C17 Eating

The other two exchanged glances, sharing a smile, and then picked up their chopsticks to join in the meal.

After finishing their food, the trio each requested a pot of tea, sipping it leisurely as they took a moment to rest. Yun Ling'er, restless as ever, chimed in, "Now that we're done eating, shouldn't we go for a walk to help digest?"

"What do you mean?" Situ Yu asked, looking puzzled.

Yun Wan'er gave her sister a wry smile. Yun Ling'er, not one to mince words, pressed on, "Don't you think my sister is beautiful? And what about me?"

"You're both very beautiful, but what does that have to do with digestion?" Situ Yu was still trying to connect the dots. Yun Ling'er, with a knowing look, explained,

"Do I really have to spell it out? You're so clueless. Look, there are two beauties here. If it were just the two of us out shopping, we'd definitely attract unwanted attention. But with you along, we'll avoid a lot of hassle. I've included you in this great plan. How are you going to thank me?"

Situ Yu gazed at the two beauties, his face a mask of bewilderment. They were indeed stunning, and accompanying them seemed simple enough. After all, it wasn't his first time doing something like this. Sadly, he had momentarily forgotten the repercussions of his last adventure. Truly, desire can be a double-edged sword.

Poor Situ Yu was easily led into a trap by the charming Yun Ling'er, setting the stage for an afternoon of misadventure.

Exiting the restaurant, they hailed a cab to a sprawling shopping mall offering a full spectrum of indulgences—from dining to entertainment, all under one roof.

Stepping into the mall, a refreshing chill greeted them, dispelling the lingering heat. As they made their way to the women's clothing section on the second floor, Situ Yu was struck by a sense of foreboding. Whether by Yun Ling'er's design or not, the first store they stopped at was a lingerie boutique.

Situ Yu was mortified. Standing frozen at the entrance, he debated internally, "Should I really go in? It's a lingerie store, for goodness' sake. If I enter, I'll be met with all sorts of odd stares. No, I've made up my mind. I can't go in, and I won't—not even if it kills me."

Yun Ling'er wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. Seeing him hesitate at the doorway, she dashed over, seized his arm, and yanked him inside.

Situ Yu was stunned. There went his reputation, tarnished in an instant. He was so mortified he could have cried, but no tears came. His cheeks flamed red as an apple, and he was embarrassingly shy. Head bowed, he followed Yun Ling'er, resembling a statue.

Yun Wan'er caught sight of her playful sister teasing Situ Yu again and could only offer a sheepish smile. After all, no one in the family could rein in this little troublemaker, so they just let her be.

Yun Ling'er found it even more amusing when she noticed Situ Yu standing there, head down, as if he were a wooden sculpture. She nonchalantly picked up a pink bra nearby and asked him, "Situ Yu, what do you think of this?" She even held it up to her own flat chest for effect.

Situ Yu looked up and inwardly scoffed, "With your runway-flat chest, what's the point of having such a large bra?"

Yun Ling'er, realizing he was staring oddly at her chest, glanced down and spotted the issue. Annoyed, she thought, So what if it's a bit small? I'll grow eventually.

Her sister couldn't help but let out a snicker. Irritated that even her own sister was laughing at her, Yun Ling'er dropped the bra and started tickling her. Yun Wan'er quickly cried uncle, not wanting to make a scene in front of an outsider.

Watching the sisters' playful antics, he thought how wonderful it was to have family. But then, memories of his late grandfather's tragic death filled his mind, and sorrow washed over him. Unnoticed, two tears trickled down his cheeks. The sisters ceased their frolicking and turned to see Situ Yu crying. Yun Wan'er immediately apologized, "I'm so sorry, my sister didn't mean to upset you." She assumed her sister's teasing had driven him to tears.

Yun Ling'er felt bewildered, worried she had actually made him cry.

Situ Yu quickly regained his composure and explained, "No, it's not your sister's fault. I was just reminded of some past events. It's not related to her."

Finally at ease, she shot the troublemaker a warning glance. Yun Ling'er stuck out her tongue, no longer daring to cause mischief, and joined her sister in a joyful shopping spree. The sisters tried on clothes for each other, purchasing what fit well and picking out a few items for themselves. Situ Yu, who had started the day with empty hands, found them increasingly filled with shopping bags as the day wore on. By evening, his hands were practically clothes racks, laden with bags of all sorts.

Realizing the time, the sisters decided to call it a day on their shopping adventure. They couldn't help but laugh upon seeing Situ Yu's forlorn expression. Seeking respite, they found a café to relax with drinks and snacks.

Situ Yu's afternoon ordeal was unforgettable. These two beauties could out-shop even Hee Qingshui. Was there a correlation between shopping stamina and beauty?

After the desserts, the sisters, wishing to express their gratitude, treated him to a movie. The frustrations of the afternoon were quickly forgotten as he became engrossed in the film. He was keen to watch, but Yun Ling'er was less than impressed. To her, it was just another guy flick. Naturally, it wasn't risqué, but that didn't stop her from feeling aggrieved, and both her sister and Situ Yu ended up chatting with her instead of watching the movie.

Post-movie, night had fallen, and Situ Yu, concerned for their safety, offered to escort the sisters home. They accepted without hesitation.

They hailed a cab and arrived at a villa complex. He handed them their bags and admired the grand villas, envying the day he might own one.

After bidding the sisters farewell, Situ Yu caught a taxi back to the minibus station and made his way home.

Reflecting on the day's events, it had certainly been full of twists and turns. He had sold a flowerpot for 200,000 yuan, a fifty-year-old ginseng for 400,000 yuan, and encountered the sisters, with the day's earlier scuffles conveniently forgotten. Then came the afternoon's trials.

He glanced at the handkerchief in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile. The knot was a work of art, albeit impractical for bandaging. Gently, he untied the handkerchief, dampened it with mineral water, and cleaned the blood from his wound.

"Uh? Where's the wound? Why is there only a little blood and no wound?"

"Hahaha, reptile, naturally, it's thanks to yours truly." A smug voice echoed in his mind.

"I don't recall you mentioning this feature before."

"What, did a monkey send you as a joke? If it can catalyze biological processes and rapidly repair cells, isn't that a fundamental feature? And how about the injury on your head in the mine? Have you forgotten about that?"

Ke Lianna spoke with clear irritation. "If you can't grasp even this, communicating with you is really taxing."

Her disdain was palpable, leaving Situ Yu feeling utterly humiliated. He walked away, deciding to ignore her. There was no helping it; whenever they discussed anything technical, he was always the one getting metaphorically slapped in the face—without exception. The disparity in their levels was a killer.

As darkness fell, he figured he'd check out the yard's contents tomorrow. With that thought, he decided to go take a shower.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

“Hmm? What's that noise? There can't be any rats left, I cleared them all out.” He looked around but found no sign of rats, so he proceeded into the yard.

A rustling came from a corner. Grabbing a shovel leaning against the wall, he cautiously approached. “Plop! Plop!”

To his relief, it was just a small bird, not another rat. He set aside his makeshift weapon and crouched down to inspect the bird. It was roughly the size of a sparrow, but hard to make out in the dark. Back inside, he couldn't find a suitable cage, so he settled for a small basin to house the tiny creature.

Under the light indoors, he could finally see it clearly: black and brown feathers, talons with hooks, a pointed beak, and a wound on its wing—likely a pellet gun's doing.

"Little fella, did you flee from the mountains? Lucky you. Today, I discovered a hidden talent. Your fortune's about to change."

He instructed the main brain to lock onto the little bird.

"Confirmed. Target locked. Catalysis initiated." The mechanical voice faded away.

He then gathered some hay from the yard to make a bed for the bird and went to shower. Afterward, he returned to his room, fired up the computer, and began researching bird species to identify his new acquaintance. It certainly didn't seem like any ordinary sparrow. It didn't take long to find out—it was a protected species, a high-class one at that, a falcon.

Upon spotting what he was searching for, little loli Ke Lianna emerged as well. "Nice find! Why not just devour it? You still have some genes left to collect, don't you?" she suggested, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Her gaze fixed on the small hawk, which shuddered under her stare, clutching its head and trembling, too frightened to utter a sound.

This was the power of a higher level. Ke Lianna was far more advanced than Situ Yu, and her position at the apex of the food chain instinctively intimidated a host of creatures.

Situ Yu watched her, puzzled by the scene. The little loli was so endearing; what could the hawk possibly fear? He couldn't grasp the terror that came with being at the top of the food chain. Turning to Ke Lianna, he protested, "Look at her, she's just a youngster, not even of age. Their numbers aren't critically low, and they're somewhat protected, aren't they? You want to devour her genes too? That's simply inhumane. I can't condone that."

Realizing her little scheme had failed and losing interest, Ke Lianna quickly vanished to join the main brain in its games.

With the threat gone, the little hawk no longer felt the need to hide. It settled down comfortably in the grass, beginning to recuperate. Its tiny eyes darted about, curiously surveying the strange surroundings.

Having located the information on the small bird and dismissed Ke Lianna, Situ Yu stretched out on his bed, his mind turning to the complexities of gene devouring...