“I even brought friends back with me!”
“Make a little extra food!”
Cen Yao's voice drifted down from the stairs, clear and filled with an irrepressible excitement.
In the kitchen, Lu Xiuying paused mid-slice, quickly wiped her hands, and walked out.
“Friends?”
She looked up and saw her daughter leading a black-haired girl down the stairs.
The girl was dressed in a very traditional, antique style. A rustic-looking mask hung from her waist. Her skin was pale, but her facial features were exceptionally delicate.
A wheelchair floated beside her.
To be precise, the wheelchair was supported by a layer of soft white light, drifting smoothly down the stairs.
The young man sitting in the wheelchair had an incredibly striking appearance, though his expression was cold and aloof, as if he wasn't quite used to stepping into a place so filled with the warmth of everyday life.
Lu Xiuying blanked for a moment.
Soon, the surprise on her face melted into a warm, welcoming smile.
“Oh, Yao Yao really brought friends back?”
“Come on down. Slow down, watch your step on the stairs.”
Cen Qihang stuck his head out from the kitchen as well.
He was holding a bunch of celery dotted with water droplets. His face lit up with a smile when he first saw his daughter, but when he noticed the two people following behind Cen Yao, he immediately set the celery aside and hurried out to greet them.
“And who might these two be?”
Cen Yao finally stepped off the last stair.
Now that she was home, her entire posture relaxed significantly.
She held Zhu Lingxi's hand with one hand and lightly rested her other hand behind Pei Tinglan's wheelchair, introducing them with a smile.
“Dad, Mom, this is Zhu Lingxi.”
“This is Pei Tinglan.”
“They're friends I met in the dungeons.”
Cen Yao paused, then added very solemnly, “We've also gone through life and death together.”
At those words, the smile on Lu Xiuying's face instantly froze.
Cen Qihang fell silent as well.
They knew exactly what the Horror Game entailed.
They knew people died in dungeons, and they knew many who went in never came back.
But when these things were only seen through news, forums, and screens, they ultimately felt like they were happening far away.
Only now, hearing Cen Yao say “gone through life and death together” with her own mouth, did they belatedly realize that their daughter had also brushed shoulders with death in a place like that.
Lu Xiuying looked at Cen Yao.
Only then did she realize that while her daughter was clearly still the same daughter as before—with eyes that curved when she smiled and a cheerful tone—something about her expression seemed to have changed.
There was a trace of quiet composure that she couldn't quite put into words.
It was like something she had been forced to develop only after experiencing something extremely dangerous.
Lu Xiuying's eyes instantly welled with tears.
She didn't ask Cen Yao about the specifics of what had happened in the dungeons.
She knew that if Cen Yao didn't bring it up, it was probably because she didn't want them to worry.
But she still couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her daughter's hair, her voice trembling slightly.
“Good.”
“Friends are good. It's good to have friends.”
With that, she turned to Zhu Lingxi and Pei Tinglan. Though her eyes were still a bit red, her tone was exceptionally sincere.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much for taking care of Yao Yao.”
Zhu Lingxi was taken aback.
She wasn't very good at handling such direct kindness. Her fingers instinctively gripped the hem of her shirt as she shook her head a beat late.
“No, Mrs. Cen.”
“In the dungeons, it was actually Xiao Yao who took care of us more.”
She spoke with utmost sincerity.
“She is amazing.”
“She can brew potions, draw magic arrays, lead the way, and... and she even stands in front of us when there's danger.”
“We are the ones who should be thanking Xiao Yao.”
Hearing this, Lu Xiuying's eyes grew even redder.
While she wanted to say, “She isn't that amazing,” a wave of bitter-sweet pride welled up in her heart.
Standing beside her, Cen Qihang gently patted Lu Xiuying's shoulder.
Then, he looked at Pei Tinglan.
“Mr. Pei, thank you as well.”
Pei Tinglan had been staring absentmindedly at an overly lush ivy plant in the corner of the living room when he suddenly heard his name. He lifted his gaze.
Cen Qihang's expression was very sincere.
“Yao Yao has never been a particularly brave child since she was young. Although she hates to admit defeat, she's actually very soft-hearted.”
“With you all looking out for each other in the dungeons... we as parents can feel a bit more at ease.”
Pei Tinglan's fingers lightly tapped against the armrest of his wheelchair.
He wasn't used to being thanked so solemnly by elders.
And he was even less used to hearing the word “care.”
After all, if truth be told, Cen Yao had saved him and Zhu Lingxi far more times back in the Cat Cafe.
He remained silent for a moment before turning his eyes away, his tone somewhat stiff.
“There is no need to thank me.”
“In the dungeons, she was the one who helped us more.”
Cen Yao puffed out her chest proudly.
“Alright, don't just stand there, please have a seat.”
“Just treat this place like your own home. Don't be polite at all.”
Lu Xiuying ushered Zhu Lingxi over, then looked at Pei Tinglan.
“Mr. Pei, can the wheelchair come in? The living room is quite spacious, so I'll clear a spot next to the sofa.”
Pei Tinglan paused slightly.
“Yes, it can.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
“No trouble at all, no trouble at all.”
As Lu Xiuying spoke, she was already moving the small stool next to the coffee table out of the way.
Seeing this, Cen Yao's nose suddenly felt a bit ticklish.
She knew her mother was an extremely attentive person.
She also knew that upon seeing Pei Tinglan's physical disability, her parents wouldn't ask questions, nor would they show pity or curiosity. They would simply and naturally clear a spacious spot for him.
Pei Tinglan clearly noticed this as well.
He didn't say anything, but his expression softened a bit compared to before.
Zhu Lingxi sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands resting properly on her knees, looking like a well-behaved student visiting a classmate's home for the first time, a little constrained.
Lu Xiuying poured her a cup of warm fruit tea.
Zhu Lingxi carefully took it, her eyes lighting up again as she smelled the sweet aroma of fruit inside.
“Thank you, Mrs. Cen.”
“Oh, just call me Auntie.”
Lu Xiuying smiled.
“No need to call me Mrs. Cen. It sounds so formal and awkward.”
Zhu Lingxi hesitated slightly.
Having been raised by her family elders since childhood, she always addressed others with a touch of old-fashioned courtesy.
But seeing Lu Xiuying's expectant and gentle gaze, she still nodded softly.
“Thank you... Auntie.”
“That's more like it.”
Lu Xiuying's smile grew even wider.
She turned her gaze back to Pei Tinglan.
She had been too busy worrying about her daughter earlier to look closely.
Now that she was closer, the more Lu Xiuying looked at this young man, the more familiar he seemed.
He was strikingly handsome, especially those eyes.
She felt like she had seen him somewhere before.
Cen Qihang clearly felt the same way.
Standing to the side, he stared at Pei Tinglan for a long while before finally speaking up hesitantly.
“Mr. Pei... were you a celebrity in the past?”
Cen Yao's heart skipped a beat.
Pei Tinglan looked up.
Before he could answer, Lu Xiuying suddenly clapped her hands.
“I remember now!”
“You're that... that pop idol, Pei Tinglan!”
“Yao Yao used to love listening to your songs, and she even has your poster in her room!”
Cen Yao: “...”
No way.
Why did this have to be brought up again?
Rate on N.U.
