Chapter 30: Feng Qizhou: That’s Going Too Far. After All, I Had a Baby for You.
Although she spoke lightly, Xue Yu was truly in a difficult situation.
If it were only Xue Xiaohai, she would be filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow, thinking about being a good mother, thinking about shouting to her own mother: Mom, I’m a mom too! I have my own child!
But now, learning that she had five children, she only wanted to wipe her tears and shout: Mom, I want to go home!
A few people were walking towards them. Xue Yu awkwardly pulled away from Zhou Siyan and said in a low voice, “Alright, I have to go back to the mining district. You should go back and check on Xue Xiaohai.”
“Okay, be careful on your way.”
Zhou Siyan took the opportunity to stuff a wad of cash into her backpack.
Xue Yu felt it through the backpack. It was quite heavy. She remembered that when they broke up, Zhou Siyan had also given her a heavy wad of cash.
When they broke up, Zhou Siyan had wrapped a wad of cash in red paper and given it to her, saying, “Xue Yu, I’m joining the conservatives from now on.”
He hadn’t actually formally said, let’s make a clean break, you go your way, I’ll go mine, we’ll never see each other again.
But Xue Yu knew that joining the extreme sexual conservatives meant completely cutting ties with former lovers and becoming a cold, unfeeling ascetic.
She also understood Zhou Siyan. Joining the conservatives was the best way to get promoted.
Before they broke up, their counselor had come to persuade Zhou Siyan to join the conservatives several times, trying to convince him and suggesting that he undergo castration surgery, removing all related organs so that he could focus on his career and get promoted faster.
The counselor had come several times and had spoken with Zhou Siyan in the dorm.
Xue Yu’s grades were poor at the time, and she was as afraid of seeing the teacher as a primary school student. She had hidden under the covers and refused to come out.
She had only heard Zhou Siyan say, “No, I still need these things to serve my girlfriend.”
The counselor had then come up with a new idea: Have your girlfriend undergo the surgery too. Then you can stop dating and become revolutionary comrades, getting promoted together and contributing to the White Tower together!
Zhou Siyan had politely refused.
After they broke up, Xue Yu had held the wad of cash Zhou Siyan had given her. She knew that it was all of Zhou Siyan’s savings.
The day after they started dating, Zhou Siyan had discovered that she was very poor and had opened a shared account for her. She had always known how much money Zhou Siyan had.
Zhou Siyan was also an orphan. When they were dating, he had earned money by capturing Abominations outside, supporting both himself and Xue Yu.
Xue Yu had felt very uneasy with the money. She had gone to the dormitory of the extreme sexual conservatives, wanting to return the money to Zhou Siyan, or at least half of it.
But the administrator had not let her in, saying sternly, “Conservatives cannot have contact with open-minded people. If you want to come in, you have to join the conservatives too!”
Xue Yu had taken the money and was determined to pull herself together. She had signed up for tutoring classes.
The tuition was very expensive. As she attended the classes, she felt that she was making good progress.
She became more and more engrossed in the tutoring classes and accidentally spent all the money, which was enough to cover her living expenses for three years.
But when she returned to take a small test, she discovered that the gap between species could not be bridged by money and effort. She had made a lot of progress, but without a spirit body, she still couldn’t amount to much.
***
Thinking that Zhou Siyan still had to raise a child, Xue Yu took out the money and returned it to him. “Why are you giving me money? Save it for the child.”
“I can’t transfer a large amount to you. The conservatives will investigate if they find out.”
Zhou Siyan stuffed the money back into her bag and zipped it up. “Don’t go looking for any more tutoring classes. If you really want to improve, just practice slowly according to the manual.”
“Oh.”
The sound of leather shoes on the ground approached. Feng Qizhou, wearing a white lab coat, had his hands in his pockets. “Tsk, tsk, a conservative and an open-minded person getting all tangled up. Director Zhou, aren’t you afraid of being reported?”
Xue Yu was startled and turned to meet Feng Qizhou’s amber eyes. “Why are you always appearing out of nowhere?”
Feng Qizhou: “I’m just working and walking normally. How is that appearing out of nowhere?”
Xue Yu first gave Zhou Siyan a reassuring look, then walked to the side and gestured for Feng Qizhou to come over. She had something to say.
Feng Qizhou’s expensive leather shoes clicked on the metal floor. He strode over and stood in front of Xue Yu, his peach blossom eyes shimmering with a layer of light. He leaned down and asked, “What do you want to tell me?”
Xue Yu really wanted to ask, Did you secretly have my baby?
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She just kept glancing down at his abdomen. “Um, Qizhou, how have you been feeling lately?”
Feng Qizhou’s petal-like, rosy lips curved into a smile. “Not too good. I’ve been staying up late a lot recently.”
Xue Yu: “Staying up late is not good. You should do it less.”
Feng Qizhou gazed at her perky nose and round eyes, and for some reason, he imagined what his two twin daughters would look like when they grew up. If they took after their mother, they would be quite pretty.
As for their personality, they couldn’t be too much like their mother. Their mother was too honest and easily taken advantage of.
“Feng Qizhou?” Xue Yu tilted her head to look at him.
Feng Qizhou came back to his senses. “Oh, what were you saying to me?”
The words spun in Xue Yu’s mouth. She didn’t know what to say and couldn’t stop looking at his abdomen. “You… oh, never mind. I wish you good health.”
Feng Qizhou said in a low voice, “Your eyes are practically tearing my clothes off. We’ve already broken up. Are you still lusting after your ex-boyfriend’s body?”
Xue Yu’s ears turned red in an instant. “Nonsense.”
With such a sharp tongue, you can raise the child yourself in the future. I’m not getting involved!
With that thought, Xue Yu turned and left.
It was indeed getting late. She went to Zhou Siyan’s side and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
“I don’t know how to ask. If Feng Qizhou is unwilling to say, he must have his own reasons. When he’s willing to tell me, I think he’ll come to me himself.”
Zhou Siyan: “Yes. If he’s willing to give us the child, I will also be responsible.”
Xue Yu: “I’m so touched. According to the data in the spiritual landscape, I might have a total of five children. This…”
Zhou Siyan’s eyelashes trembled. He swallowed, and the corner of his mouth twitched, as if he were trying to find the right words.
Xue Yu blinked at him. “Xue Xiaohai’s daddy?”
That “Xue Xiaohai’s daddy” finally made Zhou Siyan make up his mind. “I will raise them all. Don’t worry too much.”
Xue Yu was genuinely touched and nodded. “It’s a good thing you’re so tolerant and generous. Otherwise, with so many kids, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Zhou Siyan, under the cover of his clothes, squeezed her fingers. “Be more careful in the future. Don’t have relations with people casually.”
He pursed his lips and added, “Even if you have to have relations, you have to discuss it with me first. Otherwise, if you have a child, everyone will be caught off guard.”
Xue Yu straightened up and promised, “I won’t. So many kids are enough for me to handle.”
After Xue Yu left, Zhou Siyan and Feng Qizhou exchanged a look but said nothing.
***
After leaving the Manster Building, Xue Yu ran into Yan Wantang, who was openly walking her dog outside.
Yan Wantang was wearing a blue-gray uniform with a violet insignia on her chest. Below the insignia was a small nameplate: White Tower, Area A, Affairs Department, Head of Affairs, Yan Wantang.
The two of them met. Xue Yu couldn’t avoid her and forced a stiff smile. “Hey, Wantang, long time no see.”
Her gaze fell on the glossy-furred Tibetan mastiff next to Yan Wantang. “Brother-in-law looks much better. His complexion is good.”
Yan Wantang’s brow twitched. She rolled her eyes at her. “This is a real dog!”
Xue Yu paused and squinted to take a closer look. Only then did she realize that this was a real Tibetan mastiff, not Yan Wantang’s husband in a dog skin from before.
She quickly slapped her own mouth. “Look at my eyes. I’m so sorry.”
Yan Wantang glared at Xue Yu. “Don’t mention my Ah Gou again. I’ve joined the conservatives, so I can’t have any intimate relationships. And I have more enemies than Zhou Siyan. Don’t go around talking about my Ah Gou, in case you get him involved.”
Xue Yu: “Who is Ah Gou?”
Yan Wantang: “He’s my husband. No, my ex-husband. The one you saw last time.”
Xue Yu made an OK gesture. “I understand.”
Yan Wantang was very straightforward and chatted with Xue Yu for a few minutes.
Only then did Xue Yu learn that Yan Wantang had killed the head of the affairs department and had also joined the extreme sexual conservatives. Then, after an organizational review, her criminal charges had been dropped, and she had been appointed to take over the position of head of the affairs department.
Xue Yu was stunned. It was terrifying.
She suddenly felt that being a small miner in the mining district was quite good. There wasn’t so much fighting and killing.
She said goodbye to Yan Wantang.
Xue Yu ran to the station and took the levitation train back to the mining district.
When she arrived at the dorm, she first went to the 20th floor to find Manager Chen of the mining district and showed her the registration card for her awakened spirit body.
“Manager Chen, I plan to participate in the promotion selection competition in ten days. I’d like to ask for another ten days of leave. Can you give me a leave slip to prove that I’m not an unemployed vagrant during these ten days?”
Ms. Chen looked at her attendance record. “What have you been doing this month? You haven’t come to work at all?”
“Because I was about to awaken my spirit body, I went to the training grounds in the central district to train.”
Xue Yu summoned Blueberry. “Manager, look, this is my spirit body. Please give me a leave slip. I really want to improve.”
Manager Chen looked at the proud seahorse and finally gave Xue Yu a leave slip.
Xue Yu carefully put away the leave slip and returned to her dorm on the 66th floor with Blueberry.
Lying on her small single bed, Xue Yu felt completely relaxed. The single life was the best!
She hummed “Where Has the Time Gone?”, petted Blueberry, closed her eyes, and opened the spiritual landscape in her mind.
She discovered that on the fruit of the reproduction tree in the landscape, a series of dynamic data was constantly appearing.
Child’s height +0.002cm, mother’s stamina +2;
Child’s weight +0.013kg, mother’s strength +4;
Child’s crawling +25m, mother’s speed +8;
Child’s turning over 5 times, mother’s reflexes +21;
…
Xue Yu suddenly sat up from the bed. So this was the positive feedback of the reproductive ability. The more the child grew, the more spiritual power she would gain!
This data should have been there since Xue Xiaohai was born.
But at that time, she hadn’t activated the data of the spiritual landscape, so she hadn’t seen it.
Xue Yu rubbed her hands together. She was now living off her child.
She then observed the other number two crystal fruit. This fruit showed very little data.
Child’s height +0.00001cm, mother’s stamina +0.01;
Child’s weight +0.0003kg, mother’s strength +0.02;
Child’s crawling +0m, mother’s speed +0;
Child’s turning over 0 times, mother’s reflexes +0;
…
This number two crystal fruit, if there were no surprises, should be the child Feng Qizhou had for her.
Strange, how on earth was Feng Qizhou raising the child?
The child was barely growing, not crawling, not even turning over. Compared to Xue Xiaohai, the difference was too great.
Xue Yu was worried. Could Feng Qizhou have just given birth to the baby and then abandoned it? This bastard is too irresponsible. To give birth and not raise it, what is that?
The more Xue Yu thought about it, the more worried she became. After all, it was her flesh and blood. She couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.
She unfolded the Cloud Sound Box, planning to tell Zhou Siyan about this.
If Feng Qizhou was really unwilling to raise the child, the best choice would be to have him adopted by Zhou Siyan as soon as possible, which would also satisfy Zhou Siyan’s desire for a second child.
As soon as she unfolded the screen, she saw a series of unread messages, all from Zhou Siyan. They were almost all videos and photos of Xue Xiaohai.
“What should I do? You left, and the baby has been crying.”
“Are you back at the dorm? The baby misses you.”
“If you have time, please reply. The baby has been crying nonstop since she woke up.”
Xue Yu opened the video. Why is he lying? Xue Xiaohai is clearly playing with the little seahorse. She is crying, but she’s not crying nonstop.
She sent a voice message: “Baby, Mommy is here. Don’t cry, don’t cry. Mommy will come to see you when she has time.”
After sending the voice message, she quickly told Zhou Siyan about the data appearing on the reproduction tree.
Zhou Siyan said, “It seems that after the child is born, the reproductive ability starts to work. Since Feng Qizhou is unwilling to raise the child properly, we have to find a way to get the child.”
Xue Yu confirmed again, “Will you really be good to another child?”
Zhou Siyan: “I will treat it as my own.”
Xue Yu breathed a sigh of relief and sent him a thumbs-up emoji.
The next day, Xue Yu took leave from work and packed her luggage early to go to the training grounds in the central district.
She was going to sign up for the promotion competition in ten days. As long as she successfully signed up, she could live at the training grounds to train.
This time, Xue Yu was full of confidence. She summoned Blueberry and let it perch on her shoulder. The two of them paraded through the streets, very conspicuous.
Many people on the road asked, “What’s the use of this seahorse?”
Xue Yu: “It’s useless.”
Passerby: “Then what are you so proud of?”
Xue Yu: “I’m happy.”
She held her chin even higher, and Blueberry became even more arrogant, circling Xue Yu and blowing a stream of bubbles.
With a spirit body, Xue Yu quickly completed the registration at the registration office and also got a place to stay.
Before the competition, she could eat and live at the training grounds for free and use all the training equipment for free.
She first went to the dorm. The area was similar to her dorm in the mining district, thirty square meters, with a single bed, a cabinet, and a bathroom. The environment was much better than the dorm in the mining district.
Xue Yu first put down her backpack, carefully counted the money Zhou Siyan had given her and the money she had found in Hou Shengwen’s lair, found a deposit machine, and deposited it into her account.
Only then did she go downstairs to the training grounds. She chose the water-type training grounds.
There was an open-air pool here, larger than a football field. The pool replicated various marine environments, including deep-sea basins, trenches, seamounts, and ridges.
Standing in front of the huge marine training pool, Xue Yu held her Blueberry, once again like a husky mixed in with a pack of wolves.
In the pool were all sorts of ferocious deep-sea monsters: orcas, megalodons, giant squids, lion’s mane jellyfish… huge in size, terrifying in appearance, with fierce eyes.
Standing by the pool were the masters of these spirit bodies, all burly and strong, with taut muscles and tall figures.
Xue Yu looked at her small earthling body, then at the little Blueberry in her arms. Maybe she should just go home.
“Blueberry, are you scared?” Xue Yu asked in a low voice.
Blueberry was very happy to see the water. It broke free from Xue Yu’s arms and jumped directly into the water, diving deep and disappearing.
A young man with a bare upper body, strikingly handsome features, and silver-gray hair walked over. He looked at Xue Yu for a while and then took the initiative to speak. “Are you Xue Yu?”
Xue Yu looked at him. “Do you know me?”
“You’re very famous.”
The man picked up a towel and wiped the water droplets from his body. “This season’s competition will definitely be very popular with you participating. And you’ve also awakened a spirit body. I bet many people will come to watch the fun.”
That was what Xue Yu was afraid of. In the past, whenever she took any small test, a circle of people would gather to watch, wanting to see the “number one good-for-nothing in the history of the White Tower.”
“So, are you ready this time?” The man unfolded an unused towel and handed it to her. “If you’re interested, we can team up and practice together.”
Xue Yu: “What’s your spirit body?”
The man whistled, and a strong orca swam towards him. “It’s called Spot. Like your seahorse, it’s also a marine type.”
Xue Yu’s heart pounded. If she practiced with this orca, wouldn’t Blueberry be pinned to the ground and beaten?
She politely declined. “Well, my Blueberry is too weak. Let’s see. I’ll practice on my own first.”
“If you need anything, just come and find me. Spot really likes your Blueberry,” the man said, pushing back his wet hair and revealing his full, handsome face.
Xue Yu nodded. “Okay.”
Ten minutes later, Xue Yu and Blueberry were called over by the administrator for a scolding.
The reason was that Blueberry was flirting with other spirit bodies in the pool. The other spirit bodies were all circling it and couldn’t train seriously.
Xue Yu was completely ashamed. She lowered her head, her face flushed, and punched Blueberry. “We’re here to have a comeback! What are you doing? Aren’t you ashamed!”
Blueberry was also wronged: They came to play with me!
The administrator asked Xue Yu to take Blueberry to the side to calm down for an hour before going back into the water.
Xue Yu could only observe the reproduction tree in her spiritual landscape first. Data was still constantly appearing on the crystal fruit representing Xue Xiaohai.
Child’s crawling +15m, mother’s speed +7;
Child’s turning over 3 times, mother’s reflexes +11;
…
As long as the child moved, Xue Yu would gain spiritual power, including strength, speed, reflexes, and stamina.
The spiritual power could be temporarily stored in the landscape and then supplemented to the body all at once when needed.
Xue Yu lay on a bench with Blueberry in her arms.
Before long, she received a message from Zhou Siyan: “Where are you?”
Xue Yu: “I’m at the training grounds, training with Blueberry.”
Zhou Siyan: “Are you free to come to Manster? We can lure Feng Qizhou out and have him give the child to me to raise.”
Xue Yu: “Okay.”
When she arrived at the Manster Building, Xue Yu went to the office outside the director of the Security Division’s office to wait, as per Zhou Siyan’s instructions.
Zhou Siyan quickly pulled her behind a fire cabinet and whispered his plan in her ear.
A few minutes later, Xue Yu pretended to enter the office and then quickly came out. She did this several times, her expression hurried. The last time, she deliberately pretended to forget to lock the door.
After this performance, she and Zhou Siyan hid in the dark to observe.
Sure enough, two minutes later, Feng Qizhou appeared in a white lab coat. He stood at the door for a moment, knocked, found that the door was unlocked, and walked straight in.
Feng Qizhou entered the office, looked around, and found that the door to the lounge connected to the office was ajar. He tiptoed in.
He saw a baby lying on the bed, playing with a rubber ball, wearing a cute lamb hat.
Feng Qizhou held his breath and quietly approached the baby. He first took off his white lab coat, then picked up the baby, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “My god, this big fatty is so heavy!”
It was really unfair. His eldest baby only weighed a little over five jin since birth. Why was Zhou Siyan’s baby so heavy and strong?
He looked at the formula on the bedside table. It was a good brand, but not the most expensive.
Why was it that his eldest baby, who drank the most expensive luxury formula, couldn’t grow as well as Zhou Siyan’s?
“Hey, what did your dad feed you to make you grow so fast?” he said in disbelief, then weighed the baby again. “She’s really a big fatty. So fat, my god.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a gun was pressed against his lower back. Zhou Siyan’s voice was cold. “How many times are you going to say ‘big fatty’?”
Feng Qizhou turned his head and saw Zhou Siyan and Xue Yu standing behind him. The gun pressed against his lower back was in Xue Yu’s hand.
He smiled, holding Xue Xiaohai, and turned to stare at Xue Yu. “That’s going too far. After all, I had a baby for you.”
Zhou Siyan took Xue Xiaohai, who was sucking her thumb, and said to Feng Qizhou, “Give me your child to raise.”
Feng Qizhou was surprised, then laughed. “Director Zhou, don’t take yourself too seriously.”