“......”
The air was silent for three seconds.
“Hey!”
Wen Li’s face paled in fright, and she shot up, retreating several steps backward.
“Don't just randomly call me that! I’m not married, nor have I ever been intimate with anyone, so I can’t have given birth to you.”
Hua Cishu’s eyes drooped at her words, a hint of sadness flickering within them. “If you’re not my mother, then why did you take me in? Are you also like those from the Demon Race, planning to take me to a beast-fighting arena for fun?”
“I’m not your mother; I’m your Master.”
These words silenced Wen Li. She walked forward again and crouched down, declaring earnestly, “Follow me. As long as I have food to eat, you’ll have a bowl to wash.”
Hua Cishu, “......”
He might as well follow Wangquan Sheng; at least Wangquan Sheng gave him a cake to eat.
“Ah, no, I mean, as long as I have food to eat, you’ll have soup to drink.” Wen Li, after speaking carelessly, noticed his expression change and immediately reacted, changing her words to trick him. “I’m very rich, richer than Wangquan Sheng. I can guarantee you meat for every meal, and you won’t be able to finish it all, so you can take the leftovers with you.”
Hua Cishu, who hadn’t been educated or undergone her literacy program like Xie Tinglan had for a year, didn’t understand the cultural meaning of “you won’t be able to finish it all, so you can take the leftovers with you.” He only understood it literally.
He could take a bag of leftovers with him if he couldn’t finish it all; she was very generous. She must really be rich.
Hua Cishu simply agreed without asking anything else, unlike Yao Dai, who had asked Wen Li what she could give her when she became her disciple, and unlike Xie Tinglan, who sought temporary freedom, or Gu Linshu and Zongzheng Huangyue, who sought to defy the Heavenly Mandate.
“Alright, then I’ll acknowledge you as my Master.”
He agreed simply because following Wen Li meant he would have food. Not knowing the etiquette of discipleship, he stood up and rushed towards Wen Li, embracing her and softly calling out, “Mother!”
The little guy, whose head reached a bit above Wen Li’s knees, looked up, his eyes full of obedience.
Wen Li’s brow twitched, and she quickly corrected him, “Hey, don’t call me ‘Mother.’ Master is Master; you’re only allowed to call me ‘Master.’”
Hua Cishu pursed his lips and drooped his ears. “......Alright.”
His dark pupils lightened slightly, turning amber, which reduced their aggressive appearance.
Wen Li noticed his messy hair and ragged clothes, which looked like they had been worn for ages. She rummaged through her storage bag but couldn't find a suitable size. The one she had sewn for Xie Tinglan was for a four-year-old, too small. So, she decided to sew a new set.
She handed a pile of food to Hua Cishu. “You eat this for now; I’ll sew you some clothes.”
Hua Cishu looked up at her, seeing her skillfully working with an adult’s faded, patched clothing. He couldn’t help but ask, “......Master, there’s no need, is there? What you have in your hand and what I’m wearing seem to be no different.”
They were both equally tattered; it would be a waste of effort.
“......” What was he saying? Hers was clearly cleaner.
Wen Li paused, taking a closer look at the fabric in her hand. It was indeed quite old. It wouldn't do to reveal her impoverished aura right after taking in a new disciple. She cleared her throat and calmly nodded. “You reminded me; I picked the wrong one.”
She simply “borrowed” a new set of clothes from Gu Linshu’s storage bag and began sewing them anew.
Hua Cishu watched her. He didn’t touch the food but quietly moved closer, picked up a piece of pastry, and fed it to the busy Wen Li.
“Master, eat.”
Wen Li shook her head. “You eat; I’m not hungry.”
These pastries were almost expired; she would wait until next time to buy fresh ones.
Hua Cishu’s long eyelashes trembled. He thought she was being considerate of him. He quietly stuffed his mouth full of pastries, continuously chewing even after his stomach was full. Why was she being so kind to him? How long would she be kind to him?
A day, a month.
Or a year.
Wen Li finished sewing the clothes. “Alright, come and try them on.”
She looked up and saw him lying motionless on the ground, his mouth stuffed with food, his belly puffed up like a small ball. Wen Li was startled and quickly got up to pick up the child.
“You’re not choking, are you?!” She wondered why she hadn’t heard a sound from him for so long.
A quiet child must be up to no good.
She was already preparing to administer the Heimlich maneuver when Hua Cishu opened his eyes, shook his head, and spoke. “No, I’m just lying here because I ate too much.”
Relieved to hear he was alive, Wen Li let out a long breath and quickly made him sit up, gently rubbing his stomach.
“Why did you eat so much? You’ll throw up if you eat too much. From now on, you can have food whenever you want; there’s no need to fear not having enough.”
Hua Cishu’s long eyelashes trembled. He got up and sat in Wen Li’s lap, cautiously looking up at her. Seeing that she didn’t object, he settled down comfortably.
“Master.”
“Mm.”
“Do you know who I am?”
He was a demon, a half-human, half-demon hybrid. She was human. Didn’t humans all hate and despise the Demon Race?
Wen Li spoke casually, her hands continuing to gently rub his stomach.
“You’re Hua Cishu, who else could you be?”
Hua Cishu frowned slightly. She knew his name. She was able to provide a Demon General’s heart for his healing, so it was impossible for her not to know that he was from the Demon Race. Or perhaps, she didn’t care.
Once his stomach felt a little better, Wen Li quickly took out the newly sewn clothes for him. “Come on, try them on and see if they fit.”
“Mm.”
Hua Cishu’s amber pupils curved into a smile. He carefully took the clothes, then looked up at Wen Li.
Wen Li waved her hand and closed her eyes.
“Change, go on. I won’t peek.”
Hua Cishu then turned around in relief and took off his clothes.
Wen Li opened her eyes just a crack, seeing his fair skin covered in old, scarred scabs. On his left buttock was a red birthmark, like a little pig-head. A thought sparked in her mind.
【System, Hua Cishu’s brother wouldn’t also have a birthmark, would he?】
【He does. Except for their personalities, most twins are almost identical in appearance and body. Later in the plot, Hua Cishu sees the birthmark on his Chosen of the Heavenly Dao brother’s body and deduces the truth of what happened back then.】
Wen Li’s expression became strange. She couldn’t imagine under what circumstances Hua Cishu would see another adult man’s butt. Although the background was tragic, she couldn’t help but find it a bit bizarre and hard to take seriously.
Rate on N.U.
