Chapter 10: Mischief on the Move and a Locked First Floor

Thanks to the System, Gu Yunfei knew Qing Zhuer would be fine, so he wasn’t overly worried.

Besides, worrying wouldn’t help.

Liu Hongmei desperately wanted to find a corner on the flying boat to hide in.

She wished she could turn invisible, unseen by others.

“Baby, don’t tickle Mommy.”

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Qing Zhener, at her side, noticed something off about her new mother.

“Nothing, nothing. How old are you this year, little Zhener?”

Liu Hongmei tried to shift her focus elsewhere.

“Mommy, I’m twelve this year, and my sister’s six.”

Qing Zhener cherished her new Grandpa, Mommy, and little brother.

Though her brother was a bit naughty.

Qing Zhener saw Mommy tremble as if shocked and grew curious.

“Mommy, did you just shiver? Are you cold?”

She took off her own clothes and draped them over Liu Hongmei.

“Oh, yes, thank you, baby.”

Liu Hongmei, trying to distract herself, had let her mind wander, but her daughter’s call snapped her back.

[Liu Hongmei’s current favorability: 99.]

The System displayed Liu Hongmei’s favorability.

Gu Yunfei smirked inwardly.

“As expected, this is how you raise favorability.”

As he patted the cafeteria sister’s head, hearing Liu Hongmei’s “Thank you, baby,” he thought she meant him and got fired up again.

[Leng Ningbing’s current favorability: -40.]

“Damn it!”

Gu Yunfei, who’d been delighted, saw Leng Ningbing’s favorability drop, and his grin vanished.

“That woman! What the hell is she doing?!”

He cursed Leng Ningbing in his heart.

He adjusted his mood, planning to continue—eating while bragging to the two cafeteria sisters.

But the sister at the left window suddenly told him the first-floor cafeteria in the dorm had opened!

Gu Yunfei’s wicked grin returned.

The thought of what he’d do next thrilled him!

His little legs raced toward the first-floor cafeteria.

Using his childhood favorite move—sliding down the stairs—he zoomed to the first floor.

But when he arrived, he found the door locked.

He tried pushing with his hands and kicking with his feet to see if it would budge.

The more he pushed, the tighter it held.

Liu Hongmei, chatting with Qing Zhener as they walked, suddenly noticed the sash at her waist loosening.

She quickly tightened it, fearing her baby would fall.

Gu Yunfei, seeing this, didn’t know what to do and reluctantly returned to the second floor.

With Liu Hongmei’s favorability just 5 points from max, he planned to repeat his trick to get those last points in one go.

Qing Zhener, holding hands with Liu Hongmei, suddenly felt her new mother’s grip tighten painfully.

“Hiss—”

Qing Zhener winced, looking up at Liu Hongmei.

Liu Hongmei stood frozen, eyes staring into the distance, her focus entirely on battling her own willpower.

“Mommy, my hand hurts~”

Qing Zhener called out.

Liu Hongmei didn’t hear, still fighting her inner resolve.

At first, Qing Zhener thought Mommy accidentally hurt her, but after calling out in pain several times, she realized what was happening.

It reminded her of a childhood memory.

Back then, her family watched a commotion unfold.

It started when… well, not quite since Pangu split the heavens and earth.

A bit too far back.

Her neighbor’s family was a blended one.

The eldest was from the father’s late first wife, the younger from the current mother.

Once, while playing, the two kids accidentally set a nearby house on fire.

Everyone rushed to put it out, and thankfully, no one was hurt.

Their mother grabbed a broom and beat both kids.

Since the younger was small and the elder was bigger, most of the blows landed on the elder.

This sparked village gossip.

“Stepmothers are stepmothers. They beat non-biological kids to death.”

When the husband learned of this, he checked his eldest son’s injuries.

Seeing how severe they were, he angrily struck his wife.

The wife, feeling wronged and trying to explain, was accused of talking back.

The couple fought physically.

But how could the wife overpower her husband?

She stewed in anger until night, then, under the pretense of using the bathroom, jumped into a well to end her life.

Qing Zhener snapped back, looking at her red, squeezed hand, gritting her teeth to endure.

But an adult’s strength, especially a Golden Core cultivator like Liu Hongmei, even with suppressed cultivation, was far beyond a child’s.

With Qing Zhener’s involuntary cry of pain, Liu Hongmei also cried out, then collapsed, twitching.

“Mother!”

Qing Zhener knelt beside Liu Hongmei, shaking her body.

Moments later, Liu Hongmei’s dazed eyes refocused.

Seeing her daughter’s red hand, guilt overwhelmed her.

*

Le Yushang, in the cockpit watching the route, announced they were nearing the Great Liang capital.

Gu Yunfei and Qing Zhener were already asleep against Liu Hongmei’s body.

Liu Hongmei, influenced by them, had also napped.

At Liang Dekuai’s call, the three stirred groggily.

Liu Hongmei brought Gu Yunfei and Qing Zhener to Liang Dekuai’s side.

“Hm? Daughter, why’s your dress wet?”

Liu Hongmei looked down, realizing her skirt was damp, and quickly thought.

“Oh, the baby and Zhener were drooling while sleeping.”

Qing Zhener blushed, unsure if she drooled in her sleep.

Gu Yunfei looked calm, but inwardly his grin was wild.

“Drool? That’s clearly…”

Liu Hongmei waved her hand, instantly refreshing her dress.

Qing Zhener stared, wide-eyed.

“Mommy, how’d you do that?!”

Before Liu Hongmei could answer, Le Yushang seized the chance to show off.

“What’s so hard about that? Granddaughter, once we rescue your sister, I’ll teach you.”

Le Yushang laughed heartily.

“Yay, yay!”

Qing Zhener clapped excitedly.

“Grandpa, me, me!”

Gu Yunfei couldn’t miss this chance.

“I won’t forget you, my little rascal, but you’re a bit young. You might not understand.”

Le Yushang patted his head.

Gu Yunfei crossed his arms, giving Liang Dekuai a disdainful look, making her laugh.

“Hahaha, but for a clever kid like you, you might just learn it!”

Gu Yunfei grinned.

He checked Liu Hongmei’s favorability on the System panel.

[Liu Hongmei’s current favorability: 99 (Threshold reached).]

“Threshold reached? Does that mean it can’t go higher?”

Gu Yunfei was puzzled, asking the System inwardly.

[Cannot be determined. Depends on Host’s actions. It may never increase, or it may rise the next moment.]

Gu Yunfei felt the System said something but also nothing at all.