ASFTB 57: Is this the Feeling of Love? 1

Speaking of this matter, it’s actually a bit funny.

Jian Chengxi listened and felt relieved himself. It’s not that he held a grudge about the canned fruit incident from that day, but he always felt that Lady Lehua and Yueyue had been too arrogant.

Now that they’ve been personally dealt with by the royal family, they’ll probably stay quiet for a long time.

Just thinking about this matter, he couldn’t help but feel a bit troubled.

In the evening, when the children were all asleep, Jian Chengxi filled a basin with water to soak his feet. He sat there, lost in thought, not realizing the water had cooled.

Li Lingfeng walked over and said, “What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Jian Chengxi snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and only then realized the water was cold. He pulled his feet out of the water.

He wiped his feet dry with the cloth next to him, but still felt a bit cold.

He put the basin back in the bathroom and climbed into bed to sleep after returning. His feet were really cold, so he secretly placed them on Li Lingfeng’s body. It was really warm, just like a little heater.

However, the one suffering was his own husband.

Those cold feet were just like ice cubes. How could it not be uncomfortable?

Li Lingfeng glanced at him sideways and gave him a look.

Jian Chengxi awkwardly gave an awkward smile. “Although it’s a bit cold, the General is kind-hearted and won’t hold it against a little elf like me, right?”

Li Lingfeng spoke slowly, “You are the first one to praise me for being kind-hearted.”

“…”

Jian Chengxi was momentarily at a loss for words.

His fair and delicate face looked at Li Lingfeng, and his gaze carried a hint of seriousness and mild concern. Thinking that his husband might be the biggest villain, he couldn’t help but feel worried.

Li Lingfeng, however, seemed to sense his worry and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jian Chengxi whispered, “The matter with the Fuchs family, we won’t be implicated in this, right?”

Li Lingfeng put down the document and book he was reading. The side of the man’s face was cold and stern, his gaze was dark and deep as he looked at him. “Why would you think that?”

Jian Chengxi sat up next to him. “This matter is still somewhat related to our daughter, and when the time comes…”

Li Lingfeng spoke, “It was his youngest daughter who threw the princess’s crown herself. No one was present at the time. Even if Fuchs wanted to cause trouble, he wouldn’t have any evidence to present.”

Jian Chengxi sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

When he thought about today’s events, he couldn’t help but find it both laughable and frustrating.

His mood was very complicated.

“Suisui is indeed clever,” Jian Chengxi used to only dare to think about this himself, but today, he couldn’t help but say to the man, “I’m just afraid she’ll use this cleverness in the wrong places in the future.”

A parent’s love for their child is to plan for their long-term future.

The child is clever so how could he not be happy about it?

Yet ultimately, parents will want to think more for the child’s long-term well-being.

Jian Chengxi thought Li Lingfeng would at least be a little worried.

Who would have known—

Li Lingfeng’s voice was cold. “Sky City was originally a place that devours people without spitting out bones. I actually think she did quite well. If it were me when I was young, I would have probably done even worse.”

Jian Chengxi was stunned and asked in confusion, “What would the General have done?”

After all, it’s just a child’s act of throwing a canned fruit.

Apart from a fight, what else could be worse?

Jian Chengxi naively believed that his daughter, Li Suisui, as a little villain, could do things that were already quite ruthless.

However—

Li Lingfeng’s face was cold and stern without any warmth. Those indifferent eyes seemed like the still undisturbed bottom of a lake. The man curled his lips and coldly smiled, “I will make her eat the glass shards on the ground—eat it to fill her.”

“…”

You really are Suisui’s true father!

The next day,

Jian Chengxi woke up early in the morning.

The floating islands here probably have several houses on each island.

The house next door is the doctor’s house.

Two streets away is the Byrne family’s house. Everyone actually lives quite close.

Jian Chengxi woke up early in the morning to apply medicine to Wang Cai’s leg. The doghouse he built for Wang Cai yesterday was swaying a bit from the wind, and it seems like only the general can fix it.

The dragon cub whined a few times.

Jian Chengxi picked it up. “There’s no use hiding, it needs medicine.”

He looked at the puppy and noticed its wounds were getting worse with a large bloody patch. It looked like it had bitten something off. At first glance, it looked horrible but it must hurt a lot.

Just as he was looking, suddenly something fell down.

Jian Chengxi froze for a moment. It was a black and scale-like shard, glistening in the sunlight.

Four eyes met.

The dragon cub’s body tensed up. It was extremely nervous!

Since it was young, its parents had told him to stay away from humans. Once they find dragons, they would capture and keep them, stripping their scales and horns.

It’s brother was captured by humans this way before.

If it gets discovered, it will definitely be targeted!

Jian Chengxi picked it up and took a look. He hesitated for a moment and glanced at the dragon cub. “Have the wounds on your body turned into stones?”

The dragon cub: “…”

I really give up on you, you sly thing.

This really isn’t to blame on Jian Chengxi.

He isn’t from this world and can’t recognize what this actually is.

How could their own puppy possibly grow scales? This black and hard stone, if not a stone, then what is it?

The dragon cub rolled its eyes in silence and jumped up, wanting to take the shard back.

Jian Chengxi thought it was just embarrassed, so he took out a cloth from his pocket, wrapped the stone, and put it in his pocket, planning to ask the doctor about it later.

The dragon cub: !!

Stupid humans, why take my scale!

Jian Chengxi thought it was just messing around and, feeling somewhat helpless, patted its head. “Stop making trouble, your wounds are too serious. I’ll take you to the doctor in a couple of days. You need to get better quickly, you know? That way, you can grow up together with Suisui.”

The dragon cub felt darkness before its eyes: “…”

Just thinking about having to be with those two little devils for a lifetime, it would rather just die.

Jian Chengxi applied medicine to the dragon cub again.

Just then, the doctor from the neighboring yard also got up. She waved and greeted Jian Chengxi, saying, “Good morning.”

Jian Chengxi smiled and said, “Good morning.”

The doctor walked over slowly and said softly, “Have you heard?”

Jian Chengxi was stunned. “What?”

The doctor clicked her tongue and said, “It’s the Fuchs family. They caused quite a ruckus last night!”

Jian Chengxi didn’t go out last night, so he, of course, didn’t have the news as well as the doctor who’s always out and about. He quietly asked, “What kind of ruckus?”

The doctor smiled and said, “What kind of ruckus? Yesterday was Fuchs’ birthday, and his youngest daughter smashed the princess’s crown, which made Fuchs lose a lot of face in front of the emperor. He originally wanted to use this opportunity to gain favor with the emperor, but now he’s completely messed it up. You don’t know but when he got back, he scolded the first madam, saying she was bad at raising children.”

Jian Chengxi said in surprise, “He actually said that?”

The doctor nodded and said, “Of course, and that’s not all. Fuchs’ eldest daughter was called off her engagement, and his youngest daughter caused such a scene in the palace. The entire capital is now laughing at their family.”

Jian Chengxi said with some emotion, “He’s really unlucky.”

The doctor snorted lightly. “He deserves it!”

Jian Chengxi asked in confusion, “How?”

The doctor gave a look that said “You really don’t know anything,” but helplessly leaned in to explain to Jian Chengxi, “As Fuchs, the financial officer, he’s been involved in plenty of corruption and bribery over the years. Any official who was in his faction got the benefits, and those who didn’t align with him were suppressed together. So many people have been persecuted by them!”

Jian Chengxi frowned. “The emperor doesn’t do anything about it?”

A hint of a sarcastic smile appeared on the doctor’s face as she leaned in and whispered, “They’re cut from the same cloth. You probably don’t know, but the emperor murdered his brother and that’s how he rose to power. His brother was the chosen successor of the Divine Tree, the great elf Lord Chris. As the Elf King, Chris could purify all evil spirits and miasma, and he was the acknowledged crown prince. At that time, Chris’ wife was still pregnant, about to give birth. Later…”

Jian Chengxi didn’t know why he felt particularly moved by this story. The more he listened, the more he got immersed in it.

At this moment—

Suddenly, a voice came from the house—it was a child’s shout.

The doctor stopped, glanced toward the house, smiled at Jian Chengxi and said, “Miaomiao is awake, we’ll talk next time.”

Jian Chengxi felt a little regretful.

Thinking about it, these royal secrets don’t really have much to do with him so he decided to put his thoughts aside. He thought his own child would be waking up soon, so he went back into the house.

He entered the room. The weather was growing cooler.

Li Lingfeng came out of the bedroom, having already changed into his military uniform. His tall frame looked handsome and upright, exuding an aura of authority, not needing to be angry to be imposing. He looked truly handsome.

Jian Chengxi looked at him from downstairs. “I’m gonna fry the dumplings that weren’t finished last night. General, please wake up Xiao Chen and Suisui first. They can have breakfast once they’re done washing up.”

Li Lingfeng nodded faintly but then said, “I won’t be having breakfast at home today.”

Jian Chengxi was stunned for a moment and asked, “What happened?”

Li Lingfeng answered, “A dragon raised by a noble family has escaped. Dragons are highly intelligent beings and the higher-level ones can even speak human language. Dragons originally survive by consuming elven fruits, but now, almost the entire elven race has been wiped out, and they can only survive on nutrient solutions. Unable to control its mental power, it went berserk and has already attacked some buildings in the south. I need to go check it out.”

Jian Chengxi’s heart immediately tightened.

Back then, he had seen with his own eyes how a beastman went berserk. How could he forget how terrifying it was?

With extremely strong destructive power, it was terrifying.

Jian Chengxi turned off the fire and turned around to say, “How could this happen?”

Li Lingfeng walked over and scooped up the dumplings from the pot. The fried dumplings in the pot had golden crispy skins and were releasing a tempting aroma. He said softly, “Some additives in the imported nutrient solution cause the physical and mental energy levels of beastmen and other races to increase. It’s precisely because of those additives that the people in the Underground City can replenish their nutrition and have more energy.”

Jian Chengxi said in shock, “Doesn’t that mean the nutrient solution is actually harmful to the body?”

Li Lingfeng’s voice was deep. “A moderate amount of additives will not cause problems.”

It’s just long-term consumption.

It’s like stacking buffs, one layer after another.

Jian Chengxi was alarmed, “So, this kind of thing still affects the human body. Why is it still allowed to be sold?”

Li Lingfeng turned around and looked at him, his gaze dark and deep. “Have you seen the people of Sky City drink it?”

Jian Chengxi was choked up.

He had never seen it.

There were no nutrient solutions on the supermarket shelves, and almost everyone was eating imported fruit.

He used to be very curious why the people of Sky City didn’t drink nutrient solutions. He later just thought it was because the nutrient solution was too cheap, and the people of Sky City felt it was beneath them, so they didn’t drink it.

Now it seems…

It seems that it’s not like that.

Li Lingfeng turned around and said, “I’ll go there tonight. The situation over there is complicated and I may not come back tonight.”

Jian Chengxi looked at his back, feeling very worried in his heart. He softly called out to him, “General.”

Li Lingfeng turned his head and looked at him.

Jian Chengxi pressed his lips together. In the past, he definitely wouldn’t have dared, but now it’s a different time, all the words were on his mind. He softly said, “Be careful, or I…”

His words were on the tip of his tongue, but he felt a little embarrassed, as if it was too intimate.

He pressed his lips together, his watery eyes lifted to look at Li Lingfeng, and softly said, “And the children will be worried too.”

It was just a simple sentence.

For some reason, Li Lingfeng seemed a bit lost in thought.

It felt like everything blurred back to a long, long time ago—that day was the night before he was preparing to leave for battle.

He came before Jian Chengxi, and at that time, the children were still in swaddling clothes. He handed over all his savings from these years to him—almost a million, accumulated over the years after he worked as a bounty hunter through blood and violence.

The day he left, he looked at Jian Chengxi.

He thought his little wife would at least say a few heartfelt words before parting.

Yet to his surprise—

Jian Chengxi looked at the card and said somewhat satisfied, “This time, you have to perform well. If you can land a government position, then you’ll be able to leave this terrible place.”

At that moment, his heart seemed to sink to the bottom of a valley.

And now, it’s the same. He was leaving to go on a mission.

However, this time, the person standing in front of him was looking at him with a face full of concern and gently said, “Be careful in everything.”

Li Lingfeng’s lips slightly curled into a faint smile.

He didn’t understand emotions; his innate emotional indifference even made it so that he couldn’t feel the joy that emotions would bring.

He didn’t understand love.

But what he knew was, when Jian Chengxi stood in front of him, that calm and unshaken heart, able to remain calm in the face of any danger, seemed to ripple with waves, like a still ancient well suddenly disturbed.

Is this the feeling of love?

He didn’t understand romantic love, but he really liked this feeling.

Li Lingfeng looked into Jian Chengxi’s eyes, which were dark and deep. The man’s voice was low and husky. “It will be fine, don’t worry.”

Jian Chengxi let out a gentle sigh and smiled, saying, “That’s good.”

Li Lingfeng’s feeling of being cherished in Jian Chengxi’s heart didn’t last more than a few seconds.

Jian Chengxi seemed very relaxed while tasting a dumpling, and said, “Then General, you’d better come back early. The doghouse at home is still waiting for you to help assemble it!”

Li Lingfeng: “…”

Morning

He sent the two kids to kindergarten.

After he returned, Jian Chengxi went to the Underground City.

The fabric for the greenhouse that was customized last time has arrived. He needs to come over and cover the entire vegetable garden to shield it from the cold wind.

The delivery person said with a smile, “You spent so much on this to cover the vegetable garden, you might as well buy more nutrient solution to stock up. The price of nutrient solution is increasing.”

Jian Chengxi politely replied, “It’s safer to eat things grown at home.”

The worker didn’t rebut.

Under Jian Chengxi’s direction, they worked all afternoon to finally set up the greenhouse in the vegetable garden. From a distance, it looked like a big covered warehouse. After the greenhouse was set up, the cold wind didn’t blow in as much.

Jian Chengxi looked at his fruit trees, and as expected, after winter set in, the fruit grew more slowly.

He didn’t know how things were on the mountain.

Just as he was thinking, the system in his mind suddenly sprang up and mechanically broadcasted:【The vegetable greenhouse has been completed. Congratulations, host, you’ve earned 10 points.】

Jian Chengxi was stunned for a moment.

The reasons he usually earned points were all kinds of strange, but it was mostly because he saved children or completed some side mission related to the protagonist to earn reward points. Why did he earn points just for building the greenhouse this time?

The system said:【The host’s survival points have increased to 30%. New unlockable tasks have been added. Please click to view the new tasks.】

Jian Chengxi clicked open and curiously asked, “What tasks are there?”

【High-reward task: Successfully cultivate the fruits in the greenhouse so more and more people can eat the fruits. Task reward: 200 points.】

Jian Chengxi was shocked. “So many points!”

One should know that he worked hard for half a year and only earned a total of 100 points.

Jian Chengxi’s nature as a money lover surfaced as he looked at the system’s task board on the screen and immediately sighed. “I really hope that more tasks like this come in the future.”

The system came out to pour cold water on him:【Host, if the previous task cannot be completed, the subsequent tasks won’t refresh.】

Jian Chengxi asked in confusion, “What if I never complete it?”

The system responded coldly and ruthlessly:【Then you won’t get any points.】

“…”

Jian Chengxi hated the system’s criticisms but couldn’t do anything about it. Since there was a task, he could only do it properly.

He started checking the growth of each fruit and found in the corner of the orchard that Grandma Li had also planted two different fruit trees, which seemed to have been transplanted from outside.

Jian Chengxi picked one and tasted it. His brows furrowed, and he found it very bitter and sour.

The system said:【Host, why don’t you try tasting what you planted yourself?】

Jian Chengxi walked past a few more trees and picked one that he had planted himself. He took a bite, and it was indeed sweet.

What’s going on…

Jian Chengxi said somewhat confused, “Why is the fruit I planted sweet? Logically speaking, the fruit trees should have been polluted by miasma and the soil. Why is it like this?”

The system said to him:【Maybe it’s because of your superpower?】

Jian Chengxi smiled and said, “How could I not know I have superpowers after all this time? If I really had them, I could go and save the world.”

Just as he was saying this, the worker who installed the greenhouse walked over and respectfully said, “Everything is ready.”

Jian Chengxi nodded and said, “Okay, thank you. I’ll transfer the payment for the labor to you.”

The cost of the greenhouse and the installation fee to the boss have already been paid. There were five workers, each paid 20 coins, and Jian Chengxi was preparing to transfer the money to the workers.

Yet to his surprise—

The worker quickly said, “No need, no need.”

Jian Chengxi looked at them in confusion.

The worker then looked somewhat embarrassed. They were all born and raised farmers from the Underground City with dark skin and simple, honest faces. He softly spoke, “Not long ago, our child got sick with a fever and went to the clinic. The person in the next bed gave our child a piece of fruit, and the child ate it really well. After returning, the child kept thinking about wanting more.”

“We’re poor at home, we can’t afford any fruits, and I can only support the family by doing some work outside.”

The worker glanced at Jian Chengxi cautiously and then spoke, “I heard these fruits are from your family. Could I exchange the payment for a fruit to take home for my child to try?”

When he said this, there was a hint of caution in the worker’s eyes.

Jian Chengxi said without hesitation, “Of course, you can!”

Madam Lehua came with her child to ask for canned fruit with that arrogant attitude, and he, of course, wasn’t willing to give it.

The fruits in the orchard had ripened a little.

Jian Chengxi climbed the tree with a ladder and picked some with a basket. He took two or three and handed them to the worker. His voice was gentle. “Take them home, wash them, and then eat. I hope your child will like them. When he’s better, you can come back, and I’ll give him another one to eat.”