Meeting the Parents… or Rather, an Old Friend

“You two be on your best behavior, okay?”

Luo Xiaoxi shot one last uneasy glance at Long Miaoming and Hua Qianluo, sensing that trouble was brewing. Both Miaoming and Qianluo nodded repeatedly like obedient little children.

Well, even though she knew they were faking it, Xiaoxi had to get to work. If she didn’t, she and her “Mama Qianluo” would end up starving on the streets.

The moment Xiaoxi stepped out, the temperature in the room plummeted to a freezing point.

“Tsk. You’ve got a lot of nerve, hiding her right under my nose for eighteen years,” Miaoming said coldly.

“Heh, clearly your own cultivation is just lacking. Don’t go looking for excuses,” Hua Qianluo retorted, not backing down an inch.

“You hid someone else’s husband and you think you’re in the right?”

“I’ve been protecting Xiaoxi this whole time! Besides, our Xiaoxi is a girl now. Don’t go flattering yourself.”

“Your Xiaoxi??” Miaoming clearly focused on the wrong part of the sentence, her beautiful eyebrows shooting up in indignation.

“Heh, I raised her, didn’t I? Of course she’s mine,” Qianluo clicked her tongue. Just as she was about to deliver another jab, there was a noise at the door.

Luo Xiaoxi was back!

Xiaoxi swung the inner door open, only to see a perfectly pleasant Hua Qianluo chatting and laughing with “Sister Long” about something delightful. Sister Long was smiling right back. It was a picture of absolute harmony.

“Oh, Xiaoxi dear! Are you done with your work?” Hua Qianluo looked at her with a beaming, gentle smile. “Your friend here is very interesting. We’re getting along famously!”

Watching this display of “gentle virtue” from Hua Qianluo, Xiaoxi didn’t believe a word of it. She turned to Miaoming.

“That’s right. Auntie’s knowledge is incredibly vast; it’s truly opened my eyes,” Miaoming added with a smile, setting down her teacup.

“Is that so?” Xiaoxi looked at them both suspiciously. “Well… you two keep getting along then.”

With that, Xiaoxi headed back out to work. The second the door clicked shut, the battle reignited.

“You know, Celestial Master,” Miaoming began her new offensive with a smirk, “Xiaoxi told me earlier that there was an ‘old hag’ living at home. At your age, you shouldn’t be straining yourself raising a child. Hand Xiaoxi over to me; I’ll raise her until she’s plump and happy.”

“Is that so?” Qianluo counter-attacked instantly. “Little Ming, do you know why Xiaoxi is so close to you?”

“Because of our bond, obviously—” Miaoming began confidently, but Qianluo cut her off.

“Oh please, you don’t actually think it’s some ‘past life’ sentiment, do you? Don’t be heartbroken when I tell you this,” Qianluo said, narrowing her eyes. “Ever since she was little, Xiaoxi has had a fantasy… she wants to be a Dragon Knight.”

“A… Dragon… Knight.” Miaoming’s face went dark, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped her teacup.

“Young dragons are so restless,” Qianluo muttered, standing up triumphantly. “You’ll need another two thousand years of practice to beat me in an argument.”

She picked up the kettle to refill her tea, but then Miaoming dropped a bombshell:

“It’s a pity, really… I’m incredibly rich.”

Qianluo’s hand jerked, nearly pouring scalding water on herself.

“Sigh, I wonder what gift I should buy for Xiaoxi later?” Miaoming looked at Qianluo, unkindly reminding her of the fact that she was broke. “Mama Qianluo, don’t be too sad. Once your daughter is with me, what’s mine is yours.”

With that, Miaoming gave Qianluo a patronizing pat on the shoulder. She stood up, twirled her car keys, and sauntered out with the swagger of a rogue. Hua Qianluo’s face turned several shades of white and black before she finally let out a frustrated laugh.

“That damn brat.”

“Sister Long, you’re not staying a bit longer?” Seeing Miaoming come out, Xiaoxi hurried over.

“Mhm, I have some things to handle today. I’ll come visit again another day.” Miaoming handed over a brand-new phone she had just bought at a shop down the street—the most expensive model available.

Xiaoxi hadn’t understood why Sister Long had bought it earlier, but now she realized. The lives of the rich were truly beyond her comprehension. “Keep in touch with me, okay?”

Miaoming hopped into her little convertible and drove off.

“So cool…” Xiaoxi watched her depart in a daze.

“Pfft!” Hua Qianluo jumped out right on cue, clapping a hand on Xiaoxi’s shoulder. “Xiaoxi, you must resist the temptation of money! You cannot succumb to ‘Banknote Power’!”

“Whoa, Mama Qianluo, what are you thinking?” Xiaoxi broke free. “I just feel like I’m one step closer to my dream of being a Dragon Knight…”

Hua Qianluo breathed a sigh of relief… wait. If her “cheap daughter” felt that way, wasn’t she going to end up in the clutches of that stupid dragon sooner or later anyway?

As dusk fell, they prepared to close the shop. Today’s revenue was a massive improvement over the previous days. Clearly, the shop functioned differently with Xiaoxi around.

While Qianluo was excitedly counting the cash, Xiaoxi was outside watering the flowers. Suddenly, a figure approached.

Despite it being the height of summer, the person was bundled in thick layers of clothing, hunched over and shuffling. The stranger looked at the shop sign, then at Xiaoxi.

“May I help you with something?” Xiaoxi asked, looking at the person curiously.

“I… I want to buy a specific flower,” the figure rasped. The voice sounded aged and carried a heavy scent of death.

Xiaoxi paused, but before she could ask more, a hand pressed down on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, guest. We don’t carry the flower you’re looking for,” Hua Qianluo said coldly, her eyes narrowed at the hunched figure.

The figure stiffened. He had been halfway through pulling a photo out of his pocket but shoved it back in. However, Xiaoxi had caught a glimpse. The flower in the photo looked like a Lycoris (Spider Lily), but she wasn’t sure—she had never seen a blue Lycoris before.

“I… I apologize for disturbing you,” the figure said, then hurried away.

Once the person was gone, Xiaoxi looked at Hua Qianluo in confusion. “Mama Qianluo, how did you know what flower he wanted?”

“I didn’t,” Qianluo smiled. “But whatever he wants, we can’t sell it to him.”

“But why? He looked so pitiful,” Xiaoxi said, watching the retreating back. “He’s so old and still coming out to buy flowers.”

“Old?” Qianluo patted Xiaoxi’s head. “Girl, that person is about the same age as you.”

“What??” Xiaoxi’s eyes widened. If she didn’t know that Qianluo never lied about such things, she would have thought it was a prank.

“His whole body is shrouded in the scent of death,” Qianluo said grimly, “and he’s covered in demonic energy so thick it’s practically physical. This… is not something to play around with.”