“Good work.”
On the 2nd day Shen Ning lay in bed, Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but complain, “What’s going on? You can’t really be this weak, can you?”
By the 3rd day, Xu Chuyao was already giggling.
“Small fry, small fry — how can someone use a skill and end up bedridden for 3 days? Small fry~ Small fry~”
After the teasing, Chuyao sat on the edge of the bed. She began peeling an apple for her wife while discussing why she had been down for so long.
Shen Ning felt it was a side effect of her ultimate move, a backlash caused by the power being too overwhelming. Xu Chuyao initially thought so too, but she soon proposed a different perspective.
“Do you think your ‘being paralyzed for a few days’ is itself a part of it, maybe even the starting point?”
The young girl blinked, looking like she didn’t quite understand.
“I mean, you used a skill on Wen Shengqing because you wanted something to happen to him, right? But that ‘something’ requires various prerequisites and the accumulation of the Butterfly Effect.”
Xu Chuyao stuffed a slice of the peeled apple into her mouth and gestured in the air with her free hand.
“Have you ever seen dominoes? Your being bedridden might just be the first tile to fall.”
“Mmh…”
“Right? It makes sense when you think about it that way. You’re already Rank 5; how could you just collapse so easily? But if it’s your own ability making your body actively enter a ‘lying flat state,’ then it’s very simple.”
“Mmh mmh…”
“Stop ‘mmh-ing’ and talk. Does that make sense?”
Only then did Xu Chuyao realize that Shen Ning couldn’t even lift her hands, making it difficult to even eat. She helped take the apple out of her mouth and asked again, “Am I right?”
Shen Ning thought about it with a pretense of seriousness. “It seems… right.”
The reason it was a pretense was that she wasn’t sure herself, but then she had a second thought — ‘What my wife says must make sense.’
To this day, she felt more and more that the Milky Ning Reflection’s judgment was reliable. As the eldest, she was experienced and basically provided the standard answers.
“Yeah, I think so too.”
Xu Chuyao served her the rest of the apple. Her gaze fell on the young girl, and she suddenly took on a thoughtful expression.
“Shen Ning, you can’t move at all right now. What if you have some… needs? How about I help you? I’m very gentle and considerate, you know.”
She leaned in slightly, reaching out to pull at the hem of the girl’s skirt.
**[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing Post-marriage Task: First Enjoyment.]**
**[Mission Introduction: After being busy for over 1 year, shouldn’t you enjoy yourself a bit?]**
**[Reward: ——]**
**[Mission Description: Enjoy!]**
‘Who takes advantage of someone at a time like this!’
Shen Ning barely managed to recover a bit of strength. She raised both hands… and covered her own face.
—
“Marshal, the investigation is complete.”
3 days later, in the familiar tea room, Wen Shengqing finally received word.
The atmosphere in the Council had grown more tense by the day. Many people were even feeling restless —
Nothing happened yesterday? Then what about today?
Nothing today? Then what about tomorrow?
Unintentionally, Xu Chuyao had subjected more than a dozen councilors to a psychological stress test.
Wen Shengqing was never one to sit and wait for death. Upon learning of Xu Chuyao’s arrangements, he immediately sent people to Center City to keep watch.
The news arrived quickly — Yu Jing had already set off with Morris. Coordinating with the personnel arranged by Long Jun, they had boarded a plane together.
“The escort is very tight. Based on physical build, one of them is a male, not particularly thin, but his identity is still unknown.”
If he hadn’t already had a falling out with Chu Cang, he might have been able to uncover all of Morris’s information. But the situation was different now; he didn’t even recognize many of the lower-level staff.
“Marshal.” The messenger councilor made a throat-slitting gesture. “Should we deal with them ahead of time?”
Shooting down a plane was unrealistic, but taking action once they landed would be much easier. Although they had a Rank 4 escort, using an area-of-effect attack to force a kill on a Rank 3 target wasn’t impossible.
“No,” Wen Shengqing immediately vetoed. “This matter is public, and many people know about it. Even the Old Speaker gave the nod.”
The councilor immediately understood the underlying meaning.
“Then… we do nothing?”
“We don’t move yet.” Wen Shengqing pondered for a moment. “The plane arrives tomorrow. Set things up in advance and meet them in the name of the Council. The priority is to determine their identity, purpose, and intentions.”
Observe first, decide later.
A position where he could either attack or defend.
“Understood.”
—
On the other side, Chu Cang had also grasped the opponent’s movements.
The personnel around The Spire were limited, and their movements were transparent. The only thing truly difficult to detect was an operation like Shen Ning’s, which possessed a Stealth Trait.
However, when his subordinates came to report, Chu Cang only said one thing:
“Stand your ground.”
“I have my own plans.”
Did he really?
No one knew.
Zhou Tian and the others had no way back; they could only grit their teeth and carry out the command.
Meanwhile, Judas, who had been arranged to speak neutrally last time, felt a bit faint of heart.
Last time, he had only lost an arm. What would happen this time?
‘What if something goes wrong again?’
He couldn’t help but look toward Wen Shengqing’s tea room, his heart beginning to waver.
—
Time passed quickly, and a new day arrived.
As the sun rose, the plane gradually approached the City’s airport.
“Good morning. Still can’t move?”
Xu Chuyao had just woken up. She reached out to poke Shen Ning on the bed, giving her a little squeeze in the process. “Sigh, small fry~”
A second later, her wrist was grabbed.
Shen Ning suddenly flipped over, pinning her down. A wave of retaliation came both fast and fierce.
The entire process took less than 10 minutes.
“I still have things to do today!”
The girl left those words behind.
It wasn’t an excuse.
Shen Ning clearly felt it — her body had suddenly recovered.
Without any rhyme or reason.
The only possibility was —
The ability had begun to take effect.