Is this aphrodisiac?

Xie Shenhong had known from the outset that Lyte was determined to overthrow the Imperial Royal Family. What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was that Lyte’s motivation wasn’t merely to usurp the throne, but stemmed from a deep disdain for the entire empire, driving him to become emperor and enact reforms. Regrettably, the more Lyte genuinely cared for the imperial citizens, the more unforgivable his actions of using the kingdom as a stepping stone became. Xie Shenhong would not alter his perception of Lyte simply because he understood Lyte’s noble pretext of saving the people. After all, an enemy’s hero is but one’s own nemesis.

“There’s one more thing.” Lyte, setting aside his resentment and indignation, bowed solemnly to Xie Shenhong. “Today, I truly thank you!”

“There’s no need…” Xie Shenhong instinctively began to say that he hadn’t done anything remarkable.

“It is absolutely necessary! Without you, I truly wouldn’t have known what to do to save Little Jing back then… Please, at least this one time, accept my gratitude.”

Seeing Lyte’s persistent demeanor, Xie Shenhong could only silently accept his gesture of thanks.

Yet… what did this fellow mean by “at least this one time”?

When had he ever *not* accepted Lyte’s thanks?

Ah, it seemed that was indeed the case.

No, had this guy seen through him?

Xie Shenhong, who hadn’t considered the inadequacy of his disguise, instantly felt a surge of panic.

He was truly unsure how much he had revealed over the past few days; even if Lyte could never guess that he knew about the future, being regarded with suspicion by Lyte would spell utter ruin.

“Shenhong, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

However, Lyte offered him no further opportunity for observation; after his solemn thanks, he returned to his car and departed.

‘Forget it,’ Xie Shenhong mused, watching the Huangfu family’s car disappear at the end of the street, then let out a sigh.

If Lyte, despite knowing his true feelings, still sought to foster a good relationship with him, it could only mean Lyte was a formidable strategist, capable of bending to circumstances to achieve his goals. This was something Xie Shenhong had known from the very beginning, making his present anxiety entirely unnecessary.

Of course, he also needed to make some changes, perhaps by pretending to be moved by Lyte and treating him better… Well, he had always intended to do so, but clearly hadn’t executed it effectively.

Bearing in mind that he couldn’t return home with such a disheartened mood, Xie Shenhong momentarily set aside his worries and headed towards his front door.

“Brother, welcome home.”

Pushing open the door, Xie Shenhong discovered that besides the familiar pink-haired girl, a black-haired, black-eyed young man stood in the entryway.

“Brother Yan!”

Xie Shenhong’s eyes immediately lit up; he slipped off his shoes and scurried over to the man. “Are you staying for dinner tonight?”

“Yes,” the black-haired young man replied, gently stroking Xie Shenhong’s head. “I’ve been missing your cooking, Shenhong.”

“I’ll go prepare it right away!”

Xie Shenhong, filled with renewed vigor, dashed towards the kitchen.

If Duanmu Yun was like both an older sister and a mother to Xie Shenhong, then the black-haired young man embodied the role of an elder brother, almost a father figure, having cared for Xie Shenhong tirelessly for five years, and moreover, was Duanmu Yun’s lover. Furthermore, it was this same black-haired young man who had rescued him during a crisis when he had first transmigrated. Confronted with someone who was simultaneously his older brother, prospective brother-in-law, and savior, and whom he hadn’t seen in four years, Xie Shenhong found it impossible not to be emotional. Moreover, unlike Duanmu Yun, who could occasionally be quite frivolous, the black-haired young man was mature, steady, serious, yet gentle—he had always been Xie Shenhong’s admired idol. Xie Shenhong had even once aspired to become a man just like the black-haired youth… but now, reality had long since worn away his sharp edges.

“Shenhong, could you come out for a moment?”

“Of course.”

After their pleasant dinner concluded, the black-haired young man called Xie Shenhong out to the courtyard. While Xie Shenhong was naturally delighted by the black-haired youth’s arrival, it was highly probable that his visit was prompted by the recent kidnapping incident. More precisely, he was likely concerned that Xie Shenhong’s emotional state might be unstable after witnessing so many deaths.

“Brother Yan, I’m fine.”

What Xie Shenhong disliked most was being ceaselessly worried about.

“Indeed, I can see that.” The black-haired youth nodded approvingly. “I’ll persuade Yun on that front.”

This was precisely where the black-haired youth differed from Duanmu Yun. While he too worried about Xie Shenhong, he chose to believe what he saw, trusting that Xie Shenhong would be capable of achieving more in the future. However, this very trust also filled Xie Shenhong with an inexplicable sense of anxiety and apprehension.

The black-haired youth affectionately ruffled Xie Shenhong’s hair.

“Shenhong, there’s no need to put pressure on yourself. Even if things don’t go perfectly, it’s alright; I’m here.”

Within the Vermillion Kingdom, no matter who uttered such words, Xie Shenhong would have dismissed them as mere boasting. Only when the speaker was the black-haired young man would Xie Shenhong regard them as a solemn promise. The reason was simple: the distribution of magic on this continent was uneven. The Rhine Empire, blessed with exceptional land and talent, boasted ten times the magical energy in its air compared to the Vermillion Kingdom, and twice that of the Great Desert Khanate to the north. Under normal circumstances, the Vermillion Kingdom might not produce a single Battle Duke in a century. Even Combat Dukes were exceedingly rare; this was evident from Duanmu Yun, who ranked third in the kingdom’s fighting power, yet was only at the peak of a Martial Duke. Yet, there were exceptions to every rule. Individuals possessing both exceptional talent and supreme diligence did exist. For instance, this black-haired young man named Nangong Yan. He had never left this magic-scarce land, had never consumed any growth-accelerating elixirs, yet at the tender age of twenty-seven, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Combat Duke realm. Later generations even speculated that the kingdom’s desperate efforts to conceal the news of Hai Zhu’s disappearance were solely to buy Nangong Yan time for his advancement.

If Xie Shenhong hadn’t known about the future, he would undoubtedly have cast aside all worries and entrusted everything to Nangong Yan. Just as in his previous life, he would simply conduct research to improve livelihoods and help the kingdom earn some money—

“Forgive me, Brother Yan, but I don’t want to give up like this… I want to contribute to the kingdom as well.”

“Since you’ve made your decision, then strive for it.”

“Yes, I will.”

There was no excessive concern, only trust and expectation. This was the feeling Xie Shenhong had always yearned for. Unfortunately, in his current state, he was not yet capable of reciprocating that trust…

“However, in that case, Shenhong, you’d be considered my ‘little sister,’ wouldn’t you?”

Upon hearing this, Xie Shenhong’s face instantly flushed.

“Brother Yan, I’m a man! Becoming that way was merely part of my duty!”

Duanmu Yun certainly wouldn’t have kept the matter of the Hai Zhu puppet being entrusted to him a secret from Nangong Yan. But the issue wasn’t his transformation into a female puppet. Rather, Hai Zhu, the Saintess who saved the nation, held another official identity: a formally conferred princess by a different surname, the King’s sworn sister. Indeed, Nangong Yan was the King of the Vermillion Kingdom.

“Then should I re-confer you as a Duke? Or have people call you the Saint Son?”

“Absolutely not! I’m only doing this temporarily; nothing needs to change!”

“Shenhong, as I’ve said, what truly matters is the affection and relationship between us; titles and status are merely adornments…”

“I know, which is why I said nothing needs to change.”

Xie Shenhong didn’t know the precise relationship between the first Hai Zhu and Nangong Yan, but from Duanmu Yun’s demeanor, it was clear that she must have been someone profoundly important to both of them. Although that person had already passed away. Xie Shenhong didn’t want to usurp the memories of that person from their hearts. Moreover, he didn’t feel he currently had the right to bear the title of the Saintess who saved the nation. Not only the Saintess, but any identity tied to Nangong Yan, such as a princess or a duke, he felt he was unworthy of. This wasn’t to say he didn’t acknowledge Nangong Yan as his sworn elder brother. On the contrary, his familial affection for Nangong Yan was no less than that for Duanmu Yun. Therefore, given that neither Nangong Yan nor Duanmu Yun cared about status or position, he wished to be the one who could consider their loved ones more deeply.