They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Great Diaper-Changing Battle

The warm sunlight of the outdoors shone into the small courtyard. The mother hens joyfully clucked with every step, wholeheartedly focused on the feeling of laying eggs. Gliding sparrows flew from one tree to another, raising a rustling sound. It seemed like a peaceful, beautiful scene of early spring arriving ahead of schedule.

Unfortunately, this peaceful scene was ruthlessly blocked outside the room. The atmosphere inside the room was divided into two halves: one side was the deepest winter, and the other was a scorching summer inferno.

In the deepest winter was Leng Lici.

In the scorching summer inferno was Cloud Qingwu.

Connecting the two seasons was the incessantly wriggling, loudly wailing little baby.

Leng Lici stood expressionless, staring blankly at the opposite wall, woodenly enduring a trace of murderous intent. His arms were held straight out in front of him, his palms slightly curved, using only the short segments of his fingers to barely hook onto the continuously squirming shoulders of Xiao Dao. A faint, yet-to-dry stain could still be seen on his left cheek, and his entire being exuded a grim aura, as if he would violently murder someone in the next second.

Standing on the other side, Cloud Qingwu was red-faced and sweaty, bent over, frowning, and frantically trying to manage the diaper beneath Xiao Dao. His expression was serious, as if he were engaged in some difficult research.

In his ears was the extremely piercing cry. In his nostrils was a stimulating smell. The hand that usually wielded a spear flexibly became clumsy beyond measure. The more anxious he felt, the more counterproductive his hands became. When the stubborn diaper was finally unfastened, Cloud Qingwu sighed in relief, feeling that this ordeal was no less strenuous than going to war.

He rolled up the diaper and tossed it aside. He looked up at Leng Lici: “The clean diaper for changing.”

Leng Lici lowered his gaze and looked at Cloud Qingwu, his expression frank: “I don’t have one.”

Cloud Qingwu looked down at Xiao Dao’s bare bottom: “…”

How can he be so self-righteous?

The chilling cold air became the final straw. Xiao Dao’s discomfort finally erupted. With a loud “Waaah,” she cried even more heart-wrenchingly.

“Oh dear, what’s wrong?” Sister Liu’s voice sounded outside the door.

Sister Liu knocked and asked: “Do you need help?”

“Yes! Thank you, Sister Liu.” The inquiry was a timely rain, extinguishing Cloud Qingwu’s rapidly spreading anger. He quickly spoke, inviting Sister Liu into the room.

When Sister Liu saw the scene inside, she shook her head repeatedly: “Aiya, how can you change a diaper like this? The child is suffering so much.” She took over Cloud Qingwu’s position and said: “Hand me a clean diaper.”

Leng Lici remained unmoved.

Cloud Qingwu coughed awkwardly: “We left in a hurry and didn’t bring any. Sister Liu, do you have one?”

Sister Liu looked disapproving. She walked toward the door, unable to help but scold them: “You two are too careless. If it weren’t for the slight resemblance, I’d seriously suspect you kidnapped the child.”

Cloud Qingwu glared at Leng Lici upon hearing this.

Leng Lici casually let go of the baby with his hands and turned to leave.

“Hey, Xiao Ci, where are you going? You need to humbly learn how to change a diaper!” Sister Liu, holding a new piece of cloth, managed to block Leng Lici’s path.

The affectionate address made Leng Lici’s already uncomfortable body feel even worse. His tone was stiff: “Bathing.”

He had endured the dried stain on his face long enough.

“Why are you bathing? Learning to change a diaper is your top priority now. How can you be such a brother—a father!” With that, Sister Liu freed a hand and forcefully pulled Leng Lici back.

Cloud Qingwu watched from the side, a feeling of schadenfreude rising in his heart. He chimed in: “Sister Liu is right. You are a very unqualified father.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed Leng Lici’s murderous intent surge again and immediately used their temporary contract to forcefully suppress it.

Leng Lici’s face darkened even further.

When will this damned Seven Luminaries Period finally end!

By the time Sister Liu’s patient and detailed teaching was over, Xiao Dao was finally clean and dry, sporting a happy, smiling look that made Sister Liu absolutely adore her.

At the dining table, little Qu Lin became a little jealous. Her attempt to reclaim her mother’s attention failed, so she simply chose to join in on the baby affection.

Leng Lici, who had finally cleaned his face, still did not look happy. He focused on silently eating his meal, literally just plain white rice.

“Father, I heard the new statue of the Bai Ze God is almost finished?” Qu Wen’s eyes showed excitement. Qu Ping had been busy with this matter lately. The Bai Ze statue was replaced every three years, and his father, as a lacquer artisan, participated every time, which was considered an honor for their family.

The chopsticks in the hands of the Bai Ze himself paused. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

“Yes, the Great Sacrifice Ceremony is not far off. Xiaqiu, is Lin’er’s dress ready?” Qu Ping looked at his wife.

Qu Lin’s attention finally shifted away from Xiao Dao when she heard this. She jumped up happily: “It’s ready, it’s ready! It’s so pretty! I finally get to see the Great Bai Ze God this year!”

“The Great Sacrifice Ceremony?” Cloud Qingwu opportunely inquired.

“Yes, that’s right. Bai Ze is the auspicious god of our Ze Kingdom. Thanks to his protection, we can live here with good weather and harvest. To show our gratitude, we hold the Great Sacrifice Ceremony every Winter Solstice. Lin’er is five xusui (notional age) this year, so she can participate.”

Sister Liu smiled. Then she noticed Leng Lici, who was focused on eating, and called out: “Xiao Ci, why are you only eating rice? Eat some vegetables for nutrition!”

Leng Lici’s teeth felt sour, and he nearly bit his tongue. He said without lifting his head: “This Venerable One does not eat ginger, garlic, spring onion, eggs, or fish.”

Sister Liu: “…”

Cloud Qingwu glanced at Leng Lici and rolled his eyes internally.

Starve quietly.

“Sister Liu, you don’t need to worry about him.” He brought the topic back: “Have you always worshipped Bai… cough, Bai Ze?”

“Mhm, yes! The Lord says that it is because of the Great Bai Ze God that we exist. We are all His people.”

Leng Lici sneered softly.

People…

Cloud Qingwu was startled, ignoring Leng Lici’s provocation. His gaze fell on Qu Wen. He had indeed once had his people…

That nation was called the Southern Ze Kingdom.

He had initially thought Qu Wen’s appearance was just a coincidence, but…

Ze Kingdom…

Worshiping him…

Could there be so many coincidences?

“Brother Qu, could you take me around later?”

Qu Wen put down his chopsticks and nodded: “Of course! Our Ze Kingdom may not be big, but it’s very interesting!”

Then he looked at Leng Lici: “Brother Leng Ci, do you want to go?”

Leng Lici slowly wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, stood up: “No.”

With that, he returned to the room by himself.

Cloud Qingwu closed his eyes briefly. His upbringing prevented him from ignoring the situation. He offered an apologetic smile: “My younger brother, he—”

“Aiya, it’s fine, I understand, I understand. Everyone has their bad days.” Sister Liu waved her hand. Then she remembered something: “By the way, let me get you two a set of Qu Wen’s clothes to change into first. You two are too conspicuous, and I see Xiao Ci looks very uncomfortable in those old clothes.”

Cloud Qingwu looked down at his attire and accepted Sister Liu’s kind offer.

“Aiya, it fits quite well! You look even more handsome than my Wen’er!” When Cloud Qingwu came out after changing, Sister Liu’s eyes brightened considerably.

Cloud Qingwu’s skin was fair, and his usual clothes were light-colored. The combination made him look like a moon hanging high in the sky, naturally possessing an untainted celestial aura. Now, dressed in this slightly complicated dark blue, long-sleeved jacket with wide trim, it was like the bright moon had scattered into the forest, gaining a hint of earthiness without appearing vulgar, seamlessly blending with the mountains and the natural world.

“Come, look down.” Sister Liu draped a leather belt, wrapped with red thread, diagonally across Cloud Qingwu’s body from left to right.

The belt had black embroidery along the red edge, embellished with white seashells and animal bones in the center. Worn over the dark blue clothing, it added a touch of youthful spirit unique to the wearer.

Finally, Sister Liu took out a braided red string, threading it through the stray hair falling on his forehead, and tied it around his brow.

“Mhm, it’s perfect now.”

Sister Liu nodded with a smile, very satisfied with her handiwork.

The clothing of the Ze Kingdom had similarities with the Southern Ze Kingdom of Cloud Qingwu’s memory, but there were still clear differences between the two. Although he wasn’t as averse to physical contact as Leng Lici, he wasn’t completely welcoming either. Yet, he felt no discomfort from Sister Liu’s enthusiasm. Instead, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

This place felt close to him, but it was definitely not the lost nation of his memory.

Qu Wen’s main duty today was patrol, so Cloud Qingwu followed him, observing this small nation nestled in the mountains.

It was morning, and the market was very lively. Along the way, Cloud Qingwu saw various small shops: taverns, teahouses, and apothecaries. Although the place was remote, it was clearly well-equipped and self-sufficient.

Passing an inn, he could vaguely see a few guests wearing Central Plains clothing inside.

Qu Wen noticed Cloud Qingwu’s gaze and explained: “Our location is unique. We are rich in rice and cattle and sheep, but salt and metal are relatively scarce. So, we opened trade routes with the Central Plains. Some people really like our environment and often come here to stay for a while.”

Cloud Qingwu nodded, noticing that a portrait of him was pasted on the door of every household. Of course, there were still some differences compared to his true form.

“Brother Qu! Brother Qu!” A young boy ran out of the apothecary in front. In his hand, he held the head of an unidentifiable animal woven from wooden strips.

“Brother Qu! Look at the head of the Great Bai Ze God I made myself! Does it look like it, does it look like it!”

Cloud Qingwu looked at the object in the boy’s hand: “…”

Qu Wen laughed, took the object from the boy’s hand, quickly adjusted it, and handed it back to the boy: “There, it looks much more like it now!”

Cloud Qingwu’s attention was on Qu Wen. Aside from the similar face, this person’s way of doing things bore no resemblance to the man in his memory.

After the boy ran off, the two continued patrolling along the street until the other constables they had met on the first day ran over, red-faced and panting: “Boss! Another child is missing! It’s Auntie Wang’s Xiao Dou.”

Qu Wen’s baby face showed anger. He immediately started to follow them: “I’ll go check!”

Then he remembered Cloud Qingwu and said apologetically: “Brother Yun, I probably can’t accompany you anymore. Just go straight home after you finish looking around.”

“I and—” Cloud Qingwu subconsciously wanted to go along to help, but stopped midsentence. He had already sensed that there were no demon spirits causing trouble here. Then, it was only a human crime.

Since it was a human crime, following the lesson learned, he shouldn’t intervene rashly.

“I understand. You go ahead.” He finally said, watching the group walk away.