They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 85

Chapter 85: The Aftermath of Drunkenness

“Here, drink this.” You Su Xiǎozhú returned to the inner room with the hangover soup. Seeing Leng Licí still sitting on the bed, the slight unease in her heart settled a bit.

Leng Licí sullenly took the hangover soup, drank it in one gulp, got up, and placed the bowl on the table. “I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for You Su Xiǎozhú’s response, he walked straight out of the bedroom.

The moment he stepped out, he was met by two pairs of intensely scrutinizing eyes: one belonging to Yun Qingwu, and the other to Jì Lín, whose eyes were bloodshot from staying up late.

Yun Qingwu: “A-Cí, you—”

Before Yun Qingwu could finish, Leng Licí cut him off sharply, taking the offensive. “Why am I here?!”

Yun Qingwu coughed. “If I told you that you insisted on clinging to Madam Jì, would you believe me?”

Leng Licí didn’t completely forget, but right now, he simply didn’t want to remember. He glared at Yun Qingwu. “Impossible!”

Jì Lín swallowed his intended condemnation, raised his hand, and patted Leng Licí’s shoulder. “My good son, your father can testify. Brother Yun is telling the truth.”

“Who’s your good son!” Leng Licí violently shook off Jì Lín’s hand.

Liu Yu walked over, yawning and leading Little Dāo, just in time to see the scene. He consolingly patted Jì Lín’s shoulder. “Our son is like this; you’ll get used to it.”

Jì Lín clicked his tongue and pulled Liu Yu’s hand away. “He’s my son, not our son.”

Liu Yu sullenly withdrew his hand. “Tch, you’ll understand later.”

Yun Qingwu took advantage of the two fathers’ squabble to secretly tug on Leng Licí’s sleeve, signaling him with his eyes to follow him back to the room. Little Dāo, standing next to Liu Yu, spotted their secret gestures and opened her mouth to shout.

Yun Qingwu quickly made a shushing gesture, asking Little Dāo to cooperate. Little Dāo, half-understanding, mimicked the gesture, successfully closing her mouth.

…

Back in their room, Leng Licí still intended to demand an explanation. Yun Qingwu gave him another shushing gesture, extended his hand forward, and took out a memory mirror, pointing it forward to signal Leng Licí to watch.

The memory mirror projected a light image that displayed all the scenes of Leng Licí drunk from the night before.

Leng Licí: “…”

He reached out to snatch the mirror, but Yun Qingwu had preemptively dodged, quickly putting it away. Yun Qingwu pretended to be aggrieved. “I waited for you outside all night. Look, my hands are covered in mosquito bites.”

He rolled up his sleeve and showed it to Leng Licí.

Leng Licí glanced at it and scoffed. “Serves you right. Why didn’t you take me away?”

Yun Qingwu put his hand down and sighed softly. “Do you think I didn’t try? Madam Jì was unwilling. After all, she is your mother, and I couldn’t afford to offend her.”

Leng Licí flicked his sleeve, sat down on a chair, and poured himself a cup of tea. He no longer denied the title. “Tch, is the Lord Prime also afraid of offending people?”

“Of course. Isn’t the Demon Lord one of them?” Yun Qingwu leaned forward, placing his hands on the two sides of the chair, encircling Leng Licí in his embrace. He lowered his head and took a sip of tea from Leng Licí’s hand, teasing him.

They looked into each other’s eyes, both recognizing the heat in the other’s gaze.

They moved simultaneously, and in the next moment, the negligible distance between them completely vanished in their mingled breaths.

…

Outside the house, the gentle morning sunlight caressed every visible spot, awakening those who had slept through the night. The snip-snip sound of pruning shears and the occasional footsteps brought life back to the residence.

But the people inside the room had no time to notice any of this. All their senses were currently tied to the lover entangled with them, as if this were the only sunlight in the world, and they were determined to claim it entirely for themselves.

…

At the same time, in another room, Jì Lín pointed plaintively at his red eyes. “Xiǎozhú, tell me, is Brother Leng our child?”

You Su Xiǎozhú calmly looked at Jì Lín. “What if he is yours? What if he isn’t?”

Jì Lín slapped the table and stood up, overjoyed. “I knew he was my son! That Liu Yu kept trying to compete with me!”

You Su Xiǎozhú walked to the bed, neatly making the bed where Leng Licí had slept, and said with a laugh, “You only choose to hear what you want to hear. Liu Yu’s words weren’t entirely wrong either.”

Jì Lín walked to the bed, helping her tidy up. He clicked his tongue. “I don’t care. Since he’s your son, he must be my son.”

“Yes, he is your son.” You Su Xiǎozhú looked up at Jì Lín’s profile, reaching out to stroke his face. Her eyes held a deep sense of melancholy and reluctance to part. “So, you must take good care of him.”

Jì Lín didn’t understand her emotions at all. He merely patted his chest. “Naturally.”

Once the bed was made, Jì Lín wrapped his arms around You Su Xiǎozhú from behind, whispering in her ear, “The day after tomorrow is your birthday. Although we can’t travel to a distant place this year, we can have a Yunyang City day trip. How about I take you kite flying?”

You Su Xiǎozhú turned around to face Jì Lín. “Let’s not go out this year. How about we celebrate at home? Let’s invite Little Cí and Qingwu to join us.”

“Such a big kid, why stick so close?” Jì Lín complained slightly, but eventually compromised. “But you’re the birthday person, so the birthday person decides.”

Then Jì Lín thought of something and said mysteriously, “I also have a surprise for you that day.”

You Su Xiǎozhú didn’t ask what the surprise was. Instead, she said, “I would like you to make me a gold hairpin.”

Jì Lín was surprised. This was the first time Xiǎozhú had so explicitly asked for something. The regret of not having a private day for the two of them was forgotten. He said happily, “That’s no problem at all! I will certainly give you a unique gold hairpin.”

“Good.”

You Su Xiǎozhú’s gaze traced Jì Lín’s features, imbued with intense fondness.

After the birthday, it will be the day they are completely separated.

…

Three days later, the Jì residence was adorned with lanterns and streamers, its festive atmosphere rivaling the New Year.

Yun Qingwu held a swallow-shaped kite, trying to get it to fly into the sky. A long strip of red paper was attached to the swallow’s tail, bearing the inscription: “Happy Birthday to My Wife Xiǎozhú!”

Leng Licí stood by, coldly observing the kite in Yun Qingwu’s hand, scoffing, “Vulgar.”

Yun Qingwu tried to find the right direction for the wind. Hearing the comment, he smiled. “It’s quite romantic, actually. Do you remember Cuī Yóu’s Kongming lantern? One of the scenes depicted was kite flying. Fortunately, those things never became regrets.”

After testing the wind direction, Yun Qingwu looked at Leng Licí. “Come here and hold the kite for me.”

Leng Licí stared at the kite for a long time, then frowned and walked over. “Tomorrow is the agreed deadline. Why bother with such extravagance today?”

“You also know that this is the last time.” Yun Qingwu shoved the kite into Leng Licí’s hand, his voice full of meaning. “This is You Su Xiǎozhú’s last wisp of divine soul. Everything will completely dissipate after tomorrow.”

Leng Licí’s hand, which held the kite, paused for a moment, then returned to normal.

In the evening, the sky gradually darkened. The lanterns hanging all over the residence were lit, casting a warm glow over the entire house. The “swallows” floated in the air, the red strips beneath them becoming a scenic sight against the twilight sky.

Jì Lín pulled out a whistle and blew it. Thousands of Kongming lanterns were simultaneously released from the nearby hillside. The lanterns flew into the night, offering a beam of light to the “swallows,” and together becoming part of the night’s starlight.

Next, a gong sounded, and Jì Lín stepped behind a curtain.

Oil lamps were lit, and a pair of shadow puppets wearing wedding attire appeared on the screen. Then, a man’s rich, powerful voice emerged along with the small puppet’s bowing gesture.

Male Shadow Puppet: “The wedding is approaching, and my heart is uneasy. I am the fake groom; how can I marry my brother’s wife?”

Below the stage, You Su Xiǎozhú sat in a chair. Seeing the beginning of the story, her clear eyes couldn’t help but fill with a smile. As she smiled, her eyes uncontrollably turned red.

Leng Licí stood on the veranda, silently watching the puppets enact the story of Yún Chuān and You Su Xiǎozhú. Yun Qingwu stood beside him, their hands linked tightly beneath their sleeves.

Liu Yu walked over, leaning against a large tree, watching the puppet show. He clicked his tongue. “I never thought I was quite the sentimental one. It’s a shame this sentiment didn’t lead to a good outcome. Being a solitary man has its benefits, too.”

Little Dāo sat on a cushion on the veranda, thoroughly engrossed, occasionally clapping her hands.

Yang Yuanli glanced at Little Dāo and grumbled, “You’re just a little child; do you even understand what you’re seeing?”

Despite his words, as he watched the two small figures act out scene after scene, the ice in his eyes unknowingly melted a little.

The shadow puppet show gradually neared its end. The figures on the stage transformed into a family of three. Seeing this, Leng Licí turned and left, unwilling to watch further.

Yun Qingwu looked at this overly perfect ending, which was starkly different from reality. A pang of regret arose in his heart. He picked up Little Dāo and followed Leng Licí back to the room.

“Tomorrow, it won’t be easy for Father God Number Three to accept the truth,” Yun Qingwu said, placing Little Dāo on the soft couch and walking to the table to sit down.

Leng Licí drew his bone sword and wiped the blade with a cloth. He said softly, “He’ll have to accept it regardless. I’ll wait until tomorrow at the latest.”

Yun Qingwu was about to say something else when a knock sounded at the door.

“Little Cí, Qingwu, may I come in?”

It was You Su Xiǎozhú’s voice.

Yun Qingwu looked at Leng Licí and replied, “Please come in.”

You Su Xiǎozhú pushed the door open. In her hand, she carried a bowl of noodles with a poached egg on top. Yun Qingwu immediately rose, took the bowl, and placed it on the table.

You Su Xiǎozhú sat down on the other side and looked at Leng Licí. “The day after tomorrow is your birthday, but Mother won’t be able to spend it with you this time either. So, Mother made this longevity noodle today, hoping to celebrate your birthday in advance.”

Leng Licí’s gaze fell on the bowl of noodles, and his tone was mocking. “So, the day after tomorrow is my birthday. What’s the point of celebrating a day that not even the person involved knows about?”

You Su Xiǎozhú opened a brocade box placed next to the noodles and pushed it toward Leng Licí. “This is my birthday wish. It’s my regret, and I want to make up for this regret before I leave.”

Leng Licí looked into the brocade box. Inside lay a white jade crown and a jade hairpin. The shape of the jade crown resembled both burning flames and a raised fox tail, with a gradual red tint at the tip of the tail.

In the You Su tribe, boys are presented with a jade crown by their parents on their hundredth birthday, and girls are given a gold hairpin.

“This is the gift Mother always wanted to give you. It may be untimely now, but I still wish you would accept it.” You Su Xiǎozhú withdrew her hand, clasping her hands together, looking at Leng Licí with a hint of anxiety.

Leng Licí silently looked at the belated birthday gift. He neither picked up the chopsticks nor made a move to accept the gift.

You Su Xiǎozhú lowered her gaze, a trace of regret flashing in her eyes. She stood up, smiled at Leng Licí, and said, “It’s alright. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t want it. I… I’ll be leaving now.”

Leng Licí’s right hand, hidden beneath the table, was tightly clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white. The door was pushed open, letting out a creaking sound. He suddenly spoke, his voice stiff. “Happy Birthday.”

You Su Xiǎozhú’s movements paused. The flush of redness she had forced down surged back up. She didn’t turn around, simply saying, “Thank you, Little Cí. You have a happy birthday too.”

With that, the sound of footsteps resumed, and the door closed.