Chu Hanjin struck Yue Lin’s chest with his palm, pushing him away.

Yue Lin stumbled onto the coffin, lightly hitting the wooden plank, making a crisp clang sound.

After pushing him away, Chu Hanjin’s frost-like eyes stared at him, his gaze filled with complexity. It seemed like something was brimming inside, but there was also a hint of frustration.

Yue Lin naturally understood what he meant and felt a bit puzzled, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Hmph.”

A disdainful snort was the first response.

Hearing that, Yue Lin just chuckled. Chu Hanjin rubbed his forehead and pursed his lips, saying, “Nothing.”

As expected, it was a cold and distant reply. Yue Lin tentatively asked, “I thought you were scared earlier?”

“……”

Chu Hanjin shot him a deathly cold glance, as chilling as frost.

Not sure why he seemed angry again. Perhaps the little Bodhisattva was feeling a bit sulky, having his vulnerable side inadvertently exposed.

Yue Lin shrugged, “Alright, if nothing’s wrong, let’s continue sleeping. I won’t ask anymore.” He stoked the fire beside them, making it burn brighter.

After a moment of silence, the soft sound of breathing resumed in the tomb.

Chu Hanjin remained quiet for a while, recalling the events in his dream, then feeling the presence of Yue Lin lying next to him. The loss of memory, regained and lost again, made many things increasingly hard to clarify.

The next morning arrived.

The sun was shining brightly, and a warm spring breeze blew. Yue Lin called out, “Shall we go out and look for a way out again today?”

Chu Hanjin walked up from the tomb steps with his head down, scanning his surroundings.

This time, the two of them headed up the mountain. Upon choosing this route, Yue Lin had a bad feeling, fearing that signs of people might be found, something he had previously noticed but hadn’t had the chance to investigate.

Passing a slope and a stream, they came across a few circular tree stumps that had been cut down.

Chu Hanjin lowered his eyes and looked at them for a while, then turned to Yue Lin, saying, “These trees were cut down no more than four months ago.”

Yue Lin could only nod, “Yes.”

“It means that someone else has been here within the last four months…” Chu Hanjin’s words trailed off.

Calculating the timeline from when he entered and left seclusion and met Yue Lin, it almost matched the time they had been living here, along with the firefly flower field they had seen the other day. The timeline formed a loop.

It was possible that the trees had been cut down by him and Yue Lin themselves…

Thinking of this, Chu Hanjin’s expression grew more complicated, and he glanced at Yue Lin.

Yue Lin raised his eyebrows, “What is it?”

He still didn’t remember anything.

Chu Hanjin made no comment, folding his white robe behind him as he said blandly, “Let’s follow the tree-cutting trail.”

The good-quality pine and sandalwood were spread out widely, and after walking through the forest and crossing over a hill, there were no more circular tree-cutting marks in sight.

Breathing in the moisture from the forest, Chu Hanjin asked, “If you were to build a house, where would you build it?”

“As the saying goes, ‘A person’s dwelling should be based on the natural landscape.’ I’d pick a feng shui spot with a view of the mountains and rivers,” Yue Lin looked at the landscape below. “Preferably near a water source and with solid ground.”

Chu Hanjin raised an eyebrow, “Point in a direction.”

Yue Lin scanned the area, then raised his hand, pointing to a flat area halfway up the mountain, hidden by trees. “That spot, maybe.”

Chu Hanjin smiled and walked in that direction.

Yue Lin, surprised by his smile, couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Why did you ask me to point it out?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

The cryptic answer left Yue Lin puzzled, but as they followed a dirt slope down the mountain, they noticed that the path beneath their feet was different. It had been slightly worked on, though covered with short grass, it was noticeably more level.

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but sound a bit pleased, “Looks like we found the right place.”

Was he really that happy?

Yue Lin’s gaze lingered on Chu Hanjin, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. As they walked down the stone path into a forested courtyard, Yue Lin finally understood why Chu Hanjin was smiling.

In front of them was a small yard surrounded by a woven bamboo fence, with a firewood gate facing east. Inside, there was a wooden house.

Though the eaves and roof ridges of the wooden house weren’t as luxurious as a palace, it was built better than an ordinary farmhouse, and finding such a place in the wilderness made Yue Lin’s eyes light up.

Chu Hanjin looked at the house and thought, his guess had been right.

He and Yue Lin had returned to the place where they had first met, yet Yue Lin’s memory was still stuck at when they had just emerged from the tomb.

This small courtyard was a place they had built together.

Yue Lin walked to the firewood gate, raised his hand, and pushed.

Creak—the door opened.

The yard wasn’t filled with expensive items, but it was tastefully and elegantly furnished. On the left side hung a cage of orchids, and on the right, a small plot had been cleared where a lush Bodhi tree was growing, with a stone table beneath it. A Go board was carved into the tabletop.

Just by looking at this scene, one could easily imagine the owner of the yard playing a game under the tree.

Yue Lin’s eyes flickered, “Who built this?”

Chu Hanjin smiled lightly, “Take a guess.”

Yue Lin walked to the edge of the corridor, where the wooden planks supported a large empty space. The eaves above were elegantly raised, and the drainage system was well-designed. On rainy days, the water would fall like beads, making it a pleasant place to listen to the rain.

Still built so beautifully.

Yue Lin felt a hint of suspicion, “No one lives here?”

Chu Hanjin replied, “No one lives here.”

They pushed open the door.

Inside, everything was neatly arranged. The owner had clearly tidied up before leaving, with unused brooms placed behind the door, a white cloth spread across the table, clothes folded neatly in the wardrobe, and spirit incense placed to ward off insects. It seemed the owner had only left temporarily and would return soon.

Seeing this, a sudden wave of familiarity surged within Chu Hanjin.

Yue Lin glanced around, pulling out a pine chair and sitting down. “I feel like this place looks familiar.”

The house was particularly quiet, deep in the mountains.

Yet, this house, with its fresh and elegant design, seemed to have witnessed countless stories.

Chu Hanjin turned to Yue Lin, lifting his eyelids slightly. “Do you remember anything?”

Yue Lin, while looking for tea cups, raised his head. “What?”

The white-robed immortal before him was as ethereal as snow, silently gazing at him. His robes gleamed like the moonlight, and his pale wrists were as pristine as frost and snow. This simple scene suddenly struck a chord in his mind.

“……”

For a brief moment, his head throbbed, something inside pulsing rapidly.

The sudden flood of familiarity left him a bit stunned.

Chu Hanjin also sat down. “If you can’t remember, then it’s fine. At least we don’t have to stay in the tomb anymore.”

Yue Lin wandered around, inspecting everything. He found rice in the grain bin, wine in the cellar, tea in the jar, and even a qin placed indoors. Everything was perfectly prepared.

His pupils dilated slightly as he stared at Chu Hanjin, “Did I forget something important?”

Chu Hanjin nodded, “Of course.”

Yue Lin paced around the table twice, staring intently at Chu Hanjin. “Are you my wife?”

“……”

His deduction was somewhat off from Chu Hanjin’s understanding.

Could that even be considered being a wife? More like two people living together.

Chu Hanjin sternly denied it, “No.”

Yue Lin looked a little disappointed.

However, he seemed to remember something. His gaze fell on Chu Hanjin’s abdomen, and after a moment of thought, he asked, “Then is the child in your belly mine?”

This time, Chu Hanjin couldn’t deny it.

His ears and neck turned slightly red. He lifted his eyelids, glanced at Yue Lin with a blank expression, and after a long pause, he finally said, “You figured it out, huh.”

“……”

Dead silence.

Complete, utter silence.

Now, the role of suddenly becoming a father fell onto someone else.

For some reason, seeing the unexpected look on Yue Lin’s face, Chu Hanjin felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

His expression remained neutral, but he thought to himself, “Now you know how absurd it is to suddenly have a child, don’t you?”

Yue Lin stood stunned for a moment.

He had died young, only in his twenties, and had never even thought about getting married or having children, as he had been entirely focused on cultivation. Yet now, unexpectedly, he was going to have a child.

A child—a tiny little thing that would cry and fuss, something that could definitely get on his nerves.

It would even have a runny nose, wiping it on his sleeve and asking to be held.

If he didn’t hold it, it would cry again.

So… he and Chu Hanjin were about to welcome such a little demon?

Actually, having a child wasn’t the worst part. The problem was that he had no memory of the significant lead-up to the pregnancy.

Yue Lin slowly lowered his gaze, eyes fixating on Chu Hanjin’s snowy robe and his abdomen beneath. After a moment of reflection, he said, “So the bastard who got you pregnant was me?”

“……”

Chu Hanjin narrowed his eyes, staring at him silently.

Yue Lin sat down, fiddling with a teacup, “It is rather sudden. I never saw this coming.”

But although he was surprised, his eyes fell once again on Chu Hanjin’s abdomen, and a strange emotion surfaced.

It wasn’t the child that evoked this feeling.

The unborn life didn’t stir a strong reaction in him. Instead, it was the thought of how Chu Hanjin had been suffering through morning sickness, carefully nurturing the child, and silently enduring discomfort that made Yue Lin’s heart unexpectedly soften.

For the first time, the reality of the pregnancy started to sink in—it didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

No matter what, after the initial shock, the next step was acceptance.

Yue Lin’s hand gradually relaxed, and in a soft voice, he asked, “What do you want for lunch? I’ll cook for you.”

Chu Hanjin lowered his head, remaining silent for a while. Yue Lin lightly tapped his chin, murmuring to himself, “What should we name the child?”

“…!”

Even Chu Hanjin was taken aback, staring at him for a long moment. “Isn’t it too early to start thinking about names?”

“It’s never too early to plan ahead,” Yue Lin replied. “You come up with a name for a boy, and I’ll think of one for a girl.”

So they were actually making plans now, huh.

Yue Lin was far more accepting than Chu Hanjin had imagined. He didn’t joke or make excuses—his straightforward attitude made Chu Hanjin feel a lot more at ease.

Chu Hanjin began to think about the child’s name.

The little one he saw in his dream looked like a porcelain doll—white, soft, and a bit chubby, with a baby voice that was hard to place as either male or female.

One name for a boy, one for a girl… But whose surname would the child take?

His thoughts wandered far.

Yue Lin stood up, “I’ll boil a pot of water. Let’s have some tea. It’s still early, and we can take our time thinking.”

He walked over to the cabinet where things were kept.

Opening the lid, he found everything neatly organized—dried preserves, fruit slices, nuts, and tea leaves harvested from the mountains. Yue Lin brought a handful to his nose, sniffing them. It was a local shrub, dried and stored, with a faint, slightly bitter tea scent.

…What kind of skillful hands could turn the mountain’s bounty into such treasures?

Yue Lin raised an eyebrow.

This place, with its array of hidden mechanisms and formations, was designed to trap and slowly starve its occupants. Yet here they were, living such a refined life.

Whoever had trapped them here would probably be frowning in dismay.

Yue Lin boiled the water, pouring it over the tea set, selecting a few dried fruit slices to drop into the hot water. Soon, a slight tangy aroma filled the air.

When he brought it over to Chu Hanjin, he seemed to enjoy it. After letting it cool slightly, Chu Hanjin took a sip.

Yue Lin explored the room further, finally arriving at a desk where several sheets of paper lay. They were likely handmade, thick and rough, but the handwriting on them was elegant and refined.

The notes read: “Avoid heavy labor, avoid intimacy, avoid baths, avoid spicy foods, avoid…”

Clearly, they were notes about the do’s and don’ts during pregnancy.

Yue Lin held the paper up to the light and recognized that the handwriting wasn’t his.

He walked over to Chu Hanjin and handed the paper to him. “So we were preparing for this for a while, huh?”

“……”

Chu Hanjin glanced at it casually, but then his gaze froze.

That was his own handwriting.

It felt like something snapped inside his mind. He had always thought that the pregnancy was solely due to Yue Lin, but it turned out… he had been involved too? Even though glimpses of truth had occasionally surfaced in his dreams, seeing this page made Chu Hanjin’s eyebrows twitch uncontrollably.

Yue Lin, unaware of Chu Hanjin’s inner turmoil, continued, “There are so many restrictions during pregnancy,” he read the page from top to bottom and then set it aside, “I’ll make sure to remember them.”

With a soft smile, he added, “I’ll take good care of you and our child.”

After that, he even said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Chu Hanjin’s gaze shifted, his expression unreadable.

Though it felt strange… after all the suffering and torment he had endured during the pregnancy, hearing the child’s father earnestly say those heartfelt words brought a sense of relief. It was better than bottling it all up.

Chu Hanjin waved his sleeve, “It’s nothing.”

“You rest up. I’ll check on the firewood in the yard,” Yue Lin said before heading outside.

Now, only Chu Hanjin remained inside the room. He looked around, feeling that every beam and corner seemed familiar. This was the place where he and Yue Lin had once lived, and it was part of the memory he had lost.

Losing one’s memory was a strange thing. Though the place seemed unfamiliar, there was an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, teetering between reality and illusion, each step a reunion with the past.

It wasn’t yet time to eat, so Chu Hanjin stood and walked to the corridor, where he saw Yue Lin sitting at the stone table under the Bodhi tree, holding a small file in one hand. His long hair was tied up tightly, with a few strands hanging loose. He was carving a piece of wood.

His features were sharp and striking, exuding a carefree brightness. His fingers deftly worked the wood, and after a moment, the unshaped block turned into… a little bird.

With a bit of spiritual energy, the wooden bird opened its beak and chirped.

The sound was crisp and pleasant. While Chu Hanjin watched, Yue Lin looked up and said, “This is for our child to play with. What do you think?”

Chu Hanjin: “……”

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as approval,” Yue Lin finished carving and tossed the bird onto a tree. He picked up another piece of wood and continued carving. Soon, the Bodhi tree was full of wooden birds, all fluffing their feathers and looking around curiously.

Yue Lin thought for a moment and said, “Your favorite tune, Zahua Shengshu, let’s have them sing it.”

The birds in the treetops chirped and warbled, their voices intertwining in a beautiful, harmonious melody that was pleasant to the ears.

Chu Hanjin stood under the eaves of the corridor, dressed in white as pure as snow, looking up at the lively birds flitting among the green branches. Meanwhile, Yue Lin was busy carving more birds, placing them on the Bodhi tree, his head lowered in concentration.

At that moment, the sunlight was perfect.

For the first time, Chu Hanjin thought that life in the mountains could actually be this satisfying.

—

Unknowingly, half a month had passed.

It had been raining these past few days.

Raindrops splattered as Chu Hanjin placed a stone on the Go board. Suddenly, Yue Lin’s voice called out, “I’m back.”

He was drenched, wearing a black raincoat. As he took it off, something fell out from his arms.

He swayed on his feet, almost unable to stand straight.

It was a lamb.

Chu Hanjin was momentarily stunned. “Where did you find that?”

“I picked it up along the way.” Yue Lin’s hair was soaked as well, and he grabbed a dry cloth to wipe himself off. “I went out to look for a way out but didn’t find one. I saw this lamb in the river and fished it out. Let’s have lamb skewers tonight.”

“……”

Wait.

Chu Hanjin stretched out his fingers slightly.

The lamb was tiny, likely just weaned, with a little black nose and curly grey-black fur. Its eyes were bright and shiny, but it was trembling from the cold.

It was impossible to associate this little lamb with lamb skewers.

As Chu Hanjin gently stroked the lamb’s neck, he asked, “Still can’t find a way out?”

“No, beyond the mountains, there are just more mountains.”

“……”

Just as Chu Hanjin’s fingers touched the lamb’s nose, it nuzzled him, getting water all over his hand.

The lamb was steaming with warmth, full of life, and it was trying to leap into Chu Hanjin’s arms.

Yue Lin grabbed it by the neck and lifted it. “Take it to be slaughtered.”

“……”

Actually, this little lamb was quite cute.

With the continuous rain over the past few days, the mountains frequently experienced landslides and mudslides. Chu Hanjin rarely went out, as the slippery paths could risk injuring the child in his belly.

He glanced down at the little lamb again. His pale fingers brushed over its head as he said, “Let’s keep it, okay?”

Yue Lin: “Hmm?”

Chu Hanjin knew it sounded a bit odd, so he raised his voice slightly, saying, “This lamb is too small. Let’s not eat it. Can we raise it instead?”

Yue Lin raised an eyebrow.

After exploring all the nearby mountains in search of a way out, they had often traveled far. Sometimes Yue Lin would bring lunch, leaving early in the morning and not returning until evening.

During this time, Chu Hanjin, due to his delicate condition, stayed mostly in the courtyard, watching the wooden birds sing or playing chess alone.

Perhaps it was a little lonely.

Yue Lin agreed, “Alright, let’s keep it. But it’s too dirty. I’ll wash it first.”

Chu Hanjin walked beside him as he poured hot water into a basin. He pursed his lips slightly and said, “Don’t make the water too hot. You’ll boil its fur off and turn it into lamb soup.”

Yue Lin chuckled, “Got it.” As he washed the lamb, he remarked, “This place is strange. The formation interferes with spiritual energy, so we can’t fly with swords or use spells. There’s lightning striking places where spiritual energy gathers every day. How are we supposed to leave?”

Chu Hanjin also felt a bit troubled, “How much longer will we be stuck here?”

Yue Lin finished washing the lamb, saying, “If there’s a formation underground, finding the formation’s core should break it. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you until we figure it out.”

Chu Hanjin gave him a surprised look, “You want to leave now?”

Yue Lin: “It’s not a matter of whether I want to or not. You’re carrying my child, so of course, I have to take responsibility.”

“……”

Over the past few days, Chu Hanjin had explained everything that happened before Yue Lin lost his memory, and they had filled in some of the gaps in their shared memories. But the two months Chu Hanjin had lost were still a blank.

As Yue Lin finished cleaning the lamb and began drying its fur, he asked, “Where did we leave off last time?”

Chu Hanjin: “We were in the illusion, passing through a village where everyone had been slaughtered, and then you suddenly said something strange.”

Yue Lin’s expression turned thoughtful.

Chu Hanjin added, “You said the entire village was killed because of you.”

He raised an eyebrow, nodding, “What else?”

“And… you also said you had killed many people, and they were all coming to collect their debts.”

Things like Snow City being besieged for days, running out of supplies but refusing to surrender, fighting back with sword formations for three days and nights, even wearing down the ground, the entire city perishing…

Madam Zhang Wang playing with her daughter in the courtyard when firebombs fell from the sky, burning the city to ashes. After the battle, they found her clutching her child’s remains…

The Chang clan of the Southern Mountains, caught in a failed formation, fearing execution, so they took their own lives first…

All of these memories were still vivid in Chu Hanjin’s mind.

The rain fell like a curtain outside the courtyard. Yue Lin stood there, silent.

It seemed he was trying to remember, but there was a hint of confusion, as if nothing was coming to mind.

Chu Hanjin didn’t push him further, instead looking down at the freshly washed lamb. It was much fluffier and cuter now, though still entirely black, with black eyes. The only time its whiteness showed was when it opened its mouth, revealing its white teeth and pink tongue.

The lamb shook its head and pranced over to Chu Hanjin, gently nuzzling his leg.

Yue Lin changed the topic, “What’s for dinner?”

They had discovered not only wheat but also rice. Chu Hanjin could only steam rice, so now it was time to cook.

Yue Lin said, “For your health, I’ll boil some eggs.”

He headed to the kitchen.

Chu Hanjin slowly picked up the little black lamb, placing it on his lap. The lamb seemed nervous, its legs wobbly, but it remained well-behaved. After trembling a few times, it stopped, resting its head on Chu Hanjin’s abdomen.

His abdomen was warm.

Thinking about the little life growing inside, perhaps at this moment, it was resting its head against the lamb’s. The thought made Chu Hanjin find the situation rather cute.

He gently stroked the lamb’s forehead, smoothing its fur, treating it like another small child.

The lamb seemed to like him, continually nuzzling into his arms.

Just then, Chu Hanjin’s fingers froze.

He felt something inside his abdomen, a gentle little kick, as if something had lightly tapped him from within—