Chapter 33: Our Kid’s Really Grown Up!

【You’re asking if there’s any other way to confirm whether someone is your fated match?】

Youming, far away in another city, stared at the sudden message from her child, utterly puzzled.

Why had her kid suddenly started caring about this kind of thing?

【Yes. Besides the blood test, is there any other method? Mom.】

Wuming received a “what is this child even saying” sticker in reply.

【If there were other ways, I would’ve told you long ago, kiddo.】

【There is no other method.】

【So going through with the test itself already requires tremendous courage.】

As expected…

Only that one path existed.

A wave of disappointment washed over Wuming. He had been hoping there might be some alternative way to verify whether Serena really was his fated one.

He couldn’t possibly just let Serena drink his blood to find out, right?

Something so irresponsible—he could never bring himself to do it.

【Then back then, Dad…】

【He didn’t do anything. Even though I had already warned him about the risks of marrying me, your father still insisted on taking me as his wife.】

【At the time, I also thought he was my fated match… Unfortunately, he wasn’t.】

“…”

That father of his…

Wuming still remembered: back then his dad had been mistaken by some underworld figures for someone who owed a debt, and was gunned down in a hail of bullets. His mother had hunted them all down afterward—every thug involved, right up to the big boss behind the scenes—and “dealt with” them personally.

That was also how Uncle Park and Uncle Ji got promoted into the Other Race Bureau and became bureau chiefs.

Now… what exactly was he supposed to do?

Wuming was at a complete loss for a moment.

After a brief silence, his fingers flew across the screen.

【Mom, my blood is highly toxic, right?】

【Yup.】

【Then… is it possible for someone to lick just a drop of my blood and still survive?】

The question pointed directly to the moment Serena had formed the contract with him.

“…”

Youming stared at the last line her child had sent, pupils dilating in shock.

What did he mean by 【licked some blood and was fine】?!

What nonsense was her kid spouting?

【How could that possibly happen, kid? Your blood is the most toxic among us! Extremely rare!】

【Forget licking a drop—even one milligram is lethal. How could anyone survive?】

【If you don’t believe me, go catch some animal right now and test it. You’ll see.】

Youming fired off the messages rapidly, then glanced sideways at the dragon clan girl Viviti who was leaning in to snoop.

“Something’s off.”

Viviti stared at the chat log, sensing something strange.

“Nine parts out of ten, something’s seriously wrong!”

“What are you muttering about, Viviti?”

Youming looked at her in confusion. “What’s off?”

“It’s just off!”

Viviti jabbed a finger at the screen, giving her a look that screamed how are you this slow?

“I’ve been traveling with you this long—I know what your kid usually talks about. When has he ever cared this much about ‘fated matches’? And look at these past few days…”

“I’ve noticed your kid’s been unusually fixated on this topic lately. He keeps circling back to it in every other sentence!”

“So?”

Youming was still completely lost. Wasn’t it normal for her child to ask about family secrets once in a while?

“Tch! Use that ghost brain of yours and think carefully!”

Viviti rolled her eyes in exasperation, then patiently broke it down for her hopeless friend—

“The key is the change! He never used to ask about this at all, and now he’s repeatedly pressing the issue. Doesn’t that strike you as suspicious at all?”

“Think about it—what kind of situation would make your kid suddenly care so much about this specific question?!”

“You mean—!?”

Youming’s eyes suddenly went wide, clarity finally dawning as Viviti’s words illuminated the “abnormality” she’d been missing.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side, Wuming walked out of his room after finding no answers, carrying a faint sense of disappointment.

Well… not entirely fruitless. At least he had confirmed from his mother that his blood truly was deadly poison—a mere milligram was enough to kill.

If… Serena had really licked just a drop and come out completely unscathed…

Mixed feelings of confusion too complicated to name swirled in Wuming’s chest as he returned to the living room. 

His gaze drifted almost involuntarily toward Serena, who was currently lost in her game and having the time of her life.

“…Serena,” he suddenly spoke up. “When we formed the contract, you really did lick my blood, right?”

“Hm?”

The abrupt question yanked Serena’s attention away from the screen.

“Gotcha!!!”

In that split-second of distraction, Crosti seized the opening and unleashed a brutal combo! The health bar on Serena’s character emptied in an instant!

“Yes! Comeback complete!!!”

Crosti thrust her controller into the air in triumph.

“Wuming, you—!”

As for the loser, Serena whipped her head around, cheeks puffed out like an angry puffed-up cat, eyes brimming with accusation and grievance.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Wuming said calmly, his mind clearly elsewhere. “You lost because your skill wasn’t up to par. Can’t blame me.”

“It’s all your fault for talking to me out of nowhere! You made me lose focus!!!”

Serena huffed and dumped the entire blame squarely on him.

“Fine, fine. Can you answer my question now?”

Wuming couldn’t care less about her defeat. Right now, he only wanted to unravel the huge mystery weighing on his heart.

“Ughhh,” Serena pouted. “I already told you I tasted it. Why would I lie?”

She even smacked her lips in reminiscence, eyes sparkling.

“Wuming’s blood is the best-tasting blood I’ve ever had!”

“…”

Hearing her say that, Wuming felt something stir faintly in his chest.

Then, without warning, he produced a thin needle from somewhere, hesitated for only a second, and pricked his fingertip.

Hiss—!

A sharp sting. A tiny, rice-grain-sized bead of bright red blood welled up.

“The amount you licked back then… was about this much, right?”

He held out the finger for her to see.

“Mhm, about that much.”

The drop of blood seemed to pull Serena in like a magnet, locking her gaze onto it.

That irresistible fragrance… she couldn’t help inching closer to his finger, bit by bit.

So fragrant… want to… taste it again…

Just as the tip of her nose was about to brush the blood bead—

Wuming withdrew his hand in a flash and wiped the drop away.

“Got it. You two keep playing.”

Now, all Wuming needed to do was prove that even this minuscule amount of blood contained enough poison to kill an animal—

And then Serena would almost certainly be his fated match.

The reason he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure was the tiny possibility that Serena might simply have an extraordinary constitution immune to this level of toxin.

If he increased the dose… he didn’t know what would happen to her.

Could the curse that haunted his family… actually be broken by her?

“Hey, hey, what are you two even doing…”

Crosti tilted her head, staring at Wuming and Serena like they were a pair of weirdos. “What’s with you guys? You’re acting so strange.”

As the only outsider present, Crosti was completely baffled and had no idea why they were so worked up.

“It’s just one drop of blood. Is it really worth this much drama?”

“Huh?” Serena looked at Crosti in surprise. “Crosti, you… don’t feel anything?”

That maddeningly alluring fragrance emanating from the blood—Crosti couldn’t smell it at all?!

“Feel what?”

Crosti blinked innocently. “It’s just regular bloody smell, isn’t it? What’s so special?”

“…”

Crosti’s perfectly matter-of-fact reply plunged Wuming—standing behind them—into even deeper silence.

Only Serena… could sense the special quality in my blood?

Only she… was drawn to it?

“Ah! Right!”

Crosti suddenly remembered something important. She clapped her hands together, her expression turning serious as she looked at Wuming and Serena.

“I almost forgot to tell you two the big news!”

Their attention snapped to her immediately.

“You probably haven’t heard yet, but thanks to the commotion you two caused at the Other Race Bureau,” Crosti lowered her voice with a hint of pride, “the entire ‘Scarlet Night’ operation has been postponed!”

“No one knows when it’ll restart.”

She’d gotten the intel straight from her black-household fanbase.

“So for now, Wuming, you two should be safe. They won’t dare make any big moves.”

Crosti stated confidently.

“Really!? That’s great, Wuming!”

For Serena, this was heavenly news!

Looked like causing that ruckus hadn’t been entirely a bad thing after all.

At least for the time being… they could breathe a little easier, no need to worry about any sudden moves.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!”

Crosti patted her small chest, striking a pose that said leave it all to me.

“The moment anything stirs on the Scarlet side, I promise I’ll get the intel to you first thing so you can be ready.”

As their currently most reliable “intelligence dealer,” Crosti vowed solemnly to keep them at ease.

At the end, she even gave them a playful wink and added half-jokingly,

“…After all, I’m your ally now. I’d never betray you guys!”

“Thanks a lot, Crosti.”

Wuming thanked her sincerely, his gaze drifting back to Serena once more.

Watching their relaxed smiles in this moment, a thought quietly surfaced—

The atmosphere was so good right now… why not take the chance?

Wuming walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

There were still unused blood bags in the cold compartment. An idea took shape in his mind.

Let’s give it a try… make them a dessert.

He pulled out his tablet and searched for cake recipes.

Soon the kitchen filled with the clinking of utensils, and a strange, faintly metallic yet sweet aroma drifted through the air.

After quite a bit of bustling, a perfectly shaped, glossy dark-red cake was finally brought to the table.

Wuming fetched two clean little porcelain plates, carefully sliced two wedges, and carried the dessert out to the living room, handing one to each girl.

“Here, give it a taste and see how it is?”

There was a faint, almost imperceptible anticipation in his voice. If they liked it, maybe he’d try making a few more kinds of sweets later.

He watched as they scooped up a spoonful and brought it to their mouths. Instantly, genuine surprise and satisfaction bloomed across their faces—

Serena’s eyes curved into happy crescents, and even Crosti looked stunned in delight.

““So delicious—!!!””

The two lolis exclaimed in perfect unison.

The tiny thread of anxiety in Wuming’s heart melted away, replaced by a warm, fuzzy sense of accomplishment.

Looks like… my cooking skills aren’t half bad after all!

For the rest of the time, Wuming sat quietly nearby, watching them enjoy the cake while continuing their game—occasionally bursting into little cheers or groans of frustration.

This simple, cozy scene continued all the way until the last patient of the day arrived.