Chapter 267: We Have a Princess at Home
“Wow! No, don’t!”
Xu Xiaoya squeaked, pulling off a dazzling maneuver to escape the sandwich of two encroaching figures. With a flick of her wrist, she snatched back her—let’s call it “sense of security”—from thin air.
She stretched her hand, and poof! The book vanished!
Xu Ma blinked, “What just happened? Did Little Moon find something?”
Xu Xiaoya shouted, “Nothing at all!”
No evidence, no evidence!
Xu Xiaoyue shrugged helplessly, “If there’s nothing, then there’s nothing!”
She didn’t have the skills to snatch things from Xiaoya, and honestly, nobody did.
“So… why did Xiaoya suddenly… Hey, Old Xu, you saw that, right?”
“I… uh, I saw something…”
Xu Xiaoyue chuckled nonchalantly, “No big deal, just a little thing. You’ll get used to it.”
Used to it? Really?
“Little Moon, you better clarify what’s going on here!”
“Well, this is a long story.”
“Then make it a short story.”
“Okay, but you two better not freak out.”
Blah blah, after a quick roundup, Xu Xiaoyue explained Xiaoya’s situation.
The parents’ expressions shifted dramatically.
From “Whoa!” to “Whoa whoa!” and finally to “Whoa whoa whoa!”
Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoya nodded along, nodding and nodding some more.
After a while, Xu Ba and Xu Ma were sprawled on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, starting to question their life choices.
How did a simple game turn into this?
Are we just stuck in the past, or is the world going bonkers?
Eventually, Xu Ba was the first to snap back to reality: “So, you’re saying we’ve got a ten-year-old, one-point-three-meter tall, Little Princess?”
“Father dearest! She’s one-point-four!”
“Ah? Oh, one-point-four, one-point-four.”
But wasn’t her height listed as one-point-three-eight in the health report?
Xu Xiaoyue suddenly asked, “Mom and Dad, have you ever played a game?”
“I tried it once, but Shuxiu probably hasn’t.”
Xu frowned, “Old Xu! When did you play?”
“I… um…” Xu Ba realized he slipped up and quickly backtracked, “I played on a coworker’s device! Really!”
“Hey, it’s fine! Mom, you should play too! Try to level up to 30; it’ll give you some serious power—at least it’ll keep you fit. I’m pretty strong now, though nowhere near Xiaoya.”
Xu Xiaoyue slapped her forehead, “I almost forgot! Mom and Dad, you two should find ways to slack off at work, take some leave, or better yet, quit! We’ve got money now; Xiaoya is practically a top-tier rich lady! Strengthening your bodies should be a priority!”
“Right! I’m super rich!” Xu Xiaoya put her hands on her hips.
“Good, good! Xiaoya’s so smart, so awesome.”
Xu Ma beamed, pulling Xu Xiaoya into a gentle hug.
This daughter is so much better than a son!
She’d wanted to cuddle these two kids since they were about ten years old.
But back then, one was a boy and a little off-putting; the other had a colder personality and didn’t love to be pampered much.
Now it’s great—blessings in old age.
Even if she’s not yet forty.
“Oops, almost forgot the important stuff. Mom, let go of Xiaoya for a second,” Xu Xiaoyue patted Xu Ma.
“Whether you’ve played the game or not, I’m sure you’ve seen news about ‘Otherworld.’ Our Xiaoya is the highest-ranking NPC and the most popular player! Just to give you some perspective, what I said earlier is true!”
While pulling out her phone to show a video, Xu Xiaoyue told Xiaoya, “Go change into your most iconic outfit so Mom and Dad can see what a Little Princess really looks like.”
She found the video of Elia’s coronation and Yuliya’s awarding ceremony recorded by players.
“We’ve seen this video too, and we were shocked back then.”
“Well, take a good look now!”
The screen froze on Yuliya yielding homage while Xu Xiaoya emerged, already changed.
She was quick with the outfit; with just a snap of her fingers, the mature attire learned to dress itself.
The comparison between the screen and the real Xiaoya was uncanny.
“Now she’s so impressive, Dad and Mom don’t need to work anymore. They can just chill at home!”
Xu Xiaoyue lightly tapped Xiaoya’s head, “Don’t assume everyone is like you, just lounging around!”
“Hehe…”
“So that’s the situation. I’ve explained everything to you.”
Xu Xiaoyue sighed heavily.
Finally done.
Glancing at the main character beside her still grinning like a fool, she thought, “…”
The old couple exchanged looks, and Xu Ma finally sighed: “It’s difficult to process, but we’ll try to accept it.”
“Ugh, we’re getting old; our brains can’t keep up.”
“But it’s okay.” Xu Ma stepped forward, hugging Xu Xiaoyue again, “Now I just want to snuggle with my precious daughter for a bit!”
“Mom! Let go of Xiaoya! Move over, it’s my turn!”
The three women began tussling, and it looked a bit intense.
“Ahem!” Xu Ba cleared his throat, “Hey, sweetheart, watch the impact; I’m still here.”
“Then why don’t you just go outside?”
“Dad, maybe give us some space?”
“I…”
“Father dearest, please don’t go, stay home instead.”
Xu Ba’s eyes lit up with hope.
As expected, nothing like a caring little cotton-padded jacket!
Sure, the big coat is out of commission, but it’s fine—little bro has transformed into a cozy one, warmth delivered!
But then Xiaoya added, “I could lend you my room.”
“…”
Xu Ba fell silent for a moment before finally walking toward the door: “I think I’ll step outside.”
After exiting and heading down the stairs, Xu Ba lit a cigarette.
Today’s wind is particularly biting.
Back in the day, there was always a kid to blow wind alongside him.
Sitting side by side, you look at me, I look at you—then the wind doesn’t feel so cold anymore.
Not that they blocked the wind for each other; it’s more like a relativity thing: look at you getting cold, and I’m not so cold.
But that buddy who used to share the breeze with him was gone for good.
“Tsk! What’s the big deal about a man enjoying the wind? Am I supposed to live with my little girl blowing winds with me? That’d be weird!”
Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind.
Xu Ba turned and saw Xu Xiaoyue: “Little Moon? Why are you out here?”
“Dad, sigh.” Xu Xiaoyue sighed, “Mom got tired of me and kicked me out.”
“Then… want to blow the wind with me?” Xu Ba felt warmth flooding in.
No kid to share the wind, but having a daughter join for a breeze ain’t bad either.
“That’s not necessary; Mom just sent me out to buy some spices for a big feast for Xiaoya. You keep enjoying the wind.”
Saying that, Little Moon stalked off without a backward glance.
Xu Ba’s hand holding the cigarette froze momentarily, almost dropping it.
He suddenly hummed a line of lyrics:
“Snowflakes drift, the north wind howls, the world is all a vast desolation.”
