“Who said that?”

Right after asking, Chu Hanjin became alert. His health wasn’t good, and there was clearly another meaning behind that, referring to the child in his belly.

Originally, he wanted as few people as possible to know about this, but since this person deliberately brought it up, it proved that some people were already speculating and might be planning something against him.

Liang Shan quickly said, “No, I heard it from others. They said that the Lord’s wife is unwell, that’s why she has been resting in the courtyard all this time. Otherwise, she would have already taken over the position of the Lady. I was thinking, if you’re not feeling well, as the Lord’s good brother, I could help you find some medicine or remedies. Whatever I can do to help, I won’t hesitate.”

So kind?

But being overly attentive without reason usually means either you’re plotting something or you’re up to no good. Chu Hanjin gave him a long look.

In the past, Yue Lin’s opponents were people like Bai Gu and Chi Man, both now holding high positions and with great power. Yet this person, with his tattered clothes, downtrodden appearance, and even a broken arm, looked utterly miserable. While his intentions might not be evil, his flattery clearly outweighed any genuine concern.

As he leaned closer, Chu Hanjin could even smell the stench of rot from the moth-eaten fabric on his clothes, which was unbearable. Chu Hanjin wrinkled his nose and said, “I’m not sick.”

Liang Shan, “Really not sick? I heard… you’re pregnant, right?”

Chu Hanjin shot him a sharp look.

Liang Shan quickly added, “I just heard it from others, no other meaning behind it. I’m just concerned about your health. I didn’t mean to offend you, don’t take it the wrong way!”

Chu Hanjin, irritated, said, “Just leave!”

But Liang Shan hesitated, not wanting to leave, and even tried to get closer to him. He suddenly said, “Ah! There’s a bug—” and then reached out to grab Chu Hanjin’s hand.

Chu Hanjin didn’t expect him to be so reckless. He gathered qi in his palm and slapped him, causing Liang Shan to cry out as he fell. At the same time, a cough sounded from behind.

Xiao Jiu had returned.

He stood at the top of the stairs, holding a packet of tamarind cakes wrapped in oil paper, his round eyes glaring at Liang Shan.

Liang Shan immediately scrambled to his feet, trembling all over.

As Xiao Jiu took one step closer, Liang Shan trembled more violently, clearly terrified, “Is he your friend?” he asked.

Chu Hanjin replied, “Yes.”

Liang Shan stomped his foot in despair, “Oh no, this is bad.”

Xiao Jiu, despite his childish appearance, spoke coldly in a crisp, young voice, “Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you touch him?”

Liang Shan awkwardly laughed, “Sorry, sorry. I thought I saw a small flying insect, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye. My mistake, my mistake. I’ll leave now, goodbye!”

With that, he darted past Xiao Jiu and fled downstairs like a startled chicken.

From the fear on Liang Shan’s face when he saw Xiao Jiu, it was obvious he recognized something, and Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but sigh again.

The commotion settled down, and Xiao Jiu placed the tamarind cakes on the table. His voice turned soft and sweet, completely different from his previous cold tone, “I bought these for you, go ahead and eat.”

He gently took Chu Hanjin’s wrist and checked him over while asking, “Did he touch you earlier?”

“No, why?”

Xiao Jiu wrinkled his nose, “He smells bad.”

Chu Hanjin pretended to be confused, “Do you know him?”

“Everyone in the city knows him. He’s always up to shady business, selling poor girls to brothels, dealing in fake spirit stones and elixirs, and swindling money from the elderly. He’s a rogue and a scoundrel. It would be strange not to know him.”

His words were filled with disdain.

He even turned his head away, as if he was just shy of spitting on the ground.

Seeing Xiao Jiu’s distaste, Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but tease him, “But I heard he used to be friends with the Lord?”

Xiao Jiu snorted in extreme disdain, “That was in the past. Before he had his inner core dug out, he was still a decent man, one of the Demon Lord’s trusted subordinates. But who knew he would betray his friends for his own gain…”

Xiao Jiu couldn’t finish the sentence, turning his head away in disgust, “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s unlucky.”

Since he didn’t want to say more, Chu Hanjin didn’t ask further and changed the subject, “Let’s eat.”

If not for Xiao Jiu’s company, Chu Hanjin would have probably eaten alone again. Xiao Jiu busily picked up food and put it into his bowl, his voice sweet, “Eat more~”

The little boy had to stand on tiptoe to reach the dishes on the table, looking both determined and adorable. Chu Hanjin found it amusing and gathered the food in his bowl with his chopsticks, saying, “Alright, I’ll eat more.”

Xiao Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, full of sunshine and cuteness.

Since he was acting, Chu Hanjin decided to play along, making the atmosphere more harmonious.

The meal was almost over when Xiao Jiu suddenly cried out, “Oh no, I have to go home! My mother has something for me this afternoon!”

“Huh?”

“No time to explain, I have to go right now!”

Xiao Jiu quickly jumped out of his chair, waved at Chu Hanjin, and said, “I’m heading home now, I’ll come back and play with you next time!”

The timing of his departure was perfect, just as Chu Hanjin was comfortably full and about to finish his meal. Lowering his head, Chu Hanjin noticed, unsurprisingly, that the baby toys Xiao Jiu had bought were “accidentally” left behind.

…That was way too obvious.

Looking at Xiao Jiu’s departing figure, then at the little wooden horse and rattle for kids, Chu Hanjin silently gathered them up and returned to the courtyard.

Yue Lin had come back at some point, standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. Upon seeing the toys in Chu Hanjin’s hands, his gaze was meaningful, “For the baby?”

“…”

Yue Lin hummed, “It seems you still care about our baby.”

“…………”

Whether his expression was satisfied or just pretending, Yue Lin took the toys from his hands, looked them over, and said, “Not enough. Next time, let’s go buy more together.”

Chu Hanjin licked his lips and said, “Yue Lin.”

“?”

Is this fun?

Chu Hanjin almost said it aloud.

But after thinking it over, he changed the subject, “I ran into one of your old friends today.”

“Don’t bother with him. He’s a nutcase.”

Chu Hanjin nodded. Just then, Bai Gu emerged from the inner room, bowing to Chu Hanjin and then turning to “My Lord, the spiritual bones have been placed.”

Chu Hanjin looked at Yue Lin in surprise, “What spiritual bones?”

Yue Lin casually replied, “My father’s remains. I dug them up and threw them into the sword-forging pool.”

“What?” Chu Hanjin’s voice rose in shock.

Although demonic kinship was often cold, with patricide, fratricide, and other heinous acts not uncommon, it still came as a surprise to see it in person. His father’s remains? Thrown into the sword-forging pool? Was this really Yue Lin’s doing?

Chu Hanjin asked, “Why use his spiritual bones?”

Yue Lin responded as if it were obvious, “To forge a suitable sword spirit for my blade.”

Chu Hanjin’s chest surged with anger, “Not enough spirit stones or materials, so now you’re using corpses? What’s next, live people?”

This was going too far.

Yue Lin glanced at him, “It’s none of your concern. Don’t interfere.”

“You…” Chu Hanjin was speechless with anger.

Beside them, Bai Gu silently lowered his head and pulled his sleeves closer. He had something to report but, seeing the tension between the two, wisely chose to remain silent.

Yue Lin didn’t shy away from speaking in front of “Speak.”

Bai Gu bowed, “The matter that the Lord asked me to investigate recently… there has been some movement.”

Yue Lin turned his head, “Oh?”

Bai Gu, “We have pinpointed the approximate location based on the stars. If nothing is out of place, it should be near Baihe Bay. We just need to go there to search.”

Chu Hanjin caught on, “What are you searching for?”

Yue Lin glanced at him, seemingly unwilling to answer but eventually said, “Of course, live people.”

One sentence, and Chu Hanjin’s mind exploded.

It really was live people!

Yue Lin’s return to the demon clan was already beyond his expectations, but after returning, one surprise followed another…

Throwing live people into the sword-forging pool—if it was something the former Demon Lord had done, he would believe it.

But to think this was Yue Lin’s doing—he couldn’t believe it.

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but say, “You need to have limits.”

“Limits?”

“You were dead for so many years and haven’t stained your hands with blood since. Why stir up trouble now?”

Yue Lin sounded as if he heard a joke, “Who am I? I am the Demon Lord. Things like throwing live people into the sword-forging pool, digging out spiritual cores, and refining human flesh into pills—isn’t that all perfectly normal?”

“But…” Chu Hanjin frowned, his feelings complicated.

But he wasn’t just the Demon Lord.

He was also Yue Lin… the Yue Lin that Chu Hanjin knew, who had planted a field of Zuiyu grass to attract fireflies, who cooked spring noodles for him, played melodies to lull him to sleep, and always made him laugh.

Logically, Chu Hanjin was sure Yue Lin was a demon, but emotionally, seeing him commit evil became harder and harder to accept.

Yue Lin scoffed, “You’re really something. On one hand, you reject me, but on the other, you won’t let me do evil. You want to have it both ways.”

“…”

That sentence made Chu Hanjin’s ears flush red with embarrassment, leaving him speechless.

After a moment of silence, Chu Hanjin’s expression became calm, “So, you’ve already started looking for live people?”

“What of it?”

“Fine. If you insist on using live people for sword forging, why not throw me into the pool first? Step over my corpse, and do whatever you want with your forging.”

Yue Lin’s voice rose with displeasure, “What do you mean by that?”

“There’s a consensus among the Six Sects. If it’s within our power, we must help the oppressed and fight injustice. I could turn a blind eye, pretend I didn’t see or hear anything, but you and I are here, sharing the same bed, connected by the child in my belly. I can’t pretend anymore. So, either I kill you, or you kill me.”

His words were firm and resonated deeply.

Yue Lin had no response. After a moment, he said in a tired voice, “So rigid.”

Chu Hanjin coldly replied, “If you think that’s being rigid, then keep thinking so.”

But Chu Hanjin didn’t think it was rigidity; it was his bottom line.

The Six Sects may have their principles, but in cases where revenge escalates, such as when one man avenges his son’s death by wiping out the killer’s entire family, the righteous path would often turn a blind eye because real love and hate are far more complex than dogma.

Chu Hanjin had suspected Yue Lin of being connected to the demon clan before, but since Yue Lin had technically died once, Chu Hanjin didn’t pursue it, choosing to turn a blind eye. But once he confirmed that Yue Lin was the Demon Lord, it crossed his bottom line.

Now, with Yue Lin committing evil right under his nose, that also crossed his bottom line.

The confrontation between them had reached a stalemate. The argument could have ended here, but after a brief silence, Chu Hanjin spoke softly, with a hint of struggle, “I don’t understand. Why do you insist on showing me this side of yourself?”

“Hmm?”

“You know I belong to the righteous path, yet you deliberately trample on my bottom line, treating the principles I hold dear as nothing. Do you find that… fun?” Chu Hanjin asked each word carefully.

Yue Lin’s pupils shrank, his intense gaze fixed on Chu Hanjin’s face.

Chu Hanjin felt extremely conflicted.

Normally, when faced with an evil person, there’s no need to say so much. The villain would find it nauseating to hear, and the speaker would be seen as overly sentimental. But with Yue Lin, Chu Hanjin forced himself to speak honestly, “My view of you was different from the average demonic person, but you don’t seem to care, insisting on destroying everything…”

Unexpectedly, Yue Lin interrupted, “Is that so?”

How convenient.

That line hit the nail on the head.

Yue Lin scoffed, as if amused, “You’ve always looked down on me. Now, why start saying such hypocritical things?”

His words were like a sharp blow to Chu Hanjin.

Chu Hanjin nodded, realizing the conversation should have ended earlier. With disappointment, he said, “Yes, I was being hypocritical.”

Utterly tasteless, utterly pointless.

There were no live people in the sword-forging pool yet, so there was no need for an immediate break. Chu Hanjin waved his sleeves and left the courtyard, “Forget I said anything.”

He wandered to another garden outside the corridor, where lotus leaves were just beginning to emerge. The scenery was peaceful, and his previously chaotic thoughts slowly calmed.

On one hand, Yue Lin had disappointed him. On the other hand, he had disappointed Yue Lin.

The more they interacted, the more disappointed they both became.

But from a different perspective, this growing disappointment with Yue Lin would make it easier for Chu Hanjin to take the child away in the future.

They could never be on the same side again, and the child needed a place to belong. Giving the child to himself was better than leaving it with Yue Lin. So, rationally speaking, being disappointed in Yue Lin was actually a good thing. It would prevent any hesitation when the child was born, sparing him from wondering whether to let Yue Lin raise it.

…It was just that, for some reason, his heart ached dully.

Chu Hanjin sighed lightly.

Perhaps… he liked Yue Lin more than he had anticipated.

•

All afternoon, Chu Hanjin napped with his eyes closed, vaguely sensing footsteps near the corridor, though they never came closer. It was probably Yue Lin.

At dinnertime, Yue Lin appeared again, standing at a distance without approaching.

Chu Hanjin didn’t look at him, only placing a hand on his abdomen. He could now faintly feel the baby bump, and even though he was hungry, his belly remained round.

As Chu Hanjin lowered his head, Yue Lin’s figure disappeared from the corridor.

But not long after, a child’s voice came from the wall, and a small head popped up, with a doll hanging around his neck. The child spoke softly, “Hey.”

Xiao Jiu.

This Xiao Jiu deserved quotation marks.

Chu Hanjin didn’t want to play along anymore.

He glanced at him briefly, then looked away.

Xiao Jiu, perched on the wall and stepping on tree branches, appeared to struggle a bit as he clung to the wall. He spoke obediently, “Why are you sitting here alone? Have you had dinner?”

Chu Hanjin didn’t want to respond. He didn’t want to confront him, as playing this long, childish game felt ridiculous. He pretended not to hear.

Xiao Jiu swayed on the branch, looking nervous but still affectionate, “Why aren’t you talking to me? Look at me!”

His voice was pitiful, still babyish, and tinged with a childish naiveté.

Chu Hanjin simply closed his eyes.

Xiao Jiu kept calling him, but after a while, with no response, his voice began to sound tearful, “Hey…”

That one word pricked Chu Hanjin’s heart, softening it. He reopened his eyes.

“Hey…” Xiao Jiu was about to burst into tears.

Complicated feelings.

Unsolvable.

Chu Hanjin realized that Yue Lin, stung by his bluntness, couldn’t lower himself to talk to him properly, so he transformed into a child to get closer and play with him.

Earlier, Yue Lin had wandered near the corridor, possibly intending to reconcile, but now, neither could swallow their pride, so he had to come disguised as a child.

Even though he had turned into a child, it was still Yue Lin making the first move. Could they really keep being this stubborn?

In his ears, Xiao Jiu’s voice was choking, “You really won’t talk to me?”

Chu Hanjin sighed again, went to the corner of the wall, and looked up with clear eyes, “What’s going on?”

Xiao Jiu sniffled, “Come out, boo hoo hoo.”

As soon as Chu Hanjin stepped out of the courtyard gate, a small black head bumped into him, and he was tightly hugged. Xiao Jiu, only waist-high, clung to his waist, rubbing his face and tears into him.

Chu Hanjin’s heart was in turmoil, wondering if these were Yue Lin’s tears. He patted him, “Why are you crying?”

Xiao Jiu, “You’re ignoring me, boo hoo hoo. It hurts so much, I’m going to die from sadness!”

Chu Hanjin comforted him, “I wasn’t in a good mood this afternoon, so I didn’t feel like talking to you.”

Xiao Jiu asked, “Why were you upset?”

Still pretending to be clueless.

Since Yue Lin wanted to play this role, Chu Hanjin had no choice but to go along with it, vaguely saying, “I got into a fight with someone.”

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jiu’s tear-filled eyes looked at him pitifully, “Who would fight with you? You’re so nice. That person must be really sad too.”

Was this… Yue Lin’s true feelings?

Chu Hanjin felt as if he had caught a glimpse, “Maybe.”

After thinking for a moment, he added, “I’m not perfect either. I’ve also done things that hurt him.”

Xiao Jiu hugged him even tighter, “You’re the best, you’re the best.” His tears hadn’t dried, and it seemed that Chu Hanjin’s earlier silence had left him deeply hurt.

Yue Lin was always on the receiving end, but now, for once, he was acting willfully. Perhaps this was Yue Lin’s way of expressing the sadness and frustration he had kept bottled up.

It seemed that only by pretending to be a child could he let it out so freely.

Chu Hanjin almost called out “Yue Lin,” but swallowed it. If they truly couldn’t have a proper conversation anymore, then perhaps this was the only way to avoid confronting their identities and get a moment of peace.

—So let it be.

Xiao Jiu wiped away his tears and pulled him along, “Let’s go eat.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Jiu busily served him food and meat, then said, “I’ll come to play with you every day from now on, okay?”

His expression was so sincere that Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental. He wondered if, from now on, Yue Lin would always interact with him through this childlike persona.

He mustered his energy, “Alright.”

After the meal, Xiao Jiu grew sleepy and said, “I’ll take you home.”

Though Chu Hanjin should have been the one taking him home, neither of them found it odd. Chu Hanjin said, “Thank you.”

As they walked to the shaded trees outside the courtyard, the light illuminated Xiao Jiu’s chin and his dark, shiny eyes, “Maybe when you get home, the person who argued with you will come to apologize.”

“…”

The hint couldn’t be more obvious.

Chu Hanjin understood, but pretended not to, “I hope so.”

After watching Xiao Jiu run off with his doll, Chu Hanjin returned to the courtyard, where Yue Lin, dressed in black, stood waiting in the shadows of the trees.

As Chu Hanjin approached, Yue Lin’s cautious voice asked, “Who was that child?”

“…”

Remembering how Xiao Jiu had cried in his arms earlier, asking for hugs and saying he liked him, Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but feel a rare sense of how unlikable the current Yue Lin was.

Chu Hanjin answered evasively, “Just someone I met on the street.”

“Really.”

He was still deep in character.

Not only that, but his voice remained serious, “You really like children, huh?”

“Why?”

The wind blew coldly through the courtyard, and after a moment of silence, Yue Lin spoke with an ominous tone, “I found my old forbidden technique manual. Perhaps we can make the child be born sooner.”