After Shen Tanqi finished speaking, he swiftly passed by Yu Ce with light steps, humming a tune lightly, seeming to be in extremely high spirits.
Yu Ce stood still in place, Shen Tanqi’s words replaying continuously in his mind.
‘Wait for me in my room.’
What does he want to do?
Yu Ce dared not think further, even wanting to quickly escape from this place.
If this is an illusion, please wake him up quickly; he can’t stay here any longer.
Yu Ce finally couldn’t resist and opened the electric voice that had been blocked by him all along.
Crackling…
“Host, you finally released me,” the system said helplessly, “Your mission is to eliminate the bugs in this world. Due to some issues, the plot of this world has deviated greatly.”
Yu Ce glanced at Shen Tanqi and Fang Wenxun walking not far away, lowering his voice to ask, “What plot?”
This thing called the system spoke so cryptically, making it hard for people to understand. He could only barely grasp a few words.
Seeing his inquiry, the system immediately spilled the beans, “Because of some events, Shen Tanqi in this world has children with you. In the crucial plot of the recent grand sect competition, due to a mistake, he won first place in the demon-slaying trial. Your task is to eliminate the Shen Tanqi who should have died at this time, along with those two children who shouldn’t exist.”
Worried that Yu Ce would hesitate to act upon knowing Shen Tanqi wasn’t the original, the system deliberately didn’t inform Yu Ce that this Shen Tanqi was not the same as the original one Yu Ce knows.
Upon hearing its words, Yu Ce’s expression faltered slightly. He looked at the two children playing under the setting sun and asked in a low voice, “Eliminate them, is that my mission?”
The system affirmed confidently, “Yes, you wouldn’t want your life to be disrupted by Shen Tanqi like this, would you? Once the mission is complete, you will replace the Yu Ce in this world.”
At these words, Yu Ce tightened his grip on the sword in his hand and asked again, “And if I fail?”
The voice in his mind softened for a moment before responding solemnly, “If you fail, as the original protagonist of this story, your life has already been tampered with. Naturally, you won’t exist in this world anymore. You will disappear forever.”
For a moment, Yu Ce hesitated, then he released the sword in his hand.
Unaware, the system continued, “So, to prevent yourself from disappearing, Host, you must work hard to eliminate Shen Tanqi and the bugs. When the time comes, I will use my authority to let you replace this world’s Yu Ce, change the course of events, and restore the plot to normal.”
Having heard enough, Yu Ce responded lightly, “I understand.”
With that, he immediately muted the system’s voice, unwilling to let it manipulate his will any longer.
Following in Shen Tanqi’s footsteps, Yu Ce silently trailed behind him and the children, doing nothing but observing quietly. He watched Shen Tanqi gently soothe the children, watched as they affectionately nestled into Shen Tanqi’s embrace.
Fang Wenxun walked leisurely beside Yu Ce and remarked, “It’s a pity you were traveling outside for a year back then.”
Hearing his voice, Yu Ce turned to his only trusted senior brother and asked, “Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?”
He traveled outside to eliminate demons and uphold justice—what was there to regret?
“You don’t know, Junior Brother cooks so well, it’s absolutely delicious!” Fang Wenxun animatedly described, “It’s a shame you weren’t at the sect back then to taste Junior Brother’s cooking. The vegetables he grows on our back mountain, especially that… um…”
He stumbled for a moment, “Those bok choy greens, yes, Junior Brother grows bok choy greens. You probably haven’t even heard of them. They make the hotpot broth incredibly fragrant!”
Yu Ce’s lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable, and murmured softly, “He’s good at cooking?”
This was contrary to what the system had said. Yu Ce had never known Shen Tanqi could cook, let alone cook deliciously.
“Yes, indeed,” Fang Wenxun recalled the unforgettable taste, swallowed, and continued, “Honestly, having a dao companion like Junior Brother is truly your good fortune.”
Yu Ce had exceptional talent, high cultivation, and now a loving partner from a prestigious family, along with such clever and obedient children. It made others envy him.
“My… good fortune.”
Yu Ce repeated these words in his mind, suddenly laughing lightly, as if mocking himself.
His good fortune, because of Shen Tanqi.
The thought itself seemed ridiculous.
Even if he really had children with Shen Tanqi in this world, Yu Ce didn’t believe everything would turn out well. Could having children erase Shen Tanqi’s prejudice against him?
Absolutely impossible.
Moreover, with the Shen family’s stance against daemons, Yu Ce feared he wouldn’t even be allowed to raise his head in the Shen household. The head of the Shen family would never permit him to live here.
In this world, Yu Ce of the Shen family must be treading cautiously, as if walking on thin ice, always mindful of others’ expressions. He didn’t want a life where he had to constantly watch his step and appease others.
In the small kitchen of the Shen family,
Shen Tanqi placed the pot on the stove and noticed the two children still circling around him. He looked up towards the kitchen entrance and called out, “Yu Ce.”
Yu Ce’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Hearing Shen Tanqi call his name, he couldn’t shake the ominous feeling rising from the depths of his heart.
In moments like these, Shen Tanqi’s next words were always filled with various reasons to scold and punish him.
He stood rooted to the spot, unmoving.
Shen Tanqi walked out of the kitchen, a dark red linen cloth tied around his waist with red cords on both sides accentuating his slender figure. He rolled up his sleeves lazily and leaned against the kitchen door frame, giving Yu Ce a sidelong glance.
“Thinking of slacking off?” Shen Tanqi chuckled lightly.
Yu Ce replied hesitantly, “…No.”
Shen Tanqi’s smile faded. “Then come in and wash the vegetables.”
Yu Ce nodded reflexively. “Oh, I’ll do that right away.”
After a while, Yu Ce stood in the kitchen, earnestly washing the vegetables. Suddenly, he snapped out of it. Wasn’t he supposed to figure out how to eliminate Shen Tanqi? How did he end up helping Shen Tanqi with the cooking?
The expression on Shen Tanqi’s face just now, when he stopped smiling, felt more intimidating than when he was angry. Yu Ce’s body involuntarily followed into the kitchen and began washing the greens absent-mindedly.
Yu Ce couldn’t understand his own actions. He put down the vegetables and looked at Shen Tanqi beside him. At that moment, he suddenly wanted to know why the version of himself in this world could endure Shen Tanqi. Was it solely because of the two children, or was there a deeper reason?
The pot heated up, and Shen Tanqi sliced the meat into thin strips, placing them neatly on a plate, skillfully arranging baby bok choy around it. He smiled and said, “Perfect.”
His smile was so bright, as if he had done something truly joyful—though all he had done was cut pork into slices.
Yu Ce couldn’t help but be lost in thought again, staring at Shen Tanqi’s profile.
The Shen Tanqi he knew only showed such a smile when he ambushed him during disciple competitions, leaving him covered in injuries.
However, this time was different. Shen Tanqi’s smile now was purer, cleaner, and more dazzling.
With just one glance, Yu Ce couldn’t help but look longer. It was as if Shen Tanqi had some unique charm that glued his gaze to him.
Could it be some kind of illusion?
As soon as the pot heated up, Shen Tanqi washed a few bowls and called the servants to bring tables and chairs into the kitchen, preparing for the family meal.
Yu Ce looked at the steaming hot food bubbling in front of him but didn’t pick up his chopsticks. He had been fasting for many years, and it seemed Shen Tanqi didn’t even know about it. This showed that Shen Tanqi didn’t really care about him; he merely refrained from mistreating him out of gratitude for the two children.
The aroma of the hotpot on the table was overwhelming, more fragrant than any food they had ever eaten. The scent wafted into the Shen family courtyard, and all the servants couldn’t help but glance towards the small kitchen.
“So fragrant! What’s the Young Master cooking?”
“I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve seen the Young Master cook.”
“It smells so good. I can’t resist. After my shift, I’m going to eat a big meal at the restaurant.”
Yu Ce had exceptional hearing and caught every word from outside. Reluctantly, he had to admit that he was indeed surprised.
Shen Tanqi can cook, and he’s really good at it.
Much better than him.
“Daddy’s cooking smells so good, waaah,” the two children were nearly in tears, “It’s much better than father’s cooking!!”
Yu Ce: ?
“Is my cooking really that bad?”
Though Yu Ce knew his own cooking skills were mediocre at best, he usually cooked for himself casually. Had he made no progress at all over these years, even after having children?
The two children reluctantly shifted their gaze from the hotpot to Yu Ce, nodding in extreme disapproval.
“It’s because I didn’t want to eat the food you cooked that I worked hard to cultivate fasting techniques,” Taro Ball recalled the miserable past with a sigh, “In the blink of an eye, I’ve already reached the Nascent Soul stage, yet Father’s cooking is still so bad, no improvement at all.”
Yu Ce: …
Goldfish tried to save face for Yu Ce, “It’s not really that bad, just not good.”
Yu Ce: …
Well.
He couldn’t deny it. It seemed the two children had suffered quite a bit under his care.
Shen Tanqi chuckled at their banter, handing them clean chopsticks and saying, “Alright, don’t be mad at your father. Let’s eat since you’re hungry. Just dip the vegetables briefly; don’t leave them in too long. I’ll go get some sesame sauce ready’.”
Yu Ce watched Shen Tanqi quietly mixing sesame sauce at the table, feeling a sudden softness in his heart. A strange sensation surged within him; it felt as if Shen Tanqi truly was his partner, and this place was indeed his home.
The two children picked up their chopsticks and said, “Uncle Fang and Father, let’s eat!” They had been taught by Yu Ce since they were little that they must wait for the adults to start eating first. Now they could only look eagerly at Yu Ce and Fang Wenxun.
Fang Wenxun couldn’t wait any longer and smiled, “Then I won’t be polite. Thank you, Junior Brother, for the hospitality!”
Seeing him dig into the hotpot, Yu Ce hesitated to speak. Subconsciously, he thought, what if Shen Tanqi had poisoned the food?
But when he saw the children almost drooling with anticipation, that thought immediately vanished.
A tiger does not eat its cubs. Shen Tanqi wouldn’t do such a thing.
Yu Ce remained silent for a while, suddenly feeling guilty towards Shen Tanqi, who was still washing his hands and preparing spoons nearby.
Shen Tanqi had made the meal, and here he was doubting if there was poison in it.
Come to think of it, wasn’t he biased against Shen Tanqi?
Lost in these thoughts, Yu Ce was startled by Fang Wenxun’s delighted voice.
“So delicious!” Fang Wenxun’s eyes lit up as he praised Shen Tanqi enthusiastically. “Junior Brother, this hotpot is amazing!” Fang Wenxun, whose vocabulary was rather limited, could only express his excitement and satisfaction with the simple word ‘delicious.’
Seeing this, the two children quickly followed suit and dipped their meat slices in.
“Brother, these meat slices aren’t cooked yet!”
“Waaah, I’m so hungry!”
“That can’t be eaten raw!”
Upon hearing their argument, Yu Ce hesitated for a moment. Then, reaching out, he gently encircled Goldfish with his hand and cradled him in his lap. He lowered his gaze and said softly, “I’ll help you.”
Goldfish immediately nestled obediently against him, his voice tender and soft, “Okay, thank you, Father.”
So well-behaved.
So… adorable.
The child’s voice was warm and soft, as if enveloping him in a jar of honey, light and sweet.
Unable to resist, Yu Ce held the child a little closer and whispered, “What do you want to eat?”
“Meat!”
The little one clenched his fists, swallowing his saliva.
Yu Ce picked up a slice of meat and placed it in the pot. Once cooked, he gently scooped it out, blew on it, and placed it near Goldfish’s mouth.
Goldfish, like a little bird waiting to be fed, slightly opened his mouth, “Ah—”
Yu Ce fed the meat into his mouth. Seeing Goldfish happily dancing with joy after eating delicious food, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Yu Ce’s lips.
After a pause, that curve faded away.
Yu Ce looked at Goldfish in his arms, bewildered.
Why did he end up holding the task object he needed to take care of in his arms?
“More, more~”
Yu Ce immediately pushed aside his earlier confusion and earnestly continued to serve the little one meat.
It wasn’t until the little one’s belly was round from eating that Yu Ce realized what he had been doing—he hadn’t done anything. All night, he had been helping this world’s Yu Ce take care of the children.
And, unexpectedly, he was enjoying it.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
