Before Midnight, Sleep!

An hour later.

Boiled fish with pickled cabbage, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, mapo tofu, blanched okra, and fish head tofu soup were spread across the dining table.

Three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, four courses, and one soup.

"Wow~~"

Li Ziyang looked at the steaming dishes on the table, his mouth watering.

"Dad, you're just too amazing."

Li Ran walked out of the kitchen and teased, "So this is all it takes to be considered amazing?"

He held two bowls, using a ladle to serve his wife a bowl of fish head tofu soup first, then a bowl for his son, and finally one for himself.

"Son, this fish head tofu soup is good for brain development, stimulates the appetite, and provides nutrition, so drink plenty of it."

"Dad is the best."

Su Bingyao glanced toward the kitchen; the countertops were tidy, the sink was free of even a drop of water, and the entire kitchen had been cleaned to a spotless state.

"Why didn't you wait until after the meal to clean up?" Su Bingyao asked, puzzled.

"I learned it on my phone. If you clean as you cook, it's much more convenient to wash the dishes after the meal, and you won't end up feeling overwhelmed."

Li Ran did not mention that he had cleaned the kitchen so thoroughly because of Su Bingyao's obsessive-compulsive disorder and germaphobia.

Su Bingyao actually knew, but she understood that her husband was thinking of her.

After all, they had argued more than once in the past over her obsessive-compulsive disorder and germaphobia.

However, at this moment, Su Bingyao felt a warmth in her heart, just like the milky-white fish head tofu soup flowing warmly into her soul.

"Son, let me get you some rice."

"I'll do it myself."

"Haha, my son is growing up; if you do it yourself, you'll have plenty to eat."

Su Bingyao raised her beautiful eyes. "I'll do it myself too; you just focus on eating."

Li Ran had no choice but to give up and go serve his own rice.

"Boiled fish with pickled cabbage is a perfect match for rice. Son, you're growing and need to replenish your nutrition, so eat more."

"Mmm, this fish is so tender and smooth, and the sweet and sour pork tenderloin is delicious too."

In truth, Li Ran was just trying to find topics of conversation; if he didn't keep himself busy, he really didn't know how to communicate with the mother and son.

At this moment, Su Bingyao set down her chopsticks and took out a card, handing it to Li Ran.

Li Ran looked at Su Bingyao in confusion: "What is this?"

Su Bingyao explained, "Your company hasn't been doing well lately, right? This family shouldn't have to rely on you alone to hold it up. This is a portion of my savings; take it and use it first. If it's not enough, I have more."

"This..."

Looking at the bank card being handed to him, a ripple of emotion stirred in Li Ran's heart.

If the keyboard warriors on the internet saw this, they would surely call it science fiction again.

Where in this world is there such a good woman? For so many married men, their heads start to ache the moment they return home.

"Mistaking vinegar for ink, writing half a lifetime of bitterness on paper."

How many people only feel alive when they are in their cars after work, because returning home is just another mess of trivialities?

Su Bingyao's gesture could absolutely elevate her to a new height in the male psyche.

Li Ran felt like he was dreaming.

"I don't need it, you keep it for yourself."

"This is what I'm giving you; do you dare not take it?"

Su Bingyao forcefully shoved the card into Li Ran's pocket.

Li Ran buried his head in his meal, shoveling large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.

In reality, besides being touched, Li Ran was also puzzled.

What would he need Su Bingyao's money for?

What use is money in the Weird World?

He needed points, attributes, and Weird Power!

Of course, Su Bingyao's gesture had thoroughly moved him.

If he weren't in the Weird World, he might have stayed to live such a simple and happy life.

[Completed the hidden side quest of "Repairing a Broken Family."]

[The extra bank card obtained will be automatically converted into a reward for the player.]

[Converted Reward: Weird Power +100, Points +1000]

"Holy..."

"The money obtained in the dungeon will be automatically converted into rewards."

"That's quite user-friendly."

Li Ran took a look at his attributes.

Li Ran

Ghost Power: 200

Agility: 20

Strength: 20

Points: 1460

Active Skill: Shadow Escape

Passive Skills: Thunder Trace, Focused Mind (Immune to mental attacks)

"Hidden side quests give this much?"

"My wife is the real big shot!"

Li Ran hadn't expected that the bank card Su Bingyao gave him would convert into rewards equivalent to several missions' worth of gains.

One had to know that the seven-day time-limited [Repair Broken Family] mission only offered a final reward of +50 Ghost Power and +500 Points.

Li Ran thought of that swindling Fortune Teller; he had also unintentionally completed a hidden mission and obtained all the rewards.

"Hidden mission rewards are much more generous than regular mission rewards."

"It seems I need to pay more attention to details and complete more hidden missions in the future."

Li Ran buried his head, secretly gloating; he had really struck it rich this time.

But in Su Bingyao's eyes, Li Ran's behavior was like that of a husband with an incredibly strong sense of pride, forced by pressure to accept his wife's help.

"Heh, men, that damned pride."

A smile tugged at the corners of Su Bingyao's mouth.

If not for the hypnosis she performed on her husband today, she might not have been able to figure many things out.

She would no longer pry into any of her husband's privacy; through this incident, she had learned a lesson: do not jump to conclusions before knowing the truth.

At this moment, Li Ziyang picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork for Li Ran and asked in a low voice:

"The kindergarten is organizing a parent-child activity the day after tomorrow. The other kids' moms and dads will all be going."

"Daddy will go with you," Li Ran said readily.

"What about Mommy?"

Li Ziyang looked at Su Bingyao with longing eyes and also picked up a piece of pork for her.

"Mommy will go too," Su Bingyao said gently.

"Yay, that's great! Mommy and Daddy are going to school with me!"

Li Ziyang's entire face gained color, looking noticeably rosier, and as his mood improved, he seemed much more cheerful.

The faint smile on Su Bingyao's lips indicated that she was in a good mood as well, and she clearly ate more than she had yesterday.

This meal was delicious and satisfying.

At this rate, the [Repair Broken Family] mission wouldn't even take seven days to complete; Li Ran was confident in himself.

After the dishes were washed.

Li Ziyang went to do his homework.

Li Ran felt a bit stuffed and wanted to digest his food, so he said to Su Bingyao, who was standing by the window: "Wife, do you want to go for a walk downstairs together?"

Su Bingyao did not turn around, instead looking down at the residential complex below and saying: "Walking at night is dangerous. Don't go."

The image of the dense, swarming monster silhouettes Li Ran had seen in the complex at the beginning immediately surfaced in his mind.

If not for Su Bingyao's reminder, he would have almost forgotten about that.

Su Bingyao continued: "I don't know when it started, but once night falls, this complex becomes restless."

Li Ran frowned slightly, thinking to himself: "Does Su Bingyao not realize that she has been infected by the virus and turned into a monster? Or is it that all the residents in this complex are unaware of it?"

Recalling his experiences over the past two days, every resident had their own quirks and communicated like normal people, yet some of their behaviors were eerie and terrifying; clearly, none of them considered themselves monsters.

Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang were just as oblivious.

Suddenly, Su Bingyao turned around, looking at Li Ran with a strange expression.

"You must go to sleep before midnight!"