Chapter 90: Shrinking Down to a Chubby Baby

“Look at this lamp, Mom! Just like Chief Luke said, it really looks like a bug that only knows how to glow.”

“It really is bright!” Meifang looked up at the lamp hanging from the ceiling, grinning from ear to ear.

“Daughter-in-law, quick, come look! There’s actually water—clean water!” Kuke rushed into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and watched as clear water gushed out.

Having grown used to black, filthy water, Kuke was so excited his face turned red, and he could barely get the words out.

With a bang, Meifang and Hawei dropped what they were holding and hurried into the kitchen.

“It’s true! It really is clean water!”

Meifang’s eyes went wide with excitement. She scooped up a handful and brought it straight to her mouth.

“Mom!”

“Wife!”

That’s untreated water—how could she just drink it like that? The father and son anxiously tried to stop her, reaching out to grab her hand.

But Meifang was faster. She’d already taken a sip. The cool, pure water flowed into her mouth, with a hint of sweetness—it tasted so good she couldn’t help but smile.

Shaking off their hands, she beamed. “Don’t stop me! This water is truly clean, not a single impurity. It’s even purer than the top-grade bottled water we’ve seen before. And we can use as much as we want! Oh my, we’ve really struck it rich this time!”

Just the water alone was worth more than a hundred energy coins—no way you could buy it. If they sold it, the people in the northern district would go crazy for it.

As for the big cities beyond the northern district, they’d never been there, but water of this quality probably didn’t exist there either.

Too bad the three of them didn’t have the means to transport and sell it.

The three of them instantly felt like they’d missed out on a fortune!

“What? You’re planning to form a caravan and start trading?”

Elsewhere, in Mo Xie’s little cabin, Wu Xingyu and the others were eating together. As soon as Wu Xingyu brought it up, Pei Yu’s peach blossom eyes widened with excitement.

“Yeah.” Wu Xingyu, face expressionless, calmly snatched the last piece of roast chicken from Pei Yu’s plate.

Pei Yu didn’t mind—he was already full. He was much more interested in the idea of trading.

“Take me with you! If nothing else, I’m very familiar with the major cities on Exile Star. I can show you the way, and you can give me a cut of the profits. I’ve got some things I want to sell too.”

Having already been tricked by his claims of being familiar with Earth Village—only to find out he knew nothing—Yuan An and Yun He just looked at him speechlessly.

Clearly, they didn’t believe a word.

Pei Yu was indignant. “What’s with those looks? You don’t trust me?”

Yun He and Yuan An awkwardly tugged at their lips, not wanting to say anything about their “elder.”

But Wu Xingyu had no such qualms. He raised an eyebrow and shot Pei Yu a glance, his words as sharp as ever. “You really don’t know why we doubt you?”

Pei Yu instantly bristled. “Hey, brat, I’m your uncle! Is that any way to talk to your uncle? You can question my taste, my fashion sense, but never my knowledge of Exile Star! Back when we had to save Molan City, I went undercover in Mercenary City and Chaos City. Even my cousin got found out, but not me! I mapped out all the factions in their cities.”

Wu Xingyu’s dark eyes flicked over again. Pei Yu puffed out his chest, expecting praise, but instead—

“The Molan Legion is famous for being upright and strict. It’s just that your taste is so awful and your personality so warped that you didn’t fit in at all. That’s why no one realized you were a spy, you idiot. So don’t get cocky.”

“That’s it, I’m fighting you!”

Unable to take the verbal abuse, Pei Yu threw down his chopsticks and lunged at him.

Wu Xingyu looked up, his thick, black lashes framing his deep, dark eyes.

Yun He’s heart skipped a beat. Uh-oh.

Wu Xingyu raised his hand and pressed his five fingers to Pei Yu’s forehead.

Ability activated.

Time on Pei Yu’s body began to rewind. His arms shrank, his long legs shortened, and the signs of age faded from his face right before their eyes.

With a thud, the six-foot-tall Pei Yu shrank into a chubby, three-heads-tall baby, and tumbled to the floor, swallowed up by his oversized clothes.

Everyone was stunned.

Yuan An and Yun He covered their faces—they knew it. Third Brother loved using this trick to mess with people.

Mo Xie’s pupils contracted in surprise, but remembering the special abilities of Wu Xingyu’s clan, he understood.

But the most shocked of all was Pei Yu, who found his head trapped in his own clothes. He huffed and puffed his way out of the pile, only to see Wu Xingyu sitting in a chair, looking down at him from above.

His chubby face was full of shock. He looked down at his now pudgy little hands, no longer slender.

He burst into tears. “You brat, what did you do to me?”

Wu Xingyu lowered his eyes, watching the white, chubby baby stomp and curse at him. A flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his beautiful lips curled up.

He reached out a finger and poked Pei Yu’s little head, mocking, “Now you’re the brat.”

Pei Yu, with his short arms and legs, couldn’t reach him. Overwhelmed by the injustice, he let out a real wail.

Big, fat tears rolled down from his pretty, almond-shaped eyes.

Now that he was a kid, his tear ducts were more sensitive—he didn’t even have to try, and the tears just kept coming.

“Whose kid is crying so loud?”

“What happened? Someone go pick a danmu fruit from the village entrance to cheer him up, or he’ll cry himself hoarse.”

Outside, the villagers’ concerned voices drifted in.

Mo Xie looked over to see Wu Xingyu, a smile playing at his lips, poking the baby Pei Yu like he was a roly-poly toy.

Pei Yu wailed, grabbing at Wu Xingyu’s hand with his chubby little fists, but couldn’t catch anything.

Mo Xie rubbed his forehead helplessly. “How long does your ability last?”

Wu Xingyu, in a good mood, raised an eyebrow. “If I don’t keep using it, three minutes.”

Pei Yu, in the middle of their finger-grabbing game, suddenly brightened.

He stopped crying, stopped playing, and with a little grunt, gathered up his scattered clothes and dashed into the bedroom.

Three minutes later, he was back to normal.

He hurriedly put his clothes on, then peeked out the bedroom door, sneaking a look at Wu Xingyu. A green vine shot toward Wu Xingyu with a swish.

Wu Xingyu’s ears twitched, and he smirked, “Pei the Chub is just as childish as ever.”

Main Brain: Hmm, time to start charging for water and electricity.

Goodnight, goodnight~"