A Sudden Fatherhood and a Princess’s Vows

‘Ah?!’

Lin Mo’s pupils constricted, and he stumbled back several steps in shock.

‘This… it’s already here?!’

He had always thought that television shows were exaggerating, that having a child after a single night of passion was merely a dramatic fabrication.

Even Chang Wei, with his innate divine strength, had famously declared, ‘How could it be so fast?!’

Yet, the undeniable truth now lay starkly before his eyes.

However, this was the cultivation world; perhaps… a cultivator’s child… developed with such astounding speed?

Perhaps, nurtured by spiritual energy, they could develop in no time at all?

His gaze shifted to Ji Xue’s belly, and he wondered if it was merely his imagination, but it seemed… her belly had indeed grown slightly larger.

Lin Mo slowly moved closer to Ji Xue, his mind utterly blank.

Ten years had passed… Ten years since he had struggled to rise from a desperate sickbed in another world, barely escaping that prison, only to find himself plunged into the life-and-death maelstrom of the Xuan Nv Sect.

He felt like a solitary boat buffeted by the gales of fate, never truly reaching shore, with barely a moment to catch his breath.

‘How, then, had a child suddenly appeared in his life here…?’

The word ‘child’ had always been a distant concept for Lin Mo.

He had never even experienced ‘love,’ yet now he was expected to shoulder the responsibilities of a father?

In this world?

This world where death was commonplace, this world that harbored such animosity towards men?

What was a father?

Dramas, films, anime, and novels had all offered their interpretations.

A pillar of strength.

A father was a towering tree, sheltering his family; standing beneath its canopy, one could gaze upwards at the dense, spreading branches that seemed to cleave the very sky, firmly blocking out both the fiercest thunderstorms and the most scorching sun.

However, the man who had sired him was no such colossal tree.

He had uprooted himself, taking his entangled roots with him, and fled without a backward glance, leaving only him and his mother to wither and bake on the exposed, unsheltered earth.

Lin Mo had never truly known a father.

That indistinct silhouette had left no discernible outline, let alone a model for him to emulate or learn from.

Moreover, he himself was currently—

Lin Mo’s hand, extended towards Ji Xue’s abdomen, froze mid-air, his steps faltering with apprehension as he hastily tried to retreat.

Yet, a single hand actively seized his wrist, guiding his hand slowly to her abdomen.

With a hint of reproach, causing her cheeks to puff out into two round apples, Ji Xue declared, “Are you, you heartless, trying to shirk responsibility? Feel your child properly! You’d better explain yourself clearly!”

As his hand touched Ji Xue’s soft abdomen, a wave of warmth, like an electric current, coursed through his spine and surged into his brain.

Extending his divine sense into Ji Xue’s body, he truly felt the tiny bundle of life within her abdomen.

It carried a trace of warmth, a warmth akin to the early spring sunlight, gently embracing one shrouded in frost, dissolving the lingering tendrils of chill that clung to them.

He could even sense a pulsation; though not yet human in form, there was a faint heartbeat, a weak and muffled throb within Ji Xue’s abdomen.

An ineffable emotion suddenly welled up within him, a mix of bewilderment, joy, and a touch of uncertainty about the future.

Yet, a sudden, inexpressible confidence and impulse regarding the future surged through him.

It was as if, because of this tiny being, he was infused with boundless strength.

His body felt brimming with power, as if he could accomplish anything, capable of bringing all the happiness in the world to this small life.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and something seemed to slide down his face, a ticklish sensation that was not cold, but warm.

It was as if he had discovered the meaning of his existence in this world, as if he had found his own sun and moon within this vast universe, this boundless starry sky.

Lin Mo stood frozen, the dazed expression still clinging to his face.

He instinctively wanted to lean closer, to listen to the pulsation that had so abruptly entered his life.

Just as he bent his knees slightly, half-crouching, and turned his head to press his ear against her—a hand, possessing immense strength like iron tongs, fiercely seized his ear!

Excruciating pain, coupled with an irresistible force, brutally wrenched his awkward posture into a distorted mess!

“So—!” the sharp, indignant voice, laced with a storm of burning fury, crashed down upon his scalp.

“Who was that woman?! With me—the Ji Dynasty’s radiant pearl, a dignified Imperial Princess graced with unparalleled beauty, nation-toppling wealth, and peerless martial arts—bestowing my favor upon you, how dare you, how dare you still flirt with others outside?! You—you shameless beast!”

“N-no, it’s not what you’re imagining!” Lin Mo cried out in pain.

“Y-y-y-you, listen to my explanation!”

“Fine! I’ll listen to your explanation!” Gripping Lin Mo’s ear, Ji Xue dragged him towards the heated brick bed.

Seeing the bed covered in weeds, she hesitated for a moment, but ultimately made a decision, tossing the bedding onto the bed.

Flipping open the quilt and kicking off her shoes, she commanded, “Get on!”

The Imperial Princess’s command seemed to carry an authority that could freeze the very air.

However, the slender, well-defined hand that had clamped Lin Mo’s ear so tightly suddenly released its grip the instant her words fell.

The two of them slowly lay down, their faces very close.

So close that only the sound of each other’s breathing filled their ears.

“I—”

Before Lin Mo could finish his sentence, Ji Xue’s hand, which had been tugging his ear, now released its hold.

It traced a path from his ear to his cheek, her expression softening, her crimson eyes sparkling with a gentle light.

She whispered, “I’m late, I’m sorry… They’ve been tormenting you like this; you must have suffered terribly, haven’t you?”

This sudden apology and concern left Lin Mo somewhat stunned, and even a little afraid.

He didn’t know if the next moment would bring the familiar shift in her demeanor.

But it did not.

“I… I’m fine.” Lin Mo instinctively wanted to retreat into his shell, his voice so soft it was almost swallowed by the dry grass.

“This… it’s all in the past now.”

“Don’t you dare say ‘habit’!” Ji Xue’s brows immediately furrowed, as if an intolerable bottom line had been crossed.

“What ‘habit’?! From now on, with this Imperial Princess here—” Her voice abruptly rose, crashing down with a nearly decisive power, each word branding itself into Lin Mo’s chaotic mind.

“—Who dares to let you get used to such things?! From now on…” Her tone suddenly deepened, becoming strangely soft yet distinctly resolute: “This Imperial Princess will protect you.”

‘Protect me?’

The word rolled twice within Lin Mo’s hollow heart, yet found no place to land.

It was as if, from the moment he was cast from that cold, despairing sickbed into this world…

From the Qiu family estate to this very place…

Ten years of wandering, with all his blood and tears swallowed alone.

The word ‘protect’—so soft it felt almost luxurious—had no one ever spoken it to him before?

“You’ve been very wronged, haven’t you?” Ji Xue’s voice suddenly lowered, like a feather softly brushing past him.

“…Mm.” His throat suddenly constricted, and Lin Mo responded with extreme haste, as if another second’s delay would cause something scalding to erupt from his vocal cords.

“Does it hurt badly?” Another question.

Lin Mo’s lips parted silently.

Ji Xue’s soft chuckle, tinged with a hint of triumph and awkwardness, was like a tiny cascade of shattered ice tinkling past his ear.

She seemed to have pinpointed his crumbling defenses precisely: “Now you know who you can truly rely on, don’t you? Look, the esteemed Imperial Princess’s embrace is right here; don’t waste it, alright?”

Before her words had fully left her lips, she suddenly leaned over him entirely, her arms like soft shackles abruptly descending, enveloping him in an inescapable warmth.

Before Lin Mo could recover his senses, his entire face was gently guided by a force, firmly burying itself in that soft, warm embrace filled with a peculiar fragrance.

Yet, the embracing posture also held a clumsy tenderness that made his heart tremble.

“Cry it out.” The voice from above held a hint of commanding coaxing, yet strangely softened its previous coldness. “Keeping it bottled up will make you sick. Just relax now.”

Lin Mo… didn’t understand.

But something was blurring his vision.

He didn’t know if he should answer; he wanted to ask a question, but would that question ever have an answer?

Could he still believe?

‘No… that wasn’t right.’

‘He shouldn’t think that way.’

‘His mother had persevered for over a decade; wasn’t that already remarkable?’

‘He was merely a cripple; what right did he have to possess eternal love?’

‘Wasn’t it enough to have had it, even briefly?’

Lin Mo tried to console himself, but no matter how he tried, something rolling in his throat was like a wild horse breaking free, charging out of a comfortable camp towards an unknown lie.

“I… I’m a cripple. Imperial Princess, what right do I have to be protected by you now? I’m not as wealthy as you, nor do I currently possess the power or standing, and our acquaintance has been brief… Imperial Princess, what am I to you?”

His heavy words shattered the tender embrace; Ji Xue slowly released him, her gaze fixed on Lin Mo’s face.

‘I am merely a cripple in another sense now.’

‘What kind of happiness could someone like me possibly possess?’

‘It’s too absurd.’

‘Our relationship, which had barely spanned three or four days, had rocketed forward, as if launched into the high heavens.’

‘Recognize reality.’

‘Only by recognizing reality can one—’

‘Better a short agony than a prolonged one.’

“You are the father of my child. That is the first point.” Ji Xue slowly rose, yet did not get off the bed.

Instead, she straddled him, propping herself up with her hands, looking down at Lin Mo’s face from her elevated position.

“Second, you are handsome, beautiful to behold; I am satisfied.”

“Third, you serve me, and I am satisfied; I desire more.”

“Fourth, though we have known each other for only a short time, and even harbored animosity and conflict, you did not bully me. Even after making me cry, you still comforted me and shared your powerful secret. Despite your fear of influential figures, you still stood up for me, a useless Imperial Princess. And though you took my innocence, I also achieved Foundation Establishment ahead of time because of it.”

“Fifth—you saw me completely exposed; I can no longer marry anyone else, so you must take responsibility.”

“Finally—I don’t dislike being with you; I want to be with you for a very, very long time…” By the end, her voice had grown increasingly light, so much so that even the rustling of bamboo leaves in the evening breeze seemed to overshadow it.

The night was profoundly dark.

Yet, the flush on Ji Xue’s face subtly spread through the darkness, so conspicuous, so luminous.

It was as if that blush possessed a faint light of its own, thoroughly exposing its owner’s shyness.

‘But then again, wasn’t he much the same?’

In a trance, Lin Mo seemed to understand.

He seemed to fully grasp and agree with what his mother had once said: ‘If you don’t strive to live until tomorrow, how will you ever know what might happen? Don’t you want to see if it’s good or bad?’

‘After witnessing a decade of misfortune, it seems I’ve finally glimpsed something good, Mother.’

‘Mother, if I could go back, I’d introduce someone to you, alright?’

‘You wouldn’t have to visit your home, nor would you have to come back to mine.’

‘We could just find a place, sit down, and chat.’

‘Oh, no, it’s two.’

‘Two people, alright?’