He had just been reborn when he was imprisoned by his nemesis, the Empress?

That evening, Xu Yi went to take a shower.

Shen Yunshu quickly returned to her room and took out the book "How to Get Along with Children" from her storage bag.

The book was turned to a certain page, on which it read:

After establishing a certain emotional foundation with the child, physical contact can be appropriately increased.

Touching a child's head, hugging them, or kissing their cheek can enhance their sense of security and bring them closer to you.

Shen Yunshu's fingers remained on the page, and he sat there motionless, lost in thought for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

She looked up towards the bathroom, a hint of hesitation and uncertainty in her eyes:

Now, do we have a certain emotional foundation?

He seems to have stopped resisting me like he did at the beginning, and occasionally he even talks to me on his own initiative.

Then...give it a try?

Xu Yi, who had just finished showering, dried his wet hair with a towel and sat down on the bed.

He looked at Shen Yunshu suddenly approaching him, a hint of doubt appearing on his face.

Before he could even ask, Shen Yunshu gently pulled him into her arms.

Shen Yunshu's embrace was warm, carrying a faint sandalwood scent that inexplicably made one feel at ease.

Xu Yi froze in her arms, stunned for a while before he reacted and quickly asked...

"What are you doing? Why did you suddenly hug me?"

Shen Yunshu tightened her grip on his arm, then quickly loosened it, her tone tinged with confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Xu Yi felt a little uncomfortable, hesitated for a moment, and then asked...

Why are you hugging me?

Shen Yunshu looked down at his wet hair, her tone carrying a hint of matter-of-factness.

"Is there a problem with family members hugging each other?"

Xu Yi paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"...No problem."

Shen Yunshu felt the small, somewhat stiff body in his arms and asked softly.

"You...don't like this?"

Xu Yi's voice lowered a few decibels.

"No, not at all."

"I can only say I don't dislike it."

Shen Yunshu felt relieved when she sensed that he was no longer resisting, and her calm voice held a hint of negotiation.

"Tonight, could you please not sleep with your back against the wall? The corner is cold, and it's not good for your health."

Xu Yi remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Shen Yunshu released him, took out a small, exquisite jade bottle from her storage bag, and handed it to Xu Yi, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible joy.

"Oh, right, I got you the dragon milk you wanted."

She paused, then added...

"But the book says that children who haven't cultivated themselves shouldn't drink it directly."

"Otherwise, you won't be able to withstand the pure spiritual energy in the dragon milk. I've already diluted it with my own spiritual energy. Just drink a small sip each day; it will nourish your meridians."

Xu Yi stared blankly at the small jade bottle handed to him.

Fifteen days ago, Shen Yunshu heard from somewhere that breast milk could improve a child's health.

She kept urging Xu Yi to drink the spiritual milk she had created with her spiritual power, saying that it was good for his health and would make him grow faster and stronger.

But Xu Yi refused to drink such a thing, showing extreme resistance.

He kept being urged to drink, and finally, annoyed by the constant pressure, Xu Yi blurted out something in a huff.

"If I'm going to drink anything, I'll only drink dragon's milk, nothing else."

Unexpectedly, she actually took it seriously and went to seek out Dragon Milk because of that angry remark.

She never doubted whether he was making excuses to reject her, nor did she think he was being unreasonable.

All she knew was that he wanted this.

Holding the jade bottle, Xu Yi felt a mix of warmth and sorrow, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Sigh, how did someone as naive as you cultivate to the Quasi-Emperor realm? Couldn't you even tell I was just saying that out of anger?"

"Dragon milk is so rare, why go to all this trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunshu's face showed a hint of guilt. He lowered his head and whispered...

"I'm sorry, I thought you really wanted it."

She paused, then added

"If you don't like it, I won't do it again. Don't be angry."

Why are you feeling guilty now? Are you trying to make me feel guilty to death...?

Xu Yi was filled with complex emotions. Looking at the sincere apology in Shen Yunshu's eyes, his heart felt as if it had been hit by something, both warm and bittersweet.

He couldn't help but lean forward, reaching out to embrace her soft, slender waist. His cheek pressed against the cool fabric of her clothes, his voice muffled.

"I'm not angry, really, could you please stop being so nice to me in the future...?"

How can I possibly rebel now that you've made me...?

Shen Yunshu froze for a moment when Xu Yi hugged her, a hint of surprise flashing in her cool eyes.

Her body tensed slightly, as if she wasn't quite used to such intimate contact.

Her slender fingers hovered in mid-air, hesitated for a moment, and then gently landed on Xu Yi's back, patting him with an awkward but tender gesture.

She didn't hear what Xu Yi said after that at all; her mind was filled with the thought that "her apprentice hugged me on his own initiative."

Her heart felt filled with something soft, leaving only one thought.

Now his apprentice is definitely not annoyed with him anymore, and may even... like him.

At night, the charcoal fire in the stove burned brightly, making the room warm and cozy.

Shen Yunshu lay on her side, her gaze falling on Xu Yi beside her. Xu Yi had his eyes closed, his breathing even, and he looked much more obedient.

She hesitated for a long time, her fingers curling slightly on the blanket, before finally speaking softly, her tone tinged with caution.

"Can I hold you while I sleep?"

Xu Yi opened his eyes and met her clear, expectant gaze. The last bit of awkwardness in his heart vanished.

He nodded, his voice slightly hoarse.

"able."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Yunshu slowly approached and gently pulled him into her arms with her slender arms.

Her embrace was spacious and warm, just enough to completely envelop Xu Yi's small body.

Enveloped in this warm and gentle sensation, Xu Yi almost instantly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Shen Yunshu looked down at the peaceful sleeping face of the person in his arms, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Six months later, the first snow of the year fell on the peaks of the Sword Sect.

Shen Yunshu began to formally teach Xu Yi cultivation. She took out the basic mental cultivation method of the Sword Sect and explained it word by word.

However, Xu Yi had cultivated immortality for three thousand years in his previous life, so these basic techniques were like child's play to him, and he didn't need to bother studying them at all.

He would only occasionally play along with her, pretending not to understand.

The snow stopped that day, and sunlight shone through the clouds, illuminating the white snow in the yard.

Xu Yi was meditating in the courtyard when he caught a glimpse of Shen Yunshu walking out of the room.

She walked to the center of the courtyard, rolled up her sleeves to reveal a section of her slender, fair wrist, and then bent down to start piling snow with her hands.

Her movements weren't very skilled, but she was extremely earnest.

Before long, two snowmen, one large and one small, stood in the yard, the larger one being taller.

The smaller one is short and chubby with round cheeks, like a miniature version of Xu Yi.