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The Heavenly Capital would surely have something to gossip about for quite a while.
But none of that mattered to the five- or six-year-old child walking through the celestial streets hand in hand with his guardians.
Feng Xin thought that Taizi Dianxia looked adorable like this. Mu Qing felt that this was still not a good idea.
How much of this would Hua Cheng actually like?
"Fu Yao, I want tanghulu."
Mu Qing looked at him.
"Please?"
Well, they could always shield themselves by saying that Xie Lian had been the one who insisted on visiting the heavens. Of course, the child wouldn’t have known if someone hadn’t let it slip, but that argument was already pointless.
Tanghulu, huh?
"Then please forgive me, Taizi. I’ll have to go to the kitchens."
The lesser gods passing by stared in surprise. General Xuan Zhen going to the kitchens to fetch sweets for a little omega child as if he were a servant?
Well… some habits were hard to forget.
Unaware of all this, Xie Lian enthusiastically bowed toward Mu Qing’s hand.
"Let me go with you!"
The gods glanced at the child. They already knew this was Taizi Dianxia under an unusual curse. Ling Wen had ordered them to carry on with their duties and not disturb the child, so they obediently moved on.
Mu Qing let out a subtle sigh as people passed by, and Feng Xin probably did as well. But Xie Lian remained blissfully oblivious and insisted on coming along.
Mu Qing didn’t understand why, but in the end, he allowed it.
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When they reached the kitchens, Xie Lian made an even bigger request.
"Tanghulu, lots and lots of tanghulu! I want many!"
Feng Xin looked at him amused. "Since when has Dianxia become so fond of sweets?"
Mu Qing looked at him more seriously. "You’ll get cavities if you eat too many. One is enough."
The child shook his head, his cheeks puffing up like two little buns. "I want lots of tanghulu. Xiao Hua likes them."
The gods stared, stunned. Some of the cooks—already accustomed to their Emperor loving a Ghost King—couldn’t help but find the request endearing.
"Xiao Hua is very good. I want to give him sweets," little Xie Lian said.
"But…"
One of the cooks interrupted. "Little Dianxia, how many tanghulu do you want? We’ll make as many as you want!"
"Hey!"
Xie Lian’s eyes lit up. "A lot!"
"How many is a lot?"
The child raised his arms, drawing an arc over his head. "Like an endless mountain that never runs out! Reaching all the way to the sky—this big!"
The cook smiled. "Alright! We’ll make so many tanghulu that your Xiao Hua will get sick of them."
"Xiao Hua won’t get sick of them!"
The cooks laughed, and the small smile Xie Lian gave them was enough to convince the generals.
In the end, the expenses would go on Hua Cheng’s—or Taizi Dianxia’s—tab.
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Later, little Xie Lian slipped out of the kitchens with a hand basket one of the cooks had given him.
Smiling and leaving several gods confused, the child walked on. He believed he knew the way to Ling Wen’s Palace and intended to go there.
That was the problem—believed.
In the vast Heavenly Capital, Xie Lian soon got lost.
He could have asked one of the attendants for help, but the child was stubborn enough to refuse. He gripped his basket tighter and kept walking, looking around.
Those nearby wanted to see how long his obstinacy would last. No one called Generals Nan Yang or Xuan Zhen, keeping only a watchful eye on the child.
Besides, the silver butterfly pinned in the child’s hair made it clear that little one was not truly in danger.
After all, what could possibly happen to a child in the heavens?
"Little Taizi Dianxia really is an adventurer. Getting lost and still refusing to ask for help. Very stubborn."
Xie Lian frowned at the tall, smiling man in front of him. "Who are you?"
Pei Ming smiled. "Now that’s a bit rude, Little Highness. One usually greets people first."
"I’m going to tell my papa you’re bothering me."
How fierce!
"Little Highness, this one is called Pei Ming," Pei conceded, "the Northern General, at your humble service."
As part of the act, Pei Ming knelt and displayed gallant humility. Any omega cub would have been dazzled by his looks and smile. It was once said that Pei Ming conquered beauties from the cradle and helped them bloom.
That was a lie. Pei Ming simply liked teasing children.
Still, who would’ve thought Xie Lian would say:
"Ah! Are you the general who steals children that Xiao Hua told me about?"
Pei Ming’s smile fell. …What?
"Please don’t steal me. If you want, I’ll give you a sweet."
As he spoke, Xie Lian rummaged through his basket and pulled out a red, tempting tanghulu wrapped in paper. It was still cold and hadn’t melted.
He offered it to Pei Ming. "I’m pretty, but I don’t taste as good as candy. Here."
Somewhat bewildered, Pei Ming accepted the sweet. He looked at Xie Lian a few times and, deciding the cub was hard to impress, took a bite of the fruit.
"It tastes good," he commented casually.
"Mm! So you won’t steal me anymore?"
A small laugh. "I’m afraid one tanghulu isn’t enough to stop me from stealing you, Little Highness."
"If you steal me, my papa will punish you."
"And if I escape the punishment?"
"Papa will send Xiao Hua, and he’ll punish you. Xiao Hua is very fast. He’ll catch you."
Looking at the butterfly hairpin in Xie Lian’s brown hair, Pei Ming had no doubt. Was it his imagination, or had the butterfly fluttered slightly?
"Alright," he said. "I won’t steal you, Little Highness. Now then, where were you headed earlier?"
Xie Lian said he wanted to go to Ling Wen’s Palace. When Pei Ming asked why, the child merely placed a finger to his lips and said it was a secret.
Without further words, Pei Ming guided him there. On the way, they ran into the Lord Wind Master, who, upon recognizing His Highness, enthusiastically insisted on joining them.
Pei Ming would’ve chased him off or claimed his brother was looking for him, but Xie Lian wouldn’t cooperate—he was charmed by the Wind Master and invited him along.
"Wind Lady, you’re very pretty. Here."
He offered him a sweet.
Shi Qingxuan accepted it with a smile. "Aiya, Little Highness is so young, yet already so gallant. Why don’t you learn from him, Ming-xiong?"
The black-clad alpha said nothing.
Xie Lian looked at the intimidating man, then asked Shi Qingxuan: "Who is he? Your husband?"
Shi Qingxuan laughed nervously, fanning himself vigorously.
"What are you saying, Little Highness? Aren’t you a bit young for that? —he pointed at Ming Yi— That man is far too cold to be anyone’s husband. Before spouses, he thinks about food."
"Oh, so he’s not your husband?"
"No, he’s my best friend. Say hello!"
Xie Lian looked at the man. "Hello!"
"Mn."
That was the end of it. Later, Xie Lian tried being nice and offered him tanghulu, but the fact that the black-clad alpha didn’t even say thank you exhausted all his enthusiasm.
So he stopped paying attention to him and returned to Pei Ming.
"General, are we almost there?"
"Indeed, Little Highness. We’ve arrived."
And with that, Xie Lian entered Ling Wen’s Palace.
The child couldn’t help but think that rather than a palace, it was a gigantic library. That thrilled him—surely there were more stories like the ones his master and mama told him?
Maybe if he asked nicely, he could take some with him, and papa could read them later.
Oh! Xie Lian could also read some to Xiao Hua! Surely Xiao Hua would like them.
With these thoughts weaving excitedly in his head, Xie Lian spoke before Ling Wen.
"Ling Wen, Ling Wen who knows everything. I want you to help me."
The female alpha raised an eyebrow, her brush pausing on the paper. "What does Your Little Highness require?"
Before Xie Lian could speak, Pei Ming interrupted from behind him. "Hey! Why do you recognize her? Noble jie, have you already charmed Little Dianxia?"
Shi Wudu commented from beside him. "Perhaps because she behaved more honorably than you, Pei-xiong."
"Shui-xiong!"
Ling Wen silenced them both and focused on little Xie Lian. "Please excuse them, Dianxia. They are merely a pair who do not know how to behave."
"Mn. Xiao Hua said the alphas of the heavens are dumb."
"…"
"I’m also an alpha, Dianxia," Ling Wen said.
"Xiao Hua didn’t say anything about women. And Fu Yao said Ling Wen is the one who knows everything! That’s why I came to ask for help!"
With that, Xie Lian placed the basket he’d been carrying all this time on Ling Wen’s desk.
"Mama once told me that if you want to ask for something, it’s better to give a gift first. This is my gift!"
Ling Wen looked at the basket, then at the child. To think that Taizi Dianxia in the present was not fond of bribery. But considering this was just a child following his parents’ words, she let it be.
"Mn. I see. Your mother was very wise, Dianxia."
"My mama is very wise! She’s the best—just like my papa, my master, and my Xiao Hua."
"…"
Ling Wen cleared her throat. "Very well. What would Dianxia like help with?"
Glancing back at Pei Ming and Shi Wudu—Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi had already left—Xie Lian stepped closer to Ling Wen, motioned for her to bend down, and when the alpha did so, somewhat amused, Xie Lian leaned in to whisper his request.
However, Xie Lian was only a child. Concepts like discretion hadn’t fully settled in his mind yet, and his ‘whisper’ was perfectly audible to the other two tumors in the room.
What the child whispered was:
"Xiao Hua is very good to me. He makes me happy. How can I make him happy?"