TRANSMIGRATING TO THE 80S TO BECOME STEPMOM TO FIVE BIGWIGS

by Usui Takumii

not mine, news novel.

25. 121 to 130

Chapter 121: Arranging To Go To The Ji Residence

After shooting all the scenes in the county, they went to film in the city for ten days.

The movie was filmed very smoothly. Because Little Bei's acting was good, crying scenes were often completed in one take. Their progress speed was delightful, and it actually went even smoother than planned. They directly shot one-third of the movie.

At this point, Tian Xiaoxiao's scenes were completed. The main scenes involved Little Bei and the other actors.

Director Lu really wanted to finish filming in one go, but he could only think about it. After the summer vacation, Little Bei would start going to school soon.

Coincidentally, the village scenes had yet to be shot, so Director Lu followed Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe back to the village, waiting for Little Bei to continue filming after school.

Before Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei returned, Ji Buwang came to find them.

He didn't come empty-handed. Instead, he brought gifts—five school bags with stationery boxes and other stationery staples inside.

"I didn't know what to buy. I figured they'd need a school bag when school starts. I heard a lot of kids like them."

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Ever since he had confessed his love to her last time, he had been feeling that Mu Jingzhe was a little uncomfortable. During this period of time, Ji Buwang didn't try to find Mu Jingzhe like he always did. Instead, he gave her some time to accept it.

When he saw Mu Jingzhe again, his eyes were still shining, but unlike before, he didn't stare at Mu Jingzhe without blinking. Instead, he restrained himself slightly.

"Thank you."

Mu Jingzhe scratched her head, wanting to refuse, but upon seeing how much thought Ji Buwang had put into it, she couldn't bring herself to reject his kind intentions.

Seeing that Ji Buwang was seriously communicating with Little Bei, Mu Jingzhe recalled Ji Buwang's words about raising the five kids together. Now, it seemed that he hadn't just said it casually but really meant to do so.

Mu Jingzhe was in a dilemma. It would be too big of a sacrifice for him to be the stepfather of the five children and raise them with her. Was she really that attractive? She was just an ordinary person.

After thinking about it, Mu Jingzhe felt that it was all because of his face blindness. If he could see someone else, he wouldn't have sunk so low.

If he could only look at her face for the rest of his life, would he get sick of it after a few years?

Mu Jingzhe's thoughts drifted until Little Bei called her name. "Mommy, what are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"Teacher Ji is talking to you."

"Oh, oh… What did you say? Sorry, I was thinking about something else."

"I said that I have a lot of books at home. If you have time, you can bring the kids to my place to read. You can bring back whatever they like. I see that you often buy books for them."

"Yeah, it's mainly because they like them." There were no phones during this period, so the children were engrossed in reading.

During the entire summer vacation, other than having regular foreign language classes, the children spent most of their time in the county library.

This was especially true for Shao Xi and Shao Nan. They basically spent the entire summer vacation in the library. If they didn't know any words, they would use a dictionary to check. Mu Jingzhe felt that they knew more words than she did. This was because there were many unfamiliar words she had to guess how to pronounce, but they could read them accurately.

Upon recalling that she'd still been their teacher a few months ago, she felt like she wasn't capable of teaching them anymore.

There was only a limited number of books in the county library, and some of them were loaned out. The two kids had already read most of the books that they could read.

Mu Jingzhe could only buy some supplementary books for them. Ji Buwang's suggestion indeed tempted Mu Jingzhe.

Buying books in this era was not as convenient as buying books in the future, when one could easily place an order online. It would naturally be good if they could borrow some books.

"Won't it be too troublesome for you?" Mu Jingzhe was tempted, but she still had some concerns.

"It's no trouble. Books are meant to be read. It's not fair to let them sit there idly. They will only be useful if someone reads them. I believe the kids will cherish them."

"Thank you. I'll bring them over next time."

"Okay." Ji Buwang had invited Mu Jingzhe to his house several times, but he had never succeeded. During filming, he had not managed to invite them over to stay. When they went there during filming, they stayed only outside, not inside.

This time, he'd finally succeeded. Ji Buwang was very happy. It seemed that his hard work during this period had paid off.

"Then we'll go on the weekend after their art school classes."

"Okay."

Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei returned to Great Eastern Village with the crew.

This was the first time a movie was filmed in Great Eastern Village, and all the villagers were very curious about it.

Director Lu and the staff were also surprised by what they saw. They had heard from Director Lu that Mu Jingzhe also had other businesses, but they'd never expected that Mu Jingzhe would really run a small factory with a mature production line at home.

Shao Dong, who was a child, had even formed a scavenger team. It was said that the team had already scavenged its way to the capital, Ocean City.

Shao Xi was also quite something—the articles he wrote were published in magazines and newspapers.

The remaining half of Shao Xi's vacation was very fulfilling, especially after the incident with Chubby Boy. He wrote some articles from the perspective of children, which attracted a lot of attention and discussion and were even published in Education Weekly.

The youngest, Xiao Wu, was a musical genius. It was simply enjoyable to listen to him play the flute. Director Lu even wanted to entrust Xiao Wu to compose music for his movie, as he said that Xiao Wu's music had soul.

Xiao Wu had no idea what composing film music was like, but Director Lu said that he trusted Xiao Wu.

Just like that, Xiao Wu had been offered a job. Because he was too young, Director Lu wanted to show Xiao Wu the movie when he was almost done editing. Hopefully, after Xiao Wu saw it, he would be inspired to compose music for the movie.

The three children were all capable. There was no need to mention Little Bei. Director Lu also felt that this child was not simple when he looked at Shao Nan, whose talents seemed hidden compared to his siblings'.

When school officially started, Director Lu found out that Little Bei and Shao Nan had successfully skipped a grade. They had done well last semester and had also done pretty well in the spot-check examination before school started. When school started, they skipped the second grade and directly entered the third grade.

As Shao Dong and Shao Xi had also skipped a grade, they would be studying in the fourth grade when school started. However, this was only temporary. Shao Dong and Shao Xi planned to skip another grade and directly enter the fifth grade next semester.

Director Lu and the crew members could only give them a thumbs-up. Everyone in this family was incredible.

Taking advantage of the break and after-school time, the filming session in the village was completed within a week.

There were even a few people from Great Eastern Village who made guest appearances as passersby and extras. Zhao Lan and Li Zhaodi were both selected, and they even had a line or two.

The two of them felt proud about being selected, but they didn't expect that the roles they'd get would be villainous.

Zhao Lan was portraying a vicious grandmother, which was basically her just acting as herself. Li Zhaodi was portraying a matchmaker. The scene only lasted for two to three seconds, but her portrayal was vivid.

That was because Li Zhaodi really had the disposition of a wicked matchmaker who only cared about her own interests.

On the first weekend after school reopened, Mu Jingzhe took the children to learn foreign languages as usual and prepared to go to the Ji Residence as promised.

Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan took this opportunity to go to the bathroom and talk for a while.

"Although I'm very happy that we can borrow books from him, I feel that Teacher Ji is a little too attentive around us and Mommy."

Shao Nan nodded. "I think so too. He even gave us a backpack each when school started."

Shao Dong understood. "Mommy has already agreed. Besides, it would be good to borrow books. We should go as agreed. However, we can't keep accepting gifts from him without reciprocating. Let's return the favor and give him something."

Chapter 122: Fire

Shao Xi was very supportive of Shao Dong's suggestion to buy a present. "Sure, I have the royalties. We can buy it with my royalties."

"No need. Everything is going smoothly on Uncle's end. I have money now. You can keep your royalties." Shao Dong shook his head.

Shao Nan didn't vie to pay for it because he had yet to earn money. Only then did he realize that he was the only one who hadn't earned money among the five of them.

After Shao Dong finished his discussion with Shao Xi and Shao Nan, they went to the department store to buy gifts before going to the Ji Residence.

Mu Jingzhe was hesitating because she did not know what to buy, but Shao Dong was already done with his purchase.

"You thought of buying him a gift? You didn't even need me to remind you, nor did you tell me about it." Mu Jingzhe knew that Shao Dong was used to being the head of the household when she wasn't at home. Hence, she merely marveled and said nothing else afterward.

When it was time, they went to the Ji Residence as agreed.

The Ji Residence's door opened, and they were welcomed warmly. "Come in quickly."

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"Here's a little something from the kids. I hope you like it." Mu Jingzhe presented the gift.

In that era, there weren't all kinds of packaging like in the future, so it was easy to see what the gift was.

The moment Ji Buwang took it, he realized that it was a man's wallet. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it. A wallet…

When a girl gave a gift to a guy she liked, it was usually a wallet, a tie, a watch, or stuff like that. Ji Buwang guessed that it was actually from Jingzhe and she only claimed that it was from the kids because she was shy.

That meant that Jingzhe also…

Ji Buwang's heart skipped a beat before he heard Shao Dong say, "Teacher Ji, I chose this color because I didn't know which color you like. If you like any other colors, you can exchange it."

Ji Buwang: "Oh, ah, I like this color."

So this wallet had been really bought by the kids and not Mu Jingzhe?

Judging by Mu Jingzhe's proud look as she gazed at Shao Dong, that was likely it.

Ji Buwang felt momentarily dejected, but he quickly pulled himself together. No matter what, he and Jingzhe were getting closer.

"Quick, have a seat. There are several flavors of soda to choose from. There are also snacks and candy. You can choose what you like."

Ji Buwang had clearly made preparations beforehand and was very attentive.

The kids also felt his sincerity. "Thank you, Teacher Ji. Can we go take a look at the books first?"

"Sure, they're in the study. Feel free to take a look."

Afraid that they wouldn't be able to reach the bookshelves, he had moved the books that were on the higher shelves to the table.

The Ji Family's book collection was no joke. It was comparable to the county's library. There were many different types of books, and there were even many comic books.

"I read these when I was young. You can borrow them if you like."

"Wow, thank you, Teacher Ji."

Upon seeing the comic books, the children smiled and couldn't wait to flip through them.

Mu Jingzhe took a look, and her attention was attracted by two rows of books. The colors of these books were slightly different, and they had an ancient feel to them. However, it could be seen that they were well preserved.

"Are these ancient books?"

"Yes, that's all the ancient books we have here."

"I've got to tell them not to touch these." Mu Jingzhe immediately warned the children.

"It's fine to take a look." Ji Buwang trusted the children.

"If you don't tell them, what if they accidentally borrowed one and dirtied it or damaged it?"

The children obeyed and didn't touch those books. To them, the other books were already a sea of joy.

As there was a limit to borrowing books from the county library, they could only borrow two books at a time. Most of the time, they would read the books borrowed by their siblings after finishing the two they had borrowed. Ji Buwang was very generous and allowed them to borrow quite a few books at once, and they could exchange them for new ones after they were done with them. This made the children very happy.

Actually, Ji Buwang could have lent them all at once or even given them all the books. However, after thinking for a while, he realized that if he did that, he wouldn't have the chance to interact with Mu Jingzhe and the children at his house in the future. Therefore, he cleverly lent out a few books and let them exchange them frequently. This way, he could build a relationship with them.

The kids were picking out the books happily, and even Mu Jingzhe was browsing through the collection with enthusiasm. Seeing that, Ji Buwang cast a smug look at Uncle Li, who was standing at the door.

Uncle Li: "…"

A week ago, Ji Buwang had come back and told him that Mu Jingzhe and the five children would be coming to his place.

Uncle Li, who had been tormented by Ji Buwang and had accompanied him while he'd mulled for several days over what kind of presents to give the kids, could only helplessly get busy again.

After cleaning and shopping for two days, he'd finally found out that Mu Jingzhe and the kids were only coming over during the weekend.

Uncle Li wished that he could shake Ji Buwang awake so that he would stop doing all this.

But what could he do? In the end, he could only accept it.

After making so many blunders, he still had the cheek to look so smug?

Uncle Li didn't look at him, but Ji Buwang didn't let him off. "Uncle Li, why aren't you speaking? See, I told you that reading books is useful. It gives you something to talk about with other people."

The last time Ji Buwang had asked a parent about raising children, he had suffered a setback. However, he hadn't given up. Instead of asking ordinary people, he had now turned to studying.

He really had found books on how to raise children and how to get close to them. This was the result of his studies.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li felt even less like talking.

He couldn't understand why Young Master was so bent on becoming a stepfather.

It was difficult to be a stepmother, and it was also difficult to be a stepfather. Mu Jingzhe was already a stepmother, but Young Master insisted on becoming a stepfather.

How would a stepmother and a stepfather look like together?

The Old Master didn't know this for the time being. It was about time to slowly reveal some information to him and let him know.

Mu Jingzhe turned around and saw Uncle Li's frustrated, complicated expression.

Uh… This butler, Uncle Lee, had such rich facial expressions. It was as if she could see a new expression on his face each time she looked at him.

However, he probably wasn't too crazy about them showing up like that.

Mu Jingzhe urged the children to hurry up and choose. Then, she quickly bade them farewell. She didn't stay for a meal like Ji Buwang had invited them to.

Ji Buwang could only wait for next weekend.

However, next weekend, when Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan came, Mu Jingzhe didn't come.

Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei had gone to Ocean City to film.

The final part of the movie was supposed to be filmed in Ocean City. Director Lu had informed them before and had gone there to prepare for the shoot.

As the entire film crew was waiting, Mu Jingzhe took a week off from school on behalf of Little Bei and prepared to return after filming. Luckily, Little Bei was a quick learner.

Mu Jingzhe had visited Ocean City quite a few times in the modern era. She had even stayed there for two years. However, she hadn't been to the Ocean City of this era in this novel's world.

Ocean City was a big city, so Little Bei was very happy to be able to go there. The boys also looked forward to going there, but considering that Little Bei would be busy filming, Mu Jingzhe didn't bring them along. They agreed to go there next time if they had the chance.

Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei took the train to Ocean City. Shao Qiyang had bought them sleeper tickets through his connections. They boarded the train during the day and slept the whole night before arriving the next day.

"This way."

Director Lu had sent someone to pick them up and bring them to the set.

It was only then that Mu Jingzhe found out that Tian Xiaoxiao was from Ocean City. Mother Tian had helped a lot this time. Even the guesthouse had been arranged by her, and she'd managed to get them cheaper rates.

The location of the guesthouse was not bad. It was also quite clean and new. Mother Tian had put in a lot of effort this time.

Since she was so sincere, Director Lu and the crew changed their attitude toward her. They specifically talked to Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei, hoping that they could improve their relationship, saying that harmony brought wealth.

"I really got to thank them for going through all that trouble." Mu Jingzhe understood this logic, so she replied with a smile.

On the same day, Little Bei entered the filming set. Although she was exhausted from the journey, she still got into character very quickly after filming started. Director Lu was very satisfied.

Considering that Little Bei was also tired, they didn't work overtime that day and even had a meal together. Mother Tian also came. She shook hands with Mu Jingzhe to reconcile with her and asked her to tell her if she wasn't satisfied with the food and accommodation, for she was familiar with the boss of the guesthouse.

When they returned to their room, Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei were both tired.

The room in the guesthouse was quite clean. By the time Mu Jingzhe washed her face and came out, Little Bei had already fallen asleep before she'd even gotten to drink the cool water on the bed.

"You must be tired." Mu Jingzhe knew that she was tired and covered her with a blanket.

After drinking a cup of water, Mu Jingzhe quickly fell sound asleep.

Little Bei woke up choking. When she woke up, she saw that the bedside lamp was switched on. What was even more glaring than the light were the burning window curtains. Flames were shooting everywhere.

The room was on fire!

Chapter 123: Mommy, I Will Save You

The room was on fire!

Little Bei woke up instantly and coughed as she pushed Mu Jingzhe. "Mommy, wake up! There's a fire!"

Normally, Mu Jingzhe would wake up very soon, but this time, she did not.

"Mommy!" Little Bei got up and pushed Mu Jingzhe even harder. Her voice got louder, but no matter how hard she pushed, Mu Jingzhe wouldn't wake up.

Little Bei became even more anxious and quickly checked if Mu Jingzhe was sick or had a fever.

She touched Mu Jingzhe's forehead and found that her temperature was normal. There was no problem, but she couldn't wake her up.

As she delayed, even more smoke filled the room. Moving along the curtains, the fire had reached the cupboard at the foot of the bed and would soon spread to the bed.

The guesthouse had been built recently. It was fully furnished, but the furniture was mostly made of wood. This caused the tables, beds, and even rattan chairs to be quite flammable.

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They had to escape quickly.

Little Bei looked at the fire and gave up on her plan to put out the fire by herself. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was still unconscious and that she was too weak to carry her, she decisively ran to open the door.

The door opened successfully, revealing a smoke-filled corridor. "Is there anyone here? Our room is on fire!"

The entire crew was basically staying there, but they were on the first and second floor. Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei had arrived late, so they were the only ones living on the third floor.

There didn't seem to be anyone else on the third floor. Little Bei glanced around and then went down to the second floor to seek help.

"The place is on fire! Everyone get up!"

As Little Bei shouted, the boss and a few crew members got up. However, they were too busy saving others to pay heed to Little Bei. They only told Little Bei to run.

It was easy for Little Bei to escape, but Mu Jingzhe was upstairs.

Thinking that Mu Jingzhe was unconscious and the room was still on fire and seeing that everyone was busy, Little Bei couldn't wait to call for help. She quickly covered her mouth and ran back.

By then, the fire had grown bigger, and the room had become increasingly smokey.

The situation in the room was worse than before.

The table and wardrobe in the room were already on fire, but Mu Jingzhe was still unconscious. Little Bei couldn't care about anything else and quickly dragged her down.

She was too weak. Although Mu Jingzhe was thin, she was unconscious. She was afraid of injuring Mu Jingzhe. Besides, her nose and mouth were suffocated, and her vision was obscured by all that smoke. Little Bei had a hard time and was soon covered in sweat.

"Mommy, wake up!"

"Mommy, I'll take you out!"

By the time she dragged Mu Jingzhe halfway across the room, the fire had spread to the beds.

The blankets on the beds were flammable items. The fire quickly grew bigger, and some sparks even landed on Mu Jingzhe.

"No, no!"

Afraid that Mu Jingzhe would be burned, Little Bei quickly extinguished the sparks and used all her strength to drag Mu Jingzhe out of the room.

The door of the room was on fire, and so were the stair railings. The fire grew stronger, and the smoke grew.

It was as if the fire wanted to swallow them whole. Little Bei was filled with despair and fear. She couldn't help but cry out for her mommy.

However, Mu Jingzhe didn't react. Little Bei squatted down and grabbed Mu Jingzhe's hand. She carried her on her back and tried her best to move her down.

The pain in her feet and body intensified. Little Bei became more and more afraid, but she still didn't let go of Mu Jingzhe.

"I'll save you, Mommy. I'll save you…"

The disheveled Little Bei muttered as she rushed down the stairs.

After rushing to the second floor, she finally saw someone familiar.

"Little Bei, you actually brought your mother down!" The stage supervisor was moved when he saw Little Bei dragging Mu Jingzhe, but there was no time for him to say anything else. He gritted his teeth and carried her out. "I'll bring you out first!"

"No, Uncle, save Mommy first. I can walk by myself!" Little Bei struggled. "I can walk by myself!"

The stage supervisor had no choice but to put her down and rush out with Mu Jingzhe on his back.

Little Bei stumbled out as well. Her eyes were already stinging from the smoke, and she couldn't see anything. She kept bumping into things as she ran, stumbling and falling. Along the way were many sparks, and burning things kept falling.

Fortunately, they managed to escape in the end.

When Little Bei saw that Mu Jingzhe had been rescued, her heart relaxed, and her vision darkened before she fainted.

In front of the guesthouse were all the people who had been rescued, including Director Lu and the rest. Half of them were unconscious.

After a while, the fire engine and an ambulance arrived. The fire in the guesthouse was finally extinguished, and the crew was sent to the hospital.

Because they were sent for emergency treatment in a timely manner, most of the crew members only suffered minor injuries. Those who were in a coma could not wake up because they had taken medicine that had caused them to fall unconscious.

Mu Jingzhe was one of them. When she woke up, it was already two days later.

When she woke up and saw the unfamiliar environment, Mu Jingzhe was still in a daze. "Is this a hospital? Cough…"

Mu Jingzhe felt some discomfort in her throat, and her body hurt for some reason. She coughed twice. Worried about Little Bei, she was about to look for her when she saw a familiar person on the bed next to hers.

Mu Jingzhe walked closer and saw that it was indeed Little Bei. Both sides of Little Bei's face were smeared with medicine. More importantly, her arms and legs were fully bandaged, her arms even more so.

At that moment, the stage supervisor came in. He was also injured, but he had already gotten much better. Mu Jingzhe quickly asked him some questions when she saw him.

"What happened? How did Little Bei end up like this? What happened?"

"There was a fire." The stage supervisor gave her the latest update. "Many of our crew members are in the same state as you. Did you drink the water in the kettle before you fell asleep?"

"Yes. Was there a problem with the water?"

"Mm. According to everyone's memories, those who drank the water entered a deep sleep." The stage supervisor looked at Mu Jingzhe and sighed. "Luckily, Little Bei didn't drink it. Otherwise…"

Little Bei had been too tired last night and had fallen asleep before she could drink it. As a result, she hadn't entered a deep sleep like everyone else.

Mu Jingzhe looked at the stage supervisor and then at Little Bei. She had a guess. "So it was Little Bei who woke up and saved me."

"Mm." The stage supervisor nodded. "When she woke up, she came down to call for help. At the time, everyone was busy saving people, so they asked her to go out first. In the end, she didn't run away. Instead, she went back and forcefully saved you."

The stage supervisor let out a bitter laugh. "If I hadn't gone back to check for the last time and bumped into you two on the second floor, maybe the two of you would have—"

After just two sentences, Mu Jingzhe understood everything. Little Bei, a small child, had insisted on saving her and had even dragged her to the second floor.

Mu Jingzhe didn't even dare think about how she had done it. In fact, because she wanted to save her, Little Bei had almost died in the fire with her.

At the time, Little Bei had probably been terrified, but she still hadn't escaped alone.

Many couples escaped by themselves in times of danger. This was understandable. After all, one's own life was the most precious. She hadn't expected Little Bei to…

Mu Jingzhe looked at herself. Other than the bandage on her forehead, she was more or less fine. However, Little Bei…

Upon looking at the bandaged Little Bei, Mu Jingzhe was filled with self-reproach.

The doctor said that Little Bei had been awake all this while and had been running up and down to save her and call for help. Compared to her, she had inhaled a lot of thick smoke. Plus, she was young and had tender skin, so her face was flushed from the heat. There were burns on her hands and feet to a certain extent. The burns on her hands were even more serious and had blisters on them.

Chapter 124: I Don't Regret It

Little Bei inevitably had a fever. Her face was slightly red from the fever, and her eyes were still red from the smoke. Even though her eyes were closed, one could see that they were red and swollen. The skin on her lips was chapped and dry.

The doctor said that Mu Jingzhe needed to rest as well, but Mu Jingzhe didn't have time for that. She stayed by Little Bei's bedside and moistened her throat with cotton swabs from time to time.

She asked the doctor for some ointment and applied it on Little Bei from time to time as well.

When it came to such burn wounds, even without applying medicine, one could feel fiery pain. Mu Jingzhe could feel it on her forehead.

She had only suffered minor injuries, but Little Bei had many wounds on her body. She must be in terrible pain.

She was supposed to be accompanying Little Bei to the filming site to take care of her and protect her. In the end, it was Little Bei who had protected and saved her.

Mu Jingzhe guarded her, staying by her side for an entire day. When Little Bei did not wake up in the afternoon, she even contacted the doctor several times. Just as the doctor started feeling helpless because of the fuss Mu Jingzhe was making, Little Bei finally woke up.

The doctor heaved a sigh of relief. They were really afraid of this kind of child patient, for parents easily got nervous and agitated. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was about to cry, they felt helpless and afraid. They were afraid that Mu Jingzhe would lose control of her emotions and make a scene.

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Mu Jingzhe had lost control of her strength due to her anxiety. They could all see it clearly, so they were very worried.

Fortunately, the patient woke up in the end.

Mu Jingzhe had no idea what the doctors were worried about. She was anxious when she saw that Little Bei remained unconscious. When Little Bei finally woke up, she ran over to her right away.

"Little Bei, how are you? Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

Little Bei had been awakened by a nightmare. In her dream, a fire had been raging and she had been struggling and calling for her mother. That was when she had heard Mu Jingzhe's voice.

"Mommy?" She wanted to call out but realized that she couldn't make a sound. Fortunately, she opened her stinging eyes and saw Mu Jingzhe.

Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was fine, Little Bei let out a sigh of relief and immediately smiled. Mommy had been saved.

However, a second later, her smile froze because she was hurting.

"Is it very painful? Little Bei, don't smile for now. Doctor, quick. Come and take a look at Little Bei! Why can't she speak?"

Seeing that Little Bei had opened her mouth but couldn't say anything, Mu Jingzhe was very sensitive. She couldn't help but think of what had happened to Little Bei in her previous life. Her mind was filled with the thought that Little Bei couldn't speak again because she had saved her. Couldn't she hear anything again either?

The doctor felt like Mu Jingzhe was about to break his hand. No matter how hard he tried to control himself, he could not help but bare his teeth. "Ma'am, please calm down. Let me take a look first."

He checked Little Bei with his hands, which were trembling slightly, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"She inhaled too much smoke and hurt her throat, so she can't make a sound for now. But there's no need to be so anxious. If nothing goes wrong, she should be able to speak tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"That's good. Thanks. Thanks, Doc."

"No need to thank me. I just hope you can calm down in the future." The way she was grabbing them could kill them.

"Alright, thank you." Mu Jingzhe nodded awkwardly.

"Take good care of the child. If anything happens, come look for us."

"Okay."

After Mu Jingzhe sent the doctor away, she turned around and saw Little Bei's slightly red, sparkling eyes. She silently called her 'Mommy'.

"Does it hurt? Where does it hurt the most? Tell Mommy."

Little Bei raised her bandaged finger and pointed at Mu Jingzhe's forehead, worry flashing in her eyes.

She had tried her best to protect Mommy. Why had Mommy still gotten injured?

"I'm alright. It's just a small injury. It's nothing compared to yours." When Mu Jingzhe said this, she couldn't help but feel lingering fear. "Little Bei, why didn't you run out when the place caught fire? I taught you to protect yourself no matter what. Why didn't you listen?

"You're just a child. How could you drag an adult like me? You should have run out and informed others so they could save me."

Little Bei shook her head. That wouldn't do. If she had done that, Mommy might have already been injured by the time someone had gone to get her.

She couldn't leave Mommy in such a dangerous place. If she had run away, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life.

Little Bei opened her mouth, indicating that she wanted to drink water and attracting Mu Jingzhe's attention.

Mu Jingzhe quickly gave Little Bei some water. Little Bei smiled after drinking, indicating that she was fine.

But how could she be fine? Her fever had not subsided, and she had been having a low fever the whole night. After that, she was in so much pain that she could not fall asleep. In the end, she did not fall asleep. She fell unconscious.

Mu Jingzhe spent the entire night keeping an eye on Little Bei's condition. She didn't stop applying water and medicine to her mouth.

Perhaps the heavens heard Mu Jingzhe's prayers. Thanks to her meticulous care, Little Bei's condition improved the next day.

She no longer had a fever, and her throat's condition was much better. She could make sounds now, but her voice was very hoarse.

"Mommy, go and rest. I'm fine."

When Little Bei woke up and saw Mu Jingzhe, she knew that she had taken care of her the entire night. The first thing she did was ask her to rest.

"I'm not tired. You're like this, yet you keep saying you're fine. Last time, you said that you'd tell me if it hurt in the future." Mu Jingzhe was almost drowned in guilt.

Little Bei quickly said, "Mommy, don't blame yourself."

She thought about it and realized that it was indeed impossible to say that she was fine. After a pause, she said, "I'm in pain, Mommy. I'm not feeling well right now. My body is burning, and my eyes and throat are hurting too. Mommy, don't be so nervous. I'll tell you if I feel any discomfort."

"It's terrifying to be caught in a fire. You were scalded at home before, so why did you still dare to stay behind? Tell me, why are you so silly? If anything happened to you, what would I tell your brothers?

"Besides, you're going to be an actress. What if you get a scar? Now that it hurts, you finally feel fear and regret, right?"

Little Bei shook her head slightly and then nodded. "I know it hurts, but I don't regret it. Mommy, I'm actually very happy because I was finally the one who saved you." Little Bei looked at Mu Jingzhe and said seriously, "You're the one who's saved us every time, Mommy. You've helped me many times. This time, our roles were finally reversed. I'm really happy that I protected you, Mommy.

"My brothers won't blame me either. They'll only praise me because we agreed not to let you risk your life to save us in the future. I'm the first one to keep our promise."

Unlike before, Little Bei's voice wasn't sweet or pleasant. However, she said the most moving words and touched Mu Jingzhe's heart.

Her eyes stung, and her throat was blocked. She didn't say anything for a long time, afraid that she would start crying the minute she opened her mouth.

Stroking Little Bei's hair, Mu Jingzhe took a deep breath before suppressing the lump in her throat. "You… Little Bei, you can't do this. If you want me to not risk my life to save you, then you have to do it yourselves."

What had she done to deserve such treatment?

Mu Jingzhe finally couldn't hold back her tears. "Little Bei, you and your brothers are not to do this again. I already know how good you kids are to me. I haven't done anything at all. You're still young, so don't be so sensible."

There were many parents in the world who were troubled by their children's insensibility, but she was troubled by how sensible her children were.

Chapter 125: Reappearance of That Lullaby

"Isn't it good to be sensible? We're young, but we know who's good to us."

Little Bei's face was full of confusion as she reached out to wipe Mu Jingzhe's tears through the gauze. "Mommy, don't cry. If you don't like it, we won't talk about it anymore."

"It doesn't matter whether you talk about it or not. What matters is that you're not allowed to do something like this again." Mu Jingzhe carefully placed her hand back. "Don't move around so it doesn't hurt."

It really hurt. Little Bei bared her teeth. "It's okay, Mommy. I'm not afraid. I'm glad that I didn't let you get hurt. If you were in so much pain, my heart would ache. It makes me happy to experience the pain in your place. I'm not afraid at all."

Little Bei was actually in a lot of pain and wanted to cry, but when she thought that she was hurting on behalf of her mother, she wasn't afraid anymore.

When other kids in the village got sick, their mothers would say that they felt terrible looking at them. They hated that they couldn't suffer the pain on behalf of their children.

Those mothers didn't manage to do that, neither were they able to do it. But she had. She was happy to see that her mother was fine.

Mu Jingzhe had already wiped her tears, but tears burst forth from her eyes once again when she heard this.

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"Little Bei, you…" Mu Jingzhe stroked Little Bei's sweaty hair. "How can I be anything but good to you if you do this?"

How could they blame her for being nice to them? They were the ones who had broken the rules first by asking her not to treat them so well.

If she treated them well, they would treat her twice as well. If they kept returning the favor in double, she would sink deeper and deeper.

The little girl's words were heart-piercing.

However, Little Bei herself did not know and was still worried that Mu Jingzhe was in pain. "Mommy, stop crying. Are you in pain too?"

"I'm not in pain. You saved me and protected me. How can I still be in pain?"

"That's good." Little Bei comforted Mu Jingzhe instead. "Mommy, have you forgotten what you told us before? Have you forgotten about 'Born in Woes and Died in Peace'? Don't worry, when I encounter such an incident, it's because I'm about to become successful."

Little Bei thought about it and laughed. "Maybe the movie is going to be popular, and I'm going to be famous. That's why I need to go through some pain."

Mu Jingzhe was extremely amused by Little Bei. "Yes, it will definitely be popular. Very popular."

"When the time comes, I'll have endless scenes to film and I'll be able to earn a lot of money. 'Born in Woes and Died in Peace' is absolutely right, so don't be sad, Mommy."

Although her words were nice and encouraging and Little Bei's fever had subsided, it wasn't so easy to recover from the pain. She kept sweating and couldn't eat anything. She only ate a little and couldn't fall asleep because of the discomfort she felt at night.

Mu Jingzhe felt terrible seeing Little Bei in pain. She had avoided going deaf from fever before, but Little Bei had suffered again.

She couldn't help but look for the doctor a few more times, making the doctor feel helpless.

Later on, Mu Jingzhe even told stories to coax Little Bei to sleep. However, Little Bei could not fall asleep even after closing her eyes.

She merely pretended to be asleep because she didn't want Mu Jingzhe to be worried.

Mu Jingzhe said helplessly, "Little Bei, open your eyes if you don't want to sleep. I'll tell you any bedtime story you want to hear."

As long as she could divert some of her attention from the pain, she'd do it.

Little Bei thought about it and suddenly said, "Then sing me a lullaby, Mommy. I want to listen to a lullaby like the one you sang to me last time. Maybe I'll fall asleep after listening to it."

Mu Jingzhe stiffened. "Uh…"

Ever since that blunder, Mu Jingzhe hadn't sung the lullaby anymore. No matter how much Little Bei coaxed and kissed her, she wouldn't sing it anymore. Because Little Bei liked it very much, she would sing it all the time.

Every time Little Bei sang it, Mu Jingzhe felt like she was being punished publicly. Alas, all the children in the village had started singing it as well after hearing Little Bei sing it.

Now, the 'Going to School' lullaby in Little Eastern Village had changed beyond recognition. The principal was also helpless. Knowing that Mu Jingzhe was the one who had taught them this, the principal had even specifically told her not to revise the lyrics casually and sing them for children anymore.

Mu Jingzhe didn't even know how to explain herself. She hadn't done it on purpose either. From then on, she had decided not to sing anymore.

Little Bei was feeling terrible, and all she wanted was just to listen to the lullaby. When Little Bei was gazing at her like this, how could she refuse?

Mu Jingzhe thought hard and tried to sing "Baby, Go to Sleep" but she was stuck after two lines.

Little Bei looked at Mu Jingzhe innocently. "Mom, isn't there a new one? Like the previous one?"

"There aren't so many of them."

"In that case, you can sing the lullaby you sang last time."

Mu Jingzhe was helpless. She could only hold in her shame and sing again. Little Bei obviously knew how to sing it too, but she burst out laughing as soon as Mu Jingzhe started singing.

Upon seeing Little Bei laugh, Mu Jingzhe relented. "Let me think about what other lullabies there are."

After all that trouble, it was almost daybreak. Mu Jingzhe pulled open the curtains.

At that moment, the sun was rising from the east. The horizon was red, and soon, the sun rose in the sky. It was a beautiful sight.

Mu Jingzhe looked at the sun, and her eyes lit up. Inspiration finally struck her.

"Little Bei, I remember a lullaby." Mu Jingzhe coughed. "When the sun comes out, I climb the electric pole. When I climb the pole, I pull the wires. As soon as I touch the high-pressure wires, I'm sent to Hades' Palace."

Little Bei laughed out loud and was finally cheered up. "Mommy, what else? What happens after you go to Hades' Palace?"

Mu Jingzhe remembered that there was a conversation with Hades later on. It was because everyone had changed the lullaby drastically that she couldn't remember the original song. However, she didn't really remember what came after that.

In any case, it didn't sound good, so Mu Jingzhe decided not to think about it.

"That's it. I don't remember the next lines."

"This is also very nice." Little Bei enthusiastically learned to sing it and even praised Mu Jingzhe. "Mommy, you're really amazing. You can even sing such songs."

Mu Jingzhe had no idea when this song had been released and when it had been adapted. She had never heard of it in this era before, so she couldn't take the credit for it.

"I learned it from others too. I wasn't the one who wrote this song."

"It's good. I have two songs to sing now. Mommy, do you have more?"

Seeing that Little Bei looked much more spirited, Mu Jingzhe racked her brains and realized that the people from the other wards had woken up as well. Mu Jingzhe's eyes lit up when she saw a little girl running over.

"I remember now."

In Little Bei's sparkling eyes, Mu Jingzhe had become a parent with no limits.

"The little girl woke up early in the morning and pulled up her pants as she went to the bathroom. There was someone in the bathroom, so she had no choice but to crap her pants."

Mu Jingzhe only knew this part of this particular song. As for the original song, she had never heard it before, much less memorized it.

After singing that short verse, Little Bei froze for a moment before laughing out loud.

"Mommy, it's so much fun. This song is so much fun. I love it."

Little Bei couldn't wait to get up. "Mommy, I want to go to the bathroom too."

Mu Jingzhe: "…"

Little Bei had a burn on her leg because she'd had no time to put on her shoes previously. Fortunately, it wasn't severe. She could get out of bed if she put on her slippers.

Little Bei was excited and didn't want Mu Jingzhe to carry her. She pulled up her pants and sang the song as she went to the bathroom.

Upholding her status as a small-time actress, she performed vividly.

Mu Jingzhe: "…"

This girl sure learned fast.

Chapter 126: Don't Touch High-Voltage Electric Wires

Mu Jingzhe wanted to say that they shouldn't go out and sing anymore to avoid tainting another song, but upon seeing how happy Little Bei was, she knew that she liked songs with revised lyrics and gave up.

Since this made her happy, so be it.

Little Bei even giggled in the bathroom. Later on, when everyone heard her sing, they also laughed.

There were inevitably children in the inpatient department. All of them learned quickly and soon started singing the song too.

It was supposed to be breakfast time, but before the parents could even eat breakfast, they were hearing lyrics about a girl crapping her pants.

There were also naughty children who wanted to try singing this. They even quickly changed the little girl and made her a young lad.

Mu Jingzhe heard this and quietly covered her face.

Hearing children being scolded in the neighboring room, Mu Jingzhe could only apologize to everyone in her heart.

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Seeing that Little Bei even enthusiastically wanted to teach everyone how to sing the 'high-voltage electric wires' lullaby, she quickly carried her back.

"Little Bei, it would be better not to teach this. It would be terrible if a child wanted to try. This is very dangerous and unacceptable. I've already told you that electricity is very dangerous, let alone high-voltage electric wires. You'll just have to sing it in secret in the future. Don't sing it outside. Don't sing it to your brothers either."

Children were insensible. What if they thought of touching high-voltage electric wires while singing?

Mu Jingzhe was not exaggerating. The world of children was really different from the world of adults. A naughty, fearless child could really do that.

Then, it would be dangerous. This wasn't anything like crapping one's pants.

If you crapped your pants, you would at most be beaten up. You wouldn't even have a chance to spank a kid who touched high-voltage electric wires.

Mu Jingzhe had heard these songs from others. As for who had adapted them, she didn't know. In any case, each one was more brilliant than the last.

After pointing out to Little Bei the terror of being electrocuted, especially by high-voltage electric wires, Mu Jingzhe finally coaxed Little Bei back.

Although Little Bei felt regretful, she knew the severity of the matter, so she agreed to sing the song secretly in the future. Luckily, she could still sing the 'little girl song'.

Now that Little Bei had been cheered up, she finally mustered her courage and lifted her hair. "Mommy, help me cut my hair."

Little Bei liked long hair, especially since Mu Jingzhe had started combing her hair every day and adorning it with a different hair ornament. She had always been vain, so she liked it when Mu Jingzhe combed her hair every day.

Everyone complimented Little Bei for having black, bright, long hair. Especially now that someone was taking care of it well and her nutrition had caught up, it was no longer as dry as before. She liked her hair even more now.

However, this time, she had to cut her hair.

As a result of being burned by the flames, a lot of her favorite long hair no longer looked good. She could only trim it first.

Previously, Little Bei had been avoiding it, hoping that it would get better. But today, she knew that this just wasn't going to happen.

Mu Jingzhe's heart ached when she heard this, but since Little Bei could accept it now, she borrowed a pair of scissors to trim her hair.

"Little Bei, it's not all that short after the haircut. It'll grow back in no time."

"Mm." Little Bei nodded. "I believe it."

"You can also tie up your short hair or wear a hairband or a hairclip. I'll make some for you later." Mu Jingzhe decided to make many hairbands for Little Bei when she got back. She could continue to have a pretty hairstyle then.

"Thank you, Mommy."

Actually, Little Bei had a lot of hair ornaments now. All the hair ornaments of the children in the village added up couldn't compare to hers. As long as she liked something, Mommy would give it to her. Little Bei had already been scolded by Big Brother twice, but she still couldn't bring herself to refuse what was offered.

She had saved Mommy this time, so Big Brother definitely wouldn't say anything.

Although Little Bei couldn't bear to part with her, she had a good foundation and was equally adorable with a short haircut. Little Bei looked in the mirror and was finally satisfied.

Since Little Bei hadn't slept the entire night and was overjoyed in the morning, she finally fell asleep after eating something.

Mu Jingzhe heaved a sigh of relief when she saw this.

Seeing that Little Bei was sleeping soundly, Mu Jingzhe finally had time to look for Director Lu and ask about the situation.

Since the entire crew had been almost killed, the matter had blown up and made the news.

It had been investigated for the past two days. Everyone in the production team was troubled, and Mother Tian was even more devastated.

She had really wanted to improve their relationship this time, which was why she'd put in so much effort. Who would have thought that something like this would happen? Plus, everything had been fine before, so who could have known that something like this would happen when Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe came?

At first glance, one would think that Mother Tian was avenging her daughter.

However, after hearing what had happened, Mother Tian was shocked too. For the past two days, she had been crying out about this injustice, saying that it really wasn't her this time. How would she dare do something so major? It had nothing to do with her.

Mu Jingzhe knew that it wasn't her. Mother Tian didn't have the guts. Besides, there was no need for her to do such a thing. It wasn't like she was foolish enough to want to kill the entire production team as well.

Seeing that Mu Jingzhe didn't suspect her, Mother Tian heaved a sigh of relief.

The investigation hadn't stopped for the past two days. Director Lu had been worried sick, but he knew that Little Bei needed someone to accompany her, so he didn't look for Mu Jingzhe.

Now that Mu Jingzhe finally had time to speak to him, she couldn't help but ask Director Lu if there were any clues.

After careful investigation, she realized that someone had drugged the kettle. Anyone who had drunk from it had been knocked out.

As for the fire, it was suspected to have started in Mu Jingzhe's room, so Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei had probably been the targets.

Of course, Director Lu and the others also provided a list of people they had offended or didn't have a good relationship with, hoping it would be of help.

After being asked, Mu Jingzhe frowned and thought for a while. "I can't think of anyone for now."

She really couldn't come up with any names. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't think of anyone who had such a huge grudge against her. It didn't seem like it was the chubby mother she had met last time either.

It was said that because of her poor condition and the fact that she was being watched, she couldn't leave the city for the time being and follow her to Ocean City to kill her.

It wasn't Shao Xi, who had come with her this time, so she could temporarily rule her out as well.

As for the others, Mu Jingzhe didn't know who would follow her all the way to Ocean City to kill her.

Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but think of the illusion of being followed last time. She hadn't felt like she was being followed this time, but it hadn't been long since she had been attacked by the snakes at home.

Upon thinking about it this way, Mu Jingzhe realized that perhaps someone really wanted to kill her.

The snakes last time hadn't been an accident. Someone was really targeting her. The snakes in other people's houses might have only appeared to reduce their suspicions.

Otherwise, how could one explain that the snakes that had appeared in their house had been the ones most out of control? There had been many of them, and some of them hadn't even been local venomous snakes.

Had the culprit followed her to Ocean City because they hadn't killed her last time? In order to deal with her, they wouldn't hesitate to drag so many people down with them, and it didn't even matter if all of them died with her?

If that was the case, then this method was really ruthless.

Perhaps, the perpetrator didn't care, or it was intentional. If a lot of people were killed, the investigation would be chaotic.

When she had this thought, everything became clear. Both times, the methods had been ruthless and the culprit had been out to kill.

Mu Jingzhe quickly recounted the matter, and sure enough, it attracted attention.

"Think about the people you might have offended."

Mu Jingzhe told him about the chubby mother. As she spoke, she couldn't help but bring up the person who had been later caught in the city park.

Could this be related to that man?

Chapter 127: Ji Buwang Meets Shao Qiyang

Mu Jingzhe felt that if this had anything to do with the person who had been caught in the park, it would mean that someone wanted to kill her at all costs!

This was terrifying. Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but shiver. She very much wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized it wasn't impossible.

Since the culprit hadn't succeeded twice, what if they struck a third time?

The first and second time, she had escaped unscathed, but would she be lucky enough to escape for the third time?

And what if escaping meant she had to pay an even heavier price? Little Bei was still lying in the ward.

The doctor had said that Little Bei had been really lucky this time. Otherwise, her face might have been disfigured or something else could have happened.

The consequences were severe enough, and she didn't want something like this to happen a third time.

Mu Jingzhe shared her speculations with the police and kept her guard up.

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If this was a direct or open confrontation, it might be a little better. The way things were now, it was like there was an unknown person staring at you from behind like a venomous snake, wanting to kill you at any time. It was completely terrifying.

On the way back, after giving a statement at the police station, Mu Jingzhe was vigilant and constantly kept an eye on the people nearby, wanting to find the perpetrator.

She thought to herself that she should keep some defensive items on her body at all times in the future, such as the fruit knife and the chili powder that had helped her last time.

Usually, chili powder was used as seasoning, but at critical moments, it could be used as a weapon.

Mu Jingzhe thought about it and asked around where she could find chili powder. The spicier and more choking it was, the better.

She wanted to prepare some more, but she was even more worried about Little Bei, so she went back to the ward first.

Little Bei had yet to wake up. Not long after she returned to the ward, someone rushed over unexpectedly—Ji Buwang.

When Mu Jingzhe heard the knock on the door and saw Ji Buwang, she thought that she was seeing things.

"Ji Buwang, why are you here…" Before she could finish, Mu Jingzhe was hugged.

Ji Buwang had pulled Mu Jingzhe into his arms. Only after sensing that she was really alive and well did he let out a sigh of relief.

"You scared me to death."

After such a huge thing had happened, before Mu Jingzhe had even woken up, Director Lu had already arranged for someone to contact her family to prevent them from being worried if they accidentally saw the news or heard about it.

Ji Buwang had asked Director Lu to take good care of Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei and contact him if there was anything new.

Ji Buwang had been the first to hear the news. When he'd heard that there was a fire and that Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe were still unconscious, he'd immediately rushed over.

Mu Jingzhe, who was caught off guard, was greeted with a hug. Hearing the lingering fear in Ji Buwang's voice, she hesitated for a moment and patted his back.

"I'm fine."

"Why didn't you contact me when you woke up? Didn't I give you my number? Didn't I ask you to contact me whenever you need anything?" Ji Buwang asked after letting go of Mu Jingzhe.

"I'm alright, so I didn't contact you. Besides, I was busy taking care of Little Bei when I woke up, so I didn't manage to get in touch."

"I'm really worried about you. Until you go back, I'll stay in Ocean City."

"I think there's no need for that?" Mu Jingzhe was a little hesitant. "Don't you have something to attend to?"

Ji Buwang didn't listen. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. Later on, he took the initiative to buy lunch, saying that Mu Jingzhe was also a patient.

The moment Ji Buwang left, another person who shouldn't have come appeared in front of Mu Jingzhe.

"Shao Qiyang? Why are you here too?"

Shao Qiyang's eyes were red, and he didn't notice that Mu Jingzhe had said the word 'too'. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was standing there, alive and well, he heaved a sigh of relief.

However, when he saw the bandage on Mu Jingzhe's forehead, he was shocked. "Are you okay? Are your injuries serious?"

Shao Qiyang had also heard the news and was a step behind Ji Buwang.

There was no phone at home, but there was a phone in the post office. He had also left his phone number with Director Lu and told him to contact him if anything happened.

When Shao Qiyang had heard this, he'd remembered the venomous snake incident. He couldn't care less about anything else, so he had taken time off to rush over.

Along the way, Shao Qiyang had been worried and tormented. The moment he saw Mu Jingzhe, he felt an urge to pull her into his arms.

However, just as he reached out to pull Mu Jingzhe close, the latter reacted quickly. "I'm really fine. Little Bei is here. Come with me."

Shao Qiyang felt a trace of regret, but his attention was quickly attracted by Little Bei.

Mu Jingzhe, who was very guilty, whispered to Shao Qiyang, "I originally planned to contact you guys to tell you about the situation. It's all my fault that Little Bei was injured."

"Don't blame yourself. You've been really good to them. She just did what she wanted."

If it were him, he would not have hesitated to save Mu Jingzhe.

After they whispered a few words, Ji Buwang returned.

This was the first time the two of them met. As soon as Ji Buwang came back, he realized that there was someone in the ward. Shao Qiyang looked over warily, and for the first time, he saw Ji Buwang.

Shao Qiyang's first thought was that this person had entered the wrong ward. Later on, when he saw his outstanding appearance, he thought that he was a member of the film crew.

Ji Buwang's first thought was also that Shao Qiyang was a member of the production team, so the two of them immediately smiled and looked at Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe quickly introduced them to each other. "Shao Qiyang, this is Ji Buwang. He's an art school teacher and also my… friend. When he heard that something happened here, he came to visit me.

"Ji Buwang, this is Shao Qiyang, Little Bei's uncle and my brother-in-law."

Ji Buwang and Shao Qiyang: "…"

Shao Qiyang's eyelids twitched when he heard the name 'Ji Buwang' because he had heard from Xiao Wu at home what a wonderful person he was and that he had provided the school with musical instruments.

At the time, although he had suspected why Ji Buwang would do this, he hadn't expected this to involve Mu Jingzhe.

In the end, he'd really had an ulterior motive?

Shao Qiyang was very sensitive. When he sensed that something was amiss, he felt that something was wrong with Ji Buwang's gaze. Besides, a person who was supposed to be in his hometown had suddenly appeared in Ocean City even earlier than him. What did that mean?

That meant that he had rushed over as soon as possible.

He had come here because he was worried about Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei. What about him? Was he also worried about Mu Jingzhe?

In an instant, Shao Qiyang had a lot of thoughts. Upon looking at Ji Buwang's attire, he knew that this person had to be quite eligible. Besides, his appearance was outstanding.

Shao Qiyang was filled with vigilance. He had known that someone would discover Mu Jingzhe's brilliance sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.

Ji Buwang was also vigilant because of Shao Qiyang's vigilance. Although he couldn't see anyone's face, he was very sensitive to other people's emotions and hostility.

This wasn't the vigilance and mood of a brother-in-law. Shao Qiyang's condition and mood were so strange that it didn't seem like he should have such a reaction to his sister-in-law. He was even hostile to him.

Could this brother-in-law of hers like Jingzhe just like him?

Ji Buwang quickly glanced at Shao Qiyang, wishing he could see his face.

However… This was Shao Qiyang. This name sounded familiar, and only a single word was different. This made him involuntarily think of a person deep in his memory.

But that couldn't be. Mu Jingzhe's husband was dead.

Nevertheless, Ji Buwang still probed. "The name Shao Qiyang is a little familiar. Actually, I knew someone called Shao Qihai in the past."

Shao Qiyang and Mu Jingzhe, who were stunned, asked two questions in unison.

"You know Shao Qihai?"

"You know my older brother?"

Chapter 128: Shao Qihai Is Here Too

Ji Buwang accurately caught the words 'older brother'.

"Shao Qihai is your brother? Your biological brother?"

"That's right. You know my brother? When did you meet him?" Shao Qiyang pressed on.

"A few years ago." Ji Buwang's expression was strange. He looked at Mu Jingzhe and then at Shao Qiyang. "So you are Shao Qihai's younger brother. How many older brothers do you have?"

He looked at Little Bei with suspicion in his eyes. "Could Little Bei be…"

"Yes, Little Bei and the others are my older brother's children." Shao Qiyang nodded.

Ji Buwang: "…"

Ji Buwang suddenly lost the ability to speak. He hadn't expected the five kids to be Shao Qihai's children.

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Because Mu Jingzhe had said that he didn't want Ji Buwang to investigate her, he had never investigated her. The children had never mentioned Shao Qihai's name either, so he had never known.

During this period of time, he had wanted to be the stepfather of Shao Qihai's children?

His mind was a mess for a moment, but then he accurately grasped the information regarding the stepfather part. His mood instantly turned cold.

"Shao Qihai… is gone?" Mu Jingzhe's husband was dead!

"You didn't know?" Shao Qiyang asked back.

A rhetorical question was still an answer. Ji Buwang was stunned for a moment. He had been in a coma for four years, so he had lagged behind on news. He didn't even know that Shao Qihai was already dead.

They weren't familiar with each other, but he remembered him because they used to be rare opponents.

While he had been unconscious, no one had deliberately come to tell him about Shao Qihai's condition.

It was only today that he finally knew that Shao Qihai was gone. Besides, he had been eyeing his widow covetously, yearning to marry her and even become his children's stepfather.

Ji Buwang was a little confused at that moment and he sighed in his heart with guilt.

He hadn't done it on purpose. He hadn't come to snatch Shao Qihai's widow. It was fate that had allowed them to meet, and it was fate that allowed him to only see Mu Jingzhe.

He originally hadn't known that Mu Jingzhe was his wife, or he might have restrained himself. Now that he knew, it was too late.

Upon thinking of this, Ji Buwang felt an inexplicable sense of guilt toward Shao Qiyang.

When Shao Qiyang heard that Ji Buwang actually knew Shao Qihai, besides feeling furious, he also felt a trace of guilt. After all, he was the brother-in-law and he also…

The two of them had different thoughts. After that, they were very polite to each other, but there was a hint of vigilance and awkwardness in their politeness.

The atmosphere became very strange. Mu Jingzhe, who was with them, also felt awkward.

Outside the ward, Shao Qihai, who was watching this strange scene, was speechless.

Shao Qihai was the last to arrive. Ever since their last encounter, he had been worried about Mu Jingzhe.

However, they couldn't do anything for the time being. Because of Old Fish's unexpected arrest, they had followed the vine to fish out the melon. They had helped capture a large number of Old Fish's accomplices.

Although most of them had been caught, a portion of them had still escaped.

After Shao Qihai was done with his work, he had heard that Mu Jingzhe and the kids had been attacked by venomous snakes at home. As soon as he'd received the news, Shao Qihai had known that this was the doing of the people who had fled.

These people were extremely ruthless. They probably felt that Mu Jingzhe had harmed Old Yu, causing everyone to be captured later on. Therefore, they were determined to avenge Old Yu and everyone else.

Shao Qihai had acted immediately. After chasing them for a few days, he had finally caught the culprit.

After catching the culprit, he had wanted to be by Mu Jingzhe's side to protect her immediately, but there were others he needed to keep an eye on.

Only he and Jiang Feng had seen the people who had escaped before. They still had to cooperate with the police to catch them.

Before they could catch those people, they were notified that Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei had been attacked again. That person had chased them all the way to Ocean City and even used the most brutal method to attack them—arson.

Shao Qihai, who was really startled, rushed over as quickly as possible. He wanted to protect Mu Jingzhe this time. Meanwhile, he was waiting for the others to fall into his trap.

According to his understanding of those people, they would take action again and wouldn't stop until they had their way.

Mu Jingzhe was still in danger, and all of this was ultimately related to him. It was because she had saved Shao Xi that she had become the target of their revenge.

Shao Qihai had arrived a little earlier than Ji Buwang. However, since it was inconvenient for him to appear, he'd decided to follow her and protect her. Thus, he had disguised himself as a nurse in the hospital and waited outside Mu Jingzhe's ward to see if there were any suspects.

He had wanted to sneak in to see Little Bei's state, but before he could do anything, Ji Buwang had rushed over. Upon seeing Mu Jingzhe, he'd immediately hugged her.

Shao Qihai had clutched the chair tightly, nearly unable to resist rushing in to beat up Ji Buwang.

What the heck? Why was he hugging his wife like this?!

Shao Qihai didn't know how he'd managed to hold it in. He only heaved a sigh of relief after Ji Buwang left.

However, before he could finish heaving a sigh of relief, Shao Qiyang showed up.

As her younger brother-in-law, Shao Qiyang didn't really hug her or anything, but for some reason, Shao Qihai felt that his younger brother's mood was a little strange.

Later on, Ji Buwang also returned.

Shao Qihai listened to them talk about his death numbly. He really wanted to go in and tell them that he was there, that he wasn't dead, and he was watching them!

In the end, Shao Qihai didn't manage to enter. Fortunately, Ji Buwang and Shao Qiyang were quickly persuaded to leave by Mu Jingzhe.

Only then did Shao Qihai heave a sigh of relief again. Seeing that only Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei were left in the ward, he felt much better.

However, Shao Qihai had heaved a sigh of relief too early. After Little Bei woke up, she had to go to the bathroom.

While she was doing so, of course, Little Bei had to sing some of her favorite new songs.

This was the first time Shao Qihai heard them. He was caught off guard and almost burst out laughing, which could have revealed his identity.

When Little Bei went back to the ward, Shao Qihai was still in a daze. Why would Little Bei sing such a song?

That night, Shao Qihai guarded the mother-and-daughter duo at the door to ensure their safety. However, because of the songs he heard from inside, he had a hard time enduring it.

Because he was suppressing his laughter, his stomach hurt later, and he trembled from holding it in. Others might think that he was having a relapse.

He didn't know that songs could be sung like this. Each song was stranger than the last. Most importantly, these songs had been taught by Mu Jingzhe.

It was unknown where Mu Jingzhe had heard these songs or if she had modified them herself. It sounded like those songs were meant to be sung like that.

The more he eavesdropped, the more Shao Qihai felt that he didn't understand Mu Jingzhe. It wasn't just because of these songs. More importantly, it was the way Mu Jingzhe communicated with and educated Little Bei.

These were all things that Shao Qihai couldn't do. This was the first time he learned that a child could be taught like that.

He knew that children were sensible, but he hadn't expected them to have so many thoughts. However, no matter how strange their thoughts were, Mu Jingzhe seemed to be able to understand them. While chatting with Little Bei, she could also conveniently impart moral values and common sense to her.

Hearing that Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe were like a real mother-and-daughter duo who were treating each other wholeheartedly, Shao Qihai couldn't help but smile.

How could he be lucky enough to marry Mu Jingzhe?

Shao Qihai had never thought that a person could change so drastically, nor had he expected that he could protect his wife and daughter this way on a night like this.

After this matter was over, he would focus on protecting his family.

Now that the children had a mother, they only lacked him as their father. When he returned, this family would be complete, and the children would definitely be happier and more blissful.

Chapter 129: I Can Also Become a Daddy

Mu Jingzhe had no idea that there was someone waiting outside the ward, but she had a rare good night's sleep.

On the third day, Director Lu came to visit Little Bei to discuss something.

Encountering such a thing was a huge blow to the production team, but they were waiting to tie up all loose ends. At a time like this, they couldn't afford to be dispirited at all.

The filming process had been halted, but they were burning cash every day. Director Lu was very anxious, so he came to ask about Little Bei's recovery. He wanted to ask if they could resume filming.

Mu Jingzhe couldn't bear it. "Little Bei's throat hasn't completely recovered. Although her face and feet are much better, her arms and hands haven't healed yet. It might be a little difficult to resume shooting now."

However, Little Bei took the initiative to agree. "Mommy, I'm fine. I can do it. There are no action scenes left. I can do it."

Mu Jingzhe was still worried, but Little Bei had her own thoughts too. They couldn't delay any longer. Not only did the director have no time, but they didn't have time either.

They had only applied for a week's leave, and half of it had already passed. It wouldn't be good to delay any further.

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"Mommy, it just so happens that I don't have to talk in the remaining scenes. Besides, the character of Xiao Jiu is also injured. With my injuries, I will be able to film more realistically."

Director Lu looked at the sensible Little Bei and was almost moved to tears. He patted his chest and said that if there were any suitable roles in the future, he would definitely strongly recommend Little Bei to his acquaintances.

Where else could he find a young actress like Little Bei, who was so sensible and easygoing?

Since Little Bei had agreed, knowing that Director Lu was in a difficult position, Mu Jingzhe had no choice but to compromise.

That day, Little Bei was discharged from the hospital. She filmed two scenes that night. Mu Jingzhe personally applied makeup on Little Bei, trying her best to make it as painless for Little Bei as possible.

In the next few days, Little Bei was still filming. Thanks to the care of the entire crew, Little Bei didn't suffer too much. She just had some more crying scenes. Everyone nearly cried themselves blind as they watched Little Bei's convincing performance.

Little Bei made people cry whenever she cried. Everyone was amazed by how good she was at acting surprised at such a young age and treated her increasingly well. Everyone in the crew doted on her.

The filming process was finished three days later than scheduled. After going through many twists and turns, the movie was officially completed.

Without stopping, Director Lu devoted himself to his next task. He didn't dare relax at all. However, Little Bei's work was done, and she could relax now.

Although Little Bei wasn't a famous child star, she was the female lead, so Director Lu wasn't stingy. He transferred the remuneration as promised the night the filming process was completed.

Little Bei knew that she had money now and wanted to shop. She said that she wanted to buy beautiful dresses for Mu Jingzhe and presents for her brothers, maternal grandma, and maternal grandpa.

Mu Jingzhe thought that since she had taken an extra day off, she might as well take one more day off. It hadn't been easy for them to make a trip to Ocean City, so it wouldn't be right if they didn't explore the place a little.

"Then we'll go shopping tomorrow."

"Yay, Mommy is the best!"

Ocean City was a large coastal city after all, and it was much more fashionable than the county. Seeing that everyone was wearing beautiful dresses, Little Bei had long thought of buying some for her mother.

"I'll buy a dress for you tomorrow, Mommy. You looked great in red last time. Let's buy one this time too."

"No need…"

"No, you must. And you must buy at least three pieces. You must also buy leather shoes."

"Little Bei, you can buy these things for yourself. I really don't need them."

"The dresses you made for me are even prettier than the ready-made ones worn by others. It doesn't matter if I buy some or not, but Mommy, you must buy a few dresses for yourself. I call the shots regarding the money I earn." Little Bei domineeringly made a decision. "It's just a few pieces of clothing. Mommy, don't say anything else."

In the future, when she earned more money, she also wanted to buy more things, such as a golden necklace for Mommy. Many people in Ocean City wore them, and she wanted her mommy to wear one too.

For now, she didn't have enough money for that. She would buy clothes first and take it one step at a time.

Mu Jingzhe hadn't expected her children to repay her in such a domineering way so soon. She happily agreed.

Then, they really went shopping for clothes. Little Bei kept looking for clothes to buy for Mu Jingzhe, whereas Mu Jingzhe couldn't help shopping for children's clothes. Autumn was coming soon, and she wanted to buy them shirts and sweaters.

The most popular style in the city was matching shirts and sweaters. The girls even wore dresses that matched their sweaters.

"Let's buy yours first, Mommy. We'll buy clothes for my brothers later."

Little Bei sensed that and stopped Mu Jingzhe in time. She forcefully made Mu Jingzhe buy things for herself first. Just like Little Bei wanted her to, Mu Jingzhe ended up buying two dresses, a shirt, a skirt, and even a pair of leather shoes.

Every time she bought something, Little Bei would pay. Mu Jingzhe thought it was a shame that there weren't credit cards to swipe now, or she would have watched Little Bei domineeringly swipe her card.

The domineering CEOs on TV would have to give way to Little Bei if she had to swipe her card. Mu Jingzhe looked at Little Bei and felt her heart sink.

After buying Mu Jingzhe's clothes, they planned to buy clothes for the kids. "When we came over just now, there were several children's clothing stores on the way. Let's go over there."

Ocean City was a big city after all, and it was perhaps because it was the weekend, but there were many people walking in the streets, making Mu Jingzhe suddenly feel like she had returned to a modern city.

On the way back, Mu Jingzhe looked at the passing crowd with a nostalgic expression. While they were waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Mu Jingzhe realized that Little Bei was holding her hand and looking at something, her eyes revealing a trace of envy.

Although it was only a fleeting moment, Mu Jingzhe caught it. She followed Little Bei's gaze and saw a little girl sitting on her father's neck, chatting merrily with her father.

Mu Jingzhe realized that Little Bei was envious. That's right, who wasn't envious when they were young? She had also been envious before. She didn't have the ability to revive the dead Shao Qihai, but she could become Shao Qihai.

She had plenty of strength anyway. Mu Jingzhe stuffed all the clothes she'd bought into her backpack and squatted down to stroke Little Bei's head. "Don't be envious of them. Little Bei, Mommy can do it too!"

Before Little Bei could understand what she meant, Mu Jingzhe picked her up and placed her on her shoulders.

Little Bei let out a gasp and hugged Mu Jingzhe's head tightly. "Mommy…"

"Mm, hold on tight. Is the air up there fresh?" Mu Jingzhe tilted her head as she asked this.

Little Bei finally reacted. She was shocked and delighted. Just now, she had only been a little envious. How had her mother known?

"Mommy, you're so awesome. You're wonderful." The worked-up Little Bei hugged Mu Jingzhe's head and kissed her forehead.

"Ha ha, alright." Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but laugh.

The commotion between the mother-and-daughter duo attracted everyone's attention. When they saw Little Bei on Mu Jingzhe's neck, some people found it funny. It was inevitable that the two of them would receive many strange looks. Only a father would do something like this usually. Why was this mother also…

The little girl that Little Bei had envied previously pointed at them and asked her father curiously why Little Bei was riding her mother's back instead of her father's.

Little Bei froze for a moment but then saw Mu Jingzhe smile and reply from afar, "Because I'm strong."

Mu Jingzhe was open and honest under everyone's stares, not caring about them at all. This was probably an ability she had developed before she'd transmigrated, so she didn't care about the gazes of other people.

Seeing Mu Jingzhe like this, Little Bei calmed down and even told the little girl, "My mommy is amazing."

Little Bei bragged proudly. This was her mother!

Chapter 130: Murdering Her Husband

A second ago, she had been bragging. A second later, Little Bei couldn't help but whisper to Mu Jingzhe, "Mommy, are you tired? How about you let me down?"

"I'm not tired. This little weight of yours is nothing. You've only been up there for a minute." Mu Jingzhe laughed and patted her leg. "Don't worry. I'll put you down when I get tired."

The traffic light turned green. Mu Jingzhe carried Little Bei along the crowd as they passed the crossroads. Because Little Bei was up there, it was easy to see them.

Shao Qihai, who was secretly protecting the mother-and-daughter pair and had been following them, had mixed feelings when he saw them from behind. Logically speaking, he should be the one carrying Little Bei on his shoulders.

These days, Shao Qihai had been thinking of ways to disguise himself and follow them. He didn't dare relax at all. Gradually, he saw how they interacted with each other.

Shao Qihai felt that it was different from what he had known and seen before. It was a method that he had never thought of before and it often surprised him.

For example, right now, he found it funny but also felt that this was good. Little Bei was different from what he remembered. She had become braver and more cheerful.

As a mother, sometimes Mu Jingzhe didn't act like a mother, but sometimes she was the best mother. She had her own unique way, which included carrying Little Bei on her shoulders right now.

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Shao Qihai thought a lot in an instant and secretly reflected on many things. He felt that he hadn't done enough in the past.

His gaze constantly followed them from a distance that was not too far or too close. He didn't dare get too close lest he attracted Mu Jingzhe's attention. Ever since the last incident, Mu Jingzhe had been very vigilant. Twice, Shao Qihai had almost been caught by her.

However, he couldn't stay too far away. Otherwise, if something happened, it would be too late. Thus, Shao Qihai managed to stay within three steps of them with difficulty.

As he listened to Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe speak, Shao Qihai couldn't help but smile. His heart became increasingly calm, but as he followed Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei through the next junction, he suddenly felt that something was amiss.

Shao Qihai was very sensitive to danger. When he felt that something was wrong, he happened to see a man wearing a hat brush past him and walk toward Mu Jingzhe from the back.

With a silver flash, Shao Qihai saw the slowly revealed dagger in his hand stab Mu Jingzhe.

Shao Qihai's expression changed as he recalled the victim who had collapsed among a stream of people last time.

This was a similar scene. There were bustling streets around, and crowds of people were coming and going. The traffic light had turned green as the victims followed the stream of people. Catching them off guard, the perpetrator had brushed past them and followed them to stab them in the back. All of this had happened extremely fast. Once the perpetrator stabbed the victim, they would disappear into the stream of people.

By the time one reacted and collapsed, the perpetrator would have already walked far away along with the crowd.

A fatal blow in what seemed like the safest and most relaxed place was extremely difficult to guard oneself against.

Mu Jingzhe knew that someone was targeting her. In the past few days, she hadn't relaxed, especially when she was alone or there were few people around. However, she had never expected that these people would change their methods and attack at a time when she felt the safest in a really crowded place.

Mu Jingzhe was almost unprepared and had no way of preparing for this. If she were to guard against every passerby, she would go crazy.

She didn't have any experience, but Shao Qihai did. The tragedy that had occurred last time replayed in his mind. Shao Qihai's eyes widened, and he rushed forward. At the last moment, he blocked the blade and grabbed the dagger.

Instantly, his hand was covered in blood. Shao Qihai grunted and reached out to grab the person with his other hand. However, the person with the hat reacted extremely quickly. Seeing that he had been exposed, he pushed Shao Qihai fiercely and turned to run.

Shao Qihai, who was pushed by him, accidentally bumped into Mu Jingzhe, who was in front of him. Due to the strength of the push, he ended up pressing against Mu Jingzhe's back.

As Mu Jingzhe walked, she suddenly felt that something was amiss on her right. Just as she was about to turn around, she felt someone press against her from behind. It was a very hooligan-like feeling.

F*ck! Mu Jingzhe cursed inwardly. She turned around dangerously and saw a dazed old man.

"Little Bei, hold tight!" Mu Jingzhe shouted as she punched Shao Qihai's nose.

Blood instantly spurted from his nose. Shao Qihai's vision blurred as he heard Mu Jingzhe's curses. "Don't think that your old age gives you a free pass to act as you please or that I won't hit you just because you're old. Old pervert, pui!"

Shao Qihai was anxious. "No, I'm not…"

He wanted to explain, but before he could do so, Mu Jingzhe kicked him hard.

Shao Qihai: "!"

That day, a shocking scene took place in the streets of Ocean City—a young lady with a little girl on her shoulder started beating up a shameless old man.

The shameless old man, Shao Qihai, suffered a nosebleed. He curled up on the ground and almost ascended to heaven. He felt that he had probably been crippled by that kick.

At that moment, the pain of the cut in his hand was nothing.

When Shao Qihai saw that Mu Jingzhe still wanted to beat him up, he shivered and thought to himself, 'She's attempting to kill her husband, right?'

In order to prevent himself from really being killed, Shao Qihai tried his best to speak. "Don't misunderstand me. I only helped you because I saw that someone wanted to harm you. Look, the knife is still here!"

Shao Qihai's face was red, and his nose was bleeding. He was in an unprecedentedly sorry state as he shouted to prove to Mu Jingzhe his innocence. Luckily, the dagger was still there.

Mu Jingzhe was stunned. She had actually felt something touch her just now. Looking at the dagger and then at his hand, Mu Jingzhe restrained her nerves. Thinking of what had happened previously, she believed him a little.

When she realized she had almost been killed in this sea of people, she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.

"Where's that person?"

"Over there. He ran in that direction. He's wearing a blue hooded shirt and a black cap." Although he'd only had a brief encounter with that guy, Shao Qihai had seen his face very clearly and immediately remembered his characteristics.

Fortunately, the delay wasn't big. Furthermore, there were many people and things on the road, so that person had luckily bumped into the cart selling fruits and gotten delayed.

Mu Jingzhe looked over and happened to see the man Shao Qihai had described being held back by the boss. They seemed to be arguing.

"Wait for me to come back!"

Mu Jingzhe hated this person, who had attacked her time and again. She thus told the lewd old man, "I'm going to come back later to either settle the score with you or thank you." Then, she took off and chased after the guy in the blue hooded shirt.

The man who had attacked her went by the nickname Three Seconds. This implied that he was fast and could take a person's life in three seconds. His methods were ruthless, and he was full of tricks. He had thought that nothing unexpected would happen this time. After all, he had been in the right place at the right time.

He hadn't expected to be stopped when he'd tried to escape. He had even encountered a cart that had been pushed out. The cart had been knocked over, and the boss had held him back recklessly.

What was even more unfortunate was that due to this delay, Mu Jingzhe had caught up.

Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was about to catch up to him, Three Seconds cursed. Without thinking too much, he hit the boss's neck with his arm to shake him off and ran.

"Stop right there!" Mu Jingzhe watched as that person sprinted away. She was still hugging Little Bei and didn't dare to let go. As this affected her speed, she wouldn't be able to catch up to him.

However, Mu Jingzhe wasn't willing to let him off so easily. She anxiously took off her shoe and aimed at him.

Mu Jingzhe was lucky this time. Her shoe landed on his head.

Three Seconds felt something approach him from behind. He thought that it wouldn't hit him, but a second later, he received a heavy blow on the back of his head by something that felt like a brick.