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Of course, no matter what kind of oak roll cake it is, it's still just a common snack. These two little ones… who knows how much hardship they've gone through before? They're so young, and yet the first thing they went looking for in the restaurant was an oak roll cake. Don't tell me that's the best thing they've ever eaten?
Luan Yu's heart practically broke for them. Her motherly instincts kicked in hard as she gently patted Liu Ying's head with a face full of affection. She even tried to pet Liu Xing, too, but he wasn't having it and dodged away in disgust.
Liu Xing had no idea what kind of drama Luan Yu was imagining, but he wasn't going to let her have her way so easily. He was a man, dammit—not some pet you could just snuggle whenever you wanted.
Too bad arm strength didn't match willpower. His little arms and legs were no match for Luan Yu's grip. She caught him anyway and gave him a good petting. Liu Xing just lay there lifelessly, feeling like all his manly pride had been wiped off the face of the earth.
Meanwhile, Liu Ying was fully distracted by the dazzling array of cakes on the menu. She didn't even register Luan Yu messing with her. For the sake of cake, she didn't feel like transforming this time.
In the end, Liu Ying ordered a strawberry sundae and a cup of Starry Boba Milk Tea.
Liu Xing, on the other hand, got himself a steak—but not just any steak. This was fire-patterned bull meat, from a soul beast. Sure, it wasn't a century-old beast, but it still had a few decades of cultivation.
Soul beast meat was considered rare and valuable, but to Luan Yu, it wasn't a big deal. Ten-year soul beasts? Please. Her kids had to eat hundred-year or even thousand-year soul beast meat. That was the only way to build a solid foundation.
Yeah, she liked her money, but she wasn't stingy. She was a Titled Douluo and a level-nine Soul Engineer. Raising two kids? Piece of cake.
Watching the two little ones go to town on their food, completely focused and ignoring the world around them, Luan Yu propped up her chin and smiled. Honestly, watching her two cuties eat so happily was its own kind of joy.
Just then, a new group sat at the table next to them. It was a stunning woman with long pink hair and a killer figure, followed by a few kids around six years old. One of them—a little pink-haired girl with matching pink eyes—spotted Liu Xing and Liu Ying scarfing down their food. Her eyes lit up as she tugged on the woman's sleeve and chirped, "Mom, I want a strawberry sundae, Starry Boba Milk Tea, and fire-patterned bull steak too!"
The pink-haired woman pinched her cheek and smiled, "That's a lot of food. You think you can finish it all? Don't waste any, okay?"
The little girl clung to her mom's arm and pouted, "Mom, you said if I awakened the Rouge Dragon Martial Soul, I could eat whatever I wanted today! If I can't finish, I'll get Xu Shenshu and Feng Jue to help me!"
The two boys she mentioned—one a little darker-skinned with messy hair, the other around the same age—immediately looked like they'd swallowed a bug. They wanted to eat what they liked, not finish her leftovers!
The pink-haired woman sighed and patted the little girl's head. "Don't bully Xiao Shenshu and Xiao Feng Jue. You order it, you eat it. But since you did awaken the Rouge Dragon Martial Soul today, Mommy will let it slide."
Liu Xing glanced over at the pink-haired girl. She totally looked like a little troublemaker. When she noticed him looking, she even stuck her tongue out and made a silly face at him.
He turned to look at Liu Ying, who was still fully focused on her food, cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel. Yeah, his Ying Bao was way cuter.
The pink-haired woman gave Luan Yu a nod of apology, and Luan Yu returned the gesture with a friendly smile. Looking at the mischievous pink-haired girl and then at her own two well-behaved angels, Luan Yu felt so glad she hadn't ended up with two little brats.
But then she remembered what that woman and girl had just said—Rouge Dragon Martial Soul?
Luan Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. If she remembered right, that Martial Soul was the inherited one from the Earth Dragon Sect, passed down only through the main family.
Which meant… that pink-haired woman was probably the sect master of the Earth Dragon Sect, the Soul Douluo—Nan Shui Shui.
What kind of luck was this? All she did was take the kids out to eat, and she ran into the head of the Earth Dragon Sect? Judging from their conversation, it seemed Nan Shui Shui's daughter had just awakened the inherited Martial Soul, and this outing was a little celebration.
Meanwhile, Nan Shui Shui, who had turned around and now had her back to Luan Yu and the kids, no longer wore that pleasant smile. Her expression had grown serious. As a Soul Douluo, she could feel a faint pressure coming from Luan Yu.
Unlike Soul Engineers, traditional soul masters like her had extremely sharp senses and instincts. Plus, hers was a beast-type Martial Soul, which made her perception even keener. Luan Yu gave off a powerful vibe. And for someone like Nan Shui Shui, to feel even a hint of danger… it meant Luan Yu was definitely at least a Soul Douluo too.
A stranger with Soul Douluo-level power had appeared in Dragon City, where Nan Shui Shui was one of the rulers. Of course she had to pay attention.
But then she thought of those two adorable silver-haired kids and couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Maybe she was just being overly cautious. They were probably just passing through. The way Luan Yu looked at the kids—so full of love and care—definitely didn't seem fake.
She turned to look at her energetic little daughter, her eyes softening with affection. Her daughter had awakened the Rouge Dragon Martial Soul with an innate soul power of level nine. That gave her a real shot at becoming a Titled Douluo in the future. It had been a long time since she'd felt so genuinely happy.
Still… she couldn't help the headache that came with it. If only Nan Qiuqiu weren't such a little rascal. If only she were as sweet and obedient as those two kids next door.
Liu Xing and Liu Ying finished their meal fast. Soon, they were both sitting there with round little bellies, totally content.
Luan Yu dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin and smiled. "All full? If you're done, we should get going."
"All full!" the two kids replied in perfect sync.
"Alright then, let's go."
Luan Yu took them by the hand and headed for the counter to pay. As they passed Nan Shui Shui's table, she gave her a polite nod. She was well aware that Nan Shui Shui could probably tell her cultivation wasn't ordinary. But so what? It's not like she was some wanted criminal. As long as she didn't reveal she was from the Sun Moon Empire, there'd be no problem.
After leaving the restaurant, with Liu Ying looking up at her with starry eyes full of hope, Luan Yu brought the two kids to a small dessert shop nearby. It was clearly a little place run by common folk—tiny storefront, just one plainly dressed woman behind the counter.
Liu Ying immediately spotted the oak roll cakes in the display case.
"Two oak roll cakes, please," Luan Yu said, handing over two copper soul coins. The cakes were cheap—just one coin each. The shopkeeper was surprised. One look at Luan Yu's outfit told her this woman was rich. And yet… she wanted something as plain as an oak roll cake?
Still, she didn't say anything, quickly packing the cakes and handing them over.
Watching the elegant woman walk away hand-in-hand with two adorable kids, the shopkeeper mumbled to herself, "Huh… rich folks these days sure have unique tastes."
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