A small figure rushes over quickly, like a little cannonball, rolling straight toward them. “Wait a second… Why did he start rolling after he charged?”

While Wu Ye is still wondering how the little one goes from running to rolling, Qing Heng’s expression changes. He quickly moves to stop the rolling child.

The spot where Qing Heng and Wu Ye has been standing is a bit lower in elevation. The little guy must have not watched his step, so he slipped and rolled down the slope.

“Qiao Qiao, Qiao Qiao? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere??” Qing Heng picks up the dizzy little one and carefully checks him over.

There is a bruise on the little one’s forehead, and a scratch near his right cheek, close to his ear. Qing Heng frowns deeply as he looks at the marks.

The little one sits in Qing Heng’s arms, looking dazed. “Mom, my hand hurts.”

Ming Qiao doesn’t feel the pain on his forehead or cheek. Instead, he raises his little chubby hand unsteadily to show his mother. Qing Heng touches his little hand, it is fine, as the cub can lift it. The issue is with the little guy’s arm.

“Your hand’s fine, it’s your arm that’s broken.” Qing Heng says, his eyes flicking to Wu Ye, who is walking over. Wu Ye is getting closer, and the little one in his arms is looking more excited, his small rosy mouth about to call out “daddy”.

Qing Heng’s face tenses up, and he stops him quietly, “Don’t call him daddy” 

If Wu Ye hears that, Qing Heng will lose all dignity. Especially since the little one has been calling him “mom”. The child calls him “mom” first, and calling Wu Ye “daddy” might lead that brainless guy to misunderstand that he has some interest in him.

“Qiao Qiao, be good.” 

Qing Heng says in a low voice, looking at the child in his arms. “He’s not your daddy.”

Ming Qiao: “…”

Ming Qiao opens his mouth, his little gaze dimming instantly. He looks at his approaching daddy, his little nose twitching as his pretty eyes grew misty, feeling quite wronged. 

Behind mommy is his daddy— but the younger version. Ming Qiao had been raised by daddy since he was little, up until he was over three years old. The bond is naturally deep. Now that he sees daddy again but can’t call him, the little guy feels very sad. 

He pouts, looking back and forth between his mommy and daddy. It is clear mommy and daddy aren’t together yet. And mommy doesn’t seem to like daddy. If he called daddy, it might make mommy dislike daddy and avoid him, and then he might really lose daddy. 

Even though he feels wronged, his little head is clever enough to understand. He figures it all out, though he still long to call his daddy.

“Qing Heng, did you look like him when you were little?” Wu Ye askes as he approaches, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

Qing Heng is exceptionally handsome, but his elegance is often considered so beyond reach that people dare not stare at him closely. Wu Ye is different, he is always unconventional and never fears anything or anyone. 

He has already examined Qing Heng’s face closely—his features are exquisite and can bring to mind a serene beauty when asleep.

Now, looking at the soft, chubby cub, Wu Ye can’t help but imagine what Qing Heng might’ve looked like as a kid. Perhaps he was also soft and cuddly.

“What I looked like as a kid has nothing to do with you.” Qing Heng replies coldly, clearly not wanting to entertain Wu Ye.

He holds the little one’s arm, wanting to set it, but hesitates, fearing his hands might not be steady and would hurt the little one. Wu Ye notices Qing Heng’s hesitation. Wu Ye sneers internally.

This is the same Qing Heng who cut at him with a sword without blinking, but setting a kid’s arm made him nervous.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” Wu Ye says, grabbing Ming Qiao’s little arm. Ming Qiao is small, all soft, even his arm feels like cotton in Wu Ye’s grip.

As daddy touches him, the little guy instinctively beams at him, showing a sweet smile. He not only grinns, he even wants to lift his little hand for a hug. But before he can, pain suddenly shoots through his arm.

“All done. Not a big deal.” Wu Ye says, not even looking at the child, instead he mocks Qing Heng.

Qing Heng: “…”

Qing Heng watches as the little one has gone from delight at being close to his daddy to a face full of tears. He can’t bear it.

“Don’t cry, your arm’s fine now.” Qing Heng says, wiping away the cub’s tears and setting him aside. 

Then, with Wu Ye’s back to him, he quietly whispers, “See? He doesn’t know you, and he won’t take care of you. If you call him daddy, he won’t be able to raise you.”

Ming Qiao holds back his tears, glancing at his somewhat unruly daddy behind them, his pout growing more pitiful.

“What are you two whispering about?” Wu Ye asks, noticing their low voices and leaning over with curiosity. When Qing Heng ignores him, he turns to the little one in Qing Heng’s arms.

“Qiao Qiao, is it?”

Wu Ye hears Qing Heng call this name and realizes it’s the little one’s name.

He asks: “Is Qing Heng really your mother?”

Ming Qiao nods, pressing his little face against Qing Heng. “This is my mommy!”

Seeing him snuggling with Qing Heng, Wu Ye feels an odd pang of irritation. He forces a smile and says: “So Qing Heng is your mommy, who’s your daddy then?”

Ming Qiao: “…” 

Ming Qiao stares at him with his big, round eyes, not blinking or responding. Seeing the little one stare at him without speaking, Wu Ye raises an eyebrow and begins to maliciously speculate about the little guy’s father right in front of him.

“Your dad doesn’t give his name, doesn’t show his face—does he have no sense of responsibility?”

“Tsk, do you even know what status your mommy holds?”

“Just who is your dad, and what’s he capable of, that he’s managed to…” Watching Wu Ye criticize Ming Qiao’s father more and more harshly, Qing Heng can’t hold back and gives him a sideways glance.

That glance only makes the smile at the corners of Wu Ye’s mouth more mocking. “What? Does Immortal General Qing Heng not want me judging your partner?”

Qing Heng says: “I don’t have a partner.”

Wu Ye grows even more intrigued. “So, you didn’t even form a bond with this person and still had a child with them. He must have no sense of responsibility at all.”

“Immortal General Qing Heng, your taste isn’t all that great, is it?”

Wu Ye doesn’t consider Qing Heng the child’s birth parent. In the world of cultivation, there are countless secret techniques. So he figures the child was made using some secret technique between Qing Heng and the little one’s other father. 

For Qing Heng to go to the trouble of finding a co-parent for the child suggests that the relationship is significant. For someone like Qing Heng, who always stands high above others, to have a child with that man—it must mean Qing Heng deeply loves the child’s father.

Wu Ye feels an inexplicable sense of hatred toward the unseen “little one’s dad.”

“You’re right.” 

Amidst Wu Ye’s criticisms, Qing Heng nods slightly, agreeing. “My taste is not that great.”

If Qiao Qiao hasn’t called the wrong person “daddy”, for him to fall for someone like Wu Ye would indeed reflect poor taste.

Seeing him agree, Wu Ye’s irritation eases a bit. The two of them glance at each other, both unexpectedly satisfied with each other’s comments.

“Well, now that you realize your taste isn’t great, you’d better adjust it going forward.” 

Wu Ye concludes. “No need for a dad who has no sense of responsibility.”

Qing Heng responds: “Alright.”

He agrees quickly, which makes Wu Ye even more pleased.

Wu Ye lifts his chin and turns to the child in Qing Heng’s arms, saying: “Qiao Qiao, your mommy and I have a decent friendship. Don’t worry, without that dad, this uncle will take care of you from now on.”

Ming Qiao: “……”

Ming Qiao stares blankly at his daddy, who is now offering to be his uncle. His little mind is in a daze.

“What are you waiting for? Call me uncle” Wu Ye insists. 

His “friendship” with Qing Heng mostly his own invention. He’d initially sought Qing Heng out for sparring matches, so their actual relationship wasn’t that close. 

But now, to make the little one stop thinking about his dad and to make Qing Heng give up on the child’s dad, he forces himself into the uncle role and even calls himself Qing Heng’s friend.

“Little one, can’t you even call someone uncle? Must take after your dad, right? I bet he’s not very smart.”

Ming Qiao: “…”

Ming Qiao watches his daddy bad-mouth himself, his small mouth pouting as he quietly buries his face in his mommy’s neck. “Mom, Qiao Qiao doesn’t want to talk to him.”

This daddy is nothing like the daddy in Qiao Qiao’s memories. In his memories, daddy would play with him, make him happy, and always smile gently. But this daddy here is just annoying.

“Oh, the little one’s shy.” Wu Ye says, not bothered that the little guy won’t talk to him.

He turns to Qing Heng, asking: “I caught fresh venison—want to roast it with some fish soup?”

Qing Heng doesn’t refuse and holds the little one while eating the dinner Wu Ye prepares. Around the fire, Wu Ye glances at the little one’s sullen face, and Qing Heng who is quietly holding the child. He brings up something as if it’s casual.

“A kid this young—it’s impossible to fully force the poison out.”

“Medicine Immortal Zhong Wan once crafted an antidote pill. Want me to find it for him to try?”

“Where is it?” Hearing that it’s an antidote pill from Zhong Wan, Qing Heng’s interest rises.

Turning over the meat, Wu Ye replies: “Wu Xiang City, at an auction house.”

Wu Xiang City, also known as Ghost City, is a mysterious place with no fixed location or opening days. Rumor has it that the city is half populated by ghosts, filled with strange things. Some people enter and gain rare treasures and great fortune, while others never return. Only a place as secretive as this could possibly hold the Medicine Immortal’s lost pill.

“Do you know the way?” Qing Heng raises his gaze to Wu Ye and asks.

Wu Ye has been waiting for this question. “Of course I know the way.”

“Take me there, I’ll pay you.”

“I don’t want money.” Wu Ye hands over the freshly roasted meat to Qing Heng. 

With a smirk, he points to the little one in Qing Heng’s arms, “Have him call me uncle, and I’ll take you both there.”

This little brat is sitting in Qing Heng’s arms, ignoring him and refusing to call him anything, showing only the back of his head. 

Wu Ye thinks to himself that the little guy is definitely holding a grudge over the bad things he said about his dad. Holding grudges won’t work, Wu Ye is determined to hear the little one call him uncle!

---

Author’s Note:

The baby being forced to call him “uncle” is faint with frustration!!!

Don’t worry, soon enough the baby will call him “daddy” and leave someone stunned!