Chapter 072: Turning Three

Chapter 072: Turning Three

"Mommy, Mommy!"

"Mommy, get up! Baby wants kisses!"

"..."

Whose kids are these? They're so loud.

Gu Pushu was sleeping soundly, but the incessant chatter of children finally annoyed her enough to open her eyes.

She saw two pairs of bright, sparkling eyes staring at her, incredibly cute, round, like little grapes.

They were surprisingly good-looking. Whose children were these, with such perfect features? Wait, why are there kids in my bed?

Gu Pushu didn't register it yet, looking dazed.

"Mommy!"

"Mommy!"

When the two little ones called her "Mommy" and each kissed one of her cheeks, even Gu Pushu, a corporate powerhouse, was stunned. Then she understood.

So these were her two babies?

"...How old are you guys?" Gu Pushu was confused. Before she fainted from the shock, didn't she see two snakes?

There's no way these cute babies are those snakes!

The little girl counted on her fingers and said, super cute, "Three! Daddy said we're three."

"Yes, Mommy, we're three," the boy said, pouting his chubby face to look serious, looking like a mini Yin Zhu.

"..." Gu Pushu was speechless. She shot up like a fish leaping, and the two children each took a side, hugging her arms and burrowing into her arms.

Gu Pushu instinctively hugged them, her head aching. "Did I just pass out for three whole years?"

Damn, I open my eyes and the kids are already three. I totally skipped the baby phase. But thinking about it, that was pretty nice—close my eyes and open them, and the cubs were three, no postpartum issues, no stress at all!

"What are you thinking? With their cultivation, they look like three-year-olds when they transform." Yin Zhu walked in and heard Gu Pushu's words, couldn't help laughing. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

"No, I'm good," Gu Pushu shook her head, feeling even better than after giving birth, totally energized.

"Come down, stop bugging your mom." Yin Zhu walked over, checked her pulse, and confirmed she was fine. Seeing the two little ones clinging to Gu Pushu and kissing her cheeks, he got jealous—that spot was his to kiss. "You're three now, not little kids. Learn some boundaries with Mom and act mature." He brainwashed them with a straight face.

The kids were torn. But they loved being with Mom and couldn't bear to go.

"Yin Zhu, what nonsense are you talking? They're only three! Since when is three 'not young'?" Gu Pushu pulled the children closer, glaring at Yin Zhu's nonsense, and kissed their chubby cheeks, full of affection. "Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. What three-year-old is mature and steady? You can't even force a kid that fast."

If she could forget that first meeting, having these soft, cute kids in her arms—who wouldn't love them?

Getting mom's kisses, the twins went wild.

"Daddy is mean!" The little girl hugged mom's neck, snorted at Yin Zhu, with a smug look.

"Daddy is mean!" The boy was steadier but nodded along.

"Yeah, your dad is a big meanie." Gu Pushu couldn't stop playing with them, squeezing their arms and pinching their cheeks. Baby skin is so smooth.

"..." Yin Zhu felt helpless. He was being ganged up on by everyone.

"Alright, go play. Mom just woke up and needs to freshen up. Why keep hanging on her?" Yin Zhu picked up the two little ones and set them on the floor. "Don't accidentally burn down or flood the house. If you mess up again, go stand in the corner and think about it."

They were still young, unable to control their powers, and their playfulness had a strong destructive streak—a small forest patch in the back mountain had been burned down.

"Got it," the siblings said in unison.

They looked back every few steps as they left, and Gu Pushu didn't stop them. She really did need to get up and dress.

"But aren't you being a bit too strict with them?" Gu Pushu was lifted by Yin Zhu's arm around her waist. The jealous man kissed her, trying to cover up every spot the children had kissed. Unbelievable.

"They're not ordinary children. I have to be strict. At the very least, they need to learn to control their abilities. If they go out and cause a panic with their destructive power, it would be trouble." Yin Zhu carried her into the bathroom and attended to her himself.

He was now very skilled—practice makes perfect.

Gu Pushu had gone from initial awkwardness to being used to Yin Zhu's service.

Not gonna lie, having a handsome man take such good care of you was pretty nice. Enjoy it when you can.

"You're right. I almost forgot." Gu Pushu washed her face. "I can't teach them that. You handle it yourself."

"No problem. They'll learn quickly; they're not dumb."

"But there's an issue." Gu Pushu turned to look at him. "How am I supposed to explain to my family and friends that I suddenly have two big kids? My friends only know I'm pregnant, due in a few months. Even if I gave birth now, they can't grow that fast."

But she couldn't hide them away. She had to go see her family. It gave her a headache.

"How about I erase their memory of your pregnancy?" Yin Zhu thought it over. "Then I'll show up with the kids and say we had a relationship four years ago, but I messed up and made you angry, so we separated. Now I've realized my mistake and come back with the kids to ask for a second chance."

"... What videos have you been watching lately?" Gu Pushu looked at him suspiciously. That story was put together pretty quickly.

"Cough, 'Chasing the Wife in a Crematorium'—short dramas. The cold, silent male lead only realizes he truly loves the female lead after she leaves, then starts a hellish pursuit to win her back." Yin Zhu took her hand and led her out. After Gu Pushu changed, he helped tie her hair.

"... You're so bored that you actually watch that stuff? You're something else." Gu Pushu knew about the genre but couldn't relate. Wasn't that just torturing the woman?

The man was always superior, and in the end, shedding a couple of tears meant he was "vulnerable," and then they'd have a happy ending.

But that narrative couldn't fully apply to real relationships. It's hard to buy true love when one willingly pursues and the other plays hard to get. Each is as bad as the other—perfectly matched, locked together.

"Though the plot makes me frown and is hard to understand, it reveals deeper meanings. For example, communication is crucial in a relationship; having an independent personality and independent thinking is more important. And you need to see the other person as they truly are, stripping away illusions. Of course, that requires the second condition first. Without a self, you can't see clearly. Also, if two people don't understand and tolerate each other to grow together, and instead one regresses in false warmth, problems will surface over time, leading to irresolvable conflicts."

Yin Zhu loved making summaries; he had even written a book. "Essentially, a relationship is like a spiral rising upward. Through various adjustments, as long as it's suitable, both parties will improve and grow, bettering each other, rather than deteriorating and torturing each other in a downward spiral."

"Like you and me. We're spiraling upward, not down. We both have strengths and weaknesses, but we tolerate and help each other. You teach me a lot, and I teach you to become stronger. Only enemies want their opponents to become weak. In a relationship, if one person becomes a mere accessory and stops growing, then feelings are mostly about utility, not genuine love. Even if it seems real, it's fake." He even took the chance to praise them as the best couple.

"... You make a lot of sense, and your summary is spot on." Gu Pushu listened seriously and smiled at him. "You love learning and summarizing. You'd be perfect for the civil service exam." She thought Yin Zhu was more like an old cadre than a god, suited for a government job.

Outwardly carefree, but deep down, he adhered to rules—until you crossed him.

"Forget it." Yin Zhu knew what the civil service exam was. "But there is a Bureau of Spirits and Monsters in the human government. The director used to be an ink spirit, but now it's a wolf demon. He called me recently to chat, worried I might cause trouble."

Gu Pushu was surprised. "Such a department really exists?"

"Of course. The world is vast; humanity has only glimpsed a tenth of it. There's much more interesting stuff. I'll tell you later." Yin Zhu had a lot of information but hadn't shared it yet.

"Okay." Gu Pushu nodded. "But let me get stronger first. I'm itching to know more now."

At the very least, she had to wait until Yin Zhu wasn't by her side, so that when she encountered trouble, she could protect herself, or even handle it alone.

Relying only on a man would only make her die faster.

Even though Yin Zhu was trustworthy, she wouldn't think of relying on him; as for other unreliable men, she definitely couldn't entertain such dangerous thoughts.

No matter when or where, strengthening yourself is key.

·

There was no way to hide the fact that she had kids.

Gu Pushu called her parents.

She chatted about everyday things, then nervously touched her nose.

"Mom, Dad, stay calm for a second. I need to tell you something."

"What is it? Did you owe money outside, or get yourself into some romantic trouble?" Father Gu was as steady as ever. "If you owe money, just say so. We've got plenty. If it's a romantic debt, don't be too picky, and don't break the heart of a decent, respectable man. Bring him home for us to see. If his character is acceptable, give him a proper title first to keep him sweet."

"Dad, I never said I owed a romantic debt." Gu Pushu was speechless. Her father was as unreliable as ever, and his marriage pressure had gotten this bad.

"Hmph, if you don't have a romantic debt, then why are you calling? Let me tell you, if you come home for the New Year alone this year without bringing my son-in-law, don't expect any red envelopes this year!" Father Gu was furious.

He thought to himself: when his daughter was in school, he didn't stop her from having a boyfriend early, so why wasn't she like other kids who had early relationships? Parenting is a subject you can study forever and never get right.

"Shush, you old fool, what nonsense are you on about?" Mother Gu took the phone and said lovingly, "Shushu, what do you want to tell us?"

Gu Pushu nervously touched her nose. "Ahem, Mom, Dad, I have a husband, and two children."

"What? You didn't become a stepmother, did you? Let me tell you, Gu Pushu, if you dare to be a stepmother, I'll break your legs! I'll disown you!" Father Gu heard this with his ear pressed to the phone and immediately flew into a rage.

"No, they are my children, biological, your own grandchildren. Why would I be a stepmother? Do I look crazy? Only you could come up with that." Gu Pushu rolled her eyes. "Let them talk to you."

"Mom, Dad, hello. I'm Yin Zhu, Shushu's husband. I'm so sorry I haven't come to see you sooner. Tomorrow, Shushu and I will come to pay our respects, and I'll come with a humble apology to make amends."

Yin Zhu knew that if he wanted to be someone's son-in-law, he had to show the right attitude; otherwise, how could he marry their daughter?

After he finished speaking, the phone was snatched by two kids who were jumping and fighting for it. "Grandpa, Grandma, hello!"

Hearing the children's clear voices, the couple at the Gu house stared at each other, stunned and speechless for a long time.

This, this... a son-in-law appeared out of nowhere, and they suddenly had two grandchildren!

Father Gu's hands shaking, he started the video call, and the first thing he saw were two adorable children, oh, they looked just like his daughter!

No mistake, no mistake, his daughter wasn't crazy enough to be a stepmother; they were his own grandchildren!

During the video call, the two little ones leaned their heads together, taking turns calling "Grandpa, Grandma," which made the old couple grin from ear to ear.

Only when the phone battery died did they reluctantly hang up, and they repeatedly stressed that they must come back tomorrow—the adults could skip it, but the children had to come!

Gu Pushu sighed. "I used to be their treasure, but now I'm no longer the apple of their eye."

"It's okay, I only spoil you."

Yin Zhu smiled, put his arm around her shoulder, and kissed her forehead.

"Go away, go away, you're learning all sorts of nonsense again."

Gu Pushu pushed him away in disdain, but she was smiling.