Dugu Yan rolled over, growing angrier the more she thought about it. Finally, she climbed out of bed and called, "Grandpa, I'm going to Suotuo City to find Brother Mo."
Seeing his precious granddaughter about to storm off as soon as she finished speaking, Dugu Bo sighed and stopped her.
At Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong read the diary, her brows lifting slightly.
"Yu Xiaogang... currying favor with a seven-year-old child?" She sneered. "He's really going backward with age."
She looked again at Chen Mo's words, "Once she's grown attached, she'll be mine," and felt inexplicably conflicted.
In the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Zhuqing read the passage about "taking Xiao Wu to the market." Her fingers tightened slightly, and she fell silent for a while.
Over the next few days, Yu Xiaogang became a regular visitor to Chen Mo's courtyard.
He came once a day, more punctually than the work-study students reporting for duty.
Today, he brought a box of hundred-year-old ginseng; tomorrow, a package of snow mountain spirit reishi; the day after, a set of theories on Soul Power circulation that he had copied out by hand-the handwriting was neat and precise, and he had clearly stayed up several nights over it.
He even volunteered to do chores.
Chen Mo said the courtyard needed a well, and by the next day, one had been dug.
Chen Mo casually mentioned wanting some braised beef from that shop in eastern Nuoding City, and by noon the next day, the beef was on his table.
With such eagerness to serve, anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was an old servant of Chen Mo's household.
Following his master, Tang San naturally came over every day too.
But Tang San was different from Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang had come for the divine artifact's duplicate, with calculations tucked away in his heart.
Tang San, however, was quite simple-he just felt that Big Brother treated him well and had even given him a divine artifact, so he ought to repay Big Brother and grow closer to him.
Besides, his master had instructed him to put in more good words in front of Chen Mo.
Master said Big Brother is a god's successor. Stick with Big Brother, and there'll be meat to eat, Tang San muttered inwardly. I don't know why Master insists on hiding it from Big Brother, but Master must have his reasons.
And so, every afternoon, Tang San would come running to Chen Mo's courtyard.
He would either help Chen Mo chop firewood, help with the watering, or chat with him about cultivation.
That afternoon, Tang San came again.
He had barely reached the courtyard gate when his steps halted.
Inside the courtyard, Xiao Wu sat on a stone stool, holding a carrot and eating until her cheeks bulged.
Chen Mo sat beside her, holding a skewer of candied hawthorns and teasing her.
"Xiao Wu, look at this skewer of candied hawthorns."
"No trade!" Xiao Wu protectively tucked her carrot against her chest, but her eyes stole a glance at the candied hawthorns.
"Candied hawthorns are especially sweet," Chen Mo said solemnly. "Even sweeter than that carrot of yours. Try one if you don't believe me."
Xiao Wu hesitated, then reached out to take it.
Chen Mo drew the skewer back. "Want some? Then you have to call me Big Brother first."
"Brother Chen Mo!" Xiao Wu immediately called out brightly, without the slightest reservation.
Chen Mo: "..."
He had meant to tease her, only for her to say it faster than anyone.
This rabbit really threw her principles away for a bite to eat.
He handed over the candied hawthorns. Xiao Wu took them and bit into one with a crunch, her eyes curving into crescents. "They really are sweet!"
Seeing her satisfied expression, Chen Mo couldn't help smiling.
Standing at the courtyard gate and watching this scene, Tang San suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
Unable to describe the feeling, he stood at the gate, caught between advancing and retreating.
If he went in, he felt he would be disturbing them.
If he didn't, he had no idea where else to go.
Chen Mo had noticed him long ago. He looked up. "Xiao San? What are you standing at the gate for? Come in."
Only then did Tang San snap out of it. He forced a smile and entered the courtyard.
"Big Brother," he called, then looked at Xiao Wu and greeted her stiffly. "Sister Xiao Wu, eating candied hawthorns?"
"Mm!" Xiao Wu answered without looking up, continuing to munch on her candied hawthorns.
In the past, whenever Tang San came to see her, she would have jumped up long ago.
But now...
She looked down at the candied hawthorns in her hand, feeling a little muddled.
Tang San stood in the courtyard, at a loss for what to do with himself.
He had never thought things could be so awkward between him and Xiao Wu.
Chen Mo laughed inwardly at the sight of him, but pretended to know nothing and invited him over. "Sit down and have some tea. Why didn't your master come today?"
Tang San sat down and accepted the teacup. "Master is putting together a new theory today. He said he'd bring it over this afternoon for you to look over, Big Brother."
"Oh?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Another theory?"
"Yes. Master said he poured his heart's blood into this work." Tang San scratched his head. "He said he'd do anything as long as it could help broaden your thinking, Big Brother."
Chen Mo sneered inwardly.
Broaden my thinking?
He wants to move me so I'll offer him the divine artifact's duplicate myself.
He took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "Your master is very thoughtful. But tell him when you go back that I have no use for theories at the moment. Tell him not to wear himself out."
Tang San nodded. "All right. I'll tell Master when I get back."
They chatted a little more, and Tang San gradually relaxed.
Suddenly remembering something, he lowered his voice. "Big Brother, that divine artifact of yours... my cultivation really is so much faster now!"
"Before, I could only circulate my Soul Power through two full cycles a day. Now I can do four!" Tang San's eyes shone with excitement. "Big Brother, just what is that divine artifact of yours?"
Chen Mo set down his teacup and glanced at him.
"Didn't I tell you? It's something passed down by the God of Nature," Chen Mo said leisurely. "When I broke through to level 40, it produced its first duplicate. I gave it to you because you're my little brother."
Tang San was so moved that his eyes reddened. "Big Brother..."
Chen Mo patted his shoulder. "Cultivate hard, and don't think too much. Once you break through your bottleneck, Big Brother will have something even better for you."
Tang San nodded emphatically and drained his teacup in one gulp, that trace of discomfort in his heart having long since flown beyond the ninth heaven.
As he left, he glanced once more at Xiao Wu in the courtyard.
Xiao Wu was crouching in a corner by the wall, playing with those few stalks of Blue Silver Grass and muttering something under her breath.
Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then swallowed it back.
He thought of the divine artifact Chen Mo had given him, of the cultivation speed more than twice his usual pace, and of Big Brother's words: "You're my little brother."
He gritted his teeth and told himself inwardly, She's just a woman... if I have to give her up, so be it.
Big Brother even gave me a divine artifact. Why am I still fussing over this?
With that thought, Tang San indeed felt much more at ease. His steps lightened too, and he strode toward the academy.
Only after Tang San left did Xiao Wu stand up from the corner and brush the dirt off her hands.
She walked up to Chen Mo and tilted her head at him. "Brother Chen Mo, Tang San... why has he been acting so strange lately?"
Chen Mo played dumb. "Strange? Hasn't he always been like that?"
"No, he hasn't." Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. Although she knew what Chen Mo was thinking, she still said rather speechlessly, "Before, when he looked at me, his eyes were always... always full of concern. Now his eyes keep darting away, as though he's afraid to talk to me."