[“Actually, I just happened to run into someone who looked a lot like you, Senior. When I saw her back on the street, I couldn’t help but go up and tap her on the shoulder. But by the time she turned around and I realized I’d mistaken her for someone else, it was already too late.”]
‘On the street? Does that mean my mom is in B City right now?’
[“Where did you run into her? It wasn’t in that Red-Light District or anything, right?”]
[“Of course not. How could I go to a place like that? I ran into her on He Ping Road, right near that Hotpot Restaurant you took me to last time.”]
Only then did Su Mu finally let out a sigh of relief, but doubts immediately surfaced in her mind.
‘Why would Mom show up here?’
Before she could ask, Mi Xian’s messages came pouring in like a machine gun.
[“But Senior, you have no idea how bizarre it was. The moment I touched her shoulder, I suddenly couldn’t sense any magic power at all, like I’d gone back to how I was before I became a Strange Person. It felt horrible, and even now I haven’t completely recovered. That’s why I was so desperate to collect Dark Magic Power.”]
What Mi Xian meant by collecting Dark Magic Power was probably posting online.
[“I was completely exhausted at the time and had to let my subordinates handle things. Who knew I’d wake up to this mess?”]
Looking at this, Su Mu tugged at the corner of her mouth, feeling her own position seriously threatened.
‘These people are much smarter than Mi Xian. Their impersonations are really ruthless. Living in a country where hallucinogens are illegal, just how did they come up with this stuff…’
[“Wait for me. Some things are better discussed face to face. Let’s meet again at the Hotpot Restaurant.”]
With that, Su Mu turned off her handheld and put it away.
Tang Nai immediately turned her gaze to Su Mu’s face and asked, “Are you trying to hide something from me?”
Seeing her intentions so easily seen through, Su Mu turned her head away, unwilling to answer, but Tang Nai was unexpectedly easygoing.
“It’s fine. I’m just a bit curious. If you get into trouble, maybe I can help. But since you want to handle it yourself, I won’t interfere.”
Hearing this lighthearted tone, Su Mu couldn’t help but feel confused.
“Wait, did you take the wrong medicine today? How did you suddenly get so normal?”
Hearing the rather offensive words, Tang Nai narrowed her eyes, gave a little snort, and then pulled out that all-too-familiar dangerous smile.
“Don’t make it sound so bad, like I usually torture you or something… So, do you want me to act like I usually do?”
Faced with that question, Su Mu shivered and finally recalled the terror of being under Tang Nai’s control, hurriedly shaking her head.
Seeing the pink, round mouse curled up in fear, Tang Nai could only shake her head helplessly.
“Even if you wanted me to, I couldn’t. I’m just not in the mood right now.”
With that, Tang Nai left the room on her own, leaving a dazed Su Mu and Ye Wanqing behind.
“I feel like Boss is acting a little different these days…”
“…Maybe that’s a good thing?”
After Ning Xi left, the Hotpot Restaurant soon emptied out as well, but surprisingly, it kept operating as normal.
But its reputation was much better than before.
Even during the day, you could see lots of customers coming and going, the staff bustling around with trays, the air thick with steam and cooking smells—something that had never been the case before.
Su Mu saw the difference at a glance—the price.
The prices now were very affordable, and the hotpot broth’s aroma was much purer than before.
Those hotpot soup bases that Luo Jialan ordered online all reeked of chemicals and artificial flavorings that almost overwhelmed the appetite.
Noticing Su Mu’s arrival, a staff member greeted her warmly.
“Hello, I’m looking for Miss Lu Shan. Is she here right now?”
Hearing this, the staff member froze for a moment.
“You’re looking for the boss… the manager? Ah, she’s right over there.”
This person seemed a bit hesitant, as if sizing Su Mu up, but quickly hid any suspicion and pointed the way for her.
Su Mu walked inside, soon spotting a petite figure in a chef’s coat—it was Lu Shan.
She hadn’t changed much, except her hair was now cut shorter, the smooth black strands trimmed neatly at the nape of her neck, the princess cut suiting her perfectly.
“Ah, Senior, you’re here!”
Lu Shan spun around, her eyes full of delight when she saw Su Mu.
Though she’d just been harshly scolded, Little Hakimi seemed to have bounced right back to life.
“How come it’s you? Where’s that woman from before?”
“She left. Before she did, she gave me the restaurant, saying she wouldn’t need it anymore, so she might as well let someone else run it.”
“Huh? Why you, though?”
At that, Lu Shan scratched her head, her eyes showing a trace of grievance, which made Su Mu feel a bit guilty, wondering what wrong she’d done before.
“Isn’t it because you brought me here that time, Senior? That meal cost a thousand, and since I couldn’t pay, I was made to stay and work as a helper.”
Su Mu blinked, then lowered her head, rubbing her nose with her finger to ease the awkwardness.
That was a bit underhanded of her.
“But it turned out to be a blessing. Auntie Ning took a liking to me and hired me as a temp worker. The pay was great—even just working weekends, I could earn five thousand a month. I guess she never really cared about money…”
Su Mu nodded, ‘That much was definitely true.’
“Anyway, forget that for now, Senior. Do you remember the woman I told you about—the one who looks like you? If I’m not wrong, she should be your older sister, right? She has the same surname, Su Ya, and looks just like you…”
“She’s my mom.”
As soon as Su Mu said this, Lu Shan’s brain crashed and she went speechless.
After a few seconds of lag, her tone stiffened.
“Uh, sorry, Senior… I’ll delete the post right away!”
Su Mu waved her hand, “No need. Actually, I already deleted it for you. And while I was at it… ahem.”
In a fit of pique, Su Mu had deleted nearly a year’s worth of Mi Xian’s posts, though the latter seemed not to know yet.
“I really didn’t know anything at the time. I left everything for Xiao Er to handle. Don’t blame him—he’s one of your victims…”
Lu Shan signaled with her eyes, quietly pointing out a staff member outside who kept glancing in.
The person’s gaze lingered mostly on Su Mu, obviously growing suspicious about her identity.
Su Mu quickly dragged Lu Shan to a spot deep in the kitchen, out of sight, afraid she’d be exposed in real life.
Meeting your online victim face-to-face was just too terrifying.
Last time, she’d nearly gotten beaten up and still didn’t manage to escape.
“So why didn’t you just do it yourself?”
“I told you, I was exhausted. After bumping into Auntie, I couldn’t muster any energy at all. Even now, my magic power hasn’t recovered.”
Lu Shan put on a troubled face and tried to transform into a Strange Person, but to others, she just looked like she was frowning and straining, as if she were constipated—comically awkward.
“That’s how it is.”