Secret Surveillance

"Ah!!"

Early in the morning.

A scream jolted both Xu Feng and Xiao Dan awake from their dreams.

The father and daughter sat up, dazed.

They saw Lu Fei standing before Xu Feng with a panicked expression: "You, you, we, we last night—"

Xu Feng sneered inwardly, his face twisting into a look of distress: "I'm sorry, but you were the one who initiated it last night."

Lu Fei stumbled, nearly collapsing to the floor, her face deathly pale.

"Last night, you insisted on dual cultivation with me, but I firmly refused. After all, I, Xu Feng, don't just let anyone become Xiao Dan's mother."

Seeing her struck as if by lightning, Xu Feng laughed wildly in his heart.

He didn't continue to scare her, though.

Seeing how cocky this girl was last night, it was clear that alcohol really did give a coward courage.

A coward.

Xu Feng rolled off the sofa and turned to walk toward the bathroom: "You didn't actually think something happened between us, did you?"

"Sister Lu!" Xiao Dan walked up to Lu Fei, her eyes still hazy with sleep, "Are you going to be my mommy?"

Lu Fei's face turned beet red instantly, and she whipped her head around to glare at Xu Feng's back.

When she woke up this morning, she had truly been scared to death.

But as she regained her senses and processed Xu Feng's words, she felt a wave of relief that no grave mistake had been made.

After the initial annoyance, all that remained in her heart once she realized the truth was embarrassment.

"What, are you staying for breakfast?"

Xu Feng washed his face, walked over, and looked at Lu Fei in surprise.

Lu Fei turned her face away with a "whoosh" and pinched Xiao Dan's cheek: "Don't talk nonsense."

She then pushed the door open and fled in a panic, not daring to look back.

It was too humiliating.

Her face burned like a monkey's backside.

She didn't dare look at Xu Feng, nor could she bring herself to say another word.

As a twenty-five-year-old maiden, she had no idea how she had dared to do such a thing last night.

Impulse? A lapse in judgment?

But why Xu Feng?

I must have been drunk at the time, but why did I subconsciously choose Xu Feng?

Could it be that I'm actually interested in him?

No, no, no, it must be because of my trust in Xiao Dan, which led me to trust Xu Feng.

That must be it!

Walking down the street, Lu Fei's mind was in a state of violent turmoil.

It was like a churning sea.

She remained in a daze until she returned to the base.

"What's the situation? Ungrateful wretch!"

Seeing Lu Fei leave without a greeting or a word of thanks, Xu Feng shook his head in dissatisfaction.

But he could understand.

After all, girls needed to save face.

"Dad, what happened? Why was Sister Lu at our house? What did you two do last night? When will I get a stepmom?"

Once Xiao Dan was fully awake, she followed Xu Feng around like a machine gun, asking questions incessantly.

Xu Feng explained while he washed up.

Afterward, he made breakfast.

Yet, even while eating, Xiao Dan kept asking.

"Alright!" Xu Feng suddenly lifted her up and carried her to the bathroom to start brushing her troublesome hair, "This topic ends here. Don't bring it up again in the future. Also, take this as a warning, you hear me? A girl must protect herself when she's out! Don't be like your Teacher Lu—she's a grown woman, yet she still drank herself into a stupor."

If she had sought out some other bad man last night instead of me, she might not even have had time to regret it by now.

"Oh."

Seeing Xiao Dan's indifferent little expression, Xu Feng's tone immediately turned stern: "If you ever dare to drink in the middle of the night and go knocking on some old man's door again, I will break your legs!"

"Yes, yes, I know."

Xiao Dan pursed her lips, feeling that her old father was being very fierce. She simply couldn't understand Xu Feng's good intentions.

Xu Feng felt helpless. Sometimes this girl was as simple as a child, yet other times she was like a little adult. Although he always felt she was still young, she could sometimes communicate like a grown-up. Perhaps children in this world were just precocious, or perhaps it was simply because "the children of the poor take charge early."

"Ahem, then recite the Girl's Self-Protection Code!" Xu Feng displayed his fatherly authority with seriousness.

Xiao Dan stood obediently in front of the mirror, counting on her fingers: "First, absolutely do not act on impulse. Second, absolutely do not go to the Trading Zone or the Wilderness Zone alone."

After breakfast, the father and daughter got everything ready, and only then did Xu Feng take Xiao Dan out the door.

In the early morning, the air in the Shanty Town was fresh yet carried a chaotic scent. As more neighbors appeared, the environment on the streets had actually improved somewhat. A couple of days ago, some neighbors had spontaneously organized and crowdfunded to hire "Street Cleaning" personnel, specifically responsible for the street's hygiene and waste disposal. Xu Feng had even paid 100 yuan for it, and it seemed well worth it now.

However, after walking for a short while, Xu Feng glanced at the alley at the end of the street. Following me? Or just passing by? Ever since he had achieved some success in practicing the Mind Movement secret technique, he had become quite sensitive to people's gazes. From far away, as long as someone looked at him, Xu Feng could sense it. Since leaving the house today, he had felt as if needles were pricking his back. After taking a few opportunities to "adjust" Xiao Dan's clothes, he had confirmed at least two targets. Yet, Xu Feng felt he was just a repairman; who would have nothing better to do than monitor him all day? He shook his head and turned to continue walking.

"Dad, there's an uncle who keeps looking at me." However, after walking only a few steps, Xiao Dan suddenly leaned in close to Xu Feng and whispered.

"Hm? You felt it too?" Xu Feng looked at the little girl in surprise.

Xiao Dan nodded vigorously and gestured, saying: "Mm-hmm, when I secretly turned my head, I found he was looking at a remote control! I recognize that remote control!"

"Remote control? What remote control?" Xu Feng was left bewildered by Xiao Dan's words.

"It's a remote control exactly like the one for the drone at Liu Zixi's house!!" Xiao Dan said, gesturing with her hands.

Xu Feng raised an eyebrow. Liu Zixi was Xiao Dan's classmate, a little boy whose family was quite wealthy. He often brought tech gadgets to elementary school to show off. At such a young age, he didn't learn anything good and only knew how to flaunt.

"Stop playing with Liu Zixi from now on!" Xu Feng frowned.

"Mm-hmm, don't worry Dad, I only play with his toys; I don't consider him a friend."

Xiao Dan said earnestly.

Xu Feng: "."

After a pause, he hesitated and said, "This, isn't that a bit much? Even though I told you not to hang out with him, using a classmate like this..."

"He's the one who insisted on playing with me! He's always bringing me snacks and gifts, but I don't even like him."

Xiao Dan defended herself.

"Oh, right! Xiao Juan likes him! That's why Xiao Juan hasn't been talking to me lately..."

Listening to Xiao Dan chatter away about the stories from her class.

And how she was toying with the feelings of a little sycophant.

Xu Feng's mind had already drifted elsewhere.

Kids in their early teens, what could they possibly know?

What truly worried him was whether someone was actually watching him.

After dropping Xiao Dan off at school, Xu Feng didn't head straight to work; instead, he left the base and returned home for a moment.

This time.

He was almost certain that someone was indeed watching him.

However, Xu Feng did not know the motive of the person monitoring him.

Therefore, he did not lose his composure.

After sending a message to Lu Fei from home, he headed toward the base as usual.

Stay calm, and first confirm if he was just overthinking things.