Chapter 294: Chapter 291: [The Blessed Good Child]
Chapter 291: The Child Favored by God
Actually, Sun Keke had been feeling off for quite some time.
Before she revived Chen Nuo, Lu Xixi had extracted a grain of white rice from Sun Keke’s body and told her that because of this white rice grain, Sun Keke had obtained a portion of Chen Nuo’s spiritual power. And because of this opportunity, Sun Keke’s spiritual power had greatly surpassed that of an ordinary person, allowing her to be categorized as an Ability User.
If it were merely external spiritual power, it would be like water without a source—once it was used up too much, it would eventually run out. But the spiritual power Transferred by the white rice grain had a greater effect, similar to lighting up a skill tree for Sun Keke.
It had broadened and deepened Sun Keke’s Consciousness Space, and after stepping into the realm of Ability Users, her Consciousness Space had been enhanced. The spiritual power that naturally generated each day had gradually increased.
Moreover, Sun Keke had gradually begun to feel these "benefits" during this period.
The most obvious change was that she felt more energetic. She needed less sleep each day—young people tend to be quite fond of sleeping. In the past, eighteen-year-old Sun Keke had to sleep eight or nine hours a day to feel rested. Now, she felt refreshed and full of energy after only three hours of sleep a day, even after a hard day of studying, without feeling overly fatigued.
Secondly, with the increase of spiritual power, Sun Keke felt as if she had become more insightful in many matters, primarily reflected in her progress in studies. Whether it was memory, comprehension, or perceptibility, all seemed to be slowly growing. This increase might not seem very noticeable if broken down day by day, but looking back over the course of one or two months, the change was much more significant!
Previously, during Chinese class, when learning a brand-new piece of classical literature, Sun Keke only had to read it twice before she could roughly recite most of the text! By the fourth reading, she could recite the entire text without missing a single word!
These changes had surprised both her parents, Old Sun, and her schoolteachers. In two regular quizzes and one preliminary exam, Sun Keke’s scores had improved dramatically, placing her at the top of her class.
However, as someone who had half a lifetime of experience in education, Old Sun had encountered similar incidents during his career as a teacher: A diligent student who, although always having a good attitude, had only mediocre grades for a long time. But perhaps during some phase after entering the third year of high school, they suddenly seemed to get the hang of it, and their grades skyrocketed, becoming extremely efficient in their studies. Seeing the changes in his daughter, Old Sun attributed this phenomenon to similar cases he had encountered in his teaching career, joy mixed with amazement.
But, only Sun Keke herself knew that in addition to the changes in her spiritual power, there seemed to be changes in her body as well. Even though she was sleeping less, her physical condition seemed to be slowly improving.
The most direct evidence was during physical education classes. Girls’ PE classes used to be all about practicing volleyball, and Sun Keke’s skills were very average—she was never the sporty type of beauty. But in recent days, as her spiritual power increased, Sun Keke found her reaction abilities and speed were also greatly enhanced.
Sharp senses!
When learning new movements, those techniques she could never master before would become precisely executed after the teacher demonstrated them a couple of times. And during volleyball, she could quickly predict the trajectory and landing point of every serve and hit by the opponent the moment it happened! Moreover, her reactions were very quick!
And not just in terms of neural response. Her physical capabilities were also slowly increasing. In the recent PE classes which included standard physical tests, Sun Keke’s middle-distance running records refreshed her personal bests every time!
This was only because No. 8 Middle School was poorly regarded, without much tradition in sports, and the PE classes were mainly going through the motions, only helping students meet the physical fitness standards required for college entrance exams. Otherwise, in a more prestigious school with a tradition in sports, Sun Keke’s running records would probably have attracted the attention of the sports research group, and she might even have been reported as a key focus to the city-level youth team.
Of course! None of this was the reason Sun Keke sought out Chen Nuo today!
Although these changes were astonishing, Sun Keke had previously discussed with Lu Xixi and had learned from her that she had become an "Ability User." So despite the surprise and wonder, she had been cautiously digesting these emotions over the days. Even Sun Keke consciously hid her own changes, trying not to make them too exaggerated and abrupt for those around her. She had already psychologically prepared herself for these changes and wasn’t panicked or anxious.
But in recent days, a new change had made Sun Keke a bit restless!
The first time she was surprised was one night last week! Sun Keke had a strange dream.
How should I put it... Generally speaking, dreams are very strange, and that’s normal. But the dream Sun Keke had was weird in that, in it, Sun Keke dreamed of herself... not being herself!
In the perspective of the dream, Sun Keke saw "herself" holding her mother Yang Xiaoyi’s hand while also holding another... Sun Keke! Then the three of them aimlessly strolled through the streets, eventually arriving at a park and boarding a boat ride.
It took a while before Sun Keke realized a problem: The strangeness of the dream lay in the fact that she dreamed of becoming... Old Sun! The dream was from Old Sun’s perspective!
And later, it got even weirder. In the dream, the family of three was boating, and the boatman suddenly showed a ferocious side, transforming into a robber. Especially the robber in the dream, who was a handsome, familiar-looking middle-aged man!
Just when that handsome middle-aged robber revealed his true colors and took out a knife, the "self" in the dream, who was actually Old Sun, blurted out: "Yao Weishan! You won’t take the two of them away!"
Then, the dream ended!
When Sun Keke woke from the dream and sat up in bed, the more she thought about it, the weirder it felt. She got dressed, then tiptoed to the kitchen for a drink of water. Unexpectedly, she heard the door to her parents’ master bedroom next door open. Her father, Old Sun, had also woken up in the middle of the night and come out.
In the darkness, Old Sun didn’t notice his daughter in the kitchen drinking water but went out to the balcony and closed the balcony door behind him. Then, Sun Keke saw her father fumbling for a cigarette on the balcony, light it up, and take drag after drag... Sun Keke sensed that her father’s emotions seemed off.
Soon after, her mother Yang Xiaoyi also came out from the bedroom and went to the balcony. Hiding in the kitchen, Sun Keke overheard a brief conversation between her parents.
The content was roughly:
"Why are you suddenly out here smoking?"
"Nothing, just woke up."
"You... seem troubled?"
"No... it’s just a nightmare."
Yang Xiaoyi sounded a bit nervous. "Did you dream of..."
"Yeah, let’s not talk about it, it’s all in the past."
Old Sun extinguished the cigarette butt and took Yang Xiaoyi back to their room.
Father... had a nightmare? Sun Keke, still in the kitchen, wondered.
That night, after Sun Keke returned to her room, she thought hard and suddenly realized something. The handsome robber I dreamed of... I saw him last year! He was the uncle who gave me a brooch, and he also seemed to be a friend of my mother, Yang Xiaoyi. However, I hadn’t seen him since then. I knew he was Mom’s friend... but I never knew his name!
Sun Keke carefully recalled, and was certain she had never heard the name "Yao Weishan" from anyone before.
The next day, at dinner, only Old Sun and his daughter Sun Keke were home, as Yang Xiaoyi had gone to the city for a meeting and hadn’t come back. At the dinner table, Sun Keke and Old Sun had been happily eating. With the school restructuring, Old Sun had been promoted to vice principal, became the group leader of a key class, and was responsible for the teaching and research work for the entire senior year. He was becoming busier and had less time to come home for dinner. That day was a rare opportunity, so Old Sun was quite happy to be able to have dinner at home with his daughter.
After finishing dinner, Sun Keke, as if possessed, suddenly asked Old Sun a question.
"Dad, have you heard the name Yao Weishan before?"
Sun Keke was shocked. Her father, who had always been gentle with her and never lost his temper even when she failed exams, suddenly became uncharacteristically agitated! Old Sun flew into a rage on the spot, lost control of his emotions, and yelled at Sun Keke, "How do you know this name!!"
Sun Keke was startled and dumbfounded. She wasn’t sure how to explain. Saying she dreamed it... that’s hard to say and hard for anyone to accept.
So, Old Sun, in a fury, scolded Sun Keke with a few inexplicable words. He said things like, "Children shouldn’t meddle in adults’ affairs!" and "You must have been eavesdropping on your parents!" Also, "Focus on your studies and don’t ask about random things!" He went on a rant with similar admonitions.
In the end, he strictly ordered Sun Keke to go back to her room to study, banning her from stepping out the door that evening! In the Old Sun family, this was a very rare form of punishment for his daughter.
And furthermore... What was more puzzling was that that night, when Yang Xiaoyi came home, the couple had an argument! As far as Sun Keke could remember, since a few disagreements half a year ago, the couple had reconciled and hadn’t had any fights since. In fact, their relationship seemed a lot more harmonious than before. Especially Yang Xiaoyi, who was originally quite a dominant personality and figure in the house, had since become much softer and often even willing to listen to Old Sun, showing more compliance and forbearance in life. But for some reason, the couple had a dispute again that night.
Old Sun accused Yang Xiaoyi of "telling their daughter some nonsense." Whereas Yang Xiaoyi desperately defended herself, insisting she hadn’t, and eventually broke down in tears.
After that argument, the couple had a cold war for several days. Old Sun was clearly filled with anger and resentment, while Yang Xiaoyi appeared to be exceedingly cautious in her actions at home, even seeming to actively watch Old Sun’s mood, with a hint of guilt and a desire to please. This cold war lasted a few days until Old Sun gradually got over it. After Yang Xiaoyi made several private assurances to Old Sun that she hadn’t said anything to their daughter, and Old Sun having no evidence, the matter came to an end.
But Sun Keke observed the situation clearly in secret.
Then came a night when Sun Keke had another dream. This time, it wasn’t a nightmare but a dream that made Sun Keke flush with embarrassment.
In her dream, it was a wedding. She was wearing a wedding dress, at the wedding venue surrounded by guests, and the groom next to her was that love-hate figure, Chen Xiaoguo. In the dream, "she" was as delicate as a fresh flower, her face full of happiness, and Chen Xiaoguo was holding her hand with a deeply affectionate look as well.
The only thing that made Sun Keke a bit uncomfortable was... This dream’s perspective was still that of her father, Old Sun! Once again, in the dream, she had taken on the role of Old Sun, watching "daughter Sun Keke and son-in-law Chen Xiaoguo" get married.
The next morning, while eating breakfast, Sun Keke suddenly had a thought—a strange idea crossed her mind. Intentionally, at the dining table, she looked at her father and said, "Dad, I had a dream last night."
"What?"
"I dreamed that I... got married to Chen Nuo."
Yang Xiaoyi, sitting beside her, hadn’t yet stopped teasing her daughter. "You haven’t even graduated high school, and you’re already dreaming about getting married! As a young lady, aren’t you ashamed?"
Ignoring her mother’s teasing, Sun Keke deliberately observed her father’s expression very carefully as she spoke. Then, to her surprise, came Old Sun’s reaction. Her father was momentarily stunned. Then his expression turned to surprise and curiosity as he glanced at her. Afterward, he let out a soft sigh.
"After that incident, I suddenly realized a possibility, that is... the strange dreams I had might not have been my own at all."
"I... I seemed to be able to see other people’s dreams while I was sleeping!"
"The strange dreams I experienced, they might have been... in my dreams... I was seeing my father’s dreams!"
Sun Keke looked at Chen Nuo, frowned, and said in a low voice, "Chen Nuo, do all of you Ability Users have this kind of skill?"
Chen Nuo furrowed his brow and took a deep breath, "...Do you feel odd in any other way?"
Sun Keke’s face changed, and she whispered, "Yes!"
"What else?" Chen Nuo pressed with a frown.
"Yesterday afternoon, when I was at school."
Sun Keke got this far, but suddenly her face flushed, and she seemed hesitant, as if there was something she didn’t want to say. But in the end, after hesitating, she still whispered it out.
"I... I was using the restroom, but then, suddenly, suddenly..."
"Suddenly what?"
"I..."
Sun Keke’s face reddened, but it was as if her voice got stuck and she couldn’t continue.
Chen Nuo thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "You... didn’t have toilet paper?"
"No!!" Sun Keke denied with embarrassment.
"Then what happened?"
"I... suddenly... my period started..." said Sun Keke, lowering her head and whispering, "But I didn’t have, didn’t bring... that... with me."
Chen Nuo was momentarily taken aback, and then he got it!
Clearing his throat, Chen Nuo asked, "So, what happened next?"
"At that moment... I was really anxious, but there was nothing I could do. I thought about waiting in the restroom, to see if any schoolgirls I knew would come in so I could ask to borrow... but I waited for a long time and nobody I knew came in..."
"I... I didn’t feel comfortable asking strangers..."
"So, I was very anxious, and then, then... In my mind, I just wished I could leave the bathroom..."
"And then?"
Suddenly, Sun Keke’s expression changed, and she looked up at Chen Nuo, "Then... I suddenly blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself already at home!"
Chen Nuo’s expression became serious, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Wait a second. The way you describe it, I’m afraid I might misunderstand."
"Do you mean to say, you were inside the bathroom, thinking anxiously about wanting to leave that place. Then, the next instant, you suddenly found yourself back home? At the same time? What I mean is, you teleported home?"
"...Yes!" Sun Keke bit her lip, but her face turned even redder.
I... I... I wouldn’t tell this jerk that I suddenly found myself lying on my own bed! The blood had stained the sheets!!
But Chen Nuo ignored Sun Keke’s odd expression and fell into silence.
The ability to enter and see others’ dreams... And... Teleportation!
Both of these are my abilities!
The Teleportation Ability was gained after defeating the Mother in Japan. The spiritual interaction of dream entering was acquired after eliminating the Seed in Brazil.
And these two abilities had actually Transferred to Sun Keke?
Though, they seemed to be weaker versions. Sun Keke can enter dreams, but it’s clear she hasn’t achieved spiritual interaction. Although she could achieve Instantaneous Movement, the range was clearly still very short. The straight-line distance from the school to Sun Keke’s house is probably no more than three hundred meters.
But... There seems to be some differences as well. In terms of dream entering, Sun Keke can actually interact with ordinary people! Old Sun is an ordinary person, not an Ability User! Even someone as powerful as Chen Yanluo, to date, can only achieve spiritual interaction with other Ability Users.
And as for his Teleportation Ability... Chen Nuo’s teleportation, though capable of covering great distances—up to tens of kilometers or even more—was random and unordered! This meant he could move instantly, but where he ended up was entirely up to chance!
Yet, Sun Keke could actually achieve precise Instantaneous Movement directly to her own home!
That is to say, although these two abilities have Transferred to Sun Keke, they have somehow changed in her.
Why is this...?
「」
In the bike shop on Tangzi Street, Brother Lei, holding a teacup, was enthusiastically promoting to a middle-aged couple looking at e-bikes. "Let me tell you, this e-bike, even though it’s a domestic minor brand, the quality is absolutely solid! In two words: durable build!"
"I’m telling you, for these electric bikes, it’s all about the battery quality!"
"Our brand’s bike has a battery of guaranteed high quality! I’m telling you, many well-known electric bike brands use batteries of this brand!"
"But look at our electric bike. The price is several hundred bucks cheaper than those big-name brands!"
"Where’s the savings? Think about it. Those big brands spend so much on advertising! Television, street billboards, newspapers... Tons of money are spent on marketing expenses."
"The wool comes from the sheep’s back, so these costs are all factored into the bike prices."
"Though we sell a minor brand, the quality is no worse than the big names! The most crucial point is that the price is more affordable!"
After talking for seven or eight minutes, the couple finally ended their hesitation and made a decision! They said they wanted to look around some more and left to compare prices at other dealerships.
Brother Lei wasn’t upset or in a hurry. He turned his head and saw a shop assistant sneakily peering at him from behind. He glared and then chuckled, "What are you looking at?"
"Boss, you personally tried to make the sale, but it still didn’t go through."
"You don’t know jack. I’ve laid the groundwork for them, and the setup is already done!"
"Just you wait, they’ll come back in a while!"
"When they do, it’ll be your turn to serve them. Remember, don’t budge a cent from the price I said! It’s a sure deal!"
After speaking, Brother Lei, wearing his slippers, sauntered back to the counter of the shop and lazily pulled out a cigarette to smoke. In fact, with the shop business as it was, and the staff well trained, there was no need for Brother Lei to personally engage in e-bike sales anymore. But, he was bored, wasn’t he? Occasionally, he still jumped in himself, to satisfy his urge to perform.
After finishing a cigarette, sure enough, the indecisive middle-aged couple from before hesitantly made their way back.
Heh. Brother Lei grinned internally and shot a look at the waiting shop assistant. The young woman hurried over to greet them. Moments later, a deal was made.
While the customers were paying, the shop assistant beside him stealthily, with an ingratiating smile, gave Brother Lei a thumbs up, and mouthed silently, "Boss, you’re awesome!"
Brother Lei felt proud, looking at the shop assistant who was smiling somewhat provocatively.
Yet, he sighed in his heart. This woman had only been hired recently. She was pretty, had a provocative smile, and she had been subtly attentive to him, even deliberately getting close a couple of times. But... what a pity! "Don’t eat the grass by your own den..." Mixing business with personal affairs, especially romantic entanglements in one’s own shop, could easily lead to disaster. Untouchable! Not only was she untouchable, but this female shop assistant’s intentions seemed a bit improper. In a few days, he’d have to find an excuse to let her go.
While his face sported a smile, his mind was already made up.
「」
The phone in her hand vibrated. Yu Naitang, a small, white-haired girl, took a deep breath and composed herself before answering the call.
"Hello? Teacher?"
"My disciple, have you arrived in Sydney? Have you gotten off the plane yet~"
"Of course, how could I answer the phone if I didn’t get off the plane. Teacher, I must say, there’s a noticeable decline in your IQ recently! They say that pregnancy makes you stupid for three years. You couldn’t possibly be..."
"Alright, alright, stop there..."
On the other end of the phone, the Star Sky Empress spoke in a lazy voice, then said sweetly, "But I really miss you! You’re away for so many days this time. I can’t sleep at night without holding my fragrant and soft little disciple. It’s miserable~~"
"..." Yu Naitang took a deep breath and said sternly, "Lu Xixi! How old are you? Can’t you learn to sleep by yourself?"
"...*She whined.* But the pillow isn’t as comfortable as you are."
"..."
"Anyway, it’s just a trivial matter of sorting out assets. Hurry back once you’re done."
"Without you making breakfast, I don’t like the fried eggs the maid makes at home."
"Lu Xixi! I’m your disciple, not your maid!" The nine-year-old girl complained unhappily.
"But, are you really okay with leaving a pregnant woman at home all by herself?" Lu Xixi said pitifully, trying to guilt-trip her.
"... I’ll be back in three days at most, okay!"
The other end of the phone went silent for a moment before Lu Xixi’s voice brightened. "Then I’ll wait for you! By the way, what’s the weather like in Sydney?"
"The weather is nice. I plan to finish checking the asset statements tomorrow, then visit the estate to see the koalas and kangaroos you raised last time."
"Remember to check if there are any particularly smart ones, and bring them back to Britain to raise."
"Got it! Be good at home!"
Little Candy hung up the phone, and guiltily looked around her.
Behind her, there was a bilingual sign in Chinese and English! "Jinling International Airport, International Arrivals"!!
The nine-year-old with white hair took a deep breath, then clenched her fists.
Damn scumbag! You can’t get away with abandoning my teacher! No matter what it takes, I have to tie you up and bring you back to kneel in front of my teacher for repentance!
With that thought, the young girl, pulling her suitcase, slowly made her way through the airport arrival hall...
As she passed a pastry shop, she suddenly stopped. The delicious aroma tempted Little Candy.
Uh... because she overslept on the plane, she missed the in-flight meal, and when she woke up and wanted to eat, the plane was about to land. She was a bit hungry...
Thinking so, she wandered into the pastry shop. It was a well-known chain pastry shop in the country; it was very clean inside, and the display case was bright. The staff also wore unified uniforms.
When Yu Naitang walked in, there was a customer in front of the counter who was just ordering. From the back, it looked like another young person. The boy was slightly taller than Little Candy, wearing an old and oversized coat. From the back, he had a head of curly black hair.
Little Candy walked closer, stood alongside him, and casually glanced at him. A lean boy, probably about the same age as herself. Although he had black hair, he wasn’t Chinese. His hair was naturally curly, and his skin was a bit dark. But his eyes were very large and bright.
The slim boy looked at the items in the display, then quickly looked up, speaking in stiff and awkward Huaxia language, smiling, "Hello, do you have any cookies here?"
The attendant was stunned for a moment but managed to understand and cautiously replied, "We have cookies... there are raisin cookies, caramel-flavored, chocolate-flavored, and milk-flavored ones. Which one would you like?"
"...?? The boy looked blankly at the attendant."
Clearly, his Huaxia language skills weren’t good, and he hadn’t understood the attendant.
Little Candy hesitated for a moment, then whispered in English, "Do you not understand Huaxia language?"
"Hmm?" The boy turned his head and glanced at the white-haired girl. After one look, a strange sparkle flashed in his eyes as he smiled, "Yes, I haven’t been learning Huaxia language for long, and I’m not very good at it yet."
He spoke in English, but his accent also seemed strange.
"Are you from..."
The boy replied, "I’m Brazilian. I came from South America."
Yu Naitang smiled and immediately switched to fluent Portuguese. "Let me translate for you. The attendant asked if you wanted raisin, caramel, or chocolate cookies. Which flavor would you like?"
The boy laughed, seemingly very happy.
"Then, give me a packet of each, please."
With that, he took out some Huaxia Currency bills from his pocket, "I’ve exchanged a bit at the exchange counter, but I’m not too clear about the prices here. Could you..."
Little Candy nodded and took a hundred-yuan bill from the boy’s hand, "This is enough; you should get some change back."
She handed the bill to the attendant and told the attendant they wanted one pack of each flavor. Soon, both the cookies and the change were handed back, and the boy happily pocketed them.
He turned to look at Little Candy, "Thank you."
"No problem," the nine-year-old girl said, waving it off. She then walked up to the counter herself and, after a moment’s hesitation, bought a small slice of Black Forest cake.
As she stepped out of the pastry shop, she saw the boy still standing by the door, seemingly waiting for her. As soon as he saw Little Candy coming out, he approached her.
"Do you... need anything else?" the white-haired girl asked, a little surprised.
"Thank you for your help earlier. This is for you. Kind child, God will look after you."
With those words, he put a bag of cookies in Little Candy’s hand, then waved at her and walked away.
"Hmm?"
Yu Naitang watched the boy’s retreating figure and was momentarily stunned. But it was just a minor episode. The white-haired girl smiled, didn’t dwell on it, and quickly walked away, pulling her suitcase.
At the taxi stand, the young girl hailed a cab. Just as she was getting in, she turned her head and saw a familiar figure standing by the roadside. The boy who had bought the cookies.
An idea struck her. She asked the driver to wait a moment, rolled down the window, and called out to the boy with a smile, "Hey!"
"Hmm?" The boy looked up, smiling at her.
"Are you waiting for a taxi?"
"Yeah."
"As a child blessed by God, I’m planning to do another good deed," the white-haired girl said with a smile. "Get in. It’s definitely hard to find a cab at this time."
"But let’s agree first, we’ll split the taxi fare."
The boy laughed, seeming very pleased.
["The Law of the Devil" anime has been officially announced, and it will be available on Tencent Video. The teaser poster has already been released.
For more specific news, you can follow my Weibo; my Weibo name is "Dancing Little Five." Just search for it, and you’ll find me~
In our lifetime, I finally didn’t let you down!!
PS: The live-action series still needs more time, so this time it’s the anime that has been released.
The advantage is that anime adaptations, due to fewer production constraints, tend to be closer to the original work and result in fewer drastic changes.]