I Still Want to Have Soup Later

After school.

Lin Mo walked at a leisurely pace, though the corner of his eye remained fixed on a certain figure.

A girl with an enviable figure, yet perpetually keeping her head down, made her way to the school gate.

Then, she finally lifted her gaze slightly and happily climbed into a small car.

Lin Mo clearly spotted a woman with an equally striking figure in the driver’s seat.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that was likely Chu Miaomiao’s mother.

Over the past few days, Lin Mo had been quietly observing these details. From the way Chu Miaomiao acted, it seemed she had a very close relationship with her mother.

The cheerful laughter and lively conversation in the car painted a stark contrast to her reserved demeanor at school.

Lin Mo’s gaze then shifted to another person.

This one carried a faint trace of jealousy and discontent in her eyes.

However, when she turned and noticed Lin Mo looking her way, she immediately flashed him a sweet smile.

"Lin Mo, what are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Aren’t you heading home, Geng Xiao?"

Geng Xiao maintained her sugary grin. "I’m about to. Which direction is your place, Lin Mo?"

"I rent a place in the nearby urban village. It’s convenient, and since I’ve got nothing urgent, staying at school a bit longer doesn’t matter."

Lin Mo answered frankly.

Geng Xiao feigned envy.

"Must be nice, having no one to answer to. Not like me—I have to go straight home after school."

Lin Mo nodded. "Then take care on your way back."

With that, he turned and walked off without giving Geng Xiao a chance to react, leaving her frozen in her exaggerated expression of admiration.

Only after Lin Mo had left did Geng Xiao’s smile fade, her gaze lingering on the now-distant car.

Back at the urban village market, Lin Mo bought dinner and, as an afterthought, picked up some starfruit and mangosteens.

After all, his landlady, Auntie Zheng, had brought him soup earlier. Returning the gesture with some fruit was only polite.

When giving fruit as a gift, seasonal ones were best.

It was better to avoid lackluster choices like apples and pears—especially apples, the most underwhelming of all fruits.

Carrying the bag of fruit, Lin Mo headed toward his rented room.

Before he could reach it, he spotted Xie Yuling, also carrying groceries.

"Perfect timing. This bag’s for you."

Without waiting for a response, Lin Mo looped the fruit bag around Xie Yuling’s wrist.

"What are you doing?" Xie Yuling finally managed to ask after a pause.

"A return gift for Auntie Zheng. She brought me soup last time—just returning the favor."

Xie Yuling, remembering Lin Mo lived alone, tried to hand the bag back.

But she was no match for his strength.

"Keep it. I’d like more soup in the future."

Lin Mo’s casual remark struck a chord in Xie Yuling’s heart.

Her movements halted, and her hand instinctively withdrew.

A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind before she finally nodded.

"Alright. Next time there’s soup, we’ll save you a portion."

Lin Mo grinned.

"Don’t make too much, though. Last time was excessive—I spent the whole night drinking nothing but soup."

Xie Yuling nodded and headed upstairs, while Lin Mo went straight home. He still had Qi-Nourishing Pills to take and cultivation to attend to.

......

"I’m back." Xie Yuling walked into the kitchen, groceries in hand.

Zheng Yuan was busy cooking when she noticed the bag of fruit.

"Why buy fruit? We’ve got so many apples at home you never eat."

Xie Yuling huffed and hung the bag on a nearby hook.

"That was sent by Lin Mo. He said he wanted to thank you for the soup you gave him."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuan clapped her hands.

"Oh, that silly boy! You just brought it back like that? He's all alone with no income—how could we accept something from him?"

"Mom, I know what you mean. But he understands your kindness. He even said outright that he’d love to have more of your homemade soup in the future."

At those words, Zheng Yuan immediately beamed.

"See how thoughtful this child is? But it’s also so sad—losing both parents at such a young age..."

Zheng Yuan continued muttering to herself.

Xie Yuling couldn’t be bothered to listen. She set the groceries she’d bought aside and headed straight for the shower.

After a whole day of military training, she was exhausted—only to come home and still have to buy groceries.

......

Inside the study.

A woman in a silk nightgown lounged on the sofa.

Behind the desk sat a man puffing on a cigar.

"What’s the matter?" The woman flipped idly through a magazine in her hands.

The man took a deep drag of his cigar before setting it down.

A thick cloud of smoke escaped his lips.

"Today... Little Yunlu didn’t finish her meal." The man looked as though he’d encountered some dire crisis, his expression fraught with distress.

The woman’s fingers paused mid-page.

"That’s it?"

The man suddenly slammed his hands on the desk and sat bolt upright.

"'That’s it'?! Yesterday, Little Yunlu cleaned her plate! But today, she left a third of her food untouched!"

He pressed a hand to his face.

"Has my cooking gotten worse? Or... does she not like my food anymore?"

The woman glanced at her brother, who was losing his mind. The man was perfect in every way—except for being a hopeless doting father. If some punk ever rolled up on a motorcycle and tried to take his daughter away, he’d probably lose it completely.

"Was today’s meal the same as yesterday’s?"

The man froze, then muttered, "Yeah... exactly the same."

"Oh, foolish brother, even the best meal gets boring if you eat it every day."

The words struck him like a thunderbolt. He stumbled back and collapsed onto the leather sofa, his face a mix of shock and disbelief.

"So... so that’s it? Little Yunlu was just... tired of eating the same thing...?"

Watching her idiot brother, the woman sighed in relief.

At least there was a way to handle him now. Tomorrow, she’d have to remind Little Yunlu to finish her lunchbox—otherwise, her obsessive dad would spiral again.

......

"Fire!"

Lin Mo stretched out his hand, and a flame flickered to life in his palm.

"Water!"

The flame instantly transformed into a swirling orb of water.

"Ice!"

"Earth!"

"Wood!"

Using spiritual energy, Lin Mo could freely manipulate any element.

But that wasn’t the main point.

The real breakthrough was that Lin Mo had awakened a power called "spiritual sense."

Though its range was limited to about ten meters and it strained his mind, Lin Mo had essentially gained a god’s-eye view.

When he activated his spiritual sense, he could observe everything within ten meters in perfect 360-degree clarity.

If he wanted, he could even use it to peek into his landlady’s apartment upstairs.

But Lin Mo was a man who upheld the core values of socialism.

If he wanted to look, he’d do it openly—not sneak around spying on others.

Of course, checking his landlady’s place for potential safety hazards was still a responsible thing to do.

At this moment, Lin Mo was like a child who had just gotten a new toy, utterly absorbed in his delight.

However, his exploration didn’t last long before a wave of mental exhaustion washed over him.

"It seems using too much divine sense takes a heavy toll on the mind," he mused.

Rubbing his temples, Lin Mo promptly went to wash up and get some sleep.

By now, he had complete faith in the Invincible Cultivation System.

Moreover, the system’s tasks all fell within his capabilities, requiring no excessive effort on his part.

With that in mind, he probably wouldn’t end up as the system’s puppet... right?