Chapter Thirteen: Still Have to Wash My Wife’s Feet Tonight
Xiao Nan gazed at Gu Junwu’s staggering figure as he left downstairs, his eyes deep and inscrutable.
What a formidable mental attack.
If it weren’t for the divine nature he’d received through his bloodline and the activation of the birthmark space, today he might have suffered a serious setback—perhaps unable to hold out until rescue arrived.
Pondering quietly over the causes and consequences, Xiao Nan felt a flicker of worry. The divine nature had fallen into his hands; the City Guard Office and the Special Affairs Division might only suspect, not yet certain, but this matter would not remain hidden for long.
Once all other possibilities were eliminated, sooner or later, their suspicions would fall squarely on him.
He recalled the white net of light that appeared when the monster in the villa was slain, and certain suspicions took root in his heart.
A newcomer faced with peril at every turn before even grasping the situation—such luck was truly rare.
...
Though the fragments of memory weren’t entirely clear, Xiao Nan was not unfamiliar with the seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl before him.
They’d hardly interacted, yet from deep within, his body responded with a faint timidity...
Why should he be afraid?
Xiao Nan felt a little embarrassed...
The reason was nothing else; from memory, he knew that this strong-willed, almost queenly girl was, in fact, his fiancée.
Why must you be so outstanding?
A pretty face—could that really be so irresistible?
Xiao Nan felt a bit discouraged, perhaps because, in his past life, he’d been burly and rugged, never attracting a woman’s affection and carrying a faint resentment because of it.
He’d found it strange that his escape from the chamber, which was neither particularly glorious nor impressive, had so unsettled Zhang Xiaorou simply because of some physical contact.
Now, this young lady of the Qin family, though her demeanor was cool and reserved, her words were not without concern; clearly, she harbored some affection for him.
Yet, the original owner of this body was neither literate nor skilled in martial arts—a good-for-nothing. What made him worthy of anyone’s regard?
Only his face, it seemed.
Glancing at the mirror in the corner, Xiao Nan pondered thus.
...
He returned home at midday.
Sunlight poured down, refracted through the upper electromagnetic layer, casting faint, iridescent hues across the sky.
Unable to help himself, Xiao Nan looked up several more times, sighing inwardly.
“So this is the sky after the space experiment? Compared to the blue sky and white clouds of old, it has its own unique charm.”
The small yard before him was warm and familiar. Entering through the gate, the first thing he saw was a large patch of seedlings to one side.
He knew this was the family’s medicinal field. Previously, two aunts had been hired to tend and care for it, but now his mother, Tan Qiuyi, managed it all on her own.
The Xiao family’s living expenses, as well as the tuition for Xiao Nan and his younger sister Xiao Bei, all depended on this half-acre of medicinal herbs.
Xiao Nan’s mother had studied a variety of things in her youth, including pharmaceutical crafts. After tending these seedlings, she would personally harvest and process them, making basic medicinal pills—Body Strengthening, Blood Nourishing, Mind Clearing—to sell.
The Xiao family ran a small pharmacy not far away, a modest shop with a single clerk, specializing in the sale of low-end pills.
Business wasn’t particularly good or bad, just enough to keep them afloat.
For more than a decade, Tan Qiuyi had shouldered both the responsibility of the family and the shop. The years of hard work had made her appear older, crow’s feet now etched at the corners of her eyes.
Ever since Xiao Nan’s father, Xiao Zhenjiang, had joined the vanguard army to conquer other worlds and never returned, the family’s life had become frugal. There were no disasters, but neither were there any surprises.
...
“Hand it over.”
As soon as he stepped into the yard, Tan Qiuyi’s gentle smile vanished, her face stern. “Don’t bother hiding it, I saw everything.”
“What?” Xiao Nan was a little perplexed.
“That wooden box.”
“Oh.”
Truth be told, he had yet to fully sort out the memories and emotions of this body. The most deeply ingrained things, however, he’d inherited perfectly—no one could see through his act.
As for certain details, he was completely at a loss.
Though he recognized people, the relationships and social exchanges between them were only half-understood.
Take, for example, the “mother” and “sister” before him—just seeing them filled him with warmth, a sense of comfort and intimacy.
As for the fiancée Qin Shuang, whom he’d just seen at the hospital, she made him instinctively timid and self-conscious, even though she seemed a good person.
These weren’t his own emotions, but Xiao Nan did not reject them...
He didn’t know whether what he’d experienced counted as transmigration and usurpation or reincarnation.
Since this was now his identity, whether for soul-body unity, to settle old grievances, or to accept the body’s karma, he had to follow the established path.
A mother was still a mother, a sister still a sister!
As for whether the fiancée would remain a fiancée—that was another matter.
He thought well of Qin Shuang because she’d brought him home and, before leaving, had secretly slipped a box into his coat pocket.
She’d even cautioned him not to let his mother know and to diligently practice the Moon Visualization Technique.
With his mother and sister present at the time, she hadn’t said much.
There were things hidden in her gaze...
Xiao Nan, lost in a fog, couldn’t understand but did not dwell on it.
There would be time; anything unclear could be learned in due course.
For now, his only task was to play the role of the perfect pretty boy, Xiao Nan.
It was best not to arouse suspicion.
...
Tan Qiuyi accepted the sandalwood box, her eyes tinged with exasperation.
“Xiao Nan, didn’t I tell you not to accept things from others? Do you know what’s inside?
“It’s all right to owe anything in life, but human kindness is the hardest debt to repay.”
She opened the box. Inside were three neat, square blocks exuding an unusual fragrance.
Just a whiff lifted her spirits, clearing her mind.
She sighed. Seeing Xiao Nan’s bewildered face, she softened a little.
“I know you want to break through the mental visualization technique as soon as possible, so you can accelerate your cultivation of the Divine Will Body-Refining Method and make your father proud. But this Soul-Nurturing Incense is not something you should accept.”
“Yes, that’s right, Xiao Nan! If you take Sister Qin Shuang’s incense, you’ll have to marry into her family and become a live-in son-in-law,” chimed in a round-faced, porcelain-doll-like girl of thirteen or fourteen—his sister, Xiao Bei.
As she spoke, she sneaked glances at Xiao Nan, her eyes alight with excitement and curiosity. “A live-in son-in-law has no status, no dignity, and at night, he has to wash his wife’s feet.”
“Who told you that?”
The serious mood was broken by her words, and Xiao Nan looked embarrassed.
What was the big deal about accepting a small gift from his future wife? Why were his mother and sister making such a fuss?
Both of them were blowing things wildly out of proportion.
Perhaps the original Xiao Nan wasn’t simply timid and cowardly—his emotional intelligence might have been rather low, making his family worry constantly.
“I saw it on TV! Look, our family is poor, and the Qin family is rich. Plus, Sister Qin Shuang is much stronger than you. You can’t beat her, so you’ll have no status.”
The little girl spoke with conviction.
“Don’t talk nonsense about your brother,” Tan Qiuyi scolded Xiao Bei, putting a stop to her wild talk.
She drew Xiao Nan over, brushing dust from his shoulder, then said helplessly, “Your sister may exaggerate, but she’s not entirely wrong.
“The Qin family is powerful; everyone there has their own ideas. Su Yuqing and Qin Shuang might not intend to break off the engagement, but for the sake of the family, they would never let Qin Shuang marry into our home...
“Ah, what a wonderful girl! It’s a pity she’s not right for you... If only Zhenjiang were still here.”
Her eyes turned distant, clearly recalling old memories.
She tilted her head, discreetly wiped her eyes, and said in a muffled voice, “Anyway, I’ll return these three blocks of Soul-Nurturing Incense... As for the secret medicine for spiritual cultivation, I’ll find another way.”
With that, she didn’t wait for Xiao Nan to answer but strode straight out of the courtyard, box in hand.