Chapter 21: The Adjustment Period (Part 1)

Wen Ye closed his eyes and frowned slightly, as if recalling something: “At that time, I was still young and hadn’t started cultivating. I only remember that the Great Wilderness Realm was very beautiful, with red flowers blooming everywhere. Whether it was a human or an animal spirit, everyone was equal there. As long as they cultivated a human body, they could marry a human and enjoy the same rights.”

“There were no rulers in the Great Wilderness Realm. Only three Great Witches managed that area. I later learned that it was a world they created and was not within the Three Realms.”

“One day, I was awakened from my sleep by my parents. They took me and fled in a hurry. That night, the entire Great Wilderness Realm was filled with flames and smoke, and there were screams everywhere.”

His brows furrowed deeply, as if he was enduring great pain. I couldn’t help but raise my hand, wanting to smooth away the sorrow between his brows.

Wen Ye’s eyes suddenly opened, and the hand I had just raised retreated. I listened to him continue, “I don’t know what method my parents used to open the gate to the human realm and ordered me not to return to the Great Wilderness Realm. By the time I reacted, I had already been pushed into the gate and arrived in the human world.”

I looked into his eyes and asked softly, “You wandered in the human world for five hundred years?”

“Almost…” Wen Ye frowned and said with firm eyes, “I want to return to the Great Wilderness Realm to confirm whether my parents are still alive.”

Perhaps it was because we had both been abandoned by our families since childhood, I empathized with his state of mind at this time. But Wen Ye’s parents had to abandon him out of love and protection, while me…

“Your mother also had to leave you in the human world to protect you,” Wen Ye said, meeting my gaze.

I was stunned, and hope ignited in my heart. I pressed, “Do you know my biological mother?”

He shook his head: “I don’t know. Women with Great Witch blood in the Great Wilderness Realm all have the same tattoo on their waists as you do.”

“Le Xiaomai, your mother also escaped from the Great Wilderness Realm. She might know what happened there and how to open the gate to the Great Wilderness Realm. We can try to find her.”

“Are you saying my biological mother is still alive?” I asked, a little excited.

Wen Ye nodded slightly: “If she hasn’t returned to the Great Wilderness Realm and is still in the human world, it is very likely that she is still alive…”

“The bracelet is a very important token of the Wu Clan. If your mother was able to bring it out, then either she stole it, or…”

“Or what?” I asked impatiently, the flame of hope burning brightly.

“Or she was secretly ordered to bring it out by one of the three Great Witches,” Wen Ye took a long breath.

“I’d rather your mother stole it…”

If my mother, whom I had never met, was ordered by the Great Witch to bring it out, then it was very likely that the three Great Witches had internal conflicts.

When gods fight, the people suffer. The creatures in the Great Wilderness Realm would definitely be affected by the war.

Then Wen Ye’s parents were likely to have met with misfortune.

Actually, he was very easy to talk to. I didn’t know if it was because of the pure nature of small animals or because of cultivation. Wen Ye basically answered all the questions I asked.

Although his mouth was sometimes very sharp and his words were straight to the point, he was really sincere.

Alas, sincerity is a killer move, making me embarrassed to play tricks in front of him.

The next day, he still hadn’t accepted the money I had transferred to my father, and he didn’t even reply. I was very upset.

I hated that he didn’t even want to pay attention to me even when I was trying to butter him up. Was he planning to break off contact with me completely?

I threw down my phone in anger. After thinking about it again, I decided to send 2,000 yuan to my stepmother, who didn’t like me, and told her that I had transferred 5,000 to my dad’s phone, reminding him to accept it.

In less than two minutes, both of them had accepted the payment. My stepmother politely replied with a ‘thank you’.

Just as I was phrasing a reply, my stepmother sent another message: Everything’s fine at home, don’t come back, focus on your work.

I was immediately furious. Le Xiaomai, what hope are you still holding on to for these parents!

——————

After spending three days to get accustomed to Wen Ye, I had a rough understanding of his temper and daily routine – all he did was meditate, eat, and sleep, acting like a deadbeat otaku.

He only lazily followed me out when I asked him to.

I would be bored to death if he was like this every day, so on the fourth day, while I was cooking, I turned to Wen Ye and said, “I’m going back to my great-grandmother’s place.”

The bracelet was given to me by her. That old woman should know something about my mother.

Now I was very interested in my witch mother. I wanted to ask her in person why she had given birth to me!

Wen Ye was lying on the table, studying his phone. Zhao Yanzu’s voice could be heard from time to time from the phone.

He lifted his eyelids and said, “You can, but didn’t you want to learn something and be mentally prepared? There’s something to handle tonight, you can get a preview of what kind of danger you will face in the future.”

Holding the spoon, I came over excitedly: “What is it? Can I get a cut?”

Just as I was speaking, Zhao Yanzu called, and my eyes lit up as if I had seen the God of Wealth.

He chuckled, “Wen Ye is going to C City to take on a commission later. Xiaomai, you’ll get a big bonus. Oh, C City is your hometown, right…”

My great-grandmother and my parents’ village were both under the jurisdiction of C City, and my great-grandmother’s house was right on the edge of C City, so it was very convenient to take a car.

The saliva was almost flowing out of my mouth, and I nodded at the phone: “Yes, yes, yes! Can I go home after finishing the work? I have some private matters to handle.”

“Phooey! Remember to keep an eye on Wen Ye, don’t let him bite people randomly.” (*This is a playful scolding term)

“I guarantee to complete the task!” I said gleefully.

Zhao Yanzu laughed heartily: “Xiaomai, can you drive?”

I scratched my head awkwardly, answering truthfully: “I got my driver’s license in my sophomore year, but I haven’t touched a car since… I can drive, but I can’t guarantee whether it’ll be on the road or in the ditch.” (*This is a self-deprecating expression of driving skill)

“Pfft…” He snorted and laughed, then said seriously, “Let me have a friend send you two. You can familiarize yourself with it in the future. It’s more convenient to drive yourself. You two will inevitably travel around in the future.”

“Okay!” I felt even better. The job even came with a car, who could refuse?

For lunch, I made Wen Ye fried beef and boiled shrimp, only adding a little salt, and mixed a super-sized fruit salad, which looked like a weight loss meal.

I wasn’t interested, so I made a super luxurious seafood noodle soup separately, with clams, squid, and prawns, and added some vegetables and enoki mushrooms. It was perfect.

We ate separately, not disturbing each other.

At first, Wen Ye honestly used chopsticks and a spoon, but later he just grabbed with his hands.

I sighed and helped him wipe his hands with a paper towel. I put the chopsticks in his hand and said, coaxing him like a child: “Wen Ye, you can eat however you want at home, but when you go out, people will see you and treat you like an alien.”

“Follow me, like this.” I demonstrated, using chopsticks to pick up a bunch of noodles and put them in my mouth.

Wen Ye’s face was very cold. He picked up a shrimp with difficulty with the chopsticks, but it fell back into the plate just as he was about to eat it.

I patiently taught him three times, and he repeatedly learned three times. As a result – I was full, but he hadn’t eaten a single bite.

Seeing his face getting darker and darker, I simply gave up: “Okay, okay, we’ll learn next time. You eat first, don’t delay the important stuff.”

Wen Ye glared at me in anger.

My chewing stopped. What, was he suddenly going to freak out?

Who knew that he glanced at me and pushed the plate of beef towards me, exchanging with me without ceremony: “I want to eat your noodles.”