Jiang Nannan followed the directions the passersby had given her, chasing after them all the way. From a distance, she spotted a purple-haired little boy crouching by the roadside with his back to her. Two empty lunch boxes lay beside him.
Nearby, a stunning purple-haired woman was gracefully wiping her mouth, her gaze calmly sweeping over the area.
Jiang Nannan's pupils contracted.
It had to be them!
She strode over and pointed at Chen Doudou, speaking in a fierce, baby-faced voice. "Did you steal my mom's lunch boxes?!"
Chen Doudou was chewing on a piece of braised pork and nearly choked. "Ahem, ahem... What?"
"Don't play dumb!"
Jiang Nannan put her hands on her hips, righteous indignation on her face. "Everyone said some young master grabbed a few of my mom's lunch boxes with a pebble. Who else around here looks as much like a spoiled young noble as you?"
"I didn't do it. Someone can vouch for me!"
Chen Doudou swallowed the braised pork in his mouth before speaking.
Bibi Dong gave a cold laugh, folded her arms, and sold him out without the slightest qualm.
"That's right, it was him. I can testify. He's the one who stole them!"
"What a nasty little brat. That auntie worked so hard to make those lunch boxes, and he just went up and snatched several of them. Then he even insisted I eat with him!"
Chen Doudou: "!!!"
Wait, were people really just making things up with straight faces now?
Looking at the beautiful older sister's pitiful expression, then comparing it with the boy's luxurious, even extravagant clothes, Jiang Nannan couldn't help imagining what had happened.
"Big Sister, he must have forced you, right?"
Jiang Nannan said indignantly.
"Yes, he threatened me."
Bibi Dong nodded, the corner of her mouth lifting into a meaningful smile.
That's right, that's exactly how you get him in trouble!
Come on, Doudou. Let's see what you choose to do.
Get angry. Be furious!
Feel the rage of being wrongfully accused, then bully this clueless little girl in front of you!
Set out on the path of evil, starting right now.
Jiang Nannan's eyes filled with disgust.
So the academy's lessons were right after all. Nobles really were a bunch of people-eating monsters who didn't even spit out the bones.
He was already dressed in such luxurious clothes, yet he still had to steal a lunch box that cost three Copper Soul Coins.
"Big Sister, don't be scared. I'm here! I'm a Soul Master."
Jiang Nannan stood protectively in front of Bibi Dong, full of righteous spirit. "Hmph! Hurry up and apologize to this big sister, then pay her for the lunch boxes."
"Huh?"
Chen Doudou turned around.
But the moment Jiang Nannan saw Chen Doudou's face—
The girl, who had been so fierce just a moment ago, instantly...
Chen Doudou rolled his eyes at Bibi Dong behind her, his expression strange. "You're not going to fight me, are you?"
"I... I'm not going to fight you. But you have to apologize to Big Sister and pay for the food."
It was clearly Jiang Nannan's first time dealing with something like this. Though her words were tough, her little body trembled slightly, and her voice sounded strangely uncertain.
Chen Doudou saw right through her show of bravery.
The girl was all bark and no bite.
He whistled. "Zeus!"
As soon as his voice fell, a gust of wind swept up around the corner.
Zeus was a real actor, too, and they worked together perfectly. He came to an abrupt stop right in front of the little girl, raised his forelegs high, and let out a deafening neigh. The gust from his movement nearly knocked Jiang Nannan off her feet.
"A... a thousand-year Soul Beast?!"
Jiang Nannan had never seen anything like this. Her little face turned deathly pale, tears glistening in the corners of her reddened eyes. She looked like she wanted to cry but was stubbornly holding it in, just like a little white rabbit caught in a gray wolf's gaze.
The moment the little girl started crying, Chen Doudou was at a loss.
"Hey, hey, why are you crying? I didn't even do anything to you!"
What was he supposed to do? This was the first time he'd ever dealt with a situation like this.
Back when Chen Doudou was in the Divine Realm, he'd made Soft Bone Rabbit, who had raised Tang Wutong from childhood, into spicy rabbit heads. He'd even stuffed her diapers into a tea bag, lied that it was tea leaves, and taken them to brew tea for Tang San—then gotten beaten until his backside had blossomed.
No matter how he bullied them, they never cried.
Why were the girls in the mortal realm so fragile?
At his words, the little girl's tears immediately spilled over, and she began to sob.
"You're bullying people! You're already so rich, yet you still stole my mom's lunch boxes. Don't you know she's sick? She relies on the money from selling meals to buy medicine every day."
"Oh, don't cry. How about this? I'll cure your mom's illness for you."
Chen Doudou scratched his head. After thinking it over, that seemed like the most practical solution.
For mortals, many illnesses might be difficult to treat.
But for Chen Doudou, who possessed the ultimate attribute of life, a wisp of life essence condensed by his martial soul could easily solve the problem. It could cure every illness.
"Wuwu..."
Jiang Nannan blinked her tear-filled eyes, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. "Really? You... you're not lying to me?"
"Why would I lie?"
Chen Doudou patted his chest.
Jiang Nannan looked at his solemn expression and the way his gaze didn't waver at all, and doubt crept into her heart.
Would someone like him... really steal things?
Beside them, Bibi Dong's face had gone black as a pot.
I wanted you to bully her, and you went off doing good deeds instead?
It was over.
This child was beyond saving.
How was he the son of the God of Evil Thoughts?
He was clearly a walking Prince of Kindness!
When the three of them reached the stall,
Mother Jiang was surprised to see her daughter leading Chen Doudou over. "Why is it you?"
Jiang Nannan looked puzzled. "Mom, do you know each other?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you just now..."
Mother Jiang briefly explained what had happened, then added with a smile, "This little boy is adorable. He wasn't robbing me; we were just playing a game. He even gave me this gem."
She took the shiny pebble from her pocket, wiped it off, and handed it to Chen Doudou.
Realizing she'd misunderstood him, Jiang Nannan's little face turned bright red with embarrassment, as if steam were about to rise from it. Even the tips of her ears turned pink.
Overcome with shame, she bowed deeply to Chen Doudou. "I-I'm sorry! I was too hasty. I'm sorry."
"Hehe, it's fine. I did kind of steal them, after all."
After all, he really hadn't paid.
"Auntie, I heard you're not in good health. Let me use this to pay for the meals."
Without another word, Chen Doudou released Jiang Nannan's hand and walked straight over to Mother Jiang.
He held out his right hand, palm up, and the Life Rakshasa Holy Scythe silently appeared.
He merely gave the scythe a light wave. A wisp of pure, emerald-green life essence floated toward Mother Jiang like a firefly.
The moment that speck of light entered the center of Mother Jiang's brow,
her pale face regained its color at a visible rate, and even her breathing grew smooth and strong.
"My... my body's actually better?"
Mother Jiang covered her mouth in shock, feeling a warm current within her unlike anything she'd ever felt before.
Jiang Nannan's eyes widened as she watched her frail mother instantly become full of energy. Her little mouth hung open in disbelief. "Amazing!"
Chen Doudou put away his martial soul and clapped his hands. "There, that settles the bill. We're even."
He turned to look at Bibi Dong, who was already wearing a dark expression and preparing to leave. "Sister Dong, let's go. We won't have to steal food now, right?"
Bibi Dong stopped in her tracks, gritting her teeth.
This child...
Why couldn't this child learn to be just a little bit bad?!
At this rate, she was afraid she'd never finish her mission.
No, it seemed she'd have to activate Plan B next...
Before you continue