Chapter Summaries

Tan Tai Heng sent Little Seven to stop intruders in his Secret Realm, but Xiao Yu’s group agreed to leave and Tan Tai Heng led them to the exit. After Xiao Yu finally shared his name, Tan Tai Heng said he wanted to come outside and see the sky.

• Tan Tai Heng ordered the intruders to become pillars in his Underground Palace, and Little Seven went to confront them.
• Xiao Yu told his companions to retreat, but Little Seven attacked them and Yu Qing grabbed Little Eight as a hostage.
• Tan Tai Heng arrived, reclaimed Little Eight, and offered to guide Xiao Yu’s group to the exit.
• Tan Tai Heng introduced himself as Wang Xing, but Xiao Yu hesitated to share his name until they reached the exit.
• Tan Tai Heng caught Xiao Yu’s sleeve and asked for his name, and Xiao Yu told him he was Xiao Yu.
• Little Seven asked why Tan Tai Heng had let the group go, and Tan Tai Heng said he wanted to see the blue sky outside.

Xiao Yu grew curious about the mysterious Tan Tai Heng who had watched him from the shadows, and later teased him after learning his real name. The story ended with Xiao Yu waking from a dream in which he had called Qi Yunheng “A-Heng” and noticed him blushing.

• Tan Tai Heng secretly watched Xiao Yu practice swordsmanship, while Little Seven questioned his interest in him.
• A month later, Xiao Yu felt unsettled by Tan Tai Heng’s absence, declined Lin Feng’s invitation to travel, and chose to cultivate in seclusion.
• Xiao Yu broke through to the middle Nascent Soul stage and met Tan Tai Heng again when Little Eight appeared on Mist Snow Peak.
• Xiao Yu told Tan Tai Heng that he knew he was not Wang Xing and teased him about his age, then asked whether he could call him A-Heng.
• Immortal Venerable Wuli attacked Tan Tai Heng for returning to see Xiao Yu, and Tan Tai Heng silently called Xiao Yu An An.
• Xiao Yu woke from a dream as Qi Yunheng carried him from the bath, asked whether they had met before, then teased him for blushing.

Qi Yunheng appointed Xiao Yu Queen of Southern Zhao and brought him to court, where the ministers discovered he had fetched the Prince of Zhennan’s legitimate son without arranging a marriage alliance. The ministers worried about Jin Kingdom’s response, but Qi Yunheng refused to send Xiao Yu back and promised to prove his sincerity to Xiao Yu’s father; the Winter Hunt would proceed as usual.

• Qi Yunheng and Xiao Yu shared an intimate moment, and the next day Qi Yunheng admired Xiao Yu in Southern Zhao’s attire as his Queen.
• Qi Yunheng appointed Xiao Yu Queen at court, and the ministers accepted the appointment after confirming he was alive.
• The Grand General Who Assists the State asked whether Xiao Yu was the Prince of Zhennan’s legitimate son, and Qi Yunheng confirmed it.
• The Minister of Rites urged Qi Yunheng to send Xiao Yu back and arrange a marriage alliance, but Qi Yunheng refused and promised to seek the Prince of Zhennan’s forgiveness in person.
• Xiao Yu teased Qi Yunheng about proving his feelings to his father, and Qi Yunheng ordered the Winter Hunt to proceed as usual.

At the winter hunt, Qi Yunheng rode into the forest to hunt game for Xiao Yu, leaving Xiao Yu and Yun Cheng behind. After the ninth prince insulted Xiao Yu and attacked him with venomous snakes, Xiao Yu subdued him, then defended the hunting grounds from a flock of man-eating Luo Luo Birds.

• Qi Yunheng told Xiao Yu to wait while he hunted deeper in the forest, and rode away without bringing Yun Cheng along.
• The ninth prince mocked Xiao Yu, summoned venomous snakes to attack him, and was thrown from his horse when Xiao Ba devoured the snakes.
• Xiao Yu hung the ninth prince from a tree branch after warning him about his vicious behavior.
• A flock of Luo Luo Birds attacked, and Xiao Yu told Qinggeng to protect Yun Cheng.
• Xiao Yu shot down ten Luo Luo Birds for Xiao Ba to eat while the ninth prince screamed for help as more birds flew toward him.

Xiao Yu and Qi Yunheng faced the Prince of Zhennan after he led an army to Southern Zhao to bring his son home. The Prince of Zhennan welcomed Xiao Yu back, and Xiao Yu asked to bring Qi Yunheng with him.

• Xiao Yu shot down the Luo Luo Birds, rescued the unconscious ninth prince, and left the hunting grounds with Qi Yunheng.
• The Minister of War reported that the Prince of Zhennan had arrived at the border with two hundred thousand troops and demanded Xiao Yu's release.
• Half a month later, Qi Yunheng met the Prince of Zhennan outside the city and called him Father, but the prince initially refused the title.
• Xiao Yu reunited with the Prince of Zhennan, embraced him, and agreed to go home with him.
• Xiao Yu beckoned Qi Yunheng over and told the Prince of Zhennan that he wanted to bring him home too.

Xiao Yu brought Qi Yunheng home to meet his parents, while the Crown Prince traveled to Jiangzhou to deliver Prince Xuan’s New Year supplies. Cui Rong greeted the Crown Prince and took him to his residence, where their mutual affection surfaced in a brief moment of intimacy.

• The Prince of Zhennan separated Xiao Yu and Qi Yunheng’s hands, but Xiao Yu declared Qi Yunheng was the man he loved and took his father’s hand as they went home.
• Emperor Jinyuan agreed to send the Crown Prince to Jiangzhou with Prince Xuan’s supplies after the Empress suggested the trip might mend the brothers’ relationship.
• Prince Xuan asked Cui Rong to receive the Crown Prince and warned him to guard against anyone harming his elder brother and framing him.
• Cui Rong waited anxiously outside Jiangzhou, then welcomed the Crown Prince and arranged for his officials to rest at the post station.
• The Crown Prince agreed to stay at Cui Rong’s residence, and Cui Rong warmed his cold hands before pulling away and apologizing for overstepping.

Cui Rong brought the Crown Prince to the Cui Residence, where Prince Xuan warned them that their political futures would make them enemies. Elsewhere, Qi Yunheng and Xiao Yu celebrated Lunar New Year's Eve together, and the Crown Prince received New Year's lucky money from Cui Rong.

• In the carriage, Cui Rong and the Crown Prince spoke cautiously about their lives apart, and Cui Rong helped him down after they arrived at the residence.
• Prince Xuan confronted Cui Rong and the Crown Prince, warning that one brother would win and the other lose, and that Cui Rong was on his side.
• After Prince Xuan left, the Crown Prince said he was cold, and Cui Rong poured him hot water.
• At the Prince of Zhennan's Residence, Xiao Yu explained the New Year's red envelopes to Qi Yunheng and gave him lucky money as fireworks marked the holiday.
• Emperor Jinyuan learned that the Crown Prince would spend New Year's in Jiangzhou with his sixth brother and comforted himself by holding Little Xiyue.
• Back at the Cui Residence, Cui Rong gave the Crown Prince a red envelope and assured him he would receive what everyone else did.

The Crown Prince celebrated New Year on the city wall with Cui Rong and Prince Xuan, discovering the joy of setting off firecrackers and fireworks. In the Southern Border, Qi Yunheng exchanged New Year greetings and a kiss with Xiao Yu.

• Cui Rong invited the Crown Prince to watch fireworks, and Prince Xuan startled him with firecrackers before agreeing to teach him how to use them.
• The Crown Prince enthusiastically set off firecrackers and fireworks with Prince Xuan while Cui Rong watched over him.
• Cui Rong warmed the Crown Prince's hands, and the two exchanged New Year greetings as Prince Xuan teased them.
• Qi Yunheng joined the Prince of Zhennan's family for ancestral respects and then gave Xiao Yu a red envelope.
• Xiao Yu showed Qi Yunheng snowmen he had made of them together, and Qi Yunheng kissed him before children teased them.

At a New Year banquet, Xiao Yu stopped a dancer’s assassination attempt on Qi Yunheng, but another attacker stabbed Qi Yunheng before Xiao Yu could protect him. Xiao Yu carried the wounded Qi Yunheng away, while the Prince of Zhennan dealt with the attackers and mourned their deaths.

• Qi Yunheng grew jealous when Xiao Yu watched the dancers, and the deputy general urged Xiao Yu to take a woman as a partner.
• Xiao Yu watched one dancer because she kept eyeing Qi Yunheng with murderous intent, and she lunged at Qi Yunheng with a hairpin.
• Xiao Yu struck the dancer down, but Xiao Shan stabbed Qi Yunheng in the side while he was distracted.
• The deputy general restrained Xiao Shan, who explained that he wanted revenge for his mother and sister; Xiao Yu blamed him for attacking the wrong man and carried Qi Yunheng away.
• The Prince of Zhennan rebuked Xiao Shan, who killed himself with a blade; the prince ordered proper burials for him and the dancer.
• Xiao Yu bandaged Qi Yunheng’s wound and urged him to fight back if anyone threatened him again, and Qi Yunheng asked him for a kiss.

Xiao Yu was sent to the ancestral hall after the Princess Consort of Zhennan caught him kissing the injured Qi Yunheng, while she stayed to care for Qi Yunheng. That night, Xiao Yu sneaked back to see him and fled when the Princess Consort chased him with a feather duster.

• Qi Yunheng asked Xiao Yu to kiss him to ease his pain, and Xiao Yu gave in just as the Princess Consort of Zhennan entered.
• The Princess Consort of Zhennan scolded Xiao Yu and sent him to the ancestral hall, then asked the household physician to examine Qi Yunheng.
• After the physician confirmed Qi Yunheng needed rest and dressing changes, the Princess Consort of Zhennan stayed beside him and comforted him as he fell asleep.
• That night, Xiao Yu sneaked into the room to see Qi Yunheng and admitted he also wanted to hug him.
• The Princess Consort of Zhennan chased Xiao Yu with a feather duster, and he ran off calling for his father to keep his wife in line.

Xiao Yu and Qi Yunheng decided to return to Southern Zhao after learning Yun Cheng had gone missing. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince received an urgent warning that Cui Rong was in danger and hurried toward the Long Pavilion.

• The Princess Consort of Zhennan and the Prince of Zhennan reconciled, and Xiao Yu went to bed with Qi Yunheng.
• Fuxi delivered an urgent letter from Uncle Fu, informing Qi Yunheng that Yun Cheng was missing.
• Xiao Yu insisted on accompanying the injured Qi Yunheng back to Southern Zhao, and they went to say goodbye to his parents.
• At the Cui residence in Jiangzhou, the Crown Prince received a note warning that Cui Rong was in danger at the Long Pavilion and rushed out with his sword.

Cui Rong and Prince Xuan realized the Crown Prince might be in danger after Ji Tian left Jiangzhou. The Crown Prince was lured to a pavilion and surrounded by Ji Tian and armed men, while Cui Rong found his room empty and a note on his desk.

• Prince Xuan warned Cui Rong that his feelings for the Crown Prince could endanger them both, and Cui Rong admitted he could not control them.
• Cui Rong grew uneasy when Prince Xuan said Ji Tian had left the city, then warned him that the Crown Prince might be in trouble.
• The Crown Prince arrived at the pavilion and was surrounded by Ji Tian and a dozen armed men, who revealed they planned to kill him.
• The Crown Prince drew his sword and declared he would only fall in battle before Ji Tian ordered the men to attack.
• Cui Rong returned to his residence, learned the Crown Prince had gone out and not returned, then found his room empty and noticed a note on the desk.

Prince Xuan punished Ji Tian for attacking the Crown Prince and learned Prince Cheng had manipulated his guards into doing it. At the Cui Residence, Cui Rong refused to accept that the Crown Prince was dying and blamed himself for failing to protect him.

• Prince Xuan whipped Ji Tian for defying his orders and nearly killing the Crown Prince.
• Ji Tian revealed that Prince Cheng had urged the guards to eliminate the Crown Prince and promised Prince Xuan would be recalled to the capital.
• Prince Xuan recognized Prince Cheng's scheme, ordered the disobedient guards to end their lives, and went to the Cui Residence.
• Cui Rong stayed beside the motionless Crown Prince, insisted he was only asleep, and threatened the physician for declaring him dead.
• Prince Xuan apologized to Cui Rong, who blamed himself for the Crown Prince's condition and regretted loving him.

Xiao Yu returned to Jiangzhou after sensing that Yuanruo was in danger and used his divine soul to help the Crown Prince be reborn. The Crown Prince was out of danger and expected to wake in a few days, though he would suffer aftereffects.

• Prince Xuan suggested finding Little Imperial Uncle to save the Crown Prince, while Cui Rong grieved beside the Crown Prince's unconscious body.
• The Life-and-Death Talisman triggered, causing Xiao Yu to spit blood and lose consciousness; after waking, he told Qi Yunheng he would return to the Jin Kingdom.
• Xiao Yu teleported to the Cui Residence in Jiangzhou and found the Crown Prince near death, with Prince Xuan and Cui Rong beside him.
• Xiao Yu sent spiritual energy into the Crown Prince's heart and told Cui Rong that it was repairing itself and the Crown Prince would survive.
• Xiao Yu exchanged a wisp of his divine soul for the Crown Prince's rebirth, and Prince Xuan told Cui Rong that the Crown Prince would wake in a few days but suffer aftereffects.

The Crown Prince woke with his memories of Cui Rong intact but without remembering their shared moments or his feelings for him, leaving Cui Rong to accept the distance between them. Unable to sleep that night, the Crown Prince joined Cui Rong to see the plum blossoms and found comfort in his promise that he would never be alone.

• The Crown Prince woke and thanked Cui Rong for rescuing him, but addressed him with formal distance, making Cui Rong realize he had forgotten their shared history and affection.
• Cui Rong left the room, and the Crown Prince questioned Xiao Yu about his closeness with Cui Rong before agreeing to return to the Capital the next day.
• Unable to sleep, the Crown Prince went outside and found Cui Rong waiting in the courtyard; Cui Rong gave him a cloak and offered to lead him to see the plum blossoms.
• As Cui Rong held his hand along the slippery path, the Crown Prince spoke of envying Sixth Imperial Brother, and Cui Rong reminded him that he was only twenty-five.
• Cui Rong promised the Crown Prince he would never be alone, and the Crown Prince felt comforted by his words.

The Crown Prince and Cui Rong shared a snowbound visit to the plum blossoms, where the Crown Prince began to recall a past moment between them. After the Crown Prince departed for the Capital City, Cui Rong chose to follow him, leaving Prince Xuan behind in Jiangzhou.

• Cui Rong stopped the Crown Prince from touching the snow, and the Crown Prince asked whether Cui Rong had warmed his hands before.
• Xiao Yu interrupted them and sent them back to their rooms, then the Crown Prince left for the Capital City the next day.
• Prince Xuan urged Cui Rong to go after the Crown Prince and said he would manage on his own in Jiangzhou.
• Cui Rong revealed that Changfeng had prepared for his return and rode after the Crown Prince, leaving his other people with Prince Xuan.
• Prince Xuan asked Ji Tian about the traitors and spies, then returned to the city as the wind grew colder.

Qi Yunheng confronted Qi Shi and Yunqin, demanding to know where Yun Cheng was and refusing Qi Shi’s pleas to reconcile. The First Prince arrived with the bound Yun Cheng and demanded that Qi Yunheng cut himself with a poisoned dagger to prove his sincerity.

• Qi Yunheng questioned Qi Shi about Yun Cheng while Yunqin begged to return to the palace.
• Qi Shi tried to conceal Yun Cheng’s whereabouts and persuade Qi Yunheng to forgive her, but he threatened to kill her and Yunqin.
• Yunqin began to reveal where Yun Cheng was, but Qi Shi stopped him.
• The First Prince arrived carrying the bound Yun Cheng and ordered Qi Yunheng to cut his chest with a poisoned dagger.

Qi Yunheng faced a coup led by the First Prince and the General Who Assists the State, but Xiao Yu arrived and stopped the rebellion while rescuing Little Yun Cheng. After Xiao Yu accidentally transformed the First Prince and Yun Cheng into calves, Qi Yunheng took him to his bedchamber, where they reunited and began discussing what would happen when they both turned eighteen.

• Qi Yunheng surrounded the First Prince's group with archers after the First Prince threatened Little Yun Cheng, but the First Prince wounded Yun Cheng and the Eighth Prince struck him.
• Xiao Yu arrived during the General Who Assists the State's demand that Qi Yunheng abdicate, and the general died when Xiao Yu landed on him.
• Xiao Yu turned the First Prince into a bull and knocked him unconscious, then freed Yun Cheng and promised to punish the rebellious soldiers with labor in the fields.
• Xiao Yu accidentally transformed Yun Cheng into a calf, and the imperial physicians prepared to treat his wounds while Xiao Yu and Qi Yunheng left together.
• Qi Yunheng embraced Xiao Yu in his bedchamber, and Xiao Yu returned his affection as Qi Yunheng began asking about turning eighteen.

Dantai Yunheng and Xiao Yu shared a tender, intimate night, but Xiao Yu fell asleep before they went further. Little Seven and Zhu Yan revealed that Dantai Yunheng had regained his memories, while he insisted he was eighteen years old and sent Little Seven flying for teasing him.

• Dantai Yunheng asked Xiao Yu to call him by his name, then lifted him and carried him to bed.
• Dantai Yunheng teased Xiao Yu about his arousal, and Xiao Yu hid beneath the quilt in embarrassment.
• Dantai Yunheng promised not to force Xiao Yu and held him until he fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Dantai Yunheng kissed the sleeping Xiao Yu and vowed that they would never be parted again.
• Little Seven asked Zhu Yan whether Dantai Yunheng had regained his memories and why he had not revealed himself to Immortal Lord Changshan.
• Dantai Yunheng overheard Little Seven's teasing, declared that he was eighteen years old, and struck Little Seven into a treetop.

At court, Tantai Yun Heng focused on doting on Xiao Yu while delegating the punishment of the treasonous General Who Assists the State and First Prince to the Chancellor. He considered threatening Eastern Li’s envoys with execution, but agreed to receive them first after learning Southern Zhao could not afford a war.

• Tantai Yun Heng told the Chancellor to handle the punishment of the General Who Assists the State and the First Prince, then summoned Xiao Yu to rest on his lap.
• Xiao Yu blushed but settled his head on Tantai Yun Heng’s lap after Uncle Fu moved his chair beside the throne.
• The Minister of Rites reported that Eastern Li would send envoys with a lavish gift to apologize for missing Tantai Yun Heng’s ascension.
• Tantai Yun Heng proposed killing the envoys and starting a war, but relented when the Minister of War warned that Southern Zhao lacked the military strength.
• Tantai Yun Heng ordered the ministers to receive the envoys and scolded them for speaking too loudly near Xiao Yu, who was awake the entire time.