Chapter Sixty: Everything Is Up to Me (Part One)
Once inside, Tao Ming took out all the toiletries, then conjured a sphere of water for washing up. As Su Nanxing brushed Nuonuo’s teeth, she remarked, “This is the first time I’ve realized spells can be used like this.”
“You really wasted all that time on Earth,” Tao Ming replied.
“I wasn’t there for very long, actually.”
Tao Ming considered this and found it reasonable. Curious, he asked, “How old are you, exactly?”
Su Nanxing’s hands didn’t pause. “Almost two thousand years old, I suppose.”
Tao Ming kicked him. “You told me you were thirty-two at the time! You old monster, seducing a young girl!”
Su Nanxing grinned mischievously. “You’re not that young,” he said, emphasizing the word “young.”
Tao Ming kicked him again. “Watch your language!”
Softy and Nuonuo chimed in together, “We didn’t hear a thing!”
It was a vivid demonstration of the saying, “there’s no silver buried here!”
Tao Ming thought about her own mother’s age. “You seem older than my parents, actually.”
Su Nanxing began washing the two little ones’ faces. “Your father is a bit older than me. As for your mother, I’m not sure. Besides, among cultivators, age doesn’t matter, only seniority. I used to call your father ‘uncle,’ but it’s no problem at all to start calling him ‘dad’ now.”
A thousand words surged up in Tao Ming’s mind, unsure if she should say them...
After washing up, the four played for a while. Once the two little ones were coaxed to sleep, Su Nanxing grew restless, snuggling up to Tao Ming and calling her “wife” over and over.
Tao Ming’s ears burned. She kicked him to the foot of the bed, but he came right back. To stall for time, Tao Ming said, “I forgot to tell you something earlier.”
Su Nanxing, still pestering her, replied, “Tell me tomorrow!”
Tao Ming pushed him away. “Back at the Qiluo Residence, someone cast a Soul-Weeping Curse on me.”
Su Nanxing immediately grew serious. “How do you know it was aimed at you?”
Tao Ming repeated what she’d told the patriarch before, then asked, “Who have you told about me?”
Su Nanxing’s entire presence darkened. “Only Feng Ying. He’d never harm you. Right now, it’s just your suspicion—it might not be aimed at you.”
“Let’s hope so. But Softy and Nuonuo still have the Heavenly Emperor’s seal on them. What should we do?”
Su Nanxing drew Tao Ming close, resting her head on his shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. The Heavenly Emperor will definitely remove the seal from the two of them.”
“There’s always a price.”
“If you mean the oath of loyalty, don’t worry—I have a way to handle that.”
Tao Ming looked up. “What way?”
Su Nanxing kissed her forehead. “The Heavenly Emperor’s skills are unfathomable, so I can’t break his seal. But as for the written oath of loyalty, there are plenty of tricks. The Su family has passed down methods for generations. We’ll manage.”
“Don’t forget, you’re not only backed by the Qin family now, but also the Su family.”
Tao Ming hesitated. “Will the Su family accept us?”
“They’d be fools not to accept a Saintess, and Nuonuo, who took human form so early. The Su family will definitely protect you all.”
Tao Ming still worried. “I trust they’ll protect Softy and Nuonuo, but I’m not sure about myself.”
Su Nanxing held her tighter. “With me here, nothing will happen to you.”
Tao Ming scrutinized Su Nanxing, making him uneasy. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
Tao Ming sighed. “Sometimes you seem quite normal. How do you come up with such unreliable plans?”
“Perhaps Heaven couldn’t bear it and gave a nudge,” Su Nanxing replied.
Thinking of all those who had died, Tao Ming’s heart grew heavy. “Nanxing, I feel awful. So many people died because of me.”
Hearing her call his name, Su Nanxing knew she was deeply upset—she only used his name when sad or troubled, otherwise always calling him “husband.”
He scooped her up in his arms, princess-style, and Tao Ming nestled against his chest.
Looking into her eyes, Su Nanxing spoke softly. “Wife, even if you weren’t here, as long as there’s conflict, people would still die.”
Tao Ming shook her head gently. “It’s not the same.” She took a deep breath and continued, “The Seventh Prince tried to get me to join his rebellion.”
Su Nanxing’s grip tightened. “You didn’t agree, did you? He’s an idiot—doesn’t even know who his real father is.”
Tao Ming’s eyes widened. “You mean you know?”
Su Nanxing looked away. “I’ll tell you later.”
Tao Ming’s imagination ran wild. “Don’t tell me it’s you?”
Su Nanxing couldn’t help but laugh. “How could it be! You’re my first woman! What nonsense is in that head of yours?”
Tao Ming pouted. “An old monster nearly two thousand years old—do you think I’ll believe you?”
Having successfully changed the subject, Su Nanxing saw Tao Ming’s mood had improved. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Don’t forget, you were the one who seduced me first.”
Tao Ming gave him a half-smile. “Then you really suffered a loss!”
“Losing to you is a blessing—I wouldn’t mind losing a few more times!”
As he spoke, his hand slipped under the hem of her shirt.
Tao Ming pressed his hand to stop him. “You said I’m your first woman. What about after me?”
Su Nanxing grew anxious. “Wife, I wouldn’t dare! Just handling you is more than enough for me.”
Tao Ming’s eyes curved. “Tell me about your past, then.”
Su Nanxing felt he might explode. “Come on, wife, don’t tease me!”
He buried his head against her lips, mumbling, “You have no idea how much I missed you.”
Tao Ming struggled and pushed his head away. “What if those two wake up?”
Su Nanxing waved his hand, casting a veil over them. “Softy is always so considerate.”
...
Tao Ming felt as if she were falling apart, her whole body aching. Su Nanxing massaged her while taking the opportunity to fondle her. Tao Ming scolded, “You’re like a different person!”
“I used to hold back, you know!”
“So now you want to kill me?”
“You’re cultivating now—you can handle it.”
“Hey, hey, where do you think you’re touching?”
“Just checking for injuries.”
...
Curled up in Su Nanxing’s arms, Tao Ming let him kiss her forehead from time to time, the two chatting idly.
“It must have been hard, raising Softy on your own.”
“It was all right. There was sweetness in the struggle.”
“Tell me about Softy.”
“There was this time in kindergarten when a classmate shared a little egg roll with her. She asked me to hold it for her, but I left it in the diaper bag and forgot. She was heartbroken—looked utterly forlorn and said, ‘I’m so silly, giving my precious egg roll to you.’”
“What happened then?”
“I eventually found it, but I still had to buy her a big bag of the same egg rolls as compensation.”
“Anything else?”
“One day she asked, ‘Mommy, what’s your nose for?’ I told her, ‘To breathe, of course.’ She asked, ‘What else?’ I couldn’t think of anything, so I told her to answer herself. She grinned and said, ‘It’s for smelling the delicious food you cook.’ She just wanted to make me happy.”
“She really takes after me!”
“Mm, a perfect little sweetheart. When you left, if it hadn’t been for Softy, I’m not sure how I would have made it through.”
“Wife, I’m sorry. From now on, you have me—I’ll never leave you again.”
“Say it with words, not with your hands!”
“My hands aren’t doing anything!”
...