affairs.”

Yu Baixi poked his round little body again, the ice-frozen depths of his eyes suddenly softening. He hooked his lips again and said slowly: “But now, you are willing to argue with others for the sake of this Sovereign.”

“…Hah.”

Qi Jia had no memory of saying those words, but he felt like he had been heavily praised. Plus, his whole body felt warm, so he waved a little wing and said grandly that it was nothing: “You are, after all, this Empress’s husband and the father of my child. It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The matter of Immortal Huaiji was quickly settled.

Actually, his case was simple: he had secretly brought a general from the Hibiscus Mountain of the Demon Realm into the Nine Heavens and attempted to bring them into Yujing.

However, they were discovered halfway by General Huangyu, who guarded the border between the Heavenly and Demon realms. After reporting to the Emperor, they were caught red-handed.

Since Yu Baixi killed the Demon God ten thousand years ago, the Demon Realm’s power had waned. Some demons willingly surrendered to the Heavenly Realm, but some tribes had not given up their ambition to dominate the four realms.

Hibiscus Mountain was among them.

It was originally one of the tribes controlled by that Demon God.

The purpose of Hibiscus Mountain sending someone to infiltrate Yujing was to steal the Heavenly Artifacts.

There are eight artifacts in the world, and the Heavenly Emperor already held five.

Aside from one still held by the Demon Realm, the other two had not yet appeared.

Legend has it that possessing all eight artifacts simultaneously can completely destroy heaven and earth, even overturning the God Realm above the Nine Heavens. Such divine power was naturally coveted.

The Great War between Heaven and Demons ten thousand years ago was triggered because the Heavenly Realm held two artifacts at the time, which the Demon Realm lusted after.

Although the result was a crushing defeat for the Demon race.

Not only did the Heavenly Realm take the artifact originally held by the demons, but the Emperor had also obtained two more over the past ten thousand years.

However, some demons still hadn’t given up the “grand vision” of unifying the four realms and even the God Realm.

In ten thousand years, the number of demon assassins who had tried to steal, snatch, or even assassinate the Emperor to get the artifacts was countless.

But no one expected that this time, the “insider” for the demons would be Immortal Huaiji.

Yu Huaiji admitted in his confession that because Qi Jia had come to Yujing and the Emperor now had an Empress and dragon offspring, he felt his son would not be able to successfully become the Crown Prince, and he had a moment of mental turmoil.

It happened that Hibiscus Mountain approached him then and took the opportunity to win him over. In a moment of muddle-headedness, he agreed to let their people into the Nine Heavens.

He didn’t think that just bringing a few people in would lead to him being caught;

Furthermore, his deal with Hibiscus Mountain was only to bring the people into the Nine Heavens, after which he wouldn’t have to worry about anything. The promise from the other side was that they would secretly help his son become the Crown Prince.

Yu Huaiji didn’t actually want to use demon power to make Yu Dezhao the Crown Prince. His confession mentioned that he simply felt his lineage wasn’t favored by the Emperor, and feeling that times were changing and no one knew how long the Emperor could live, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to do the demons a favor…

After Immortal Huaiji’s confession and evidence were submitted, Yu Baixi personally went to the Heavy Prison.

That day, the Emperor stayed inside for a full two hours. He even dismissed everyone around him. No one knew what he and Immortal Huaiji talked about.

But afterward, the judgment for Immortal Huaiji came down: he would retain his immortal status and cultivation but was banished from the Nine Heavens to the remote Yu Han Continent, not allowed to return without an imperial decree.

This punishment was neither heavy nor light.

While Immortal Huaiji kept his status and magic, he could never return to the Nine Heavens and had to live in a borderland with scarce spiritual energy and harsh environments. Life was sustainable, but he could no longer enjoy the luxuries of Yujing. Therefore, some felt it was heavy.

“It’s mainly the clan elders.”

Han Mo said with a face full of mockery while analyzing the situation for the Lord: “To them, Yu Huaiji is the only brother His Majesty has left in his generation. Now that His Majesty has banished even him, sigh, if the elders have any more ideas in the future, they won’t have a tool to use.”

“But Immortal Huaiji did collude with the Demon Realm after all.”

Shuo Ling was equally indignant: “We can’t just let him off because he was caught early and didn’t cause a major disaster, can we? I say His Majesty has already been very merciful. Yu Han Continent just rains all year round, but the spiritual energy there is still quite sufficient. Immortal Huaiji can even continue his cultivation there! If he were sent to the Frozen Soil Continent in the north, that would be a real ordeal. I heard from my father that it’s not just a lack of spiritual energy; even ordinary immortals can’t use magic there and might die!”

“Sigh, with such a matter, it’s always hard for His Majesty.” Han Mo sighed.

Qi Jia, listening to their analysis, also felt that being the Heavenly Emperor was not easy, and ultimately, it was the clan elders’ selfishness that was too heavy…

So, after lunch that day, the Empress invited the clan elders over on the pretext of drinking tea and admiring flowers, and they chatted for a whole afternoon.

Before this, Prince Dezhao requested to see the Emperor, and Qi Jia listened in.

Prince Dezhao acted very respectfully, bowing as soon as he entered. Somewhat unusually, he first kowtowed to Qi Jia, calling him “Aunt-Uncle” (叔婶) first. Then, looking at the Emperor on the other side, after hesitating repeatedly, he called out in a very small voice: “…Uncle.”

“Mhm.” Yu Baixi took a sip of tea and put the cup down. He didn’t correct the form of address, simply saying: “Rise.”

Prince Dezhao answered “Yes” and rose respectfully. After standing up, he glanced at Qi Jia next to him and then quickly lowered his head.

…

Qi Jia watched clearly from the side, guessing that Prince Dezhao used to address the Emperor as “Your Majesty”—looking at his tentative manner, he clearly wanted to be close to Yu Baixi but was very afraid.

He had started by calling him “Aunt-Uncle” before naturally calling Yu Baixi “Uncle.”

He instead became the one the Prince felt closer to.

At least he was much easier to get along with than his majestic Uncle, Yu Baixi.

However, the other’s reliance on him still made Qi Jia feel it was strange.

Actually, a gentleman is cautious when alone; Qi Jia was embarrassed to gossip about a child behind his back, so he never told anyone.

But regarding the situation of Prince Dezhao kneeling outside the study that day, Qi Jia still kept an eye out—it was indeed because he said a few words that day that the Prince’s face turned pale and he left in fear.

Leaving as soon as he was called out showed that, as General Han said, he wasn’t ignorant.

It’s just that he, like the clan elders, was holding onto a bit of luck, or gambling that his Uncle the Emperor wouldn’t be enraged and punish him, which gave him the courage to kneel outside.

Whether his purpose was truly to plead for his father or something else, no one knew.

But Qi Jia felt that Prince Dezhao was already three thousand years ago.

In the Immortal race, this age is considered just reaching adulthood; he could indeed be naive, muddled, or ignorant.

But before Yu Baixi was three thousand years old, he had already solo-killed the Demon God, his cultivation was damaged, and he was heavily injured.

In comparison, these petty intrigues in the Heavenly Realm were something Qi Jia looked down upon.

So from the moment Prince Dezhao entered, he sat upright on the side, dropping his usual liveliness and remaining silent.

With him not speaking, the atmosphere in the hall naturally froze to the extreme—the Emperor was always a man of few words.

Yu Dezhao never dared to speak first.

In the end, it was Yu Baixi who spoke first.

The Emperor’s attitude was always cold and concise.

So Yu Baixi asked Yu Dezhao directly: “This Sovereign has banished your father; do you hate me?”

Suddenly hearing such a question, Prince Dezhao shook like a bird startled by a bow. He immediately fell to his knees again: “…I dare not! …Reporting to Heaven… Uncle, Dezhao knows deeply that it was my father who did wrong, my father was momentarily muddled. Your nephew does not have a single shred of resentment toward Uncle!”

Yu Baixi didn’t make a sound.

His gray-blue eyes were as quiet as a deep pool. He stared straight at the youth on the ground, not asking him to rise, and slowly asked again: “Then, are you satisfied with this Sovereign’s handling of the matter?”

His voice was even lower.

“Your nephew… has no dissatisfaction.”

Prince Dezhao said, bowing again: “Father has been irritable lately and his temper has become strange. It is good for him to go to Yu Han Continent to cool down. …Your nephew knows that Uncle has been lenient in this matter. Your nephew thanks Uncle for his mercy on behalf of my father.”

Yu Baixi still didn’t speak immediately.

He watched the youth carefully, looking at his every move, as if observing something.

And this kind of gaze and pressure from a superior was clearly difficult for a youth who had just been promoted to High Immortal to bear. Despite his efforts to remain calm, Prince Dezhao’s body still shook like a sieve.

Qi Jia, watching from the side, found it interesting and took a sip of tea.

The spiritual tea was fresh and sweet, its fragrance overflowing.

In his heart, countless plots from the palace strife stories he usually read while drinking tea surfaced.

So, was Prince Dezhao’s fear fake or real?

And what was Yu Baixi looking at? What did he want to see?

Over there, the Emperor asked a few more questions about Immortal Huaiji, such as asking Prince Dezhao when his father started becoming strange.

This made Prince Dezhao even more terrified. He said he had just come out of seclusion and didn’t know when his father had changed.

Although his voice trembled, he answered every one of the Emperor’s questions, saying he didn’t know when he truly didn’t.

The Emperor’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t comment on any of the answers. Then he suddenly asked a question that made the Prince shake even harder: “Do you want to be the Heavenly Emperor?”

“…Your nephew dares not.”

Prince Dezhao bowed again; this was already the nth kowtow he had given today.

But Yu Baixi said: “This Sovereign is asking if you want to, not if you dare to.”

His voice was still light, but his attitude seemed much more relaxed than before. One couldn’t say where the change was—his expression and tone hadn’t changed—but the listener felt a sense of ice melting.

Including Qi Jia.

Because Yu Baixi never used pressure or tension when speaking to him, he never realized the other’s voice could sound so cold, like it was frozen over.

So the change from cold to not-cold was equally novel for Qi Jia.

He couldn’t help but turn to look at the Emperor’s profile.

At this moment, Prince Dezhao finally gathered the courage to reply. He bowed once more. When he rose, his gaze was much firmer as he said: “I want to.”

“You aren’t afraid of this Sovereign now?” Yu Baixi asked.

“…Your nephew dares not.” Prince Dezhao still reflexively said he dared not. After realizing this was proof he was afraid of his Uncle, he explained with embarrassment: “It’s just… Uncle is asking me a question, I dare not answer against my heart.”

“Mhm.” Yu Baixi gave a light response and suddenly said: “When this Sovereign was your age, the Previous Emperor also asked me this question. Do you know how I answered?”

Prince Dezhao looked at the Emperor, but his gaze drifted; he didn’t dare answer.

Yu Baixi didn’t say either.

He simply said solemnly: “If you want to be a competent Heavenly Emperor, first you must learn more, think more, and be devoted to public service. Second, you must be familiar with troop maneuvers and all auxiliary techniques of the Immortal sects. Third is to improve your cultivation. If you have the confidence to improve and take on challenges, then come to me every three days. This Sovereign will personally guide and examine your lessons.”

Everyone understood: the Emperor intended to personally train Prince Dezhao.

“Thank you, Uncle. Dezhao is willing!” The youth’s eyes were filled with light as he bowed repeatedly.

After Prince Dezhao left, Qi Jia asked Yu Baixi without any evasion: “You plan to train him to be the next Heavenly Emperor?”

“It’s training. As for whether he can succeed, that ultimately depends on himself,” Yu Baixi said, picking up his teacup again.

Qi Jia suddenly asked: “Then what about our child?”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The hand holding the teacup froze. The tea surged. The Emperor instinctively looked at the youth’s abdomen.

Qi Jia wasn’t wearing an outer robe today, just a white silk brocade with gold-thread patterns and narrow sleeves. His waist was bound very tightly.

Yu Baixi’s gaze swept across that lean, narrow waist. His eyes flickered several times. Amidst the shifting light and shadow, he spoke after some deliberation: “If we really have a child… do you want Them to be the Heavenly Emperor?”

“I… honestly, not really.” Qi Jia answered seriously after some thought.

He wasn’t as lazy or casual as when he wore wide robes, appearing more energetic and spirited—like a dashing young man from a mortal storybook. Qi Jia said: “I’ve been watching by your side for a while, and I feel being the Heavenly Emperor is very tiring! Better not. But everyone has their own ambitions; this kind of thing ultimately depends on Them.”

“Mhm.” His long lashes folded down. The Emperor gave a response, again neither confirming nor denying.

Qi Jia added: “I’m not against you training Prince Dezhao, and I prefer appointing the capable. It’s just that the Prince gives me a weird feeling.”

“What’s weird?”

“Too ambitious? Too calculating?” Qi Jia narrowed his eyes: “It doesn’t feel like… I can’t say.”

Yu Baixi said: “If he were truly just calculating, that would be fine.”

“Oh? How so?” Qi Jia asked.

“Exactly how his father was contacted by the demons is still unclear. Even Huaiji himself can’t explain it,” the Emperor said lightly.

“…You suspect the demons might also try to contact Prince Dezhao, or perhaps they already have?” Qi Jia analyzed instantly.

Yu Baixi gave him an appreciative look and shook his head: “We need to observe further.”

“So you called him over periodically not just to teach him, but also to take the opportunity to observe him.” Drawing the conclusion directly, Qi Jia once again felt that being the Heavenly Emperor was truly not easy!

“By the way… just now Your Majesty said that when the Previous Emperor asked if you wanted to be the Emperor, how did you answer?”

Something Prince Dezhao didn’t dare ask or inquire about, Qi Jia could ask freely.

And the Emperor clearly didn’t mind his inquiry. Memories flooded back, a tangled mess. Yu Baixi stared into the void: “Back then, this Sovereign didn’t even think before answering ‘I want to’…”

At this point, the Emperor suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile. All his dazedness was tucked into his dark, smoky-blue eyes. He sighed imperceptibly: “Truly the high spirits of youth.”

Qi Jia opened his mouth but made no sound.

Mainly, he couldn’t imagine a younger Yu Baixi full of drive, answering “I want to.”

High spirits of youth?

He had never felt any “high spirits” from the other person.

Truly, not even once had he acted on impulse.

Consequently, he naturally overlooked that when the man was three thousand years old, he might have been like Prince Dezhao—hesitant, fearful, having a youth’s worries, yet saying he wanted to be the Emperor without a second thought.

…No.

When Yu Baixi was three thousand years old, not only had he been the Crown Prince of Heaven since birth, but he was also the number one under heaven who had solo-killed the Demon God and made his name across the four realms.

At that time, Yu Baixi should have been a proud, high-spirited child of heaven. So when asked if he wanted to be the Emperor, he naturally didn’t need to consider anything.

It was certain events that turned him into his current self. It was…

Qi Jia frowned. For the first time, he became interested in the widely circulated rumor of the current Heavenly Emperor personally killing his own father.

But this matter was, after all, different from others. No matter how much Qi Jia lacked a sense of father-son affection or how heartless he was, he didn’t ask.

He suddenly thought: “So it was Prince Dezhao’s unflinching ‘I want to be the Emperor’ that resembled Your Majesty in the past, which moved you and made you want to watch over him and teach him?”

The youth speaking these words beamed again.

Like discovering a little secret of His Majesty’s, his narrow phoenix eyes narrowed with pride, his lips red and teeth white—he was truly lovable.

Yu Baixi still wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled along but said seriously: “Previously he was taught by his father and the clan elders were there, so it wasn’t easy for this Sovereign to say much. But since his father is no longer in Yujing and he calls me ‘Uncle,’ he should at least start learning.”

“Fine, innocent until proven guilty. This Lord will tentatively assume the incident that day was just him being desperate to save his father and losing his footing. For the sake of his filial piety, I’ll be nicer to him in the future.”

The curve of the Emperor’s lips grew wider: “Then this Sovereign shall thank the Empress on behalf of the Prince first.”

Qi Jia continued to smile: “Your Majesty is too polite, too polite.”

Afterward, the fairy Shuo Ling came to report that lunch was ready, asking if His Majesty and the Lord would like to eat.

Qi Jia never refused food, eating on time and in generous amounts, so he naturally chose to eat immediately.

At a round dining table, the Emperor and Empress sat side by side.

Halfway through the meal, Qi Jia suddenly thought of another question and asked Yu Baixi: “…By the way, I heard that when Your Majesty was still an egg, you stayed in your little dragon egg for a full twenty thousand years before hatching…”

The Emperor: ?

The Emperor’s smoky-blue eyes flickered unnaturally.

“Was it really a full twenty thousand years?!”

Qi Jia’s face was already filled with worry as he said: “Then I won’t have to be pregnant for twenty thousand years before giving birth, will I? According to that math, won’t this Lord be exhausted? Also, when exactly will I start showing!”