Chapter 70 The New Reward: The Person Who Gave Her the Bracelet.
The sugar rabbit figurine in his hand slowly fell, and the lantern, facing the gloomy daylight, was momentarily speechless.
So it was you.
It was you.
Seeing that she hadn't moved for a while, Chen Zhou walked up to her and naturally took her hand: "Going home?"
Hua Deng pulled his hand away: "Hmph!"
Shen Zhou took the sugar figurine from her hand: "It's not tasty?"
Hua Deng shouted loudly, "Why did you push me?!"
She knew there couldn't be two people who were this obnoxious!
She turned her face away, not wanting to acknowledge Chen Zhou.
Seeing her expression, Shen Zhou slowly turned her head back and chuckled softly, "Remember now?"
Hua Deng looked him up and down: "You've always remembered?"
Shen Zhou said, "I'm not like you, with such a bad memory."
Hua Deng raised her claws and scratched at him: "Give me back my lucky charm!"
She scratched at Chen Zhou's hand, but Chen Zhou didn't care. He bit off the rabbit's ear and said unclearly, "What kind of amulet?"
Hua Deng angrily retorted, "You didn't lose it, did you?!"
Shen Zhou: "I don't remember, maybe."
There was a clear smile in his eyes as he spoke.
Hua Deng immediately realized what was going on and started rummaging through his clothes: "Where did you hide it? Give it back to me!"
Shen Zhou didn't dodge. After finishing the last bite of the sugar figurine, he leisurely crossed his arms and asked, "Are you sure you want to molest me here?"
Hua Deng froze.
She almost jumped up immediately to argue that it wasn't indecent assault, but there were indeed people watching, so she had no choice but to give up. She glared at Chen Zhou and angrily dragged him towards the restaurant.
She had only taken two steps when she suddenly realized something was wrong. She turned her head sharply and asked directly, "So, the person who gave me the bracelet later was also you?"
Shen Zhou remained nonchalant, saying casually, "No."
Hua Deng grabbed his collar: "I knew it was you. You found out a long time ago, didn't you? This bracelet is a magical artifact that you personally crafted. You couldn't possibly have forgotten it!"
Shen Zhou burst into laughter.
After sending Hua Deng back to his residence, he left alone to continue searching for Xue Zifei.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard the sound of wind beside his ear. Without blinking, he turned his head to avoid it.
With a thud, the flying branch landed on the ground.
Turning his head, he saw Xue Zifei sitting cross-legged on a tree, looking at him with a smile: "Not bad, even our Xiao Wu has a day when he can be so kind."
Shen Zhou said coldly, "Where have you been drinking again? Wouldn't it be better to spend your time cultivating?"
Xue Zifei covered his ears and jumped down from the tree: "Alright, alright, you've said it so many times, but your teacher just can't change."
He reeked of alcohol, and Shen Zhou frowned in disgust, taking two steps back.
Xue Zifei pretended not to see it and pointed in the direction of Hua Mansion, saying, "Xiao Wu, did you see that? That girl has the Hehuan Sacred Body. Her future life won't be easy."
Shen Zhou said, "Whether she has a good time or a bad time is her fate."
Xue Zifei said, "You definitely have a way, I believe in you."
Shen Zhou sneered: "Since you care so much, why don't you take her as your disciple as soon as possible?"
"I would like to as well," Xue Zifei sighed. "Unfortunately, as a Nascent Soul cultivator with dual spiritual roots, I cannot teach a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root."
The mansion was brightly lit. Hua Deng had not been beaten as she had said. He heard her parents scolding and comforting her. Many people surrounded her, telling her not to run around again.
Hua Deng apologized with shame.
No one could have imagined that this girl's fate was sealed from birth; she would be fought over by various forces and become a vessel for those she knew or did not know.
"Since you don't have the ability," Shen Zhou said sarcastically, "then don't meddle in other people's business."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Xue Zifei didn't care at all, put his arms under his head, and followed along nonchalantly: "Fine, I won't meddle in other people's business, you can handle it."
That memory is still fresh from yesterday.
Shen Zhou snapped out of his daze, only to have his cheek pinched. Hua Deng leaned close to him and asked in confusion, "Why did you transform into someone else's appearance?"
Shen Zhou said slowly, "What did you call him again?"
“I call him God—” Hua Deng stopped, and snorted, “I call him, not you, don’t try to fool me.”
Shen Zhou smiled enigmatically: "You can call him, but not me?"
Hua Deng: "So why did you turn into someone else's face? Are you afraid I'll recognize you?"
Shen Zhou was clearly not very interested in this topic, and casually said, "Because he's good-looking."
Hua Deng paused, puzzled: "Whose face is that?"
Shen Zhou seemed reluctant to answer: "My master is Xue Zifei."
"Your master is really handsome..."
"You like his face that much?" Shen Zhou interrupted her.
Hua Deng smiled and beckoned to him.
Shen Zhou gave her a scrutinizing look, but in the end, he couldn't resist and bent down to get closer to her.
Hua Deng tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "You're the most beautiful."
Shen Zhou gave an ambiguous hum, ignoring the upturned corners of his mouth. He looked no different from usual, but the curve of his lips was impossible to suppress.
Hua Deng took his hand and led him toward her favorite restaurant.
Looking back now, she should have realized it sooner. How could someone who could forge magical artifacts that even those at the Tribulation Transcending stage couldn't see through be an ordinary person?
There are no gods in this world, and very few people can do this, but she happened to meet them, and twice at that.
She used to think it was a lucky day, but now, "luckiest" should be added before "lucky".
only……
You did live to see the day I grew up, and you granted my request.
But if you've already fulfilled your promise, what can I offer to keep you here?
Money won't work, nothing will work.
The midday sun was dazzlingly bright.
As the streetlights slowed down, she belatedly realized that perhaps she wasn't as open-minded as she thought.
*
Dinner was in Washington, D.C.
After eating at Huadeng, she went to play mahjong. She started strong and won big in the first few rounds. Her younger sister was the first to complain, and her father also protested.
Hua Deng had no choice but to ask Chen Zhou to take his place.
Shen Zhou had never played before, but after watching a few rounds, Hua Deng guessed he had already learned how to play.
He surprisingly didn't refuse this "time-wasting" game and sat down to play a few rounds.
Hua Deng counted the rounds: Hua's mother won five, Hua's father won three, Hua Yuan won two, and Chen Zhou won one. Everyone had a great time.
When the event ended, she grabbed Chen Zhou and whispered, "You're amazing! When did you learn that?"
They seem unassuming, yet they've managed to control the game.
Chen Zhou smiled and said, "Did I?"
The streetlights will soon tell you whether he's there or not.
These past few nights, Shen Zhou has been going out for a while, and then returning the next day with gifts for her. Sometimes it's magical artifacts, sometimes jewelry, and sometimes some strange elixirs; Hua Deng accepts them all without hesitation.
However, it wasn't long before she discovered that Shen Zhou not only sent gifts to her, but also to her parents and sister.
Her mother loved to drink, so Shen Zhou would send her all sorts of rare and expensive wines; her father was a cultured man, so he would send her rare ancient books and authentic works by famous calligraphers, making her father extremely happy.
As for the younger sister, it was much easier. All she had to do was give her toys. This girl was used to siding with outsiders, and after Shen Zhou gave her toys for a few days, she even learned to call him "brother-in-law".
Hua Deng: "..."
Indeed, the first principle of interpersonal communication is gift-giving.
Shen Zhou didn't actually have much contact with her parents. He was always too indifferent to people in this world, even cold-blooded. The fact that he could do this was beyond Hua Deng's expectations.
Fortunately, he gave her enough, and her parents were very satisfied. They kept calling him "Little Shen" and "son-in-law," to the point that even Hua Deng couldn't stand it anymore.
Even after the Dragon Boat Festival, on the day of their parting, her parents would still specifically pull Shen Zhou aside to talk.
Hua Deng was both amused and exasperated, so he had no choice but to return to the carriage first, leaving Chen Zhou to listen to their instructions.
Hua's father said a few words, and was about to quote classical texts to express his feelings, but he was pulled away by Hua's mother as soon as he started.
Hua's mother waved him away and said to Shen Zhou, "Just listen to what he says, he's an old scholar, it's no fun listening to him too much."
Shen Zhou said calmly, "Mr. Cui loves his daughter dearly, and I have learned a lot from that."
Hua's mother laughed and said, "We are just ordinary people, how could we know anything about your affairs? We are just talking nonsense."
He paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "You and Deng'er are ultimately different from us. Mortals live only a few decades, and sooner or later you will part ways with her. If you can treat her well and let her not worry about us, that would be the best thing."
Shen Zhou then looked at her and said, "Your daughter is outstanding."
Hua's mother paused for a moment, then continued, "She is talented and intelligent enough. Perhaps you don't know, but her abilities have surpassed most of her peers. She can live well in this world and won't cause you any worry."
Hua's mother never expected to hear such a statement.
She expected his response to be nothing more than, "I will treat your daughter well," or something similar. Most men in the world are like that; regardless of whether they can keep their promises, they make all sorts of commitments first.
But he told her how outstanding her daughter was, enough to stand on her own in a world they didn't understand.
This seemingly indifferent young man actually understands what a mother cares about most.
Hua Deng introduced him, saying that his parents were both deceased and that she had instructed them not to mention it. But she thought that his parents must have treated him the same way they treated their daughter.
Completely relieved, she smiled and waved to the lanterns inside the carriage, watching Shen Zhou board the carriage and leave with her daughter.
*
Inside the carriage at this moment.
Hua Deng received a system message that her points progress had reached 40%, which would unlock new rewards.
The reward is the same as last time: the system recommends that she travel back to the past timeline once again.
Hua Deng asked suspiciously, "Do you really want me to use this reward?"
The system remained silent for a moment before choosing to tell the truth: "Host, when I returned to headquarters to repair it, I received an order."
Hua Deng thought to herself, "I knew you were hiding something from me."
The system continued, "Twenty thousand years ago, after the cataclysmic event that shook the myriad realms, the Heavenly Dao of the Nine Provinces severed its connection with the outside world for its own safety. It wasn't until ten thousand years later that someone broke through the natural barrier and briefly opened a passage to the outside world."
"My task is to find a way to open the passage."
Hua Deng: "What does this have to do with me?"
System: "At first, we all guessed that this person had left Kyushu. But as you, Su Yiqing, and Pei Jianming gathered information, we suspect that he has not actually left at all."
Hua Deng, who had been sprawled on the couch, sat up, slightly surprised. So, while completing their mission, the three of them had also unwittingly acted as information gatherers?
She said, "Then why are you asking me to travel back in time...?"
System: "I want to confirm whether that passage was ever opened, and if so, how it was opened."
Hua Deng said decisively, "I won't help you."
The system was silent for a moment before replying, "I know, host. I don't have the authority to force you, so you can rest assured."
Hua Deng's original intention was to test its attitude, and now that he was satisfied, he changed the subject and said, "If you want my help, then exempt me from my next task."
If I remember correctly, according to the original plot, the next mission is for her to cultivate together with her two junior brothers, and later Duan Yi will join them.
She would rather shorten her lifespan than do that.
The system gestured for her to wait, presumably reporting to headquarters, and replied after a moment: "Okay, host."
It asked, "Do you want to activate the reward content now?"
"Can I decide when the time travel will take place?" Hua Deng asked.
"Of course, how much time would you like?"
“Fifteen minutes,” Hua Deng said. “Can you guarantee that the darkness of that world won’t touch me?”
System: "Regarding your previous situation, we have upgraded the system. This time, the time travel will only extract your consciousness to create a data image, which will be unable to contact you."
Watching Chen Zhou step into the carriage, Hua Deng lay down and said, "I'm going to sleep for a while, don't disturb me," before pressing the "Enable" button on the system panel.
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