"I don't think your idea is quite right," Lu Wanqing couldn't help but say, offering her reminder.
Zhong Li Feiyu blinked in surprise, looking at her with confusion. "What?"
Lu Wanqing met his gaze, speaking earnestly. "You just said that since I'm his mother, I have the right to arrange his life. I think that's the wrong way to think about it."
"Xiao Yi is an individual, a complete person with independent sentience."
"His birth, his arrival into this world, is his own life. He's not a puppet, not a tool to be arranged by us."
"If his life were truly lived entirely under someone else's arrangements and commands, never able to do what he wants, then what would be the point of his existence, of his journey through this world?"
"Or perhaps, the Zhong Li family cultivated him, brought him into this world, simply because they wanted a puppet, a puppet who would obey your words and inherit your legacy?"
"No!" Zhong Li Feiyu quickly refuted. He had never thought that way. He had raised Xiao Yi because he wanted a child.
He trained Xiao Yi, cared for Xiao Yi, all because he wished the child well, wishing Xiao Yi a better future.
Lu Wanqing looked at Zhong Li Feiyu and continued, "If Xiao Yi weren't my child, I wouldn't interfere. But he is my child. Just as you said, I am his mother, and therefore, I feel it's my duty to protect him."
"I want his life to be his own. He has the right, the qualification, to manage his own life, rather than live as a puppet, spending his entire existence under someone else's control and command."
"Think about it carefully. These are principles I hope you can understand."
Lu Wanqing had never spoken so much at once. She felt her throat dry after speaking, but she didn't regret it.
The Zhong Li family's education for Xiao Yi had serious issues. She hoped they would recognize this and change their approach to raising him.
Having said all she needed to, Lu Wanqing's mind felt a bit vacant. After a moment of thought, she looked up at Zhong Li Feiyu. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Zhong Li Feiyu snapped back to attention and nodded. "Mm."
Lu Wanqing gave him a deep look before leaving.
Returning to her room, Lu Wanqing's thoughts were still in a jumble. She wasn't sleepy, having slept so much during the day. Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the star net pod beside her.
Lu Wanqing suddenly thought of the red-haired little boy she had encountered a few times before.
Even through the network, she could sense the boy's vitality and youthful energy. She had previously wondered if it might be Xiao Yi, but after meeting the real Xiao Yi, she felt it wasn't.
Therefore, that child was neither Lan Lan nor Xiao Yi. Ruling out the possibility of Xiao Cui Cui or Xiao Shu Shu, girls disguised as boys, the most likely answer was the one she had considered most unbelievable – it was the cub cultivated from the genes stolen by space pirates!
There was a star net pod in the room. Lu Wanqing took a shower and, upon returning, looked at the pod. After some hesitation, she finally opened it and quietly logged into the star net.
Thinking of how excitedly that cub had looked at her crafting a super 3S mecha last time, her heart couldn't help but quicken. That cub must like his mommy too, right?
If the little one also liked his mommy, would he go to the "Desolate Star"?
Once online, Lu Wanqing entered the address for the Desolate Star and clicked to teleport.
She had changed her appearance this time and hadn't blocked other users, so as soon as she appeared, she saw so many people!
There were truly so many people. She was stunned. Had the Desolate Star become so popular now?
In the woods, by the bamboo house, and along the riverbank, people were everywhere.
At intervals, people were even gathered around bonfires, cooking delicious food. Their actions were exactly the same as what she had done on the Desolate Star.
There were also many people fishing by the river. Lu Wanqing couldn't help but go closer to look, only to find that both sides of the riverbank were crowded with people, all fishing.
Her mouth twitched slightly. Fortunately, this was a simulated scene on the star net. If it were the real Desolate Star, with so many people fishing, would the fish in the river be depleted?
At this moment, Lu Wanqing didn't know that the moment the Desolate Star appeared on the star net, the real Desolate Star had already been developed.
The fish people caught in the river, the birds they shot in the sky, the mushrooms and wild vegetables they picked on the ground – as long as people were willing to pay and choose to purchase the physical items, someone would quickly pack and ship the corresponding products to the buyer's home.
However, tourism development was different from pure agricultural cultivation. In the tourist development scenarios, to protect the natural environment, physical transactions were limited. Only a few portions were available each day, and if you ordered late, they would be gone.
Of course, if customers were willing to choose farmed or cultivated products from other platforms as substitutes, the developers on the Desolate Star would also ship substitute products to customers to satisfy their cravings.
Lu Wanqing wandered casually on the "Desolate Star," her gaze sweeping across crowds of people. However, after exploring every corner she had visited before, she still couldn't find the red-haired little cub.
A silent sense of disappointment washed over her. She continued walking, noticing many places on the "Desolate Star" she hadn't explored before. After a moment's thought, she also set off towards the front.
Lu Wanqing explored for a long time, and finally, tired from not finding the red-haired cub, she stopped and opened the control panel to exit the star net.
Emerging from the star net pod, it was already very late. Remembering that Xiao Yi and Zhong Li Feiyu had training in the morning, she quickly went to rest.
No matter what, tomorrow would be Xiao Yi's first morning training since she arrived here, and she had to wake up early to see it.
She wondered what the little fellow's morning exercises would be like.
Would it be other training?
Or, as before, would he still be simulating insectoid battlefields and fighting insects in the training room?
Thinking of the training room's game mode, she felt a surge of excitement. It was quite fun. If Xiao Yi was going to train, she wanted to go too.
She had reached level ten yesterday. She should be able to start directly from level eleven tomorrow, right?
Lu Wanqing mused as she lay down in bed. She pulled up the covers, turned off the light, and closed her eyes, falling asleep.
That night, Lu Wanqing had many dreams, one after another. Some depicted her time with her parents and older brothers over three thousand years ago, while others showed her interactions with Lan Lan, Xiao Yi, Cui Cui, and the red-haired little cub in the future.
As she laughed in her dreams, she suddenly burst into tears, overcome with sadness.
Everything had passed. She could never go back over three thousand years, never return to her parents and brothers.
In the early hours of the morning, she woke up in deep sorrow. Her eyes fluttered open, and a tear, cold and wet, traced a path down her cheek.
However, the sadness only lasted a short while. Remembering that Xiao Yi had an early morning training today, she checked the time on her light screen and quickly got out of bed.
She had forgotten to ask Xiao Yi and Zhong Li Feiyu what time they would wake up last night. She wondered if it was too early now that she was up.
Lu Wanqing thought as she got out of bed. She dressed and quietly opened the door, peeking into Xiao Yi's room next door.
Upon looking, she saw that the light was on in Xiao Yi's room. Had the little one woken up this early?
Lu Wanqing was startled. It was just past five o'clock. Back at the Mu family, Xiao Lan Lan wouldn't wake up until past seven!
Lu Wanqing couldn't think of anything else and hurried to Xiao Yi's room to check. Was the little one still in his room?