Thank you, quayA, for the ko-fi~
An egg soaking in the soup had the adults in a panic.
They rushed over in a few large strides and scooped the egg out.
The little black egg had been enjoying his soak.
After being fished out, he gave Wu Jin’s palm a light tap.
Wu Jin wasn’t angry at being tapped by the egg.
With a gentle tone, he coaxed the egg, “Eggy, why were you soaking in the soup? Daddy thought you were trying to cook yourself.”
Wu Jin had witnessed Feng Yuan, the chubby little guy, stewing himself in an iron pot before.
He was afraid these two both had a tendency to turn themselves into dishes.
Wu Jin wanted to say more to the egg, but Eggy had already grown impatient and leaped out of his palm.
The little black egg accurately launched itself into a bowl.
His shell was so sturdy that it shattered the bowl upon impact, splashing soup all over Feng Yuan’s face.
Feng Yuan, who had been busy eating, grabbed a tissue with his chubby little hand, wiped his face casually, and continued with his meal.
His composure was eerily unshakable.
“Eggy, wait for your brother to take a couple more bites, then I’ll get you more soup.”
After finishing a few mouthfuls, Feng Yuan went to fetch more soup.
But Yu Yi stopped him.
Yu Yi filled a bowl with clean water, plucked a few petals from the flowers in the vase at home, and scattered them into the bowl.
“Eggy, soak in this. With you and the flowers, it’s called egg drop soup.”
With an egg and flowers, calling it egg drop soup wasn’t wrong.
The little black egg examined the newly prepared bowl for a few seconds before hopping in.
The little ones went about their business. Some are eating, others soaking.
Yu Yi watched them for a while before returning to his room.
Wu Jin stayed until the end, tucking them into their rooms before heading back to the bedroom.
Full and content, the little ones settled back into bed.
Feng Yuan wasn’t ready to sleep yet.
But Qin Xun pulled him into his arms and began patting his back.
“Yuan Yuan, it’s time to sleep.”
Qin Xun coaxed Feng Yuan while reciting the addition table.
Before he could finish reciting the table, Feng Yuan’s soft snores began.
Seeing that he was sound asleep, Qin Xun prepared to close his eyes as well.
Beside them, Rong Rong suddenly spoke up slowly.
“There’s more.”
Rong Rong had also seen the addition table and reminded Qin Xun that there was more to it.
Qin Xun hadn’t expected him to still be awake.
“Rong Rong, go to sleep.”
Qin Xun placed the little black egg in his hands, allowing him to hold it as they slept.
The room’s lights were turned off.
In the darkness, Rong Rong held the egg, kept his eyes open for a little while longer, and then fell asleep.
That night, the little ones slept quite peacefully.
The next day.
Feng Yuan woke up but had no intention of leaving.
He, Rong Rong, Qin Xun, and Eggy played together, creating a lively atmosphere.
He didn’t want to go back.
Even while playing at home, Feng Yuan eventually grew restless and wanted to go outside.
He wanted to take Rong Rong and Eggy to the amusement park.
Taking Eggy out, however, posed a bit of a challenge.
Feng Yuan considered carrying him in a backpack. But the backpack was too big, and Eggy wouldn’t be able to see outside from inside it.
Just as Feng Yuan was fretting over this, Little Deer’s arrival solved his problem.
Little Deer had come to deliver some clothes for Eggy.
He had handmade a few small outfits for the egg.
Seeing that Feng Yuan wanted to take the egg out, Little Deer designed and crafted a small cartoon pouch on the spot that could be hung around Feng Yuan’s neck.
In the center of the pouch was a hole about two fingers wide.
The hole was horizontal.
But Little Deer used thread to weave a small fence-like pattern vertically.
This way, Eggy could stay safely in the pouch without being completely cut off from the world.
Little Deer’s cleverness made Feng Yuan like him even more.
Feng Yuan wrapped his arms around Little Deer’s neck, puckering his lips to plant several kisses on him.
“Little Deer, Little Deer, Yuan Yuan loves you!”
“Little Deer loves Yuan Yuan, too.”
Little Deer kissed Feng Yuan back, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
The Yu family also adored Little Deer.
Fang Fang was utterly captivated by the things Little Deer made, unable to put them down.
She even started learning from Little Deer on the spot.
Little Deer held nothing back, personally guiding Fang Fang with his own hands.
Noticing that only Little Deer had come and Taotie was absent, Feng Yuan felt a bit puzzled. “Little Deer, why didn’t Tao Tao come?”
“He’s live streaming.”
Tao Zhi had recently signed a contract with a video platform under Li Sheng’s company.
Now, Tao Zhi was being heavily promoted by the company.
His popularity was skyrocketing. The backend earnings were visibly increasing as well.
Hearing that Tao Zhi was working, Feng Yuan immediately said, “Let Tao Tao earn lots of money!”
His Little Deer was so thin. It looked pitiful.
Feng Yuan wanted Tao Zhi to earn his own living expenses so that Little Deer could have an easier time.
The little ones stayed home with Little Deer for a while before heading out to the mall.
Before leaving, Feng Yuan mentioned they wouldn’t be back for dinner.
They planned to eat burgers outside.
Although the children insisted on going out without the adults, the adults pretended not to follow but secretly trailed behind them.
They followed them all day, watching the little ones eat and play outside without encountering any danger.
With the New Year approaching, the festive atmosphere was already in the air.
The mall was adorned with red lanterns and various red decorations, creating a cheerful and lively scene.
When Feng Yuan and Rong Rong went out, they both wore little red coats and red scarves.
Even Eggy was dressed in a red egg costume.
Only Qin Xun wasn’t wearing red. He had on a blue down jacket.
The little ones spent several days playing outside, where it was bustling with activities.
Besides the song and dance performances invited by the mall, there were also many small lion dance troupes performing.
The sheer number of performances was dazzling.
Shopkeepers were also going all out to attract children’s spending.
Both indoor and outdoor amusement parks were launching new attractions.
Feng Yuan was having the time of his life.
Last year, during the New Year, Rong Rong had been taken out by his dad to experience the festive atmosphere.
But back then, Rong Rong was afraid of crowds.
Seeing so many people gathered for the New Year, he felt no joy at all.
He just buried his little face in his dad’s chest.
This year was different.
This year, Rong Rong joined Feng Yuan and Eggy in playing countless games and activities.
They played intensely during the day. By night, their sleep quality had improved significantly.
Feng Yuan no longer needed bedtime stories to fall asleep.
Since they played together during the day, the parents could finally take their own children back home at night.
The little black egg was also placed back in the crib in his parents’ room to sleep.
Yu Yi observed the little black egg and asked Wu Jin, “Wu Jin, when do you think Eggy will hatch?”
Wu Jin wasn’t sure either.
He weighed the little black egg in his hand and could feel that it had grown heavier than before.
“Probably soon,” Wu Jin said. “Maybe he’ll come out after the New Year, when we go out for New Year’s visits.”
Yu Yi nodded. “I hope he really does come out by then.”
As the dads chatted, Eggy, who was trying to sleep, began to get fussy.
Fortunately, Yu Yi quickly noticed the signs of the little troublemaker’s sleepiness.
He had Wu Jin put the egg down.
The two fathers took one last look at Eggy in the new crib before heading off to sleep as well.
The day before New Year’s Eve.
Feng Yuan, Rong Rong, Qin Xun, and the little black egg went out again.
This time, they were headed to the Children’s Maze.
The Children’s Maze wasn’t a palace but a movable playhouse for kids.
Inside, there were challenge modes and adventure modes.
After handing in their tickets, the children would be chased by staff in mascot costumes. While being chased, they had to navigate through the house filled with obstacles and escape.
It was similar to an escape room for adults.
Since this children’s playhouse opened, the owner has been raking in money.
Feng Yuan had already played there for two days.
With so many kids coming to play, if you arrived late, you couldn’t even get a ticket.
This time, Feng Yuan was too late.
When they arrived, there was already a line in front.
“Ugh, if only we hadn’t eaten breakfast,” Feng Yuan sighed, looking at the long queue and realizing he’d have to wait a long time to play.
He didn’t want to wait, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave either.
As he crouched by the roadside, torn with indecision, someone in a mascot costume approached them, handing out flyers.
“Hey kids, are you here for the maze? There’s a newly opened maze that’s really fun, too. Want to check it out?”
“Yes!”
The mascot pointed them in the direction.
Feng Yuan followed the directions but couldn’t find the place.
So, he turned back.
“Big brother! We couldn’t find it! Can you take us there?”
“Sure, just let me gather a few more customers.”
The mascot guy explained, “I’m working a temporary job. The more customers I bring, the more I earn.”
Hearing that he was doing part-time work, Feng Yuan sympathetically stepped aside and waited for him to gather more people.
Soon, the mascot guy managed to attract two more kids.
He led them, along with Feng Yuan’s group, toward the place he had pointed out earlier.
“The owner of this place is pretty stingy. He picked a remote location to save on rent.” The mascot guy chatted with the kids as they walked.
“Why do you all love playing this so much? Is it really that fun?”
Feng Yuan nodded enthusiastically. “It’s super fun!”
He thought it was absolutely amazing!
While Feng Yuan chatted with the mascot guy, Qin Xun kept glancing around.
“Are we there yet?”
“Almost, almost.”
The mascot guy turned another corner and pointed ahead.
Right in front of them stood a small, maze-like activity hut.
At the entrance, a few people in work uniforms were standing around.
But there were no children in sight.
The mascot guy stopped there, ready to leave.
“I’ve got to get back to work. You can go on ahead.”
With that, he turned and waved goodbye before walking away.
Feng Yuan stared at the maze hut but didn’t move forward.
The two unfamiliar kids who had come with them cheered excitedly and started to run ahead.
Feng Yuan reached out with his chubby little hand and stopped them.
“There are no other kids over there,” Feng Yuan said. “Only adults. No children at all.”
His words made the two cheering kids pause, feeling a bit uneasy.
They stopped and stared curiously at the scene ahead.
Just as the children hesitated about whether to go forward, the sounds of kids playing and laughing echoed from inside the maze. Two children ran past the doorway, clearly visible to the group.
“There are kids!”
The boy who had just been grabbed by Feng Yuan swatted away his chubby little hand.
He pulled his companion and ran toward the maze.
The two of them bought tickets at the entrance. The admission fee here was quite cheap.
Five yuan per person for an hour of play.
Seeing them buy tickets, Feng Yuan fell into thought for a few seconds, his chubby face scrunched up.
“Rong Rong, don’t go in just yet. Wait for us here.”
“We’ll go in and take a look first.”
Feng Yuan wanted to check it out first before coming back to bring Rong Rong along.
Rong Rong obediently nodded.
He stood in place, watching as Feng Yuan and Qin Xun held hands, bought tickets, and entered the maze.
Around Feng Yuan’s neck hung a small black egg.
The egg was a bit heavy, so Feng Yuan hadn’t let Rong Rong carry it.
Time passed slowly.
Rong Rong waited at the entrance for almost an hour.
He noticed that even the staff at the entrance had gone into the maze, yet not a single child had come out.
Something felt off.
He lowered his head and dialed Feng Yuan’s smartwatch.
No one answered.
Rong Rong then called his dad.
Bo Han and Feng Qi were nearby.
The adults knew the kids were playing around in the area, so they had been leisurely shopping at the mall nearby.
That way, when the little ones got tired, they could take them home.
Now, upon receiving Rong Rong’s call, the nearby adults rushed over as quickly as possible.
Throughout, Bo Han kept emphasizing to Rong Rong—
“Rong Rong, don’t go over! Wait for Dad to get there!”
“Be good! Whatever you do, don’t go over! Go to a crowded area and wait for Dad!”
Bo Han was frantic. He stayed on the call with Rong Rong, not daring to hang up.
“Chi Shui!”
While talking to his son, Bo Han glanced back.
He was furious with Chi Shui.
Rong Rong had already called, yet Chi Shui wasn’t hurrying over!
What was he dawdling for?!
Before Bo Han could urge him again, Chi Shui vanished from his sight in an instant.
After yelling at Chi Shui, Bo Han turned and noticed that Feng Qi didn’t look panicked at all.
He paused, unable to hold back his question. “Aren’t you worried about Yuan Yuan?”
Feng Qi nodded.
He replied, “I am worried, but I can smell his scent.”
During the New Year period, it’s peak season for child traffickers.
With so many adults bringing their kids out to join the festivities, places crowded with children are prime targets for kidnappers.
Normally, Feng Qi didn’t monitor Feng Yuan’s outings closely.
But during the New Year, he kept a closer watch.
So, from the moment Feng Yuan left home, he hadn’t strayed beyond Feng Qi’s sense of smell.
“Yuan Yuan is moving very fast now. Probably in a vehicle.”
Feng Qi told Bo Han to pick up Rong Rong.
He and Li Sheng got in a car to chase after their kid, who had been taken by criminals.
While in the car, Feng Qi called Xie Zhi.
“Yuan Yuan’s been kidnapped. I’m chasing them now.”
“Do you know anyone at the police station? Someone who won’t mind if our identities get exposed.”
There was a high chance their true natures would be revealed during this pursuit.
If they reported it as a regular kidnapping, he was afraid it might scare the police.
Upon hearing his request, Xie Zhi immediately thought of the perfect person.
“An old friend of mine. Call him to report it and have him dispatch the police. He won’t be afraid.”
“Alright.”
After finishing his call with Xie Zhi, Feng Qi continued directing Li Sheng in the car chase.
These child traffickers were truly bold.
Nowadays, surveillance is everywhere, and the methods and efficiency of police investigations are constantly improving. Yet even so, human traffickers still manage to exist.
Feng Qi was chasing from behind.
Meanwhile, Feng Yuan was inside the cargo compartment of a van up ahead.
Several other children were crammed in the compartment with him, all trembling with fear.
They didn’t dare cry. Crying would earn them a beating.
Feng Yuan pretended to be scared, curling up in a corner.
He was huddled close to Qin Xun.
Qin Xun held Feng Yuan’s chubby little hand. Though they didn’t exchange words, Qin Xun knew exactly what Feng Yuan was thinking.
If Feng Yuan had wanted to escape, he could have done so long ago.
But he didn’t run.
He wanted to stay with the other children.
As long as he was there, when his dad came to find him, he could rescue all the children together.
Besides the kids in the van, Feng Yuan also wanted to see if the traffickers had abducted any other children.
In short, even if the traffickers tried to drive Feng Yuan away now, he wouldn’t leave.
The van kept driving, deliberately taking small roads without surveillance cameras.
Along the way, the traffickers even switched vehicles.
Feng Yuan and the other children were transferred multiple times.
During the final transfer, Feng Yuan sniffed the air and caught an unpleasant odor.
The driver who took over this last leg had a foul smell about him.
It was the kind of odor that comes from being haunted by “something” for a long time.
Qin Xun could see it clearly with his own eyes.
A child was clinging to the driver’s back, and a little girl was perched on his neck.
Neither Feng Yuan nor Qin Xun made a sound after seeing this.
They sat quietly in the vehicle, eager to reach their destination.
They wanted to see if there were other children at the final location.
Feng Yuan remained silent and obedient the entire time. But one of the men watching them couldn’t help but notice his strikingly beautiful face.
What’s more, the man recognized him.
“See that? This little one’s a minor celebrity. We can make a fortune off him,” a man with a buzz cut said to another man who looked deceptively honest. “Netizens say his family is loaded. Even a random decorative piece in their house is worth millions.”
“He also has a wealthy godfather.”
The buzz-cut man seemed to know quite a bit about Feng Yuan.
As he spoke, his expression was filled with unconcealed pride: “We really lucked out this time. It’s all thanks to my idea. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have caught such a plump little fish.”
The people in the vehicle were seasoned human traffickers, purely in it for the trade.
This time, having abducted Feng Yuan, they felt as if they’d hit the jackpot.
The man with the honest face, however, didn’t sound so honest when he spoke.
He mentioned to the buzz-cut man a female internet celebrity who had been kidnapped.
“I heard her family paid eight million,” he said.
“But in the end, she was killed anyway.”
The honest-looking man chuckled. “We’re not that ruthless. Once we get the money, we’ll sell him off again.”
He even praised himself: “We’re not the kind with rotten consciences.”
Hearing human traffickers claim they had a conscience made Feng Yuan’s little fists clench in anger.
The pendant hanging on Feng Yuan’s chest—the “egg”—wanted to burst out several times.
But Feng Yuan firmly held it back, refusing to let it act.
Finally, after another half-hour of bumpy travel, Feng Yuan and the other children were herded out of the vehicle.
The place they settled in was a small village.
The village looked underdeveloped. Such a place was indeed ideal for hiding children.
Feng Yuan was locked in a room.
After entering, he saw several children already inside.
He spoke to the children.
Among them, only one little girl responded to him between sobs.
“They… they’re going to sell us.”
“If someone wants to buy, they take us out and sell us.”
Feng Yuan looked at the distressed little girl and gave her the dried fruit from his pocket.
“Don’t cry. I’ll save you all!”
Feng Yuan had endured the bumpy journey just to confirm the final destination.
Now, it was good. The hideout had been found.
Having played the role of a well-behaved child the entire ride, Feng Yuan dropped the act.
He touched the wooden door of the room: “Qin Xun! Should I break the door now?”
Qin Xun: “Wait a little longer.”
Qin Xun: “There are many of them. The longer we wait, the more time Uncle Feng and the others will have.”
Feng Yuan: “Okay.”
Feng Yuan waited another ten minutes or so.
Ten minutes later, just as the trafficker grabbed the sobbing little girl to take her outside—
Feng Yuan threw out Eggy.
The two brothers had already “communicated”.
The little black egg, having been restrained until now, struck the trafficker in the back of the head as soon as it was released.
One trafficker was taken down on the spot.
The children in the room were terrified and about to scream, but Qin Xun stopped them.
“Don’t scream, and don’t panic!”
“Stay quiet and wait. We’ll get you out.”
Though Qin Xun was young, his reassurance inexplicably brought a sense of calm.
Eggy wasn’t satisfied with taking down just one.
It rolled outside and continued to attack the next one.
Feng Yuan followed closely behind.
Once outside, he immediately switched into his battle chick form.
The battle chick spat flames, coordinating seamlessly with the battle egg.
Qin Xun stood to the side, watching the chick and the egg fight the villains. He wanted to help, too.
But his abilities seemed to only work on non-human entities…
As Qin Xun pondered, a flicker of thought crossed his eyes.
The next moment.
He closed his eyes and murmured something under his breath.
At the same time, he raised his hand and traced a few strokes in the air.
Just as he finished, the burly driver who was rushing over suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream.
The driver instinctively reached for his neck.
And as he did, he felt a pair of cold, slimy little hands gripping it.
The two little ghosts, originally without physical form and unable to cause much harm, had suddenly grown stronger.
They clung to the driver, their newly grown nails tearing the flesh from his skin.
The driver soon collapsed to the ground, drenched in blood, his fate unknown.
Not far away.
The battle chick hadn’t stopped his claws or his fire-breathing.
It turned out that the villagers had arrived.
The village was sparsely populated, but there were still people living there.
The villagers knew exactly what was happening in that house.
They knew, and they condoned it.
The traffickers were from their village. Besides abducting children, they also brought in wives for them.
So, the villagers protected this place fiercely.
The battle chick soon grew tired from fighting. The little black egg, having smashed around wildly, had cracks forming on its shell.
Just as both the egg and the chick were slowing down from exhaustion, Feng Qi, Li Sheng, and a team of police cars arrived on the scene.
When the police car arrived, what they saw was a group of people lying on the ground.
Officer Shen, who had stepped out of the police car, witnessed the scene firsthand: the fighting chicken scratching people and the little black egg deliberately aiming for heads.
The sight was utterly shocking.
Though Officer Shen’s experienced face remained expressionless, inwardly he exclaimed, “What the hell!”
He was stunned—
How could a chicken fight so fiercely?!
And what kind of egg was black?! No. What kind of egg would actively attack people?
This egg… must be a monster!
No wonder Xie Zhi had asked him to come here.
So Xie Zhi knew about the situation here and specifically assigned him to handle it.
The case was resolved easily. The children kidnapped by the traffickers were successfully rescued.
As for the children who had already been sold by the traffickers, the criminals, as if possessed, immediately revealed their whereabouts on the spot.
The police took over the follow-up matters.
Feng Yuan, Qin Xun, and the egg were all escorted into the car.
Li Sheng’s car was spacious and comfortable, with the heater turned on.
Feng Yuan transformed back into his chubby toddler form. After his dad wiped his little face and hands, he sat on his big dad’s lap, took a moment to rest, and then began chattering animatedly.
He was recounting his heroic battle!
“Yuan Yuan gave him a scratch right then. Hey! Such a powerful scratch!”
“He immediately covered his face!”
Feng Yuan chattered away as if performing a comedy routine.
Feng Qi listened to the “comedy show” all the way.
The little black egg, tucked back into Feng Yuan’s small bag, remained unusually quiet, as if cooperating with his big brother’s storytelling.
Whenever his big brother spoke, the little black egg was always an enthusiastic audience.
Even as his own eggshell cracked more and more, almost completely breaking apart, he didn’t stir at all!
It must be said that the so-called “little troublemaker” Yu Yi mentioned was, in front of his chubby big brother, truly a well-behaved egg.
“You’ve worked hard this time, our little Yuan Yuan.”
Feng Qi cupped Feng Yuan’s chubby cheeks and kissed him affectionately.
“Our Yuan Yuan did something truly remarkable today.”
His chubby little one had genuinely saved many children this time.
Feng Qi felt this deserved a reward.
Coincidentally, tomorrow was the New Year. Thinking about New Year’s traditions, Feng Qi smiled and told Feng Yuan, “Yuan Yuan, for tomorrow’s lucky money, Dad has decided to give you a little extra.”
“Also, in our tradition, we don’t scold children during the New Year.”
“Dad won’t scold you at all tomorrow.”
Hearing his dad’s words, Feng Yuan’s little mouth broke into a wide grin.
Whether it was the warmth of his dad’s words or the good deeds he had just done, accumulating merit, Feng Yuan felt a comforting warmth spreading through his body.
This warmth felt like the temperature of his little flame…
Feng Yuan grew warmer and warmer. Before they even reached home, he couldn’t help but let out a small flame.
Sure enough, it wasn’t just his imagination.
His little flame had grown bigger!
Feng Qi was astonished at the sight of his flame.
“Yuan Yuan, your flame…”
Feng Yuan looked at his dad with sparkling eyes. In that moment, both father and son understood.
Accumulating merit could level up his little flame!
As Feng Yuan exhaled his flame, the egg nestled against his chest, already cracked, seemed to grow even more brittle under the heat.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152