When the weakened Ju Zi opened her eyes and saw that the figure before her was no longer a clone, but the real Huo Yuhao, a dazed yet relieved smile appeared on her pale face:
" Yuhao... is that you?"
Huo Yuhao strode closer and, seeing her weak and listless appearance, softened his voice. "It's me, Ju Zi. How are you feeling?"
"It's alright..." she replied softly, her gaze already turning gently to the side.
Just then, the baby's laughter rang out, as if it knew its father had arrived.
With a gentle smile, Ju Zi said to Huo Yuhao, " Yuhao, our child has been born. Why don't you name him?"
Huo Yuhao bent down and carefully took the tiny baby into his arms. The baby opened its clear eyes and was not afraid of strangers at all. Instead, it grinned with its toothless mouth and stretched out its soft little hand to hug Huo Yuhao's fingers.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao's face was full of smiles. He was extremely gentle in front of his child and his wife.
His face was warm, and the baby became even happier as Huo Yuhao teased him with his fingers. "A name? Actually, I've already decided in my heart. My son," he said, placing his hand beside the baby, who smiled and hugged Huo Yuhao's fingers.
"Clouds face rain, vastness faces immensity, you should be like Yunhan, Huo Yunhan."
Ju Zi's voice also brightened with joy as she softly repeated, " Yunhan, Yunhan, Yunhan, my son, Huo Yunhan."
Her gaze towards her child was filled with hope, "My child, you will surely grow up to be a strong and upright man."
"Just like his father"
She raised her eyes and looked at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's eyes were incredibly gentle as he said, "Of course."
He could fully feel his own bloodline, and Huo Yunhan's mental strength was naturally strong, just like his father Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao gazed at the infant Yunhan in his arms, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"I never imagined I'd become a father. After all the life-or-death experiences I've faced, this day has finally come."
He looked up, his gaze warm as he looked at Ju Zi. "Right, Mom?"
Ju Zi listened, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Yes, we're family now, a family we built together."
Huo Yuhao carefully placed the child back beside her, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "Do you think that when Yunhan grows up a little older, he'll be watching us get married with his eyes open?"
Ju Zi smiled after hearing this, " Yunhan still young, he doesn't know anything yet."
Huo Yuhao took Ju Zi's hand and said solemnly, " Ju Zi, don't worry, I will give you a grand wedding in the Sun Moon Empire."
Ju Zi raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone playful. "Just for me? There must be plenty of girls lining up to marry you, Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao didn't laugh. Instead, he gripped her hand tighter, his voice low and earnest. " Ju Zi, this is what I owe you. At the very least, in the Sun Moon Empire, I will marry you openly and in style."
Ju Zi smiled gently and said, "I understand, Yuhao."
Looking at the woman he had always felt indebted to, Huo Yuhao said, " Ju Zi, I will protect our family. No one can destroy our family, not even a god descending to earth."
Ju Zi didn't understand why Huo Yuhao suddenly said that, but her eyes were gentle as she looked at him. It was as if with him there, she would have someone to rely on, and her home would feel like a home. This sense of security made her feel comfortable.
"By the way, Ju Zi, Xu Tianran is dead," Huo Yuhao's voice rang out.
With that same tender expression, Ju Zi asked Huo Yuhao, "He's dead?"
Huo Yuhao said calmly, "That's right, I killed him."
Ju Zi wasn't particularly shocked; her expression remained calm, as if the dead were merely a stranger, or a wife she could use and discard at any time. "Even if you don't act, Yuhao, I will. It's just a matter of time. To truly unify the country, the only way is to kill Xu Tianran. His ambition will drive him to use anything he can."
"I know that better than anyone."
Huo Yuhao's voice was calm for a moment, then he suddenly said, "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Xu Tianran was already in a situation where he was doomed to die, so there's no point in saying anything more now."
"I struck first, and the man is dead. Your task now is to rest and recuperate. I've already killed all the other princes, so there will be fewer obstacles for us in assisting our son."
Ju Zi gently leaned back against the pillow, her voice weak but clear. " Yuhao, you need to understand, our Yunhan can't immediately switch back to your surname. He still needs to be surnamed Xu, to maintain the facade others see."
"There can only be one crown prince. Only when our plan succeeds and you become emperor can your son's name be changed to Huo."
Huo Yuhao said, "I understand, Ju Zi, my love. I will stay by your side during this time, and let my clone handle other matters."
Ju Zi offered her slender hand to Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao held Huo Yunhan in one arm and gently stroked Ju Zi's hand with the other.
Her voice sounded dreamlike, "We were both orphans once, but now, we two orphans can be together, we have family, a home. Yuhao, I'm so happy that this day has come."
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, "Me too."
Ju Zi suddenly smiled, her eyes curving into a sweet arc. "My husband is the world's number one chef!"
Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation, his tone carrying a hint of self-righteous pride. "Of course."
She gazed at him, her voice softening yet each word clear. "He is also my eternal hero."
Huo Yuhao reached out and pulled her into his arms, his other hand still firmly holding the sleeping Yunhan. " Ju Zi, we will be happy like this forever. I will always be your hero, always protect you and Yunhan, and never let anyone or anything hurt you in the slightest."
Huo Yuhao could now fully feel what it was like to be a father, and also the feeling of truly being a husband, with the responsibility towards his wife and children. He felt that this was the emotion in his heart.
In this warm and cozy moment, his heart was filled with happiness. After all, who wouldn't want a life with a wife, children, and a warm bed? But what made Huo Yuhao even happier was...
He was able to witness the birth of his child, and he was able to have his loved one by his side one day, so happy that this moment could be paused.
Looking at Ju Zi and Huo Yunhan, Huo Yuhao suddenly thought of himself, his mother, and how Huo Yun'er Huo Yuhao in the same way.
But why did the future change? Mother changed, she changed.
She had changed so much that Huo Yuhao couldn't even recognize her. Why did she Dai Hao so much? What did he have that made him worthy of a mother's love?