Du Yue's demeanour shifted so abruptly… going from a shy, gentle girl to a proud empress claiming her throne… that the entire family froze on the spot. Even Grandma and Grandpa, who had lived through decades of storms and drama, blinked several times as if their eyes had malfunctioned.
Su Wen, in particular, stared at her with wide eyes, his ears turning red.
He coughed lightly, trying to regain his composure, but the pink creeping up his cheeks betrayed him completely.
'W-Why is she saying all this… and so boldly… in front of everyone?!' he thought, flustered.
His soul wavered like a startled rabbit.
He quickly tore his gaze away and pretended to study the teacup in his hand. Unfortunately, his fingers betrayed him… trembling just enough for Grandma to almost choke on her tea trying not to laugh.
Both Grandma and Grandpa had the exact same inner monologue:
'Did they marry when they went out for the date? But we didn't see anything... Wait, Little Sparrow did cut the livestreaming for a few minutes. Was it when they got married?... Did we… miss the wedding?!'
Meanwhile, Su Wen's thoughts were much more tragic.
'Damn it… I became someone's husband, and I wasn't even invited to the wedding.'
He sneaked a look at Du Yue's bright, glowing face and exhaled deeply.
'I got emotional earlier… but now I don't even know what I'm supposed to feel. This dumb girl… give me back my sad mood…'
Du Yue, however, completely misunderstood the silence.
Seeing their stunned expressions, she thought they were unconvinced by her commitment. Her eyes sharpened with fierce determination… as if she were a loyal general swearing allegiance on the battlefield.
Everyone unconsciously straightened their backs, ears perked, preparing for her next shocking line.
Then… With a radiant smile so sincere it could melt mountains, she announced:
"I love Husband the mostestttt in the whole world!"
Su Wen: "…"
Grandma: "…"
Grandpa: "…"
Little Sparrow: "…"
The emotional atmosphere was instantly lifted by Du Yue's sudden declaration of love and 'Wifely' pride…
Grandpa came up to Su Wen, attempting to cheer him up, looked at him and patted his head. "We will always be looking after you..."
Su Wen looked at the old Grandpa with a little sadness and said weakly, "Yeah, right..."
Grandpa tried again. "No, I mean we will be looking after you from afar..."
Su Wen nodded again, a little less weakly. "Yes, I understand..."
Grandpa couldn't help but retort, "I mean, we will be literally looking after you. You won't be alone; we are just a little far away."
Su Wen finally couldn't take the repetition, not understanding why Grandpa kept repeating the same line.
"Yes, yes, I understand," he said helplessly. "After you die, you'll become a star in the sky and watch over us from above. Don't worry, Grandpa… I know what you mean."
Grandpa's mouth twitched violently. He did not mean that.
'Why was this brat so good at getting the wrong idea?!'
Before he could snap back, Grandma slapped her palm on the table and glared at him.
"You old man, quiet." She pointed at Su Wen. "Look at him… he's sad, he's confused, and you're making it worse. Why don't you just say it directly instead of talking in circles?"
Grandpa opened his mouth to retort, then shut it again, defeated.
Only then did Grandma turn to Su Wen, her eyes softening.
"Su Wen… listen carefully. The truth is… we are actually Immortals."
The room fell silent. Su Wen stared at Grandma with blank eyes.
"I don't know exactly who we were or where we originally came from," she continued, voice gentle but heavy. "Most of our memories were deliberately sealed long ago. We chose to live a mortal life to understand the principles of Life and Death… to temper our Dao Hearts."
She smiled faintly, touched with sorrow.
"No matter how high one's cultivation reaches, a weak Dao Heart will always be a ticking disaster."
Her fingers clenched together.
"For us, to break through, we needed a clear, unshakable Dao Heart… and the best path was to live in the mortal world… work, age, suffer, love, understand the fragility of life."
She inhaled deeply, steadying her voice.
"But when your mother fell sick… we tried everything a mortal could try. We exhausted every remedy, every herb, every hope. In the end, we failed."
Grandma's expression tightened.
"And in that moment of desperation, the overwhelming grief cracked the seals on my power. I used a trace of my immortal strength to reach someone… someone who could hold onto her soul and keep it safe."
A faint tremor rippled through her voice.
"But the price was a Heavenly Dao backlash… and I still failed to convey the message. I wasn't strong enough. This mortal body… simply couldn't endure the strain."
She glanced toward Grandpa.
"But then your grandpa… this stubborn old man… followed me and did the exact same thing. He helped me reach out to that person. Together, we managed to send the message… but the price was another backlash."
Grandpa released a heavy sigh but kept silent, as if accepting the blame without argument.
Grandma continued softly:
"After that, our mortal bodies began losing life force rapidly. We only had a few short years before these bodies were destined to die and our souls returned to our original forms."
Her lips curved into a bitter, fragile smile.
"Our memories were sealed again. We lived on this mountain in a fog of grief… waiting for the end. Our Dao Hearts were wounded beyond repair, and our mortal-life trial was interrupted. We had no intention of continuing it anymore."
Then her eyes softened… deep, warm, heartbreakingly gentle.
"But then… you appeared."
She reached forward and brushed her hand against Su Wen's cheek, her touch trembling.
"A tiny ten-year-old boy… skinny as a stick, angry at the world, grieving… yet somehow still capable of giving love."
Her voice wavered.
"You brought meaning back into our dying, purposeless days. This body… that should not have lasted even a few years… survived all this time because of your care."
Su Wen felt his throat tighten, his chest growing heavy.
Grandma smiled through shimmering eyes.
"You brought colour back into our dull, grey world. You worked the fields, cooked for us, tended to our aches, smiled for our sake… You even left your father's home… where your life would have been easier. But instead… you chose us."
Her voice thickened with emotion.
"At this dilapidated mountain, in this rundown house… you made us feel warmth we had forgotten for so, so long."
Her hand cupped his cheek fully now, her fingers trembling.
"And for that, my child… my dear grandson… we owe you more than you can ever imagine."
A/N => How's the story so far?? Please let me know in comments.