Chapter 157: Could It Be That…

Cheng Old Madam's eyes flickered, and in the span of a few breaths, a thousand possibilities and outcomes had already sprung up in her mind.

Thinking carefully, was it from that time Yu'an wanted to bring their signature dishes that the father and son had already met?

Meng Shi beside her was so moved her eyes reddened, and just as she was about to say something, she was suddenly stopped by Cheng Old Madam next to her.

Feeling the force of the hand resting on her arm, Meng Shi swallowed back the words that had reached her lips.

She looked anxiously at her pomo, questioning her with her eyes.

Cheng Old Madam gave her a slight shake of her head, then looked toward the room.

Meng Shi understood, turned her head to glance somewhat anxiously at Yu'an, and followed Cheng Old Madam inside.

Back in the room, Meng Shi asked in confusion.

"Pomo, you heard what Yu'an said just now. Why did you stop me from asking clearly?"

"Don't rush."

Cheng Old Madam walked over to a chair and sat down.

"Think carefully. Yu'an is a child who can't keep things in his heart. If he had really seen Sitiao, how could he not tell us?"

"Someone must have told him not to speak, which is why Yu'an didn't say anything."

Hearing these words, Meng Shi gradually calmed down as well.

"You mean, Sitiao told Yu'an not to tell us where he is?"

"But aside from being summoned by the immortal, Yu'an has never left our side. Where did he meet Sitiao?"

As she said this, her eyes suddenly widened.

That can't be!

"Could it be that…"

Cheng Old Madam looked at her and nodded slowly, pouring a cup of hot water and sipping it slowly.

Meng Shi was in a daze, murmuring softly.

"Sitiao actually went to Immortal's Street?"

"Pfft! Cough, cough, cough…"

Even Cheng Old Madam, as composed as she was, couldn't help choking when she heard her eldest daughter-in-law say this.

"Pomo! Are you alright?"

Meng Shi hurried over to help her catch her breath.

Cheng Old Madam composed herself, looking at her usually steady and reliable eldest daughter-in-law with a strange gaze.

Could Qing Man have always felt that the place Yu'an went to was Xian Jie?

Actually, judging from the scenes Yu'an described and Shengxuan's analysis, although the things in that world were all very miraculous, the people there were all ordinary folk.

What was truly miraculous was that small wooden token, and the live stream room Yu'an spoke of.

But so what?

Miss An had rescued them from fire and water in their most difficult moment; in their hearts, she was far more worthy of respect than any immortal.

"Alright, don't speak of this matter for now."

As for Miss An's identity, she had no intention of revealing it either.

"Yes."

Outside, the two little companions were having a great time playing, when Feiying hurried into the room and began packing.

"Young Master, the horse carriage is almost here. Please get ready, we should head back."

Yi Jiang patted her little gloves covered in snow.

"Head back?"

Feiying nodded.

"Did you forget? Tomorrow is the adult's birthday!"

Yi Jiang came to her senses and stamped her foot hard.

"Oh no! How could I forget something so important?"

"Quick, quick, quick! Let's hurry home!"

Rushing anxiously to the room door, she turned back, looking at her little companion with anticipation.

"Yu'an, do you want to come stay at my place for a couple of days?"

Yu'an quickly shook his head.

"No, no, I won't disturb you all."

I want to go find Daddy too.

"Alright then, once I've celebrated Father's birthday with him, I'll come find you to play."

After seeing off his little companion, Yu'an trotted cheerfully on his short little legs toward his own room.

Fairy Sister, Daddy, here I come!

"Yu'an, wait a moment."

Hearing the voice, the little fellow looked over and saw his own grandmother beckoning to him.

Yu'an ran over with a grin, calling out affectionately.

"Grandmother~"

Looking at this fair, tender little face that bore five or six parts resemblance to her son, Meng Shi couldn't help feeling a sting at the tip of her nose.

She squatted down, tenderly rubbing the soft, plump little cheeks, as if she were looking at something through the face before her.

"Go a little later. Grandmother will make a few dishes, and Yu'an can take them over, alright?"

Thinking that Daddy also hadn't had any home-cooked food in a long time, the little fellow nodded hurriedly, obediently agreeing.

"Good!"

Thinking it was for her son whom she hadn't seen in a long time, Meng Shi wished she could make every dish she knew how to cook.

She busied herself until dark, and in the end laid out three full tables of food.

To be precise, as soon as one table was filled, Yu'an would put it away.

By the time Yu'an returned to the Modern Era, it was already ten o'clock at night — time to wash up and go straight to bed.

The drowsy Zaituan was handed over by An Luo into his father's arms.

While Daddy helped him change into his pajamas, the little one's head bobbed like a chick pecking at grain, dipping lower and lower, already so sleepy he couldn't keep his eyes open.

"Veg…bles, eat veg…bles…"

Leaning in close enough to hear the mumble, Cheng Sitao answered softly.

"Mm, alright. Whatever you want to eat, we'll eat tomorrow. Eating so late will give you indigestion, and your tummy won't feel good."

Hearing this, the little one — already half-asleep, unable to hear anything clearly, unable to even turn his little head — nodded, smacked his little lips a few times, and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Meng Shi tossed and turned on the kang, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

Sitao had gone to Xian Jie. Even if he wasn't an Immortal, he must at least be running errands at an Immortal's side.

She never imagined that one day, she would actually have to make offerings to her own son.

How to put it — her feelings were quite complicated.

And Tian Qin, who shared a room with her, noticed her movements and lifted the curtain to ask softly.

"Pomo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Meng Shi didn't dare turn her head to look at her — her conscience really wouldn't let her.

"N-no, it's nothing. I just cooked too many dishes during the day, and I'm still wide awake now."

Tian Qin nodded and tucked the blanket around her a little.

"If you need anything, just call for me."

"Yes, yes, yes. It's already very late. You should rest now."

Meng Shi felt terribly wretched inside.

Keeping a secret in her heart felt truly awful. A Qin was so good to her, yet she was still hiding news of Sitao from her. The more she thought about it, the more she felt guilty.

And on the other side of the curtain, Tian Qin lay back down, carefully pulling a photograph from her clothes. In the moonlight, she traced, bit by bit, the features of the man holding Yu'an.

Large drops of tears fell onto the pillow.

Has he still not found a way to come back?

……

Late at night, the convoy escorting the prison cart arrived at an abandoned Po Miao.

"Strange, where did the boss go? Haven't seen him all day."

The short Jiedai scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled.

In the prison cart behind him, the Jiedai captain huddled in a corner with his arms wrapped around himself. Hearing this, he glanced over, but didn't dare make a sound.

Throughout the day, he had made a fuss several times, trying to prove his identity, but everyone thought he had gone mad and was causing trouble.

He took quite a beating for it.

And they wouldn't give him food or water either.

He was now both starving and parched, and freezing cold — so hungry that stars were swimming before his eyes.

He stared at the steamed bun in the corner, smeared with dirt.

The very bun he had spat on and smeared with snot, and that had rolled several times across the filthy ground.

The Jiedai captain rubbed his growling stomach hard, and finally gave up struggling.

No — he was too hungry.

He crawled over, snatched up the bun, and stuffed it into his mouth ravenously. The dry, rock-hard bun nearly choked him to death.

In that moment, as he strained his neck and forced it down with all his might, his regret nearly turned his guts green.

If he hadn't stayed behind to humiliate Zhou Shizhao, would the one sitting in the prison cart right now be someone else?

But regret was useless.

In the end, that bun — mixed with spit, snot, and grit, meant to humiliate Zhou Shizhao — still ended up in his own stomach.

Just after he had gulped down the bun, something unexpected happened.

A group of men in black suddenly burst into the silent Po Miao, hacking at anyone they saw.

"Quick, quick — assassins!"

Hearing the commotion, the Jiedai and soldiers who had been snoring away in their sleep woke with a start.

But it was already too late. Some had only just picked up their swords, not yet drawn from the sheath, when they were run clean through. Some hadn't even managed to crawl up from the ground before they could never get up again.

After dealing with the Jiedai and soldiers, several men in black walked toward the prison cart with their swords.

Seeing the "Zhou Shizhao" inside cowering in the corner, they shook their heads as he screamed wildly.

"Aaaah!"

"I'm not Zhou Shizhao! Don't kill me!"

The men in black exchanged glances, then took out a Portrait, compared it for a moment, and nodded.

The Jiedai captain only heard them muttering a bunch of words he couldn't understand.

Was that some local dialect?

But the next moment, he felt a dull pain in his chest, and a sharp Long Sword thrust out from his back.

Unfortunately, he never got the chance to find out.

Mission complete, the men in black were about to leave, when one of them suddenly called out in halting Da Yin.

"That's not right!"

"Look at his hands! They're very rough, and there are old calluses at the tiger's mouth!"

The others, hearing this, pried open the prisoner cart and examined it carefully, and now they realized what had happened.

"Damn, we've fallen into a trap!"

"He's not Zhou Shizhao!"