"If I didn't know this was my Little Moon, I'd have wiped out the creep wearing her dress."
"Ugh... it couldn't be helped."
In a blue dress, Yue Liuyi ducked her head, awkward as rain on silk. She’d imagined LittleSnow would be thrilled to see her, yet the silver-haired girl looked a touch stormy.
Nerves first, then voice, Yue Liuyi spoke carefully. "Um... LittleSnow... I asked around. They came to poison us."
"Mm. I already learned through the phantom butterflies. They're the gang's vanguard."
She spoke with cool clarity, but her moon-bright eyes never settled on Yue Liuyi. Instead, her gaze slipped sideways, a blade of frost cutting another angle.
"Huh? Then, LittleSnow... what do we do next?"
"Return to Moon Post Bookstore."
"Huh? No decontamination? And what about the captured men in black?"
"Others will handle it. As for Little Moon—get dressed. Now."
Dixue, cold as winter glass, tossed a set of clothes at Dongfang Chen.
"Clothes...?"
Yue Liuyi blinked at the bundle. Unexpectedly, it was just a plain set of menswear, ordinary as river stones.
"Quick, change! Your old class rep and the old principal came. They asked to see Dongfang Chen."
"Hah...?"
"Don't hah me! Push me back with you. If we're late, they'll start suspecting things."
Dixue gave Yue Liuyi a look equal parts fondness and flame, irritation sparking like flint.
...
...
"Mm. I'm Mr. Dongfang Chen's wife. The attack at the chemical plant—my darling and I handled it together."
Expressionless yet regal, the silver-haired girl sat in the Moon Post Bookstore lounge, composed as a still lake.
Silver strands fell along her shoulders, pooling at the hem of a white dress, beautiful as moonlight on paper. She looked every inch the mistress of the shop.
"Thank you for your help... silver-haired adventurer."
"Much obliged."
Opposite LittleSnow sat two women—one old, one young. The elder rested on the sofa, smile warm as a brazier. The younger stared wide-eyed at Dongfang Chen, disbelief fluttering like startled sparrows.
No wonder Zixin looked so shocked. Hearing the silver-haired girl call herself Dongfang Chen's wife almost made her faint on the spot.
What was going on? If the silver-haired girl was the proper wife, then who was that cute blue-haired girl earlier? In Zixin’s mind, Dongfang Chen was a man of duty, steady as pine. How had he become a scumbag, arms around two at once?
So now Zixin's gaze on Dongfang Chen held more anger than air.
"Uh... Headmistress Wang, no need to thank me. As one of Dreamwood Star, taking down rampaging terrorists in passing is just part of the job."
Dongfang Chen shook his head, confusion fogging his thoughts. He didn't know how LittleSnow had contacted Chairwoman Wang, but it seemed she’d "disguised" herself as his wife and tidied up the chemical plant mess.
"Xiao Dong has grown up... good, good."
Chairwoman Wang watched him with deep relief, like seeing the first star at dawn.
"Haha... Headmistress Wang, you're too kind."
"Guests, please enjoy tea!"
Kaka, tail swaying like a willow twig, brought over chrysanthemum tea with proper ceremony.
Stare...
Zixin shot Kaka a look, and her glare turned sharper. In her eyes, Dongfang Chen wasn’t just a scumbag—he was a shameless pervert, not even sparing a tiny beastkin girl.
Granny Wang only smiled, taking Kaka’s tea, steam drifting like winter mist.
"Thank you... little cutie."
"Um... Headmistress Wang, you and the class rep came today for what matter?"
"We planned to discipline those reckless fools. But seeing Xiao Dong grown, I can rest easy. I'll hand Winterwood District to you."
She lifted her cup, slow and unhurried, voice light as drifting snow, as if speaking of something trivial.
"Huh? Hand it to me?"
"Yes. The council agreed to your earlier proposals. From now on, you're the director of the Winterwood District Protected Reserve."
Zixin drew a document from her bag and slapped it onto the table, crisp as a banner in wind.
"Huh?"
"Darling! That's wonderful!"
A moment ago Dixue had been all solemn frost. In the next, she melted into a dove-soft wife, hugging Dongfang Chen’s arm, joy bright as lanterns.
"Seeing my dear Xiao Dong become director makes me so happy~!"
"Uh...? Uhm... then, thank you, Madam Chair."
Stare...
Watching Dongfang Chen and Dixue lean close, Zixin’s brow knotted like mountain ridges.
"Haha! Youth is a fine thing."
Granny Wang laughed out loud and slipped a ring from her finger, bright as a fallen star.
"O-Old Principal?"
Dongfang Chen eyed the ring, not sure what Old Principal Wang Baijun meant.
"It's a storage ring. There's money inside. If you need it, use it as seed funding."
"Eh? I couldn’t possibly! I remember the class rep said the Council’s already broke!"
"No worries. It’s my personal stash. Consider it a reward for the hero who crushed a terrorist operation."
