RMWDS -Chapter 288 Egg Babies Are Babies Too

Leaning against the doorway of the control room, Miao Yunyou watched the water meter on the wall spin at incredible speed. The black pointer was whirling so fast it looked like an electric fan.

Having only recently become wealthy, Sect Leader Miao couldn’t help sucking in a breath. She poked Hua Yuezhan, who was standing beside her.

“Do the math for me. If we keep this running for a whole day, how much will it cost?”

Hua Yuezhan quickly calculated it in her head.

“We’re using commercial water, so it’s a bit more expensive. For one day… it should be a little over nine thousand yuan.”

Miao Yunyou’s heart ached for exactly one second before she let it go.

“…Good thing we’re running a resort. Otherwise, with this kind of water consumption, the water company would probably think I was murdering people and disposing of bodies.”

Forget it. Nine thousand yuan was nine thousand yuan.

It wasn’t as though she couldn’t afford it.

After all, not everyone had the opportunity to raise a phoenix, no matter how much money they had.

Besides, Miao Yunyou felt that this frenzied water-drinking couldn’t possibly last very long. The poor thing had just gone several hundred years without water and was probably just overly excited.

Then she remembered Wu Tong’s instructions—that the phoenix-feather necklace had to remain beside the egg at all times.

Walking to the edge of the pool, Miao Yunyou gently lowered the necklace into the water.

Something miraculous happened.

The instant the necklace touched the surface, a soft golden-red halo radiated outward.

It neither sank nor stayed in place. Instead, as though it possessed a mind of its own, it slowly drifted toward the phoenix egg in the middle of the pool.

Once it drew near, the necklace suddenly accelerated and began circling around the egg.

As if sensing the presence of its own kind, the phoenix egg started rotating along with it.

The two streams of light entwined together, spinning faster and faster, until they formed a perfect yin-yang symbol that slowly revolved atop the water.

The whole scene looked extraordinarily affectionate.

At that moment, the electronic thermometer by the pool started flashing wildly.

26°C… 39°C… 57°C… 81°C…

In less than thirty seconds, the water temperature soared to ninety-five degrees Celsius!

Scalding steam billowed from the surface, blanketing the entire pool in a dense white mist. Visibility dropped so low that people couldn’t even see one another from ten meters away.

This environment was obviously no longer suitable for human habitation, and everyone hurried outside.

Standing at the entrance to the pool area, they stared at the swirling clouds and fairy-like mist inside, exchanging bewildered glances.

Someone wiped the condensation from his face and asked,

“Sect Leader, are we just… leaving it like this? Not doing anything?”

Miao Yunyou spread her hands helplessly.

“We don’t really have any other options. Let’s leave it for now.”

Shen Yan stepped forward solemnly.

“I shall stand guard here. What if someone attempts to steal it?”

As expected of someone who had once worked in imperial palace security. His professional ethics were truly impressive.

Miao Yunyou gave him a strange look.

“You mean to say someone would jump into a ninety-five-degree swimming pool, swim all the way over, and steal the egg?”

“Wow. That actually sounds pretty secure.”

“I’m sure the success rate would be excellent.”

Shen Yan:

“…”

That actually made sense.

Still, out of respect for the divine phoenix and out of caution, everyone voluntarily drew up a duty roster. Someone would stand watch at the entrance twenty-four hours a day, changing shifts every four hours.

Just as Miao Yunyou had predicted, by the third day the phoenix’s water consumption had slowed considerably.

Previously, eight faucets had needed to run simultaneously to maintain balance.

Now, a single faucet was enough.

The heat had also dropped significantly.

The water temperature stabilized at around sixty degrees Celsius.

The steam had thinned enough that everyone could clearly see the center of the pool.

The phoenix egg and the necklace were still slowly revolving together, although much more leisurely than before.

Old Su Wangkui had somehow dug up an ancient book that claimed the bathwater of phoenixes was spiritual water.

It could rapidly relieve fatigue, and for elderly people like him, soaking their feet or taking baths in it was beneficial to the body—it could strengthen one’s health and slow aging.

He immediately recruited his grandson, Su Qingyu, and the two carried the largest plastic buckets they could find, making trip after trip transporting water back to their rooms.

Along the way, he enthusiastically promoted it to everyone they met.

“Soak your feet in this water for twenty minutes before bed every night. Guaranteed you’ll sleep soundly, your back won’t ache, your legs won’t hurt, and even your martial arts will improve rapidly!”

Miao Yunyou had initially been skeptical.

It all sounded far too unscientific.

Chapter 288: Egg Babies Are Babies Too (2/2)

Su Wangkui added,

“I’ve heard that washing your hair with this water can even promote hair growth.”

Miao Yunyou immediately perked up.

“Why didn’t you say so sooner? Then I want some too!”

Time soon reached late April.

The newly built restaurant was about to officially open, so Miao Yunyou had become quite busy. Every day, she only managed to come over about three times.

Following Wu Tong’s instructions, she used the special long-handled net Wei Zhuoshan had just made for her to scoop up the egg, stroke it for a while, chat with it for a few moments, and then place it back into the water.

She hadn’t noticed anything during the first couple of days.

But one day, while lifting the egg, she suddenly felt that it seemed considerably heavier.

At first, she thought she was imagining things.

To be certain, she specially borrowed an electronic scale from the kitchen, one accurate to the gram, and began weighing the egg three times a day at fixed intervals.

The results astonished her.

The egg really was growing larger and heavier.

In just one week, it had become fully twice the size it had originally been!

The shell had also become more transparent, and within it she could vaguely make out a tiny figure moving around.

Now it truly looked more like a living creature.

After all, there was no way a natural ruby on Earth could be this large!

That morning, she once again scooped the egg out of the water.

The shell felt pleasantly warm, like a piece of fine heated jade.

Gently tapping the shell with her fingertip, she whispered,

“I won’t have time to come see you at noon today. My restaurant is opening, so I’ll probably be busy.”

“Be good by yourself, okay? Don’t drink all the water in the pool, and don’t make the temperature too high.”

Today’s guard on duty was Lei Lingyin.

She was sitting nearby with a tablet in her arms, playing a shooting game while muttering to herself.

Without even raising her head, she laughed and said,

“Sect Leader, the way you’re acting… you really look like you’re raising a child.”

Miao Yunyou carefully put the egg back into the water and dusted off her hands.

“Well, an egg baby is still a baby.”

“Actually, I’ve wanted a pet of my own for a very, very long time.”

But it hadn’t been convenient when she was living in the orphanage.

Later, during university, pets weren’t allowed in the dormitories.

The dream had been postponed all the way until now.

What she hadn’t expected was that her very first pet would turn out to be a legendary divine beast.

Lei Lingyin looked puzzled.

“Don’t the cloud-patterned leopard cats on the back mountain count?”

Miao Yunyou scratched her chin.

“Honestly, I feel like, in the eyes of those Mountain God Lords, I’m probably the one who’s their pet.”

Although the leopard cats were already very close to her and allowed her to hug and pet them, she always felt as though they were granting her a favor.

Of course, she wasn’t saying that being a pet of the Mountain Gods was a bad thing…

But she still wanted a pet of her own.

Lei Lingyin:

“…”

That actually made sense.

After thinking for a moment, she suddenly frowned.

“Wait a minute. Besides the cats, aren’t there two dogs on the mountain? Don’t they count as your pets?”

This time, Miao Yunyou fell silent for a second before answering guiltily,

“Well… the thing is… I’m kind of obsessed with appearances.”

Lei Lingyin:

“…”

Why must a face-lover hurt native dogs like this…

After chatting a little longer, Lei Lingyin remembered something.

“Oh right, Sect Leader. Isn’t today the restaurant’s grand opening? Is Lin Yuan going to sing?”

“I heard she specially wrote three new songs.”

Only recently had everyone discovered that Lin Yuan, the resort’s second arts student, was actually a genius musician.

Not only did she sing beautifully, but she was a genuine musical prodigy—a singer-songwriter who could compose, arrange, and write lyrics all by herself.

This had moved Miao Yunyou to tears.

Being able to create original songs was wonderful.

That way, they wouldn’t have to pay enormous copyright fees to perform other people’s music, saving a considerable amount of money.

“That’s right,” Miao Yunyou said cheerfully.

“She’s making her grand debut at twelve o’clock sharp this afternoon.”

“Anyway, I’m heading over to the restaurant now. If anything comes up, give me a call.”

“And if you want to hear Lin Yuan sing later, you can watch the livestream.”

“Got it!”

Lei Lingyin made an “OK” gesture.

She had adapted remarkably well to modern society.