“Little Jiang.”
Little Sweet Ginger, wake up. Sleeping outside like this will make you catch a cold.
“If you don’t wake up, I’m going to kiss you?”
……
In an ordinary rural courtyard, the earthen walls still carried the faint, earthy tang of rain-soaked soil.
Thick green vines sprawled wildly over a simple bamboo trellis in the corner of the yard, dotted with clusters of pale yellow loofah flowers. The warm sunlight filtered through in mottled patches, dappling the sharp, angular profile of the man lounging beneath.
Jiang Chen slept on the bamboo recliner, as serene and striking as an ink painting.
His long lashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyes, his dark hair spilling loosely. Even those lips, usually pressed thin in cold, distant severity, softened in slumber, radiating unguarded peace.
What a beautiful scene.
And yet, squatting right beside the recliner was a flashy young dandy in a robe embroidered with golden threads!
A closer look revealed the playboy propping his cheek, grinning foolishly with eyes brimming with pure, idiotic adoration.
He stared hotly at the sleeping man for a good while on his own, then—unable to contain himself—leaned in, drawn irresistibly to steal a taste of that tranquil softness.
But just as their lips were about to meet—
Splut. The dream shattered abruptly.
Zhao Lixuan jolted awake with a gasp, flipping upright like a carp in a panic. His chest heaved violently as he gulped down air!
A nightmare…
A colossal nightmare!!!
Thankfully, when he opened his eyes, there was no trace of the dream-man’s warmth in his arms, no grassy, earthy scent warmed by sunlight.
“……” Even so, Zhao Lixuan stared dazedly around him, his heart still pounding like mad!
Good, good. The surroundings were still the Pear Flower Water Pavilion where he’d lived for twenty years. The familiar tables, chairs, doors, and windows crafted from pearwood inlaid with intoxicating immortal flowers; a ray of morning light slipped through the intricately carved window lattice, illuminating the desk by the window and the Many Treasures Pavilion beside it, where ancient tomes, jade slips, celadon tea sets, and a purple bronze incense burner were artfully arranged.
Everything was elegant and refined—nothing like the wild, overgrown little courtyard from his dream!
Atop the incense burner, the premium sweet pine Buddha’s hand calming incense he’d lit last night still lingered with its faint, soothing sweetness…
Zhao Lixuan slowly exhaled, sliding out of bed and drifting to the window.
Outside, the dawn glowed across the sky in rivers of crimson and gold, vibrant as woven brocade.
This was the Unstained Immortal Realm.
As for the Mortal Realm from his dream—he hadn’t returned in years, and he never would again!
……
The mornings in the Immortal Realm were breathtakingly beautiful.
So no one would ever guess that beneath this picturesque vista, the Immortal Lord Li Xuan—renowned for his “elegant poise and upright grace”—would spend his early hours in utter disarray: sighing endlessly, fidgeting restlessly, and quietly banging his head against the cool, solid pearwood window frame.
Thud, thud, thud.
If he could help it, he wouldn’t be losing it like this.
But why?!
That shameful black history was years in the past!
He’d long since reformed, rededicated himself to the immortal path—why did it still haunt his dreams now and then?
……
Finally scattering some of the shame with those headbutts, Zhao Lixuan dragged himself off to wash up, feeling half-dead.
Listlessly, he pulled his plain white Hangzhou silk robe from the yellow pearwood rack, tying back his long hair with a silver silk ribbon at the nape…
After tidying up, he passed the full-length water mirror.
The man in the mirror was clad all in white: tall and upright, with clear, serene eyes and an air of untainted purity. The epitome of a “stately and aloof” Immortal Lord, worlds away from the gaudy, gold-draped wastrel in his dream!
Knock knock knock—
“Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord~ Are you awake?”
The door received gentle raps as the on-duty young attendant arrived with a food basket, his voice bright and crisp.
“Breakfast is here today—steaming hot osmanthus sweet cakes! With the weather turning chilly lately, the kitchen specially prepared vinegar-pickled sweet ginger to ward off colds. Please, enjoy!”
“……”
“Ah, Immortal Lord, what’s wrong? Is today’s breakfast… not to your taste?”
“……”
“No, I… cough, thank you for your trouble,” Zhao Lixuan drew a deep breath, forcing a gentle smile. “Thanks for going out of your way to bring it.”
Even so, as the young attendant left—puzzled and probing—the Immortal Lord’s eyes on the cakes had looked like he’d spotted a flood beast!
……
The attendant’s footsteps faded, the door clicking softly shut.
“……”
Sweet ginger, sweet cakes.
Zhao Lixuan stared at the food box in abject despair as sealed memories flooded back—
[Jiang Chen, courtesy name Lin Yuan? Which ‘Chen’—the one from ‘sinking fish and falling geese’?]
[Chenchen, the fortune-teller said your chronic chills come from your name being too cold. How about I just call you by your surname from now on? Ginger warms the core and dispels cold—call it enough times, and you’ll get better faster.]
[Little Jiang… Little Jiang… hehe, Little Jiang.]
[How about Little Sweet Ginger?]
[Little Sweet Ginger, Little Sweet Ginger—the Joyous Spirit Manor just sent fire sand fruits that are great for warming the body. I peeled them for you; eat them after sword practice!]
[Sweetie, time for bed—staying up hurts your health. A kiss first.]
[So sweet, don’t pout all the time, okay? Fine, fine, I know—I won’t tease with nicknames anymore.]
[Hehe, gonna tease anyway. Little Sweet Ginger, sweetie, little sweet cake…]
“……”
Bang bang bang.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang.
The onslaught of shameful memories left Zhao Lixuan squirming like he was sitting on pins and needles, thorns pricking his back, a fishbone lodged in his throat.
The embarrassment overwhelmed him—he couldn’t hold back, slumping into another utterly undignified posture to bash his head against the dining table.
Unbearable to recall.
Unbearable, unbearable aaaah!!!
What bizarre logic had driven him back then to invent all those scalding, food-themed pet names for his beloved—all on his own?!
And now, this fine morning—not only was the soul-reaping sweet ginger steaming invitingly, but the pursuit-of-death sweet cake even bore a crooked little smiley face, thoughtfully doodled by today’s pastry chef.
Smiling at him… No, mocking him!!!
Mocking how Immortal Lord Li Xuan had been such a hopeless disaster in his youth!
Help.
Heeeelp.
Black history shadowing him everywhere—help.
……
Speaking of Zhao Lixuan’s shameful youth, if one peeled back the layers, it was all too mundanely human.
In short—
When young people have it too easy, they often tumble into overconfident arrogance, blind to the world’s limits.
And back then, Zhao Lixuan was the textbook case.
The fledgling young immortal Zhao Lixuan hadn’t yet earned the resounding title of “Immortal Lord Li Xuan” with all its prestige.
He was just a carefree second-gen immortal: cheerful, talented, from a wealthy family.
His elder brother ruled Fu Xi Palace in the Unstained Immortal Realm and doted on him, his only little brother. Spoiled with finery and fawned over by peers—you can imagine.
He also had a flawless face, generous spirit, and lavished gold like water. Surrounded by sycophantic fair-weather friends, his days were pure bliss, untouched by worry.
Rich, idle, no duties—everything went his way.
Lost in that bubble too long, he truly believed himself heaven’s favorite: beloved by all, blooming wherever he went.
So at eighteen, seeing his senior brothers and sisters head to the Mortal Realm, his heart ignited. Cocky and clueless, he packed up to “temper” himself through “training” (aka play).
But his treasure malfunctioned; he crashed and got stuck in a wilderness tree for three full days.
Nearly becoming the first immortal second-gen in history to starve into a mummy.
Just as ignominy loomed, herb-gathering Jiang Chen passed by and saved him.
Jiang Chen: strikingly handsome yet coldly aloof, tragic background, stubborn and taciturn, plus a life debt.
Layered together, Zhao Lixuan fell hard at first sight. From then on, his Mortal Realm “training” boiled down to one activity—
Every day, without fail: boldly squat at Jiang Chen’s, beaming welcomes.
Charming him with endless chit-chat and self-promo.
Alternating “This Immortal Lord has no way to repay you but with my body—let me!” with showering gifts worth a fortune, gleeful stalking, flirty “chance” encounters, and cockily announcing to everyone like a jealous rooster, “I’m chasing my Little Sweet Ginger! Back off, all of you!”
Finally, he got his way.
Through coaxing, threats, bribes—he lured the man home and kept him.
Once he had Jiang Chen “homed,” Zhao Lixuan’s routine was either at shops buying gifts for him or en route to do so.
Endlessly orbiting Jiang Chen in delight, clinging shamelessly; he’d devoured romance novellas for endless sweet nothings and salacious words, dragging Jiang Chen into daytime trysts, wild romps, intimate teasing, nightly revels.
Back then, Zhao Lixuan felt invincible.
Plus, his brain was pure decoration.
So when he unilaterally fell for someone, he never once considered the glaring question—
Did the other like him back?
Jiang Chen ignored him coldly? He’s just shy and inarticulate.
Stared at him murderously? My Little Sweet Ginger’s anger is so uniquely charming—who can resist? Gotta spoil him.
Hissed he wanted nothing to do with him? Zhao Lixuan bragged to drinking buddies, “You don’t know how adorably tsundere my Lin Yuan gets with his little tantrums!”
Even when Jiang Chen packed to leave repeatedly, Zhao Lixuan just puzzled worriedly—
“But Little Jiang, the world’s so dangerous now. A frail demon immortal like you, weak in spells—who’ll protect you without me?”
“Little Jiang, even if not for yourself, think of little sister Fufu, yeah?”
“Seriously, not scaremongering. Step out my estate today… cough, vicious human immortals will snatch you siblings, chop you to bits for pills—believe it? Hurry home, be good.”
And so, under his youthful ignorance and utterly deranged logic…
The young Zhao Lixuan effortlessly pulled off the full suite: shameless pestering, bullying with power, abusing authority, forceful seizure, coercion and bribery, the works.
Dancing on the edge of Mortal Realm law.
Sigh.
Now, recalling those self-deluded, brainless antics, Zhao Lixuan burned with shame—wishing he could explode on the spot.
For the past twenty years, amid his cultivation retreats, Immortal Lord Li Xuan often pondered gravely—
Was there some mystical art to let the current pristine him deny that idiot was ever him?
Or a forbidden spell to reverse time?
He’d rush back twenty years and dice that clingy, embarrassing, brain-dead second-gen into dog food—to salvage his reputation!
Or at minimum—
Any spell to wipe that history from all witnesses’ minds?
He’d pay any price!
