"You had a kid or something? "
As Xiao Wu set the little girl down from her shoulders, Zhou Qing's gaze instinctively fell on her chest—well, it wasn't as developed as Alice from the Notting Guild, but for a five- or six-year-old to have something about the size of a fist was pretty rare.
"What are you looking at? "
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes. "So young and already such a pervert? What are you going to turn into when you grow up? "
"It's just a natural reaction, and besides—"
Zhou Qing flashed what he thought was a charming smile at the little girl. "See, my eyes are clear and kind. Don't I look like a good person, little miss? "
But the girl, Qing Zhuzhu, took two steps back and hid behind Xiao Wu.
"Brother Qing, your smile's way too creepy. You've scared the poor girl," Tang San teased from behind.
"Get lost and go hammer your iron," Zhou Qing said, rolling his eyes at Tang San, this potential future "sissy." But was he really creepy?
He was just… a little average-looking.
This was called righteous and upright!
"Hahaha! "Xiao Wu doubled over laughing, nearly falling over. "With a face like that, just don't smile. Same goes for you, Tang San."
Tang San: … What does this have to do with me?!
"Hmph, San and I rely on talent to get by. Unlike you, who just needs to marry into a good family one day," Zhou Qing shot back, mocking Xiao Wu.
"Marry into a good family? Hah! My husband's going to marry into my family! " Xiao Wu stood akimbo, squaring up for a fight. Her bold words left Qing Zhuzhu wide-eyed in shock.
Even the maid beside her frowned deeply, her impression of Zhou Qing, Xiao Wu, and even the quietly forging Tang San worsening by the second.
Why?
These commoner kids were far too uncouth! Saying such vulgar things without a trace of decorum!
But—
Qing Zhuzhu found it strangely fascinating.
At home, she never heard conversations like this. Noisy, yes. Lacking noble etiquette, definitely. But—
It felt so free!
"By the way, who are these two? "Zhou Qing finally noticed the middle-aged maid's sharp gaze and cleared his throat, changing the subject. "I'm guessing your employer is from the guild commission? "
"That's about the only time your brain works," Xiao Wu introduced them, taking the chance to subtly boost her own intellect.
Tang San perked up too, but his focus wasn't on Qing Zhuzhu's companions—it was on the Star Luo Royal Battle Team. "Brother Qing, even the Star Luo Royal Team came here? I bet the Lord of Falling Star City didn't expect that."
The butterfly effect.
Zhou Qing hadn't thought that his tiny flap of wings would stir up such a storm, drawing in even the Star Luo Royal Team.
A century-old spirit bone?
He was sure the royal team members didn't care much about that. Probably their instructor was using this as an unusual teaching opportunity.
The Spirit Master Tournament was likely part of the training exercise.
But then—why was Qing Zhuzhu here in Notting City?
Qing Zhuzhu?
And her earlier words, "I have a friend"—it wasn't hard to guess her real identity:
Zhu Zhuqing!
Could Dai Mubai be here too?
No way, right?
Dai Mubai was supposed to run off to Shrek Academy at twelve. He was a couple of years older than Tang San, meaning he should only be eight or nine now. Did he really run away to the Heaven Dou Empire this early? And only find Shrek at twelve?
And Zhu Zhuqing… Did she really have the courage to chase after him at just six?
That's a stretch.
Plus, Zhu Zhuqing hadn't even gotten her first spirit ring yet. She wasn't a Spirit Master. And with a spirit ancestor-level maid tagging along, it didn't look like she'd run away from home at all.
"So, that's the situation. Can you help Qingzhu's friend figure something out? "Xiao Wu asked.
"Since when did you start caring about others? "
Whether it was Dai Mubai or Zhu Zhuqing, Zhou Qing didn't want to get tangled up with them.
Because they were nobles—royalty, even!
No matter how unfairly they might have been treated growing up in the royal family's environment, their mindset and Zhou Qing's own couldn't possibly be the same.
They might be approachable on the surface, but their worldview was shaped by the interests of the Star Luo Empire.
Granted, Zhu Zhuqing was still young, and change was possible. But Zhou Qing knew there was no way a six-year-old noble girl like her could stay here in Notting City.
Even if she had the means, she didn't have the courage.
And honestly, her talk about "I have a friend" was vague and immature—it clearly wasn't about any real feelings for Dai Mubai. A six-year-old girl probably hadn't even seen him more than a handful of times. Feelings? What feelings?
But Zhou Qing could sense her confusion.
And that was the tricky part.
She wasn't like Tang San, who had the mind of an adult transmigrator. She was a naïve little girl. You couldn't change her fate with a couple of motivational speeches. What she really needed was a kind elder who could guide her through years of gentle nurturing.
If this Qing Zhuzhu had been just an ordinary girl, Zhou Qing might've considered helping.
But unfortunately, she was Zhu Zhuqing.
From the Hell Civet Clan of the Star Luo Empire. Not someone a guy like Zhou Qing could get involved with.
"What was that?! "
Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks, scorpion-tail braid swinging in anger. "I've got a kind heart too, okay? Her friend has a timid, useless fiancé and irresponsible parents! "
"It's my friend, not me…" Qing Zhuzhu lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her fingers.
Meanwhile, the maid beside her was furious, her face flushed red.
No doubt about it.
Xiao Wu's words had struck a nerve in this loyal servant.
"Don't take it personally. Our friend here just has a big mouth," Zhou Qing quickly apologized, then turned to Qing Zhuzhu—no, Zhu Zhuqing—and said, "Helping your friend? Actually, it's pretty simple."
"You have a way? " Qing Zhuzhu's eyes lit up.
"Of course! "
Zhou Qing gave a confident grin. "The way is: do the same thing as your friend's fiancé—run away."
Qing Zhuzhu: "??? "
"Your… friend's fiancé wants to run away. Why should your… friend keep hanging on? "
Zhou Qing declared, full of shameless bravado, "In life, do what you want. If it doesn't work out, don't blame yourself—blame the world. Don't hesitate. If you hesitate, you'll regret it either way. And since you'll regret it no matter what, you might as well take the easier road. Even the gods don't know if tomorrow's you will be happy."
Qing Zhuzhu's jaw dropped.
And not just hers—the maid, Xiao Wu, and Tang San all stared at him, dumbfounded.
What kind of twisted logic was this?
But as Tang San thought about it, it kind of made sense. For a noble girl trapped in an impossible situation, unable to change her family's will, the best option might really be to live freely before fate caught up with her.
And when the time finally came to make a choice, the key was to act decisively. Hesitation would only mess things up.