A Better Ending

"It was all because of Lingmeng's marriage. The moment she heard about it, she hurried back. Long Hong will be returning soon as well. Long Hong is easy enough to handle, but Qingyi, that little girl, is the real concern. Keep an eye on her. Don't let her cause trouble," Wenren Lanzhang said worriedly.

"Understood."

"Good, you may leave now. Oh, and I'll go see Lingmeng later."

"The son-in-law is awake?"

Mu Zibai looked up and saw Xiao E still standing nearby. He rubbed his bleary eyes and asked, "How long did I sleep?"

"About three shichen."

He glanced at the sky outside. It was already afternoon, and the overcast sky looked as though rain was on its way.

He twisted his neck. Sleeping propped against the bed for too long had left his entire body aching.

"Son-in-law, the master will be coming later."

"Oh." Mu Zibai merely answered with a simple "oh." It probably would not take long. Over the past three days, he had been earning points quite smoothly. Including the scattered expenditures, he now had more than one hundred and thirty thousand points.

[Clang! Points +24]

His basic touch points had also risen to twenty-four. Mu Zibai had figured out the pattern: the increase was determined by the duration of contact.

After a certain amount of time, basic touch points would increase by one. The more intimate the contact, the faster that time requirement could be met.

"There is one more thing. Third Young Lady is coming back," Xiao E said.

"Third Young Lady? Wenren Qingyi? If she's coming back, then let her come back. What does that have to do with me?" Mu Zibai only knew that Wenren Qingyi was the Third Young Lady of Wenren Manor; he knew little else.

Mu Zibai spent ninety-nine percent of his time cooped up in his room and had barely stepped outside. He knew very little about matters within the manor.

"You don't know, son-in-law. Miss and Third Young Lady are very close. Not long ago, she and the eldest young master went to the South Sea to seek a renowned physician for Miss. She does not know about the marriage. If Third Young Lady finds out, she may well raise heaven and earth."

"How could she make trouble?" Mu Zibai frowned.

Seeing that Mu Zibai still did not understand the gravity of the matter, she continued, "Third Young Lady is usually spoiled and willful. Few people can keep her under control. When the time comes, she may offend you, son-in-law. So please be careful and avoid her as much as possible."

A classic spoiled young lady?

The image had already formed in Mu Zibai's mind. He merely smiled and said nothing. Whatever. As long as she did not interfere with his point farming, he would ignore everything else.

Creak!

At that moment, the door opened, and Wenren Lanzhang walked in.

"Greetings, Father."

Mu Zibai rose and bowed. Wenren Lanzhang walked straight to the window.

"Lingmeng's complexion really is much better than before. It is all thanks to you." Seeing Wenren Lingmeng's rosy face, no longer bearing its former pallor, Wenren Lanzhang was overjoyed.

It seemed that Mu Zibai entering the manor had indeed been a good thing.

"Taking care of Lingmeng is what this child should do." Mu Zibai smiled faintly. "There is something this child wishes to explain to Father."

"What is it? Speak."

"In half a month, it will be my birth mother's birthday. Mother did not have it easy raising me. I married without having the chance to tell her, so I wish to explain this to Father and take the opportunity to offer her incense and let her know."

"I see. That is only right. You must go. Where is it?"

"Kiu Mountain."

Wenren Lanzhang thought for a moment. "Kui Mountain? That is within Fuzhou territory."

"Fuzhou was my mother's hometown. Before she passed, Mother hoped to return to her roots, like fallen leaves returning to the soil," Mu Zibai explained.

"It is not that I will not let you go. It is just that the road from the Capital City to Fuzhou has been unsafe lately, with many mountain bandits about. How about this? I will send several guards with you."

"Thank you, Father."

Mu Zibai spoke gratefully. Paying respects was one purpose of this journey. The other was that Mu Zibai was about to break through.

A breakthrough would cause an enormous commotion, and he feared others would notice. Taking this opportunity to leave was the perfect chance to break through. With those guards, his safety along the road would be assured.

When the time came, he could simply find an opportunity to shake them off.

In this world, it was still better to hide one's strength. Even Xiao E, who spent every day beside him, did not know that he cultivated. All of this was thanks to the Turtle Breath Pearl.

The Turtle Breath Pearl could conceal Mu Zibai's aura, making him appear no different from an ordinary person. It sold for eighteen thousand eight hundred.

If he encountered a true expert, he would still be discovered. But Mu Zibai believed that such an expert should have nothing to do with him.

Wenren Lanzhang exchanged a few more words with Mu Zibai, then comforted Wenren Lingmeng for a while before leaving.

"Young master, keep telling Dream of the Red Chamber," Xiao E said expectantly.

Mu Zibai rubbed his brow. This was another demand for more chapters. Fortunately, this was ancient times. If this were modern times, encountering someone demanding more updates might get him locked in some room and whipped with a little lash, forced to type away. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

"What, you like listening to Dream of the Red Chamber?" Mu Zibai asked with a smile.

"It is not that I like listening. Our Miss likes it."

"Your Miss is lying right here." Mu Zibai pointed at Wenren Lingmeng. Blaming it on her right in front of her—what a deeply affectionate pair of mistress and servant.

Xiao E smiled. "I know our Miss. She would definitely like Dream of the Red Chamber. If she heard it, she might even follow the son-in-law around every day, listening to him tell Dream of the Red Chamber."

"Oh?" Mu Zibai looked at Xiao E with ill intent.

Xiao E merely smiled and said no more.

That damned Xiao E. Once I wake up, I'll definitely teach her a lesson.

Wenren Lingmeng could hear every word clearly. That wretched girl actually thought she could not hear.

How could she say something like that? Did her Miss not need any dignity? How embarrassing.

But honestly, she had not heard it for half a day, and anticipation had filled her to the brim. She was already impatient to hear Mu Zibai continue the story.

"Where did we leave off last time? Ah, I remember."

He was nearly done telling the first eighty chapters. As for the later story, Xiao E would probably cry. Although Mu Zibai had not read the final forty chapters, he knew the general plot.

Back then, he too had found it difficult to calm down for a long while, with an unpleasant feeling lodged in his heart.

Several more days passed like this.

"Son-in-law, breakfast is ready."

Xiao E casually set the bowls and chopsticks on the table. Her attitude toward Mu Zibai was extremely poor, as though she were angry.

Mu Zibai looked embarrassed. Could he be blamed for this?

Ever since Dream of the Red Chamber had ended two days ago, Xiao E had been acting like this. During meals, she had nearly slammed down the bowls and chopsticks, her eyes reddening.

Who knew whether she had found some secluded corner to cry in.

In the final analysis, Xiao E had blamed Mu Zibai for the root of it all, while Mu Zibai declared that he would not carry that blame.

"All right, Xiao E. A story is just a story."

"Then couldn't you write a better ending?" Xiao E puffed out her cheeks, clearly still angry.

"Mr. Cao wrote it. I'm not the author. Go ask him."

Xiao E: "."

She ignored Mu Zibai.

Mu Zibai curled his lip and began eating.

After breakfast, he still had to wash Wenren Lingmeng's body.