Time to go home.

As they traveled back along the route, looking at the surrounding scenery, Xu Shi was filled with emotion.

The scenery itself wasn't anything special—just the same gloomy sky and sea—but it gave people a different feeling.

The most obvious benefit is the stability of the sea route—he himself hadn't been at sea for over a year, but during that time, the City of Night Sin and the Hualan Empire had already established mature relations.

Whether it's trade or personnel, a great deal of exchange has already taken place through this sea route.

The route itself had long been upgraded—it must be said that Yu Xingchuan was quite capable. She had been put in charge of surveying before, and now, thanks to her efforts, everyone no longer had to drift aimlessly at sea like headless flies.

It took about a month to get here back then, but now it only takes about ten days.

"What's the point of feeling sentimental about spring and autumn?"

In a daze, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Xia Ke'an.

It's rare to see Xia Ke'an still in her mature and sophisticated form.

"Why are you willing to change back?"

Xu Shi raised an eyebrow and asked.

"I can't pat your shoulder otherwise."

The older woman smiled and said, "Besides, our Chairman Xu is so busy, it's not easy for him to find time to talk to you alone."

As she spoke, she patted Xu Shi on the shoulder several times, as if trying to make amends.

Xu Shi chuckled, suddenly realizing how adorable she was—but she wasn't wrong; if she were truly in the form of a little girl, she would probably have to jump to do that.

"I'm innocent!"

Upon hearing the accusations, Mr. Xu raised his hands in surrender.

Why does that sound like a complaining woman...? Where did I stop spending time with you guys?

To be fair, after the final battle, Xia Wuyou's injuries weren't exactly serious, but they weren't insignificant either—after all, they were from fighting SS, so it would be problematic if he were completely unharmed.

So she spent most of that time recovering from her injury, and it wasn't until now that she has basically fully recovered.

Xia Ke'an has always been the one taking care of her, and Xu Shi visits her whenever he has time—she's not the kind of person who only cares about you when needed, not to mention how much Xia Xiaomao has done this time.

If she hadn't stalled Cheng Gujian to buy time until Old Master Wen intervened, they might have been completely wiped out by now.

They treat her like royalty, how could she be as terrible as the white-haired older sister described?

Are you being wronged?

Xia Ke'an persisted, "Oh, I see. Now that you have another daughter, you've grown tired of her. I also heard about you and that little empress..."

"..."

Xu Shi realized that they were waiting for him here.

Forget about being a complaining woman; to put it bluntly, it's just jealousy, and it's still the older woman who's jealous.

That's understandable. She used to be the only one who could be called "old lady," so she's naturally unhappy now that someone else is sharing the title.

As for Dongfang Xiao... although he was the only one who spent the night in the palace, rumors can spread like wildfire in no time.

Even if she never leaves the house, she can't stop the wind from blowing into her ears.

"Oh? Another daughter?"

Xu Shi chose to retreat as a tactic, feigning ignorance, "How come I didn't know I had a daughter before? Who is my daughter?"

"...He's a fool who wasted his heart and soul."

Xia Ke'an didn't take the bait and calmly retorted.

Want to see me lose my temper? No way!

Do you really think I'm some naive young girl?

However, she really does get jealous, and it's a very complicated kind of jealousy.

Unlike Xu Ying, she called him "Dad" mainly as a playful joke, not because she genuinely regarded him as an elder like that fool.

But it's really annoying that some guy suddenly appeared and took over my unique title.

She was jealous of Dongfang Xiao too; in this respect, everyone was equally jealous of each other, especially of a newcomer like the Little Empress.

I'm unhappy!

"How could that be?"

Xu Shi knew when to stop teasing her and pulled her into his arms for a while. "Let's go, it's windy at sea. Let's go play cards with Wuyou?"

"...That's more like it."

The older woman softened and went along with it.

She wasn't really angry. After knowing him for so long, she knew him better than anyone. That was just his nature, but it wasn't like he had forgotten his old love just because he had a new one.

Moreover, she knew that Xu Shi's feelings for the two of them weren't very deep, and if the newcomer didn't bring any novelty, then she would have no advantage at all.

But you still have to be jealous. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and a woman who knows how to be charming has the best life.

Xia Ke'an, whose mental age is far ahead of others, understands this well and happily drags Xu Shi to play cards.

Interestingly, playing cards was their exclusive form of entertainment.

This was the case when she was still bedridden, and it has been an unspoken signal ever since.

The current situation is quite comical, however, as the person lying in bed has become Xia Wuyou.

"You've arrived."

Bathed in the cabin lights, Xia Xiaomao's face was still a little pale, her tone pitiful, and her expression full of sorrow.

It's obvious that she had conspired with her aunt beforehand, and today's theme was to play the victim.

"Come and see our great hero!"

Mr. Xu went straight to the point, starting with a loving kiss, and asked, "How's the recovery going?"

"That's about right."

When facing Xu Shi, Xia Wuyou always lost her composure in a second, her face turning red instantly. "What merit or not, it was Cheng Gujian who deliberately held back back then... otherwise I wouldn't be his match."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!