After taking Qing'er out of the Gate of Divinity, Zeng Mo glanced at the white tiger curled beside her. Then he shook himself out of his daze, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Looks like the gods' favor ran out today."
Half an hour later.
[The host hid beneath Xiao Yue's blanket and lost a game of rock-paper-scissors. He surrendered again. Survival Points +5.]
"Huh? Why did we lose a point?"
"Maybe because we spent half an hour playing rock-paper-scissors?"
"Or perhaps the gods' favor wore off."
After a brief pause, Zeng Mo washed up with Xiao Yue and Qing'er's help, got dressed, and sat on the sofa, waiting for them to prepare breakfast.
Soon, breakfast was laid out before him: shrimp and eggs, steamed buns, carrots, pork belly, mushrooms, and soup, all served in a large bamboo steamer.
Zeng Mo picked up a piece of egg with shrimp and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, then praised it.
"This is delicious. It's just as good as the food at a top restaurant—maybe even better."
Xiao Yue nodded.
"If there's anything you'd like to eat, Master, Xiao Yue can get fresh ingredients every day and cook them for you." Xiao Yue smiled.
"Haha, great. Then I won't be shy about having you make me delicious food every day."
"Master, I'm happy to cook for you. I'm also glad that Qing'er knows I exist." Xiao Yue spoke gently.
"Mm."
"Master, although I have all the same features and flesh and blood as an ordinary person, I'm grateful to you for treating me like one. But my core is mechanical."
"If Qing'er gets upset, you can call me over and have me show her my mechanical core. Then tell her I'm a lifelike doll you bought from the mall for a huge number of Survival Points. That should settle things."
Xiao Yue spoke calmly, as if she were talking about someone else.
She was talking about a doll.
When Xiao Yue mentioned the doll, Zeng Mo's expression darkened.
Whenever that subject came up, he couldn't help imagining how Qing'er would react. He always wondered whether he ought to add more tenderness to his expression, or whether he should tell her he'd spent a fortune on a lifelike doll he'd bought from the mall.
He had even seriously considered doing it.
But in the end, he always backed out.
Well, it wouldn't matter now. He already had one.
And besides...
Was it really so lifelike?
It was incredibly lifelike.
Apart from her mechanical core, everything about her was like an ordinary person.
"I'm not worried about Qing'er finding out that you exist. I'm worried about what'll happen when we go to the Divine Ruins. I'll have to introduce you to my girlfriend as a robot, and that could lead to a whole lot of questions."
Xiao Yue nodded. She understood what he meant, and then she told him what she planned to do.
"So I'm thinking of taking some time off in the next few days and buying a plot of land in the suburbs. Then you can help me turn it into a safe place that can accommodate my family. After that, you can assume a new identity and come with me to another city when I get my household registration. You can stay by her side and protect her."
"Master, just leave that to me. There's no need for you to spend precious time on little things like that." Xiao Yue replied.
Zeng Mo nodded. "I don't know how I could've forgotten. You can take care of things like that for me."
Xiao Yue added, "As long as you give me the money, I can find someone myself and take care of all of it."
"Good." Zeng Mo took out a black card bearing the logo of the recruitment and business association and set it on the table. "There are four million in this card. It's yours. The password is 123456."
After breakfast, Zeng Mo returned to the bedroom and opened the Gate of Divinity, setting its destination in the Divine Ruins Hall.
"I'll give you the footage of my girlfriend. Xiao Yue, you can hand over the supplies I gave you to Qing'er. The Divine Ruins' creatures will be in your care, too. That includes the Jadeite Valley's flock of chickens and the Basalt Cave's wolf pack. They may evolve into intelligent species in the future, so keep an eye on them."
"Yes, Master."
Xiao Yue and Qing'er bowed together.
Zeng Mo didn't close the Gate of Divinity. He turned to leave, but his smartwatch chimed with a notice that the Intercity Association had informed him three days ago to go collect his vehicle registration plate.
Right. It had been three days. He could have the house converted into a divine-powered vehicle now and be the first person in the city to do so.
Zeng Mo paused, thought it over, and then headed back into the bedroom.
Next, he took out the divine-powered vehicle card from the Intercity Association and activated it.
In an instant, outside the Divine Ruins Hall's main doors, a huge vehicle appeared. It was as imposing as a fortress and resembled the armored vehicles in the movie Police Story. It had appeared right at the entrance.
"This vehicle is your means of transportation here in the Divine Ruins. You can drive one on the Blue Star, too. Take the vehicle card with you. I'll give each of you a divine-powered vehicle to use on the Blue Star."
"Thank you, Master."
Xiao Yue and Qing'er thanked him.
Zeng Mo looked at the maid uniforms they were wearing and thought for a moment. "When you head out today, buy yourselves some clothes."
"Yes, Master. We'll choose according to your preferences—skirts and dresses, or whatever you like." Xiao Yue answered cautiously.
"Anything you like is fine," Zeng Mo said. He added another thought of his own. "Buy the kind you like, too."
That was all.
He turned and left the Gate of Divinity, then drove the vehicle back to the Intercity Association.
[The host hid among a crowd of beautiful women and gained their attention. Survival Points +10.]
Ignoring the familiar prompt, Zeng Mo drove back to the small villa. He and his two companions went through the front door together.
"It's only seven. It's still early. I wonder if she's awake yet."
Zeng Mo rubbed his hands together and stretched, then walked up to the second-floor bedroom door, hoping to slip in quietly and surprise Yu Lin. But the moment he opened the door, the expression on his face changed.
Inside the room, another woman's voice rang out.
"So early. Isn't your husband still here?"
Zeng Mo stared in shock. It was as if he'd just discovered a new continent. He hurriedly pulled the second-floor bedroom door shut, wanting to sneak away and give her a surprise later. Instead, he ended up frozen in place, his face full of bewilderment.
And from inside the room came another loud "Ah! He's here!"
"Damn, she's so loud. Isn't she afraid the neighbors will hear her?"
Zeng Mo coughed and looked toward the bedroom next door, where another beautiful woman was staying. He was about to knock.
But in the next second...
From inside came Qing'er's voice—and she was calling someone "Daddy" and "husband."
Zeng Mo froze.
His hand stopped at the door. His eyes widened.
"Ah! What's going on?"
"Why is Qing'er in there, too?"
He and Yu Lin were friends. Surely she couldn't be there? Or was Yu Lin not in the room with a woman?
If so, then every time Yu Lin had asked him whether he wanted to hear some interesting stories, had she been telling the truth?
But they were a man and a woman, and she clearly had those thoughts. She liked him, and she also liked women.
What if, in the future, Xiao Yue and Qing'er ended up competing for her favor? Wouldn't they become love rivals? And then...
The thought made Zeng Mo shudder.
His mind raced. If Yu Lin really did have that kind of interest, should he open the door and help her understand what was going on? Then he could go in and...
He kept thinking.
Gradually, a vague idea began to form in his mind. Even his breath grew ragged. It was as though the three people in the room had reached a climax, and then their voices abruptly fell silent.
"Oh no. They've finished."
"Maybe it's better if I don't barge in. Who knows whether that sort of interest is just their own private business, or whether they're really going to do something that crosses the line? I'd better leave for now and talk to them once things have settled down."
Zeng Mo came up with that excuse, then turned and hurried out like a guilty thief. He shut the front door behind him.
He waited in the vehicle for almost an hour. Only then did he send Yu Lin a message, saying that he'd knocked on her door and she'd still been asleep.
Yu Lin's voice message arrived almost immediately.
"Sorry, I made you wait. I just woke up."
Zeng Mo took a deep breath and connected the call.
Yu Lin was sitting in the bathtub, wrapped in a white towel. Her long, dark hair was draped over her shoulders, and her skin looked as smooth as cream. She had a stunning figure and sounded as sweet as ever.
"Husband, Qing'er and I are taking a bath."
"Then I'll wait until you're done and send you the footage."
"Haha, don't bother, husband. I'm chatting with Qing'er right now. She doesn't mind, and neither do I."
"Mm."
Out of sight, Qing'er's face was bright red as she quickly slipped into the bathwater.
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