A Country Boy's Taste of City Life

The main story is complete! There are lots of bonus chapters, and they don't require a subscription. Read whichever ones you like. Thanks for your support! Chi Luo Xi is a radish spirit who grew from a plant in the mountains. After coming down from the mountains and entering the city, everything is new and fascinating to him. Innocent and naive, he accidentally makes a few “friends.” Those young people dress well, but the words they speak are steeped in the greasy scheming of city life. They size up the little mountain spirit. His skin really is soft and dewy, his eyes big and bright. His figure is wrapped in a cheap T-shirt and jeans, but even those can't hide his unpolished, crisp, natural beauty. The group whispers among themselves, hinting that life is short, so you might as well make the most of it. They surround Chi Luo Xi, half egging him on and half instructing him: “With looks like yours, it's a waste to stay in the mountains.” “These days, youth is an asset, and good looks are hard currency.” “Take it from me, find someone rich and make as much as you can while you're young. Then you won't have to worry about the rest of your life.” Chi Luo Xi only half understands. In his guileless way, he thinks this must be how people survive in the city. * He Ao Xiao meets a little gold digger who keeps showing up wherever he goes. The kid has no clever schemes, and his methods are so clumsy they're laughable. He just stares at He Ao Xiao with those overly clear eyes and asks questions so innocent they're almost stupid. He can't flirt, and he can't turn on the charm. All he has is a wonderfully odd way of thinking and a face so naturally lovable that it's hard to stay angry with him. He Ao Xiao has never met anyone so unsophisticated. Everyone knows he would never keep someone like that. And yet, eventually, he really does keep him, giving him a spacious apartment and a card with a generous limit, and telling him to behave himself. Chi Luo Xi settles into He Ao Xiao's gilded cage. He's not very good at spending money and has no real concept of luxury goods. Most of the money deposited into his card each month remains untouched. He takes out just a little to buy necessities, and… books. Lots and lots of books, all kinds of textbooks and study materials. * Much later, the “friends” from back then get together again to brag about what they've got. One flashes the keys to a luxury apartment in an upscale neighborhood, another pulls out the keys to a brand-new Audi or BMW. They're all clearly pleased with themselves. When it's Chi Luo Xi's turn, they watch him with gleeful anticipation, eager to see what valuable prize he can show off. Under their watchful eyes, Chi Luo Xi carefully reaches into his faded canvas backpack and pulls something out, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure. It's not a property deed or a set of car keys. It's a silver-gray 2TB portable hard drive with a somewhat worn casing. He holds it up in both hands and proudly shows it to his friends. “It has so many, many past exam papers and study materials, from all sorts of years and subjects. There are also lectures by famous teachers. He Ao Xiao bought it for me, and I copied everything onto it specially so I could keep it safe.” The smiles on everyone's faces freeze. So he hadn't come to the city to be a gold digger. He was a proper leaky bucket, the kind who could drain even his sugar daddy dry. * He Ao Xiao is ready to take things to the next stage, but before he can get many words out, Chi Luo Xi covers his mouth and says he understands. He Ao Xiao thinks that after being together for so long, they've finally developed a real understanding. They spend the night in each other's arms, only for him to wake up and find his wife packing up and leaving. He Ao Xiao: “…” The top has a wicked mouth, while the bottom is an obedient little darling. An adorably oddball bottom paired with a sharp-tongued, fatherly top. Here's a sneak peek at my upcoming story: “One Child, Four Dads” A year ago, Ling Xue, the foremost of the Empire's Eight Sons, died fighting space pirates while visiting family on Planet E-37. His mech, Jichuan, disassembled itself, leaving only its core, which fiercely guarded his corpse and allowed no one near. Afterward, it appeared at random on different planets, wandering from place to place. Ling Xue's death was confirmed because, before Jichuan disassembled, records showed that Ling Xue had been treated for abnormal bleeding. The whole Empire mourned. Some supported giving him a celestial burial, but rumors persisted that the other four sons were secretly trying to capture Jichuan and retrieve Ling Xue's body. Who could have guessed that a year later, a man with snow-white skin, silver hair, pale eyes, and a faint golden star-shaped mark at the corner of his right eye would appear on a matchmaking show for parents searching for their children? Holding a child in his arms, he claimed he was looking for the child's other biological father. White hair caused by radiation-induced mutation, and a God's Tear birthmark at the corner of his right eye. Who else could it be but Ling Xue, the Divine Temple's greatest fighter, the Empire's spiritual leader, and the beloved Omega idol of its common people? The idol was pure and immaculate, sacred and aloof! What kind of monster had gotten him pregnant? And he'd even given birth himself! Host: “…Why are you looking for the child's biological father?” Ling Xue awkwardly holds and soothes the child, looking troubled. “It's obvious I'm not very good at looking after a child. Until recently, robots were taking care of the baby. I only woke up a month ago and discovered I'd lost my memory. I've pieced together who I am from some information, but my own affairs are secondary. What's important is the child. I think a child should grow up in a complete family.” “So, if the child's father is watching this show, please get in touch. For the child's healthy upbringing, I think we should build a complete family together.” So that diagnosis of abnormal bleeding, which had confirmed Ling Xue's death a year ago, had actually been because he'd given birth to a child. When the news broke, four of the Empire's Eight Sons sprang into action. * Imperial Lin, Director of the General Staff: “I'm sorry, the child is mine. Ling Xue and I have actually been seeing each other in secret all along.” Xing Tian, commander of the First Expeditionary Army and a longtime rival of Ling Xue: “Imperial Lin, go to hell. I slept with Ling Xue right before going into battle a year ago. The kid's definitely mine!” He Beichen, Director of the Interstellar Intelligence Bureau: “There's no need to argue. The child is mine. Look how much her nose resembles mine.” Chong Hua, Director of the Star Source Technology Research Institute: “It should be mine. Ling Xue and I pledged ourselves to each other back when we were at the Imperial Military Academy.” Ling Xue: “…Was my private life really that messy?” The paternity tests ruled out all four men, making things rather awkward. The four men responded, “We'd be perfectly happy to be stepdads.” The show was taken off the air after the cast nearly came to blows during the first episode, and no one dared report what happened afterward. A year later, someone followed up, and an insider hinted that the biological father still hadn't appeared, but the child had four extraordinary stepdads and was destined to become the Empire's princess. Theme: Stay optimistic even when facing hardship.