The dusk had faded, and night had fallen, yet the third floor of the Autumn Water Pavilion remained unlit.

Li Mo lounged casually on the soft couch, while Ying Bing sat cross-legged beside him, her delicate feet swaying playfully, her beautiful eyes glimmering in the darkness.

She noticed that when Li Mo spoke, his gaze looked ravenous—even though he had just eaten.

Aunt Gu’s grandson, or rather, Li Mo’s child.

But here was the question: Li Mo himself was a man, incapable of bearing children. So who would birth the little rascal’s own little rascal?

And more importantly...

How exactly were babies made?

In her two lifetimes, Ying Bing had remained utterly clueless about this. But thanks to the system, she had glimpsed the door to a whole new world inside the mind of a certain "gentleman."

Those fragments had turned into pink bubbles, bubbling and fizzing in her head.

"Ahem..."

Li Mo cleared his throat, unnerved by Ying Bing’s piercing stare.

When people feel awkward, they tend to busy themselves with something. So he casually slipped off her shoe—blaming her restless, dangling foot for catching the attention of this childish fool.

"?"

By the time Ying Bing snapped out of her daze, her slender leg had already settled naturally onto Li Mo’s thigh.

Her lashes fluttered slightly, bewildered by her foot’s sudden autonomy.

"One childish fool is already a handful. I can’t even imagine two more..."

Li Mo blinked. "Well, they might not be childish fools. They could be little ice blocks like you."

"True..."

For a fleeting moment, Ying Bing’s expression softened.

Back in the imperial capital, she had often seen fathers carrying their children on their shoulders while holding their wives’ hands—a perfectly ordinary scene. But if she replaced those faces with his and hers... the image refused to fade.

"Then... what’s the middle plan?"

Her mind was a muddled mess, and she didn’t dare dwell on it further.

"Ice block, we’re partners supporting each other, right?"

"Mhm, you could say that."

"So if I invest in you, become a shareholder, wouldn’t that be perfectly reasonable?"

Li Mo gazed at the breathtakingly beautiful "ice block" with the expression of an angel investor.

"Probably..." Ying Bing seemed oblivious to anything amiss, though her snow-white toes curled slightly.

"And if I’ve already invested, isn’t it normal to expect returns?"

Li Mo spoke with confidence, though his tone lacked conviction.

Well, even the system approved of this investment method. What could possibly be wrong?

It was just an extra step—shareholding.

Hearing this, Ying Bing narrowed her eyes. "Childish fool, I think you’re trying to trick me. What’s the last plan?"

After all, the first and middle plans were practically the same.

Li Mo averted his gaze, putting on his best innocent, clueless expression.

"The last plan is... that yellow thing."

"Sis doesn’t have any here."

This time, it was Ying Bing’s turn to feign ignorance.

"I couldn’t find it in my room either. Maybe I left it here. Let me check."

Before Ying Bing could nod, Li Mo gently pulled her into his arms, his mischievous hand resting on her abdomen, giving it a light rub.

"Hmm, nothing on the ice belly."

Li Mo mimicked her expression, squinting. "Must be hidden somewhere trickier. Maybe it’s stashed with the snacks?"

His hand slid to her waist. She parted her lips, but before she could utter a word, his mouth was on hers.

The pink bubbles in her head burst into fireworks, turning the brilliant mind of the Frost Fairy into mush.

Li Mo took his task seriously—even "searching" was no exception.

After a while, he still hadn’t found anything. When they finally broke apart, panting, he peeked open an eye to find Ying Bing studying him too.

As everyone knew, the ice block had a sharp tongue.

But right now, her lips were sealed, her already flushed cheeks deepening into a rosy hue. And when she noticed the smug look on Li Mo’s face, her competitive spirit flared.

She was the older one here.

How could she let this childish fool have the upper hand?

Summoning strength from who-knows-where, she grabbed his neck, flipped him over, and pinned him down, glaring down at him imperiously.

Ying Bing probably thought her gaze was icy and intimidating.

But to Li Mo, she just looked adorably clumsy—even the way she leaned in to kiss him was awkward.

"Ice block, wasn’t I supposed to be the one searching?"

"It might’ve... fallen on you. So I have to search too."

Ying Bing (attempting to maintain her cold demeanor) leaned in again.

But things didn’t go as she imagined. Even though she was the one pinning him down this time, why was her head still so foggy?

She probably didn’t realize—

This wasn’t suppression. At best, it was resistance.

And not very strong resistance at that. Soon, the tables turned again, and she felt her strength waning, as if sinking deeper into a warm spring.

Instinctively, she reached for something to hold onto—and she found it.

"?"

Was it the imperial decree?

But wasn’t the decree in her possession? When had Li Mo taken it?

Wait, no—a decree could be held in one hand, and it certainly didn’t get feverish.

Only living things burned hot when sick...

"Ice block, I wasn’t lying to you."

Their sweet, lingering kiss paused briefly, but their lips stayed connected. When they finally parted, a silvery strand glistened between them, stark in the unlit darkness.

"About what?"

"Hammer Baby really can manifest Heaven and Earth."

Li Mo’s voice was hoarse, sending a shiver down Ying Bing’s spine. She couldn’t even pretend to be cold and aloof anymore.

"I... I believe you. But the last plan..."

"Then let me search now."

"I... I already found it."

Her lashes fluttered as she quickly reached into the oversized doll and pulled out the decree.

"Not that one. That’s Hammer Baby." Li Mo pretended not to see, his hand instead reaching for the "snacks."

Plop—

The decree rolled helplessly to the floor, tumbling away.

"Childish fool, listen to me..."

"Childish fool?"

Being called that at a time like this was the last straw. Li Mo couldn’t resist—smack, smack—two swift pats landed on her backside. The first was out of sheer frustration, the second because it was oddly satisfying.

"B-brother..."

The once-majestic Frost Fairy was now utterly docile, curled up in his arms, biting her lip pitifully, her delicate fingers clutching his collar.

It was hard to believe this was the same aloof beauty with the aura of an empress.

"First the last plan, then the middle, then the first... okay?"

Ying Bing was afraid the date on the decree might pass before—

The little childish fool would inherit Li Mo’s regret—never witnessing his parents’ wedding.

If that happened, even if she hit someone, it’d count as a group beating.

Was that fair?

No, it wasn’t.

......

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. As you all know, this struggling author has no backlog—none whatsoever. Every chapter is written fresh daily. And tomorrow, a horde of relatives will descend upon my home bright and early.

So I can’t promise updates tomorrow. Today and tomorrow will be single updates, but after the New Year festivities, normal service will resume.

This struggling author isn’t great with fancy words, so I’ll just wish you all a year ahead filled with mountains of wealth.

Mwah mwah!