For Ning Chen, this wasn’t particularly surprising.
This was just Duanmu Yao being Duanmu Yao.
On the other hand, Tantai Yuruo was utterly bewildered.
This… this wasn’t right, was it?
Why was A’Yao reacting ?
Shouldn’t she be furiously demanding to know why her mother had betrayed her father, the emperor?
Shouldn’t she be scolding her for disgracing the Great Xia imperial family?
Shouldn’t she be cutting ties with her, treating her as a lifelong stain?
But instead, the first thing she asked was… this?
Did she really not care at all about her actions?
Well, truth be told, Duanmu Yao really didn’t care.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have entertained the idea of helping her mother climb the ranks in the first place.
Right now, only two things occupied Duanmu Yao’s mind:
Her mother’s Nascent Soul breakthrough wasn’t legitimate.
And, her mother was eating more, which meant she was eating less—and she’d never catch up!
This was unacceptable to Duanmu Yao.
Her conclusion? She had to eat even more than her mother!
“A’Yao, you…” Tantai Yuruo parted her lips, about to say something, but was interrupted again.
Because Duanmu Yao was already stomping over, cheeks puffed up in anger.
Was she really not going to forgive me?
A pang of sorrow struck Tantai Yuruo’s heart. If it came to it, she’d have no choice but to reveal the secrets of the past.
At its core, her actions weren’t actually that unusual.
Before, she hadn’t wanted to face her daughter’s judgment or risk damaging their relationship. But now that all pretenses were gone, it might be better to lay everything out plainly.
But Duanmu Yao never followed the script.
Clambering onto the bed with her short legs, she blinked her big eyes and stared fixedly at Tantai Yuruo’s “driver’s seat exit.”
“Are you done yet, Mother? It’s my turn now!” she demanded impatiently.
Duanmu Yao’s expression didn’t waver. As for shame? That had long been worn away by the passage of time.
The only thing that had given her pause before was how to broach the topic with her mother.
But now that her mother had been sneaking treats behind her back, why should she feel awkward?
Tantai Yuruo’s expression was complicated. “…A’Yao, you’re not angry with me?”
“Of course I am! How could you lie to me and say your Nascent Soul breakthrough was normal? You got Daddy’s ‘guidance’ and didn’t even tell me!” Duanmu Yao gnashed her teeth.
Honestly, she’d been racking her brains, thinking she was just that incompetent—that even with all her efforts, she still couldn’t catch up.
Turns out her mother had been cheating too!
Tantai Yuruo looked embarrassed.
Back then, she couldn’t say anything about it, could she?
“A’Yao… don’t you think I’m a terrible mother? Don’t you think I’ve betrayed the Great Xia Dynasty?” Tantai Yuruo asked, lightly covering her alluring figure with her arm. This was the question she most wanted answered.
But Duanmu Yao didn’t care in the slightest.
“So what? Who could resist something ? What’s the big deal?”
Honestly, if her mother had tasted that and still resisted the path to immortality, that would have been truly shocking.
If there were a woman in this world who could make a man’s cultivation soar through dual cultivation alone, paving his way to immortality—
Duanmu Yao didn’t believe her father, the emperor, could resist that temptation either.
“All crows are black under the sun”—no one had the right to judge.
Even with Li Yiya, Duanmu Yao only held a slight grudge over the initial deception. As for her complete submission to Ning Chen? That was entirely expected.
As for the Great Xia imperial family?
It belonged to her second brother, the Crown Prince, now—not her father. Whatever her mother did wouldn’t affect the current emperor, so what did it matter?
Who cared about that cold, calculating father of hers anyway?
Daddy was so much better.
Hearing this, the boulder in Tantai Yuruo’s heart finally lifted.
But she relaxed too soon.
Mentioning Ning Chen reignited Duanmu Yao’s anger.
“But Mother, you lied to me!”
“No, no, no! You’ve had your fill, right? Now it’s my turn!”
“To make up for my broken heart, from now on, you can only have one turn for every three of mine!”
The little girl shamelessly played the brat, leveraging her petite size to the fullest.
“Alright, alright, Mother will do as you say,” Tantai Yuruo replied, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
This was still the same little girl who loved to act spoiled and play dumb!
With a soft pop, she rose, expelling the “foreign invader.”
The Milky Way poured forth due to the incomplete Heavenly Dao.
But Tantai Yuruo was still a little worried.
With A’Yao’s body… could she really handle it?
Then she watched as Duanmu Yao deftly changed into her “princess attire,” positioned herself above Ning Chen, and—smooth sailing all the way.
Tantai Yuruo’s jaw dropped in shock.
This was what they called “a hidden paradise”?
Ning Chen: Heh. More like ‘stretched out.’
A blissful smile spread across Duanmu Yao’s face.
“Hehe, this is what you call a family of three!”
Tantai Yuruo lowered her gaze, stealing glances at the man beside her—his flawless features and physique.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
He was her first man… and would be her only one from now on. Calling him “husband” wasn’t wrong.
Carefully, she leaned closer, offering her “large cup” with both hands.
Her eyes were full of shyness and adoration.
“Senior… are you thirsty?”
Ning Chen was a little thirsty, so he tilted his head and accepted without hesitation.
With a mighty pull, he took a full mouthful of “AD Calcium.”
Ah, that’s the stuff!
The electric tingle made Tantai Yuruo’s legs go weak, nearly toppling her over.
Her breathing grew ragged again.
The love in her heart could practically form threads.
Parting her lips, she ventured softly, “H-Husband… may I call you that?”
Who asks after already stuffing their “bottle” in someone’s mouth?
Was she afraid he’d refuse?
Not that he minded, though. He gave a slight nod.
What she called him didn’t matter. After so many women, as long as they didn’t start scheming against each other behind his back, he was fine with it.
He couldn’t be bothered with drama.
“Husband~” Delighted by his response, Tantai Yuruo called out again sweetly, clinging to him like a koala.
Now, with her partner and daughter by her side, everything was harmonious. Though the situation was a little… unusual, Tantai Yuruo felt incomparably happy.
But as it turned out, she’d celebrated too soon.
Tantai Yuruo had only just refined the “nectar” she’d obtained.
Meanwhile, Duanmu Yao’s “battle against the foreign invaders” was only reaching its first climax after a long struggle.
Tantai Yuruo clenched her thighs, barely suppressing her rising urge to “slay the enemy.”
How is A’Yao holding out so long?
Why isn’t it over yet?
And this was only the first round.
Her smile fading, Tantai Yuruo took in the triumphant grin on Duanmu Yao’s face and realized—
She’d been completely played by her own damn daughter.
Furious, but unable to say anything, the restlessness in her body and mind grew unbearable.
Especially since the “main event” she was witnessing was… so uniquely stimulating.
Unconsciously, her gaze wandered until it landed on Ning Chen’s hands.
Those hands—slender fingers, well-defined knuckles…
Even if they couldn’t compare to the Soul-Devouring Spear, they were still rare “magic tools.”
So Tantai Yuruo grabbed them and began “refining” them on the spot!