The Whole Family Are Villains, I’m the Group Pet 128

Chapter 128

Having been dismissed so curtly, Qi Yao couldn’t continue to impose.

He nodded and left, but after a while, he returned with his energy detector and scanned Shen Wen’s apartment door.

The unusual energy fluctuation had mostly dissipated, but the readings were still abnormally high.

Qi Yao was considered one of the top ability users in the country, but compared to this unknown energy source, he was still weak.

I have to contact this player, he thought, his brow furrowed.

Xing Nuo had noticed Uncle Qi acting strangely lately.

He kept running into him on his way to and from school.

Sometimes at the stationery store, where he would be with An Zimuo, choosing colored pencils; sometimes at the newly opened milk tea shop with Qingqing and Yiyi.

And Uncle Qi would always appear, a cheerful smile on his face.

“Xing Nuo, having fast food?”

Xing Nuo and his friends had pooled their money to buy a burger and fries.

They were sitting by the window, happily sharing their meal, when Uncle Qi suddenly appeared.

Xing Nuo, startled, patted his chest, taking a deep breath.

“Uncle Qi, why you here?”

Uncle Qi had been acting strange lately. He asked again:

“Uncle, you need somefin’ from me?”

Qi Yao bought more burgers and fries for the children and sat down beside them, feigning ignorance, shaking his head.

“Nothing. Xing Nuo doesn’t want to see Uncle Qi anymore?”

The children, seeing the extra food, cheered, each grabbing a burger and munching happily.

Xing Nuo didn’t take one. He tilted his head, looked at Qi Yao, and shook his head.

“Uncle Qi not honest.”

He was clearly following him, yet pretending nothing was wrong.

Qi Yao, seeing that Xing Nuo was perceptive, chuckled and dropped the act.

“Uncle does need something from you. I’ll tell you on the way home.”

An Zimuo, munching on his fries, his mouth covered in ketchup, patted his chest and protested:

“Uncle Qi, I always walk Xing Nuo home! Don’t steal my job!”

Xing Nuo, An Zimuo, and Qingqing lived close to each other and often walked home together, stopping at various shops along the way.

An Zimuo, enjoying his role as the responsible older friend, always insisted on walking Xing Nuo home, even though it was only a short distance.

It was difficult for Qi Yao to find an opportunity to talk to Xing Nuo alone.

He was always surrounded by his friends or his family.

“I really do need to talk to Xing Nuo today. I live downstairs from him, so I can take him home directly.”

An Zimuo, reluctantly, his mouth full of burger, nodded.

“Fine. But tomowwow, I walk home with Xing Nuo.”

Qi Yao quickly agreed and bought them some egg tarts.

Xing Nuo, his tummy full, left the fast food restaurant with his friends, stopping to admire the traffic lights and touch the icy branches along the way.

Qi Yao, following them, his patience wearing thin, watched as they hopped and skipped, imitating frogs, and finally, as the sun began to set, the two little girls turned towards their homes.

An Zimuo and Xing Nuo continued walking, chatting about the songs they had learned in music class.

Just as Qi Yao was about to lose hope, they reached An Zimuo’s complex.

An Zimuo, reluctant to part with Xing Nuo, held his hand and said:

“Xing Nuo, wait for me at the gate tomorrow morning! We go to school together!”

Xing Nuo nodded, then, seeing An Zimuo’s teary eyes, patiently comforted him for a while.

Qi Yao, by now completely numb,

Do all children have this much energy? It took them half an hour to walk five minutes!

As Qi Yao was on the verge of a breakdown, Xing Nuo finally waved goodbye to An Zimuo and walked towards his own complex, which was a couple of hundred meters away.

Qi Yao hurried after him, finally having a chance to talk to him alone, and asked tentatively:

“Xing Nuo, has your dad ever mentioned your mom? Or have you noticed anything…unusual at home lately?”

He didn’t know what kind of prop allowed a player to appear in the real world, but it seemed this player couldn’t materialize, only existing as a disembodied presence.

Xing Nuo scratched his cheek, shivering in the cold wind, and tucked his hands back into his pockets.

“No. I no have mommy. And home vewy normal.”

He then asked, puzzled, “Uncle Qi, why you ask? You vewy stwange lately.”

Qi Yao, unable to get any useful information from Shen Wen, or Shen Baizhou, who was too aloof and indifferent to approach,

could only try his luck with Xing Nuo.

He made his question more explicit:

“Has anyone in your family disappeared, then reappeared recently? Someone you can’t see, but can sense their presence?”

Although the player was invisible in the real world, they would surely try to contact their loved ones.

Xing Nuo, hearing this, thought of someone.

But he just lowered his head, his eyes downcast, and after a moment, shook his head.

“No. No one in my family disappeared.”

Qi Yao was confused.

“That’s not right. How can even his family not sense him?”

Then what was the point of this player spending so many points to appear in the real world?

Just to watch Xing Nuo and Shen Wen?

Without even saying a word or making a sound?

Xing Nuo, his eyes sparkling like a miniature galaxy, asked:

“Uncle, why you ask?”

Uncle Qi also sensed the twanspaw-went monster who twicks Zaizai into calling him Daddy?

Xing Nuo’s mind was filled with questions he couldn’t understand.

But he just filed them away, not pressing for answers.

Qi Yao made up an excuse and sighed, taking Xing Nuo’s hand.

“Never mind. Let’s go home.”

Before they reached the complex gate, they saw Shen Wen waiting.

Shen Wen, in a light brown coat, his slender frame not obscured by the thick winter clothes, stood there, his ethereal beauty almost unreal against the snowy backdrop.

Xing Nuo’s eyes lit up, and he ran towards Shen Wen.

“Daddy!”

Shen Wen caught him, nodded at Qi Yao, not bothering to ask why he was there, and led Xing Nuo away.

Qi Yao, watching the cold and aloof Shen Wen, mumbled:

“They have such different personalities. I wonder what’s going on.”

Shen Wen, despite his gentle appearance, was distant and difficult to approach, unlike Xing Nuo, a little sunbeam, his warmth and kindness genuine.

Shen Wen, overhearing him, but not caring, ruffled Xing Nuo’s hair.

“Had burgers?”

Xing Nuo, slightly guilty, nodded, smiling sweetly.

“I no eat meat! I gave meat to Qingqing!”

Shen Wen chuckled, scratching his nose.

“There’s only one patty in a burger. What did you eat? Bread with lettuce and tomato?”

Xing Nuo hummed and, swinging his dad’s hand, said happily:

“Vewy yummy! All my fwiends said yummy!”

Shen Wen thought, Of course it was yummy. They weren’t eating the same thing as you.

Xing Nuo, bouncing excitedly, chattered about the interesting things he had seen on his way home.

For a child exploring the world, everything was new and exciting: the streets, the shops, the buildings, the elevators…

Shen Wen listened patiently, occasionally humming in agreement, the coldness in his eyes melting away.

Back home, Xing Nuo, too full to eat dinner, finished his homework at his little desk, then, exhausted, fell asleep before even washing up.

Shen Wen gently cleaned his face and feet, then stood by the bed, watching him sleep, a smile playing on his lips.

The air shimmered, and Wen Xingxue, his appearance disheveled, materialized, also looking at Xing Nuo.

“The little one has gained some weight. And he looks healthier, not as sickly as before.”

Seven-year-old Xing Nuo was much healthier than when he had first arrived in the human world.

He could run, jump, and eat, almost like a normal child, although still slightly thin.

Even Wen Xingxue, who despised Shen Wen, had to admit:

“You’ve raised him well.”

Shen Wen snorted and glanced at Wen Xingxue, his voice low.

“Come outside. Don’t disturb Xing Nuo’s sleep.”

Wen Xingxue followed him to the living room.

Shen Wen’s expression turned cold and frosty as he looked at Wen Xingxue.

“Do you know that because of you, that man downstairs is suspicious of us?”

Wen Xingxue, finding a chair and sitting down, nodded.

“I saw him. I’ve been concealing my aura, but he’s quite perceptive. Almost caught me a few times.”

Shen Wen, seeing Wen Xingxue as an enemy, and assuming the feeling was mutual, said coldly:

“Stop visiting Xing Nuo. He’s doing well. He doesn’t need your useless attention. It’ll only cause trouble.”

Wen Xingxue’s heart ached, a cold draft seeming to blow through it, and he glared at Shen Wen, his face dark.

“Why? Xing Nuo is my child too!”

His voice, usually just hoarse, was now rough and grating, his emotions unusually strong.

He stood up and walked towards Shen Wen.

“I can’t kill you now, but you can’t kill me either. Sooner or later, I’ll take Xing Nuo away from you!”

Shen Wen just chuckled coldly and gestured around the apartment.

“I decorated this place according to Xing Nuo’s preferences. The large windows, the sunny balcony, the flowers…”

“Xing Nuo lives and grows here, and I’ve been with him all these years. Wen Xingxue, do you think you can offer him this kind of life?”

“Even as a father, I’ve never lost.”

His expression was cold, his voice firm and unwavering.

Wen Xingxue, his face grim, looked around the apartment he had always ignored.

Shen Wen, standing by the balcony, his arms crossed, his gaze cold, looked at the seemingly frozen Wen Xingxue.

“Want to compete, Wen Xingxue?”