They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 86

Chapter 86: The Nickname

Yun Qingwu picked up his chopsticks and handed them to Leng Licí, intending to lighten the mood by teasing him. “So, your birthday is three days from now. That means you are three months older than me.”

Leng Licí glanced at Yun Qingwu, took the chopsticks, and challenged, “Then what are you waiting for? Call me Elder Brother.”

Yun Qingwu was momentarily choked, but quickly recovered. He smoothly conceded, “Elder Brother, eat quickly. Longevity noodles must be eaten while hot.”

Leng Licí did not immediately move his chopsticks. With a flick of his left hand, he conjured an extra bowl and chopsticks. He raised his chopsticks, intending to divide the noodles into the empty bowl, but Yun Qingwu reached out to stop him.

“Longevity noodles shouldn’t be broken. You need to finish them in one go.”

Leng Licí was unconcerned. “A mere bowl of noodles. Does it really control my fate?”

Yun Qingwu looked at Leng Licí’s fearless demeanor, his eyes subtly moved. He withdrew his hand and nodded. “The Demon Lord is absolutely right.”

Leng Licí raised an eyebrow, lowered his head, and divided half of the noodles and the poached egg into the extra bowl. He handed it to Yun Qingwu, commanding, “Eat.”

Yun Qingwu looked at the half bowl of longevity noodles, feeling warmth spreading in his heart. He looked up at his lover, who was still slightly stunned with his chopsticks in hand. He suddenly leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was brief. As Leng Licí recovered and tried to chase after him, Yun Qingwu was already sitting properly in his seat. “As you command. You eat too.”

Between the two grown men, the bowl of longevity noodles was quickly emptied.

Leng Licí seemed to feel that it was not enough. He pushed the jade crown toward Yun Qingwu. “You wear it.”

Yun Qingwu was startled. He understood sharing the noodles—it was Leng Licí’s way of sharing his birthday—but the jade crown was unique and significant. He pushed it back. “You should keep it. Its meaning is too different.”

Leng Licí was adamant. He closed the brocade box and shoved it into Yun Qingwu’s arms. “Since it belongs to me, I can decide what to do with it. Take it.”

Yun Qingwu looked at Leng Licí’s stubborn eyes and suddenly realized the deeper meaning behind his actions. He no longer refused and accepted the jade crown. “In that case, I will accept it.”

Yun Qingwu opened the brocade box, took out the jade crown, and examined it carefully. He had a fondness for crafts and could see that the creator had poured considerable effort into it. Moreover, it was not made recently. As he rotated the jade crown, a small line of text came into his view.

【May Flower Cat be safe and happy】

Yun Qingwu rubbed the small line of text with his thumb, suppressing a laugh as he looked at Leng Licí. “So, your nickname is Flower Cat?”

Leng Licí frowned. “What Flower Cat?”

Yun Qingwu handed the jade crown over, pointing to the line of text. “Look here.”

Leng Licí’s gaze followed to the small line of text. He sneered and looked at Yun Qingwu with mockery. “The standard of naming is truly mediocre compared to yours.”

Yun Qingwu carefully placed the jade crown back into the brocade box. He ignored Leng Licí’s retort and simply said, “I find it quite lively, don’t you, Flower Cat?”

Leng Licí’s expression turned cold. “I am not called that.”

Yun Qingwu laughed harder. “Flower Cat, Flower Cat, Flower Cat.”

Leng Licí: “…”

Yun Qingwu tilted his head. “Flower Cat, why aren’t you speaking?”

Leng Licí reached his limit. He stood up, straddled Yun Qingwu’s legs, wrapped his arms around Yun Qingwu’s neck, and accurately blocked his mouth with a kiss.

Yun Qingwu chuckled, about to deepen the kiss.

A vague, sleepy voice sounded. “Daddy? A-dàd? What are you two doing?”

The two were instantly shocked and broke apart. Leng Licí stood up with his back to Little Dāo, acting as if nothing had happened.

Yun Qingwu: “…”

He had forgotten that Little Dāo was still in the room!

Little Dāo rubbed her eyes and sniffed. “Smells good. Little Dāo wants to eat too.”

Yun Qingwu immediately found his escape route and quickly replied, “Daddy will go make you a serving right now!”

Before the words were fully out, Yun Qingwu hurried away with awkward steps, fleeing the scene.

Leng Licí, having recovered from the initial shock, was calmer. He looked at Little Dāo with displeasure. “Why are you still not asleep?”

Little Dāo blinked. “Little Dāo just woke up.”

Leng Licí waved his right hand, covering Little Dāo with a light blanket, and commanded, “Go back to sleep.”

Little Dāo: “…”

…

The next day, Jì Lín rushed excitedly into the small garden’s pavilion with a lacquer box. You Su Xiǎozhú was sitting on a stone stool, her face already as white as paper. Hidden by her sleeves, her hands were becoming translucent.

Jì Lín didn’t notice these details. He opened the lacquer box and presented it to You Su Xiǎozhú. “Xiǎozhú, look. Do you like it?”

Inside the lacquer box, a finely crafted, vividly carved golden hairpin in the shape of a bamboo leaf came into view. Under the sunlight, the golden bamboo leaves were dazzling but not overly ostentatious.

You Su Xiǎozhú took the lacquer box and removed the hairpin. She looked at Jì Lín, her eyes filled with deep affection and attachment. “I love it. I love anything you give me.”

“It’s good that you love it! Here, let me put it—” Jì Lín’s gaze fell upon You Su Xiǎozhú’s slightly translucent hand. His excited and proud expression instantly froze. “Xiǎozhú, you…”

Jì Lín bent down, grabbed You Su Xiǎozhú’s hand, his voice involuntarily trembling. “What’s wrong? Come on, let’s go to the medical hall!”

He tried to pull You Su Xiǎozhú up, but she held him back.

You Su Xiǎozhú: “Yùshì, doctors cannot cure my illness. Please calm down. I have something I need to tell you.”

“How can it not be cured? It can definitely be cured! I will definitely cure you!” Jì Lín seemed to have a premonition, and his eyes held a hint of pleading.

You Su Xiǎozhú held Jì Lín’s hand. “I am just a wisp of a divine soul, not a mortal. And neither are you.”

“What?” Jì Lín stopped struggling, looking at You Su Xiǎozhú in a daze.

“You are a part of the Scarlet Flame God Lord, Yún Chuān. We have been husband and wife for six hundred years. You guessed correctly: Little Cí is indeed our child.”

You Su Xiǎozhú looked at Leng Licí standing in the shade of a tree not far away. “Yún Chuān, only by going back with them can you truly awaken. You must wake up.”

Jì Lín: “What about you?”

You Su Xiǎozhú’s form began to dissipate. She tried to smile, reaching out to stroke Jì Lín’s cheek. “I will be inside this hairpin. I won’t leave. I will wait for you to awaken and save me.”

Jì Lín’s confused, helpless gaze was instantly replaced by determination upon hearing these words. He chose to accept this truth in that moment. He took a deep breath, wiping away the tears that had unknowingly fallen onto his face. “I understand. I will go back with them. You must wait for me! I will definitely save you!”

You Su Xiǎozhú nodded. “Yún Chuān, kiss me one last time, alright?”

Jì Lín immediately embraced You Su Xiǎozhú, bending down to kiss her.

A tear slipped from You Su Xiǎozhú’s right eye.

Jì Lín tightened his arms, trying to hug his wife even tighter, but his arms met with empty air. Only a wisp of light remained of You Su Xiǎozhú’s body. She looked at Leng Licí one last time. “Yún Chuān, I leave Little Cí to you.”

Jì Lín nodded, then shook his head, finally breaking down into sobs. “Xiǎozhú—Xiǎozhú—Can’t you stay—Don’t leave me—You must wait for me, you must wait for me.”

You Su Xiǎozhú’s eyes were filled with a smile. She transformed into a wisp of white light and merged with the white jade on the hairpin.

“An ending that was already destined. Why give him hope?” Leng Licí turned around, no longer looking at Jì Lín sobbing uncontrollably in the pavilion.

Yun Qingwu stepped forward, hugging Leng Licí. He mumbled, “Isn’t it to make Father God Number Three comply and follow us quickly?”

Leng Licí was silent for a while. He broke free and walked directly toward the carriage outside the house. “Then what are you waiting for? Tell that person to stop crying and let’s get on the road.”

…

The carriage reached the city limits. The atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy. Jì Lín sat on one side, silently staring at the gold hairpin in his hand. Liu Yu consolingly patted Jì Lín. “Don’t be sad. You only need to endure for one more fragment. I’ve walked this path from beginning to end. I’ve suffered much more emotional trauma than you.”

Jì Lín finally saw Liu Yu’s true appearance this time. He finally spoke, “If you are me, why aren’t you sad?”

Liu Yu was speechless for a moment. A spark of inspiration hit him, and he patted his chest. “Who says I’m not sad? I believe that once we return to Yún Chuān’s body, he will definitely be able to save Xiǎozhú.”

Feeling that he had done a good deed, he looked at Leng Licí, expecting a reward, but Leng Licí simply closed his eyes.

Liu Yu clicked his tongue. This son is truly difficult to please!

He turned to look at Yun Qingwu, whose gaze was focused on Jì Lín.

Fine, the adopted son is also tactless.

Although Liu Yu didn’t get the emotional affirmation he wanted, Jì Lín’s mood was lifted by his words. He carefully put the gold hairpin away in his shirt pocket, then took out a box of pastries and handed it to Leng Licí. “Little Cí, we still have a long way to go. Eat something.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage passed through the air and instantly arrived at Yúnlì City, the location of the final fragment.

Jì Lín stared at the window in shock. Leng Licí glanced at him mockingly. “You do not know the full picture. You’d best not act rashly.”

Jì Lín looked at Liu Yu in confusion. Liu Yu nodded. “Normal, normal. You’ll get used to it.”

With that, he took the box of pastries from Jì Lín’s hand and handed it to Yun Qingwu instead. “Qingwu, you eat some too.”

Yun Qingwu thanked him and took a piece of pastry. Leng Licí’s expression improved slightly.

Liu Yu looked at Jì Lín, his eyes saying, Learn from this.

…

As soon as the carriage entered the city, Cuī Yóu’s message arrived: “I have booked rooms at Nanfeng Inn. You can come here directly.”

Liu Yu fanned himself with a touch of melancholy. “This journey is finally coming to an end. Once everything is over, there will be no more Liú Yu in this world.”

Leng Licí glanced at Liu Yu coldly and scoffed, “This world lacks many things, but it definitely doesn’t lack a Liú Yu.”

Liu Yu pointed his fan at Leng Licí. “Hey, hey, hey, can you be nicer to me, your old father?!”

Then, he nudged Jì Lín. “Control your son! I can’t handle him alone. I don’t believe all four of us together can’t control him!”

Jì Lín was clearly not in the mood that Liu Yu was. His gaze occasionally fell on Leng Licí’s face, as if seeing his wife through his features. “Xiǎozhú wished for Little Cí to be happy every day. I will not impose my own will on him.”

Liu Yu scoffed. “Love-addled fool.”