Bai Yue stared at Fengxiu, dumbfounded. She remembered the Moon Night Chamber of Commerce—the largest trading house on the Holy Demonic Continent, which operated between the human and demon races. As far as she understood her father’s implication, the demon in control of the Moon Night Chamber of Commerce was the Star Demon God Agares.
Yet, her father had opened his mouth and demanded 51 percent of the equity, effectively forcing a change in ownership and a renaming of the entire organization. How could the Star Demon God possibly agree to that?
Agares’s lips twitched, but he swallowed the word "no" back down. It wasn't that he was stingy with wealth; rather, while the Moon Night Chamber of Commerce was his property, it had always been managed by his wife. He feared that if he rashly handed over the equity as a welcome gift to his niece, he would end up kneeling on a washboard all night and sleeping in the study once he got home.
Agares watched as Fengxiu brandished his sword scabbard. Gritting his teeth and stamping his foot, he relented. "Fine. The welcome gift shall be 51 percent of the Moon Night Chamber of Commerce for my niece. However, Yue'er, you will need to come to the Moon Demon Palace to sign the transfer agreement with your second aunt. I am usually quite busy, and she is the one who manages the affairs of the Chamber."
Vassago, the Star Demon God, shot a glance at Agares and twisted the knife: "Giving away such a hefty welcome gift, Second Brother? You’ll be sleeping in the study for sure. Cold nights, long moonlit evenings—how lonely and desolate that will be!"
"..." Agares was overcome with shame and anger. "Third Brother, shut your mouth! If it weren't for you, would I be getting fleeced by Big Brother?"
"You still have the nerve to mock me!"
Now it was Vassago’s turn to scramble away as Agares, once the hunted, became the hunter.
Fengxiu put away his staff and yawned. With keen interest, he retrieved some snacks from his ring—classic human treats—along with some drinks. These were things he had specifically tasked his subordinates to research, as he heard young human girls enjoyed them.
Fengxiu pulled up two chairs and invited his daughter to sit, enjoying the spectacle of the Moon Demon God and the Star Demon God.
"Yue'er, Agares is usually quite composed; there are truly few times when one can see him lose his footing like this. Record this scene. When you go to the Moon Demon Palace, show it to his wife. Based on this recording alone, she will be more than happy to sign the transfer contract with you."
"Ah? Father, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?" Bai Yue blinked, feeling that using this recording to trap her second uncle was perhaps not quite right.
Fengxiu was delighted by the affectionate way she called him "Father." He smiled gently and explained, "The second one is a henpecked husband. This is just a unique dynamic between him and his wife. You are merely giving his wife a ladder to step down on. Besides, his brain has been waterlogged—a little knock with a stick to shake it out might do him some good."
There were two reasons Fengxiu insisted Agares give such a generous gift: First, he wanted Agares to compensate Bai Yue and Bai Lingxuan. After all, Agares had previously misunderstood Lingxuan, spoken disparagingly of her, and harbored unfair prejudices against Yue'er; a bit of financial bleeding would serve as compensation for Yue'er’s mental distress. Second, he wanted Agares to feel enough pain to remember this lesson—that when there is a problem, one should ask directly rather than indulging in wild, baseless assumptions. We are all brothers, after all.
Bai Yue’s mouth twitched slightly. She looked from Fengxiu to Agares, then took the recording crystal and tucked it away. Forget it. She might not understand her aunt and uncle's marital quirks, but she would respect them. She never expected that the dignified Star Demon God, the second-in-command of the demon race, would be afraid of his wife. If she hadn't heard it from her father, she would never have believed it, no matter who else told her.
***
Three days later, Bai Yue received an invitation from the Moon Demon Princess to visit the Moon Demon Palace.
At that moment, A Bao was pestering his sister to read him human stories, and he insisted on tagging along. Bai Yue sent word to ask Fengxiu if she could bring A Bao, to which Fengxiu gave a wave of his hand. "Go, go!"
When Bai Yue arrived at the Moon Demon Palace with A Bao, the Moon Demon Princess, Yun Xi, greeted them personally and welcomed the siblings inside with great enthusiasm.
However, her expression faltered noticeably when she saw A Bao. She truly had not expected this new princess, Bai Yue, to get along so well with Prince A Bao.
A Bao was a tragic child; his mother had died of a hemorrhage the moment he was born. Rumors had spread throughout the Demon God Emperor Palace that he was cursed, and despite repeated attempts to suppress them, they persisted. Fengxiu, the Demon God Emperor, was a man consumed by state affairs, and his affection for A Bao was naturally limited. If Bai Yue could form a genuine sibling bond with him and provide him with her support, Yun Xi would feel much more at ease.
Yun Xi had been a close friend of A Bao's late mother. When they were young, they had even joked that if they had a boy and a girl, they would become in-laws, or if they had children of the same gender, they would make them sworn siblings. But time had passed, and everything had changed like smoke in the wind.
Yun Xi settled Bai Yue and A Bao in the reception hall, but she was soon flustered and called away by a nursemaid. "Princess, something is wrong! Princess Yueye is spitting up milk!"
Having cared for Haochen in her previous life, Bai Yue was adept at handling such situations, so she took A Bao and followed. While Yun Xi and the nursemaid were in a panic, Bai Yue stepped forward, picked up little Yueye, smoothed her back, and gently patted her. She then pressed several acupoints to aid digestion. Yueye let out a burp and looked at the beautiful sister, giggling and revealing a row of tiny, white teeth.
Seeing that Yueye had recovered, Bai Yue sighed in relief. Raising little ones was a technical skill, and she was a bit rusty. Yueye, now sixteen months old, didn't understand much, but she gripped Bai Yue’s clothing tightly with her tiny hands, crying out whenever anyone tried to pull her away.
A Bao stood by, watching his little sister and curiously poking her soft, rosy cheek. Each poke left a small dimple that immediately sprang back—it was fascinating. He poked her three times in a row, making her cry.
Bai Yue swatted away his restless hand, warning, "A Bao, if you keep being naughty, I won't tell you any more stories when we get back."
A Bao lowered his head and withdrew his hand, thinking to himself: *Babies are the most annoying creatures in existence! They steal my sister’s attention and her affection! I’m a kid too, yet she scolded me for her! Little Yueye, I will definitely pay you back for stealing my sister away!*
Seeing her daughter’s fondness for Bai Yue, Yun Xi smiled slightly. "It seems that you and Yueye are truly fated, niece. She usually doesn't let anyone hold her; she cries the moment someone tries."
"My sister is beloved by all demons! This little girl just knows who’s worth sticking to!" A Bao puffed out his chest, looking insufferably proud.
Embarrassed, Bai Yue quickly explained, "Aunt, I suppose I just have a natural affinity with children."