Chapter 15

An Xiang had no experience finding a school. None of the kindergartens she found online satisfied her; they were far away, and their surroundings did not look very good either.

An entire night passed without any progress.

The next day, An Xiang returned to the shop with two dark circles under her eyes.

Her main task that morning was to create a new juice, using An Xiang herself as the flavor.

She had carefully tasted her own blood before. It tasted of sweet peach, mixed with the delicate fragrance of jasmine and green tea.

An Xiang quickly prepared the ingredients and mixed the three in different proportions. After several failed attempts, she finally produced a satisfying result.

The juice in the glass was a beautifully translucent pink gradient, with ice floating below and bits of peach as garnish. The distinctive scent of jasmine lingered around her nose.

An Xiang sniffed it lightly, lifted the glass, and took a small sip,

The peach tasted light and sweet, with a rich floral fragrance. The slight bitterness of the green tea balanced the sweetness, keeping it from becoming cloying. The three flavors blended perfectly, and the icy sensation brought a feeling of happiness from the inside out.

Without time to savor more, she hurriedly took out her little notebook and wrote down the ingredient ratios.

She was slow-witted. If she did not write them down properly, she might forget later.

Once she had finished, An Xiang contentedly added an entry to the menu: [Mommy.]

Price: 18.

The same price as her son, hehe...

She grinned foolishly at the menu.

An Zimo, who had witnessed the whole process, briefly took his eyes off the television and remarked sarcastically, "Why not sell it for 88?"

"Son, are you stupid? Only an idiot would buy milk tea for 88." An Xiang haphazardly wiped her wet hands on her apron, then picked up a cloth to wipe the counter as she spoke. "...You really are a child. You can't even understand a joke."

An Zimo's breath caught. His face darkened, and he changed the channel moodily.

Being called stupid by an idiot was really irritating.

Everything that needed doing was done. Next, she needed to keep looking for a kindergarten for her son.

An Xiang sat by the floor-to-ceiling window with her laptop. Just as she opened the search page, the doorbell rang.

She checked the time. It was only ten. Who would come to such an inconspicuous place for juice at this hour?

An Xiang got up to open the door. Standing outside was Pei Chen, who had only just visited the night before.

The tall, upright teenager wore a black sweatshirt, his backpack hanging crookedly from his left shoulder. He was alone, his beautiful phoenix eyes shining as he stared at An Xiang.

"Oh, you're..." An Xiang recognized him immediately.

"Hi, miss. I'm Pei Chen. You can just call me Xiao Chen." Pei Chen made himself right at home, walking around An Xiang and straight inside. The new item on the menu immediately caught his interest.

"You already have something new?"

"Mm." An Xiang stepped behind the counter. "Want to try it?"

Pei Chen planted both hands on the counter and craned his neck. "Then I'll have a Mommy."

Only a counter separated them, and the scent from the teenager drifted into her nose.

It smelled of sweet orange and slightly tart lemon soda.

An Xiang quietly noted the flavor, deciding to make another drink based on Pei Chen if she had time that afternoon.

After ordering, Pei Chen looked around and noticed An Zimo watching television intently on the sofa. His thick eyebrows lifted slightly. He dropped his backpack and went over to sit beside him.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?" Pei Chen rested an arm along the back of the sofa, his posture casual and his tone flippant.

An Zimo immediately felt irritated and slowly scooted his little bottom to the side.

Looking at An Xiang working behind the counter, Pei Chen leaned closer and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Is Xiangxiang your sister?"

Xiangxiang?

Such an intimate form of address instantly made An Zimo's brows pinch together. He could not help turning up his Mind Reading, wanting to know what this guy was thinking.

This little brat is seriously annoying. Just thinking about becoming his brother-in-law pisses me off.

Fuck, being his brother-in-law wouldn't be so bad!

"...???" Where had this moronic mutt come from? What kind of ridiculous daydream was he having in broad daylight?!

An Zimo's face was as gloomy as winter in November. His little hands clenched the remote, his wrists trembling from the force.

"Stop watching TV. What's so great about it?" Pei Chen snatched the remote, switched off the television, and took two packets of spicy strips from his bag. "Want some spicy strips?"

An Zimo remained unmoved.

"Tell me, does your sister have a boyfriend?"

An Zimo's eyes flickered. Suddenly, a malicious smile curled his lips. They parted, and he calmly uttered two words: "She doesn't."

At that answer, Pei Chen nearly jumped up onto the seat in excitement.

He forcibly suppressed his excitement, his eyes widening. His deliberately lowered voice trembled slightly. "Really? I don't believe it."

An Xiang was so beautiful and gentle. How could nobody be pursuing her? Was this little brat fooling him?

"Really." An Zimo nodded. "Children don't lie."

Pei Chen's eyes remained suspicious.

An Zimo held out his hand. "The remote."

Pei Chen came back to his senses and respectfully handed it over, suddenly feeling that An Zimo was not so annoying after all. He shamelessly sidled closer and draped an arm around his shoulders as though they were buddies. "Then, do you think I can pursue your sister?"

"I don't know." Facing Pei Chen, who had suddenly become dejected, An Zimo added, "Ask her yourself."

Ask her himself...

Right! He could ask her himself!!!

Pei Chen pinched his thigh, his eyes shining with excitement.

Xiangxiang, do you mind dating a younger guy?

Both my parents are dead, and I have a car and a house. I have elders to care for but no children. Would you be my girlfriend?

We can get engaged once I graduate from high school.

The children can take your surname, and you can have all the family assets.

If we divorce, I wouldn't mind leaving with nothing.

*...*

Pei Chen's mind was buzzing, every word of his thoughts pouring into An Zimo's ears.

This moronic mutt was so excited now. Once his fantasies shattered...

Tsk.

An Zimo suddenly felt at ease. His whole body relaxed into the sofa, his toes swaying rhythmically. His little face was expressionless, but his overly sly eyes betrayed his good mood.

"Your juice. Enjoy."

By then, An Xiang had finished preparing the juice. She placed it in front of Pei Chen, brought over a small dish of candy, then returned to her original seat to continue searching online for kindergartens.

An Xiang rested her chin on her hand and concentrated on her work, failing to notice Pei Chen appearing beside her with a straw between his lips.

"Miss..."

The teenager's clear voice reached her ears. An Xiang's shoulders jolted in fright, and she could not help looking over blankly.

Startled, she looked just like a defenseless little hamster, her expression as adorable as could be.

Pei Chen's ears reddened, and he stammered, "S-s-sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." An Xiang looked at the juice in his hand, her large eyes full of anticipation. "Does it taste good?"

"It's really good!" Pei Chen was not merely flattering her. Today's juice really was delicious. Despite the extremely ordinary, common ingredients, it had a unique taste, just like...

"It feels a little like your scent." Pei Chen was not yet eighteen. Underage vampires were never sensitive to human blood, but he could still smell the fragrance on An Xiang. It was sweet and very pleasant. If he took a sip...

His eyes reddened, and his throat bobbed.

Suddenly, a chill ran down An Xiang's back. She involuntarily leaned to the side, a trace of suspicion in her eyes as she looked at him.

Pei Chen startled and hurriedly suppressed his messy thoughts. His gaze swept toward the screen, and when he noticed its contents, he changed the subject with feigned composure. "Are you looking for a kindergarten?"

"Mm." An Xiang did not deny it, her attention successfully diverted. "For our Zimo."

"Zimo?" Pei Chen bit down on his straw and looked behind him, finding it a little unbelievable that such an arrogant little brat had such a refined name.

But...

This was the perfect opportunity to show what he could do!!!

Pei Chen drained the remaining juice in one gulp, casually tossed the bottle into the trash, and took out his phone to find a WeChat contact. "Miss, a friend of my Seventh Great-Grandpa runs a kindergarten. My younger brother and sister both go there. If you're interested, you can add him and ask about it. If you like it, I can get him to pull some strings for you, and the tuition will be much cheaper."

Th-there was such a good deal?

An Xiang was filled with disbelief.

Afraid of missing this perfect chance to curry favor, Pei Chen hurriedly added, "That kindergarten is only two streets away from this apartment building. It's a fifteen-minute walk, so it would be convenient for you to drop him off and pick him up."

Being close to the milk tea shop was An Xiang's only requirement.

Without the slightest hesitation, she gave Pei Chen her contact information and added the principal on WeChat through him.

The principal posted about the kindergarten children's daily surroundings on his Moments every day. Judging by the videos, the environment was nice, and the lunches were good too. It was exactly the kindergarten An Xiang had hoped for!

Pei Chen happily studied the new contact in his WeChat list and licked the corner of his lips. "What do you think? If you like it, I can arrange a time for you to take a look in person."

An Xiang was extremely satisfied!

The heavy weight on her chest finally lifted. She let out a long breath and said to Pei Chen, "Then sorry for the trouble. If it's convenient, I'd like to go have a look this afternoon."

"Sure, I'll tell him right now." Pei Chen readily agreed and called the principal directly.

Once the call ended, another crafty idea came to Pei Chen. "Then I'll take you there after school this afternoon, so you don't get lost. I don't have anything to do on Sunday anyway."

"No, no, I can go myself." An Xiang hurriedly waved her hands. She was not an overgrown baby. How could she trouble others with everything?

Feeling bad, An Xiang quickly said, "How about this? I'll treat you to a meal afterward, and today's juice is free too."

A meal!

Pei Chen's eyes instantly sparkled as he busily calculated in his head. An Xiang would treat him today, and tomorrow he could return the favor. After a few rounds of that, winning her over would be only natural!

"Don't be so polite, Xiangxiang. Looking after your younger brother alone must be hard." Pei Chen straightened his back and patted his chest as he assured An Xiang, "Once little Zimo starts kindergarten, I'll help look after him whenever I'm free!"

Pei Chen's tone was solemn and earnest. An Xiang's head went blank as she listened.

"Younger brother?" An Xiang froze, feeling as though she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She could not help pursing her lips in a soft laugh. "You've misunderstood. Momo is my son."

"Oh, he's your son..."

S-son-?!!!!

Pei Chen was dumbfounded. His eyes widened as though he had turned to stone, and he did not make a sound for a long while.

An Zimo, who had remained silent behind them, gave a soft huff. He hopped off the sofa, walked up to An Xiang, and tugged her sleeve expressionlessly. "Mom, I'm hungry."

There was no emotion whatsoever in that "Mom." He had said it purely to upset Pei Chen.

"All right, I'll make you..." Her words stopped. That "Mom" echoed in her mind.

An Xiang's lips trembled slightly, her face full of astonishment. Then she shrieked, "Momo, you called me Mommy-!!!"

This was the first time.

After all these days since bringing Momo home, this was the first time she had heard him call her Mommy.

An Xiang suddenly felt that her whole life had been worth it. Even if she were to die right then, she would have been willing.

Unable to contain her excitement, An Xiang's eyes reddened, and she began to sob.

An Zimo rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, then glanced contemptuously at Pei Chen and offered a provocative invitation. "Pei Chen, would you like to have lunch with my mommy?" With that, he curled his lips, smiling like a rebellious little troublemaker.

Pei Chen's face was pale, his head spinning from heartbreak.

That smile was another stick striking him hard over the head.

This little brat had done it on purpose!!!

"No, thanks..." Pei Chen's voice was strained. Unable to bear his heartbreak, he wanted to cry too. "Give me two more Mommies, to go."

An Xiang had no more time to bask in her happiness. She held back her tears and went to make the juice, still sniffling. Pei Chen took the juice and left despondently.

He did not go home. Carrying the two bags, he headed dejectedly toward Huaxing Entertainment across the street.

Great-Grandpa.

He was going to cry in Great-Grandpa's arms.

Waa...

His heart was broken!

Pei Yizhou didn't want you and flaunted your great-grandma in front of you.

Momo made two people cry with one "Mom." Now he was satisfied.

Momo's Mind Reading was muted most of the time. He found it noisy.

The little brat was super haughty _(:з"∠)_

**

Red envelopes for the first hundred.

I don't know what to write next, so I secretly opened a prerelease page. I haven't even thought of names for the male and female leads, _(:з"∠)_ I'll change them once I come up with something.

"I Raised the Great Demon Villain"

Mountain Sparrow was a Silver-throated Long-tailed Tit, and also the last demon in the world. When she woke up, she had just been captured to be offered to the future great demon villain.

The system told her she had transmigrated into a romance game and needed to dual-cultivate with the villain to keep him alive until eighty-eight. Once the mission ended, she would revive the Demon Race.

For the future of the Demon Race, Mountain Sparrow diligently acted cute and tirelessly worked to win him over. At last, she could successfully take human form.

On the day she took human form, someone had just come seeking revenge on the teenage villain, leaving him with hardly any health points.

Her eyes red, Mountain Sparrow held the dying villain and sobbed, "W-want to m/mate?"

The teenage villain clutched his stomach, which was bubbling with blood. Only after a long silence did he utter a few words: "...That might be a little difficult."

"..."

**

The villain was born under an ominous star, bringing misfortune to his father, his mother, and himself, destined to lead a miserable, troubled life.

Until one day, an enemy tossed a bird into his room as a prank. From then on, his world changed completely. Food and clothes appeared inexplicably, along with yuan tucked into nooks and crannies. Even that little sparrow kept preening, swishing her tail, and making eyes at him.

The villain vaguely felt... this little sparrow seemed to be lusting after his body.