In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

At least he has always treated himself well, even very well.

"...Do you also think it's my problem?"

Xu Shi interrupted her, his tone questioning but not in an authoritative way; rather, it conveyed a sense of helplessness.

"This……"

This left Xia Xiaomao at a loss for words. If she had to say, her heart was definitely with Xu Shi, but was this Xie Qingyan's fault? It didn't seem like it was entirely.

No matter how I answered her, she felt it was inappropriate.

"never mind."

Xu Shi didn't dwell on it too much, waved his hand wearily, and asked, "Where were we?"

"Speaking of...some plans targeting the Vatican?"

Xia Wuyou didn't forget the main business because of this accident. "We just talked about creating an opening for the Holy See to catch us?"

"Right... let's leave it at that for now."

Xu Shi nodded, but he also seemed to have no energy to think about these things. "We'll talk about this after this is over. Don't tell anyone about my relationship with Qingyan."

"Uh-huh."

Xia Xiaomao nodded sensibly.

then.

After separating from Xu Shi, she immediately found Xia Ke'an and shared the matter with her.

That makes sense. Others can be considered outsiders, but how can your own aunt be considered an outsider?

She really did feel an urge to get it off her chest; keeping it bottled up inside would make her miserable.

"Huh? They've made such a big fuss?"

The older woman, who was resting in bed like an adult, couldn't help but sit up upon hearing this. "How could Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan be... tsk."

She was actually more surprised than her niece, since Xia Wuyou hadn't accompanied them this time, but she had stayed by Xu Shi's side the whole time. However, she had been so focused on enjoying the love between father and daughter that she hadn't paid much attention to anything else.

But thinking about it carefully, there are still some clues? But there's no use in talking about it now, as turning back time is not their ability, and they can't change anything right now.

"What was this guy thinking?"

However, the white-haired older woman still had a bit to complain, "Does he think he's gotten so used to his abilities that he can use one trick to defeat everyone?"

That's true. After all, such things rarely happen in Xu Shi's place. One of the reasons is that many girls have been "spermed" by him, while normal people are the minority, like Su Lin and Xie Qingyan.

But the former... I feel she's even worse than the one who planted the seed. If I really had the heart to slap her left cheek, she might have turned her right cheek on me too.

Who? Tang Shuang? Sorry, I'm really not familiar with her.

"Let's leave it at that for now. Actually, Xu Shi wasn't wrong. Now that the two of them are at such a stalemate, anything you say will only add fuel to the fire."

She shook her head and sighed. It wouldn't be too late to clear up the misunderstanding once Xie Qingyan's complications were completely suppressed.

“Okay, Auntie is right.”

Xia Wuyou agreed, but she also had other concerns, "After saying so much, it seems like you are the same way?"

The aunt and niece are no longer concerned about whether or not they should be planted with seeds, but there are still differences.

"Me? You don't need to worry about me."

Xia Ke'an pondered for a moment, then winked playfully, "I'm hopelessly in love."

We've definitely been overdoing it lately. The previous rectification efforts were quite a headache... The data has dropped significantly, and we're already thinking about what to do next, like a new book?

Also, a reminder to everyone to keep warm in autumn. It rained last night and I was still using a thin blanket, but now I'm freezing...

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 282 Do you want to do something else?

2023-10-04

First, let me clarify something. When I mentioned considering a new book yesterday, I didn't mean this one was going to be abandoned or anything... Regardless of the current data, this book will definitely be completed. Starting a new book is something I've had planned for a long time. It's not a sudden idea that came to me because the sales started to drop; I've been considering it for at least half a month...

……

Well known.

The Cold War was absolutely not the solution, and never will be.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan, within just a few days, it became quite obvious to everyone that a rift had appeared in their relationship.

"How could it have turned out like this..."

In his spare time, even a good kid like Pan Feng, who doesn't really like gossip, couldn't help but complain to his sister, "If I had known I would see this on the island, I would have preferred to stay here..."

After all, for her now, whether on Silver Pine Island or anywhere else, there is room for her to show her skills. When she was on Silver Pine Island, she stayed by Xia Wuyou's side and learned a lot about martial arts and new things from Night Sin City.

Overall, she may not be as good as Pan Ling, but it's not an exaggeration to say that she can stand on her own.

Originally, Xia Wuyou wanted her to stay on the island and do things independently, but Pan Feng actually wanted to see her master's impressive skills, so she shamelessly begged her master to bring her along. She could shine just as brightly here.

She still vividly remembers how Xu Shi made a great impression on the royal family back then.

As for the result... it's not that I didn't see what I wanted to see. Of course, I had to contribute to the Cat Cult as a member. And that's where I could feel Xu Shi's charm the most. Only a short time has passed, and my master has actually created an organization that can rival the Holy See. Could anyone else have done that?

But it would be even better if there weren't those trivial household chores... Well, in the eyes of the easygoing Xiaofeng, marital quarrels are really nothing.

"Sister, think about it carefully. Parents used to argue, but they would never argue like Master and Master Xie..."

Although she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she had her own perspective: "I always felt that as long as my father gave in, everything would be fine."

It's definitely not like it is now. At first glance, it seems like nothing has happened, but in reality, the atmosphere between them has become somewhat subtle, and everyone can feel that inexplicable sense of oppression.

Do you think your master is the type to back down?

Pan Ling thought her sister was adorably silly and shook her head helplessly.

Most importantly, it's not Xie Shiniang's fault either. If two people who are unwilling to give in get together, it's very likely that they will quarrel over some trivial matters. Neither of them will be willing to back down, and in her opinion, it will definitely be a stalemate for quite some time.

The apprentice could sense that everyone else around him was about to have a better time. He knew his master was in a bad mood and had been pushing many things onto him. Clearly, his master was either not focused or worried about making mistakes in the chaos, so he was trying to avoid such a possibility from the outset.

He doesn't seem to be having any more intimate moments with his other teachers' wives... I don't know if he doesn't have the inclination, or if he's silently expressing his compromise with Xie Qingyan in this way.

If Pan Ling were to speak for herself, she would certainly prefer the latter. It would be better for everyone if you ended the cold war sooner, but this alone is not enough. You could at least say something, right? Maybe if you said something, everything would be fine... Silence is not always a good thing.

"You're right..."

Pan Feng wholeheartedly agreed, but still urged, "Why don't you go and try to persuade him? You're his apprentice, so he'll listen to you at least a little?"

"...Shall I give it a try?"

Xiaoling's answer was ambiguous.

The truth is, she didn't want to be a peacemaker at all. Even if she were to try to persuade her, it wouldn't be at this critical moment. She already knew her bad master's wicked nature very well. At this time, it was probably no use for anyone to speak. Not to mention, even if she tried to persuade him, it wouldn't be her turn. There were so many mistresses around... Even her junior sister had more influence than her.

She was well aware that others had probably already tried to persuade their master, but to no avail... If it were her, it was hard to say whether Xu Shi would listen to her or not; he would likely vent his anger on her.

It's better to wait and see, let time settle things, and then we can discuss different approaches later.

As for now, the most important thing is...

"Speaking of which, it's our shift today. Shall we get ready and head to church?"

She stood up and stretched.

As one of the founders of the Cat Cult, Pan Ling, this "little priestess," now enjoys considerable popularity and prestige, and the cult often cannot do without her.

Now that her older sister has arrived, she prefers to be with her. One is in charge of clerical work and the other is in charge of security. Working together as sisters makes the work easier.

"Okay."

Pan Feng nodded, and jokingly gestured above her head, "Meow meow meow meow?"

"Meow meow meow."

……

It wasn't just those close to Xu Shi who noticed the relationship between him and Xie Qingyan; Dongfang Xiao, far away in the palace, also sensed it.

Despite their arguments, the illness still needed treatment, and Xu Shi never missed a chance to do so, frequently bringing Xie Qingyan to the palace for treatment.

However, in the eyes of the little queen, this was more like a routine, and the atmosphere was completely different from before. In the past, the two would bicker or quarrel, but now they didn't say a word from beginning to end. It would be strange if you couldn't see that something was wrong.

"...Alright, Sister Xie."

After finishing her treatment for the day, she couldn't help but ask a few more questions, "Have you been going through something lately? You seem to be in a bad mood."

"It doesn't matter."

Xie Qingyan smiled at her and shook her head to indicate that she didn't need to worry.

"There are still some."

Dongfang Xiao said seriously, "As I said before, while my abilities are useful for this kind of mental erosion, it's even more important to have a good mindset. Otherwise, it will not only slow down the treatment process, but in severe cases, it may even have the opposite effect..."

That makes perfect sense. The sea god's corruption is not to be underestimated. An unstable mindset makes it easy for the sea god to take advantage of one's weakness. If it's mild, it's fine, but if it's severe, let alone her, no one could save her.

These words were mostly directed at Xu Shi; it's obvious they've had a fight, right? That Xu Shi, really, everyone knows you're a bad seed, but there's a time and place for doing bad things…

Of course, her concern for Xie Qingyan was genuine. Compared to others, she had always had a very good impression of him, and naturally she didn't want to see him in so much pain.

"Know it."

Xie Qingyan patted her hand gently, her tone tender yet slightly sarcastic, "Of course I know these things... but some people don't."

These words were, of course, also meant for Xu Shi's ears. As she spoke, she became increasingly annoyed—think back to how much effort she put into saving little Xia Ke'an back then? Why weren't you the same as you are now?

The disappointment on her face showed that there is no harm without comparison.

"...Speaking of which, how was the renovation of the palace that we asked Chengcheng to help you with?"

Xu Shi seemed not to hear, and asked about other things on his own.

He certainly wouldn't break his promise to the little empress. Jiang Chengcheng had been visiting the palace quite often these past few days. On the other hand, she hadn't been involved much in the Cat Cult's affairs. Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise.

"Hmm...it's still pretty good."

Dongfang Xiao hadn't expected him to completely ignore this, but he could only honestly reply, "The power system has already been implemented throughout the palace, replacing most of the 'Divine Breath' devices. The weapons you brought have also been put into use. Now, a new department has been established within the Royal Knights, selecting young knights to specialize in these areas."

In fact, only a few weeks had passed, but as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. With the experience of Silver Pine Island, the second pilot project, the Imperial Palace, was naturally handled more smoothly. In terms of scale, this place was not as large as Silver Pine Island... not to mention that this place was more like a simple pilot project, and there was no need for large-scale construction like on Silver Pine Island.