CHAPTER 11

Shu Yanyan, who was being remembered by someone, was unaware of what was happening in the palace. After returning to her room, she couldn't resist her fatigue and fell asleep, entering a dream about the past.

It was a few months after Shu Qing's disappearance.

The federal officers were passive and negligent, not putting in any effort to solve the case. Their visit this time was to persuade Shu Yanyan to give up, so they could close the case directly.

However, Shu Yanyan did not back down.

With courage she didn't know where it came from, she firmly told those people that Shu Qing must still be alive. She even went so far as to spend a huge amount of money from her own pocket every year to continue the investigation.

The scene shifted, transitioning from the humble old residence to the luxurious reception hall of the palace.

She was still in that position, but everyone else had disappeared, leaving only Chu Yu standing by the door, arms open, looking at her.

Shu Yanyan knew very well that it was Chu Yu, although her hair color and eyes were not the same as Shu Qing's appearance.

But deep in her heart, she knew without a doubt that this was the lover she had met and fallen in love with five years ago.

Without hesitation, she walked briskly towards her. As she got closer, walking was no longer enough for her, so Shu Yanyan started running, and in the end, she leaped straight into the arms of the person she loved.

Soft and warm.

"Mommy?"

Shu Yanyan opened her eyes.

Little Yunmiao sat at the bedside, holding her head in her hands. "Mommy, wake up~"

Shu Yanyan then realized that she had actually overslept.

She smiled and sat up, bringing Yunmiao onto her lap. She praised, "Such a good baby, already able to wake Mommy up."

Yunmiao, delighted by the praise, smiled with her eyes squinted.

She spoke, "Mommy seems so happy today!"

Shu Yanyan carried her as they walked towards the bathroom. "Ah?" She was a bit confused. "How can you tell?"

Yunmiao nodded. "Mommy was very tired last night, but after waking up in the morning, you were in a good mood~"

Shu Yanyan nodded as if it was a matter of fact. "Because Mommy had a good sleep. What about Yunmiao? Did you sleep well?"

Yunmiao hugged her neck. "Yunmiao slept very well too!"

Shu Yanyan's lips curved up.

The memories of the dream were gradually fading, and she couldn't recall many of the details. But upon waking up, she felt a sudden clarity.

Although she couldn't be a hundred percent certain, she sincerely prayed that Chu Yu was her Shu Qing.

At least this way, she would know that Shu Qing was doing well.

Doing very well.

Better than her.

That alone was enough to dispel the extremely negative and pessimistic thoughts that plagued her during sleepless nights. The next time someone doubted Shu Qing's well-being, she could confidently and loudly refute them!

After all, her Shu Qing was living a remarkable life!

The person she longed for, simply existing in happiness, was already a miracle.

As for everything else...

She would focus on living her present life well, and deal with the future when it comes!

The new morning began with the light footsteps of the mother and daughter.

After a simple breakfast, Yunmiao, under the watchful eye of the little chubby bird, started working on her homework while Shu Yanyan busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a dessert for her upcoming shop.

After steaming the first layer of milk skin from the fresh milk, she pierced a small hole and poured out most of the liquid. She mixed the remaining liquid with egg whites and condensed milk, then poured it back into the bowl to steam. Once the second layer of milk skin formed, the dessert known as "double skin milk," which had once been popular in the Eastern world, was ready!

Since children couldn't eat cold food, Shu Yanyan only put her own bowl in the refrigerator. After closing the refrigerator, she massaged her lower back, feeling that she had been getting tired very quickly lately.

But she didn't pay much attention to it and left the kitchen to accompany Yunmiao in the living room.

When she felt that the temperature of the double skin milk had dropped to room temperature, she let Yunmiao rest and returned to the kitchen to serve the dessert for them to enjoy together.

Yunmiao had always been her number one fan. As she scooped up a spoonful of double skin milk, she exclaimed before even tasting it, "It's so delicious!"

Shu Yanyan pointed out her flaw, "But you haven't even tasted it yet."

Yunmiao didn't feel guilty at all, tilting her little head and saying, "Just by smelling it, I know it's delicious!"

After saying that, she finally put the spoon into her mouth.

The double skin milk had a cloud-like texture, melting in their mouths with a rich milky flavor.

Yunmiao's eyes lit up, and as soon as she swallowed a spoonful, she couldn't wait to dig into the second one. Meanwhile, little Guan Guan, who was sitting beside them, had buried its entire head in the bowl, happily shaking its two bird claws in the air.

Shu Yanyan gently pressed her hand against little Guan Guan, "pulling" it out of the bowl.

The little chubby bird sat on the table, licking the remnants around its beak.

Shu Yanyan chuckled at its appearance, "Is it delicious?"

The little chubby bird vigorously nodded, "Yanyan, you're my ideal partner! I... I want to give you little bird eggs!"

Being teased by a robotic bird was something Shu Yanyan had become immune to.

She explained to herself, "I actually had the dessert menu for my shop prepared in advance, but after coming to the Empire, I realized that several of the brands for the ingredients I needed were simply unavailable here.

"Last time when I went to the mall, I found some alternative products and planned to try them out one by one at home in the coming days. So... I'll need both of you to help me taste them."

The little chubby bird immediately pledged its loyalty, "Mission guaranteed to be completed!"

Shu Yanyan smiled and took a sip, then lowered her head to record on paper, "Formula 1: Strong milk flavor, excessive sweetness, consider reducing the amount of condensed milk."

Amidst the sweet aroma filling the house, the week-long holiday celebration quietly slipped away.

That day, after getting up, Shu Yanyan changed Yunmiao into the uniform of Qimingxing Nursery. Little Yunmiao walked in her black round-toe shoes, making a pleasant "da da" sound with each step.

Shu Yanyan looked at the little chubby bird with some concern.

"You'll have to accompany Yunmiao to school every day from now on... Is that okay?"

The little chubby bird puffed up its little chest, "Of course, no problem! I am the all-powerful Divine Bird, after all!"

Shu Yanyan replied, "I don't doubt your abilities. It's precisely because you're so amazing that I'm thinking if it's a bit of a waste to treat you as a children's robot, don't you think?"

"Hmph, of course!" The little chubby bird was filled with pride, flapping its wings and continued, "But that's my responsibility. Yanyan, don't worry, I'll take good care of the little brat."

Shu Yanyan let out a sigh of relief, "Then I'll rely on you. To be honest, we haven't been in the Empire for long, and I've always been worried about Yunmiao going to kindergarten on her own. Thankfully, now we have you, and you've been a great help to me."

The little chubby bird was pleased to hear the praise, "You can completely rely on the Divine Bird."

It was bursting with enthusiasm, hovering a few times before landing on the countertop. "Ahem, now, as the Divine Bird, I shall announce the morning news for Yanyan and Yunmiao—"

"First news, breaking news, the Emperor will initiate the selection of a consort... Wait, the Emperor is selecting a consort?"

Shu Yanyan paused for a moment.

In the next instant, she regained her composure, helped Yunmiao put on her little backpack, and casually continued the conversation, "The Emperor has reached the appropriate age for marriage and is initiating the selection of a consort... It's not that surprising, is it?"

The little chubby bird tilted its head, "True. But it's hard to imagine what kind of person she would like. Ahem, never mind that. Let's move on to the second news—these noble ladies are all strong contenders for the Empress's throne, and the last chance carries the greatest weight."

The little chubby bird jumped up, "Tsk tsk! In this era, why do news headlines still love to tantalize people's curiosity?"

Yunmiao was amused by its appearance and looked up, asking, "So who is the last one?"

Xiao Fei Jiu checked and said a name, "Ge Meng."

Shu Yanyan murmured, "Ge Meng? I feel like I've heard that name before..."

Xiao Fei Jiu reminded her, "It should be from that agency."

"Ge Meng is the team leader of a special-grade mercenary group."

Shu Yanyan suddenly realized, "Oh... Right!"

She remembered something and lamented, "Ohhh, that person asked me to reply to him as soon as possible, and I completely forgot about it during this time."

"He mentioned Ge Meng to me, saying she was the one who saved the Emperor back then?"

Xiao Fei Jiu nodded, "Yes. Ge Meng is a Beta, but she has strong abilities. After she saved the Emperor, they have maintained contact. Over the past two years, there have been sporadic photos of her and the Emperor together. Initially, the people of the Empire thought they would be together, but Ge Meng continued to carry out her missions as usual, and the rumors gradually subsided. However... she is still one of the people who interacts most frequently with the Emperor, apart from family and subordinates. Well, that's the gist of it as written in the news."

Shu Yanyan curled her lips slightly and said, "...Hmm."

She looked down and glanced at the smart brain. "Let's go. The hover car I called for has arrived."

The little chubby bird replied, "Okay," and flew onto Yunmiao's little yellow hat. It stood proudly and shouted, "Let's go!"

The hover car was fast, and within fifteen minutes, the trio arrived at the entrance of the kindergarten.

However, fate had its way, and as soon as Shu Yanyan got out of the car, she saw the little boy who had clashed with Yunmiao before, along with his intimidating mother.

They also noticed her presence and deliberately raised their voices to emphasize to the teacher at the entrance, "Did you remember what I just said? Our precious baby has a delicate stomach. Don't let him eat anything shady in the future! Last time, he had an upset stomach for three days after eating some egg rolls!"

Shu Yanyan originally didn't want to pay attention to them, but as a pastry chef, how could she tolerate someone saying that the things she made had safety issues?

So she couldn't help but speak up, "If there really was a problem, you can simply provide a hospital report. As long as there is evidence, I have no problem compensating."

Of course, the other party was just making a fuss. There was no real upset stomach involved.

But she stubbornly looked up and retorted, "A pauper like you, talking about compensation? Can you afford it?"

Shu Yanyan hadn't spoken yet when the little chubby bird, who had been pretending to be a sculpture on Yunmiao's hat, suddenly flapped its wings and took flight.

It stopped in mid-air, scrutinizing the boy's mother, and asked, "Why don't you name a figure, let's see if we can afford it or not."

The woman stared at it, her eyes almost bulging out.

She stammered, "Is this.. is this realistic bird yours?"

The little chubby bird scoffed, "Then whose do you think it is?"

One was a realistic bird with the ability to fly and actively protect its owner, and the other was a child-like robotic dog standing by its owner's side without any reaction.

The difference between the two was a gap that the woman couldn't bridge.

Her face turned red, and in a hurry, she pushed her son towards the teacher and fled.

At the entrance of the kindergarten, Shu Yanyan watched her leave, and Yunmiao and the little chubby bird burst into laughter simultaneously. Soon, the laughter spread, and nearby teachers and parents joined in the laughter.

It was truly a beautiful morning.

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