In the end, Hun Xiu had no choice but to compromise.
Who could resist such cuteness?And besides, she was still so little—and most importantly, she was his childhood fiancée. If he didn't spoil her now, then who would?
Xiao Yan?If Xiao Yan so much as dared to reach out, Hun Xiu would make sure he understood what true despair felt like.
And so, Hun Xiu and Gu Xun'er began playing a childish game—playing horse.
Who was the horse?Naturally, Hun Xiu.And who was the rider?Of course, Gu Xun'er.
This scene caused Hun San, who was hiding nearby in the shadows, to suck in a cold breath.
He muttered to himself, "I didn't expect Young Master Hun Xiu to actually become a horse. This is just…"
Shock surged through his heart, as if tens of thousands of alpacas were trampling across his soul.
He had protected Young Master Hun Xiu for years. Aside from that one time two years ago, when he made the little girl cry and was forced to act like a horse to comfort her, he had never done it again.
Yet now...
Two years later, in the very same place, with the same two people—they'd both grown a lot—but they were still playing the same childish game.
Far away, Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi also noticed the game Hun Xiu and Gu Xun'er were playing.
Their expressions were quite different.
Gu Yuan looked on with a beaming smile. Watching his little girl ride on Hun Xiu's back filled his heart with joy. He murmured,"So young, yet already doomed to be a wife-spoiler. How could he possibly escape her once he's older?"
To Gu Yuan, this was a done deal.With how much Hun Xiu doted on his little girl, things could only go one way in the future.
No doubt about it.His Xun'er had her methods. She would have Hun Xiu tightly wrapped around her finger.
In contrast, Hun Tiandi was feeling extremely annoyed. His eyes narrowed slightly.
If Gu Yuan hadn't been right next to him, he would have rushed over and kicked Hun Xiu straight off the mountain.
Absolutely disgraceful.
The mighty Soul Heavenly Emperor—his reputation built over a lifetime—was now being completely ruined by this wretched son of his.
A man should stand tall and proud. How could a seven-foot-tall man willingly lower himself to become a slave just to make a little girl smile?
Was this really his son?At this moment, Hun Tiandi felt he no longer recognized Hun Xiu as his child.
He felt like all these years of raising Hun Xiu had gone to waste.
I taught him to stand tall, to be flexible and adaptable. But who taught him to bow and scrape in front of a girl like this?The Soul Heavenly Emperor swore—he had never taught such humiliating behavior.
"Did I make a mistake agreeing to this marriage?""All that for a mere Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade… Was it worth pushing Hun Xiu into this?""Was this really a good decision? Or was it a grave mistake from the start?"
Such doubts crept into Hun Tiandi's mind.
At that moment, Gu Yuan chuckled and said,"Hun Xiu truly lives up to my expectations. To spoil Xun'er like this from such a young age—he's exactly the kind of son-in-law I was hoping for."
The Soul Heavenly Emperor: "..."
He was too frustrated to respond.
He had made a mistake.
Right then, the Soul Heavenly Emperor deeply regretted his decision.
Just for a mere Ancient Emperor Jade, he had handed his son over—and now his son, a genius of the Soul Clan's younger generation and the future young clan chief, was being ridden like a horse by a little girl.
The humiliation!
"Hmph…"
Unable to watch any longer, Hun Tiandi let out a cold snort, flung his sleeve, and turned to leave.
Out of sight, out of mind.He feared that if he stayed, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from kicking Hun Xiu down the mountain.
What an embarrassment!
"Hahaha…"
As Hun Tiandi turned and left in a huff, Gu Yuan burst into hearty laughter, completely unconcerned that they were on Soul Clan territory.
He gave a meaningful glance at the "harmonious scene" on the mountaintop, then turned to follow the Soul Heavenly Emperor.
Since the host had already left, it would be improper for him to remain there watching the show.
Hun Xiu, unaware that his "being a horse" had been seen by his father, didn't care even if it had.
After all, it wasn't a big deal—just a game. A game between two children.
If you took such things seriously, then you'd already lost.
After playing until they were tired, the two sat on the mountaintop.Little Xun'er curled up in Hun Xiu's lap, gazing out at the yellow, desolate mountain behind them.
Hun Xiu frowned slightly.
To be honest, he regretted it.He regretted turning the whole mountain into this barren yellow wasteland.
If it had been lush and green, how beautiful would it be right now?
In this moment, Hun Xiu truly regretted it.
There wasn't even a hint of life anywhere.Sometimes, he realized, green really was good.Green meant life. It meant health.
"Sigh…"
The little girl sitting in Hun Xiu's lap let out a soft sigh, as though weighed down by many troubles.
"What is it? Is something bothering you?" Hun Xiu asked, sitting behind her as he gently pinched her soft, chubby cheeks.
They were plump, soft, and springy—he couldn't get enough of them.
Even as he played with her cheeks, Xun'er didn't get upset. Instead, her cute little face wore an expression full of sorrow.
She slowly stood up, just barely reaching the height of Hun Xiu sitting cross-legged.
Suddenly taking the lead, she grabbed Hun Xiu's handsome face with her small hands. Her big, shiny eyes looked at him seriously as she said:
"Brother Xiu'er, you know… you won't see such a cute Xun'er again in the future."
Her face was full of sadness.
She knew that once she and her father left the Soul Clan and returned to the Gu Clan, she would have to leave again—leave the clan, leave Central Plains, and head to a remote town to infiltrate a small family…
She was going undercover.
For the sake of the Gu Clan, she knew she had to go.Even though she was young, the weight she bore wasn't light.
"What do you mean? Why won't I see such a cute Xun'er again?" Hun Xiu asked with a smile, clearly curious.
Xun'er looked around carefully to make sure no one was near.Then she leaned in close to whisper in Hun Xiu's ear:
"Brother Xiu'er, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Xun'er… is going undercover."