Chapter 478: Chapter 477: Going Home

After three days and two transfers, Shao Zifeng finally entered the territory of Dragon City county.

Inside the passenger bus, the few passengers either played with their cellphones or leaned against the window fast asleep, while a small TV hanging above the driver’s seat broadcasted the news.

“According to our station, situations of unlawful attacks have recently occurred in Anqiu city in the Central Plains region and Danjiang city in the Jiangnan region, marking the third such attack this week following one in Bin City in the Liaodong region. The Yundu Alien Management Bureau reminds all citizens not to act on their own upon seeing suspicious persons and to report to the local Abnormal Administration Bureau immediately…”

Hearing this news broadcast, Shao Zifeng glanced at it and then paid it no more attention.

The newscast showed two cities, each with a building damaged, and the signs of battle hadn’t even reached the streets.

In fact, attacks of this magnitude are common nationwide, with most attackers being from underground forces vying for power, not even qualifying for coverage by mainstream media. The reason this local Yundu news reported it was mainly because the three regions were adjacent to each other.

Tss–

The pneumatic bus door slowly opened, and the driver loudly called out in the local dialect, “West City in Dragon City county is here, if you’re getting off, hurry up–”

Shao Zifeng, carrying his luggage, stepped off the bus, looking across the road at his family’s small courtyard with some excitement. It had been nearly a year since his last visit home.

The modest, old buildings of West City’s suburbs, connected one after another, with bundles of wires hanging from the power poles, resembled heavy clumps of yarn. In his memory, it seemed like nothing had changed around here since he was a child.

Being close to noon, the residents of West City were either at work or at school, leaving the area unusually quiet.

Standing in front of his family’s small courtyard’s iron gate, Shao Zifeng was just about to knock when he put down his hand, thinking for a moment before drawing open two slowly emerging Space Rifts with a gesture.

A small deer was the first to jump out from them, shaking its ears and looking around, a trace of joy in its eyes.

Clearly, it remembered this place was Shao Zifeng’s home.

“Yo~”

The little dear proactively extended a vine to take over Shao Zifeng’s luggage, and on the other side, the entrance animation of a certain melodramatic young girl finally finished playing out.

She held the glamorous Starlight scepter in her right hand, slowly opened her eyes that held galaxies within them.

“I wish to be the sharp sword in the hand of my Duke, to sweep away… Eh, eh?”

Lingling blinked her big, watery eyes a few times, looked here and there, and then frowned, “Duke, Lingling feels so familiar with this place, have we conquered it before, duck~”

Thump!

“Conquer what,” Shao Zifeng tapped Lingling’s little head with his hand: “This is my home, have you forgotten?”

Lingling, who had been clutching her head feeling wronged, instantly became solemn upon hearing this, waving her little hand and causing the gorgeous Starlight scepter to disappear.

Then Lingling, pinching the skirt at both sides with her little hands, bowed slightly with a cold expression as if to greet, “Lingling pays respect to the senior lady.”

Shao Zifeng: …

Qiuqiu: …

Blinking her eyes, Lingling inquired, “Duke, do you think this courtesy works, won’t the senior lady blame Lingling~”

“Senior lady, my foot, call her ‘mom’ just like I do…”

“Hmm, maybe ‘grandma’ is better, but that’s also not right, suddenly having such a big granddaughter is hard to accept.”

“Forget it, stick with ‘mom’.”

“Mhmm,” Lingling nodded quickly, “as the Duke says~”

Seeing this, Qiuqiu’s eyes curved into crescents; it extended a vine to gently knock at the door.

“Who’s there~”

Shao’s mother’s familiar voice came from the yard; both the three-year-old Shao and two-year-old Ling became stiff, suddenly very serious.

Creak–

The rusty iron door opened, and Shao’s mother stuck her head out.

“Mama~”

Lingling flung her arms wide and hurled herself forward, tightly embracing Shao’s mother’s neck.

The crisp sound of a young girl’s voice echoed in her heart. Shao’s mother hadn’t yet reacted when she saw a green figure pouncing toward her, frightening her quite a bit even in broad daylight.

Shao’s mother stepped back warily, her voice trembling as she said, “Who are you?”

“I’m Lingling yo~” Lingling explained enthusiastically. “You used to hold me when I was little~”

When I was little…

Shao’s mother’s brain short-circuited as she struggled to recall who she had held other than Shao Zifeng.

“Lingling, stop it,” Shao Zifeng quickly scolded upon seeing this.

“Hmph!”

Lingling suddenly became unhappy; it hid behind Shao’s mother and poked out its little head. “Mama, the Duke is being mean to me, ying ying~”

Hiss.

Witnessing this scene, both Shao Zifeng and the little deer were stunned.

What the heck is ying ying?

Did Qiuqiu give you permission?

If Qiuqiu hears this, it’s bound to bash your dog’s head in.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Shao’s mother finally understood what had happened. She quickly turned to Shao Zifeng, her face displaying a surge of excitement that disappeared just as quickly. “Why have you suddenly come here instead of studying properly? Don’t you have classes to attend? You could have at least given us a heads-up, or even a phone call would do, you…”

Listening to this familiar nagging voice, Shao Zifeng scrutinized his mother intently.

Having not seen her in so long, Shao Yuying was still wearing the same clothes she hadn’t had the heart to replace for many years. Whether it was an illusion or not, it seemed there were more white hairs at her temples.

Shao Zifeng walked up to his mother, spread out his arms, and hugged her. “Mom.”

Shao Yuying’s heart quivered, swallowing the rest of her scolding words as her expression slowly softened. Yet she still stubbornly nagged, “You’re so grown up yet you still act like a child. Have I spoiled you too much? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Shao Zifeng remained silent, hugging her tightly.

“What happened, did you face hardships out there?” Shao Yuying hesitated a moment, then gently patted Shao Zifeng’s back as she spoke softly.

At the sound of her voice, Shao Yuying herself froze.

She couldn’t remember the last time she spoke in such a tone, or even the last time she had held him.

Since the incident with Zhou Zimin, the tough Shao Yuying always presented a hardened image to the world, and even at home, she took on the role of a strict mother with Shao Zifeng. This resulted in the sensitive, young Shao Zifeng being too scared to tell her when he was bullied.

The more this vicious cycle continued, the more estranged the mother and son became, eventually leading to Shao Zifeng developing a sensitive, suspicious, and somewhat indifferent character.

Upon retiring, Shao Yuying often reflected on her parenting, but having been dominant all her life, she either was unwilling or didn’t know how to back down.

If it weren’t for Qiuqiu and the others warming Shao Zifeng’s heart, he would have almost been ruined.

Indeed, crossing to another world was not the main factor in Shao Zifeng’s change–for in essence, they were the same person, raised in the same family, the same environment, and with the same character.

Even if Shao Zifeng, after his journey, had cheats and empathy, if the creature he had contracted with was not Qiuqiu but some other cold-blooded mutant creature, under the mutual influence of their personalities, he would have become much more dangerous.

“Mama…”

Seeing the two of them embracing, Lingling wanted to join in the fuss, but the little deer tied it up with vines before it could.

Struggling dissatisfied a few times, it turned its head away, huffing angrily.

Attracted by the noise, Qiqi and the Chasing Moon Dog sat at the front door, wagging their tails, quietly watching the scene.

(PS: Don’t scold anymore, don’t scold. These chapters aren’t filler, just transitioning a bit, we’ll get back to the plot soon.)