The dining table was quiet.
Very quiet.
Too quiet.
The atmosphere felt strange.
Three people were eating.
One person was smiling.
And somehow…
The smiling person was the scariest one present.
After discovering the parasite-filled fish, Lu Shu completely lost interest in the meal.
The other dishes were still sitting there.
Untouched.
Lonely.
Rejected.
Just like Li Qing’s confidence as a cook.
Lu Shu stared at the dishes with complicated emotions.
Then he sighed inwardly.
Lu Shu:
“I can’t eat this.”
“My stomach can’t handle such biological weapons.”
“If I force myself to continue, I might awaken a new cursed spirit inside my intestines.”
Li Qing’s eyebrow twitched.
Lu Shu:
“Such potent food…”
“I bet even Daddy Raga would need at least three adaptations before he could eat it safely.”
Lu Xie blinked.
Lu Xie’s thoughts:
“Daddy…
what?”
“Who is Daddy Raga?”
“And why does he need adaptations?”
“Brother’s previous life really had strange people.”
Meanwhile, Lu Mu’s attention was somewhere else.
Because Lu Shu wasn’t finished.
Lu Shu:
“I truly admire Father.”
“No…”
“Admiration isn’t enough.”
“I respect him.”
“I worship him.”
Lu Mu suddenly had a bad feeling.
Lu Shu:
“My sisters can leave home after they grow up.”
“They can escape the hell.”
“But Father…”
“Father cannot escape.”
“He has to stay here.”
“He has to eat Mother’s cooking.”
“If my calculations are correct…”
“Father has already endured this for twenty-five years.”
Lu Mu’s smile slowly disappeared.
Lu Shu:
“And if everything goes well…”
“He still has another twenty-five years ahead of him.”
Lu Mu froze.
His eyes gradually lost focus.
Twenty-five years…
Past twenty-five years…
Future twenty-five years…
For a brief moment, Lu Mu saw his entire future.
It was dark.
Very dark.
Dark like Li Qing’s favorite milk cake.
There was no light.
Only Li Qing carrying a bowl.
And smiling.
Lu Mu’s thoughts:
“Son…”
“I appreciate the concern.”
“Really.”
“But must you reopen old wounds?”
“You just made me relive twenty-five years of suffering.”
“And then informed me I have twenty-five more years remaining.”
“This isn’t comfort.”
“This is psychological torture.”
Lu Xie lowered her head.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Lu Xie’s thoughts:
“Brother isn’t wrong…”
“Mother started cooking when she was pregnant with me…”
“Twenty-six years…”
“Father has survived twenty-six years…”
“Actually…”
“That’s kind of impressive.”
Then she remembered something.
Lu Xie’s thoughts:
“Wait.”
“Who is Daddy Raga?”
“Is that some powerful expert from Brother’s previous life?”
“Someone famous for surviving terrible food?”
Across the table…
Li Qing sat quietly.
Very quietly.
Too quietly.
A black aura seemed to rise behind her.
The smile on her face became gentler.
Softer.
More terrifying.
Seeing this smile…
Lu Mu’s survival instincts immediately activated.
Lu Mu’s thoughts:
“Danger.”
Li Qing gently put down her chopsticks.
The smile on her face was warm.
Motherly.
Kind.
Loving.
The kind of smile that usually appeared right before children received lifelong trauma.
“Husband.”
Li Qing spoke softly.
“Now that Shu’er has finally returned home, I think we should start teaching him properly.”
Lu Mu suddenly felt uneasy.
Very uneasy.
The same feeling a rabbit would have after hearing a tiger say:
“Come here.
Li Qing continued.
“After all, he is the young master of the Lu Family.”
“He must learn culture.”
“He must learn etiquette.”
“He must learn knowledge.”
“He must learn how upper-class society works.”
Lu Shu nodded inwardly.
Lu Shu:
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Basic education is important.”
“A few books here and there.”
“Maybe some social training.”
“Perhaps an hour or two every day.”
“Nothing excessive.”
Then Li Qing smiled even brighter.
“We should send Shu’er to the International Aristocracy Academy.”
“I’ve already made a schedule.”
A cold wind seemed to pass through the dining room.
Lu Shu suddenly felt danger.
Li Qing began reading.
“Classes begin at five in the morning.”
Lu Shu froze.
Lu Shu:
“Five?”
“As in five?”
“Five o’clock?”
“The time farmers wake up?”
“The time roosters are still negotiating whether to crow or not?”
“The time demons return home after working the night shift?”
Li Qing continued mercilessly.
“Physical training until seven.”
“Academic lessons until four in the afternoon.”
The color left Lu Shu’s face.
Lu Shu:
“Wait.”
“Let’s calculate.”
“Five to seven.”
“Then seven to four.”
“That…”
“That is nine hours.”
“Nine hours of studying.”
“Who studies for nine hours?”
“Cultivators?”
“Immortals?”
“People preparing to overthrow heaven?”
His expression gradually became vacant.
“Then private tutors.”
A crack appeared in Lu Shu’s mental state.
Lu Shu:
“Still more?”
“We’re still going?”
“The schedule isn’t over?”
“Mother…”
“Please tell me this is only Monday.”
“Table manners.”
Another crack.
Lu Shu:
“I know table manners.”
“You pick up food.”
“You chew food.”
“You swallow food.”
“What else is there to learn?”
“Does the spoon have a hidden cultivation technique?”
“Musical instruments.”
A third crack.
Lu Shu:
“Why?”
“Why must I suffer?”
“What did I do in this life?”
“Actually don’t answer that.”
“I’ve done many questionable things.”
“Acting lessons.”
His soul began packing its luggage.
Lu Shu:
“Acting?”
“ACTING?”
“Mother.”
“I have been acting autistic for less than twenty-four hours.”
“Is that not enough acting?”
“Do you want me to win an Oscar too?”
“Until nine at night.”
His soul left his body.
Lu Shu:
“Nine?”
“We’re still not done?”
“How long is this day?”
“Did Mother somehow create extra hours?”
“Is she using a time manipulation technique?”
Li Qing calmly continued.
“Then homework until eleven.”
Funeral preparations officially began.
Lu Shu’s eyes lost focus.
His breathing stopped for two seconds.
Lu Shu:
“Homework.”
“After fourteen hours.”
“Homework.”
“Mother.”
“I’m your son.”
“Your own flesh and blood.”
“Not your enemy.”
“This is against human rights.”
“This violates several international conventions.”
“The Geneva Convention definitely has something against this.”
“And finally a glass of milk before bed.”
Silence.
Dead silence.
The entire room fell quiet.
Lu Mu looked at Lu Shu.
Lu Xie looked at Lu Shu.
Li Qing smiled at Lu Shu.
And Lu Shu…
Looked like someone had just informed him that death wasn’t the end.
His face had completely lost color.
His eyes had lost life.
His posture had lost hope.
If someone placed a white cloth over him, nobody would question it.
Lu Shu:
“Holy book of knowledge!!!”
“In my first life I didn’t study this much in an entire week.”
“In my second life I fought cursed spirits, murderers, reincarnated sorcerers, and Sukuna himself.”
“Yet none of them tortured me like this.”
“Sukuna cut me hundreds of thousands of times per second.”
“Mother plans to educate me hundreds of thousands of times per day.”
“One destroys the body.”
“The other destroys the mind and soul.”
Lu Mu almost spat out his tea.
Lu Shu:
“Actually…”
“Sukuna killed me in one minute.”
“Mother’s schedule kills me slowly.”
“She’s worse.”
Lu Xie immediately covered her mouth.
Her shoulders shook violently.
She was losing the battle.
Li Qing’s smile twitched.
At this point Lu Mu and Lu Xie were no longer holding back laughter.
They were holding back survival instincts.
Because the person being mocked was still sitting right there.
Smiling.
Very gently.
Very lovingly.
Very terrifyingly.
Silence.
The room became so quiet that one could hear breathing.
Lu Shu…
Looked like he had just received a death sentence.
His face had lost all color.
Lu Xie’s thoughts:
“Mother just killed Brother.”
“Not physically.”
“Mentally.”
“I didn’t know a person could become this pale.”
Then she noticed her father’s expression.
The two exchanged a glance.
A silent conversation occurred.
Lu Mu’s eyes:
“If your brother gets this schedule…”
“What do you think happens to us?”
Lu Xie’s eyes:
“We’re doomed.”
Lu Mu’s eyes:
“Correct.”
Both instantly turned pale.
Meanwhile…
Lu Shu looked toward Li Qing.
His eyes contained enough pity to melt stone.
In a weak voice, he finally spoke.
“Mother…”
“I don’t want to go to school.”
The room became silent again.
Then his thoughts exploded.
Lu Shu:
“This is attempted murder!”
“I have no problem waking up at five.”
“I have no problem exercising.”
“But why must I study from seven in the morning until eleven at night?”
“Mother…”
“You are overworking your own flesh and blood!”
“This has to be illegal.”
“There is no way this is legal.”
“If she mentions this again…”
“I will call the police.”
“Actually no.”
“The police might help her.”
“I need a lawyer.”
“A very good lawyer.”
Lu Mu almost laughed.
Lu Xie bit her lip so hard it hurt.
Li Qing’s smile became brighter.
Then she looked at her husband.
“See, honey?”
She pointed at Lu Shu.
“Our son just said he wants to go to school.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The entire room froze.
Lu Shu stared at her.
Lu Mu stared at her.
Lu Xie stared at her.
All three were wondering the same thing.
When exactly did those words leave his mouth?
Li Qing ignored their expressions.
“Since Shu’er is so enthusiastic about learning…”
“Husband.”
“Please complete the paperwork as soon as possible.”
Lu Mu opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Then wisely decided to remain silent.
Across the table…
Lu Shu looked at Li Qing’s warm smile.
A chill ran down his spine.
For the first time since reincarnating…
For the first time after fighting Sukuna…
Lu Shu felt fear.
Real fear.
Lu Shu’s thoughts:
“Sukuna…”
“I owe you an apology.”
“Compared to Mother…”
“You were actually reasonable.”
Li Qing’s smile widened.
Lu Mu and Lu Xie immediately lowered their heads.
Pretending they heard absolutely nothing.
Chapter End.