Gu Yan: “……”
Had they really changed their expressions too quickly? So soon, they had already forgotten who had taken care of them like babies, wiping their messes?
Besides, hadn’t they only met Lu Zhaozhao for the first time today? They weren’t that familiar yet. Wanting to sleep together so quickly seemed a bit inappropriate.
“Don’t make trouble. You should sleep with Little Uncle for now. We can talk about this later.”
Gu Yan was a little speechless and had no choice but to sternly refuse their request. No sooner had he spoken than he saw An An’s big, watery eyes filling with tears, on the verge of crying, looking so wronged that it was hard for anyone to resist.
Seeing this, Lu Zhaozhao quickly spoke up:
“It’s fine. Let them sleep with me tonight. Having two little companions isn’t so bad.”
“They don’t sleep well. I’m afraid they’ll disturb you.”
Gu Yan spoke sincerely. Over the past few nights, sharing a bed with these two little ones, he had no idea how many times he had had to pull the blanket over them! They spun around in their sleep, constantly kicking the covers, and often while asleep, their little feet would kick over.
“I understand. Don’t worry. I’m good at taking care of kids. They can sleep with me tonight.”
Lu Zhaozhao smiled casually. She loved children very much. Her sister’s nephews had all been raised by her when they were little. She was extremely experienced in taking care of children.
When the two little ones heard that they could, their previously tearful expressions instantly brightened.
Gu Yan could no longer say anything further and simply said:
“Then I’ll go prepare your beds.”
He walked away.
The two little ones now admired Lu Zhaozhao even more. Previously, they had to obey everything Little Uncle said. But now, with Little Aunt present, Little Uncle actually listened to her!
They exchanged a glance, as if discovering a huge secret, and secretly giggled.
After tidying up, Lu Zhaozhao lay down with the two little ones.
She slept on the outer edge, not worried about them rolling off.
Not long after lying down, she heard the even rhythm of their breathing.
After a day of playing, the two little ones were exhausted; they had almost fallen asleep as soon as they lay down.
Lu Zhaozhao smiled, tucked the blankets around them, and then lay back, staring into space. Night was quiet, the perfect time to study her golden finger.
Recalling the events of the day, she silently murmured in her heart:
“Spiritual Spring Space?”
【I am here, Host.】
“Great! What does this Spiritual Spring Space look like? Also, the wild bitter herbs from earlier, where did you plant them?”
【Already planted in the space’s soil. Host can enter by silently reciting the incantation in your mind.】
“Oh, what’s the incantation?”
【Open Sesame.】
Lu Zhaozhao: “……”
Well, it was a simple and unpretentious incantation.
Following the incantation given by Spiritual Spring Space, she recited it silently. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the Gu Family’s thatched house, but standing in a place brimming with spiritual energy.
Mist swirled, springs gurgled, and large plots of land had been neatly divided, looking orderly and expansive.
Walking further, Lu Zhaozhao came across a fenced courtyard. Entering, she saw three bamboo houses on the left, center, and right. In the yard, there was a pond, connected to the stream she had seen outside.
Standing inside the fenced courtyard, Lu Zhaozhao felt somewhat overwhelmed, as if she had wandered into someone else’s private domain.
This was practically a hidden paradise!
The air was fresh, the scenery beautiful. Beyond the bubbling of the spring, the cheerful chirping of birds could be heard.
This environment was far superior to the Gu Family’s small thatched houses.
Out of habit, she shouted loudly:
“Is anyone here?”
The voice of Spiritual Spring Space responded appropriately:
“Why are you calling? Besides you and me, who else would be here?”
“Sorry, sorry. I’m just used to it. Hehe, Spiritual Spring Space, I didn’t expect this place to be so wonderful! It’s like a fairyland. By the way, where did you plant my wild bitter herbs? I want to see them. Ah, the Gu Family is too poor—poorer than the Original Owner’s family. At least the Original Owner’s family had fields. The Gu Family really has nothing. The rice jars are empty; tomorrow morning, we’ll have to eat wild vegetable soup.”
Every word from Lu Zhaozhao was full of worry. It was one thing if the household consisted only of adults; they could manage a missed meal. But with two growing little ones, it was hard to bear.
【Follow me.】
Spiritual Spring Space was happy to take her to see where the wild bitter herbs had been planted.
Lu Zhaozhao was puzzled. Follow it? Where was it? How could she follow? She could only hear its voice.
Just as she was confused, a small flying sprite suddenly appeared. It had big, sparkling eyes and a round, plump body. It looked a little like a cat, a little like a tiny tiger. Though it had no wings, it could fly in midair, adorably clumsy.
Lu Zhaozhao stared at the little creature, completely stunned.
【Hey! Why are you frozen? Didn’t you want to see the herbs? Come on, follow me!】
Spiritual Spring Space had to fly back and call to her because she wasn’t following.
This human was so strange. Was this Host really a fool?
Finally, Lu Zhaozhao recovered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She said, marveling:
“No, I’m coming. I just… I can’t believe how cute you are! And why can you fly? What kind of animal are you?”
“I am the spiritual pet of this Spiritual Spring Space, not an ordinary animal.”
“So cute!”
…
Speaking like this, the girl and the little pet walked together toward the fields outside.
When Lu Zhaozhao saw the farmland in the space, she couldn’t help but exclaim repeatedly:
“Oh my! This is too incredible! Is this really the wild bitter herbs I dug yesterday? Why are all these fields empty?”
She couldn’t help but be astonished. The herbs before her were completely different from the ones she had dug yesterday.
The ones she dug might have wilted slightly due to drought. They were edible but not nearly as lush.
Now, the herbs were fresh, tender, and bright green, looking extremely appetizing—far superior to what she had harvested the day before.