Su Li looked over the specifications. It was indeed safe. "Install it."
"It'll be ready tomorrow."
Talia passed by outside and poked her head in through the window.
"There are no records anywhere on the continent of pregnancy-related vital sign changes in a fifth-rank cultivator." Her eyes gleamed frighteningly bright. "If I could conduct continuous observations—"
Before she could finish, a spatula flew out from the direction of the kitchen, grazing past her ear and embedding itself in the window frame.
Saina's voice rang out from the kitchen, full and forceful.
"Get lost."
Talia pulled her head back and walked away without looking back. The spatula wobbled twice in the window frame before falling to the floor.
Su Li picked up the spatula and examined its edge. Thankfully, it hadn't curled.
He had forged it for Saina three years ago, using materials more carefully chosen than those of an ordinary kitchen knife.
Inside the smithy.
Su Li was making a crib.
Not an ordinary crib. The frame was made from Silverwood sent by the Elven Merchant Association, its grain fine and delicate, immune to insects and mold. A layer of extremely thin mithril sheet was embedded along the inner side of the rails, inscribed with the lowest-grade temperature-control circuit.
He spent an entire afternoon polishing the joints of the guardrails until his fingers could no longer feel the slightest edge when he ran them over the surface.
On the third day, Elena came.
She stood in the doorway for half a minute, looking at the crib's specifications and materials. Her expression gradually changed.
"Su Li."
"Mm."
"What kind of wood did you use for this crib?"
"Silverwood."
"The rails?"
"Mithril alloy."
"The base?"
"Thin sheets of fourth-rank refined iron with soft padding."
Elena took a deep breath.
"You're using