Chu Ge sat on the sofa with his hands tucked into his sleeves, while Qiu Wuji sat beside him, clutching a pig-shaped plush pillow.
Both of them had their heads drooping to their chests, looking like they'd been caught red-handed by police during a raid.
At that moment, Qiu Wuji felt that the pig he was holding might be Chu Ge in disguise.
Back when Chu Ge's mother was raising pigs, she might have picked up the wrong one. This pig was Chu Ge; no wonder he liked holding him.
Thinking this way, his mood suddenly improved. He secretly glanced at Chu Ge, then secretly looked at Wu Xiuyun.
Chu Ge, feigning indifference, said, "Since you already know, I won't pretend to be a gentleman anymore..."
Wu Xiuyun: "?"
Qiu Wuji: "..."
Chu Ge coughed, "She's an undocumented boxer, very skilled but without any official status. Now she's decided to reform and learn to write books with me."
Wu Xiuyun took a deep breath, about to unleash a torrent of abuse, when Chu Ge quickly added, "She's my girlfriend now, Mom."
Wu Xiuyun forgot everything she wanted to say, her eyes suddenly sparkling.
Qiu Wuji's eyes also sparkled, a mixture of reproach and delight. He wanted to retort, but the words stuck in his throat, and he lowered his head again.
He had to deal with his mother, after all... um. "Let's deal with it first..." Chu Ge said earnestly, "It doesn't matter what her past identity was. Whether she was a trafficker, an undocumented immigrant, a powerful empress, or a ruthless killer, she's my Qiu Wuji. I love her, Mom... Your department is so powerful, you should help cover up what happened before." Qiu Wuji stared at him blankly, lost in thought.
Wu Xiuyun's gaze darted quickly between the young couple, her stomach rumbling with delight.
Children often misunderstand their parents' feelings, feeling guilty and trying to gain their understanding. But this really depends on the gender...
If the genders were reversed, and a girl lived with a man of unknown identity, insisting she didn't care what he did, she was going to sleep with him, the parents would probably slap her ten times on the spot and throw the man into the South River. Who cares if he's handsome or not? Even if he is, he's still an ugly monster.
But what if a boy brings along a stunningly beautiful girl and says, "Mom, I love this woman, I don't care who she is, I'm going to sleep with her"? Is that the same thing?
Of course not… While there's still some anxiety about their identities, it's not on the same level anymore. The more crucial issue is the test of their character. Past events aren't so important anymore. Even if they offended foreign gangs and fled back home, so what? Are we afraid?
The old lady has been working on their identities for so long, remaining calm and observing secretly. Her observations are somewhat limited, because the young couple are always together; besides proving they can be domestic, nothing else is clear.
This time, asking Yueying to ask Qiu Wuji for help in tracking down the enemy was her suggestion—although she couldn't find them herself, the idea of finding a "commoner" for help wasn't Yueying's own, it was Wu Xiuyun.
To see her character, whether her methods are upright.
Qiu Wuji agreed to help without hesitation, showing his willingness to cooperate with the country.
Finding them but refusing to leave, insisting on following—that's the fiery passion to fight evil.
Easily countering an ambush—that's skill!
Noticing that both fighters were risking their lives, she was about to kill them both with a single sword strike—that's a fiery temper… oh, it's fierce determination and confidence!
Finally, realizing something was wrong, she decisively stopped and only attacked the enemy—that's shrewdness!
Working together as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, she captured a major drug lord; in a way, she made a significant contribution this time.
Except for the slight discrepancy between "decisiveness in stopping when things were wrong" and the facts, the rest is basically accurate. A person's behavior in the face of danger can indeed reveal a lot. And combined with previous observations, Qiu Wuji doesn't like getting involved in these things; she's a homebody… meaning she's good at domestic things but decisive when needed.
She's equally at home in public and in the kitchen.
Wu Xiuyun thought, "Isn't that me?"
She was so satisfied she wanted to tell Chu Ge to marry her immediately.
The only regret was that her son's husbandly authority seemed to be failing him; no wonder he was dreading eating durians so early…
Seeing Chu Ge's anxious little face, Wu Xiuyun finally laughed: "Since I was the one who arranged the identity, of course I'll cover it up. You don't need to worry."
Chu Ge breathed a slight sigh of relief and stammered, "I thought Zhong Yi was some kind of capable person, but it turns out the capable person is my own mother."
Qiu Wuji rubbed the little pig pillow, feeling even more strongly that this was indeed Chu Ge.
Wu Xiuyun said, "We've been fighting against vicious criminals for a long time. If our family's identities are exposed, it'll be a real problem… Unless we're determined to follow in our fathers' footsteps, anyone who wants their family to live a normal life has to keep it a secret. We have to keep it a secret from you too, otherwise young people are loose-lipped and like to show off. If they let it slip while bragging, it'll all be over." Chu Ge was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I know, only pride. Where's Dad?"
"Your dad is abroad." Seemingly concerned about the high level of secrecy, Wu Xiuyun didn't want to elaborate, quickly changing the subject: "Zhong Yi is indeed a capable person, but don't trust him too much just because Mom introduced him."
"Uh? How so?"
"He's kind of… well, in ancient terms, a kind of hermit, someone who has connections in both the legitimate and underworld." "He's quite open, his social circle is rather mixed. Being an 'outsider' gives him a convenience, but for us, it's also a way to keep him in check."
"But you still revealed our relationship to him?"
"I did it on purpose. First, to test him, and second, because our consideration for you has changed a bit, since you have superpowers now, we want you to train. Of course, he's different from an enemy. Even if he knows your identity and what he wants to do, the methods he'll use aren't like an enemy's. It's fine for you to interact with him normally, just don't be so loyal and open-hearted with everyone." Chu Ge nodded silently. He had previously felt that his parents' views on him might have changed, and they were trying to let him into the world of superpowers, but perhaps because his parents were worried, they had only been pushing him along.
The matter of contacting Zhong Yi was already a case in point.
And then there was that grain of sea sand.
"That sea sand…"
"The spiritual world is ethereal and intangible, generally imperceptible to most. This sea sand helps to clarify perception. It's extremely valuable for newly awakened abilities to familiarize themselves with and develop their powers in the early stages. As soon as I learned the Wang family possessed this stuff, I thought about giving it to you. To be honest, after all these years, it wouldn't be difficult for your mother to steal it back for you, but our family doesn't do that, and frankly, it's unnecessary."
Chu Ge said, "It really isn't necessary. Since it's only for initial introductory assistance, once I can perceive things on my own without assistance after using it for a while, I won't need it anymore."
Wu Xiuyun nodded in satisfaction. This kid isn't a complete idiot.
The problem is, since you're not an idiot, and others can use this sea sand for about a month, why are you extending it by a month?
As if sensing his mother's disdainful gaze, Chu Ge stammered, "I didn't use it much before."
"Such an important thing is on you, and you're researching it day and night. What have you been doing?"
"Dating… dating."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Qiu Wuji covered his face.
This kid's no idiot. Others might study it day and night for a month and it would be enough, but this kid hasn't even used it three times? And that's already more than enough…
Wu Xiuyun gritted her teeth: "Where's the thing? I can't sense where it is. Did you lose it?"
Qiu Wuji finally spoke: "I concealed it…"
Wu Xiuyun was very surprised.
Things involving the mind are very difficult to conceal materially, so the Wang family getting it was like a firefly in the dark—impossible to hide.
Her daughter-in-law could actually conceal it…
A thought flickered in her mind, but she didn't press for details about how she concealed it. Actually, there were quite a few people in the bureau who could do this, nothing more than special mental abilities, but this daughter-in-law seemed increasingly unfathomable. What exactly was her ability?
"Forget it... it's better to give young people some secrets. Asking too many questions will only worsen the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship..." Wu Xiuyun put aside her serious thoughts and lazily stretched. "Alright, you can use the sea sand for now, we'll talk about it when you don't need it anymore. It's late, is it alright for Mom to stay here tonight? I see you have two rooms..." Chu Geqiu's eyes widened simultaneously.
He saw Wu Xiuyun stroll over to the door of the second bedroom and glance inside, her eyes widening as well: "You...you don't sleep together?"
Is there something wrong with this young couple's relationship?
They lived together before marriage, weren't they inseparable? You're already sleeping in separate rooms?
How are you going to live together in the future?
Wu Xiuyun looked at the young couple on the sofa with a hostile expression. The two looked at each other, sweating profusely.