Chapter 161: Suspecting My Daughter

Si Zhiruo’s cultivation realm was higher, which allowed her to vaguely sense what Si Xinyan was thinking.

As if feeling something, she tilted her head. Once she fully processed the situation, her head straightened slightly, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

‘Oh no. Is my little scheme that obvious? If the target of my plan finds out, how can I carry it out smoothly?’

Si Zhiruo bit her lip, her mind made up. When she went to discuss things with Su Liumeng later, she had to be extra careful. She absolutely could not let Si Xinyan notice any clues.

“Daughter?”

My face gradually grew serious, and my tone was no longer as gentle as usual.

Si Zhiruo buried her face in my shoulder and shrank her neck. Her expression was strangely timid, and she didn’t even dare to look up. Her tiny body curled into a ball. “Mom — Mommy, I’m sleeping.”

How old was this baby now, still clinging to my shoulder to sleep all day? A smile started to form at the corner of my mouth, but then I thought of something, and my brow furrowed unconsciously.

No. This girl. She was definitely hiding something from me.

It wasn’t just a sudden suspicion; it was a sixth sense. Normally, Zhizhi was clingy, but she wouldn’t just lie on my shoulder and stay perfectly still, pretending to be well-behaved. She was usually very lively. I had pointed it out countless times, but she always stomped all over my clothes with her bare feet, leaving behind silent little black footprints that left me speechless.

“Tell me,” I said, my tone turning cold. “What exactly are you hiding from me?” I was incredibly serious.

The thing I hated most in life was being deceived. It was a forbidden zone that must not be touched. Si Zhiruo clearly knew this.

However, she wasn’t exactly lying. Her goal was just to achieve a perfect result and bring back Si Xinyan’s former happiness.

She bit her lip and shook her little head. “Nothing. What could Zhizhi possibly hide from Mommy?”

Since it wasn’t technically a lie, she decided to proceed boldly. She believed that even if Mommy found out, she would understand her difficulties.

“Am I overthinking things?” I muttered to myself.

I blamed myself for being paranoid. It made sense. Mother and daughter were connected by heart; what could Zhizhi possibly keep from me?

“Mhm, Mommy is overthinking it.” Little Zhizhi’s voice was soft. She swayed her head while speaking, her actions just short of nodding repeatedly in agreement.

“…”

This girl —

I suppressed the last trace of suspicion and shook my muddled head. “Let’s go. Didn’t you say you wanted to go catch fish today?”

Si Zhiruo was gripping the fabric on her mother’s shoulder. When she heard the invitation to the river, she felt 10,000 times unwilling. She really did want to go catch fish, and she had been looking forward to it for a long time. However, she knew Mommy wouldn’t enjoy it. Therefore, there was no point.

“You don’t want to go?” The strange feeling I had just suppressed resurfaced.

Si Zhiruo hurriedly shook her head to deny it. “No, no! Of course I want to go to the river with Mommy to catch fish. I was just daydreaming and didn’t hear you clearly.”

The little girl was crying silently in her heart. ‘When is it not a good time to catch fish… just because I like it doesn’t mean we have to do it today.’

After all, Mommy’s matter was the most important. The little girl was 10,000 times unwilling right now; who would want to go catch fish when she still needed to sneak out and discuss tactics with Su Liumeng? If they went out to the river, she would have to delay her plans until tomorrow.

“As long as you like it.” I didn’t doubt my daughter again for no reason.

If I didn’t choose to believe Si Zhiruo, who else could I believe?

I pressed my face against my daughter’s soft little cheek. The warmth filled my heart, and my tone brightened. “In the future, whatever you like to do, just tell Mommy. I will accompany you through all of it.”

Most children have many wishes during their childhood. If most of those ideas could come true, they probably wouldn’t have regrets as adults. At least she wouldn’t be like me, feeling bitter just seeing others being held by their elders. This was my philosophy of education.

“Mhm! I’ll tell you everything.” Si Zhiruo gently rubbed her face against Si Xinyan’s. “Thank you, Mommy.”

Being her daughter in this life was the happiest thing that could happen to her. Because of this, she became even more determined in her ideas.

While feeling the pressure, joy also swirled in her little head. Her mood suddenly leaped. “Since we’re going to catch fish, we definitely don’t need fishing rods. The water by the river is very shallow. A pair of rain boots will be perfect. It’s best to make a harpoon out of a branch. Complex tools might be easier to use, but they don’t have the rustic charm I’m looking for.”

She had envied other country kids for a long time. Now that she had the chance to participate, she naturally wanted to experience it like a normal person.

“We do need to prepare.” I thought for a few seconds. “Wait a moment. I’ll ask a maid for advice.”

A few minutes later, I handed a milk bottle to Little Zhizhi. “Clink, clink! Remember to fill your belly before going out to play.”

Si Zhiruo held the warm bottle, the corners of her mouth curled up. She loved life with her mother. No matter the interaction, every little detail where she was kept in mind reminded her that she was a happy baby.

She was no longer alone.

Si Zhiruo suddenly changed her mind and decided to go fishing because she realized she couldn’t change the current situation. It was better to go with the flow to lower her mother’s suspicion. At worst, she would use her supernatural powers to sneak out and find Su Liumeng while her mother was sleeping tonight.

***

At the river.

The river water in winter was actually very cold. I reached out to test the temperature but pulled back instantly. I subconsciously used my *Yin Qi* to protect my body, and the bone-chilling cold at my fingertips eased significantly.

Si Zhiruo noticed these details and immediately used her ghost energy to form a protective barrier around Si Xinyan.

I tested the water temperature again. Sure enough, it wasn’t as freezing as before.

“In winter, the fish move to deep water to hibernate. You might not catch anything in the shallow areas.”

This was a serious problem. I had planned to use a drainage method to drive the fish into this area first, but I asked out of habit.

Si Zhiruo raised her hand and said excitedly, “I have a way!”

She just wanted to experience catching fish by hand. It didn’t mean she couldn’t use her cultivation realm.

A domain unique to a Half-step Ghost Emperor unfolded. The surrounding laws were rewritten, and the control of the Heavenly Dao dropped to zero. This entire area belonged to her alone.

The basic laws of heaven and earth were altered. In an instant, the cold faded, and warmth returned to the world. This area felt as if it had bypassed winter entirely.

If others knew that a powerhouse near the level of a Ghost Emperor was so extravagant as to use her domain to forcibly change the seasons, they would be absolutely dumbfounded.