Chapter 154: So My Mom Is a Split Personality, Right? - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 154: So My Mom Is a Split Personality, Right? Before arriving at "Feather Pen," Xu Shi had imagined various scenes of how Wen Sheng Kui might be teaching Gu Yi. To be honest, he always thought his maternal grandfather had the aura of a teacher—despite the old man having a muscular physique, it was usually masked by his air of refinement, clearly a testament to years of cultural cultivation. As for Gu Yi, she was clearly a rebellious young girl. But undeniably, she was quite clever. The last time he taught her about racing, she learned remarkably fast... He just hoped that she would grasp academic lessons just as quickly. In any case, it seemed that the two of them together would be interesting. However. What he saw was completely different from what he had imagined. The peaceful imagery of ink and books was nowhere to be found! Instead, both of them had a controller in hand and were... gaming online together?! "Old man, go, cut him off from the mid lane!" "Make sure to heal! If he touches me, I'm done for!" "Don’t worry, I’m officially certified as one of the top ten healers in the server!" "Nonsense! Last time you didn’t heal me at all!" "...." Xu Shi quietly closed the door, then opened it again. What did I just witness? Where were the brush, ink, paper, and artistic pursuits? How did it turn into gaming?! And they're playing "God's Advent"! And Maternal Grandfather, what's with those gaming terms rolling off your tongue so easily? You’re making everyone feel like strangers! "Uh... you two..." For a moment, he felt dizzy. Wow, this was a scenario he had never anticipated... so he tentatively waved his hand to get the attention of the two engrossed in their game. "...Hey? Xu Shi, you’re here?" The Little Black Rabbit glanced at him, "Hang on, the boss is almost down to its last sliver of health, just a moment." ... Alright. Xu Shi twitched his eye slightly, politely waiting for them to finish their game before pulling the Little Black Rabbit towards him with a hint of annoyance. "So, while I've been away, you've been getting Grandfather to game, haven't you?" He rapped Gu Yi lightly on the forehead with a finger, "You’re really something, Xiao Gu Yi, can’t let go of that darn game, can you?" "I didn't!" Gu Yi snapped back to her senses and whined in protest, "I’ve been studying too! It's just a relaxation after lessons..." "All right, let go of Xiao Gu Yi." Wen Sheng Kui set the controller aside and began to lecture Xu Shi, "I’ve heard that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I also genuinely wanted to understand the entertainment ways of young people." Xu Shi was taken aback, which side are you on, old man? And how are you so perfectly immersing yourself in the world of young people without any barriers? "You're the one who hasn’t been around lately..." Seeing someone stand up for her, the Little Black Rabbit gained confidence, "Even if you were here, you wouldn't game with me, so why not let me find someone else?" "...." Xu Shi was tempted to give her another piece of his mind. So you're right in all this, huh? The opportunity so many people would beg for is squandered by you... Yet, truth be told, you really have a knack for this. It was surprising enough that you managed to pull Su Lin into this last time, and now even Elder Wen has fallen for your schemes? Honestly, he found it difficult to associate Wen Sheng Kui with "God's Advent." Perhaps it was due to stereotypes from his past life? He had to admit that for most elderly people, learning to use a phone or computer wasn't easy…He remembered it took him over a month to teach his grandparents to use a chat application in his past life. But evidently, Wen Sheng Kui wasn't like that. The old man was well-versed in various fields and at least had basic knowledge of all trades, complemented by the vibrant environment of Night’s Sin City. Picking up a game wasn’t such a big deal. So after thinking it over, he went and let it slide. Having Gu Yi spend time with Wen Sheng Kui, aside from studying, was actually a way to mend their grandfather-grandchild relationship. Caring for the elderly, in a sense...from this angle, the Little Black Rabbit was unexpectedly performing well. At least while they were teaming up in their quest, Xu Shi could tell Grandfather was genuinely happy. "So, did you come to take her home? Or is there something else on your agenda?" Wen Sheng Kui cleared his throat, returning to his usual authoritative demeanor, "If there's nothing else, Xiao Gu Yi can stay here with me. I quite like this child, and she's considerate... It's pleasant getting along with her." I bet you just want to keep forming gaming teams with her, Grandfather! Xu Shi felt embarrassed, finding it hard to associate Gu Yi with the term "considerate" at all. Yet, he caught the approving look in the old man’s eyes, which surprisingly seemed directed at him, giving off a vibe of "Boy, you found a good partner." Wen Sheng Kui wasn't foolish. When Xu Shi brought Gu Yi to see him intentionally, Wen Sheng Kui had roughly perceived something. Though he hadn't probed into it over these days, he noticed—the two of them certainly had some connection. Otherwise, if it were merely an employee, would you be this diligent, paving the way and setting opportunities for her development? —It seems you’re playing quite a game, lad. Wasn't there a fiancée? —Oh? So does Grandfather have any advice? —I just wish to say that while youth gives you strength, you should be mindful and cautious. From their unspoken exchange of glances, it was clear that Wen Sheng Kui had no intention of interfering in Xu Shi’s romantic life—whether he wanted one or ten partners, it was up to his ability, as long as he didn’t bring trouble upon himself. The old man was surprisingly liberal-minded. "I came to take her back, primarily because there's something important I need her for." Xu Shi nodded and returned to the main topic, "There’s been some issues at the company, and changes might occur on the ‘Long City’ side as well." "Hmm?" Wen Sheng Kui could leave the company matters to someone else, but the latter issue demanded his attention, "What exactly is going on?" Xu Shi saw no reason to hide and told him everything he could about the situation. "…I see." After hearing him out, Wen Sheng Kui quickly grasped the situation, "It seems Long Tian Ding doesn’t see eye to eye with us, what's your plan?" He wasn't surprised by this. Although Long Tian Ding previously approached him about discussing Sin City’s development, the old man understood clearly—the person wasn’t concerned about the well-being of Sin City’s common folks. It was merely an expedient means of stabilizing relations. For example, if an opportunity arose allowing him to gain more profit at the cost of slaughtering half of Sin City's residents, Long Tian Ding might not hesitate to consider it. That attitude deeply displeased Wen Sheng Kui, so his inquiry also carried another implication—Do you plan to deal with him now? In matters like this, "Feather Pen" was certainly interested in deepening cooperation with "Serpent Ring." "My thoughts are not to rush." Xu Shi shook his head, "There are restless individuals within ‘Serpent Ring’ as well. It's better to wait for them to gather together so they can be taken down in one fell swoop rather than alerting them prematurely." This was indeed his plan. Otherwise, why restrict Shen Qin and Lin Wen Hua’s escape to only having "Long City" as their option? Not to mention Shen He outside the city who also had to be considered—rather than dealing with them individually, it was more efficient to handle them all together. As for probing Long Tian Ding... unfortunately, Xu Shi didn’t think he passed the test. In terms of expectations, Director Xu wasn’t asking for much high a standard. If he had detained Lin Wen Hua and Shen Qin after contact and sent them to him, naturally they could laugh and talk it over afterward. Or even if he had just informed him, didn’t he think Xu Shi wouldn’t notice their moves? After all, Xu Shi had even drawn the boundaries for them himself… But as of now, Long Tian Ding still hadn’t made any expressions of intent, clearly choosing to hedge his bets. This kind of behavior was unacceptable to Xu Shi. Hence, the list of people to consider dealing with naturally grew, regardless of what Long Tian Ding had in mind. "Indeed." Wen Sheng Kui understood, and his mood slightly eased. "…I support." Gu Yi paused briefly before chiming in meekly. However, her focus wasn’t on others, solely on Lin Wen Hua’s side—never forget that this old fellow once ordered her assassination. While it had failed, she had never forgotten it and naturally hoped for his downfall soon. The Little Black Rabbit was grudging! But considering the more profound matters were beyond her depth, she wisely opted to refrain from further comments and decided to leave it to Xu Shi. If there was anything she could assist with, she was more than willing to carry it out diligently. "Rest assured, if there’s any movement from ‘Long City,’ I won’t turn a blind eye." Elder Wen immediately expressed his stance, understanding what Xu Shi implied — the extent to which "Feather Pen" could contribute to this matter was one thing, and additionally, dealing with Long Tian Ding was a separate challenge. As a formidable "Ascended One," Long Tian Ding had reached S rank many years ago, and whether he had advanced further remained unknown, making him incredibly difficult to handle. Fortunately, he was willing to help his grandson with this problem, embracing the situation with open arms. "Well, thank you, Maternal Grandfather." Xu Shi smiled, aware that this promise was invaluable. "Heh, wasn’t it just now that you scowled at me and Xiao Gu Yi for gaming together?" Wen Sheng Kui snorted, "Let me tell you, if you dare bully her when you get back, I won’t spare you." Hearing this, Gu Yi immediately gained confidence, flashing a subtle, enigmatic smile as she pointed a finger at Xu Shi. Let me play "God's Advent." "No way." Xu Shi chuckled, thinking there wasn't much to enforce in this regard... But Little Black Rabbit, don't get too cocky just because Grandfather backs you up. Underestimating Director Xu at home will certainly lead to some fair discipline—he highly doubted Gu Yi would run crying to Grandfather if he taught her a lesson. Otherwise, she'd only face even more mischief. Don’t underestimate Director Xu’s 80, you dastard! "By the way, I haven’t seen the Second Miss He?" As they were leaving, Xu Shi casually inquired, recalling the empty art studio they passed earlier. "She’s been coming less frequently and doesn’t stay here much anymore," Wen Sheng Kui sighed. "He Jiayuan himself came to talk to me. Now he realizes that she’s his daughter? Said he was worried about others making an issue." Indeed, who could predict the commotion stirred up by He Yuxia? Fortunately, nothing disastrous happened; otherwise, it would've been quite the headache. Given the circumstances, he couldn’t stop it, especially since He Yuxia wasn’t being restricted or confined. In his eyes, this was actually beneficial—not that he expected the He family to change their minds and do anything extraordinary for her, but at the very least, they paid her more attention, which wasn't a bad outcome. "Truthfully, in my eyes, both Yuxia and Xiao Gu Yi are good kids." Discussing this, Elder Wen couldn’t help but feel sentimental. "Mainly, you should know, boy, they both remind me somewhat of your mother." "Is that so?" Xu Shi raised an eyebrow; he was unaware of such a resemblance. Yet, the thought amused him. These two had entirely different personality models, didn’t they? Was the old man implying his mom had a split personality? "Want to hear about it? I could tell you some stories." As he brought this up, Wen Sheng Kui’s expression softened, opening up affectionately about Xu Shi's mother, Wen Rujin. For the first time, Xu Shi got to know his mother in detail—listening to Grandfather’s description, he realized she indeed was an interesting figure. As the young lady of "Feather Pen," Wen Rujin had received a scholarly family’s education from an early age, and Elder Wen had always groomed her as the future heir of "Feather Pen." Wen Rujin didn’t let the family down, mastering numerous arts at an early age, including diplomacy and social skills. In many ways, her position closely resembled Xia Ke’an’s—and truthfully, the two were often compared, being seen as brilliant counterparts in the eyes of others. However, compared to the White-haired Loli, Wen Rujin was possibly even more lively and charming, displaying a mischievous flair in her interactions, creating numerous instances where her adversaries were left in disarray, still evoking laughs to this day. Hearing this, Xu Shi understood. No wonder Aunt Xia Ke’an always mentioned his mom—was it due to the competitive spirit from their early years? As for the notion that "He Yuxia and Gu Yi remind one of Wen Rujin," it now made sense—each seemed to represent half of his mother's personality, one being calm and the other lively and spirited. "Even you, son, are similar to A-jin, especially concerning your keen observational skills." Wen Sheng Kui continued, "Back in the day, A-jin was an S-ranked 'Ascended One,' capable of reading others’ inner thoughts over large ranges… you definitely take after her in that respect." "Resembling one's mother in some way is a good thing." Xu Shi smiled, realizing why he always felt so at ease in these matters. Was it inherited, perhaps? Though "Ascended" abilities shouldn’t be inheritable, right? Then again, this wasn't exactly a supernatural talent, and Xu Shi knew his precise grasp of others’ mental activities wasn’t solely due to "Entropy of Mal Intent." Circling back, his mother's personality seemed rather rich in dimensions, but how did she end up with Dad? Thinking about his father Xu Cheng’s stoic and reserved character, Xu Shi couldn’t help but chuckle. (End of the chapter)