A smile appeared on Chen Yan's face.
But he didn't plan to show off in front of his parents. He'd wait until they were asleep that night and experiment on his own.
So he simply took one unsteady step after another into his mother's arms, his little legs moving with surprising purpose, like a tiny penguin trying hard to learn to walk.
"Xiao Yan is amazing!" Du Qionghua scooped him up and planted a hearty kiss on his chubby cheek.
[+2 Luck]
Heh. Excellent!
Chen Yan planned not only to hide his abilities, but also to develop a skill that would conceal his Qi and blood as soon as possible.
There was one simple reason: the rate at which his Qi and blood were growing was downright terrifying.
More than seven hundred points of Qi and blood—nearly the level of an amateur eighth-dan martial artist.
Martial artists had techniques and skills, so they would certainly be stronger in an actual fight. But a ten-month-old baby with stats like these was already an astonishing thing.
Seeing the almost fanatical look on Wang Xiaoming's face as he talked about research in the news that day had sent a shiver down Chen Yan's spine.
He didn't want that old man taking him away and sticking him under a glass dome like a lab rat, with tubes all over his body.
In short, keeping a low profile while growing stronger was the way to go.
Starting tomorrow, he'd try out other life skills. Keeping himself well hidden was the only way to go farther on the path of martial arts.
Midnight.
The room was pitch-black, save for the occasional headlights flashing past outside and casting brief shadows on the wall.
Chen Yan heard a faint sound from the living room—the door closing. Chen Kefa had gone out on another Special Investigation Team mission. Only then did he cautiously open his eyes.
Dad's job with the Special Investigation Team sure kept him busy...
He carefully lifted one corner of the blanket, wriggled to the edge of the bed, and kicked off with both legs.
A kip-up!
He did it!
His tiny body traced a perfect arc through the air and landed steadily on the soft carpet without making a sound.
Good. Next...
With a thought, he began using [Godly Movement].
In an instant, Chen Yan felt a strange power envelop his whole body, and the world before his eyes seemed to shift into slow motion.
Like a hyperactive little tiger breaking free of its leash, he turned into an almost invisible golden blur and shot from the bedside to the balcony.
Then, caught off guard, he slammed headfirst into the cold glass door with a thump, the impact making a crisp, muffled sound.
Sound nice?
If it sounds nice, it must be a good head!
Chen Yan clutched his forehead, stars dancing in his vision. Before he could marvel at his new skill's power, the bedroom door creaked open.
Du Qionghua poked half her body into the room, still groggy with sleep as she warily scanned the room.
"Could it be a supernatural life-form?"
She muttered under her breath. The news about West City District that day had clearly left her a little jumpy.
Chen Yan's heart tightened. A split second before Du Qionghua could turn on the light, he activated [Godly Movement], shot back to the bed, pulled up the blanket, and closed his eyes—all in one smooth motion.
Du Qionghua switched on the bedside night-light, its dim yellow glow illuminating the room.
She saw Chen Yan lying obediently in bed, fast asleep, his posture peaceful.
Only his two chubby little hands stuck out from beneath the blanket, resting above his head as if he were surrendering.
She breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, and gently tucked Chen Yan's little hands back into the warm blanket.
Then she went to the balcony, opened the glass door, and peered outside. The night was dark and the wind bitterly cold. She saw nothing unusual.
She closed the door, carefully drew the curtains, then returned to the bedside and bent down to kiss Chen Yan lightly on his smooth forehead. After turning off the light, she tiptoed back to her own bedroom.
In the darkness, Chen Yan opened his eyes and touched the spot on his forehead where she'd kissed him, then rubbed the numb spot where he'd hit his head.
"Godly Movement is incredible!" he marveled inwardly.
At that speed, he was several times faster than the top sprinters in his previous life! If his body weren't far tougher than an ordinary person's, that collision might have given him a concussion.
It reminded him of a comic book called The Flash...
The next day.
Chen Yan had planned to stay home and work on new life skills, like [Crying], [Acting Cute], and [Playing with Toys], to see if he could develop another miraculous ability. But his mother's spur-of-the-moment decision upended his plans.
Du Qionghua had just finished a call with her best friend Liu Xin, and a smile played on her lips. "Xiao Yan, how about I take you to visit Auntie Liu? She has a big sister at home."
She didn't wait for Chen Yan to agree. Excitedly, she rummaged through the closet and dressed him up from head to toe.
A white sweater, khaki overalls, and a tiny beret made him look like a stylish little boy straight out of a magazine.
Liu Xin's home was in the same residential compound, not far away.
She and Du Qionghua had been high school classmates, and they were as close as could be.
Liu Xin had decent martial arts aptitude and had taken the martial arts entrance exam. She later became an ordinary police officer.
Du Qionghua, on the other hand, had taken the regular academic entrance exam and gone to an ordinary university. After graduating, she'd settled into life as an ordinary rich kid.
Incidentally, Du Qionghua's father—Chen Yan's maternal grandfather—was the master of the famous Du Family Martial Arts Hall in Jiang City.
Unfortunately, neither of Master Du's children—Chen Yan's uncle and mother—had much martial arts aptitude, so neither could inherit the martial arts hall. It was one of the old master's greatest regrets.
When they arrived at Liu Xin's home, Liu Xin opened the door and immediately lit up at the sight of Chen Yan in Du Qionghua's arms.
"Oh my goodness, Qionghua, is this your little prodigy? He's so handsome!"
A Charm stat of 92 was no joke!
Liu Xin reached out to hold him, and Chen Yan obligingly smiled at her, revealing a few tiny teeth that had just come in.
She had a baby of her own, a girl named Yu Qingmeng, who was five months older than Chen Yan.
She should have been noticeably bigger than him, but when Liu Xin lifted her out of the playpen, she looked even tinier and more delicate than Chen Yan!
Liu Xin had complained to Du Qionghua countless times that her daughter was a little menace.
But looking at Yu Qingmeng now, Du Qionghua couldn't help finding her adorable.
The little girl was as pretty as a doll, with double eyelids, big eyes, and a cherry-red mouth. Her features were perfectly delicate, like those of a beautiful doll.
Liu Xin had already seen Chen Yan in videos and thought he was an angel of a baby—quiet, well-behaved, and clever. She adored him!
Yu Qingmeng, by contrast, was truly adorable, but more outgoing than a boy. If she didn't get into trouble at least once a day, she seemed restless.
At that moment, the little girl named Yu Qingmeng was curiously sizing Chen Yan up.
She was like Columbus discovering a new continent, or a little troublemaker finding a new toy.
She wriggled out of Liu Xin's arms and toddled toward Chen Yan, making excited little "ah-ah" sounds.
Watching them, Du Qionghua laughed delightedly. "Haha, Qionghua seems to really like Xiao Yan."
"X-Xiao Yan?"
Yu Qingmeng tilted her head and repeated the unfamiliar name. Then, as if she'd identified her target, she called out loudly.
"Xiao Yan, play!"
She reached out and grabbed Chen Yan's overalls.
"Xiao Yan! Play!"
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