CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 359: "LETTING" ONESELF FLY

Chapter 359: "Letting" Oneself Fly

...

My name is Shi Kenji. My father is Kenji, and my mother is Elysia. I live in a complete family, but this family makes me feel like I’m in deep water and scorching fire.

As for who provides the "deep water and scorching fire"... I won’t say. It brings tears to my eyes.

"Otouto (Little Brother), we have a new little sister. Why aren’t you happy?" Anya-kun asked, puzzled.

Ruan Mei and Kenji’s child was a girl named Han Kenji. Her hair was black, unlike the siblings’ pink hair with black highlights.

(Kenji: See? The hair color wasn’t my fault.)

"Sigh... Sis, I thought it would be a little brother. That way, when he grew up, someone could draw aggro for me." Shi-kun sighed. He really was thinking about running away from home.

I can’t stay in this house. My old man’s love is making my childhood a little too complete.

"Isn’t it because you tried to ’honor’ Dad with a meteor right after you were born?" Anya-kun pointed out the truth.

"Sis, where do you think I should go if I run away?" Shi-kun asked, oblivious to the extra person standing behind him.

Anya-kun noticed. A hint of mischief (or cunning) flashed in her eyes, but her face remained calm. "I think... you should think carefully about what kind of ’package’ you’ll enjoy if you get caught."

"I’ve thought it all through. It’ll take the Old Geezer a while to catch me. That’s enough time for me to live it up and ’let myself fly’ (be free)." Shi-kun said confidently, his eyebrows dancing.

"Ahem..."

"?!"

Hearing that familiar cough, the smile on Shi-kun’s face vanished instantly. He paled.

When he saw Anya-kun laughing so hard she couldn’t stand straight, his heart went cold.

It’s over...

Shi-kun moved stiffly, turning his head bit by bit. In that instant, his heart almost stopped.

I don’t dare open my eyes. I hope it’s a hallucination.

His old father’s smile... was as "kind" as ever.

"You want to fly?" Kenji smiled brilliantly, like a blooming flower.

I haven’t made a move in a while, so you forgot who’s boss? Calling me ’Old Geezer’?

...

Shi-kun flew. Literally. He was tied to a kite, flying high in the blue sky. Colorful Candy Sparrows flew shoulder-to-shoulder with him, some even landing on his head.

"Little Han, that’s your big brother. He’s flying high, isn’t he?" Kenji held his newborn daughter, Han, in one arm and the kite string in the other.

"Wah! ˶╹ꇴ╹˶!"

Han opened her small hands, very interested in this.

"Dad! I was wrong! Can you let me down?!"

Shi-kun yelled, looking dead inside.

What kind of father flies his own son like a kite?! Aren’t you afraid I’ll fall and go splat?!

"Didn’t you want to ’let yourself fly’?"

Kenji wasn’t in a rush. He spoke leisurely. His son was a bit rebellious. From the moment he was born, the weight of his "reverse bone" (rebellious streak) was not light.

"Not this kind!" Shi-kun was speechless.

Although this did

count as "letting himself fly," he meant running away and being as free as a bird. Who knew he’d be caught red-handed by Kenji?

"Anya-kun, this is for you."

Kenji handed the kite string to his daughter.

"Okay, Dad! Leave it to me!"

Anya-kun raised an eyebrow at Shi-kun. Don’t underestimate my strength. I know exactly how to play this.

Gulp...

Shi-kun swallowed hard. A bad feeling welled up in his heart.

"AHHHHHHH..."

In the next second, the kite began moving at high speed, performing aerial stunts. Sharp ascents, dives, and acute-angle turns were all on display.

Shi-kun felt like he was about to go to heaven and breathe pure oxygen.

This sister is too black-bellied! This family hierarchy is insane! Everyone can prank me!

Kenji nodded with satisfaction. As expected of my daughter. Very satisfying. He carried his youngest daughter back into the villa.

"Pranking Little Shi again?" Atashino found it funny. This father and son were like natural enemies.

"It’s fine. The little guy is tough. Good thing I don’t need an oxygen tank, or he’d probably pull the plug." Kenji shook his head and laughed.

Don’t doubt it. Shi-kun would absolutely do that.

"Speaking of which, what talent does this little one have?" Buer (Nahida) asked curiously.

"Hmm... she inherited Ruan Mei’s talent in life sciences, and she’s even better than her mother. Her other talents haven’t shown yet," Kenji said.

Ruan Mei could roughly sense a creature’s vitals by touch. Han could read biological information directly with her eyes. It was more overpowered than X-ray vision; her eyes were like scanners.

She could go far on the path of Life. In Star Rail

, she might even become the Aeon of the Propagation... no, the Path of Life.

"Just don’t let her study those weird creatures like her mother," Big Herta complained.

Compared to some of the Eldritch horrors Ruan Mei studied, True Swarm Bugs were considered normal. Some of them... just looking at them caused physical discomfort.

"Herta, studying biology isn’t just about appearance. ’Structure’ and ’genes’ are where the beauty lies," Ruan Mei said calmly, glowing with maternal radiance.

"Where’s the beauty? Is it as purely beautiful as my face?" Big Herta said narcissistically.

"If Idrila the Beauty wasn’t gone, I wouldn’t be an Emanator of Erudition. I’d be an Emanator of Beauty for sure."

"With the thickness of your skin, you could be an Emanator of Preservation," Kenji commented.

"Are you saying I’m not cute? Not beautiful? Not young?" Big Herta wasn’t angry, confidently flipping her hair.

"You look young, but Herta... your age..." Kenji didn’t deny the first two, but he was skeptical about the last one.

Big Herta had developed de-aging technology. Before she de-aged... was she like this, or like an old lady?

"Don’t worry about that. Just tell me if I look young right now." Big Herta didn’t care.

There were plenty of people in the universe older than her. Long-life species were common, and most kept their youthful appearance. Some even looked younger than her.

Like that short Diviner on the Xianzhou, Fu Xuan.

"Ms. Herta! Devastatingly beautiful!"

"Ms. Herta! A nation-toppling beauty!"

"Ms. Herta! Outshines the moon and shames the flowers!"

...

Kenji didn’t answer, but the Herta-puppet started praising her. Big Herta didn’t feel embarrassed at all; she nodded with satisfaction.

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s right! Just like that!"

"Kenji, watch and learn."

Such beautiful words. The Herta-puppet learns fast. It’s even saying praises I didn’t program.

"So vain," Saber Alter muttered.

If she were praised like that in front of others, she’d get goosebumps. Even without an audience, she’d cringe so hard her toes would curl.

Erina and the other girls nodded in agreement. How does Big Herta keep a straight face?