Sun Fuyu awoke from a strange dream, but he soon put it aside once he saw Wen-ge by his side and the little baby between them. The little baby was already awake, though he wasn’t fussy at all. Sun Fuyu quietly changed the baby’s nappy and fed him some milk.

The quiet of the early morning did not last long, as soon footsteps could be heard out in the corridor.

“Quick! Let’s start decorating for the new year!”

“Uncle and Little Uncle would be so surprised!”

“Yes, come on!”

“I think I can fly on my sword now, I can hang up all the tall things!”

Sounds of children accidentally dropping things followed.

Sun Fuyu: “...” He should go out and supervise them. He put the baby back to sleep with his husband while he went out.

 

---

 

When Wen Zhihao woke up, a new name for their new son had crystalised in his mind: Wen Yubao. Yu (裕) for rich and bao (宝) for treasure.

It wasn’t the same ‘yu’ as in Sun Fuyu’s name (there would only be one Xiao Yu in Wen Zhihao’s life), but it was similar enough. It was suitable that they would both have an element in their baby’s name.

He tended to the Baobao and got dressed. When he stepped out of the bedroom, he was faced with a house filled with noise. Children were cleaning and children were hanging up red Spring Festival couplets.

They were doing a lot, even though they hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

“Uncle! You’re awake!” Ah-Yi ran over and peered at his new little brother.

“His name is Wen Yubao. You can call him Baobao.”

“Baobao!” Ah-Yi greeted, blinking at the baby.

The baby blinked back.

Wen Zhihao smiled. “Now, how about going to Grandma Liu’s for breakfast?”

“Yes!” Ah-Yi agreed happily.

“Don’t forget to put on your hat and scarf,” Wen Zhihao reminded as Ah-Yi scampered away.

“I will, Uncle!”

Wen Zhihao leisurely walked down with baby Baobao. The children were very fast in throwing on their winter items and raced down to the front door, Sun Fuyu following behind them.

Together, they headed off to the kitchens, where Liu Jing was waiting. When she heard the baby's new name, she smiled. A little treasure indeed.

 

---

 

The rest of the day was spent on preparations.

As midnight approached, a large group of people went to a nearby hill outside the Golden Sun Sect, with the talisman lights brightening their way.

In the darkness, lagging behind the others, Zhou Sheng quietly held Lin Yijun’s hand. He felt that it must be good to hold hands, given how often Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu did it…

At the stroke of midnight, Elder Liu responsibly let off the first fireworks.

Rockets flew into the air and exploded in bursts of colours with loud BANG! BANG! BANG!

The children clapped, eyes reflecting the bright fireworks. The teenagers also showed wonder.

Wen Zhihao leaned against Sun Fuyu, baby Wen Yubao in his arms.

Together, they had entered into the new year.

“Now, want to set off this firecracker?” Liu Zhongmin irresponsibly asked the children.

“Yes!” Ruan Lanxi volunteered.

“Don’t play for too long, we all need to go to sleep,” Wen Zhihao told her.

“Yes, Uncle!”

Teenagers and children alike huddled close to Liu Zhongmin and listened carefully to her instructions. Laughter and shrieks rang out when they released the crackling firecrackers.

No matter how exciting the fireworks and firecrackers were, Wen Zhihao was sleepy and the children were also sleepy. After returning home, they fell asleep the moment their heads touched their pillows.

---

When morning came, Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu made sure that everyone was dressed in their new red clothes.

“Now, do you know what to say?” Sun Fuyu asked them. He was carrying Wen Yubao today.

Six small heads nodded.

“Uncle Wen, Uncle Sun, wishing you a happy new year, good health, and long life for 1000 years!”

Wen Zhihao grinned. “Very good. I wish you all a happy new year, and great academic success.”

He gave each child a red envelope, each of whom received it with two hands and a happy ‘thank you’.

After receiving their red envelopes, they rushed into one of the bedrooms to open them, away from the eyes of their guardians. They exclaimed at the crisp bill they found inside. How many coins did one bill change into?? A lot, that’s what!

A smile brimming in his eyes, Wen Zhihao turned to Sun Fuyu. “Happy New Year, husband,” he said softly. “Our second New Year together.”

“En,” Sun Fuyu reached out and touched Wen Zhihao’s chest with one hand.

“Of course, Xiao Yu also gets a lucky red envelope.”

Sun Fuyu blushed slightly as Wen Zhihao gave him a bulky red envelope. With one hand holding Wen Yubao, he couldn’t open it yet: all he could tell was that Wen-ge’s qi emanated from it. He sent it directly into his storage ring.

“Thank you, Wen-ge.”

“No thanks needed between husband and husband,” Wen Zhihao replied.

The children soon came back out with grinning faces. “Thank you, Uncle!”

Wen Zhihao indulgently patted their heads.

The first day of the New Year was for family and for good food. For this reason, everyone congregated at the kitchens, from the mortals to the cultivators, to the demonic beasts.

Wen Zhihao generously gave out red envelopes to all the young and all the old.

Even Lin Yijun received a red envelope, much to his bewilderment. Weren’t the elders supposed to be the ones giving out red envelopes?

Old-man-at-heart-Wen Zhihao disregarded such trifling matters. He had gained yet more money from selling calming stones, and there was nothing wrong with him sharing it out as he wished. He even gave red envelopes to the demonic beasts, who all temporarily turned into a humanoid form to accept them.

First, breakfast, fun games and more firecrackers; then lunch, naps and fun games; and finally dinner, and sitting down and listening to Elder Liu’s old stories.

The large, softly purring cats were the best backrests. Despite the snow that lay around the sect, the kitchen area was warm and glowing. Stomachs full, they all had a lovely new year day. The coming year would be very prosperous.

Wen Zhihao tried to stay awake, he did. But nonetheless, it was too comfortable and he accidentally fell asleep while listening, thus causing many others to fall asleep too.

As Sun Fuyu awoke Wen Zhihao again, Elder Liu gazed around and smiled slightly.

“Well then, I can continue this story another day. Young ones need sleep,” Elder Liu said—even the old mortals were young to her.

“Very good idea,” Wen Zhihao said sleepily.

And thus ended the first New Year Day together, the first of many more.

 

---

 

The Golden Sun Sect did not spend long on the New Year festivities: even in the cold snow, cultivators should still be cultivating. Students also had to go back to school: there was a lot of content to learn.

And so, after a week, most festivities ended, and most people returned to work/study.

Wen Zhihao was not most.

This morning, Wen Zhihao was sitting in the padded flying cart, with extra blankets and warming talismans around him, and the sleeping baby Baobao in his arms. The cart itself was placed to the side of the training field that was closest to their home.

Wen Zhihao had taken out the advanced talisman manual, but he only briefly looked at it before returning his languid gaze to the diligent Sun Fuyu. Sun Fuyu wore a new hair ornament: Wen Zhihao’s gift on New Year’s Day. 

There was nothing wrong with watching his husband. And if Wen Zhihao had been a mortal, he would be in his right to recover from the activities last night with his husband.

All of these were excellent excuses to watch as Sun Fuyu practised with both his own sword and with Wen Zhihao’s sword, Mao Lan Meng.

With all the recent dual cultivation, Wen Zhihao estimated that Sun Fuyu should soon rise to Nascent Soul. And a serious Sun Fuyu in senior cultivator robes...he would be so handsome!

It would be good once Sun Fuyu surpassed him in cultivation: then Wen Zhihao could be even more of a salted fish, by handing any administrative requests to Sun Fuyu.

Hmmm, that didn’t sound right.... Better to pass administration to Lin Yijun!

Wen Zhihao’s hands itched, wanting to rub Sun Fuyu’s head. But he withheld himself from interrupting Sun Fuyu’s practice. Baobao stirred in his arms, so he fed him some milk, before setting him down in a sheltered corner of the cart to sleep.

Not everyone was so considerate of Sun Fuyu.

Peak Master Wang Sheng (ex-Elder Wang) walked by. He was on his way elsewhere in the Sect, but the training field was low down the mountain and his eyesight was very sharp.

And so, he saw that damn blasted sword!

Remembered humiliation and anger rose up within him.

So, it was Disciple Sun! Of course, cursed sword, cursed cultivator! Peak Master Wang spotted that damned Wen Zhihao too.

Tch, the two of them!

Peak Master Wang rushed to the training field. His qi rose around him, suppressing Sun Fuyu. “You! Give me that sword and I’ll let you go!”

Sun Fuyu gritted his teeth as the superior qi threatened to crush him. “No! This is not your sword! You are not my Shifu! You’re not my Peak Master! You’re not even a Sect Elder anymore!”

Peak Master Wang growled. “And whose fault is that? If you had just listened to me—”

Wen Zhihao frowned. He flew the flying cart directly between him and Sun Fuyu. He stood up, his own aura flooding out and directly infiltrating Peak Master Wang’s control. His aura also buffered the air around Wen Yubao, so the baby remained completely unperturbed.

“Peak Master Wang.”

Peak Master Wang flinched.

For a moment, Wen Zhihao felt like a male protagonist, trying to intimidate the other. So fanciful, he amusedly berated himself. His annoyance faded away. Of course, Lin Yijun was the male protagonist on this side of the continent.

“Take a moment to breathe and reconsider your actions,” Wen Zhihao said steadily. “Attacking us unprovoked, what would Elder Liu Ru and Senior Liu Zhongmin think? What would...the Sect Leader do?”

Peak Master Wang Sheng cursed in his heart. These two ordinary disciples, yet they had such strong backers. Wang Sheng had lived a long time. He was no cannon fodder. Exchanging his own head for the head of these two measly disciples was not at all worth it.

Instead, he sneered. “How things would change once they learn that it was your sword that provoked me.”

With a huff, Peak Master Wang left. He was destined to be sorely disappointed.

Wen Zhihao raised his eyebrows. Looked like someone needed some cat therapy too.

Sun Fuyu jumped and tackled Wen Zhihao with a sudden hug from behind.

“Thank you, Wen-ge!” Thank you for protecting me.

Wen Zhihao turned around and rubbed Sun Fuyu’s head and pinched Sun Fuyu’s soft cheek. Ahh, so happy.

“What for? I only mentioned our shifus and the Sect Leader. That aside, Xiao Yu has been working hard this morning. We can have a break before picking up the children.”

“Okay,” Sun Fuyu said obediently. He released Wen Zhihao and moved over in the cart to pick up Baobao, letting Wen Zhihao take them wherever he wanted to go.

Sun Fuyu still remembered Wen Zhihao’s solid back standing in front of him, between him and Peak Master Wang.

No matter how strong Sun Fuyu would become in the future, Wen Zhihao’s presence would always evoke that same sense of safety and devotion in Sun Fuyu’s heart. Because Wen Zhihao was his Wen-ge.

 

 

---

So “episodic” lol (a nice way to say that the scenes are disjointed haha)

 

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