She Called Her Mama

The System Mission it released that time was "First Birthday Gift," and the rewards were quite generous.

It directly raised her Soul Power by one level and granted her a special concealment technique.

It could hide her true cultivation. No one below the Divine level could see her real strength.

By now, her level had reached Level 90.

Level 90.

The threshold of a Titled Douluo.

As soon as she obtained one more Soul Ring, she could officially enter the ranks of the Titled Douluo.

But Bibi Dong wasn't in a hurry to hunt a Soul Beast.

It wasn't that she couldn't find one. She was waiting for an opportunity.

Besides, the System could directly grant her Soul Rings as mission rewards, and every one was a perfect match for her Martial Soul.

Perhaps she wouldn't need to hunt for any in the future.

Over the course of that year, the Soul Power Liquid in her Dantian had also steadily accumulated through day after day of cultivation.

From a thin layer at first, it had grown into a deep pool covering the bottom of her Dantian, enough for her to unleash Soul Skills without restraint in a major battle.

And the Spirit Milk Water Lily had further refined the quality of her Soul Power.

Her actual combat strength had long since far surpassed what her level suggested.

But the most important change had happened in her heart.

Now, she truly loved this child.

It wasn't the "maternal love" demanded by the System Mission.

It wasn't a show of tenderness put on for personal gain.

She truly loved Luo Dong.

She loved the way he smiled, and the way he would clutch her finger in his sleep.

She loved his little feet kicking wildly during bath time, and his tiny face scrunching up when he burped after a feed.

Bibi Dong had never said any of this aloud, but she knew it in her heart.

She had never felt this way toward Qian Renxue.

But now, this child she had taken in had warmed the motherly love frozen deep in her heart, little by little, with a smile, a pair of tiny hands, and a year of days and nights.

One evening, when Luo Dong was not yet a year old.

He had just finished his bath and was wrapped in a little blanket.

Bibi Dong set him on the bed and turned to pour some water.

She had taken only two steps when she heard a voice behind her:

"Mama..."

The sounds were imprecise, soft and babyish, blurred as if his mouth were full of cotton.

But those two syllables were clear as day. Luo Dong had said them.

Bibi Dong turned around and saw Luo Dong lying on his stomach, his little head raised as he looked at her.

His little mouth opened, and he called out again, "Mama."

Bibi Dong froze in place, and the copper basin in her hand nearly slipped.

Then she hurried back to the bed, crouched down, and met Luo Dong's gaze.

Something welled up in her eyes, glistening bright, but she stubbornly held back the tears.

She reached out and stroked Luo Dong's soft, fine hair.

"Mm." Her voice was a little hoarse. "Mama's here."

Luo Dong grinned and called her "Mama" again.

This time, his voice was louder and clearer.

He reached out a little hand toward Bibi Dong's face, but couldn't reach.

So Bibi Dong lowered her head and let his soft palm rest against her cheek.

This was the first time Luo Dong had called her Mama, before he was even a year old.

It was also the first time Bibi Dong truly felt that she had found something in her life worth holding on to.

Some time passed.

It was late autumn in Spirit City.

Golden ginkgo leaves covered the streets on both sides.

The long street outside Spirit Hall was lined with stalls, crowded with people, and filled with the constant cries of vendors.

Bibi Dong carried Luo Dong as she walked down the street.

Now one year old, Luo Dong was completely different from the newborn he had been.

Thanks to his Flawless Body, he was developing several times faster than other children his age.

Although he was only one, he could already walk and run. His little arms and legs were sturdy and strong, and he was a head taller than other children his age.

He was even quite articulate. His voice was still a little babyish, but he could already express himself in complete short sentences.

At the same time, the set of tiny teeth in his mouth was terrifyingly impressive. Eating and drinking posed no problem at all.

When he drank milk, he would even occasionally bump into Bibi Dong, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

At that moment.

He sat in Bibi Dong's arms, holding a bright red skewer of Candied Hawthorn. He sank his teeth into one and tugged hard.

Crunch! The sugar shell cracked, revealing the sweet-and-sour hawthorn inside.

He chewed noisily, his little face scrunching up as the sourness made him squeeze his eyes shut.

Sugar crumbs stuck to the corners of his mouth and his cheeks, making him look like a little kitten.

"Is it good?" Bibi Dong asked, looking down at him.

"Sour!" Luo Dong swallowed the hawthorn in his mouth, licked the sugar crumbs from the corner of his mouth, then held up the skewer. "Mama, you eat too."

Bibi Dong shook her head. "Mama doesn't want any. You eat."

Luo Dong bit into another one, chewing until his mouth was red. Sugar crumbs fell all over the front of his clothes.

Bibi Dong took a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped his face as she walked.

When she was done, she ruffled his hair. Luo Dong looked up at her and smiled.

The mother and son walked through the crowds, chatting and laughing as they headed toward Spirit Hall.

When they reached the entrance to their residence, Bibi Dong's steps faltered.

Qian Renxue was standing at the entrance.

Four-year-old Qian Renxue had grown quite a bit.

Her short golden hair was long enough to tie into two little buns, and she wore a small white dress.

Standing before the broad entrance, she looked especially tiny.

She stood there, gazing wistfully at Bibi Dong and the Luo Dong in her arms.

Her eyes first fell on Bibi Dong, full of cautious hope.

She hoped Mama would look at her, even if only for a moment.

Then her gaze fell on Luo Dong.

She saw the bright red skewer of Candied Hawthorn in his hand and the sugar crumbs stuck to the corners of his mouth.

Mama had even wiped his face for him.

Qian Renxue's eyes dimmed for a moment, then she forced them to brighten again.

Bibi Dong had intended to do what she usually did: ignore Qian Renxue and walk right past her.

She still had no idea how to face this child.

A year had passed. She could treat Luo Dong tenderly, but she still couldn't look at Qian Renxue with the same warmth.

That face, growing ever more like Qian Xunji's, froze a part of her heart anew whenever she saw it.

Just then.

A female knight hurried over to Bibi Dong, knelt on one knee, and gave a formal knight's salute.

"Your Highness, the Great Enshrined has an important matter to discuss with you. He requests your immediate presence at Elder Hall."

Bibi Dong frowned.

Qian Daoliu wanted to see her?

Ever since he'd said those words in Nurse Zhou's room a year ago, Qian Daoliu had rarely sought her out.

As the Great Enshrined, he usually remained at Elder Hall. Bibi Dong didn't need to bow to him, and the two of them maintained a tacit distance.

Neither too close nor too far; neither interfered with the other.

Unless it was truly important, Qian Daoliu wouldn't send anyone to summon her.

"What is it?"

"This subordinate doesn't know. The Great Enshrined only said it was urgent and asked that you be sure to come."

Bibi Dong fell silent for a moment.

She didn't want to go.

But she knew perfectly well that Qian Daoliu wouldn't use the word "urgent" unless the matter was truly important.

And he had sent a female knight to deliver the message, not an ordinary attendant. That meant the matter was indeed serious.

She could refuse to show any regard for Qian Daoliu, who was only her grandfather in name, but she couldn't completely ignore the summons of the Great Enshrined—not yet.