"Mom, did a bug bite your neck?"
"Huh?"
At first, Danielle didn't react and shook her head in confusion.
"No, where would a bug come from here?"
Rain jumped off the chair in a hurry and ran over to her. He touched her neck.
"Then why is it red? I remember I got bitten by a bug before, and it looked just like this!"
Danielle quickly covered her neck and rushed to the bathroom downstairs. When she saw herself in the mirror, her imagination went wild, and she exploded.
"Zachary!"
"You—"
She was about to storm out when she saw Zachary wearing an apron, setting bowls and chopsticks on the table.
The key point was—he wasn't wearing a shirt! Just an apron. That didn't hide much.
The red marks all over his body made Danielle feel guilty.
It would've been fine if they were just scratches, but there were even dried blood spots.
She secretly glanced at her fingers. They did look kind of long...
Danielle quietly hid her hands behind her back and pretended not to notice anything while starting to scold Zachary.
Though... her attitude wasn't nearly as fierce as before.
"Zachary, look what you've done!"
Zachary raised his pretty eyebrows. "I'll be more careful next time."
Hey.
Just "be more careful next time"?
Furious, Danielle rolled up her sleeves, but when she saw the little red marks on her own arms, she quickly rolled them down again.
She looked up—and oh no—Zachary took off his apron.
He tilted his head and said, "Come eat."
Danielle looked up and saw the scratch on his neck. Her face turned slightly red, and her voice softened a bit.
"That's different. You're a man."
"Exactly because I'm a man, people talk behind my back. You're a woman—what are you afraid of?"
As soon as Zachary said that, Danielle suddenly realized.
Oh right.
This was the Land of Bliss—a matriarchal society where women were respected more than men.
What was she even worried about?
She cleared her throat. "It's fine. Let's go."
As she passed by Zachary, she felt him lift his hand, and suddenly there was a hat on her head.
Danielle turned her head and saw her reflection in the mirror—she was now wearing a simple black hat. It looked clean and stylish. She liked it.
Zachary awkwardly strode toward the door. "We'll be late. Let's go."
Danielle couldn't help but smile. "Okay."
She adjusted her hat, ran up to him, and grabbed his hand, even swinging it on purpose.
"Daddy, Mommy, Rain wants to hold hands too."
"Okay. You'll be in the middle. Mommy and Daddy will each hold one of your hands."
…
Outside the mission hall.
Danielle stood on tiptoe, looking into the distance. "Strange. Why aren't they here yet?"
Rain sat quietly in Zachary's arms, pouting and a little listless.
"Mommy, Daddy says people who aren't on time can't be trusted."
The little guy was upset.
Zachary patted his head. "I don't think your uncles and aunts are the kind to be late. Something probably happened."
"Hey, hurry up! There's a commotion over there—Wei the Skinner is bullying people again."
"Those three young ones sure have guts, trying to steal someone from Wei the Skinner. They're just newborn calves who aren't afraid of tigers."
Danielle wasn't planning to get involved, but the more she listened, the more wrong it sounded.
"I heard they just recruited two new people recently to stop their team from being disbanded. And now they've messed with Wei the Skinner? I think their team's done for."
Danielle and Zachary exchanged a glance, then ran.
With long legs, Zachary rushed ahead and cleared the way. Soon they pushed through the crowd.
"Kid, do you even know who your Grandpa Wei is? Trying to steal my people? Heh, then leave a hand behind."
Wei You sneered as he raised his black blade, ready to strike Fei Yang's arm.
Clang!
A water ladle fell from above and hit his head hard.
The sudden smack almost knocked him senseless.
"Who? Who dares sneak attack me?"
Zachary had already made it through the crowd and kicked away the man holding Leng down.
Lu Yi was helped up by Danielle, and Fei Yang, quick to react, jumped up while Wei You was distracted.
Wei You glared at Danielle. "You again!"
Danielle frowned. "What's going on?"
While rescuing them, she had noticed Lu Yi standing protectively in front of a young girl.
The girl looked around sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features—outstanding among ordinary people.
Lu Yi pressed his lips together. "Danielle, sorry. We're troubling you."
Then he shoved the girl toward Danielle. "Please don't get involved in this. Just help me take care of Tiexin. We'll handle the rest."
Tiexin looked up at Danielle timidly, bit her lip, and quietly hid behind her.
"Sister, please help Tiexin. I don't want to go with them."
As she spoke, she clung tightly to Danielle's clothes—gripping them hard.