If Qing Heng is known across the Cangxuan Realm as a cold, distant figure, Xie Qingyun is his complete opposite. Xie Qingyun has a sharp tongue, is somewhat hot-tempered, and equally dislikes everyone. He had long decided he would never have children—Baby cubs are hard to raise and take care of, he has no patience for it.

Xie Qingyun typically avoids all children, yet now, one has just kissed him!

“Uncle, Qiao Qiao likes you.” Ming Qiao says, grinning widely as he leaves several slobbery kisses on Xie Qingyun’s handsome face.

Xie Qingyun: “…”

For the first time, Xie Qingyun stands there, utterly dumbfounded. He raises hand to touch his face, realizing it’s damp—this isn’t a dream.

“You… you’re really bold, aren’t you?” Xie Qingyun says, trying to ignore the soft sensation on his face and the strange feeling in his heart. With a stern expression, he scolds the little cub in his arms, who is still grinning.

“Qiao Qiao isn’t bold.” Ming Qiao corrects him 

“Qiao Qiao is very timid.” He insists he’s never been brave!

Xie Qingyun presses his lips together, eyeing the little one who certainly doesn’t seem timid at all. He continues walking through the secret realm. The realm is filled with various medicinal herbs, and as they travel, Xie Qingyun checks Ming Qiao’s wrist to assess his health. What he discovers makes his brows furrow.

Although Xie Qingyun is not a medical cultivator, he knows enough about medicine to realize that Ming Qiao has multiple health issues, both congenital and acquired. It’s surprising that the boy has survived this long with so many illnesses.

Xie Qingyun is astonished, though he doesn’t show it on his face. He names several herbs and asks, “Have you taken any of these?”

Ming Qiao nods and even adds a few more herbs to the list, reciting two specific prescriptions hes been given.

“Uncle, Qiao Qiao takes these two sets of medicine.” He says. The little cub has been on special treatments for serious cases, and right now, he needs a particularly potent formula.

Xie Qingyun is even more surprised to see him Ming Qiao knows the ingredients and can recite the prescriptions. Soon enough, they reach a medicinal spring in the secret realm. Ming Qiao sits in the spring, soaking comfortably while Xie Qingyun prepares medicine nearby.

The spring is filled with medicinal stones, perfect for both bathing and resting. Ming Qiao swings his little feet as he watches Xie Qingyun, who has set up a fire and is brewing medicine using a portable stove from his storage ring. Before the medicine is ready, Xie Qingyun also makes a simple egg custard using eggs he found in the secret realm.

“Here.” Xie Qingyun says, handing over a bowl.

Xie Qingyun’s cooking skills are quite good. Though it’s a simple dish, the egg custard smells delicious. Ming Qiao happily takes the large bowl, eating small bites with a spoon, his chubby feet swaying in joy. After a few bites, he holds up the spoon, insisting on feeding Xie Qingyun.

“Uncle, eat!” Ming Qiao isn’t stingy at all. Whenever he finds something delicious, he’s more than willing to share.

Xie Qingyun glances at the little cub, then refuses the offer. “I’m not eating. You eat.”

He has no interest in using someone else’s spoon, not even if it’s from a child. Despite Xie Qingyun’s firm refusal, Ming Qiao holds the spoon up with his chubby hand just as stubbornly.

“It’s tasty!”

Ming Qiao’s little face is serious as he says, “Uncle, have a bite!”

Xie Qingyun: “…”

But no matter how persistent Ming Qiao is, Xie Qingyun remains unwilling to take a bite.

The little one and the adult stare at each other for a moment. Seeing that the little chubby hand is trembling but still refusing to lower, Xie Qingyun’s lips twitch. Finally, he leans over and bites the spoon.

“Where do you get this stubbornness from?” Xie Qingyun is truly surprised. The little cub looks soft, sweet and squishy, but he’s got a bit of a stubborn streak, like a little calf.

Ming Qiao is overjoyed that he got to feed his uncle, and has an expression of pure happiness on his face. He’s not bothered at all by Xie Qingyun’s earlier complaints about his saliva. Grinning, he scoops a big spoonful of egg custard and eagerly eats it. 

After finishing half the bowl, Xie Qingyun takes a few more bites as well. Once the custard is done, Ming Qiao pats his small belly. “Uncle”, he calls.

“What now?”

“Do you want to touch my belly?”

Ming Qiao tilts his rosy, pretty little face, proudly offers: “Qiao Qiao’s belly is very nice to touch!”

His soft, plump belly is a favorite for his dad, his older brother, and even his senior brothers when they bathe him. They all love to give it a squeeze!

Xie Qingyun has never seen such a clingy and affectionate little cub. He responds without emotion, “I don’t want to.”

Ming Qiao continues to push his offer, “Really? Are you sure you don’t want to touch it even a little bit?”

Xie Qingyun: “No.”

Ming Qiao insists. “It’s very soft.”

Xie Qingyun: “…”

Instead of touching his belly, Xie Qingyun stretches out his mischievous hand and begins to tickle the little cub. Sending Ming Qiao into fits of giggles

“Hahaha…No, no, stop it!”

Ming Qiao’s sensitive spots make him wriggle, and he splashes water everywhere with his little feet as he tries to escape.

Seeing the little cub flail around helplessly, unable to escape, Xie Qingyun finally feels a bit better. “Now you know what it’s like to be scared?”

Xie Qingyun raises an eyebrow, his voice teasing. “If you keep annoying me, I’ll keep bullying you.”

Ming Qiao, teary-eyed from all the tickling, eventually escapes. He lets out a long sigh like a little adult, then sits back on the stone. Still holding Xie Qingyun’s hand as if to guard against another surprise attack. His wet face and fluttering lashes make his innocent deer-like eyes look even more innocent.

“Uncle.” 

Ming Qiao says softly: “Qiao Qiao wasn’t trying to annoy you. Qiao Qiao likes uncle.”

The little one expresses his feelings openly, without holding back. Xie Qingyun, who has never heard such straightforward affection in his life, chuckles lightly, ready to say this tactic won’t work on him. But as he looks at the warm, beaming smile on Ming Qiao’s face, the words don’t come out.

“Alright, it’s time for your medicine.” Xie Qingyun looks away and brings out the bitter medicine he had brewed. Two bowls of bitter medicine, Ming Qiao ends up vomiting on Xie Qingyun’s hand after drinking it. It wasn’t because he was being fussy, his little body was just too tired after being fed raw meat and getting hurt twice.

Xie Qingyun watches as the flush of health from the medicinal bath fades from the cub’s face after the bitter medicine. Frowning, he steps into the medicinal spring, sits on a stone, and places the pale-faced cub on his lap. 

Despite the risk of being thrown up on again, Xie Qingyun patiently feeds him the rest of the medicine. By the time they finish both bowls, Xie Qingyun is drenched in sweat. The cub clings to him, eyes brimming with tears, his soft whimpering filling the air.

“It’s okay, it’s all over now.” Xie Qingyun reassures him, putting away the empty bowls. His large hand, almost instinctively, pats the cub’s back in a soothing rhythm.

Ming Qiao rests his little face against his uncle’s firm chest, gradually calming down. Soon, he drifts off to sleep.

Since coming here, Ming Qiao has relied on You Qing and his senior brother, but the feeling they gave him is different from what he feels with his uncle. At this age, little cubs like him naturally give their love and affection unconditionally to blood relatives. And for Ming Qiao, his uncle holds a particularly special place in his heart. He has long missed his mother, and his uncle is the closest blood relative to him

Xie Qingyun, with his sharp hearing, picks up on the sound of the little cub’s breathing. The little guy has fallen into a deep sleep. Supporting the small body with his large hand, Xie Qingyun closes his eyes as well. The injuries he sustained from fighting the level six magical beast haven’t fully healed yet.

Xie Qingyun, with his sharp hearing, notices the steady breathing of the little cub in his arms. The kid is sound asleep. Supporting the little one’s small body with his large hand, Xie Qingyun also closes his eyes. He’s still recovering from the injuries sustained during his battle with the level six spirit beasts. 

The medicinal spring they’re soaking in stays at the perfect temperature, filled with the lingering spiritual energy left behind by the ascended Medicine Immortal. They can soak for a long time, but it’s not safe to leave the cub alone in the spring. So, Xie Qingyun stays with him.

When evening comes, Xie Qingyun needs to leave the spring to gather more herbs. He looks at the still-sleeping cub and decides to bring him out of the water. Ming Qiao’s small clothes are dry and neatly folded on the shore. Xie Qingyun picks them up, but he suddenly pauses, thinking to himself. “How do you put clothes on a child?”

The cub’s arms and legs are so soft, and Xie Qingyun worries he might accidentally break them while dressing him.  “You little troublemaker, wake up.”

Xie Qingyun tries to rouse the cub, but after taking the medicine, the little one sleeps deeply, like a small piglet, unwilling to wake up.  With no other choice, Xie Qingyun frowns and awkwardly starts handling the little chubby arms and legs. 

“This is harder than fighting three level six beasts.” He mutters as he struggles to dress the cub. While putting on the pants, Xie Qingyun lifts the cub’s legs a bit too firmly, causing the little one’s bum to peek out.

Not only is the cub’s bottom exposed, but a small red flower-shaped birthmark also appears on it. It’s tiny, only the size of a fingertip, but when Xie Qingyun sees it, his breath nearly stops.

A gentle breeze blows by, carrying a thick scent of medicine, but Xie Qingyun’s gaze remains locked on the little cub’s bottom. Shock, disbelief, and confusion swirl in his eyes. He can’t believe what he’s seeing.

The small flower-shaped birthmark that only members of the Xie family have—how could it appear on this cub? Xie Qingyun has one on his waist, and Qing Heng has one on his leg. But now, this little cub has the same birthmark—on his bum!

Xie Qingyun feels like his mind is unraveling. “Where… where did you come from?!” 

He’s certain he’s never been with a woman, and neither has Qing Heng. Despite their differences in opinion, they both share the same disciplined lifestyle. The men of the Xie family are known for being upright and proper.

“Cough, cough.”

The little cub, still half-dressed, coughs as the cold breeze hits him. His little face scrunches up in discomfort. The cub’s quiet cough snaps Xie Qingyun out of his daze. He hurriedly finishes dressing the little one, wrapping him warmly. 

Once the cub is dressed and wrapped up snugly, Xie Qingyun sits on the ground, staring blankly at the ground, muttering to himself, “Do I really have a child?”

Has the world gone mad?

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Author’s Note:

Uncle Xie: This is all so, I wasn’t prepared at all… dazed face.