Chapter Thirty-Seven: Foolish!

Glancing at Xuanxuan, who was dozing in his arms, Mafei Lianhao tightened his embrace before joining his two elder brothers in the study.

“There’s quite a commotion here,” Mafei Lianchen teased lightly.

Mafei Lianjun merely let out a cold snort.

“They’re getting desperate,” Mafei Lianhao remarked. “And there will come a time when they’re even more frantic.”

“Haha, I like the sound of that. Let them stew in their anxiety, so much so that they’ll be driven to desperation,” Mafei Lianchen laughed.

“But why involve the Zhan family again?” Mafei Lianjun seemed more concerned about this point.

A faint gravity appeared on Mafei Lianhao’s face, and the smile on Mafei Lianchen’s lips dimmed a little. Teaming up with the Zhan family again would only drive their enemies to further madness. It was not a move in line with their usual style.

“It’s a long story,” Mafei Lianhao replied, his gaze complicated as he looked at his daughter. His worry still had not abated.

“Xuanxuan?”

He nodded. “I’m worried something might be wrong with Xuanxuan’s health, so I wanted to reach the Imperial Capital as soon as possible. As for the Zhan family, I’m simply worried something might happen along the way.”

“That’s not like you at all,” Mafei Lianchen said, thumping Lianhao’s shoulder.

Mafei Lianhao forced a bitter smile. “It’s not something I can control.”

He ruffled Xuanxuan’s hair. “For Xuanxuan, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”

Xuanxuan nuzzled against him. Really, having this father wasn’t bad at all. She didn’t mind not eating meat if it meant this.

“Other than a few minor issues, Xuanxuan’s health is fine,” Mafei Lianhao said as he sat her up straight and asked softly, “Are you asleep, Xuanxuan?”

Xuanxuan blinked her eyes to show she was awake. She was just bored, but she didn’t feel anything was wrong with her health. Why was her father worrying over nothing?

“Show me your abilities, Xuanxuan. I know you can do it,” Mafei Lianhao encouraged.

Xuanxuan glanced at the two uncles, then at her father. Though she wasn’t thrilled about it, she still flicked a small fireball onto Mafei Lianchen’s clothes.

Startled by the sudden flame, Mafei Lianchen quickly patted it out.

Xuanxuan shot him a look and wrinkled her nose, then tossed a water orb at him. Mafei Lianchen could only retreat, but right behind him sat Mafei Lianjun, who still remembered his brother’s earlier jibe.

He didn’t add insult to injury, but blocked Mafei Lianchen’s way, preventing him from dodging, so the water splashed all over him, drenching him completely.

Xuanxuan giggled. Her eldest uncle really was the best. She cast a Holy Light spell on Mafei Lianchen, and the brilliant flash left everyone present squinting. Hearing the wind, Mafei Lianchen quickly ducked his head, but as the light faded, he saw tufts of hair drifting down before his eyes.

He grabbed a strand and immediately reflected his image onto his smart device. Staring at the mirror, he saw his hair now looked as if it had been savaged by a dog. He almost burst into tears—he’d finally styled his hair perfectly, and now it was ruined.

He glanced at his niece, who was laughing with delight. Wasn’t that a bit too ruthless?

Meanwhile, Mafei Lianjun’s expression was grave. “Xuanxuan possesses fire, water, light, and wind abilities?”

Mafei Lianhao stroked Xuanxuan’s soft hair as she played, and smiled bitterly. “It’s more than just four. She also has metal, wood, earth, darkness, and space—altogether nine types!”

A sharp intake of breath came from both Mafei Lianchen and Mafei Lianjun. “Is that true?”

“Indeed. If it weren’t so, why would I contact Father again, and why would he send Zhan Yu from the Zhan family to meet us?” said Mafei Lianhao.

“But when Xuanxuan was born, she didn’t have so many abilities, right? Back then, she just had space, darkness, and one fire ability, like you,” Mafei Lianjun observed.

Mafei Lianhao nodded. “Eldest brother’s physical prowess is outstanding, and second brother, your mental strength has always been formidable. Why don’t you probe the room and see how many people are here?”

Mafei Lianchen raised an eyebrow. What did he mean? Was this a test? Did he want to see if he’d made progress these years?

His mental power had always been the strongest among the three, nearly at S-level. Scanning the room was a trivial matter. He frowned—though Lianhao’s mental strength had grown, he still hadn’t broken through to S-level. There was no need for another test.

“Three people. I sense nothing unusual.”

“Three?” Mafei Lianjun asked from the side. “Only three?”

Mafei Lianchen was even more puzzled. Had he regressed so much that even his elder brother could tell there weren’t just three people, while he couldn’t?

He closed his eyes and checked carefully. Yiqiong and the others accompanying them were waiting outside the study; inside, including himself, there were indeed only three mental energy signatures.

“Is three incorrect?”

“Fool!” Xuanxuan pointed at him, stifling a laugh.

Mafei Lianchen tapped Xuanxuan’s head lightly. She’d just pranked him and ruined his hairstyle, and now she was calling him foolish.

“He is rather foolish!” Mafei Lianjun agreed with Xuanxuan.

“Xuanxuan, how dare—” Mafei Lianchen paused. “Xuanxuan? Why didn’t I detect Xuanxuan’s mental energy?”

“Fool!” Xuanxuan turned away, ignoring him. How could such a big idiot be her uncle? How embarrassing.

“Second brother, you noticed it too. In the recent checkup, Xuanxuan’s mental power surpassed S-level. Even Father might not rival her now, let alone you,” Mafei Lianhao said with a smile, tapping Xuanxuan’s forehead. “Mind your manners.”

Xuanxuan turned her head, feeling ever more at ease the more she could open her heart to Mafei Lianhao.

“This is—how is it possible?” Mafei Lianchen stammered. “She’s only six.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m worried,” Mafei Lianhao sighed softly.

Xuanxuan glanced at him, especially noting his faintly furrowed brow. She wondered when would be the right time to confess, or how to convince him that this “heaven-defying” talent came without side effects.

“It’s unbelievable,” Mafei Lianjun remarked.

“What if you knew it was the result of a potion?” Mafei Lianhao added, as if seeking to shock them further.

“What did you say?” Mafei Lianjun stood up abruptly.

Mafei Lianhao nodded solemnly. “Xuanxuan’s breakthrough to S-level mental power was due to a potion.”

“No wonder,” Mafei Lianjun murmured, sitting down slowly. “No wonder Father insisted I come fetch you.”

It dawned belatedly on Mafei Lianchen. “What do you mean her breakthrough was caused by a potion? Xuanxuan’s mental power? You must be joking.”

No one paid him any mind. Mafei Lianjun fixed Xuanxuan with a deep gaze. “I’ll have our people return at full speed.”

Mafei Lianhao stood up, holding Xuanxuan, and nodded gravely.

“Take good care of her. Keep a close watch on her health at all times,” Mafei Lianjun instructed. “Let’s go.”

Mafei Lianchen hastily grabbed his hat from the sofa and hurried after them. “We’re leaving, just like that?”

---

Three chapters delivered, as promised.

P.S. Here’s a book by Fengzi for everyone: “The Dream of the Red Chamber System” by b00kid22. I was a system NPC plugin, but once again, by chance, I returned to the world of Dream of the Red Chamber. Perhaps this is my second chance. Even if I’m just a device at the author’s whim, this time I’ll take control of my own fate. In this romance, I’ll live better in the Red Chamber world.