Volume 2 Chapter 4 Part1 (2/2)

House Keeper honestly answered, ”I am unable to. Our builds are too different, and I do not have the ability to s.h.i.+ft. If it were a body around my size or slightly larger, I am able to disguise as that for a while. However, I am unable to shrink to the size of a three year old little girl.”

Yu Shu tsked and grabbed her head before she turned.

”I'm heading over to the neighbors for a bit.”

As she said that, she was already at the door.

Hold Keeper's face paled as he called out to her. He asked worriedly, ”Wait, are you heading over by yourself? There are two demons there! Shouldn't you at least bring House Keeper with you?”

Yu Shu shot him a glance and gleefully said, ”Son, you already know how to worry for your mom? I'm so touched!”

”…Go die already!”

”You cannot tell the mistress things like go die!”

House Keeper grew angry. It was one thing for Hold Keeper to run his mouth like usual, but mentioning the word ”die” at this kind of time made him feel deeply uneasy.

Hold Keeper fell silent. For once, he didn't mouth back.

”All right, this isn't a big deal. Don't you two brothers argue.”

After Yu Shu finished consoling them, she saw that they were still glaring at each other, so she could only change the topic, ”House Keeper, Hold Keeper, get ready. You'll be coming with me later.”

”As you command.” House Keeper nodded.

Hold Keeper didn't think he would also be able to go. He immediately agreed happily, already forgetting about exchanging glares with House Keeper.

Yu Shu immediately went to knock on the neighbors' door.

The person who opened the door was Jiang Yu. She put in no effort to hide her surprise, saying, ”Yu Shu? This is so rare! You're actually willing to leave your apartment. Come in, come in.”

Yu Shu walked into an apartment that was not her own with no reservations. After all, Jiang Yu had been over at her place just now, chattering away half the night, giving Yu Shu plenty of time to send her son over to scare Yu Shu's husband half to death. Therefore, there was no need for niceties between them.

”Yu Shu, are you here to continue chatting?”

Jiang Yu was a little curious. Even though she loved to have Yu Shu over, they had only just chatted until they had almost run out of things to talk about. The scene had become a bit awkward, so Jiang Yu had taken her leave. So why has Yu Shu come over?

”Can you let me borrow your kids to have a chat?”

Jiang Yu blinked, not quite understanding what she meant.

Yu Shu splayed her hands out and said, ”I have to write about a kid in my ma.n.u.script, but I'm a bit stuck and couldn't write anything. I just happened to remember that you have actual kids here, so I thought I'd come over to chat with them to see if I could find some inspiration.”

She really had to admit that sometimes being an author was a really convenient profession. No matter the scope of what she did, including kidnapping kids even, she could use the phrase ”gathering material” to explain it away every single time.

”I see.” Jiang Yu smiled and said, ”But don't scare them! They're both in their room. I'll take you there.”

On the way, Yu Shu also saw Jiang Qibing. However, the moment he saw her, he froze. He immediately said he was going to the kitchen to make milk tea for them. Then, he fled with an embarra.s.sed expression.

”Does your hubby not want me here?”

Jiang Yu coughed once, eyes darting at Yu Shu's chest area.

Yu Shu lowered her head. Oh, I'm wearing a tank top, short shorts, and flip flops. I forgot to change before I left, but there are plenty of girls on the streets who wear a lot more revealing stuff than I do! It's just that I'm a bit lacking in youth and a bit more plentiful in chubby fat. Cut me some slack here, come on!

”Your hubby sure is pure hearted. This kind of man is hard to find. He's a keeper.”

Jiang Yu rolled her eyes at her and said, ”Have you forgotten we're already married? I've kept him well in my grasp!”

”That's true. Once you saw a good man, you didn't let go of him even though he was your teacher. You sure are a tough gal. Color me impressed, super impressed.”

Jiang Yu rolled her eyes at her even harder.

When they entered the room, it was obvious that one girl's gaze was alarmed and the other's gaze was wary, but Yu Shu ignored all of that. She sat in front of the two little girls with no reservation. One of the girls immediately hid behind the other.

Yu Shu waved her hand at Jiang Yu and said, ”You can leave. If their mom is here, kids aren't able to speak very naturally. I want them to be more natural. Don't be a hindrance here.”

”Yes, yes, this hindrance will leave now.”

Jiang Yu felt that she really must be too lonely. With Yu Shu's way of talking that could frustrate a person to death, Jiang Yu still wanted to converse with her, and she was even having such a good time. Goodness!

”Remember to come out for milk tea later.”

”I don't drink that kind of stuff. Do you have coffee?”

”No more coffee! You're going to have milk tea!” Jiang Yu said resolutely, ”I'll tell Qibing to use an insulated pot. When you come out later, it'll still be warm.”

”On such a hot day, adding ice cubes is the real way to go!”

”Girls shouldn't drink cold drinks!”

Against Jiang Yu, Yu Shu couldn't figure out why she always came out disadvantageous. She could only rub her nose and let it go. It was just a pot of warm milk tea. It wasn't like she hated it. In any case, the main point right now wasn't drinking tea.

When she saw Jiang Yu leave, Yu Shu turned to face the two little girls. They were just like two cats with their hackles raised and tails stepped on.

”Don't worry, I can't destroy you here.” Yu Shu indifferently said, ”I'm a dragon in my own place, and I'm even on the level of a divine dragon, but I'm just a worm outside of it, only slightly better than an earthworm. Or else, why do you think I hate going out so much?”

When they heard that, the two girls finally stopped glaring as much, but Xiao Xue still hid behind Jiang Jiang's back, unwilling to show herself.

”I have something to discuss with you.” Yu Shu pointed at Xiao Xue. ”Yes, you, stop hiding. Don't think that just because I'm currently an earthworm, I can't tell you and Jiang Jiang apart.”

Xiao Xue widened her eyes. What does this neighbor have to discuss with me? Is it discussing what method to use to burn me?

Yu Shu bluntly said, ”Jiang Ziya was captured. The other party wants you to head over there. I'm giving you three minutes to decide. If this is dragged out any longer, I don't think there'd be a need to go over there anymore.”

”Yaya-gēge was captured?” Xiao Xue cried out, immediately turning her head to look at Jiang Jiang. Last time, it was Ziya-gē's cla.s.smate who was captured. Jiang Jiang wasn't willing to rescue him, but now that Jiang Ziya himself was captured, Jiang Jiang wouldn't treat it as something that had nothing to do with her, right?

”You can't get involved.” Yu Shu glanced at Jiang Jiang and said, ”If someone discovers that a 'truth' has appeared in this family, your entire family will get kidnapped! That's why this matter can't ever be discovered. Don't stick your nose in this. Obediently stay by Jiang Yu's side as a three year old girl, got it?”

Jiang Jiang looked warily at her and said, ”I don't know what you're talking about.”

Very good. Yu Shu nodded and looked toward Xiao Xue, stating the main goal she had come here for today.

”If you come with me to rescue Jiang Ziya, then I won't burn you.”

When she heard that, Xiao Xue's eyes lit up.

”But there's a condition.”

Hearing the ”but,” Xiao Xue's face fell. It's never that easy.

”From now on, you must live in my home.”

Xiao Xue's eyes widened. She immediately loudly protested, ”I don't want to!”

”It's not up to you.” Yu Shu said impatiently, ”Your existence as an artifact demon keeps reminding Jiang Jiang that she's not human. As long as you leave, she will truly become a 'truth.' She will become a true, little girl, no longer bound by what's true or false.”

Xiao Xue froze. I'm to blame for Jiang Jiang being unable to become a real little girl?

”Originally, burning you would have been the easiest method to solve this, but it wouldn't be easy to get Jiang Ziya onboard. Besides, killing you might cast a shadow over Jiang Yu. With the current situation in their family, this shadow might develop into a very scary result… So, seeing that you likely haven't harmed anyone, I'll force myself to take you in.”

In actuality, Yu Shu was all sorts of unwilling. Things like artifact demons were much more troublesome than illusory familiars. If it weren't for her absolute authority in her own home, so the other party would never be able to cause even a tiny ripple, she would never take in an artifact demon.

It was just that House Keeper and Hold Keeper could still leave the apartment. As for Xiao Xue, Yu Shu would never let her take even a step outside of her home ever again.

”…No is no!” Xiao Xue's tears were br.i.m.m.i.n.g.

She looked toward Jiang Jiang, wanting the other to speak up for her.

Yu Shu immediately looked toward Jiang Jiang as well. Truthfully, Xiao Xue's wishes weren't important. She really wasn't powerful enough. Jiang Jiang was the important one. She was what prevented Yu Shu from taking this opportunity to destroy Xiao Xue—Cough. Yeah, she had lied. Even though she was an earthworm, she was still able to get rid of Xiao Xue.

”If she's just across from you, you can visit her at any time. That would be the best for everyone.”

Yu Shu tried to persuade Jiang Jiang. Since the latter had already become a ”truth,” then she must greatly desire becoming a real girl. She wouldn't want to keep being called ”true” or ”false.” She would just want to be a little girl.

However, Yu Shu didn't explain that as time pa.s.sed and Jiang Jiang became a real girl, she probably wouldn't remember Xiao Xue any longer.

Jiang Jiang lowered her head in thought. Even though Xiao Xue's tear-filled eyes made her waver, she also knew that if things continued like this, how much longer could they keep it from Bàba?

In the future, they would attend kindergarten. Even if Xiao Xue could become a ”lie,” becoming a ”truth” was highly improbable. If she attended kindergarten, letting the teacher and students interact with her for extended periods of time, they would definitely figure out that something was wrong. Xiao Xue's real ident.i.ty would get harder and harder to conceal as she grew older…

”Xiao Xue, go live in Yu Shu's home. I'll take Māma there to visit you often.” Jiang Jiang's eyes drifted to the side. She was unwilling to look at Xiao Xue, yet she couldn't help explaining, ”At least, that's better than getting burned.”

Xiao Xue bit on her lips, unwilling to say anything.

”So? Want to agree to my invitation?” Yu Shu asked, unperturbed, ”You still have thirty seconds left to consider it. After that, I'm leaving. Your 'Yaya-gēge' will get killed with the ransom unfulfilled, and some other day, House Keeper will definitely be able to find the opportunity to burn you—”

”Okay, I agree to your invitation,” Xiao Xue finally said, but her head was lowered, her expression completely hidden.

”Very good.” Yu Shu stood up and stretched. ”I'm going to return home to change. Meet you downstairs in three minutes. We're going to save that idiot brother of yours.”

She left without looking back. There was no time to waste—and she didn't want to drink warm milk tea either. Therefore, she rushed straight out of the Jiang's home, not stopping even when Jiang Yu called after her.

”Inspiration suddenly hit me! I'm afraid I'll forget, so I'm going to write now. See you next time!”

Jiang Yu stared with her jaw dropped as Yu Shu rushed out like the wind. Her door was slammed shut, while she still had a pot of milk tea in her hand.

Jiang Qibing stood beside her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ”This friend of yours sure has quite the personality…”

…I know, right? Jiang Yu placed a hand against her forehead, once again feeling that she must have been too lonely.

1 Lord of the East, Dong Jun: Dong Jun (東君, Lord of the East) and Dong Huang (東皇, G.o.d of the Eastern Sky) are featured in two poems from Jiu Ge (九歌, Nine Songs), an ancient set of Chinese poems addressed to the spirits of fallen warriors who fought far from home. The Jiu Ge poems seem to be the inspiration behind Fu Taiyi's and Fu Jun's characters. Si Ming (司命, Master of Fate), who was mentioned in volume 1, is also from Jiu Ge and has corresponding poems. For more information, see /wiki/Jiu_Ge.

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