Chapter 12

With a few strokes, Tao Shushu drew a little boy roasting meat by a campfire, while she crouched nearby, watching him cook.
In the second drawing, the little boy handed her the fragrant roasted meat, and she accepted it, but her mouth was covered with a band-aid.
The little girl who couldn't eat then fed the piece of meat into the little boy's mouth.
When Tao Shushu was drawing, she only intended to depict a scene where she fed the cub.
Unexpectedly, after Nan Yuan saw it, his face suddenly flushed bright red, and he stopped handing her the roasted wolf meat. Instead, as soon as it was cooked, he immediately stuffed it into his own mouth.
He ate very quickly, as if a ferocious enemy could catch up at any moment.
This made Tao Shushu grow serious as well.
After all, she was observing the cub through a screen.
If the cub was acting so serious and urgent, could it be that the weather on the barren planet was about to change, or had some mutated animal caught the scent and was approaching?
The family's cook aunt set the dishes on the table. "Shushu, it's time to eat."
Tao Shushu didn't have the habit of playing with her phone while eating.
She placed her phone to the side, treating it like a movie to watch during her meal.
On the screen, Nan Yuan quickly finished the roasted meat.
He even meticulously wiped his mouth.
After putting everything in order, Nan Yuan took a fruit to cleanse his palate.
At the same time, he thought, how could he let someone feed him while eating?
He was a capable man with hands and feet, how could he allow a girl to put food into his mouth?
Among the people Nan Yuan knew, only his mother had fed his father like that, but they were a married couple; such actions were acceptable between them.
Nan Yuan also wondered in his heart why she had drawn a prohibition symbol over her mouth.
He ruled out the possibility of her being a robot.
A girl who seemed human...
Nan Yuan had only one guess: according to legends, after death, a person could become a spirit, but the living couldn't see them, and they would possess powers.
Nan Yuan realized that her characteristics, appearing and disappearing without a trace, being able to pass through walls, unable to eat, and her form being invisible, all closely matched the descriptions of legendary spirits. The only exceptions were the high-tech insulated suit and healing potion she had produced, whose technological level seemed unreasonably advanced.
This time, Nan Yuan didn’t dwell on further speculation.
He started the car and continued on his way.
A few hours later, the sky was about to darken again, bringing them one day closer to the full moon. The mutated flora and fauna, unable to resist the pull of the tides, would grow even more frenzied.
After finishing her meal, Tao Shushu glanced up and saw a notification pop up on the screen: Coins +5.
So satisfying!
This morning, she had earned 40 coins by solving problems, and her cub had driven 200 kilometers, earning another 10 coins.
It had been a truly rewarding day.
Tao Shushu ruffled her cub’s head and logged off.
She had made plans with her friend Li Anyu to go shopping in the afternoon.
The two browsed through the mall, and as Tao Shushu passed by a children’s clothing store, she could hardly tear herself away. That little suit would look absolutely stunning on her cub.
The biker jacket wasn’t bad either, imagine her cub’s chubby, adorable face paired with a biker vest. The contrast would be irresistibly cute.
And a simple white shirt would give her cub a touch of youthful innocence.
Li Anyu patted Tao Shushu. “Shushu, are you tired from walking? Let’s head to the revolving restaurant on the top floor for some afternoon tea. Their desserts are amazing. I heard even some celebrities on diets can’t resist them and keep coming back. I made a reservation yesterday.”
Tao Shushu followed Li Anyu into the elevator.
In her mind, she called out to the system, [As a system for a parenting game, aren’t you ashamed that you can’t even let players change their game character’s clothes? Hmph.]
[There are clothes, but do you have the coins to buy them?] After a long pause, the system weakly retorted, but Tao Shushu was already enthusiastically discussing dessert options with Li Anyu and didn’t notice at all.
System: …
Tao Shushu and Li Anyu gave their names at the entrance and were led to their table by a server.
The top floor offered a great view, and Li Anyu had specifically reserved a window seat.
But as they approached, they spotted familiar faces, Zhou Yi and Su Momo.
“I’m Zhou Songchi’s brother. What’s the big deal about a window seat? Call your manager over,” Zhou Yi shouted.
Su Momo bit her lip delicately, looking troubled. She tugged at Zhou Yi’s sleeve. “Zhou Yi, let’s just go.” When she noticed Tao Shushu being led over by a server, her tone grew even more pitiful. “I don’t mind sitting anywhere. I just wanted to enjoy the view with you.”
Only the window tables offered a view, and the goddess’s modest, reasonable request made Zhou Yi even more confident. “How dare you not save a seat for me? Is this how you run your business? I’ll call Zhou Songchi right now and have you fired.”
The server replied awkwardly, “Young Master Zhou, but this table has already been reserved.”
Two servers were trying to persuade Zhou Yi.
Tao Shushu walked past Zhou Yi, who was arguing with the servers, and sat directly in the only remaining window seat.
“I’m taking this table today, no matter what. Let me tell you…” Zhou Yi was in the middle of his threat when he saw Tao Shushu sit down.
“Hey, how rude! Can’t you see someone’s already standing here?” Zhou Yi accused.
Tao Shushu rolled her eyes. “How rude of you! Can’t you see the reservation sign on this table? Instead of running to your brother to complain, why don’t you just go sit in the private room he reserved for you?”
Someone nearby chuckled.
Tao Shushu leaned back in her chair, cracking her knuckles audibly.
Zhou Yi’s expression stiffened, struck where it hurt, and he was reminded of some less-than-glorious experiences.
Su Momo lowered her head, seemingly brushing her long hair aside but actually using it to cover the side of her face. "Zhou Yi, let's just go," she said.
When Zhou Yi was speaking with the waiter, she hadn't thought much of it. After all, Zhou Yi was the youngest son of the Zhou Group, what was the big deal about wanting a table that had already been reserved? She had even fueled the situation when she saw Tao Shushu, thinking it was finally time to teach Tao Shushu a lesson.
But she hadn't expected Tao Shushu to simply sit down, and the surrounding diners to start laughing mockingly.
Su Momo wanted to leave, but Zhou Yi refused to budge.
Taking a girl he liked out, only to end up without a seat and being scared off by Tao Shushu, how humiliating would that be?
Zhou Yi stood his ground. "Even if you made a reservation, if you don't show up, can't the seat be given to someone else?"
"Are you really from the Zhou family?" Tao Shushu asked doubtfully. "All high-end restaurants under the Zhou Group operate on a reservation system. Once a table is reserved for the day, the guest can come at any time."
Zhou Yi glanced at the waiter, who lowered his head and confirmed, "Yes. Reserved tables are not given to others on the same day."
Being publicly contradicted by one of his own employees, Zhou Yi's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Please move aside, we'd like to order now," Tao Shushu said.
Just then, the manager arrived. He hadn't come immediately after receiving the news but had first reported it to his superiors. Now, he handled the situation with confidence.
"Young Master Zhou, you may take a seat at one of the unreserved tables over there. Otherwise, you can make a reservation for next time," the manager said.
The unreserved tables were all in the middle of the dining hall, with no view of the outside and poor privacy. How could Zhou Yi bear to let Su Momo endure such conditions?
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yi pointed at Tao Shushu and said, "I want a window seat."
The manager shook his head, ignored him, and turned to Su Momo and Li Anyu. "Ladies, I apologize for the disruption to your dining experience. Please allow us to make it up to you. If you're willing, you may take a seat in the private room and share your thoughts on our hidden menu."
Li Anyu immediately tugged at Tao Shushu's arm. "Shushu, the hidden menu! I've been wanting to try it for ages."
Tao Shushu and Li Anyu happily stood up.
A nearby customer, who had long been annoyed by Zhou Yi's loud behavior, remarked, "Ah, if I'd known you were here to fight for my seat, I would've tried the hidden menu too. But the Zhou Group's restaurants truly live up to their high-end reputation, fair and impartial. Well done."
Zhou Yi was so stung by the sarcasm that he could barely save face. Just as he was about to retort, the manager stopped him.
Leaning in close so only Zhou Yi could hear, the manager said, "Young Master Zhou, Mr. Zhou has instructed that today's losses will be deducted from your allowance."
"Damn it!" Zhou Yi cursed loudly, the expletive bursting out uncontrollably.
The surrounding gazes instantly swept over once more.
Su Momo watched as the head chef, who had been featured in world-renowned gourmet magazines, personally carried two servings of gold leaf handmade ice cream to Tao Shushu's table. Yet, she didn’t even have a seat.
The confusion and disdain in the eyes of those around her, along with the manager’s stern tone, made her feel so wronged she was on the verge of tears.
All she wanted was to take a few photos at a high-end restaurant, to show everyone who had ever looked down on her that she was now a wealthy heiress.
But why couldn’t even this small wish come true? It was all Zhou Yi’s fault, if it weren’t for her desire to get information about Zhou Songchi, she wouldn’t have to put up with Zhou Yi’s antics.
Just then, the man who had spoken earlier stood up with his female companion. As he passed by Zhou Yi and Su Momo, he said to the waiter, "I’m finished. If this young man needs a seat, he can have mine."
Su Momo’s face burned with shame, and she wished she could vanish into the floor.
Zhou Yi felt utterly humiliated. He had brought the girl he liked to a restaurant owned by his family, only to end up without a decent seat, forced to rely on someone else’s charity.
He couldn’t decide whether to stay or leave.
But Su Momo couldn’t bear the embarrassment any longer. She had already noticed the influencer across from them discreetly pulling out a phone. "Zhou Yi, I don’t want to eat anymore," she said, still mindful of maintaining her gentle persona in front of him.
With that, Su Momo turned and walked away. Before she even reached the door, her phone rang, it was her mother. "Su Momo, you idiot, what have you done? Several people have called asking if you’re engaged to Zhou Yi, saying you accompanied him to cause a scene at the restaurant. Zhou Yi is an illegitimate child, his older brother and mother despise him. He won’t inherit a thing. You’d better get back here right now."
Illegitimate child? Engaged?
Su Momo’s mind went blank as she hung up. Several people? That meant the entire elite circle of Yancheng knew.
What was she going to do?
Just then, Zhou Yi caught up to her. "Momo, let’s go somewhere else. I know a really great restaurant, no reservation needed."
Su Momo’s face darkened. "Forget it," she snapped. How dare an illegitimate child act so arrogantly and embarrass her like this? "Let’s not see each other anymore."
She placed all the blame on Zhou Yi, completely forgetting that it was her who, upon hearing about the Zhou family’s most exclusive influencer-friendly revolving restaurant, had insisted on going there to show off.
And when Zhou Yi had rudely tried to snatch a seat, she hadn’t stopped him, she had encouraged it.
Meanwhile, Tao Shushu and Li Anyu enjoyed their afternoon tea, thoroughly satisfied.
When it came time to pay, they were even told that the hidden menu items were complimentary, essentially a free meal.
Tao Shushu tapped on her system. [Well, did you enjoy the show?]
[Detected that the female lead’s system has lost its offensive capabilities today and is unable to deploy its intelligence-reducing aura against the player or their family. Returning two Primary Clarity Cards.]
[If she’s still in a bad mood tomorrow and can’t launch any attacks when we’re in the physics competition group, right?]
[Unlikely. The physics competition is a major plot point.]
[Hehe.]
Tao Shushu smiled without saying a word. She could guarantee that tomorrow’s banquet would be quite entertaining.
After finishing her shopping trip with Li Anyu, Tao Shushu returned home as dusk was settling.
Having not checked the game all day, she couldn’t wait to pull out her phone and see her cub.


Author’s Note:
Shushu: Missing my cub.