Lu Zhixing pressed his lips together, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Somewhat unwillingly, he got up from the floor. Even as Xi Yu led him by the hand, he still looked unhappy.
He didn’t want to see Mom and Dad. He wanted to have little tufts tied in his hair.
Xi Yu naturally noticed Lu Zhixing’s dejected mood. He cupped his face and planted several haphazard kisses on him.
“Can I tie your hair up again tonight?”
Sweet kisses landed on his cheeks and the corners of his lips. The tension around Lu Zhixing’s eyes and brows melted away. He rubbed his face against Xi Yu’s palm and gave him a shy smile.
“Okay~”
The corner of Luo Cheng’an’s mouth twitched, and he rolled his eyes yet again.
The number of times he had rolled his eyes over the past few days had already surpassed the number of times he had done so during several thousand years in the Heavenly Court.
He couldn’t be bothered to watch these master and disciple do whatever this was. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to see it. He left the room first.
Xi Yu gave Lu Zhixing a few more instructions, essentially telling him to stay by his side and not speak carelessly.
Lu Zhixing held Xi Yu’s hand, finding it soft and smooth. Unable to resist, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it. One kiss wasn’t enough, so he took the tip of Xi Yu’s finger into his mouth and sucked on it, filling his mouth with the fragrance of pear blossoms.
Xi Yu felt a tingling sensation shoot through his fingertips. He snatched his hand back as though electrocuted, then added, “When we go downstairs, you’re not allowed to kiss me or hug me. Just sit beside me. Understand?”
Lu Zhixing felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him.
“But aren’t we married? You said we have to kiss every day.”
“That’s true, but only when it’s just the two of us. When other people are around, we can’t do that. These are very private things.” Xi Yu tried to reassure Lu Zhixing, inwardly admitting that he might have reprogrammed the child a little too thoroughly.
Lu Zhixing was now a blank sheet of paper. He knew nothing, and Xi Yu could paint whatever picture he wanted on it.
Xi Yu liked being close to Lu Zhixing, brushing cheeks and exchanging kisses, so he had coaxed Lu Zhixing into liking it too.
Now, however, things were becoming a little tricky.
“Then I don’t want to go.” Lu Zhixing took Xi Yu’s hand again. Like a clingy little puppy, he rested his head against Xi Yu’s neck, his canine teeth catching a small patch of soft flesh as he mumbled coquettishly, “I don’t want to see other people. I want to cuddle with Hubby~”
Lu Zhixing bit him gently. It didn’t hurt at all, but the damp saliva left behind was slightly sticky, making Xi Yu feel unbearably ticklish.
Xi Yu stroked his back, his heart melting into a puddle. He almost wanted to hide Lu Zhixing away forever.
Zhixi had never belonged to anyone else. He was simply his.
But in the end, reason won over this rather frightening thought. Xi Yu hooked an arm around Lu Zhixing’s waist.
“You’re not going to listen to me anymore?”
Lu Zhixing stiffened and slowly released the soft flesh at Xi Yu’s neck.
“I’ll listen to Hubby.”
“Oh, right.” Xi Yu patted his cheek. “You can’t call me Hubby either.”
Lu Zhixing froze in disbelief, as though he had suffered a devastating blow.
His mind was filled with the rules: when other people were around, he couldn’t kiss Xi Yu or cuddle with him. Now he couldn’t even call him Hubby.
Xi Yu watched as tears welled up in Lu Zhixing’s eyes. He looked so aggrieved that he seemed about to burst into tears at any moment. Although Xi Yu felt sorry for him, he shamefully found himself a little excited.
His obedient, easily bullied little disciple.
Xi Yu’s gaze slowly moved from Lu Zhixing’s watery eyes to his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He pressed Lu Zhixing against the wall and kissed him, drawing him close.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.”
If Lu Zhixing kept crying like that, Xi Yu was going to stop wanting to be human altogether.
Lu Zhixing blinked. The tears pooled in his eyes finally fell, landing directly on Xi Yu’s lips.
Xi Yu’s gaze darkened. He swept the tear away with his tongue, and it dissolved between their lips like a potent aphrodisiac, gradually dismantling the last of his self-control.
Xi Yu’s breathing grew heavier. Knowing that they might never make it downstairs if this continued, he struggled with himself.
Just one more kiss. One more, and then they would go downstairs, he thought.
He loosely cupped Lu Zhixing’s neck and closed his eyes.
Then, with a tremendous bang, the door swung open, completely shattering all the amorous thoughts swirling through Xi Yu’s mind.
“Mom, Dad, Uncle Lu, Aunt Jiang! Brother Lu really is here. If you don’t believe me, just look!” Luo Cheng’an announced as he barged into the room.
Dead silence.
Luo Cheng’an stared at the empty room.
“Huh? Where are they?”
Luo Yuan shakily pointed toward the corner.
“T-There…”
Luo Cheng’an had strode straight into the room without noticing the area beside the door. When he heard that, he turned around, his expression immediately freezing.
Xi Yu had Lu Zhixing, who looked on the verge of tears, trapped between himself and the wall as he kissed him. One of his hands was still gripping Lu Zhixing’s neck. Looking closely, one could even see moisture clinging to Lu Zhixing’s eyelashes.
It was quite a scene of someone forcing himself on another person.
Luo Cheng’an gritted his teeth.
“I truly never imagined you could sink to this level of shamelessness.”
Xi Yu released Lu Zhixing and instinctively began, “Listen to me…”
Lu Zhixing had already been startled by the sound of the door opening. Then, without warning, he found himself confronted with so many unfamiliar people. He had been frightened to begin with, and now Xi Yu had suddenly let go of him, leaving several steps between them.
Although the distance wasn’t actually that great, Lu Zhixing had grown accustomed to being constantly doted on during this period. He had never been treated so coldly.
He bit his lip, his voice carrying a soft, tearful whine.
“Hubby…”
All right. There was no need to explain anymore.
In fact, there had never been any need to explain in the first place. He really had been shameless.
Luo Yuan’s face had originally been livid, but the moment he heard Lu Zhixing call Xi Yu “Hubby,” his expression suddenly brightened. Lu Zheng, who had initially been watching the scene with amusement, looked completely different.
“What did you just call him?!” Lu Zheng shouted.
Lu Zhixing shrank back in fright, his beautiful face turning deathly pale.
Seeing this, Xi Yu immediately pulled him behind himself.
“He’s timid. Don’t scare him.”
Shen Qing and Luo Yuan exchanged glances. They both remembered how, when Xi Yu and Lu Zhixing had first announced their relationship on Weibo, Xi Yu had also protected Lu Zhixing by pulling him behind himself. Later, the two had fallen out, but now that Xi Yu was back, things seemed to have returned to how they had been before.
However, Luo Yuan’s entire outlook had undergone a dramatic transformation because of Lu Zhixing’s “Hubby.”
Luo Yuan slapped Lu Zheng, whose face had turned dark as iron.
“You’ve frightened my daughter-in-law!”
……………………
The words “daughter-in-law” turned Lu Zheng’s face from livid to the color of the bottom of a blackened cooking pot.
Meanwhile, his hopeless son was still hiding behind Xi Yu, clutching the hem of his clothes and looking like a helpless little bird sheltering beneath a much larger one.
Truly, some people were delighted while others were miserable.
Once Luo Yuan had calmed down, he very considerately ushered Lu Zheng and Jiang Shuhe out of the room. Before leaving, he even spoke gently to Xi Yu.
“Mom and Dad will wait for you downstairs. No rush, no rush.”
His gaze toward Lu Zhixing was especially affectionate.
“Xiaoyu, don’t bully little Lu, okay?”
Luo Cheng’an was also dragged out, but he returned shortly afterward.
Xi Yu immediately took off his shoe and threw it at him.
Luo Cheng’an caught it and tossed it back.
“You can’t blame me. Everyone downstairs was about to call the police. Since neither of you would come down, I thought I’d bring them upstairs first and calm them down. Who could have guessed you’d be so shameless? You still had to steal a few kisses even at a time like this.”
Xi Yu loathed the word shameless, but unfortunately, he had no way to refute it.
Luo Cheng’an had no idea how beautiful Lu Zhixing looked when he cried!
“Hubby.” Lu Zhixing pressed himself against Xi Yu’s back and spoke cautiously. “Did I cause trouble?”
Those people were outsiders. Xi Yu had told him that he couldn’t kiss him or call him Hubby in front of outsiders, but he had been too upset just now.
Even the slightest sign that Xi Yu was pulling away made him terribly, terribly sad. Lu Zhixing found it difficult to understand how his former self could ever have abandoned Xi Yu.
“It’s fine.” Xi Yu shook his head, looking into Lu Zhixing’s eyes, which were as clear as though they had been washed by water. His reflection could be seen in them.
Lu Zhixing was already in this condition, and no one knew when he would recover. Xi Yu had originally been struggling to figure out how to explain the situation, but after this little incident, it no longer seemed so difficult.
“Come on. I’ll take you downstairs,” Xi Yu said. “Now you can call me Hubby, and you can kiss me too.”
Lu Zhixing’s eyes lit up. All the reluctance he had felt about meeting those people disappeared instantly.
*
Xi Yu couldn’t tell them outright why Lu Zhixing had become like this, so he gave them a vague explanation. He simply said that Lu Zhixing’s soul had been damaged when he saved him, leaving his mind in a somewhat muddled state.
Luo Cheng’an added, “In other words, he’s become an idiot. We don’t know when he’ll recover.”
Xi Yu shot him a murderous glare.
Luo Cheng’an straightened his back.
He hadn’t said anything wrong! They really didn’t know when Lu Zhixing would recover!
The four middle-aged adults looked at one another in dismay. Finally, Jiang Shuhe called out in a trembling voice, “Xingxing…”
Lu Zhixing looked at her and grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.
Jiang Shuhe’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Shen Qing let out a frightened gasp.
As the only person present who possessed magic, Luo Cheng’an subtly moved the fingers he had hidden behind his back. Only then did Jiang Shuhe slowly regain consciousness. Tears filled her beautiful eyes. She simply couldn’t bear such a devastating blow.
“Old Lu, Old Lu…” Jiang Shuhe leaned against Lu Zheng, her eyes blurred with tears.
Xi Yu bit his lip, feeling somewhat guilty. He was just about to speak when Jiang Shuhe choked out, “Cancel our tickets to the Maldives. Our son has become an idiot. We need to go back to work.”
Lu Zheng comforted Jiang Shuhe, but he still wasn’t willing to give up. He asked Xi Yu, “You really don’t know when he’ll recover?”
Xi Yu shook his head.
Luo Cheng’an said, “Maybe tomorrow, or maybe he’ll spend the rest of his life—Ow! Why did you hit me?!”
Xi Yu pinched Luo Cheng’an’s mouth shut.
“You talk too much.”
Luo Cheng’an glared at Xi Yu indignantly. He wasn’t even allowed to tell the truth! And the truth was that Lu Zhixing might recover tomorrow, or it might take a very long time—so long that everyone currently living in the mortal world would have passed away by then.
Lu Zhixing watched Xi Yu holding Luo Cheng’an’s mouth shut and frowned. His lips straightened into a line as he reached over to pull Xi Yu’s hand away. Then he rubbed Xi Yu’s fingertips with his sleeve.
Xi Yu let him do as he pleased before turning to Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng.
“But he will definitely recover.”
Soul damage was genuinely difficult to predict. It was possible that Lu Zhixing would recover after a single night’s sleep, once his soul had been properly nourished. It was also possible that he would need several hundred years to heal gradually. But he would definitely recover.
Lu Zheng looked at Xi Yu for two seconds before suddenly asking, “He became like this because he saved you, right?”
“He’s not an idiot.” Xi Yu frowned slightly. “His mental state has simply regressed.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes flickered. “Whatever you want to call it, he can’t be considered a normal person anymore, can he?”
Xi Yu paused, then nodded.
Lu Zheng held Jiang Shuhe in his arms, his expression darkening.
“Xi Yu, I have only one son. From childhood to adulthood, Zhixing has always been my pride. His abilities and character are beyond reproach. And now, he has become like this because of you.”
Xi Yu lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
After Lu Zhixing finished wiping Xi Yu’s hand clean, he was finally satisfied. He was just about to rest his head on Xi Yu’s shoulder when he saw Xi Yu being scolded.
Lu Zhixing sprang upright and shielded Xi Yu completely behind himself, glaring fiercely at Lu Zheng.
“You’re not allowed to scold my Hubby!”
Jiang Shuhe: …
Lu Zheng: …
Shen Qing: …
Luo Yuan: …
Luo Cheng’an: …
Xi Yu: …
The word Hubby, which had previously made Xi Yu feel all warm and fuzzy inside, now made him want to curl his toes in embarrassment. He hurriedly pulled Lu Zhixing back into his seat.
“He’s not scolding me. Be good and don’t say anything.”
Lu Zhixing suspiciously glanced at Lu Zheng’s gloomy face, then leaned close to Xi Yu’s ear and whispered, “But he looks like he’s about to hit someone.”
Xi Yu had no way to explain to Lu Zhixing that his father looked ready to hit someone because Lu Zhixing had completely turned things upside down by scolding his own father.
Xi Yu gave Lu Zheng an awkward smile before telling Lu Zhixing, “You mustn’t be disrespectful to your father.”
Lu Zhixing reluctantly murmured, “Oh.”
He still had no real understanding of family relationships. Xi Yu had merely told him that these two were his parents.
And the other two were Xi Yu’s parents.
He liked Xi Yu’s parents better.
Lu Zheng felt his blood pressure rising. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was his biological son.
When he opened his eyes again, he ignored Lu Zhixing and addressed Xi Yu.
“You don’t need to apologize. If he became like this because he saved you, then I believe it was something he willingly chose to do. His mother and I can’t control that. But he is still my child. Since we don’t know when he’ll recover, I have to make plans for his future. So, Xi Yu, I’d like to ask you for something.”
Xi Yu asked, “What is it?”
“Marry him.”
Xi Yu froze for a moment. “What?”
Luo Cheng’an crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes as the faintest trace of a mocking smile curved his lips.
Shen Qing exchanged a glance with Luo Yuan. Just as Luo Yuan was about to speak, Shen Qing pressed down on his hand and shook her head.
“Xi Yu, I know you’re different from ordinary people. You can’t explain exactly how Zhixing was injured, but he’s become like this without a single physical injury. That must mean the way he was hurt was beyond anything an ordinary person could encounter, right?”
Xi Yu said nothing, which amounted to an admission.
Lu Zheng continued, “Zhixing is different from you. He’s an ordinary person. Although he wasn’t raised in luxury, he is still the apple of his mother’s and my eyes. He became like this trying to save you. You’re willing to indulge him and dote on him now, but if he never recovers, will you be able to treat him the same way forever?”
…………………..
“You’re intelligent, beautiful, and powerful. There are countless people who like you, and of course, your kindness is also part of what makes you so appealing. Right now, you might say you’ll treat him well forever out of guilt and remorse.”
Lu Zheng didn’t give Xi Yu a chance to speak. He looked at him and continued in a low voice.
“But what about the future? In his current condition, Zhixing can only be a doddering vine dependent on you. A person’s life is very long, and perhaps yours is even longer. If he never recovers, you’ll have to coax him just to eat and sleep. When you take him outside, other people will whisper about him. One year, two years, three years—if your love is gradually worn away and he still hasn’t recovered, what then?”
“So, Xi Yu,” Lu Zheng said, “you have to take responsibility. Not just by saying a few nice words, but by giving him a legitimate, unquestionable reason to depend on you.”
The smile on Luo Cheng’an’s face gradually faded, and his gaze grew colder.
Lu Zheng was practically shoving his ulterior motives right into their faces.
Xi Yu could naturally tell that Lu Zheng was trying to guilt-trip him.
“All right,” Xi Yu said.
It wasn’t because Lu Zheng’s words had persuaded him. It was because of Lu Zhixing himself.
From a father’s perspective, Lu Zheng was using his son’s life-saving favor to secure him a lifelong partner. There was nothing inherently wrong with that.
Repay a life-saving debt by offering oneself in marriage was the sort of cliché one would find in a conventional romance story.
But Xi Yu accepted it willingly.
Even without Lu Zheng’s speech, he had intended to welcome Zhixi into Lanxing Hall with a lotus platform spanning ten thousand miles. Now it would simply happen a little earlier, in the mortal world.
In the Heavenly Realm, becoming cultivation partners required having one’s names recorded in the Marriage Registry, which was roughly equivalent to a marriage certificate in the mortal world.
They could treat it as an early rehearsal for married life.
Luo Cheng’an let out a mocking laugh.
Lu Zheng hadn’t expected Xi Yu to agree so readily.
After all, his impression of the two still lingered on the time they had returned from outside, when Xi Yu hadn’t even been willing to spare Lu Zhixing a glance.
His original intention had actually been quite simple: to use this opportunity to secure an official status for Lu Zhixing.
His son had always been sensible and dependable, never giving him the slightest cause for worry. Now, because he had saved Xi Yu, he had become like this. Lu Zheng was not only heartbroken but also harbored some resentment.
But if things really were as Xi Yu had said, and Lu Zhixing had been willing to risk his life rather than let Xi Yu suffer even the slightest hardship, then Lu Zheng had no right to blame Xi Yu.
All he could do was ensure that his son, who had sacrificed so much, received a proper place in Xi Yu’s life.
Truthfully, Lu Zheng wasn’t entirely certain how Xi Yu felt about Lu Zhixing. But since Xi Yu had agreed, he must at least have some affection for him. The only question was how much.
“Then it’s settled,” Jiang Shuhe said between sobs.
Luo Yuan slapped his thigh.
“What do you mean, it’s settled? Have I agreed to this?”
Lu Zheng exploded. “My son was pinned down and kissed by your son, and he even called him Hubby! You dare to disagree?!”
Luo Yuan was momentarily speechless. His gaze darted guiltily to the side.
“I’m not talking to you.”
He turned to Xi Yu.
“Xiaoyu, if you don’t want to do this, or if you’re even a little unwilling, you don’t have to agree. We can repay the debt of saving his life in other ways. At worst, we can change Cheng’an’s surname to Lu.”
Although saying this was somewhat selfish, he didn’t want his own son to sacrifice a lifetime of happiness because of a debt of gratitude.
Luo Cheng’an’s lips didn’t move, but his eyes were cursing furiously.
Lu Zhixing’s damaged brain couldn’t process what the adults were saying. He rested his chin on Xi Yu’s shoulder and gazed at him with wide, expectant eyes, his nostrils twitching slightly.
Hubby smells so good. Hehehe.
“I’m doing this willingly,” Xi Yu said.
Lu Zheng glared at Luo Yuan and snorted before sitting back down.
“Did you hear that?!”
Luo Yuan was about to say something else, but Shen Qing held him back and smiled.
“Then let’s pick an auspicious date to register the marriage. Both families can have a meal together to celebrate and bring some good luck.”
Jiang Shuhe hesitated. Lu Zhixing was her only son, and of course she had wanted him to have a grand wedding. But given his current condition, they truly couldn’t hold a lavish ceremony.
Seeing this, Shen Qing pushed Luo Yuan aside and took her friend’s hand.
“Don’t worry. Since Zhixing became like this for Xiaoyu’s sake, he will always be my only daughter-in-law for the rest of his life. I also hope you’ll trust that Xiaoyu isn’t the kind of person who repays kindness with betrayal or constantly changes his affections.”
Jiang Shuhe hadn’t spent much time with Xi Yu, but her instincts told her that he was an upright person. Although there was something a little wicked about him, he had never done anything to harm anyone.
On the variety show, he had demonstrated courage, intelligence, and kindness, without being a pushover.
She had once thought Xi Yu and her son were a perfect match. But now…
Jiang Shuhe glanced at Lu Zhixing, who was tugging at Xi Yu’s clothes with an innocent, adorable expression. The corner of her mouth twitched.
“Son, come home with Mom today.”
Now that his brain was damaged, only his face was still good. She had to take him for some beauty treatments and make sure he kept that handsome face in good condition.
What was that term again… Oh, right. Beautiful idiot.
Her son had become a beautiful idiot.
“No.” The beautiful idiot shook his head, then smiled sweetly at Xi Yu. “I want to stay with Hubby. Hubby said tonight…”
Xi Yu pressed his index finger against Lu Zhixing’s lips.
“That’s enough.”
Then Xi Yu turned to the four people who could barely bear to look at them.
“It’s not what you think. I’m not that shameless.”
Lu Zhixing blinked and took Xi Yu’s fingertip into his mouth.
“I have some things to take care of tonight, so I’ll be leaving first.” Jiang Shuhe pulled Lu Zheng to his feet.
Shen Qing smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt.
“I just remembered that there are some things at the company I haven’t dealt with yet.”
Luo Yuan pointed at Xi Yu, his hand trembling.
“Teach him something decent!”
With that, he followed Shen Qing out as though fleeing for his life, afraid he might witness something even more outrageous if he stayed.
Luo Cheng’an gave a cold laugh and leisurely returned to his room.
That left Lu Zhixing, who was innocently sucking on Xi Yu’s fingertip, and Xi Yu, whose face was as red as a September cherry.
“Hubby, why is your face red?” Lu Zhixing asked.
Xi Yu forced a smile.
“Because I’ve lost all my dignity.”
*
Xi Yu had originally planned to keep Lu Zhixing hidden away at home like this, but now that everyone had found out, staying indoors all the time would be boring.
Besides, Shen Qing had suggested taking Lu Zhixing outside for walks and letting him interact with more people, which might help his recovery.
They still had decades to spend in the mortal world, so after thinking it over, Xi Yu agreed to Shen Qing’s suggestion that he do an internship at the company.
He had no magic at the moment, and returning to his old profession would consume his vital essence. He needed to take good care of his health.
Taking advantage of Xi Yu’s lack of magic, Luo Cheng’an secretly swapped the lottery slip for the one that assigned him the responsibility of inheriting the family business.
As for himself, he went back to his acting career, having nothing better to do.
Because his own son had become an idiot, Lu Zheng had no choice but to return to the company himself. He made several sarcastic remarks to Luo Yuan about Xi Yu’s internship.
But there was nothing else he could do except handle things personally for the time being. Lu Zheng’s plan, however, was quite idealistic. Once Xi Yu and Lu Zhixing were married and Xi Yu had gained some experience managing the company, he would hand his most capable assistant over to Xi Yu and retire in comfort.
At the time, everyone had their doubts about Xi Yu’s ability to do the job.
Especially when, on his very first day at work, he brought an extraordinarily beautiful young man along to serve as his assistant. This immediately sparked endless discussion among the shareholders.