While Thio and Zihao silently battled for their mommy's affection, Yetao stood beaming with happiness, completely oblivious to the subtle war unfolding before him. Bambam, meanwhile, found himself lost in Yetao's radiant smile.
Thio noticed his father's gaze—eyes filled with undisguised love as they watched Yetao. Normally, this sight would have warmed his heart, but instead, he felt a sharp pang of sorrow. He knew all too well that fate had other plans for his parents, and the future might not allow them the happiness they currently shared.
His lips trembled with the weight of knowledge he couldn't share. Yet, unwilling to shatter Yetao's moment of pure joy, he forced himself to remain silent. Some truths were better left unspoken—at least for now.
"Taotao?" a new voice called out, shattering the moment.
Yetao whirled around, surprise blossoming across his features. "Aunt?"
Without hesitation, Yetao dashed toward the woman and enveloped her in a tight embrace. When he had first arrived in this world, she had merely been someone he admired from afar. Now, knowing she was truly his aunt, he felt overwhelmed with gratitude for everything she had done—raising him as her own in his mother's absence.
Behind Yang Mi stood Jackson, his expression a mixture of worry and frustration.
"Taotao," Yang Mi began, her voice tight with concern, "Don't be afraid and speak to me. What did they do to you?" Her eyes darted suspiciously toward the others, bristling with protective fury.
Yetao blinked innocently, confused by her sudden anger. He glanced at Jackson, who merely stood there with a helpless expression.
"Why are you looking at him?" Yang Mi cut in sharply. "Tell me boldly, Taotao. Don't be scared of them. As long as I'm here, no one can do anything to you." She shot a venomous glare at Bambam, who tilted his head in surprise, completely clueless about the source of her animosity.
"Taotao, the servant girl I sent with you has already reported everything to me," she continued, her words tumbling out in a rush of concern. "What did I tell you? I told you to send me a message if anyone tried to bully you, and you never did! But she reported everything. Did the Snake Lord bully you so badly? Is that why you fell ill for ten days?"
Yetao struggled to process her rapid-fire accusations, finally realizing she was referring to the ten days they had been trapped in the illusion of his second life. But how could he possibly explain everything that had happened? Where would he even begin?
"No, Aunt, that is..." he hesitated, words failing him.
"Even when I came here, this man blocked me for hours from meeting you," Yang Mi complained, gesturing toward Jackson. "Just what is happening?"
Bambam shot Jackson a surprised look, while the latter remained helplessly silent.
Zihao, standing at a distance where Yang Mi hadn't yet noticed him, observed Yetao's growing frustration. Deciding to help, he quickly transformed into his child form and interrupted the tense exchange.
"Mommy, is this grandma?" he asked, tilting his head with perfectly feigned innocence.
Yetao gasped in shock at the sudden transformation. Yang Mi froze in confusion.
Not to be outdone, Thio followed Zihao's lead, shifting into his own child form. He bowed respectfully to Yang Mi, saying, "Greetings, Grandmother," while sneaking a triumphant smirk at Zihao for his superior manners.
Zihao quickly matched the bow. "Greetings, Grandmother."
Yang Mi stood speechless, her gaze swinging back to Yetao in a silent demand for explanation. Bambam, watching his children's performance, struggled to contain his laughter behind a poorly concealed smile.
Yetao could only force a strained smile in response to his aunt's bewilderment.
Zihao pressed his advantage. "Grandmother, Mommy has told us so much about you, but I never thought you'd be so pretty and charismatic in real life." He unleashed the full force of his cuteness, drawing on memories of Yang Mi from his previous life to perfectly target her weaknesses.
Unwilling to lose ground, Thio deployed his own charm offensive. "Granny's the best! She's so pretty" His smile was so dazzling it seemed to make the very surroundings blur around its edges.
Yang Mi's stern expression melted like snow in spring sunshine. She looked at Yetao questioningly, as if asking whether these children were truly his. Yetao could only force another smile and nod in confirmation.
Thio and Zihao exchanged triumphant glances, their momentary alliance in manipulation proving successful.
"Granny, Thio will show you around the palace," Thio offered sweetly.
"There's a big garden with pretty flowers there," Zihao added. "Zihao wants to make a flower wreath for granny."
Author's note: Speaking as a third person is a form of cuteness, if you didn't know
Together, they began gently tugging Yang Mi away. Despite her initial resistance, she found herself yielding to their combined charm offensive.
Before departing, Thio glanced back and nodded meaningfully at Xiong, who understood the silent instruction. Xiong promptly gathered Jeff and the others, leading them away with promises of explanations, effectively leaving Bambam and Yetao alone.
Zihao turned back briefly to give Yetao a not-so-subtle thumbs up for their engineered alone time.
Bambam, still admiring and swelling with pride over their clever children, completely missed the significance of the suddenly private atmosphere they'd created.
The garden fell silent, save for the distant sound of children's laughter and the soft whisper of wind through ancient trees. For the first time since their reunion, Yetao and Bambam found themselves truly alone—two souls with a lifetime of words left unspoken between them.
When Bambam finally realized the precious moment of privacy their children had so cleverly orchestrated, he approached Yetao slowly. Yetao stood with his back toward him, silhouetted against the fading light. Bambam placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, a silent request for conversation.
Yetao turned—not to speak, but to strike.
His fist connected with Bambam's stomach, causing the latter to double over with a groan of pain.
"Taotao!!!" Bambam gasped, utterly bewildered by the sudden assault.
Yetao wasn't finished. He grabbed Bambam's ears and twisted them mercilessly. "What? You know me? I thought you ditched me for that doppelganger," he yelled, eyes flashing with righteous anger.
Bambam winced. "When did I ditch you?" he protested.
Yetao twisted harder, drawing another pained groan. "Wow! Seems like your hearing abilities are still good. Did you switch them off when I screamed with all my might not to inhale that freaking ash?" His voice rose with each word. "And why were you protecting him? Will you fall in love with everyone who looks like me?"
"How can that be, Taotao?" Bambam replied with a soft smile that didn't match his grimace of pain. "He's nothing in front of you."
Yetao's eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "Why? Because NOTHING LASTS FOREVER?"
Surprise flickered across Bambam's face. "Taotao! When did you become so good at this?"
"I've lived with you for almost a millennium," Yetao shot back. "Of course I know how your stupid brain works." With a final vindictive twist of Bambam's ears, he released him and stepped back, lips forming a defiant pout.
Bambam's ears throbbed painfully, but his expression softened as he gently took Yetao's hands in his own. "I protected him because he was a part of you, Taotao. Each version, each part, and all the things or people you cherish... I want to protect them all, because you're everything in my life."
The tender confession melted Yetao's anger instantly. He flung himself into Bambam's arms, hugging him tightly. Bambam returned the embrace with equal fervor, a smile lighting his features.
"If you ever put your life in danger in our world, I'll really kill you," Yetao murmured against his chest.
Bambam's body stiffened momentarily, his smile vanishing. Yetao felt the sudden tension and pulled back to look into his face.
"Why are you surprised?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. "We're going back to our world tomorrow. Did you not get the notification?"
A shadow of pain crossed Bambam's eyes, though he struggled to maintain his smile. His heart constricted painfully in his chest.
Concern furrowed Yetao's brow. "What happened, Bambam? Are you missing this place already?" He cupped Bambam's cheeks tenderly.
Bambam shook off his melancholy—there would be time for sorrow later. Now was for making memories. He suddenly swept Yetao into his arms.
"As if," he scoffed with a forced brightness. "I just remembered we need to go somewhere."
Despite Bambam's attempt at nonchalance, Yetao sensed something amiss in his expression. Before he could question further, he found himself airborne, Bambam's powerful wings carrying them skyward. His concerns transformed into delighted screams as they soared through the clouds.
Tears streamed from Bambam's eyes, carried away by the rushing wind. Yetao noticed only when a stray droplet landed on his cheek.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, alarm evident in his voice.
"Must be the wind," Bambam lied, forcing another smile.
They descended upon the shore of the island where they had spent their second life together. Yetao landed on the sand, his eyes widening with recognition and joy.
"This..." Words failed him as emotion overwhelmed his senses. He looked at Bambam, who stood watching him with quiet contentment.
Overcome with excitement, Yetao raced across the shore, retracing paths from memories long cherished. He darted into the island's interior, seeking the fruit tree he had so often climbed in another lifetime. Next, he searched for and discovered the entrance to their cave—the birthplace of their children.
Inside, Yetao found everything exactly as it had been. He explored like a curious cat, eventually stopping before the mysterious orb where they had once contributed their energies to create new life. He bit his lip, a silent question in his eyes.
Understanding his unspoken desire, Bambam approached the orb. "We can always have room for another kid," he suggested with a gentle smile.
Yetao blushed deeply but placed his hand alongside Bambam's on the glowing surface. Their energies flowed together, intertwining in a dance of creation they now performed with full awareness of its significance.
After a moment of breathless anticipation, a pearl formed at the top of the orb. Yetao's face illuminated with wonder as he carefully—hands trembling slightly—took the pearl into his palms.
Bambam smiled at the beautiful sight before him, though his heart ached knowing he would never again witness such joy on Yetao's face after tomorrow.
Exhausted from their explorations, they eventually lay side by side on the shore, the gentle waves providing a soothing backdrop to their shared silence. Yetao turned to Bambam with a serious expression.
"I know why you're acting suspicious," he declared.
Bambam flinched visibly.
"Are you worried that you'll be old in our world?" Yetao asked.
Bambam blinked in confusion.
Yetao sighed, taking Bambam's hand in his. "Listen carefully. Even if you have wrinkles and is unable to move, I'll still love your form because that's still you, just like how you love every part of me." His expression was both desperate and tender.
Tears welled in Bambam's eyes, unbidden and unstoppable.
"Huh? Why are you crying again?" Yetao teased. "Did what I said touch you that much?"
Bambam hastily wiped away his tears. "You wish," he retorted with a forced pout. "My ear is still throbbing from what you did earlier."
Yetao leaned closer, his breath warm against Bambam's skin. He nibbled gently on the injured ear before placing a soft kiss upon it.
"Now, is it alright?" he whispered, his gaze magnetic and irresistible.
Unable to resist, Bambam captured Yetao's lips in a passionate kiss, moving to position himself above the other. Yetao's arms encircled his neck, surrendering completely to the kiss. The world around them faded to insignificance as they lost themselves in each other's warmth and breath.
Their intimate moment was interrupted only by a sudden blinding light emanating from the pearl they had created. Flushed and slightly disoriented, they quickly composed themselves to welcome the new arrival.
Yetao touched the pearl gently. It cracked open, revealing a tiny, perfect turtle. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he exchanged glances with an equally enthralled Bambam.
Bambam reached out to touch the small creature, transferring a portion of his energy. In a shimmer of light, the turtle transformed into a small child with the most angelic smile imaginable.
"Mommy," the child called to Yetao, voice sweet as spring rain.
Both parents leaned down simultaneously to kiss the child's cheeks, then turned to each other with expressions of pure love—a perfect moment frozen in time, untainted by the shadows of tomorrow.
"What should we name this one?" Yetao asked, excitement dancing in his eyes as he cradled their newborn child.
Bambam smiled softly, gesturing that the choice was entirely Yetao's to make. This moment—this precious sliver of happiness—deserved to be preserved in a name of Yetao's choosing.
Yetao's brow furrowed in thought, considering and discarding names in rapid succession. Finally, his expression brightened with decision.
"Carrot," he announced with certainty.
Bambam blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such an unconventional choice.
Noticing his reaction, Yetao smiled tenderly at the child and explained, "You'll break through the soil and reach the sun with a radiant smile on your face, never fading." he continued, "Just like how the radiant orange colour against this island's blue sky makes a unique hue, I want your sunny smile to never fade and always create your own hue" His voice carried the weight of prophecy, a parent's wish crystallized into words.
The child beamed in response, as if already understanding the profound meaning behind his name.
Bambam's initial confusion melted into admiration. "You have a talent for naming kids," he teased with a playful glint in his eye. "Want to make another one?" and Yetao glared at Bambam.
Carrot smiled brightly at Bambam, the child's innocent eyes filled with instant adoration for his/her father.
Bambam was surprised. "Out of our three kids, this is the only one that doesn't hate me, I guess," Bambam observed with mock resignation. "Forget it, we're good with three."
He lifted Carrot high into his arms, spinning the little one gently as peals of childish laughter joined the whisper of waves against the shore. The little one's joy was infectious, drawing smiles from both parents despite the unspoken knowledge that shadowed their hearts.
The gentle breeze carried their laughter across the island—a perfect moment of family harmony suspended in time, preserved like amber against the inevitable flow of fate. In this golden hour, with the sun setting on their paradise, they were simply a family: complete, united, and happy beyond measure.
As twilight descended, casting long shadows across the sand, the wind seemed to gather their happiness, carrying it upward to be etched among the emerging stars—a constellation of memories that would outlast even time itself.
As the sun set on their island paradise, Bambam never spoke of the inevitable parting that awaited. For now, this moment—this family—was all that mattered.