Chapter 230: To Have Such Insight at Such a Young Age
Mrs. Mu smiled with relief. "You know, you’re the first person to ever praise him like that."
"It’s best not to say that in front of Feng’er. He gets proud and full of himself easily."
Shi Lan smiled a bit sheepishly. "Really? I’ve already told him."
"But he’s not so bad. If a little praise makes him happy, there’s no harm in saying it more. He’s never done anything wrong, after all. A little pride doesn’t hurt anyone."
Outside, Mr. Mu let out a soft TSK. ’This female is quite lenient with his son.’
Mu Tangfeng covered his flushing, hot face with his hands, wishing he could rush out to the balcony that very second, pull Shi Lan into his arms, and kiss her.
’My Lanlan is just the best.’
Mrs. Mu fell silent for a moment. She suspected that after her son married this female, he would become even more unruly than he was at home.
At home, at least the two of them could keep him in check.
She paused for a long moment before continuing. "To be honest, I didn’t approve of you two at first. It wasn’t for any other reason, but mainly a matter of your spiritual power and Fertility Value. You see, the Mu Family line is thin. Feng’er is our only child, and he has double S-level spiritual power. When the Insect Clan attacks the Capital Star, he’ll have to charge to the front lines. He can’t go without a female’s comfort in the future."
Shi Lan nodded. "Ma’am, I understand your concerns. If I were a parent, I would also want my child to be healthy and have as many safeguards for their life as possible."
"But you can rest assured on one point. I have S-level spiritual power and a Fertility Value of 30. I can meet all your requirements."
Shi Lan had chosen a number for her Fertility Value that she thought was about average. But she didn’t realize that in a world where the highest a female’s Fertility Value could be was 60, her number was already considered incredible—let alone paired with her S-class Spiritual Power.
"What?"
The herbal tea had just come to a boil. Mrs. Mu, who was in the middle of pouring, was so shocked she nearly knocked the cup over.
Seeing this, Shi Lan quickly said, "Ma’am, please be careful. You don’t want to get burned."
Mrs. Mu set down the teapot. The rich fragrance of the floral tea wafted from the steaming cup, filling the air on the balcony.
She handed Shi Lan a cup, her eyes narrowing in shock. "If your spiritual power and Fertility Value are this high, why did everyone at your school say you were..."
Mrs. Mu didn’t finish the sentence, but Shi Lan knew the unspoken words: ’useless female.’
She explained, a little embarrassed, "Actually, my spiritual power really was poor before. But then it changed suddenly when I came of age. I never got it tested again, so I only found out the specific Level two days ago."
"As for my Fertility Value, it’s hidden for now because my spirit body is rather unique. Only I know the exact number."
"You’re clearly such an exceptional female. With your overall qualifications, you’d absolutely be more popular among the younger generation than Miss Bai from the Bai Family. Yet you’ve endured so much slander. Doesn’t it bother you when people call you a... useless female?"
Mrs. Mu asked, her voice full of curiosity and confusion.
Shi Lan smiled. "My path is my own; their words are theirs. You can’t control what other people say, but you can choose your own path."
"I don’t believe their verbal attacks can bring me down. In the story of my life, they’re just irrelevant strangers. If I had to care about what every stranger said, life would be exhausting."
Mrs. Mu couldn’t help but remark with admiration, "To have such insight at your age is remarkable."
Shi Lan’s lips curved into a faint smile. She didn’t elaborate. In truth, she had understood these principles since she was a little girl.
She’d learned it as a little girl, picking up trash on the street to sell for scrap. She’d learned it in school, earning pocket money by fetching breakfast for classmates, wiping their desks, and doing their chores. She’d learned it after she started working, when men would fawn over her for her looks while others cursed her behind her back...
She had long understood that idle gossip could never stop her from striving and growing stronger.
In fact, sometimes she was even grateful. Swapping places with the body’s original owner had allowed her to live a life of leisure she’d rarely known in her past life. Compared to what she had gained, other people’s slander was nothing at all.
As Mrs. Mu spoke, her heart fell silent for a moment. She suddenly remembered that Shi Lan’s file listed her as an orphan. ’To have become so wise so young, she must have suffered a great deal.’
A look of heartfelt sympathy entered her eyes. "Lanlan, if you’re ever treated unfairly in the future, you must tell Feng’er. He’ll protect you."
"I will."
Shi Lan nodded obediently. ’But now that I have S-class Spiritual Power, if someone really tries to bully me, I’ll just smack them with my vines first.’
After her chat with Shi Lan, Mrs. Mu’s last trace of apprehension vanished completely.
Since the female Feng’er loved was so exceptional, what right did she have to stand in their way? Besides, they had already decided to give their approval before even inviting Shi Lan over.
The two chatted for a little while longer on the balcony before Mrs. Mu said, "I’ll have Feng’er show you around the house. You can take a look around and meet his uncles."
Shi Lan felt a little awkward. "Ma’am, is it alright for me to go empty-handed?"
Mrs. Mu’s expression was gentle. "It’s fine. They won’t mind."
As she spoke, Mrs. Mu casually opened the door. The two eavesdroppers outside heard the voices inside and, assuming the conversation was still going, didn’t expect the door to suddenly swing open.
Caught completely off guard, the two who hadn’t managed to escape could only stare at Shi Lan and Mrs. Mu in awkward silence.
Mu Tangfeng was more thick-skinned than his father. He recovered quickly, and recalling what he had overheard, he hugged Shi Lan with a pang of sympathy. "Lanlan, you’ve suffered so much."
In front of his parents, Shi Lan felt uncomfortable with such a public display of affection. She shot him a warning look and secretly pinched the fleshy part of his palm.
Mu Tangfeng grudgingly moved his arm from around her waist and took her hand instead.
Seeing this, Shi Lan didn’t protest further.
Mr. Mu was far more thin-skinned than his son. He looked at the sky, he looked at the ground—anywhere but at his wife.
Mrs. Mu said, exasperated, "A grown man like you, with no sense of decorum. And you brought your son along to eavesdrop."
Mr. Mu protested his innocence. "I didn’t! It was Feng’er who dragged me here."
"Nonsense! Mom, don’t listen to him! It was Dad who insisted on coming to snoop, thinking that if you caught him, he could use me as a scapegoat."
Mr. Mu’s eyebrow twitched as he listened. ’This kid... he actually has the gall to turn around and blame me.’
’At my age, do I need to resort to shady business like eavesdropping? I was just worried my son would hear something upsetting, get worked up, and barge in to confront my wife, making a bigger mess of things.’
Shi Lan listened from the side, a smile in her eyes.
’I didn’t expect Mu Tangfeng’s family to interact like this. It’s quite lively.’
’But his father’s personality is such a contrast to his appearance.’
With Shi Lan still present, Mrs. Mu suppressed her annoyance and turned to her with a pleasant tone. "Lanlan, it’s still early. Why don’t you let Feng’er show you around the house?"
Shi Lan nodded. Mu Tangfeng excitedly led her away, leaving Mr. Mu rooted to the spot, not daring to move an inch as he faced his wife’s stern expression.