'Why is this little girl glaring at me like that? Did I do something to offend her or what?'
Yun Chuan, completely unaware of the situation, tilted his head in confusion. Not the slightest clue that his very existence had disrupted the fragile emotional balance of a certain someone…
Right now, the little loli—Qian Renxue—was very, very angry.
Her mother, who had always been cold and distant toward her, lately seemed different. More smiles. More warmth. More affection.
The catch?
None of it was for her.
It was all for that dumb-looking brat sitting in front of her right now!
Ever since that baby came into their lives, Mother—Bibi Dong, the mighty Pope—had changed. Far off in the halls of Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue had seen her, time and time again, holding that baby close, walking about with that rare gentle smile playing on her lips. A smile she had never seen before. A smile she had longed for… but never received.
She never imagined her cold, intimidating mother could even smile like that.
So then—why not at her?
Why didn't her mother ever smile like that at her?
Why had she never held her like she held that child?
The more Qian Renxue thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Every time she caught sight of them together, it tore a little deeper into her heart.
To her immature ten-year-old mind, there was only one explanation:
It was his fault.
That baby had stolen the motherly love that should have rightfully been hers.
Of course, she didn't know the full story. Even before Yun Chuan ever arrived, Bibi Dong had never once shown true affection to her daughter. But Qian Renxue was just a child—she wouldn't, couldn't, and frankly, didn't want to think about things so deeply.
She just searched for someone to blame… and Yun Chuan became the perfect target.
On the other hand, Yun Chuan—operating with the mind of a grown man trapped in a baby's body—had no clue how a ten-year-old child thought, especially one burdened with motherly neglect. So he had no idea why this little girl was marching toward him like an angry kitten.
Still sitting on the rug, toy cube in hand, he blinked his dark, wide eyes innocently at the approaching golden-haired girl.
"…Eeya?"
He let out a soft, babylike sound and blinked again, puzzled.
Qian Renxue didn't speak. Her face remained cold as she strode up, reached out with both arms, and—rather abruptly—lifted him by the armpits.
Startled by the sudden sensation of being lifted into the air, Yun Chuan's little legs kicked instinctively in protest. He squirmed with obvious discomfort.
Frowning, Qian Renxue scolded under her breath, "Quit squirming."
But Yun Chuan had no intention of staying still. Being lifted like some sack of potatoes, not held close, not offered anything resembling warmth—it irked him beyond belief.
'What kind of treatment is this?! No cuddles? No comfort? What am I, a cursed object?!'
Unable to bear it any longer, the baby in his arms burst into a loud, pitiful wail.
"Waaahh—!!"
At the sudden explosion of tears, Qian Renxue panicked.
It was her first time dealing with a crying baby. She was utterly clueless.
"D-Don't cry, stop crying!" she stammered.
But Yun Chuan just cranked up the volume—
"UWAAHHHH!!"
His cries were loud, sharp, and heart-wrenching enough to melt stone. No one with a soul could listen and not feel the urge to comfort him.
Qian Renxue's adorable little face crumpled in distress.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
She recalled how her mother had held the baby before—close to her chest, gently patting his back…
Hesitantly, Qian Renxue pulled the baby to her chest the same way. A faint trace of that calming, milky baby scent wafted up. The child was featherlight—like a bundle of softly glowing jade.
"...!"
Instant silence.
The crying stopped as if someone had hit the mute button.
Qian Renxue let out a deep sigh of relief, then did her best to emulate her mother's soothing motions—gently patting the baby's back, rocking him slightly.
Yun Chuan… was smug beyond belief.
Nestled snugly in her arms, he tilted his little face just slightly—shielded from her view—and grinned wickedly.
'Hook… line… and sinker.'
He took a deep sniff. Her body still had that faint, milky sweetness belonging to pre-adolescence. Innocent and refreshing beyond belief.
'Aiya… she smells amazing!'
A trace of triumph gleamed in his eyes. 'With a loli this cute in my life, my childhood won't be boring at all. Gotta start cultivating feelings now—and someday, she'll be my little bedwarmer. Hell if I'm handing her over to that emotionally-deaf brick wall Tang San!'
Of course, this "cultivation plan" was still entirely one-sided.
Though just ten years old, Qian Renxue's Spirit had already awakened, and she had a spirit ring, too. Her physical strength far surpassed her peers'—holding Yun Chuan was as effortless as holding a pillow.
But that didn't mean she liked it.
In fact, she was still full of resentment. To her, this baby had robbed her of motherly love. She didn't want to hold him.
Yet every time she tried to set him back down, he'd start crying again like her very presence terrified him.
So… she had no choice.
Like it or not, she kept rocking him gently in her arms, humming under her breath like a makeshift babysitter.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Eventually—
Click.
The door creaked open again.
And standing in the doorway… was Bibi Dong.
She stopped.
Her eyes fell upon a surreal, heart-melting scene:
Her golden-haired daughter cradling a baby just half her height, softly rocking him with a serene smile on her face. In that moment, she resembled either a dutiful little sister—or a precocious young wife learning to be a mother.
Even the usually unshakable Bibi Dong stared blankly—caught off guard by the tenderness of the picture.
But then…
The face of that man surged into her memory—his betrayal, his wickedness, the cruelty of the past.
Like a sudden chill, her expression hardened.
Her cold voice rang out: "Who said you could come in here?"
Qian Renxue jumped in fright.
She turned to see her mother's frosty face glaring at her, and the smile vanished from her little face in an instant. Fearfully, she muttered, "...Mama."
That word struck Bibi Dong's heart like a blade. The old memories—the pain she had buried deep—came crashing back.
Seeing her daughter standing there, trembling, that earlier warmth drained from her.
"Put him down. Leave," she said coldly.
"…Mama, I… I just wanted to play with him…"
Qian Renxue's voice grew fainter and fainter until it was nothing more than a whisper, replaced with silence.
She didn't dare resist.
She gently placed Yun Chuan on the floor, but it was clear from her expression—her luminous golden hair seemed to dull, her spirit dimmed—like the very light inside her had flickered out.
Step by step, she walked toward the door.
As she passed her mother, she paused briefly… then walked out without looking back.
The entire time, Bibi Dong kept her face cold.
But who could know… how tightly her fists were clenched?
How badly she wanted to reach out, to hold her daughter close and let out years of suppressed motherly love?
But she couldn't.
She simply couldn't.
Because every time she looked at this child—her own flesh and blood—all she could see was that man. That betrayal. That unbearable horror.
She couldn't bear to meet this child's eyes.
She couldn't endure hearing her call her "Mother."
Sitting on the soft rug, Yun Chuan watched the little girl's figure fade into the hallway. For some reason… his heart ached.
Why?
Why did a child, just ten years old, have to shoulder so much emotional pain?
Why couldn't she be loved?
He understood Bibi Dong's pain from her past.
But still… he couldn't help but feel a flicker of resentment.
'Couldn't you be softer, just for her? She's your daughter too, you know. She carries your blood as much as his.'
But then he looked up at Bibi Dong.
Her eyes were empty. Hollow.
That flicker of blame in Yun Chuan's heart vanished as quickly as it came.
'Who am I… to judge?'
'How could I, someone who hasn't lived her nightmare, speak of right or wrong? Easy for me to say from the outside...'
'Clearly... I'm just another shallow face-obsessed mortal.'
He chuckled to himself bitterly.
(End of Chapter)