Ruan Lan, who was eating instant noodles, stared at Xu Lai wide-eyed, almost bursting into tears with a WAH.

That detestable Xu Lai! You let your youthful, beautiful, and adorable sister-in-law eat instant noodles while you enjoy a feast. How can you do this without your conscience hurting? Are you the devil? You're definitely the devil!

Ruan Lan spat out the noodles, grabbed a roasted lamb chop, and started wolfing it down. She chewed with such vigor it was as if she were biting into Xu Lai himself, a way to vent all her grievances. After eating her fill, she tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, then sprawled limply on the sofa to continue reading her comic book, occasionally letting out bursts of delighted, auntie-like giggles.

My sister-in-law's haughtiness and willfulness aren't a problem, but she doesn't seem too bright, Xu Lai mused, shaking his head with regret.

Today was the Chongyang Festival in Hua Country, and the family was going to celebrate together in the evening. Xu Lai had prepared a large quantity of ingredients, just waiting for Ruan Tang and Yiyi to come home before he started cooking.

Around six in the evening, Ruan Tang finally came home with her daughter. The little girl had clearly had a lot of fun, her face dimpled with a sweet smile as she said, "Daddy, Mommy took me on a roller coaster today!"

"Was it fun?" Xu Lai asked with a smile.

"Super fun!"

His daughter's soft voice made Xu Lai marvel at how simple-minded children were; their happiness was so easily found.

However, Yiyi continued, "Daddy, you have no idea! During the roller coaster ride, Qian Xiao's screams were the loudest of all."

Dark lines appeared on Xu Lai's forehead. "It wasn't your idea to go on the roller coaster, was it?"

Xu Yiyi's gaze drifted away as she said softly, "W-well, not exactly. Mommy and Auntie Luo Chu wanted to ride it, too."

"Really?" Xu Lai asked skeptically.

Xu Yiyi scratched her head. "Qian Xiao had asked me how to cure his fear of heights, and after thinking about it, the only solution I could think of was to fight fire with fire. It's just that it doesn't seem to have worked very well."

Xu Lai was speechless.

Ruan Lan dropped the comic book she was holding, her expression complex.

She's truly Xu Lai's daughter, all right. Just as scheming!

The dinner was exceedingly rich and even included specially brewed Chrysanthemum Wine.

During the meal, Ruan Tang took the initiative to look at Xu Lai. "On the way back, I went to see my parents and took them some gifts."

"I should have gone with you," Xu Lai said, slapping his forehead.

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you. If my parents saw you, they would probably start talking about..." Ruan Tang sighed, leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken.

But everyone knew what Ruan Qingshan and Zhu Fen would say. It would inevitably be about the five-hundred-million bride price.

"Five little goals, huh." Ruan Lan's eyes sparkled. "How many comic books and chips could that buy?"

DONG!

With a stern expression, Ruan Tang knocked her sister on the head. "You're a student now. Focus on your studies and don't waste your time."

Ruan Lan clutched her head, her eyes welling with tears. "Oww, oww, oww..."

Beibei, dressed in a qipao, sat at the dining table gnawing on a rib much bigger than herself, looking rather downhearted.

With Qian Xiao, her punching bag, gone, what was she going to do the next time she got angry?

She couldn't help but say regretfully, "It would've been nice if Qian Xiao could have stayed a few more days. The waterfall pressure-resistance training had just begun."

Speaking of Qian Xiao, Ruan Tang put down her chopsticks and said solemnly, "Xu Lai, I feel like something's not right with Luo Chu today. Something might have happened with her family."

"Yeah, I know," Xu Lai nodded.

"You know?" Ruan Tang raised an eyebrow, her gaze growing suspicious. "You were with her in the study for ten minutes this morning. Could it be..."

Ruan Lan instantly perked up. "An affair at home? Brother-in-law, you've got some nerve. My sister caught you, didn't she!"

DONG!

Ruan Tang's face darkened as she knocked her sister on the head again. "Shut up! That's not what I meant!" She just wanted to ask what her best friend had said to Xu Lai in the study.

"She didn't say anything," Xu Lai said with a smile. "But I gave her my contact information. If she contacts me, I'll go and help."

"Thank you, Xu Lai."

"Do we still need to say 'thank you' to each other?"

"..."

While everyone in Haitang Court was joyfully celebrating the festival, Qian Xiao was lying down to sleep in his room in a brightly lit villa. On the nightstand, a note had been left. It was in Luo Chu's handwriting and contained just a single sentence:

"Son, Mom and Dad will be back soon. Then the three of us will go to the Sea Tribe Museum together. This time—I promise, I'll keep my word!"

Luo Chu, dragging her suitcase, took a taxi to the East Sea City Martial Dao Association. Along the way, many Martial Artists greeted her respectfully, "Predecessor Luo."

Luo Chu nodded in response to each one.

After several twists and turns, she arrived at a room on the top floor. Inside, only a white-haired old woman sat in a chair, resting with her eyes closed.

"Predecessor Flower Fairy," Luo Chu said respectfully.

"Ah, Little Luo, you've arrived." The Flower Fairy opened her eyes and smiled kindly. "Is it just the two of us going to the Exotic Realm?"

Luo Chu nodded. "Yes."

"Then let's go." The Flower Fairy stood up and pushed open a door in the corner of the room.

Behind the door was a spacious, bright hall, in the center of which was a dazzling, silver-white curtain of light. This was an extremely expensive Teleportation Array. Across all of Hua Country, only the Martial Dao Associations of a few select cities were qualified to build one, and the East Sea Martial Dao Association was one of them.

In front of the light curtain stood all the Martial Artists from the East Sea Martial Dao Association who were Eighth Grade and above, including the president, Gao He. A total of nine people stood there, their expressions solemn.

Gao He slapped his chest and shouted, "The Teleportation Array to the Exotic Realm is active! Salute!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

All nine Martial Artists performed the Martial Dao salute in unison, saying together, "May your journey be safe!"

These simple words carried immense blessings.

Luo Chu and the Flower Fairy stopped, returned the Martial Dao salute, and then stepped into the curtain of light.

The Teleportation Array to the Exotic Realm was like a tunnel that took about one or two minutes to traverse. Although she had passed through it dozens of times, Luo Chu had felt a bit of discomfort during her last few trips, to the point that she couldn't help but gag twice.

"Are you alright?" the Flower Fairy asked with concern.

Luo Chu shook her head and laughed self-deprecatingly. "For the past month, I've been gagging during teleportation. It's so strange; it never used to be like this."

The Flower Fairy's suspicious gaze fell on Luo Chu's stomach. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Luo Chu froze. Pregnant?

The Flower Fairy's expression turned grave. "If you are pregnant, then go back to Earth and rest. I know about your husband's situation, but this requires a long-term plan!"

The two of them had reached the end of the tunnel. One step forward was the unpredictable Exotic Realm, where life and death were uncertain. One step back, however, was the safety of Earth.

In truth, Luo Chu could find out if she was pregnant simply by looking inward. But she... didn't dare.

She was afraid that if she really was pregnant, she wouldn't have the courage to press on fearlessly in search of her husband.

"Thank you for your concern, Predecessor."

With that said, Luo Chu took a decisive step forward, and the scenery before her eyes changed abruptly.

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