"Goudan, what's wrong, Goudan?" The boy's mother heard his shouts and came running from afar.
The little boy ran over and threw himself into his mother's embrace. "Mommy, I'm scared, I'm so scared…"
The mother soothed him, then looked up to see Ye Qianning running after them. Her expression instantly darkened. She lifted the boy into her arms and started yelling at Ye Qianning, "Whose damn kid are you, you fatso? How dare you bully my son!"
"I…"
Ye Qianning was speechless. She had clearly been helping the little brat.
"What do you mean, 'I'?! If I ever catch you bullying my son again, I'll beat you black and blue!" the mother snarled, walking away with the child in her arms.
'She didn't get any blessing points, and she got an earful on top of it. Kids are so unreliable!'
'It's so hard to be a good person these days,' she mused. 'Looks like developing my first 'plot of land' is going to be a challenge.'
Her chubby little body slumped against the wall. Her doughy face scrunched up as she once again dangled the small snake by its tail, spinning it in circles until it passed out.
'Plan A failed. Now what?'
In the window of a pavilion not far across the alley, a man dressed in fine blue robes stood, lost in thought.
"Is that her?"
"Reporting to my lord, yes, it's her. My men have eyes all over the inn," a guard in martial attire replied.
"It took over a year to travel from Nanyuan to Beili?"
"That is what the old woman claimed," the guard responded.
"Useless fool. You believe her just because she said so? Look at that child—she's as round as a ball, with fair, smooth skin. Does she look like someone who has weathered the elements for over a year? Go investigate. I want to see who's pulling the strings."
"Yes, sir." The guard departed.
Zhan Chi's eyes narrowed as he stared at the small figure in the distance. A thick killing intent flashed in their depths. He'd like to see just who was tired of living and dared to dredge up the past.
The little hand Ye Qianning had been using to stroke her chin suddenly froze. 'Killing intent!'
She could clearly feel a gaze from across the alley laced with murderous intent. Her heart sank. 'See? My deadbeat dad already wants me dead.'
'I might as well see what this deadbeat dad of mine looks like,' she thought, turning her head casually.
In the pavilion opposite, Zhan Chi's narrowed eyes suddenly met a pair of startlingly clear ones. The gaze shifted away in an instant, making him wonder if he had imagined it.
'Was that a casual glance, or did she sense something?'
Though Zhan Chi was suspicious, he was now even more convinced there was something off about the chubby child in the distance.
Though it was just a fleeting glance, Ye Qianning got a clear look at the person's face. He was incredibly handsome, and his blue robes gave him a noble air. He was definitely not a commoner.
'Since he has a mind to kill me, I can't just sit here and wait to die.'
"Pangtuan! Pangtuan!" Fourth Granny's anxious voice called out.
Ye Qianning collected herself, tossed the unconscious snake into a corner, bent down to dust off her legs, and ran toward the voice. "Fourth Granny, I'm over here!"
Seeing her, Fourth Granny's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. She rushed to meet her. "Where did you run off to, you little rascal? You scared me to death!"
"I just saw a snake and got curious, so I chased it," Ye Qianning said, tilting her head up at her.
Fourth Granny jumped at the mention of a snake and quickly looked around.
"Don't worry, Fourth Granny, it's already gone."
"You little daredevil! Why would you chase a snake? That's so dangerous! What if it had bitten you?" Fourth Granny said, poking her on the forehead.
Ye Qianning just grinned cheekily.
Fourth Granny took her hand and led her out of the alley, nagging all the while. "Don't do that again. It's so crowded in the Capital City. It would be terrible if you got lost."
Ye Qianning listened in silence.
'The magistrate's office took the token,' she thought. 'They've most likely already contacted my deadbeat dad.'