How Could I Possibly Have a Daughter After Reincarnating?

“Whew~”

Chu Mengyao collapsed onto the sofa as soon as the last customer left. Finally, she could rest. Today had been even busier than yesterday, which was rare. It was exhausting, and she was relieved to finally get a break after such a hectic rush.

“Why has it been so crowded these last two days~?”

Zhou Xiaoxiao slumped over the bar, voicing her frustration in a way that almost looked inviting—if any customers were still here, they’d probably find it hard to resist.

“Hey, having customers is a good thing. Or do you want to sit around doing nothing all day and sip tea? This isn’t some kind of lazy club, you know. You can’t expect to lounge around like that,” Luo Xiaoning said, her chuuni attitude seemingly cured for the time being, exhausted as she was.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zhou Xiaoxiao agreed without an ounce of shame. She had joined because Luo Xiaoning had told her it was an easy job where she could chill, sip tea, and even get some extra spending money. While most of the time it was exactly as promised, weekends and holidays were absolutely brutal.

Just then, Ling Ning and Xia You emerged from the kitchen, carrying what looked like lunch—though it was well past lunchtime.

“Great job, everyone. Here’s lunch. Though I guess we can call it dinner, given the time,” Ling Ning said, placing the food on the table.

“Food!” Chu Mengyao’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. She struggled to sit up from the sofa, staring hungrily at the dishes on the table, swallowing involuntarily.

“What’s this?” Luo Xiaoning sniffed the air, her eyes suddenly sharp. “This aroma… It has the scent of a high-level offering! Since when could the ‘Witch of the Nine Hells’ make such high-level dishes!? I can almost see them glowing.”

Standing beside her, Xia You lowered her head, mumbling softly, “Um… I didn’t make it. Ling Ning did.”

“Delicious!” Chu Mengyao had already started eating.

“Damn! As my first Apostle, how dare you start eating these high-level offerings without waiting for me! Do you want to lose your job?” Luo Xiaoning grumbled, but she joined Chu Mengyao at the table, grabbing food for herself.

Zhou Xiaoxiao couldn’t resist any longer and approached the table, scolding, “Could you two watch your manners a little? If a customer came in now, your image would be ruined.” Not long after, Zhou Xiaoxiao herself gave up on her own advice—image was no substitute for a full stomach.

Even the usually composed Ye Xuan set aside her aloof demeanor and joined the others.

Watching everyone enjoy her cooking, Ling Ning smiled faintly. As a cook, there was nothing better than seeing people genuinely enjoy your food.

Soon, they were all sprawled across the sofa, holding their full stomachs, unable to move. It wasn’t that Ling Ning’s cooking was mind-blowingly good or anything—it didn’t actually glow or cause any clothing explosions. The truth was that they were just that hungry. After all, when you’re starving, even instant noodles taste heavenly.

Fortunately, after the busy rush, there were only a few scattered customers left, giving them all a much-needed breather.

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After the shift ended, Ling Ning changed her clothes and found Ye Xuan waiting outside. A little puzzled, she asked, “Aren’t you heading home?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Huh!?” Ling Ning blinked in surprise before suddenly realizing that Ye Xuan must live in the same direction—otherwise, they wouldn’t have run into each other last night. Enlightened, she quickly said, “Oh, let’s head out together then.”

As Ling Ning and Ye Xuan’s figures disappeared beyond the door, Chu Mengyao hurried over, dragging Luo Xiaoning along with her. “Wanna take a walk outside?” she asked.

“Eh~? But I wanted to catch up on the new anime episode today. I’ve been busy all day and haven’t had time,” Luo Xiaoning replied, clearly unwilling.

“Aren’t you curious at all?” Chu Mengyao asked, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Curious about what?” Luo Xiaoning replied instinctively, then quickly realized what she meant. In her typical chuuni voice, she said, “Oh, I see. There’s a chance the newly summoned Apostle could be an agent sent by ‘Heaven.’ Very well, I shall accompany you, hmph! Hahaha~”

“I’m coming too,” Zhou Xiaoxiao suddenly said, appearing beside them.

“F-following someone like that… isn’t it a bit bad?” Xia You stammered, her fingers nervously twirling together, clearly torn between wanting to go and feeling it wasn’t right.

“Since we’re all going, I’ll be in charge. We’ll move stealthily, no sudden movements or attracting attention,” Chu Mengyao declared.

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The two of them walked slowly along the road home. Originally, they had planned to take the bus, but seeing how crowded it was, they decided to walk instead.

Seeing the standstill traffic beside them, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel thankful she wasn’t stuck in that mess. She had always hated crowded buses and subways in her previous life due to her cleanliness obsession. But now, she didn’t really have a choice.

“Is Ye Ye okay alone at home? What about lunch and dinner?” Ye Xuan asked.

Ling Ning smiled softly, replying, “Ye Ye’s well-behaved. I gave her some money, so she’ll probably have lunch and dinner at a nearby restaurant.”

“Oh~” Ye Xuan nodded but then suddenly felt like someone was following them. She turned around, scanning their surroundings, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“What is it?” Ling Ning asked, noticing Ye Xuan’s behavior.

“Nothing,” Ye Xuan shook her head. It was probably just her imagination.

Behind them, hiding near a newsstand, Chu Mengyao let out a sigh of relief, her hand over her heart. Thankfully, she’d reacted quickly enough to push everyone behind cover, avoiding detection.

“Mom, what are those big sisters doing?” a little girl passing by pointed at Chu Mengyao and her group, asking her mother out of curiosity.

The girl’s mother followed her daughter’s pointing finger, and without a word, picked her up and walked away quickly, saying, “Children shouldn’t look at things they don’t understand.”

“Do they think we’re perverts?” Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, looking a little helpless.

“Honestly, our actions right now are pretty suspicious…” Chu Mengyao admitted, glancing around.

“A-actually… they’re already gone,” Xia You stuttered, nervously pointing out.

Hearing Xia You’s words, they peeked out from behind their cover, realizing that Ling Ning and Ye Xuan were indeed gone. They moved forward to try and spot them, but it was as if they had vanished.

Meanwhile, Ling Ning was pulled suddenly into an embrace. Startled, she found herself enveloped in Ye Xuan’s arms.

“What’s going on here? Is Ye Xuan a yuri character? Is she suddenly confessing that she’s been in love with me all this time? Or is she trying to force herself on me?! This isn’t right—this is a secluded alley, but people still pass by! Shouldn’t we move to a quieter spot if anything is going to happen…?” Ling Ning’s thoughts ran wild.

Ye Xuan, however, simply said, “Someone is following us.”

“Huh?!” Ling Ning froze, then asked in concern, “Could it be that creepy guy from yesterday? If it is, this could be really dangerous.”

Ye Xuan shook her head. “It’s just Chu Mengyao and the others.”

Ling Ning peeked out, just barely enough to see outside the alley. There was Luo Xiaoning, her Gothic dress unmistakable. Only she would walk around dressed like that without a care in the world.

Turning back, Ling Ning asked in confusion, “Why are they following us?”

“No idea.”

Without further explanation, Ye Xuan led Ling Ning out the other end of the alley. She noticed Ling Ning’s hand wasn’t like most girls’ hands—smooth and soft. Instead, they were a bit rough, with the traces of work. Ye Xuan instinctively tightened her grip a little.

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Author’s Note:

Why did this salted fish end up writing two chapters today? It’s a mystery.