Life at the Feng Villa after the world tour settled into a rhythm that was equal parts chaotic and sugary sweet.
Nan Si had successfully transformed the cold, museum-like mansion into a home filled with the scent of peach blossoms, the crinkle of snack bags, and the high-pitched giggles of a toddler.
Little Feng Shi was now three years old, and thanks to Nan Si's blood essence, he was growing at a remarkable rate.
He was a perfect blend of ethereal beauty and human mischief.
With his jade-white skin and eyes that flashed a haunting violet when he was grumpy, he was the undisputed darling of the household.
However, for Feng Yuan, the "Ice King" turned "Doting Father," life was a series of tactical maneuvers.
"Sisi, I've booked the entire rooftop restaurant for our anniversary tonight," Feng Yuan murmured one morning, pulling Nan Si into his arms as she was busy trying to wipe chocolate off Feng Shi's face.
"Me go too!" Feng Shi chirped, lifting his tiny arms. "Sisi mine!"
Feng Yuan's eyes narrowed, his darkness value flickering. "No. You go to Grandma's. Sisi is mine."
"No! Mine!" The toddler stomped his foot, and a tiny, accidental burst of spiritual pressure made the silver spoons on the table rattle.
"Ah Yuan! He's just a baby!" Nan Si laughed, though she quickly bribed the boy with a piece of dried peach to distract him.
Later that evening, after Feng Yuan had successfully "deported" his son to Mrs. Feng's residence and tucked a sleepy Nan Si into bed, Nan Si lay staring at the ceiling.
[Baby,] she whispered mentally. [Check the stats.]
[Beep!
Current Status: Affection Level: 99.9%
Darkness Value: 10%
Original Owner's Wishes: 100% Completed.]
Nan Si sat up abruptly, her brow furrowed.
[99.9%? Why is it still 99.9%? He treats me like I'm his entire world!
He bought me a private moon-viewing pavilion yesterday!
He spends every second he's not working staring at me like I'm the sun! How is it not 100%?]
[Host, don't look at me,] Baby said, his holographic form busy playing a digital card game.
[According to the statistics, 99.9% is the highest recorded affection for a fragment in this state. Maybe he's holding back a tiny bit of his soul for his 'Villain' pride?]
Nan Si felt a surge of indignation. As She thought She felt more and more wronged.
She had crossed dimensions, dealt with his "blackened" moods, and even listened to his unscrupulous requests.
How could he not love her that final one percent?
She marched into the study where Feng Yuan was finishing a late-night conference call.
The moment he saw her, his cold face melted into a doting smile.
He immediately stood up, draped his jacket over her shoulders, and pulled her onto his lap.
"Can't sleep, sweetheart? Do you want some warm milk? Or should I read to you?"
Nan Si didn't cuddle into him like usual. Instead, she poked his chest with a trembling finger, her jade eyes welling with tears. "Ah Yuan, you're a liar!"
Feng Yuan froze. His heart, which only beat for the girl in his arms, felt like it had been seized by an icy hand. "Sisi? What did I do? If it's about the spicy strips I hid, I'll give them back—"
"It's not about the snacks!" Nan Si huffed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Why don't you love me 100%? Why are you keeping that 0.01% away from me? Am I not good enough? Do you still want to put me in a golden cage?"
Feng Yuan stared at her, stunned. He didn't understand how she knew about the depths of his heart, but seeing her cry made his soul ache.
He let out a low, husky laugh—a sound filled with a mix of helplessness and infinite tenderness.
He tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear, his thumb lingering on her cheek.
"Sisi... you silly girl," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "You want that final one percent?"
Nan Si nodded through her sobs. "Yes! I want all of you!"
Feng Yuan pulled her head onto his shoulder, his eyes looking distant, as if staring into a future he couldn't change.
"That one percent... it's not that I don't love you enough. It's that I'm saving it."
"Saving it for what?"
"For the next life," he said softly.
"Sisi, you must live all these years with me first. You have to stay by my side until my hair turns white and my breath fails.
Only when I've spent every second of this life loving you will I give you that final bit in the next one.
Consider it my 'deposit' so I can find you again in the underworld."
Nan Si froze.
The grievance and all wronged feeling vanished by listening to his explanation, replaced by an overwhelming sweetness that made her heart ache.
He wasn't holding back; he was promising her eternity.
As the years passed, the Domestic War at the villa became the stuff of legends.
Feng Shi grew into a brilliant teenager who was a genius in business and a terror in the Demon Realm.
Nan Hu, the "Uncle of the Century," would frequently drop by in a swirl of feathers to bring the boy forbidden treasures, much to Feng Yuan's annoyance.
"He doesn't need a 'Spirit-Devouring Sword,' Nan Hu! He needs to study Macroeconomics!" Feng Yuan would roar.
"Economics is for mortals!" Nan Hu would retort. "My nephew will rule the skies!"
Nan Si, meanwhile, remained as radiant and beautiful as the day she arrived.
She spent her days playing with Feng Shi, going on shopping sprees with Lin Xia, Su Su, and Jiang Ran, and being "spoiled to the heavens" by Feng Yuan.
However, a small shadow lingered in her heart. Despite their deep love, they never had a biological child.
One afternoon, while Feng Yuan was out, she asked the question she had been avoiding.
[Baby... why can't I have Ah Yuan's baby?]
Baby sighed, pausing his "Extreme Home Makeover" show.
[Host, it's a matter of laws. You are a Chaos Lotus from a higher dimension.
Feng Yuan is a fragment of the Supreme God's soul in a mortal shell.
A mortal body cannot withstand the power of a child born from your union. It's... impossible.]
Nan Si sat in the garden, her head bowed. She thought of Feng Yuan's legacy, of the Feng family line. She felt a deep sadness for the one thing she couldn't give him.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open.
Feng Yuan, now in his late forties but still looking like a devastatingly handsome "Mature CEO," walked over and knelt beside her.
He noticed the tears in her eyes immediately, "Sisi? What's wrong, my queen?"
Nan Si looked at him, her voice trembling. "Ah Yuan... I'm sorry. We... we can't have children of our own. Because I'm not from here... because the dimensions are different..."
She looked at the desk piled with documents of the Feng Group.
"And as for Feng Shi... Brother Hu keeps saying he will take him back to the Demon Realm to be the next Demon King.
If he leaves... what about your legacy? What about the Feng Group? No one will be left to inherit all the hard work you did for me."
Nan Si felt a pang of guilt. She didn't want to be petty, but she hated the idea of Feng Yuan's efforts going to waste because of her.
Feng Yuan just laughed off her worries, his chest vibrating against her back.
He turned her around so she was straddling his lap, his hands possessively anchoring her to him.
"I will handle this, baby, don't worry," he coaxed, his voice smooth and confident.
"I will train Feng Shi myself. Even if he eventually goes to the Demon Realm, I will make sure he is the best one to lead the company first.
By the time he's twenty, he'll be able to run the Feng Group with his eyes closed. Whether he uses a sword or a balance sheet, he will be a king because he is ours."
He kissed the tip of her nose, his eyes darkening with doting heat.
"And even if he leaves later, I don't care about a legacy. I only built this empire so you could have the best snacks and the softest silk. If you're happy, the company has already served its purpose."
Nan Si felt her heart swell. "You'll really train him?"
"I'll be the strictest teacher he's ever had," Feng Yuan promised with a smirk. "It'll give me an excuse to keep him busy so he stops bothering my time with you."
As the years passed, Feng Yuan stayed true to his word.
Feng Shi grew into a brilliant, violet-eyed teenager. He was a terror in the Demon Realm during the summers, but during the winters, he was sat in the CEO's office, learning how to crush competitors with the same ruthlessness his father possessed.
Nan Hu, the "Uncle of the Century," would frequently drop by to complain. "He has enough talent to move mountains, and you have him looking at profit-margin spreadsheets?!"
"He's learning to move human mountains, Nan Hu," Feng Yuan would retort calmly.
Nan Si, meanwhile, remained as radiant as ever. She spent her days with her friends—the "CEO Squad" wives.
They would often have tea together.
Lin Xia would complain about Lu Sheng's clinginess, Su Su would share the healthy recipes Yan Shuo forced her to eat, and Jiang Ran would simply smile, knowing Mo Jinnian was waiting in the car outside.
But as the years turned into decades, the shadow Nan Si feared began to grow. Feng Yuan's hair began to show touches of silver.
The fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepened. While Nan Si looked like his daughter rather than his wife, he was finally feeling the weight of his mortal shell.
One day, Nan Si noticed him staring at his hands in the mirror.
"Ah Yuan? Why are you distracted?"
Feng Yuan looked at her—his beautiful, timeless fox.
He wanted to ask, 'Will you forget me when I'm gone?' but the words caught in his throat.
Instead, he forced a smile. "I was just thinking... you'll remember me forever, right? No matter what?"
Nan Si laughed and hugged him tightly, wrapping her hands around his sturdy waist. "Yes... obviously! We are husband and wife. I will always love you, Ah Yuan."
Listening to her confession, Feng Yuan felt the heaviness lift. Even if he only had a few years left, he had already won.
Nan Si looked at him, seeing the absolute sincerity in his eyes. He truly didn't care. To him, she was the beginning and the end.
"Really?" He asked.
"Really," She vowed. "Now, come with me. I heard a new chocolate fountain was installed in the city..."
Nan Si cheered up instantly, jumping into his arms. As Feng Yuan carried her inside, he glanced back at the garden.
He knew his body was aging—he felt the old aches in his joints, the way his stamina wasn't what it used to be.
But looking at the girl in his arms, who was as timeless as a star, he felt only a profound, doting peace.
He would protect her world for as long as his heart beat.