Liang Lai took a deep breath and temporarily cast aside the little grievance of being “disliked” by the children, trying her best to put on a cheerful expression.
Hmm… though it was still a bit stiff.
“Alright, alright, everyone sit down! Mama’s about to start teaching!” She clapped her hands, trying to get everyone’s attention.
“This game is called ‘I Have, You Don’t!’ The rules are simple. We take turns saying something we’ve done or owned. If anyone else here hasn’t done it or doesn’t have it, they lose a point… uh, or drink a little wine instead of losing a point! If everyone has done it, then the person who said it drinks!” She briefly explained the rules, her gaze sweeping across a circle of little faces that half-understood, half-didn’t.
“Sounds… a bit childish.” Dolosa crossed her arms and commented.
She didn’t say anything too harsh, for fear of hurting Mama’s feelings.
But Dolosa felt she was already a big kid and didn’t need to play such childish games!
“But it seems kind of fun!” Motifiel, on the other hand, didn’t find it childish at all. She was already rubbing her hands in anticipation.
“Let’s start, Liang Lai Mama! Who goes first?”
“I’ll give a demonstration first,” Liang Lai volunteered, raising her hand. She thought for a moment and decided to start gently. “Hmm… I once… ate a whole bucket of Light Honey Freeze in a single day!”
She finished and looked at the children with a hint of pride.
After all, she always controlled the children’s intake of Light Honey Freeze.
It was like ice cream—eating too much could upset the stomach.
So she required every child to tell her before eating Light Honey Freeze, and each person could only have a small bowl.
So it was simply impossible to eat a whole bucket.
However.
“I’ve eaten a whole bucket.” Dolosa hesitated a little but still admitted.
“Me too…” Dexilensi sneaked a glance at Liang Lai, then forced herself to say it.
Since Dolosa said it, she didn’t want to be outdone by that infuriating woman!
“Ah, are you talking about that sweet, cold stuff, Mama? When I was really hungry before, I snuck into the kitchen and ate the frozen one there. That was about a bucket too…” Motifiel scratched her head.
Asterys and Delucia nodded at the same time, apparently also having snuck some more than once.
Illucy whispered, “I-I tried it… before, when I was feeling down…”
Morgana blinked, frowning as she racked her brains.
“Oh… At the Witch Gathering, there’s an ice dessert made from Frost Spider Saliva and Nightmare Grass. It’s pretty tasty. I eat a big bowl of it every time…”
Liang Lai: “…”
A complete miscalculation.
She grabbed her wine cup in grief and took a little sip herself.
A rough start!
But…
“Wait a minute? I said you all have to eat just a little each time and only with my permission, yet you all snuck some on your own?!”
Her eyes went wide, and she finally realized what was wrong.
As soon as she said this, the whole room fell silent. Every child shrank their necks and pulled their heads in like frightened turtles.
Seeing the lively atmosphere freeze again, Liang Lai felt embarrassed about scolding this group of children now. She thought she’d give them a good talking-to after the game, but for now, she shouldn’t ruin everyone’s fun.
“Let’s keep going. We’ll talk about this later,” Liang Lai looked at Motifiel. “Motifiel, your turn.”
Motifiel, who had just been lowering her head, perked up immediately. She smiled and raised her head.
“I once chased off three vagrants trying to steal my food, all by myself!”
She puffed up her chest, very proud.
“In the Underground Sanctuary, I’ve dealt with more than three out-of-control Sinful.” Dolosa said coolly.
“That was my daily routine before coming to the Court of Purity,” Dexilensi said succinctly.
She thought she was simply too cool and even shot a proud glance at Liang Lai.
Asterys and Delucia shook their heads together, indicating they had never done such a thing—though it was hard to tell if that was true or not…
Illucy hung her head.
“I-I couldn’t fight them off back then…”
Poor child.
Morgana tilted her head. “Oh! Fighting, I’m good at that! Last time a Bloodthirster tried to steal my research materials, I knocked him out with a potion. He’s probably still lying by the road, foaming at the mouth~”
Liang Lai silently drank again.
She’d forgotten none of this lot were easy to handle, except Asterys, Delucia, and Illucy.
The game continued, and things started to get a little out of hand.
“I can crystallize into a rose.” Dolosa said, and at her fingertip, a delicate blood-crystal rose bloomed. She handed it to Liang Lai.
Liang Lai stared at the rose, her heartbeat skipping inexplicably, and took it instinctively.
“Th-thank you…”
Wait!
Does this even count as part of the game?!
But, come to think of it… only Dolosa could do that.
Except for Dexilensi, who snorted in disapproval, everyone else quietly took a drink.
Liang Lai looked at Dolosa’s blue eyes, which seemed to hold a hint of a smile, felt her face heat up, and quickly took a sip to cover it.
“I… have fought with Dolosa.”
Dexilensi swept her gaze around the room, especially pausing on Dolosa.
Everyone turned to look at Dolosa.
Dolosa felt a tightness in her chest and had to drink since she couldn’t very well say she’d fought herself, could she?
Liang Lai thought this was a bit of a stretch, but… it was true. Except for Dexilensi, everyone drank again.
“I…”
Asterys and Delucia exchanged a glance, and Delucia said, “I can move through shadows at the same time.”
Asterys said, “I can block other Shadowborn from slipping into my shadow.”
As soon as she finished, Delucia vanished instantly, and in the next second, crawled out of Asterys’s shadow.
Everyone drank again.
It was Illucy’s turn.
She blushed deeply, took a long time, and finally whispered, “I-I can use Holy Light… to heal wounds…”
Actually, most Pope Successor candidates knew a little of this, but seeing Illucy’s face nearly ripening like a fruit, everyone kindly took a drink.
Liang Lai looked at this friendly scene and nodded in satisfaction.
This is what a family should do!
Illucy saw everyone drinking, quietly sighed in relief, then sneaked a glance at Liang Lai, her eyes sparkling as if to say, “See, I’m awesome too!”
Liang Lai gave her an encouraging smile.
It was Morgana’s turn. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
“I… I once secretly swapped the Witch Elder’s cauldron for a regular iron pot. She spent the whole day brewing high-grade potions, and in the end, it turned into a big pot of mushroom soup… Hahaha!”
Everyone: “…..”
This kind of suicidal mischief… whatever, as long as she’s happy—the one getting punished is sure to be her anyway.
Everyone drank.
After a few more rounds, the wine started to hit, and the room became even rowdier and funnier.
Motifiel shouted, “I drool in my sleep and soak my pillow!”
Morgana immediately added, “I can talk in my sleep for an hour without repeating myself!”
The two of them looked at each other and high-fived, cheering together.
Everyone: “…”
Liang Lai flopped face-down on the table, burying her face in her arm, laughing until her stomach hurt.
Even Dolosa seemed swept up in the mood, no longer so cold.
Taking her turn, she suddenly looked at Liang Lai, her voice lower and softer than usual. “I… know exactly where Liang Lai hides her wine. All three places.”
“!!!”
Liang Lai’s face turned red in an instant.
You don’t have to say that out loud! She really didn’t want to be seen as some wine-obsessed mother…
Everyone jeered, urging Liang Lai to drink.
She drank as she felt Dolosa’s gaze fixed on her with an indescribable focus, making her heart beat even faster.
This child… seems a bit different today?
Dexilensi refused to be outdone, and said lightly, “I know the last time Liang Lai Mama cried secretly was because she read a mundane romance novel and was so moved she bawled her eyes out.”
Liang Lai: “……”
No face left to show!
She drank in despair once again.
Why did all these children know about her embarrassing past?
Asterys and Delucia, in perfect sync, chimed in, “We know the last time Liang Lai Mama sang in the bath! She sang… uh uh uh!”
Before they could finish, the red-faced Liang Lai pounced and covered their mouths.
But the twins’ faces lit up with triumphant grins—because… Mama’s hands smell so nice, hehe~ “No more! Drink! All of you have to drink!” Liang Lai was almost steaming from embarrassment.
The twins drank, giggling, and took the chance to hug Liang Lai’s arms from both sides.
“Mama’s embarrassed~”
“Mama actually sings really well~”
With her two soft, sweet-smelling daughters clinging to her arms and listening to their words, the little bit of embarrassment in Liang Lai’s heart melted into warmth.
Illucy, seeing everyone getting so close to Liang Lai, grew even more anxious and blushed deeper. She also wanted a special interaction with Mama.
She held it in for a long while, then finally gathered her courage.
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, but it rang out clear as day: “I… I… I like Liang Lai Mama the most! Ten thousand times more than I like Transforming Candy!”
After all, her love for Transforming Candy came from Liang Lai giving her her very first gift, which was a Transforming Candy.
When she finished, she buried her whole face in her arms, her ears bright red.
There was a brief silence, then everyone burst into gentle laughter.
Well, everyone except Dolosa and Dexilensi—these two glared at Illucy, especially Dexilensi.
“Whoa~ Illucy snuck in a surprise attack!”
“Foul, foul! That’s a heartfelt confession, not a game!”
“But it was too good! We also love Mama the most, the most, the most!” Motifiel and Morgana cheered.
Liang Lai’s heart instantly filled up to the brim, soft and sweet.
She went over, gently hugged the hiding Illucy, and stroked her hair.
“Mama loves Illucy most, and loves each and every one of you, too.”
Illucy trembled lightly in her embrace, then cautiously reached out and hugged her back.
The game went on, the laughter and commotion filling the dining room.
The wine bottles gradually emptied, the children’s cheeks flushed, and their eyes grew hazy.
Liang Lai looked at this noisy, yet incredibly warm scene before her, and felt her heart fill with a sense of contented happiness.
Even though the children always gave her headaches, even though life was a constant scramble, in this moment, she felt it was all worth it.
She touched her warm cheeks.
But why did she feel that just now, the way Dolosa, Dexilensi, and the twins looked at her, and those things they said, besides closeness, there was something else—something hard to explain?
Was it just the wine talking?