Chapter 59: The Neighborhood

“Did you not sleep well last night?”

Mu Weiguo looked in surprise at Mu Yu, who was slumped over the dining table. Today, Mu Yu was like a wilted cauliflower, drained and listless.

“I... yeah, I didn’t sleep well.”

Mu Yu opened his mouth, but still couldn’t bring himself to mention the burglary at home, instead covering his chest in frustration. Luckily, the thief had some sense of morals and only took the cash Mu Yu kept in a paper bag for emergencies; all his documents were untouched. Otherwise, he would have had to call headquarters to reprint them.

But as a Controller, being robbed by an ordinary person would surely make him the laughingstock of the entire investigation team.

“Ah...”

Mu Yu let out a long sigh and continued poking at the white porridge in his bowl without energy.

“Alright, alright, it’s just one bad night’s sleep. Once your mother finishes packing, we’ll leave. Have you got all your things?”

Mu Weiguo checked the gas cylinder in the kitchen, reminding Mu Yu. This time, they might not return for a long while, so he couldn’t afford to be careless.

“I’ve got everything ready. What did you tell Mom last night?”

Mu Yu sped up his eating, mumbling the question with his mouth full.

“You know your mother’s temper, don’t you? She was against it at first, but as soon as she heard it was your request, she started packing last night.”

Mu Weiguo shrugged, his face tinged with helplessness. “But your mother said, once you find a girlfriend, she’ll bring your grandparents back to live here again and won’t disturb your little world.”

“Why are you two so slow? Hurry up! Later, go check the third-floor rooms and make sure the doors are closed, so nothing gets ruined if it rains or gets windy.”

Before Mu Yu could reply, Zhuang Haiyan came in, brandishing a broom, her brow furrowing at her sluggish husband and son.

“On it, on it,” Mu Weiguo straightened up from beneath the stove, grinning as he rushed out.

“And you, what are you grinning at? Aren’t you taking your wives with you? I’m not packing them for you. Finish your breakfast, wash the dishes, and scrub the pot.”

Mu Yu instantly wiped the smug smile from his face and finished his porridge in one sweep.

“Oh, you could have told me a few days earlier. Then we wouldn’t be so frantic today. Fine, hurry and pack up; I’ll do the dishes.”

Zhuang Haiyan looked at Mu Yu, who was pitifully holding a pot brush at the sink, sighed, and waved him off to get out of her way.

“Understood!”

Mu Yu fled the kitchen as if escaping. That was how it always was in Mu Yu’s house. Zhuang Haiyan ruled over Mu Weiguo, Mu Weiguo managed Mu Yu, but Zhuang Haiyan never could bring herself to be harsh with Mu Yu.

So, whenever she was upset, she’d take it out doubly on her husband. Mu Weiguo, unhappy after being bullied, would walk with extra swagger, and Mu Yu would end up howling if he happened to step in with his left foot first.

A peculiar food chain had evolved in the Mu household; as for the grandparents, they existed on a whole other plane.

“Did I really live like this in high school?”

Mu Yu placed a pillowcase into his bag, his face taking on a subtle expression. On it, a white-haired girl, not yet sixteen, carried a bun atop her head and dragged a tray, looking pitiful.

The bag was already bulging. There was the aloof knight king with a stray lock of hair, the cold, black-haired girl with a sword, the radiant and charming senior. And Mu Yu had only taken the pillowcases, leaving the stuffing behind. He didn’t have many figurines either—his childhood pocket money was too little—and those were already stashed in the car trunk.

By the time everything was packed, the sun was high overhead, and the air had grown scorching.

“Let’s go!”

Mu Weiguo pulled the key from the lock. Thankfully, he’d chosen a car with extra space; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to fit everything.

“Wangcai, I’m warning you: if you dare pee on me, I’ll throw you out for good!”

Mu Yu gripped Wangcai’s dog head and rubbed it hard. Zhuang Haiyan, dizzy, had to sit in the passenger seat, and the grandparents certainly couldn’t squeeze in with the pets.

So the cramped third row was stuffed with two massive single dogs and a ragdoll cat.

Fatty sprawled on the seat, glanced disdainfully at the two dogs cuddled together, meowed twice with an air of arrogance, and promptly fell asleep.

‘Tonight, it’ll be up to me to guard the house, meow~’

……………………………………………………………………………………

Since they took the highway, the journey that would have taken a day and a half by bus was shortened to half a day, and they returned to Fengzhou just as evening fell.

“It’s been years since I last came back. It’s changed so much.”

Zhuang Haiyan stepped out of the car, looking around in amazement. She’d spent over a decade in this city to take care of Mu Yu, and now she barely recognized it.

With the government’s recent surge of construction projects, many illegal buildings had been forcibly demolished and replaced by countless high-rises. It was no wonder the city felt unfamiliar.

But Mu Yu knew these towers were only the facade. While they served as businesses or offices, and the media hailed them as the city’s economic takeoff, the true project lay underground.

Dozens of times more concrete and materials than what went into the towers were silently absorbed beneath, building sealed, unconnected underground shelters.

Of course, the government cared about the people’s safety. Each shelter was meant to protect civilians when disaster struck, with no concern for cost.

Incalculable resources and money were poured into every city. The industries spawned by these shelters alone had raised countless people’s living standards several levels in just a few decades.

Experts on TV claimed a new golden age was dawning for the Xia Nation, and the people believed it; the government’s credibility had reached its highest point since the founding of the country.

But no one knew the real reason, nor the hardship behind the nation’s peerless infrastructure.

“Are you sure this is the place?”

Mu Weiguo, holding the map Mu Yu gave him, looked around. He’d thought the safe zone would be in some suburb or military base and worried his story might be exposed.

But the map led them to the city center, surrounded by skyscrapers, bustling with traffic and crowds at dusk.

“That’s right. Drive inside.”

Mu Yu pushed Wangcai’s head off his shoulder, took out his communicator, and tapped it twice.

“Inside?”

Mu Weiguo looked around and finally spotted something like a security booth beside a high-rise. Strangely, most people nearby were tourists taking photos, as if this was a sightseeing spot.

“Yes, right there.”

Ignoring Fatty’s resistance, Mu Yu scooped him into his arms, got out, and led Mu Weiguo toward the security booth.

……………………………………………………………………………………

“Mengmeng! Hurry up, let’s eat something delicious after we finish taking pictures!”

Wu Tiantian waved excitedly at Luan Meng from a distance, traces of ice cream lingering at her lips. Her youthful, vibrant figure drew the glances of many passersby.

“Grandma, keep your voice down, everyone’s looking.”

Luan Meng hurried forward, grabbing Wu Tiantian’s restless hand and whispering.

Compared to Wu Tiantian, Luan Meng was even more eye-catching. Her exquisite face and explosive figure, barely concealed by a loose shirt, had caused several boyfriends to be dragged away by their jealous girlfriends.

“And didn’t you just eat a ton? Why are you hungry again?”

Luan Meng took out a tissue from her small bag and wiped Wu Tiantian’s mouth, feeling like a mother hen.

“That was just snacks! My mom said snacking makes you hungry, so I need hotpot, a proper meal!”

Wu Tiantian declared with conviction. With this knack for talking nonsense with a straight face, she would surely hit it off with Mu Yu.

“Yes, yes, your snacks were one big cup of oden, two ice creams, a milk tea, and three extra-large squid skewers, right?”

Luan Meng rolled her eyes. She wondered how her friend, with such a small stomach, could fit so much food.

After what happened on the way to their group activity, they couldn’t carry on, so the school gave everyone a break to relax.

Coincidentally, Luan Meng said she needed to buy underwear, and Wu Tiantian volunteered to accompany her, which led to their current outing...

“Come on, it’s just a security booth. What’s there to photograph? Let’s hurry, I still have shopping to do.”

Luan Meng glanced at the darkening sky and tugged on Wu Tiantian, who was still snapping pictures.

“You don’t get it! Mengmeng, this isn’t just any security booth.”

Wu Tiantian corrected her friend with utmost seriousness. “This is the most expensive security booth in the city!”

“And still, it’s just a booth...”

Luan Meng couldn’t see the connection. Fengzhou was a small city; how expensive could it be?

“If a security booth sits on land worth several million per square meter, then it’s not a booth—it’s a house of gold.”

Wu Tiantian spoke with righteous conviction, though she didn’t really grasp the concept. If a house cost tens of millions, she’d be more impressed, rather than just telling a story.

“Several million? Per square meter?”

Luan Meng was bewildered. When she looked at the unremarkable security booth again, she almost felt it radiated an extraordinary aura.

Anyone, seeing a house built of gold, would probably feel the same.

“You don’t know?”

Wu Tiantian was exasperated by her friend’s ignorance.

“‘Huayuan Residences’—every major city has them, and the prices are outrageous. Supposedly, you can’t even buy one if you want to.”

“Who could afford that?”

Luan Meng couldn’t help clicking her tongue. Her family was well-off, but compared to those who could spend hundreds of millions on a house, she was insignificant.

“You never know—maybe a hidden billionaire will fall for you! Just don’t forget your best friend then; I’m betting on you!”

Wu Tiantian hugged Luan Meng, burying her head in that impressive bosom, rubbing incessantly.

“What are you doing?!”

Luan Meng, embarrassed, tried to push her away, but Wu Tiantian was unexpectedly strong, and the struggle only made her blush even more.

“Hey, hey, Tiantian, look—who’s that?”

Luan Meng casually pointed in a direction, patting Wu Tiantian’s back, hoping to trick her into looking up so she could escape.

But Wu Tiantian followed her gaze, her eyes lighting up, and her sweet voice rang out loud among the crowd.

“Master!”