Amazing Little Creatures, "Alchemist" Mrs. Du's Method to Defeat the Guild President

On the outskirts of the Shen family estate, by the side of the highway.

Two men were crouching next to a tree.

Sir, from what I can see, this must have been a bear. An adult one, too. I’d estimate its weight at over eight hundred pounds. Extremely dangerous! The driver examined the spot where the trunk had snapped, offering his serious assessment after a moment of study.

Shen Ming: ...

This was Shanghai. Where would a bear come from? Especially on their family property. It wasn't like they lived in a zoo... though, on second thought, it wouldn't be that strange if a bear actually did show up at their place. After all, his wife had recently hauled a giant turtle home.

If she could find a turtle that big, was a bear really that far-fetched?

Clearly, Du Wanyi’s reputation preceded her. Whenever something strange happened or a bizarre small animal appeared at home, Shen Ming’s first thought was always his wife.

Truth be told, even if there really was a bear, it wouldn't be able to cause much of a stir in the Shen household. Most likely, it would be caught by his wife and beaten into bear-shaped crackers, or perhaps sent straight to the afterlife on the spot.

Wait!

A bear?

Shen Ming seemed to realize something. He leaned down to inspect the tree himself. Eventually, on an inconspicuous part of the main trunk, he found a scratch mark!

It was a human grip mark. Because the strength behind it had been so immense, a very clear indentation was left, sunken deep into the wood. No technique, just raw power!

Shen Ming pondered for a moment and placed his own hand over it. It was just a size larger than the mark. Yep... no mistake about it. This was his wife’s handiwork.

Shen Ming: ...

So, why exactly did she take it out on a tree?

Drawing on the wisdom of his predecessors, Shen Ming was able to quickly identify the culprit of any accident. Within the Du family, anyone who could be messed with had been messed with by Mrs. Du at some point.

Within the boundaries of the Shen and Du estates, if anything highly illogical or supernatural occurred, you didn't even have to think about it—it was definitely Du Wanyi.

Clearly, the driver lacked this particular life experience. After a series of deductions, he had locked onto a bear as the target. A human couldn't do this—or at least, they shouldn't be able to.

The driver was still considering whether he should call people to come and catch the bear when Shen Ming stood up.

Alright, I know what happened, Shen Ming said.

Sir, you know where the bear is! The driver’s eyes were full of shock, mixed with a faint hint of admiration.

As expected of the Master! He found the bear so quickly!

Shen Ming: ...

Shen Ming looked helpless. Go find someone to clear the road. Wait for them here. There isn't much distance left; I’ll just walk back myself.

Sir, you can't! What if you run into the bear! Hearing that Shen Ming wanted to walk back alone, the driver grew anxious and hurriedly blocked Shen Ming’s path.

Shen Ming: ...

Was it possible that he lived with that bear every single day?

A real bear wasn't nearly as capable of causing chaos as his wife.

How about this then? You walk back with me... Shen Ming suggested.

Sir, I’ll stay here and wait for them to arrive. You go on ahead and stay safe! The driver’s face changed instantly. He stepped aside, standing obediently next to the fallen tree.

Shen Ming: ...

And so, the driver stayed behind to wait, while Shen Ming walked back alone.

It was less than a ten-minute walk. Shen Ming arrived home quickly, without even breaking a sweat.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw a short-haired woman standing outside the gate. She was pacing back and forth, her face a mask of conflict and hesitation.

When Shen Ming spotted her, she looked over as well. Their eyes met, and the short-haired woman’s expression brightened. She hurried toward him.

Mistress, you’re finally back! The short-haired woman’s voice carried a hint of excitement, as if she were looking at a savior!

Shen Ming: ...

Ahem, Xiaodao, you can actually just call me Sir. Shen Ming corrected the short-haired woman’s form of address.

The woman’s full name was Xiaodao, a very rare surname. She was also part of the Du family and had been by Du Wanyi’s side since she was very young. She had originally been trained to accompany the Eldest Miss.

As it turned out... the Eldest Miss was a problem child. No one could stay by her side. Everyone sent to her would be equally ignored, making communication impossible.

Left with no choice, the short-haired woman remained with Du Wanyi. It was more reassuring to keep someone she had raised herself.

Similarly, because she was a member of the Du family, she was incredibly stubborn—especially regarding titles. In the eyes of the Du family, Du Wanyi was the sole Head of the House. That was the only title she could have; it represented an absolute status that no one was allowed to change or challenge.

Since she was the Head, Shen Ming, as her other half, naturally became the Mistress. Yeah... it was a bit surreal.

To this day, Shen Ming was still a bit afraid of the Du clan. Every time they met, they called him Mistress. No matter how good his composure was, he could hardly withstand it. He felt like curling his toes in embarrassment.

Fortunately, after years of Shen Ming’s influence, everyone in the household—except for the Du family members—had started calling him Sir.

As someone raised by Du Wanyi since childhood, the short-haired woman had, naturally... not been successfully influenced.

Every time she saw him, she still called him Mistress, and she did so with such sincerity and volume that Shen Ming felt like retreating into a shell. This kid... her words really stung.

I apologize, Mistress, but please allow me to refuse you on this matter! The woman spoke word for word, still looking at Shen Ming with utmost seriousness.

She acknowledged her mistake, admitted it, but refused to change...

Shen Ming: ...

He was out of options.

He accepted his fate.

*Sigh*, fine. Mistress it is. Xiaodao, what’s wrong? Why aren't you resting this late at night? Why are you waiting for me here? Did Wanyi pull another stunt? Shen Ming sighed.

The short-haired woman nodded, her expression looking a bit troubled. After a moment of thought, she decided to tell Shen Ming what had happened.

The matter with the phone, the fact that their Head had been elbow-struck by a tree on the road, and how she was now waiting in the room for the Eldest Miss to deliver a phone...

The explanation left Shen Ming in silence once again.

As expected, it was exactly the kind of mess his wife would cause. But... a phone?

How did Hanhan’s phone break? Did she drop it? Shen Ming looked at the woman with a bit of confusion.

He remembered that their daughter usually kept a phone for several years. She wouldn't replace it unless it was broken. She was also quite careful with her phone usage, controlling her screen time to prevent nearsightedness, and also...

The short-haired woman’s expression became rather awkward. One look was all Shen Ming needed to know that there was more to the story.

It’s fine, Xiaodao. Just say it, Shen Ming said with a smile.

The woman nodded. Only then did she reveal how their Head had been eavesdropping at the door, which had infuriated the Eldest Miss so much that she smashed her phone.

Shen Ming: ...

So... that’s how the phone broke.

Wanyi really is... she clearly knew... wait, that’s not right. Wanyi actually got caught?

Shen Ming suddenly realized something seemed off. When her partner did this kind of mischief, she should be extremely, extremely careful. With skills like hers, it would be a waste not to be a spy. How could she possibly have been discovered by their daughter?

She had eavesdropped so many times before without ever getting caught. This time... how did she slip up?

An accident?

Or...

Just by roughly hearing the process, Shen Ming immediately sensed something was wrong. If her partner was this easy to catch when doing mischief, she wouldn't have earned the nickname "Demon Child."

Most of the time, you only realized the mischief had been done after the fact—sneaky, without a soul noticing.

Like that time Dongfang Zhan spent a fortune to acquire the "Xuanwu," only for it to be carried off without a trace. The culprit was already long gone before anyone realized something was amiss.

Skill-wise, she's top-notch!!!

Logically, Du Wanyi should have realized this too. With her superb skills, how could she have been spotted by their little Hanhan?

But perhaps, having done wrong and being terrified of getting caught—worried she might find another 'mommy' in the future—she ultimately fled the scene of the crime. She didn't dare think it through, even sending Da Hei out to take the blame, a sacrificial lamb.

The short-haired woman also only knew what happened, not why it happened. She just stood far down the hallway, watching her family head eavesdropping, and then... watching her crawl out like a terrified giant spider.

Shen Ming thought for a moment. "Alright, I understand. You should head back and rest early too. I'll handle the rest."

"Mm, thank you, Madam!" the short-haired man thanked with utmost sincerity.

Shen Ming: "..."

Kid, if you're truly grateful, then stop calling me Madam...

Sigh.

Shen Ming sighed softly, shook her head slightly, and walked towards the main house, leaving behind the short-haired woman who still wore a look of immense gratitude. The Madam is here, we're saved!

Outside the corridor.

Tap, tap, tap... The sound of footsteps gradually approached. Shen Ming stopped and pushed open the door.

What met her eyes...

Du Wanyi, with a big bump on her head, was studying spices at a small table. The room was filled with a peculiar fragrance, with some spices being heated over a flame, producing a great deal of smoke that swirled around. The moment the door opened, the smoke rushed towards Shen Ming all at once.

Shen Ming: "..."

"Oh, Doudou, you're back!" Du Wanyi blinked and greeted her warmly, then went back to busying herself with the things in her hands.

Shen Ming: "..."

"Not sleeping yet, so late?" Shen Ming had completely accepted the nickname "Doudou" by now. In fact, she'd feel oddly uncomfortable if she didn't hear her partner call her that a couple of times a day.

Du Wanyi pouted. "I'm not sleepy yet..."

Shen Ming smiled without saying a word. Usually at this hour she'd already be in bed, lying on her stomach watching those silly short dramas and asking him for a massage. Not sleepy... she was probably waiting for their daughter.

She went along with what the other said.

"What are all these things? They smell quite nice. Haven't seen you bring them out before?" Shen Ming casually picked up a half-used piece of incense and brought it to her nose to sniff. Hmm, smells wonderful.

Probably something high-quality. Just by the scent, you could tell it wasn't cheap. But...

Shen Ming silently glanced at the alcohol lamp, asbestos gauze, and various bottles and jars... very professional chemistry equipment. A large portion of the good stuff had already been ruined.

What a waste!

Who knows if the guild leader's mother would die of anger if she saw this.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you," Du Wanyi mumbled offhandedly.

That was probably true. Usually, only Du Wanyi herself knew what the things she fiddled with in her bottles and jars were. Others had best not touch them randomly, or a trip to the hospital would straighten them out.

Shen Ming had fallen victim in this area before, so she wasn't angry. She just smiled and put down the item in her hand.

Just as she put it down, Du Wanyi's voice came from beside her. "These are all tools to defeat the inherently evil little brat of the Dongfang family!"

Shen Ming: "???"

The inherently evil little brat of the Dongfang family?

Who's that?

It couldn't be Brother Dongfang, could it?

Dongfang Zhan and Shen Ming addressed each other as brothers, with Dongfang Zhan being older and thus the big brother.

As she spoke, Du Wanyi began heating a test tube with the alcohol lamp. Gas started to volatilize, entered a container, was heated again, underwent secondary purification...

Finally, some pink powder appeared in the final glass container.

These... were the ultimate weapons to defeat the inherently evil little brat of the Dongfang family!!!

But they needed to be tested first!

Du Wanyi narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth turning up into a mischievous, comical grin that made her look utterly sneaky as she gazed at Doudou. Doudou, somewhat confused, spoke up.

"Wanyi, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Can you eat this? It won't cause any problems, right?"

"Wait, Wanyi, what did you just give me to eat!"

...