Chapter 161: Afraid My Delicate Husband Would Worry

Chaos City is only half a day’s ride from Earth Village on a flying horse. Making a round trip to pick up some goods doesn’t take much time at all.

After sending a message to Earth Village, Yun Qimu didn’t rush out to set up her stall or do business these past two days. Instead, she squatted comfortably in the courtyard house allocated to them by Longteng, making hotpot and grilling meat and vegetables every day, living the life of a happy, carefree slacker.

Aside from the fruits and vegetables they sold, they kept two baskets for themselves. After all, the whole point of earning money is to enjoy life—if they sold even the produce meant for their own enjoyment, wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?

So, during these few days of Yun Qimu and her friends’ lazy lifestyle, delicious aromas wafted daily from a certain courtyard on the east side of the Longteng base, making everyone’s mouths water and eyes go green with envy.

As a result, more and more people passed by the little courtyard each day.

Sometimes, Yun Qimu and her group would take the “extra” grilled meat outside and share it with the drooling kids waiting eagerly at the gate, feeding them so well that the children almost wanted to call her “Mom.”

A few particularly mischievous ones even shamelessly tried to act cute and beg to be adopted, asking to recognize her as their mother—only to be chased two miles away by their real parents wielding big wooden sticks.

The scene of the kids howling and clutching their butts had everyone at the base in stitches, filling the place with laughter. When Zhong Teng, dusty and travel-worn, returned with people from Molan City and his own subordinates, he stopped at the gate, momentarily stunned by the lively scene.

The group from Longteng paused in confusion, scratching their heads in puzzlement. What on earth had happened? Why was the base even livelier than when they left? That shouldn’t be the case, should it?

“Hey, Xiaotao, where are you off to?” A tall, striking woman with tanned skin—almost as tall as Zhong Teng—caught a boy running past her like a little colt.

Xiaotao was a ten-year-old boy, the most lively and mischievous kid at the base. Ever since he’d tasted Yun Qimu’s grilled meat, he’d been utterly captivated by its flavor.

Now, he’d willingly become Yun Qimu’s little errand boy, running messages and errands for her all over the base at lightning speed, like a gust of wind.

Anyone who’d seen him run thought he had great potential—he might well awaken a speed ability in the future.

Xiaotao kicked his legs, pouted, and looked up at her with bright, innocent eyes. “Aunt Yinghua, you’re back!”

Then he craned his neck and shouted excitedly inside, “Mr. Kuihai, your wife’s back—!”

His voice was so loud it seemed he might have awakened a “megaphone” ability—half the base heard him.

From behind a broken wall, a familiar head popped out, revealing a handsome, delighted face. “Yinghua, you’re back!”

Kuihai hastily threw on a jacket and dashed over, grinning from ear to ear.

The athletic woman smiled, set Xiaotao down, and opened her arms wide. In the next moment, she and the disheveled Kuihai hugged each other tightly.

The couple’s faces were radiant with joy. After a fierce thirty-second hug, they reluctantly let go.

Kuihai’s gentle lips couldn’t hide his smile. He completely dropped his usual calm, wise demeanor, grinning foolishly as he held his wife’s hand and looked her over, finally relaxing when he saw she was unhurt.

“How did the trip to Molan City go? Why are you two days later than planned?”

Yinghua flashed a bold smile. “We ran into a few little problems on the way, but we handled them.”

Kuihai narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his usually gentle gaze. He sighed, “You always tell me the good news and leave out the bad. ‘Little problems’ delayed you two days?”

He looked past her at the people behind, his eyes sweeping over Zhong Teng’s handsome, gossip-loving face, then over several shifty, evasive faces, finally settling on a confused young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

“Yu Daming, you tell me—what trouble did you run into on the road?”

Yu Daming owed Kuihai his life and respected him deeply—his loyalty to Kuihai even surpassed that to Zhong Teng, the head of Longteng.

At Kuihai’s question, he straightened up and answered seriously, “Reporting, Mr. Kuihai! On the way, we were ambushed by berserk beast packs eight times, attacked by assassins three times, and almost got caught up in two chaotic battles.”

Kuihai immediately looked at Yinghua, his gaze meaningful: See? These are your ‘little problems’?

Yinghua smiled sheepishly—she just didn’t want her delicate husband to worry.

In public, Kuihai gave his wife plenty of face. He shot her a “we’ll settle this tonight” look, then let the matter drop with a smile.

Yinghua grinned, then changed the subject. “So, what’s been happening at the base while we were gone? Why is it so lively?”

“Oh, it’s because Miss Yun and her group have been living here, grilling meat and making hotpot every day, luring out all the foodies.” Kuihai laughed.

“Hm? Miss Yun?” Zhong Teng looked over in surprise. “Didn’t you say, Mr. Kuihai, that no outsiders were allowed to stay in the base? Not even for ten thousand energy coins? Did this Miss Yun pay more than ten thousand?”

“Uh, no, she didn’t.”

“Then why?” Yu Daming and the returning Longteng members, as well as a few from Molan City, all looked over curiously.

This time, the Molan City group was led by Huan Linyuan, Lin Zhengyang’s protégé. As for Lin Zhengyang himself—the “old stick-in-the-mud” Pei Yu had mentioned—he stayed behind to oversee Molan City.

Kuihai didn’t keep them guessing. He smiled at Zhong Teng. “Because she saved Xiao Qiu’s life, and she’s also connected to Molan City.”

Huan Linyuan looked surprised. “We don’t know any Miss Yun, do we?”

Beside him, the black-clad, tough-looking Kun Sang scowled. “Hmph, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can claim ties to Molan City. Don’t go mistaking someone and treating an impostor as a guest of honor, only to come asking us for explanations later.”

Kuihai’s smile faded at Kun Sang’s sharp words.

Huan Linyuan’s own smile slipped, and he looked at Kun Sang with a headache. But since Kun Sang was the cousin of his respected superior Lin Zhengyang, he held back from scolding him, only moving his lips as if to advise him—when Ming Xiao, supported by his protective brother Ming Mu, spoke up first.

Ming Xiao, pale and thin, looked over with a calm expression and slightly furrowed brows. “Kun Sang, don’t jump to conclusions before you know the facts. Mr. Kuihai isn’t someone who’s easily fooled.”

Kun Sang glared, about to retort, but Huan Linyuan quickly held him back.

Huan Linyuan stepped forward with a smile, smoothing things over. “Yes, yes, Kun Sang, listen to Ming Xiao. We can’t let one bad experience make us paranoid forever.”"