Shen Guan’s memories of Xiao Xueman were still incredibly vivid.

The first time they met, Shen Guan was representing his clan in the Taixu Secret Realm, on a mission to snatch a treasure. Back then, he was full of swagger—young and arrogant, convinced the world revolved around him. That is, until he ran into Xiao Xueman.

That guy looked quiet, delicate, and honestly way too pretty. He was a wood-type, too—seemed like a total decorative “flower vase” type. If you didn’t know better, you’d think some bigshot brought along their personal forbidden… accessory. But it was him who snatched the legendary fire-type treasure, the Eternal Heart Lotus, right out from under a group of Spirit Lords and Spirit Gods in First Heaven. Not only did he succeed, he even made it out in one piece.

The incident was a complete embarrassment for all the major powers in First Heaven. They quickly sealed the news once they returned. Luckily, only a limited number of people were allowed into the Secret Realm, so Xiao Xueman’s name and face didn’t go public—yet.

At the time, Shen Guan didn’t even last two rounds before getting slapped across the sky. He hadn’t even participated in the real fight. That moment shattered his worldview. He went from “I’m the best!” to “Wahh I’m a total failure!” and had to train like hell just to recover his self-esteem.

So before they became friends, Xiao Xueman was basically his nightmare.

Shen Guan used to wonder why a wood-type like Xiao Xueman would even want the Eternal Heart Lotus, a fire-type treasure. But as fate had it, they kept crossing paths. Over time, mutual admiration turned into genuine friendship. Through that, he also met Qin Lou, and slowly witnessed how that very treasure was the stepping stone that catapulted Qin Lou into fame as the Wang Tian Dijun.

Only then did he understand.

Qin Lou—now universally acknowledged as the strongest fire-type cultivator in the entire Spirit Realm Continent.

Back then, Shen Guan had been deeply moved. What unwavering devotion! The Eternal Heart Lotus was one-of-a-kind, yet Xiao Xueman just gave it away—for love. He’d even joked that if this wasn’t the kind of story written into romantic legends, the literary gods were sleeping on the job.

And the treasure was just the beginning. Much of Xiao Xueman’s involvement with the Fox Clan was originally to build ties that would benefit Qin Lou. Every deal, every sacrifice, it all led back to that one person. Of course, the Fox Clan reaped plenty of benefits from it too.

Back then, whenever Shen Guan went out, he kept hearing Qin Lou’s name growing more famous by the day.

From Sixteenth Heaven all the way to First Heaven, Qin Lou climbed his way up and eventually became the stuff of legends. His rise gave hope to countless cultivators born at the bottom. But while the world praised Qin Lou, few remembered the one behind the scenes—Xiao Xueman.

But Shen Guan knew better. Maybe it was because he met Xiao Xueman first. Or maybe because their bond was closer. He saw things differently.

To him, Qin Lou had started as a cast-off illegitimate child. Born with damaged spiritual power, tossed into Sixteenth Heaven to fend for himself, no one cared. Even the Qin Clan, a small family from Second Heaven, didn’t make any waves.

But now? He had everything. Power, influence—even the old sects of First Heaven had to treat him with respect.

And if it weren’t for Xiao Xueman, who would Qin Lou even be?

The nature of their relationship had always puzzled Shen Guan. With all Xiao Xueman gave, it was easy to assume they were lovers. That’s what most people thought. But they’d never officially said anything. Just a pair of ambiguous “business partners,” supposedly.

Shen Guan couldn’t understand it. One time, half-drunk, he asked directly:

“Was it worth it?”

“You mean Qin Lou?” Xiao Xueman smiled gently. “He’s worth it. Besides, it’s not what you think. We each got what we needed.”

Even though that was the answer, Shen Guan never felt settled. He kept reminding himself—it wasn’t his place to judge. No matter how close the friendship, someone else’s love life was their own business. If Xiao Xueman said it was worth it—then it was.

Before they both moved their focus to First Heaven, things had still been good.

The Fox Clan’s territory was in Second Heaven. The spiritual power wasn’t as rich as First Heaven, but the forests were perfect for foxes. At that time, Shen Guan had already started preparing to take over as Patriarch, so he couldn’t run around freely like before. He didn’t go with them.

Later, he heard that Qin Lou had reached Spirit God Tier 9, and even crushed Tianshu Academy—officially becoming the Wangtian Dijun, unmatched on the continent.

By then, Shen Guan had solidified his place as Fox King, and soon received an invitation from Wangtian Immortal Sect. He was genuinely happy for Xiao Xueman.

They hadn’t seen each other in a while. Besides the formal gifts, the Fox King had also brought a bottle of Xiao Xueman’s favorite wine, hoping they could share a quiet moment after the ceremony.

But during the grand event, as the Fox King scanned the faces under the newly crowned Wangtian Dijun, full of joy and celebration—he didn’t see Xiao Xueman.

Qin Lou stood at the very top, dressed in gold-embroidered black robes, utterly alone. The Eternal Heart Lotus by his side glowed red and gold, dazzling and painful to look at. He looked every bit the unparalleled ruler.

But Xiao Xueman was nowhere in sight.

After the ceremony, there were so many people offering congratulations that Shen Guan never even got a chance to ask Qin Lou where Xiao Xueman had gone. And just as he tried to investigate, an emergency at the Fox Clan pulled him back.

Still, he didn’t forget his old friend. He left eyes and ears in First Heaven to gather information.

But Wangtian Immortal Sect was on lockdown about Xiao Xueman. No solid info, just scattered rumors—some said the two had a falling out due to ideological differences; others said their bond couldn’t survive the allure of supreme power. The only thing consistent was that Xiao Xueman had vanished. Some said he died in the final battle.

Wangtian Immortal Sect’s path to becoming the top sect wasn’t smooth. The sacrifices made were… “normal.” But no matter what, Shen Guan refused to believe Xiao Xueman was dead. No way someone that strong would just drop dead.

It had to be because of Qin Lou.

Shen Guan’s darkest suspicions were coming true. Qin Lou was a damn snake in human skin.

He flew into a rage and confronted Qin Lou—but even as Fox King, he couldn’t match the top cultivator on the continent.

The Eternal Heart Lotus was far too powerful. As Shen Guan lay sprawled on the ground, panting and battered, the image of their first meeting flashed through his mind.

So ironic. The very treasure Xiao Xueman had risked everything to get… was now being used against him.

Shen Guan spent a long time recovering. He fell into a deep funk, losing trust in everyone.

Then word came from First Heaven that Qin Lou had named the “deceased” Xiao Xueman as Empress, weeping to the world about his undying love and unbearable grief.

Shen Guan scoffed.

Trash. Bastard. What a faker. When he had the chance to own up, he didn’t. Now he was putting on a show? How long did he plan to keep bleeding Xiao Xueman dry?

He refused to believe Xiao Xueman was dead. But after searching high and low, he found… nothing.

Eventually, he realized—Xiao Xueman had appeared out of nowhere. No sect. No family. Not even a background to trace. Qin Lou’s history could still be dug up, but Xiao Xueman’s? He came from nowhere, and vanished without a trace.

Shen Guan had thought he’d never see him again. That the man would only ever live in his memories.

But to run into him again—in the lowest place on the continent, Seventeenth Heaven? Unreal.

Now his whole body ached. Reality and memories blurred. His head throbbed as he scanned the kid in front of him, trying to analyze him from top to bottom with just his eyes.

He really did look like Xiao Xueman…

“Where’s Xiao Xueman?” Shen Guan’s voice was hoarse. “I… I want to see him.”

“Daddy went out to buy groceries,” Xiao Wan replied. “He’ll be back soon. Your throat sounds really rough. Want more water?”

Groceries?

Shen Guan blinked, dazed again.

To him, Xiao Xueman had always been this untouchable, aloof beauty. Now he was out… shopping for veggies?

It just didn’t compute.

Xiao Wan gave him a puzzled look. This guy must’ve hit his head too, right? He’d only said a few sentences and already seemed out of it. Not very smart.

But remembering what Daddy said, Xiao Wan poured another cup of water and gently held it to the man’s lips to help him drink.

Just then, Xiao Xueman returned.

He was carrying a full basket of groceries. After stepping into the room, he pulled out a bag of fruit and handed it to Xiao Wan with a warm smile.

“The shopkeeper said these wild berries were especially sweet today, so I bought a bag. Try them, Xiao Wan?”

“Mm!” Xiao Wan nodded. “I’ll wash them and eat with Daddy.”

What was this? A picture-perfect father-son moment?

Shen Guan’s brain just could not compute.

Xiao Xueman, with a son? Why did he have a son? There didn’t seem to be anyone else in this house. So… who did he have a child with?

What in the world had happened to this timeline?!

Xiao Xueman, glancing down, caught Shen Guan’s very confused expression.

“Just focus on recovering. Don’t overthink it,” he said with a slightly helpless smile. “Yes, he’s really my son. Biological. His name’s Xiao Wan, very well-behaved.”

Xiao Wan was outside washing fruit. While he was gone, Xiao Xueman leaned down and added quietly:

“He’s only four, and he’s lived here in Seventeenth Heaven his whole life. He doesn’t know anything about my past. Please, don’t say anything weird in front of him. It’s really important.”

“I know you want to ask questions. Once you’re better, I’ll tell you what I can.”

Even with his curiosity burning, Shen Guan knew better. He was still too weak to talk much anyway, so he simply nodded.

After nearly twenty days of recovery, he could finally move around and speak more fluently.

It just so happened Xiao Wan had gone off to school that afternoon. The new semester was about to start, and students heading to Sixteenth Heaven needed some prep training. Xiao Xueman dropped his son off and came straight back.

The moment he walked in, Shen Guan greeted him with a look full of pent-up questions.

He had behaved himself for so long—hadn’t said a word out of place in front of the kid. But now he just couldn’t hold it anymore.

“Can we… talk?”