The woman’s face twisted slightly, but she obeyed and apologized.

Chu Hanjin could clearly see through this show of power. Yue Lin was shrewd. His first move upon returning to the Demon Realm was to assert his authority. This side of him made Chu Hanjin feel a bit unfamiliar.

They continued on their way, arriving at a dilapidated royal mansion.

People were coming and going, hard at work trying to restore it, but it was still clear that the doors had been destroyed, the lion statues trampled, and the red lacquer only barely covering half the inscription. The gate plaque had been burned by fire.

This was Yue Lin’s home during his lifetime. The damage it had sustained after his death was unimaginable.

Bai Gu, dressed in green, stepped forward to report, “It’s been over twenty years, and the damage to the mansion is too severe. It’s not suitable for you to live here, Lord. You could move to the Demon Lord’s palace. I can arrange for it right away.”

Yue Lin raised a finger and pointed, “It’s just a place to rest. I’ll stay here. It’s fine.”

The courtyard had been cleaned up somewhat, but some areas had been neglected. There were cobwebs in the corners, and the plants were withered and overgrown. The place was desolate, barely suitable for anyone but wandering ghosts.

The plants in the courtyard were wild and unkempt, but fortunately, the house had been tidied up. Yue Lin walked inside, but the place was empty.

He pointed to the center of the room, “Where’s my alchemy furnace?”

Bai Gu broke out in a cold sweat, “I… I sent it to the palace. If you want it back, I’ll have someone retrieve it right away.”

Yue Lin chuckled and walked over to the bookshelf. He asked, “Where are the manuals I wrote?”

Bai Gu bent even lower, “They’ve all been stored in the palace library.”

“That’s good,” Yue Lin said, “The techniques I created in my lifetime are powerful, but most are forbidden arts. In this life, people have their own destiny. If you gain something that doesn’t belong to you, you’ll have to pay a price. My techniques can be learned, but don’t end up like me—at best, losing a limb; at worst, suffering a fatal backlash. The heavens are always fair.”

Bai Gu nodded, “You’re absolutely right, Lord. I’ll remind them immediately.”

Yue Lin said, “You can go. I’ve been traveling for a long time. I need to rest.”

Bai Gu left.

Chu Hanjin glanced around the empty room. Yue Lin had been obsessed with cultivation during his life, turning his bedroom into an alchemy room and adding a sword-forging pool on the other side. Yet the storage shelves were completely empty, a sign that all of Yue Lin’s spiritual artifacts had been looted after his death, leaving nothing behind.

Yue Lin pulled out a chair, “Sit.”

Chu Hanjin sat down. A servant came over to pour tea. As Chu Hanjin held the teacup lid, he glanced around the courtyard, images of Yue Lin’s daily life here flashing through his mind.

Perhaps as a teenager, he would sit under the Bodhi tree, deep in thought, studying techniques. Then, when inspiration struck, he’d run inside, toss a few ingredients into the alchemy furnace, only to mess it up, ending up with a face covered in soot, looking like a cat.

Chu Hanjin’s mood unexpectedly brightened a bit.

But then, in the next moment, he remembered that Yue Lin had done all this in his quest to kill his father. His grip tightened on the teacup lid.

Yue Lin’s low voice pulled him back to the present, “Are you hungry?”

Chu Hanjin glanced at him.

Yue Lin stood up and headed toward the kitchen, “I’ll make you something to eat.”

His tone was still a bit stiff, clearly showing that serving Chu Hanjin was a far cry from giving him a kind face.

“…”

The atmosphere was a little strange.

Chu Hanjin walked into the courtyard, scanning the surroundings while wondering how long Yue Lin intended to keep him here. Until the child was born?

With that thought, Chu Hanjin reached out to touch his stomach. If it weren’t for this child, he might not have been entangled with Yue Lin for so long.

It was still early after dinner.

There were constant reports from outside, people wanting to meet Yue Lin, no doubt rushing over to “catch up” after hearing of his return. Yue Lin declined several times, but eventually grew irritated. He turned to Chu Hanjin, “How about we go out and check out the lantern festival?”

After speaking, he awkwardly added, “A walk after dinner is good for the baby.”

“…”

Chu Hanjin could practically see him trying to make amends, while still holding onto their cold war. He was working hard to maintain his indifference. Chu Hanjin nodded, “Alright.”

The Demon Realm wasn’t as frightening as he had imagined. In fact, it was thriving and bustling.

As night fell, the streets lit up with lanterns, illuminating the trees with their silver and gold lights. Bridges were opened, and crowds filled the streets, their faces hidden behind masks. It was a grand festival, a sea of people in colorful outfits, with lights flashing and making one’s eyes slightly dizzy.

As Chu Hanjin stepped outside, he suddenly felt his hand being gently held.

At first, it felt tentative, but after Chu Hanjin shot him a glare, Yue Lin tightened his grip, acting as if nothing had happened, “I’m holding your hand.”

Chu Hanjin shook his sleeve, “Let go.”

Yue Lin pulled out half a mask from his sleeve, a silver-white feathered one, placing it on his straight nose, “You’re wearing a mask, so no one will recognize you.”

Chu Hanjin was furious, “This isn’t about wearing a mask!”

“Then what’s the problem?” Yue Lin snorted lightly, “Don’t forget, we’re in the Demon Realm now, and you’re my captive. Does your opinion matter that much to me?”

With that, not only did he hold on, but he intertwined their fingers.

Once he had their fingers locked together, his lips curved upward in a clear display of satisfaction, as if his mood had suddenly brightened.

Chu Hanjin was speechless.

Yue Lin was like a mischievous child—the more you resisted, the more he pushed.

Chu Hanjin could only grit his teeth, thinking to himself, “As long as I stay calm, what’s the big deal if he holds my hand? It’s not like I’ll lose a piece of flesh.”

Resigning himself, Chu Hanjin stopped struggling and walked with him toward the lively streets.

A group of children was rolling hoops by the riverbank, laughing and playing with the vigor of tigers, just like ordinary children.

They were no different from ordinary children. Chu Hanjin always knew that not everyone in the Demon Realm was evil; it was the demonic cultivators who were the enemies of the righteous path.

The capital city of the Demon Realm before him was bustling and harmonious, with people clearly living peaceful lives.

After being on edge for so many days, he finally relaxed. As they walked along the bridge, someone was selling sugar pastries. Yue Lin turned his head, “Do you want to try some?”

Chu Hanjin, “No.”

Yue Lin’s voice suddenly brightened, “Buy one.”

“…”

He was doing it on purpose.

Chu Hanjin didn’t want to respond, but when Yue Lin bought a sugar pastry, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and broke it into pieces, he offered it to Chu Hanjin.

Chu Hanjin turned his head, about to say he didn’t want any, when he suddenly felt a hand on his waist. Before he could react, Yue Lin pressed a piece of the pastry to his lips, then leaned in for a kiss.

“……”

Chu Hanjin was about to lose it.

Since Yue Lin had decided to return to the Demon Realm, knowing he could never win his affection again, he had given up pretending. He became brazen and unruly, no longer caring whether Chu Hanjin liked it or not.

His actions were always careful, ensuring he didn’t hurt him, but when it came to taking advantage of Chu Hanjin, he did so without hesitation.

Chu Hanjin clutched his sleeve tightly, wanting nothing more than to slap Yue Lin to death right there, but a soft grip on his nape drained his strength. In that moment, the pastry was already in his mouth.

It was sticky but sweet, with a nutty fragrance. Chu Hanjin grabbed at him furiously, but from the outside, it just looked like he was being kissed until he went weak.

When the kiss ended, warm breaths lingered between them.

Chu Hanjin exhaled, glaring at the dark eyes above him.

Yue Lin still had the nerve to smile, “Too sweet. I don’t like it. I bet you don’t either, but our baby really likes it.”

Chu Hanjin was dizzy, held in his arms, as Yue Lin’s hands explored his waist again.

Yue Lin said, “Look, the baby’s so happy it’s moving.”

“…”

Even the way he spoke was so deliberately manipulative and shameless.

Before Chu Hanjin could catch his breath, he was pulled back into an embrace, gently soothed. Though still angry and surprised, Yue Lin’s touch slowly melted away his irritation, and his forehead rested lightly against Yue Lin’s shoulder.

Oddly enough, he suddenly wondered why he was even bothering to argue with this lunatic.

Chu Hanjin shook his head, steadying himself.

Yue Lin smoothed out his hair and held his hand again, “Let’s go.”

Chu Hanjin’s thoughts, however, were stuck on what Yue Lin had just said, “…The baby moved?”

“It moved.”

Something inside Chu Hanjin’s heart seemed to light up slightly. Looking ahead at the lanterns in the distance, Yue Lin spoke up, “How about we give the baby a name?”

Chu Hanjin hadn’t expected him to bring this up, “Hmm?”

Yue Lin turned back with a smile, “Maybe after the baby is born, the two of us will be like strangers, and we might not be able to sit together to pick a name. Why not decide on one now, while we’re both here?”

“I haven’t thought about it.”

Yue Lin glanced at him, “When the time comes, the baby can take your surname. It sounds nice.”

Chu Hanjin felt a bit awkward talking about this with him but agreed, “Alright.”

After thinking for a moment, Yue Lin added, “The baby can also be raised by you.”

“Of course I’m raising the baby.”

Yue Lin nodded and smiled, “I know. You’re worried I’ll raise a little demon, right?”

Chu Hanjin turned his face away, avoiding his gaze, “You know that.”

They walked in silence for a while until they reached the middle of the bridge.

Fireworks were being set off; it was the highlight of the Lantern Festival every night. Standing side by side on the bridge, with their palms slightly sweaty from holding hands, Chu Hanjin noticed a shadow falling over his face.

This time, Yue Lin kissed him on the lips, without using any pretext or excuse.

When Yue Lin leaned in, Chu Hanjin turned his head to avoid it, but his jaw was caught, and the kiss deepened.

He hadn’t even been kissed long enough to feel anything when Chu Hanjin pushed his hand away.

Yue Lin didn’t mind and snickered, “Why won’t you let me kiss you? There’s a reason for it this time.”

Chu Hanjin only rubbed his flushed lips.

Yue Lin muttered to himself, “They say this bridge is special. Long ago, a saintess lived beneath it, responsible for love. If an ordinary person fell in love and wanted someone to love them back, they could come here to seek the saintess. If she granted their wish, they could stand on this bridge with their loved one, embrace, kiss, and the saintess would cast a spell of eternal love, making it happen.”

Chu Hanjin shook his head. He had never heard of a spell in this world that could make someone madly in love with another person.

“You don’t believe it?” Yue Lin asked.

Chu Hanjin raised his head.

Under the shadow, Yue Lin’s deep golden eyes darkened slightly, revealing a calm sense of repression, “It’s true, but the one who asks for the spell gains love, at the cost of their life.”