Ling Cang stood up and accepted the flat peach. "Thank you."
The fairy blushed. "You're too kind, Divine Emperor."
The Celestial Emperor watched as the Divine Emperor picked up the basket of peaches and prepared to leave.
He hurried after him. "Divine Emperor!" Please don’t just focus on raising rabbits and forget about the Three Realms!
The latter half of his sentence remained unspoken, confined to his thoughts.
Ling Cang turned around. "The Three Realms are stable; there are no immediate concerns." He was about to say more when Ming Xi's voice calling his name suddenly echoed in his mind. "Ling Cang."
He abruptly looked up toward the distant Heavenly Gate. "He's awake!"
Without another word, he turned and left, paying no further attention to the Celestial Emperor.
The Celestial Emperor shook his head helplessly as he watched Ling Cang's hurried departure, wondering what urgent matter had drawn the Divine Emperor to the mortal realm this time.
Was it really just to raise rabbits? And who just woke up, making the Divine Emperor so anxious?
The Celestial Emperor stroked his beard, pondering for a long time but failing to reach any conclusion. Instead, his gaze fell upon the peaches in the garden, and he felt a sudden desire to taste one. He turned to the fairy standing nearby.
"Fairy of the Immortal Peaches, pick another basket for me. I'd like to try one."
The fairy, however, looked uneasy. "This..." She dropped to her knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid that wouldn't be appropriate. The number of peach trees in the garden and the peaches they bear are all meticulously recorded. The Guardian of the Peach Garden said... no one is allowed to pick them except the Divine Emperor." Her voice grew softer, her confidence waning with each word.
The Celestial Emperor was taken aback. "Very well, very well. The Peach Banquet is approaching soon. I'll have my share then—no need to rush." The Guardian of the Peach Garden was known for his stubborn temper and was not to be provoked. With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and left the garden.
In an instant, Ling Cang arrived back at the courtyard. As he stepped onto the stairs, the magnificent robes he wore dimmed in brilliance. The once resplendent brocade gown turned plain and unadorned, the dazzling gemstone accessories transformed into ordinary wooden pendants, and the gold-and-jade-inlaid belt became a simple cloth strip. He was now Ling Cang of the mortal realm.
He gently pushed the door open. Inside, the charcoal fire crackled and popped. Ming Xi, having just woken from his nap, sat on the bed in a daze.
He had napped a little too long today, leaving him lethargic and listless upon waking. Ling Cang was nowhere to be found, and no matter how many times Ming Xi called out, there was no response.
Just as he was lost in thought, the door opened. Ling Cang entered, carrying a basket of peaches, snow dusted on his shoulders.
"You're awake." Ling Cang shook off the snow and placed the basket on the table.
Ming Xi's eyes lit up, and he instantly perked up. "Where did these peaches come from?"
Ling Cang smiled faintly. "I bought them from afar."
Ming Xi happily jumped off the bed, barefoot, and hurried over to the basket. "Peaches in winter?"
He gently tapped one of the peaches in the basket, marveling at the rarity.
Ming Xi had initially thought Ling Cang was teasing him and didn’t take it seriously. Yet, upon waking from his nap, he found not only peaches but also ones that were plump, perfectly round, and vividly colored.
Noticing Ming Xi was barefoot, Ling Cang scooped him up with one arm and carried the basket with the other, heading toward the bed.
He set Ming Xi down on the bed and placed the basket on the small table beside it. Then, he draped a cloak over Ming Xi's shoulders. "Put this on. Don’t catch a cold."
Ming Xi cupped a celestial peach in both hands and looked up at Ling Cang.
"It’s strange, though. When I woke up at noon, I felt it was much colder today than usual."
After saying this, he took a bite of the peach.
"Ah, it’s so sweet!"
Ling Cang used a handkerchief to wipe the juice from the corner of Ming Xi's mouth.
"I withdrew the enchantment from the courtyard. Now, it’s just as cold inside as it is outside—the dead of winter."
As if in agreement, the window creaked open with a squeak, letting in a gust of cold wind and snow.
"What about the peach trees in the courtyard?" Ming Xi asked, puzzled.
Ling Cang smiled warmly at him. "They were just illusions, not real. If you like, I can recreate them anytime."
"No, no, this is just fine," Ming Xi waved his hands. If the courtyard were always bathed in bright sunshine and filled with the fragrance of peach blossoms, it would lose much of its charm. He actually preferred rainy days.
When he was a child living in the mountains, his father would always prepare delicious meals for him and his dad on rainy days. Ming Xi unconsciously swallowed, suddenly feeling that the flat peach in his hand wasn’t as appealing anymore. But Ling Cang had said he bought it, and with the snowstorm outside, it must have been incredibly difficult to obtain. Hesitantly, he said,
"Ling Cang, this peach is so big. I... I don’t think I can finish it."
Ling Cang naturally took the peach from his hand. Half of it was gone, and the remaining half was covered in bite marks. Under Ming Xi’s astonished gaze, Ling Cang finished the rest of the peach in a few bites and tossed the pit accurately into an empty bottle.
Ming Xi twisted his fingers nervously, not daring to look at him.
Why did he eat what I left? Father would eat what Dad left behind because they were married. So why did Ling Cang eat what I didn’t finish? Was it because the peach was hard to come by and shouldn’t be wasted?
When he looked up again, he caught sight of the bite mark on Ling Cang’s throat and blushed involuntarily.
Ling Cang cast a spell on the remaining flat peaches to preserve them indefinitely.
Outside, the snowstorm grew fiercer, and the door rattled noisily, just as the old cart driver had said—cold enough to freeze a person to death.
Ming Xi touched the cold, hard bed board, and his eyes lit up.
"Ling Cang, let’s build a heated *kang* bed! When I lived in the mountains as a child, the heated kang my father built kept us so warm in winter. We could even eat hot pot on the kang, and our feet never got cold. My father’s hot pot was absolutely amazing..." Ming Xi enthusiastically described the idea while Ling Cang listened.
A touch of tenderness flashed in Ling Cang’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Alright, we’ll do as you say."
Ming Xi immediately brightened up and was ready to start, but then he realized he had no idea how to build a kang.
He turned to Ling Cang. "Do you know how?"
Ling Cang smiled and shook his head.
Ming Xi exclaimed, "Ah, what should we do? Should we ask my father how to build a heated kang?"
Ling Cang nodded.
Cao Manor, Capital.
Cao Jun, bundled in a thick coat, placed a freshly prepared hot pot on the heated kang. "Shu'er, come quickly! The hot pot is ready."
"Coming, coming!"
Shu Ge'er lifted the curtain and entered, carrying a plate of vegetables. He, too, was dressed warmly.
He set the plate on the dining table and leaned in to take a whiff. "Mmm, it smells wonderful, just like before."
Cao Jun pulled him into his lap. "Of course! Look who made it—ten years of experience. Back then, the three little rascals would fight over it, especially our little one. Every time we had hot pot, he acted like he’d never seen food before. Today, this whole pot is just for the two of us."
Shu Ge'er shook his head with a smile. "You shouldn’t let the three of them hear you say that."
Cao Jun rested his chin on Shu Ge'er’s neck. "Well, they’re not here now."
"Father!" Ming Xi’s illusion suddenly appeared in the room.
Shu Ge'er flustered. "Put me down quickly! Xi'er is here."
Cao Jun patted his bottom. "So what if he’s here? Can’t I hold my own wife?"
Shu Ge'er turned to glare at him.
Cao Jun relented. "Alright, alright, don’t be angry, Shu'er."
He gently set Shu Ge'er down on the bed, then turned and coughed lightly.
"Xi'er, what brings you here?"
Ming Xi bit his lip and remained silent.
Cao Jun thought, Oh no, he must have heard what I said earlier. Now I have to comfort both the adult and the child.
Cao Jun asked, "What’s wrong, little treasure? Did that guy bully you?"
Ming Xi glared at him. "Ling Cang would never bully me."
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