Xu Lai drove away from the school, first swinging by the company to pick up Ruan Tang before heading to Galaxy Kindergarten.

After the "rejection incident" that morning, Qian Xiao's gaze toward Xu Lai was filled with resentment, as if Xu Lai were a heinous, unpardonable devil.

In response to this, Xu Lai's solution was simple. He made a single cloud-spun candy for his daughter, Yiyi, which left Qian Xiao completely dumbfounded.

Then, losing all sense of integrity, he clung to Xu Lai's thigh and sobbed, "Uncle Xu, I was wrong. I want cloud-spun candy too."

"There aren't many clouds today," Xu Lai said, feigning helplessness.

Qian Xiao looked up at the cloudless sky, and his mood immediately sank.

Xu Lai didn't tease him any longer. With a wave of his hand, he captured a rainbow from the distance.

Qian Xiao's mood instantly went from overcast to sunny. "Uncle Xu, you're the best person in the whole world!" he exclaimed.

Ruan Lan watched and shook her head with a click of her tongue. "You really can't trust a word men say, regardless of whether they're adults or children."

Ruan Tang, however, was a little confused. Rainbows were a rare sight in East Sea City, so why did they seem to be appearing so frequently now? And not just one at a time, either. They would even appear in pairs, connected, which was truly bizarre.

「Later that evening, back at home.」

Ruan Lan was in the backyard playing with Xiao Hei and Xu Yiyi, while Beibei, the number one swordsman, dove from the mountaintop into the sea to pursue his cultivation at the base of the cliff.

Xu Lai took ingredients out of his Storage Space and began to cook.

We're running low on ingredients...

Xu Lai frowned slightly. It seemed he needed to find time to return to the Heavenly Court and also search the Universe for the precious ingredients his wife and daughter liked.

Just then, Ruan Tang entered the kitchen, and in a rare turn of events, tied on an apron to help wash and chop vegetables.

Xu Lai was startled and grabbed his wife's knife-wielding hand. "What are you doing in here?"

"Helping out," Ruan Tang replied, puzzled. "Why are you reacting like that?"

"With your disastrous cooking skills, I'm afraid our daughter will get sick," Xu Lai said seriously. "Actually, the kitchen might just explode before you even finish..."

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes dramatically. She felt a bit guilty that Xu Lai was always the one cooking, which was why she had decided to lend a hand. But Ruan Tang was also well aware of how horrifying her cooking skills were. She relented helplessly, "I'll just help you wash the vegetables and cut the meat."

Xu Lai looked skeptical. "Really?"

"...Yes, really."

"Alright then."

Xu Lai sighed in relief. Having his wife in the kitchen was far more dangerous than her drinking alcohol.

"Honey, do you think we should give Yiyi a little brother or sister?" Xu Lai suddenly asked while stir-frying.

Ruan Tang was speechless. Blushing, she stomped on Xu Lai's foot in frustration. "What are you trying to do?!"

"I was just thinking, if Yiyi is an only child, won't she be terribly lonely after we get old and pass away?" Xu Lai said, his voice laced with concern.

Such a doting dad.

Ruan Tang scoffed internally. "We're not thinking about that for now," she huffed.

"You're right. I probably can't have another child anyway," Xu Lai said with a touch of regret.

He was The Supreme Emperor. Having Yiyi as a daughter was already an immense stroke of luck. He didn't dare to hope for a second child.

However, to Ruan Tang's ears, his words took on an entirely different meaning.

She asked hesitantly, "Xu Lai, you... don't have some kind of hidden ailment, do you?"

Xu Lai's face darkened.

Before he could speak, Ruan Tang continued, "I heard that Yaoyao's husband, Liu Beiming, has a father who is an expert at treating... certain male conditions. Why don't we go pay him a visit someday?"

The moment Ruan Tang finished speaking, Xu Lai slammed a hand against the wall. BANG.

Although the kitchen was spacious, Ruan Tang found herself trapped between the wall and Xu Lai's arms.

Her expression tense, she said, "Xu Lai, calm down. If you don't want to go, we won't. I don't look down on you for it."

Xu Lai stared into her eyes, which flickered with a mixture of shame and panic, and said word by word, "We can try tonight and find out."

"Pah!" Ruan Tang spat, her face flushing red. She was not about to let Xu Lai take advantage of her!

She tried to push him away, but he caught her by her fair, delicate wrist.

Under Ruan Tang's astonished gaze, he lowered his head and kissed her.

"Mm—!"

Ruan Tang's beautiful eyes widened, but she didn't struggle. Instead, her eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes.

The kiss lasted for a long, long time. So long, in fact, that the steak started to burn, forcing Xu Lai to hurriedly pull away.

Biting her lip, Ruan Tang said, "I'll go get Yiyi and Ruan Lan for dinner."

「At the dinner table.」

Gazing at the overcooked steak before her, Ruan Lan glanced from her sister's crimson cheeks to Xu Lai—who had never before made a mistake while cooking—and began to snicker mischievously. "Hehe, why does this steak reek of PDA?"

"Knock it off," Ruan Tang chided. "If you're not going to eat it, go back to your room and sleep."

"I'll eat, I'll eat!" Ruan Lan quickly guarded her plate. Although the steak was a bit burnt, it had a unique flavor. Such were the advantages of top-quality ingredients.

***

「Meanwhile.」

Far from the city proper, in an indoor barbecue restaurant in the suburbs of East Sea City, a plain-looking waitress called out to the kitchen, "Ten skewers of kidney, a helping of grilled leeks, thirty skewers of pork belly, no spice."

"You got it." The young chef in his twenties called back, even giving the waitress a wink. "Tian Tian, after we're done here in the early morning, want to go for a walk by the sea?"

The waitress blushed and nodded, then dashed away.

"Shang Er, you rascal. You've only been here a month and you've already charmed my niece?" The middle-aged owner, who had been doing the books at the front desk, came into the kitchen and couldn't help but scold him jokingly. "If you dare bully her, don't blame me for knocking you around!"

Despite his words, the owner's tone was full of approval for the man named Shang Er. Shang Er may have been from out of town, but the young man was down-to-earth, exceptionally diligent, and a smooth talker. It was only natural that his niece liked him.

"Uncle, you're teasing me," Shang Er said with a grin. "With a name as sweet as Tian Tian, of course I have to treat her well."

The owner left, satisfied. The moment his back was turned, however, Shang Er's smile vanished, and an innate coldness seeped into his eyes.

Now, when he looked at the bustling owner or the ever-busy Tian Tian scurrying about, where was the warmth from before? There was only the iciness one reserved for the dead.

By the time they served the last table of customers, it was past one in the morning.

Shang Er and Tian Tian walked along the seaside path, one behind the other.

Tian Tian kept stealing glances at Shang Er, her eyes filled with affection.

But she had noticed that over the past month, Shang Er often looked up at the moon, whether it was day or night. Just like he was doing now.

Tian Tian asked softly, "Shang Er, do you really like the moon?"

Without turning his head, Shang Er smiled. "I like it a lot."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's my home," Shang Er replied without concealment.

Tian Tian couldn't help but burst out laughing. She playfully punched Shang Er's shoulder. "Living on the moon? You're not Chang'e."

"You're right, there's no Chang'e on the moon," he said, "but there are... the Moon Clan."

Shang Er tilted his head and smiled. To Tian Tian, however, his smile was no longer sunny and bright. It was nothing but sinister horror.

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