Lu Xiaoxiao couldn’t figure out exactly what had gone wrong. She picked up her wine glass for a sip, then cradled her bowl and started eating.
The atmosphere at the dinner table turned a little strange. Lin Cheng was no longer wolfing down his food like a ravenous ghoul. Lu Lingling picked up her bowl and chopsticks and began to eat as well. Before long, Lu Xiaoxiao was full. She set down her bowl and utensils while Lu Lingling grabbed the wine bottle and topped off everyone’s glasses.
“What does Little Cheng do for work?”
“I’m a bum, occasionally doing a resident singer gig at a bar or selling flowers on the side.” Lin Cheng answered offhandedly.
Lu Xiaoxiao let out a quiet sigh of relief. Right, now the pace felt correct. This time, her mom should start voicing her dissatisfaction. But when she glanced at Lu Lingling, she saw her mother with one hand propped on the table, her fair palm cupping her cheek, eyes gazing tenderly at Lin Cheng. “Sounds pretty romantic. You young folks these days are something else.”
“Ah, it doesn’t bring in much money.”
“Making money isn’t as important as following your passion. If you’re short on cash, just tell Xiaoxiao. I’ll give it to her.”
Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes went wide.
Why?!
Lin Cheng sensed something brushing against his calf under the table.
The person next to him was Lu Xiaoxiao, and her angle didn’t reach. That left only one possibility. He glanced across at Lu Lingling, but she was still just resting her cheek on her hand, her expression soft and gentle—perhaps from the wine, her cheeks carried a faint rosy flush.
That fair little foot teasing his pant leg even seemed intent on inching higher. This woman’s legs were absurdly long. If she lifted them just a bit more, it would soon press against something vital.
Lin Cheng calmly clamped his legs shut, viciously pinning the naughty woman’s foot!
Lu Lingling’s expression didn’t shift in the slightest. She simply kept smiling gently as she asked, “How long have you known Xiaoxiao?”
“Less than a month.”
“And you two… how far along are you?”
“Ask Xiaoxiao.” Lin Cheng replied coolly, lobbing the question straight back to her. But Lu Xiaoxiao had no clue what to say. She hemmed and hawed for ages before finally stammering, “W-what needed doing, w-we’ve… done it all.”
It was one of her rare moments of backbone. Her pride usually shrank in Lu Lingling’s presence, but this time she mustered some grit. Gazing at her mother now, her heart hammered wildly, her body quivering faintly from fear—yet some strange part of her anticipated the anger to come.
“Xiaoxiao’s not a kid anymore. Having a baby now wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” Lu Lingling said gently.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes bulged. “Mom, what are you talking about?!”
“Hm?” Lu Lingling turned to her. “What’s wrong with having a child? I’m still free these days—I could help you two look after it.”
Lu Xiaoxiao knew something was off, but she couldn’t pin it down. Luckily, Lin Cheng chimed in. “Way too early. I haven’t even hit legal marrying age.”
“That’s no big deal. If you want, you could get your certificate tomorrow. Wedding at month’s end?”
“We’re nowhere near marriage yet. It’s early, and besides, Xiaoxiao might not even say yes.”
Lin Cheng’s hand slipped under the table, seizing her fair little foot and pinching it hard. Lu Lingling’s face remained utterly serene, but she finally drew her leg back.
“I really like Little Cheng. Why wouldn’t Xiaoxiao marry him? If she balks, I’ll talk some sense into her for you.”
“Who’s your actual daughter here?!” Lu Xiaoxiao couldn’t hold it in anymore. None of this made sense.
“Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” Lu Lingling gazed at her tenderly. “You hated the matches I set up for you. This is the boyfriend you picked yourself. What’s wrong with me thinking ahead for you two? And… I think Little Cheng’s great. He’s easy on the eyes. Your kid would be adorable.”
Lu Xiaoxiao drew a deep breath. Words failed her. She snatched her wine glass from the table and drained it, only to choke and cough. Lin Cheng quickly patted her back.
Lu Lingling calmly refilled her glass and topped off Lin Cheng’s. “Take it slow. Let’s chat. No hurry.”
“You two chat. I’m off to bed.” Lu Xiaoxiao rose, shot Lu Lingling a cold look, and retreated to her room.
At the dinner table.
Once Lu Xiaoxiao was gone, a trace of helplessness flickered in Lu Lingling’s eyes. She regarded Lin Cheng across from her, then lifted her fair little foot once more—this time planting it boldly on his thigh. Lin Cheng eyed her shoulders, her collarbone fine and delicate. Lu Lingling swirled her wine glass, her voice dropping softer. “She brought you here to poke at me, but she has no idea who you really are?”
“I told her. She didn’t buy it.” Lin Cheng replied helplessly.
“Pfft.” Lu Lingling was at a loss for words. “She’s always idolized you.”
“…”
He didn’t know why, but his mouth suddenly went dry. His gaze drifted unbidden below her collarbone. Lu Lingling made no move to cover up—in fact, she teasingly tugged her neckline with a fingertip, as if fending off the heat.
“Want to do something about it?” Lu Lingling murmured.
“You’re sick! I told you—my ability means no kids possible!”
“One in ten thousand chance. It could carry on. Even without full Fate inheritance, a piece would do. Try enough times, and we’ll win the lottery eventually.” Lu Lingling’s eyes lingered lazily on him as her hand brushed her shoulder, her strap slipping further.
“I don’t want to turn on you. Don’t make me.”
Lu Lingling rose from her seat and sidled over, settling naturally onto his lap. An orchid-like scent filled Lin Cheng’s nostrils; her body was soft and warm.
“Get off.” Lin Cheng shoved her away. Lu Lingling tumbled to the floor, her skirt fanning out in disarray, baring swaths of skin beneath. Lin Cheng caught a glimpse of pink—wait, she hadn’t even…
“You’re not as well-behaved as a few years back.” Lu Lingling made no rush to rise, her eyes fixed lazily on him.
She’d fallen on purpose, naturally. A woman who’d hit SS-rank twenty years ago wasn’t getting shoved over that easily.
“…”
Lin Cheng stood, avoiding her gaze, and headed for Lu Xiaoxiao’s room. She opened the door promptly. He stepped in and shut it behind him. Lu Xiaoxiao had changed into a white nightgown and sat on the bed’s edge, anger still smoldering on her face. “How the hell did you get her acting like that toward you?”
“I really don’t know.” Lin Cheng answered with wide-eyed innocence. “Go ask her yourself.”
Lu Xiaoxiao sat in silence on the bed for a long moment, then stood without a word and left the room.
Lu Xiaoxiao entered the living room to find Lu Lingling freshly composed, seated at the table and sipping her red wine in tiny tastes from the glass.
“You’re… not yourself.” Lu Xiaoxiao said from behind her.
Lu Lingling turned slowly, her eyes surprisingly gentle. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Lu Xiaoxiao froze.
Lu Lingling gradually reined in that gentleness, her face growing serious. “Dating some regular guy on purpose, cutting loose like that—wasn’t it all to rebel against the future I laid out for you because you hated it?”
That was precisely her mindset, but hearing Lu Lingling spell it out so plainly caught her off guard.
“This time, I’m playing along. You get to date your ordinary guy. Want out of the Alliance? I’ll handle the paperwork. I’ll give you enough cash to burn through lifetimes. Live happily with him forever after, ordinary as can be. It’s your choice—nod, and it’s done.”
“You told me yourself back then you wanted to be an Adjudicator. That’s why I brought you into the Alliance, guided your growth step by step—even handed you the Evolution Blood Si Ming left behind. Nothing in the path I planned hurt you. You’re my flesh and blood, another me in this world. That’s why I treat you well, even if you don’t see it.”
“Then why suspend me?”
“So you could reflect.” Lu Lingling replied evenly.
“I didn’t mess up! I didn’t!” Lu Xiaoxiao insisted.
“The [Priest] you let slip away through your screw-up fled to the next city over, terrorizing a backwoods village. His power feeds on human fear to evolve. Since that botched capture, he’s killed three hundred forty-two people—the count might still be climbing. He even taunted us by sending torture videos to the Alliance. Want a look?”
“Then send someone! Can’t an Alliance SS-rank nab him?!”
“Every SS-rank has assignments. And the [Priest]’s power excels at getaway. I’ve launched three-plus ops, all duds. That was prime time to grab him, but your call tanked it.”
“I kept this from you—it was too brutal. Catch him then, and none of this follows. Last fire, you saved one hundred eighteen. Three forty-two minus one eighteen: two twenty-four dead on your watch.”
Lu Lingling’s face stayed eerily calm, bordering on detached. Lu Xiaoxiao’s drained of color, lips quivering. “No… not like that… you can’t just subtract like…”
“No absolute justice exists. Real justice safeguards the many. As an Adjudicator, your choices matter. I’ve never claimed not to get it. I know you wanted those lives saved. I know you care. Your heart does you credit. But it disqualifies you as Adjudicator.”
“That’s why the suspension. Why Little Cheng didn’t set me off much. You said you wanted this path, so I paved it. Want ordinary now? One last shot.”
“No dad in the picture, but I’m your mom. Same blood runs in us. My one daughter. Why think… I don’t love you?”
