Setting Off Again

Li Wei sat in the back of the luxurious business sedan, pressing the window button to lower the glass. Her gaze swept over the crowd waving goodbye outside.

Her unfamiliar "parents" were clustered in the front row, wanting to approach but hesitating. They wore smiles, but their smiles were strained.

Li Wei could even sense... a hint of fawning, suppressed in their brows?

In short, their acting skills were completely off.

In contrast, the "Lotus Spirits" from the Jiang Family beside her were full of enthusiasm, their eyes fixed on the small white lotus mark on her forehead, making her feel like a husky who had wandered into a pack of wolves.

With her greatly enhanced memory, Li Wei tried her best to identify each face, smiling and waving goodbye, her lips almost frozen from the effort.

During this time, she subconsciously searched the crowd but couldn't find Jiang Han.

Strange, he was fine just now, why didn't he even show his face before she left?

This guy had helped her a lot, and she hadn't had a chance to properly thank him yet.

Fine, there will be opportunities to meet later. she thought.

Finally, the car started, the windows rolled up, cutting off the outside view and sound.

Li Wei let out a long sigh, slumping onto the soft seat. She looked at Liang Qiushi beside her and casually said, "Aunt Liang, thank goodness you came. Otherwise, I would have been driven mad by them."

Liang Qiushi's lips curved into a smile, clearly agreeing. She picked up the remote control beside her and pressed it lightly. The partition between the driver's seat and the back seat silently rose.

Curiously, Li Wei reached out and tapped the partition, which looked very high-end. "Is this soundproof?"

In her two lifetimes combined, she had never ridden in such a luxurious car with a partition.

"It has a built-in electromagnetic soundproofing system, completely soundproof," Liang Qiushi explained.

"Oh, oh, so that's... cough, I see." Li Wei almost blurted out Japanese-accented Chinese. Her face flushed slightly. There were no anti-Japanese war dramas here, so she had to change this habit.

Liang Qiushi didn't mind, smiled, and said softly, "To be honest, I didn't expect you to still be willing to fulfill the agreement."

"It's what I should do."

Li Wei didn't think she was particularly noble; it was just a matter of mutual benefit. Her goal and Liang Qiushi's plan simply didn't conflict.

Liang Qiushi looked at her calm and gentle face, her gaze softening. She couldn't help but reach out, wanting to brush a stray strand of hair from her cheek.

Li Wei's body tensed subconsciously, wanting to lean back, but her movement stopped.

The warm touch of fingertips came, carrying a hint of unfamiliar warmth, making her eyes inexplicably sting.

The small figure by the orphanage window, watching a happy family of three, seemed to reappear before her eyes.

He had also fantasized about what life would be like with parents.

The memories of the original host held the answer, but every time she recalled them, it was accompanied by unspeakable pain.

At this moment, Liang Qiushi's gentle action caused the two blurry maternal faces in her memory to gradually overlap.

One was the original host's mother; the other was the slightly short and plump ordinary woman outside the orphanage.

A warm tear slid down the corner of her eye without warning.

Li Wei suddenly snapped back to reality, flustered, and tried to raise her hand to wipe it away, to hide this sudden loss of composure.

But Liang Qiushi's finger had already gently traced her cheek, her movements incredibly soft.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Liang..." Li Wei tried to explain.

The next moment, to Li Wei's astonished gaze, Liang Qiushi pulled her into her arms, resting her warm chin on her head. Her voice carried a barely perceptible sob, "Li Wei, I'm sorry..."

Li Wei's entire face was unexpectedly buried in Liang Qiushi's soft chest, and she instantly felt a rush of blood, her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg.

All thoughts of maternal love and sentimental nostalgia were swept away by the sudden suffocation and awkwardness...

Her mind was now filled with... snow... lack of oxygen...

"Mmm~"

After a flurry of awkwardness, the two separated and awkwardly returned to their original seats.

"Cough, cough~"

Liang Qiushi cleared her throat, regaining her usual dignified composure. "The Gu Family has informants from the Zhang Family. Remember, don't show any weaknesses."

Li Wei quickly sat up straight and nodded vigorously, "Mhm!"

"You don't need to suppress your strength. Perform as you should," Liang Qiushi still felt a little uneasy and added.

Li Wei nodded again, "Got it!"

Liang Qiushi looked at her, her tone softening. "If you have any questions or needs, you can tell me now."

Li Wei's spirits immediately lifted, and she asked, "When can I see Li Cheng?"

Liang Qiushi pondered for a moment. "Mid-August. I need to make arrangements to ensure the operation is kept secret."

"Okay." Li Wei nodded in understanding. Liang Qiushi was cautious in her actions, and a hasty contact could indeed attract trouble.

It was good to have a definite time, she thought.

Li Wei continued, "My etiquette studies in Britain were... so-so. What do you think?"

"It's fine," Liang Qiushi waved her hand. "I just want you to understand some basic knowledge so you don't make any silly mistakes. We're martial arts practitioners, not some stuffy noble families obsessed with formalities. We don't have that many rules."

Li Wei let out a sigh of relief and asked, "I'm a First Order martial artist now. Can I go to the Rifts to kill Abyssal Monsters?"

Liang Qiushi nodded. "You can go. It's good to get familiar with it beforehand. But you can only stay in the outer areas and don't go too deep. With your current strength, as long as you don't court death, your safety shouldn't be a major issue."

As she said this, Liang Qiushi seemed a bit lost in thought.

Just over ten days ago, when she first met Li Wei, she was still a Quasi-Martial Artist in the Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony stage.

After more than ten days, she had actually broken through to become a formal martial artist with her Dao-Approaching Body.

With her current talent and foundation, if she hadn't been hiding her identity to cooperate with her, she would probably have already become famous throughout China.

Liang Qiushi's gaze gradually unfocused, her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed...

Li Wei, unaware of Liang Qiushi's complex emotions, brightened when she heard she could go monster hunting. She felt reassured.

The Coliseum's format was too slow. A match took one or two hours, and sometimes you had to wait for scheduling. It was nowhere near as efficient as personally entering the Rifts.

With the most crucial issues resolved, Li Wei pondered the role she was supposed to play next. She couldn't help but shyly ask, "Um... Aunt Liang, my son and I... we're not required to fulfill any marital obligations, right?"

Liang Qiushi chuckled at her direct question. "Don't worry, you're not."

Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief but still felt a little uneasy. She unconsciously fiddled with her index fingers and asked in a small voice, "Then... what if, I mean, what if your son makes a move on me?"

Liang Qiushi smiled. She knew what kind of person her son was and jokingly replied without any burden, "You're not weak now. If he dares to mess around, just beat him up."

Li Wei's eyes instantly lit up, gleaming with excitement. "Really?"

She could fight back? That's great!

Liang Qiushi nodded affirmatively. "Really!"

Li Wei then remembered Liang Qiushi's conversation with Jiang Xinyue and asked curiously, "Um... who is 'that person'?"

Liang Qiushi's expression turned serious. "'That person' is 'that person.' Don't ask too many questions..."