They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Fear

Early the next morning, Yun Qingwu felt something scratching his face. He frowned and instinctively leaned over to rub against the person beside him, but his hand met empty space. He snapped his eyes open—Leng Licí was no longer in bed.

“Daddy!”

Little Dāo laughed, extending her small paw to scratch Yun Qingwu’s face again.

Yun Qingwu immediately grabbed the mischievous little paw and sat up. “Where is your A-dàd?”

Little Dāo struggled her hand free, raised a chubby finger, and pointed outside. “Not here.”

He went out?

Yun Qingwu had a bad feeling.

“Little Cí went out early in the morning. I asked him where he was going, but he didn’t pay me any mind.”

The bad feeling became a reality with Liu Yu’s answer. Yun Qingwu’s heart sank. He handed Little Dāo to Liu Yu. “Brother Liu, please look after her for me.”

He immediately rushed toward the Jì residence.

…

“Brother Yun, why are you so late? Brother Leng came here first thing this morning.” Jì Lín saw Yun Qingwu and enthusiastically walked up, reaching out to put his arm around Yun Qingwu’s shoulder.

Yun Qingwu suppressed the urgency in his heart, his expression calm. “I was delayed by something. Where is A-Cí?”

Jì Lín said, “Oh, Brother Leng is in the fields to the east. Thanks to his willingness to help, otherwise I really wouldn’t feel comfortable letting Xiǎozhú go check the seedlings in the fields today.”

Not good.

Yun Qingwu’s panic deepened, but he knew he couldn’t let Jì Lín know the truth at this moment. He spoke in a steady voice. “Then I’ll go check as well. Brother Jì, you can focus on your own work. We definitely won’t let anything happen to your wife.”

Jì Lín didn’t doubt him in the slightest and laughed. “Great! I truly don’t know how to thank you two brothers. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with tonight’s feast!”

In the fields, the corn had reached maturity. Specks of golden yellow dotted the lush green. You Su Xiǎozhú walked ahead, checking the corn’s condition from time to time. “The duration of sunlight this year has been the most suitable condition for corn growth in recent years, so this batch of corn will be exceptional in taste. Brother Leng, please pick some to take back and try later.”

Leng Licí walked behind her, his gaze fixed on You Su Xiǎozhú. His right hand, hidden in his sleeve, was already gripping the bone sword at his waist.

You Su Xiǎozhú was completely unaware of the impending danger, continuing to talk to herself. “May I ask how old Brother Leng is this year?”

Leng Licí’s tone was cold. “Why do you ask?”

You Su Xiǎozhú lowered her eyes slightly, feeling a little embarrassed, and touched her abdomen. “Forgive me if this offends you, but the moment I saw Brother Leng, I felt an instant closeness. If the child in my belly grows up to be a boy, he should look just like you.”

Leng Licí’s grip on the bone sword tightened, and his eyes grew a shade darker. He scoffed, suddenly drawing the bone sword and swinging it toward You Su Xiǎozhú’s back. “Self-important fool. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong target!”

The red sword light swiftly approached. You Su Xiǎozhú couldn’t react in time, her eyes wide with astonishment.

“Bang—”

A white light repelled the red light. The two forces, evenly matched, clashed and dissipated.

Yun Qingwu shielded You Su Xiǎozhú behind him, looking sternly at Leng Licí. “A-Cí, I told you not to act rashly.”

Leng Licí’s eyes were blazing with anger, and his tone turned cold. “What does it matter if you told me? This fact is so obvious, why must you insist on waiting? How long do you plan to wait? Until she gives birth to the child in her belly?”

He gave a cold laugh, mockingly glancing at You Su Xiǎozhú’s abdomen. “Can she even give birth to it?”

You Su Xiǎozhú instinctively shielded her abdomen, staring blankly at the two men. “What do you mean…?”

But neither man was inclined to answer her question.

Yun Qingwu: “I have confirmed that she is not a demon. I absolutely will not allow you to commit random murder again without concrete evidence.”

“Random murder?”

Leng Licí was so furious he laughed, staring straight into Yun Qingwu’s eyes, speaking recklessly. “Even if she truly is You Su Xiǎozhú, she is my mother. What does me killing her have to do with you? Yun Qingwu, do you really think you can control me?”

The words were like a knife, piercing the fortress Yun Qingwu had built for himself in recent days. Like the final straw, the already precarious fortress collapsed with a loud “crash” into a pile of rubble.

The moment the harsh words left his mouth, Leng Licí knew he had spoken wrongly. But since the words were already out, he didn’t know how to take them back and could only stare blankly at Yun Qingwu.

When he saw Yun Qingwu’s expression suddenly dim, his own heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a thorn. After a moment of sharp pain, it felt as though thousands of ants were gnawing and crawling, leaving him at a complete loss.

Yun Qingwu gave a disappointed smile, his voice dropping low. “Yes, it has nothing to do with me, an outsider.”

During this search for fragments, he alone had no reaction. Yes, that’s completely normal.

After all, he was indeed the only outsider.

The atmosphere froze. Neither spoke another word. For a time, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the cornfield reminded them that the moment was not static.

“You are… my and Yún Chuān’s child?” You Su Xiǎozhú’s slightly surprised voice broke the silence.

Yun Qingwu and Leng Licí both turned to look at the forgotten center of the dispute.

You Su Xiǎozhú walked up to Leng Licí, examining him closely, from his eyes to his eyebrows. Her eyes were slightly red as she murmured, “You’ve already grown this big.”

Leng Licí watched You Su Xiǎozhú warily, avoiding her attempted touch.

You Su Xiǎozhú paused, slowly withdrawing her hand. She composed herself and explained, “I am the last remaining wisp of You Su Xiǎozhú’s divine soul in this world.”

“The last wisp of divine soul?”

Yun Qingwu’s eyes widened in surprise, and even Leng Licí’s expression changed slightly.

You Su Xiǎozhú nodded. “For a long time, I drifted aimlessly in this world, without my own consciousness, until later I met Jì Lín, and You Su Xiǎozhú’s memories gradually recovered.”

She then looked at Yun Qingwu. “Did you come this time to take Jì Lín away?”

Yun Qingwu nodded, briefly explaining Yún Chuān’s memory loss and coma.

You Su Xiǎozhú turned to look at the green waves gently swaying in the wind, sighing softly. “Give me seven days. I will ensure Jì Lín leaves with you.”

Yun Qingwu looked at You Su Xiǎozhú’s abdomen. “What about you then…”

You Su Xiǎozhú’s lips curved slightly. “I am merely a wisp of divine soul, and I don’t have much time left.”

Hearing this, Yun Qingwu was at a loss for words.

Leng Licí’s eyes, save for a brief glance at You Su Xiǎozhú, had been fixed on Yun Qingwu, so he also had nothing to say.

You Su Xiǎozhú’s gaze subtly drifted between the two. She keenly sensed that the detached atmosphere between them was not purely that of ordinary brothers.

And her suddenly grown-up son was clearly struggling with a problem he was unaware of.

“Since that’s the case, how about you two stay at the Jì residence for these seven days?” she suggested.

Yun Qingwu instinctively wanted to look at Leng Licí but forcefully restrained himself. He kept his gaze on You Su Xiǎozhú. “That would certainly be good. Then I will go back to prepare today, and take my leave for now.”

With that, he cupped his hands in a respectful salute and prepared to leave. As he passed Leng Licí, he paused for a moment and said coolly, “I won’t interfere this time. You decide for yourself.”

The instant Yun Qingwu lifted his foot, Leng Licí grabbed his hand, saying stiffly, “Did I say I wasn’t willing?”

Yun Qingwu pulled free and walked straight out of the cornfield.

Leng Licí watched Yun Qingwu’s retreating back, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes shadowed. He felt like the ants in his heart were on the verge of completely devouring it. Instinctively, he lifted his foot to follow, but You Su Xiǎozhú held him back.

He glared at You Su Xiǎozhú with a dark expression.

You Su Xiǎozhú’s expression was unchanged. She said gently, “Little Cí, nothing is more useful than an apology.”

“Apology? I won’t,” Leng Licí said coldly, pulling his hand away.

You Su Xiǎozhú traced the contours of Leng Licí’s face, which felt both familiar and somewhat strange. She retracted her hand, carefully choosing her words. She knew that since she had missed her child’s formative years, she couldn’t simply adopt a motherly posture to instruct him. “Little Cí, a timely show of weakness can sometimes have unexpected effects. I can see that you care a great deal about Qingwu.”

Leng Licí’s eyelids flickered for a moment, but he remained silent.

You Su Xiǎozhú saw that Leng Licí had taken her words to heart and continued, “Tomorrow, Mother—I will create an opportunity for you. You must seize it.”

“This Lord has no parents, and needs no one’s help,” Leng Licí said coldly, not looking at You Su Xiǎozhú again, and left the cornfield.

…

He returned to the inn and went straight to the room, only to find it empty. Leng Licí sat on a chair with a dark face, his eyes fixed on the door.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. His eyes moved slightly.

“Little Cí? Brother Leng? Can I come in?”

It was Liu Yu. Leng Licí’s eyes darkened further.

Liu Yu knocked a few more times. Seeing no response from inside, he simply pushed the door open and walked in. Enduring Leng Licí’s murderous gaze, he asked, “What’s wrong with you and Qingwu? Why did Qingwu get another room next door?”

Leng Licí abruptly stood up. The temperature around him dropped a few degrees. He glared angrily at Liu Yu. “What does it matter to you?”

Liu Yu stepped back, earnestly trying to persuade him. “You’re my son. How can it not matter to me—”

“Get out!”

Before Liu Yu could finish, Leng Licí made a move to draw the bone sword from his waist.

Liu Yu immediately retreated, opening the door. Just as he was about to close it, he looked back and soothed him. “Calm down, calm down. I’m leaving now.”

When the door closed again, Leng Licí’s breathing was somewhat ragged, but despite this, he showed no intention of stepping out of the room.

…

In the other room, Little Dāo sat on the bed, fussing endlessly with the pillow. Yun Qingwu sat on the edge of the bed, fanning Little Dāo with a fan, his movements slow and deliberate.

The cool, icy air from the snow-frost energy infused his movements, filling the room and maintaining a comfortable temperature.

He knew that Leng Licí had only spoken out of anger today and didn’t mean anything else. But he couldn’t stop himself from wondering if there was a grain of truth hidden in those careless words.

He also had to admit that even though he claimed not to care, deep down, he was still bothered by his origins.

He was afraid of becoming an outsider.

Ultimately, Leng Licí’s words were merely the final straw for him, not the main reason. Moreover, Leng Licí was not entirely wrong; he shouldn’t have taken his frustrations out on Leng Licí today.

Yun Qingwu sighed. Although he understood the logic, he resisted confronting the issue at that moment. He couldn’t articulate his complex emotions.

On the bed, Little Dāo tired herself out playing with the pillow. She hugged the pillow, her eyelids drooping, and mumbled, “A-dàd… Daddy… hug… sleep…”

Yun Qingwu’s expression softened. He pulled the quilt over Little Dāo.

Forget it. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.

…

The next day.

Yun Qingwu got up and helped Liu Yu load the luggage onto the carriage. As he walked up to the carriage, he saw Leng Licí already sitting inside, his long hair spread out, his face sullen. He sat with his arms crossed, staring straight ahead, showing no intention of turning his head even when he heard Yun Qingwu’s movements.

Yun Qingwu stood in place, his hand itching to touch Leng Licí’s hair. But seeing Leng Licí’s attitude, the composure he had gathered the previous night faltered somewhat. He also didn’t feel like being the first to break the deadlock, so he said nothing and simply placed the bag he was carrying into the carriage.

Liu Yu walked out later, leading Little Dāo. He glanced at the expressions of the two and wisely kept silent. At the same time, he nudged Little Dāo, whispering, “Go, go find your two Daddies.”

The reconciliation between a couple has to rely on the child.