Chapter 12 Planning Ahead

Shen Shitong spent fifty yuan to temporarily gain the right to use the small living room, which also served as a dining room, while Qian Mengqi, with great professionalism, began to help him tidy up his “single room”.

Shen Shitong, of course, didn’t forget to shower her with attention and boast a bit. Adhering to the principle of “customer first,” Qian Mengqi greeted him with a constant smile, just like she would a patient in a hospital. Shen Shitong was so pleased that his eyes narrowed into slits; he was happier than if he were staying in a presidential suite.

Yu Ziqing couldn’t stand seeing the two of them making a fuss, so he shook his head and went back to his room.

“Holy crap, this is amazing! It’s truly amazing! You really touched her private parts?” Upon seeing this, Shen Shitong hurriedly followed her in, closed the door, and asked excitedly.

“It’s because I was in a hurry to save you, and she happened to be blocking my way, which caused this accident,” Yu Ziqing explained irritably.

“Damn, as the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and it seems that’s true. Look at you now, you’ve got both wealth and women!” Shen Shitong said.

“Shut up my foot! If you hadn’t been so eager to find some damn happiness and gotten scammed, would I be this unlucky?” Yu Ziqing gave Shen Shitong a hard flick on the forehead and cursed.

Shen Shitong awkwardly scratched his head, a rare hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. But he immediately brought his chubby face close to Yu Ziqing’s, asking with a lewd grin, “Besides touching there, have you done anything else?”

“Get out!” Yu Ziqing gave him a blunt order to leave.

“There are pretty nurses waiting outside. I’d leave even if you didn’t tell me. But there’s something I need to ask you first: do you have feelings for this girl?” Shen Shitong asked with a rare serious expression.

“What do you mean? It doesn’t mean anything. He’s just a roommate.” Yu Ziqing ignored Shen Shitong and picked up a book to read.

“If you really have no interest in this, then I won’t be polite!” Shen Shitong said.

“Do whatever you want, but I advise you to save your breath.” Yu Ziqing didn’t even bother to glance at Shen Shitong.

Shen Shitong seemed completely oblivious to the sarcasm in Yu Ziqing’s words. He even cheerfully thanked Yu Ziqing and then scurried off to the living room to find Qian Mengqi. Unfortunately, in just a short while, Qian Mengqi had already hurriedly slipped away to her room.

At midnight, the night sky was dotted with stars and the bright moon hung high. Yu Ziqing sat cross-legged on the balcony as usual, absorbing internal energy into his body. After an hour of cultivation, Yu Ziqing felt his internal energy was abundant and his spirit was full, bringing him one step closer to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

But tonight, Yu Ziqing did not feel the usual joy, nor did he climb into bed to sleep as usual. Instead, he stood alone on the balcony, facing the wind, gazing at the bustling city of Hangzhou under the dim lights.

Originally, Yu Ziqing only wanted to quietly enjoy the mundane life, which was one of the reasons why he was willing to stay in the research institute, seeking that peace and quiet.

Accompanying the quiet and leisurely life is a steady, unhurried cultivation of oneself, taking one step at a time.

However, the incident at the East Bus Station served as a wake-up call for Yu Ziqing, reminding him that a peaceful life still requires the support of his own strength.

In terms of strength, Yu Ziqing is more than capable of dealing with the thugs at the East Bus Station. However, if he were to encounter someone slightly more powerful, this once-renowned figure in the Immortal Realm would likely be in serious trouble.

However, cultivation requires patience and composure, a fact Yu Ziqing understood better than anyone else in the world. Because of his familiarity with the methods and his exceptional talent, his cultivation speed had already reached an astonishing level, making it even more difficult to rush, especially during the foundational stage. Therefore, he had to consider making other preparations.

The next day was Saturday. While Shen Shitong and Qian Mengqi were still asleep, Yu Ziqing went out.

Because it rained in Hangzhou in the early morning, the air was unusually cool in the June morning.

From afar, Yu Ziqing saw the proprietress’s still charming figure again; her full figure appeared exceptionally simple and touching under her plain clothes.

Unconsciously, a faint smile appeared on Yu Ziqing’s lips. The proprietress was like a unique sight in this world, bringing Yu Ziqing a touch of warmth.

“Two steamed buns and a bag of soy milk,” Yu Ziqing said with a smile.

“Okay, to go or eat here?” The proprietress gave Yu Ziqing a sincere smile on her pretty face, which also had the charm of a mature woman.

Because it was the weekend, there weren’t many people in the shop at this time. There was only a little girl who looked somewhat like the proprietress, around seven or eight years old, propping her chin up with her delicate elbows and spacing out.

Yu Ziqing’s heart skipped a beat, and he said, “Let’s eat here.”

After taking the steamed buns and soy milk, Yu Ziqing sat down next to the little girl and smiled, “Little friend, how old are you this year?”

The little girl’s deep, unfathomable eyes remained fixed on the shop entrance.

“You’re seven years old!” The proprietress walked to the little girl’s side, gently stroking her head affectionately, and said softly, “Wenwen, you have to answer when Uncle asks you a question, okay?”

The little girl remained oblivious, her gaze still fixed blankly on the doorway.

A barely perceptible hint of despair flashed in the proprietress’s beautiful eyes, and her eyes were slightly moist.

Looking at the mother and daughter in front of him, a tender spot deep within Yu Ziqing’s heart seemed to be suddenly touched.

“Children have their own inner world. She’ll get better when she’s older.” Yu Ziqing gently stroked Wenwen’s head and comforted her, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. If his magical power weren’t so pitifully low right now, perhaps he could help this little girl emerge from her closed-off inner world and help this hardworking mother escape the torment of day and night.

Looking up at Yu Ziqing’s delicate and slender face, the proprietress could feel his heartfelt concern.

She raised her daughter alone and painstakingly ran this steamed bun shop. The proprietress was not a weak woman; beneath her simple, pretty, and slightly charming exterior lay an incredibly strong heart. But for some reason, when the man before her, with his particularly deep eyes and a subtle air of world-weariness beyond his years, offered her words of comfort, she suddenly found herself unusually vulnerable. Unconsciously, tears streamed down her smooth, fair cheeks and silently dripped onto the table.

A faint sadness crept into Yu Ziqing’s heart, and he naturally picked up a tissue from the table and handed it to the proprietress.

“Thank you!” The proprietress took the tissue, wiped her eyes, and then stood up with slightly red eyes to attend to customers.

When paying, the two naturally looked at each other and smiled faintly. Although they still didn’t know each other’s names, they seemed to be acquaintances.

After leaving Ah Zhen’s steamed bun shop, Yu Ziqing wandered slowly along the road alone. He saw a goldsmith shop that advertised buying gold and platinum, so he went inside.

Just as Shen Shitong had said, gold prices had risen sharply, and given the considerable weight of the gold necklaces and bracelets worn by those thugs, Yu Ziqing sold a total of over 68,000 pieces of gold. Before leaving the goldsmith shop, Yu Ziqing ordered 49 silver needles.

After leaving the goldsmith shop, Yu Ziqing wandered towards Zhongshan Middle Road. He knew that there was a long-established brush shop near Jiefang Road on Zhongshan Middle Road, which had all kinds of high-quality calligraphy brushes.

After what happened last night, Yu Ziqing felt it was necessary to make some talismans in case of emergency.