Malice from the Future Mother-in-Law

In the kitchen, Luo Xiaoxi was humming a little tune while busily chopping vegetables and preparing rice. Perhaps because the sound of the range hood was too loud, she didn’t notice the footsteps creeping up behind her.

Hua Qianluo watched Xiaoxi bustle about, looking genuinely happy in her element. She had to admit, Xiaoxi’s reincarnation as a girl was truly fitting. If Xiaoxi had been born in a peaceful era in her previous life, she likely would have been a fine, family-oriented man.

Suddenly, Xiaoxi’s world went dark as two hands covered her eyes.

“Guess who!”

The voice from behind was intentionally distorted. Xiaoxi didn’t look surprised at all.

“Mama Qianluo, if you don’t let go, the eggs are going to burn.”

Qianluo pulled away, looking bored. Fine, to be honest, she knew Xiaoxi would react like that. But couldn’t the girl at least pretend to be surprised? She had no consideration for her old mother’s feelings.

Qianluo leaned in closer. Xiaoxi was carefully scooping heart-shaped fried eggs out of their molds and onto a plate. They looked like little tokens of affection.

“Hmph. Arranged so beautifully… I can tell at a glance those aren’t for me,” Qianluo said, sounding a bit salty. “Probably for that stupid dragon again.”

Xiaoxi gave her a half-smile and used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of egg, holding it to Qianluo’s lips.

“Here, Mama Qianluo. Open wide.”

Qianluo froze. She truly hadn’t expected to have the honor of being personally hand-fed by her precious “daughter.” Overcome with emotion, she opened her mouth.

“Ahhh—”

Xiaoxi smilingly popped the egg into Qianluo’s mouth. Then, Qianluo’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

While being hand-fed by her daughter felt great, this egg had literally just left the frying pan.

It was scalding!

“Mama Qianluo, don’t waste food now,” Xiaoxi added with a straight face, delivering the finishing blow at the perfect moment.

Alas, Qianluo had brought this on herself.

Xiaoxi meticulously packed the prepared food into a small basket: freshly made sandwiches, sweet cookies, various handmade snacks, and… a bottle of fruit wine that Qianluo had hidden beneath the floorboards under her bed.

They were planning a picnic today with Long Miaoming by the White River on the outskirts of the city. Recently, perhaps having gained Qianluo’s tacit approval, Miaoming had been visiting the flower shop very frequently—always to see Xiaoxi. Qianluo watched it all, sensing Miaoming’s persistence, even if the two of them still bickered occasionally.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

There it was. Miaoming was honking outside again.

“Coming, coming!” Xiaoxi called out.

Leaving the shop, Xiaoxi flipped the “Open” sign to “Closed” and walked toward the car. When Miaoming saw Xiaoxi, her face lit up with a brilliant smile, but when she saw a smirking Hua Qianluo following behind, the smile turned stiff.

Whenever this old witch shows up, nothing good happens!

Of course, Miaoming wouldn’t say that out loud in front of Xiaoxi. After a few brief exchanges, the car roared to life.

The journey felt long. With the history between Qianluo and Miaoming, it was impossible for things to stay peaceful for long.

“So, my dear ‘Son-in-law’!” Qianluo looked at Miaoming with a sugary sweet smile. “That old man of yours… he wouldn’t happen to have any objections to our Xiaoxi, would he?”

As expected of the Celestial Master, she poked Miaoming right where it hurt with a single sentence.

“Mama Qianluo, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” Xiaoxi nudged her, but Qianluo just rolled her eyes.

“Children shouldn’t butt in. We’re discussing major life events.”

When those words were uttered, Miaoming thought she might be hallucinating, but looking through the rearview mirror, she saw Xiaoxi actually… blushing!

Who cares about a scary father-in-law now?! Nothing could be more encouraging than this.

“Even if he disagrees, I will definitely stay by Xiaoxi’s side,” Miaoming said with unwavering determination. “At worst, we’ll just elope.”

“Aaaah! What are you guys saying?!” Xiaoxi’s face turned even redder.

Miaoming shot a defiant look at Qianluo. Take that! What are you going to say now?

But this was Hua Qianluo. One could never measure her with common logic.

“Tsk. Acting so recklessly… so immature. No, I don’t feel safe handing my daughter over to you,” Qianluo said, feigning deep concern. Then, she didn’t forget to add: “Simply too childish.”

Miaoming: “…” Xiaoxi: “…”

“That was mean, Mama Qianluo,” Xiaoxi whispered.

Miaoming rolled her eyes, searching for a comeback, when she saw Xiaoxi quietly hold up a small paper note in the rearview mirror.

[Mama Qianluo gets motion sickness if the car goes too fast.]

Miaoming instantly regained her confidence. Truly, her girl was her girl—how could she just watch her get bullied?

Miaoming tossed a pair of sunglasses to Xiaoxi and put on a pair herself.

“What… what are you two doing?” Qianluo suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“Nothing, nothing. It just feels a bit slow. I think I’ll drive a little faster… that’s all!” Miaoming said with a smile, emphasizing those last two words.

She slammed the accelerator. The car surged forward.

“You— Aaahhhh! You bastards! Slow down!”

For the rest of the trip, passersby witnessed an expensive convertible flying down the road, carrying one person who was screaming at the top of her lungs.

At dusk, Lin Lan arrived in front of the flower shop. This time he was alone; the little flower demon was not with him. Seeing the “Closed” sign on the door, disappointment clouded his eyes.

“Not home…?”

He didn’t turn back, however. Instead, he found a step by the door and sat down, waiting quietly.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long before he saw the silhouette of Miaoming’s car in the distance, still driving at breakneck speed.

The car screeched to a halt. Qianluo was the first to jump out, sprinting to a nearby tree to begin retching violently. Xiaoxi hurried over to pat her back.

“You little traitor!”

Only a handful of people knew Qianluo got sick in fast cars; there was no way Miaoming could have known. That meant Xiaoxi had secretly snitched.

“Hmph. ‘A daughter grown is a daughter lost.’ The ancients truly did not lie to me.”

Xiaoxi rubbed her nose awkwardly. It seemed they had gone a bit too far.

“Oh dear, Auntie, are you alright?” Miaoming said, not about to miss a chance for a follow-up strike. “Tsk, if you ask me, when you get to a certain age, you shouldn’t be running around with us youngsters. You’ll ruin your health. See how much I care about you?”

Qianluo was about to grit her teeth and strike back when she realized there was a stranger present.

Lin Lan approached them awkwardly. “Hello… I have some matters I would like to ask for your help with.”