Chu'he instinctively resisted getting close to Song Tieniu, yet the moment she laid eyes on Ninth, her heart skipped a beat. Since they were all from the same village, constantly crossing paths, it wasn’t impossible that she and Ninth had some history.
Moreover, Chongyang’s snow-white hair, pale skin, and unusual eyes—all these traits matched Ninth perfectly.
All signs pointed to the fact that she and Ninth must have had some improper relationship!
The only question now was whether Song Tieniu knew about her affair with Ninth, or whether he knew Chongyang wasn’t his biological son.
Though Chu'he wasn’t particularly moral, she wasn’t entirely without conscience either. The thought of having strayed from her marriage weighed heavily on her, and she buried herself under the blankets, utterly miserable.
Meanwhile, the two white-haired figures—one big, one small—were banished from the room. Standing before the closed door, their blinking gradually synchronized.
"You’re not… my dad."
"I am."
"You’re not."
"I am."
Chongyang pressed his lips tightly together, his stuttering voice thick with anger. "You’re… not!"
Ninth looked down at him, mimicking his tone. "I… am!"
Chongyang clenched his tiny fists, tilting his head up, his round eyes glaring like an irritated little beast.
His cheeks puffed with anger, but he stubbornly straightened his neck, trying to sound more imposing—though the childish lilt in his voice was impossible to hide. "You… aren’t!"
"I… am!"
Ninth bent down, deliberately copying his halting speech, his tone teasing and triumphant, his eyes gleaming with mischief—clearly enjoying the provocation.
Chongyang’s dislike for Ninth wasn’t unfounded. He had met many adults—some who gave him cold stares, others who whispered behind his back that he was a freak, and even those who threw stones at him as he passed.
But he had never met anyone as… as infuriating as Ninth!
Chongyang couldn’t win the argument. His pale face flushed red. No one had ever wanted to talk to him before, and his lack of interaction had left him struggling with words, his vocabulary far behind others his age.
The little boy gritted his teeth, barely managing to squeeze out, "You… bad!"
Ninth tilted his head slightly, the red agate earring gleaming against his white hair, the ends swaying playfully behind him.
He smirked. "Your mom likes me bad."
That was impossible to refute!
Just as Chongyang was left speechless with rage, Chu'he’s voice came from inside the room.
"Ninth, get in here!"
Ninth straightened up, pushed the door open, and when he saw the little boy trying to slip in after him, he grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. "Your mom only called me, not you."
The door shut, leaving Chongyang outside. He kicked the wall in frustration.
After wrestling with her conscience, Chu'he sat slumped on the bed, wrapped in blankets, looking utterly drained.
Ninth climbed onto the bed without hesitation, pressing close to her. He cupped her face in his hands, leaning in for a kiss—only to be stopped by her palm.
His crimson eyes narrowed in displeasure.
Chu'he spoke solemnly. "This is immoral."
Ninth blinked innocently. "What’s morality? Can you eat it?"
Chu'he choked on her words.
Looking at the young man’s pure, untainted expression—so naive, so inexperienced—she realized he might not understand anything at all. Which meant… it was possible she had taken advantage of his beauty, making him the unwitting "other man"!
The realization hit her like a blow. She asked, "What do you think?"
"About what?"
"I mean… would you still be willing to live with me and Chongyang?"
Ninth countered, "You don’t want to be with me anymore?"
Chu'he shook her head. "That’s not what I meant."
She sighed deeply. "I just feel guilty about Tieniu. How do I even explain this to him?"
"Oh." Ninth responded dismissively.
Since she wouldn’t let him kiss her, he flopped back onto the bed, grabbing a lock of her black hair and twirling it around his fingers. His legs dangled over the edge, swinging idly, the jingling of ornaments filling the air.
He couldn’t care less about Song Tieniu or any other man. This was the woman he had claimed at first sight—she was his, and no one else’s.
Chu'he glanced down at him, watching him play with her hair, and her eye twitched. She kicked him lightly. "Well? What’s the plan?"
The kick drew his attention to the red string anklet around her foot.
Ninth reached for it, fingers trailing lazily along the cord. "What else? I won’t stand you being another man’s wife."
His pale fingertips traced the red string, teasingly sliding upward—deliberately provocative.
Chu'he quickly pulled her foot back.
His lips pursed, and he turned away with a huff.
This was his woman—no kisses, no touching. How boring.
Ignoring his sulking, Chu'he thought things over seriously before making a decision. "When Tieniu comes back, I’ll talk to him. We’ll separate."
Song Tieniu was a good man. She had wronged him!
"Hey, Ninth." She nudged him. "Chongyang’s never spent time with you before. He’s bound to be wary. No matter what, you’re his father—you need to find ways to bond with him, make him accept you."
Ninth rolled onto his side. "Don’t care."
Chu'he’s tone turned firm. "I don’t care if you care. If Chongyang doesn’t like you or refuses to live with you, I’ll take him and raise him on my own!"
She wouldn’t let their messy adult drama affect the child’s well-being. If Chongyang couldn’t accept Ninth, then she’d live separately with him. After all, in this tangled mess, she was the one at fault.
Ninth sat up abruptly, his expression dark.
Chongyang had been waiting outside the whole time. He had no idea what Chu'he and Ninth were discussing, but it couldn’t be anything good. Finally, the door opened, and Ninth stood there, glaring coldly at the little white-haired boy.
Chongyang met his gaze defiantly.
"Listen up." Ninth smiled, all sweetness. "To improve our father-son relationship, I’m taking you out to play."
"You’re not… my dad. I won’t go."
Ninth didn’t bother arguing. He scooped the boy up under his arm, ignoring his struggles. "I am your real father. From now on, if I catch you siding with Song Tieniu, I’ll pull your pants down and spank you."
Chongyang squirmed, his face red with fury, but no matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t break free from the demon’s grip.
