As soon as Feng Zhaoxuan stepped out of the palace gates, she let out a long breath.
The afternoon sun over the capital was warm and pleasant.
The streets were filled with a mix of shouting vendors, clattering carriage wheels, and the laughter of children.
She walked leisurely with her hands behind her back, her eyes drifting across the shops on both sides.
【This location is good. Heavy foot traffic—perfect spot for a gym. It’ll definitely make a fortune.】
【That restaurant over there even has a “for lease” banner?】
【Good location. I’ll take it down and turn it into the flagship store of “National Fitness”!】
While she was calculating in her mind, a sharp, piercing cry suddenly cut through the street noise.
“Catch the thief! My purse! Someone stole my money!”
A woman in a cloth dress fell to the ground, pointing at a thin figure fleeing at high speed.
Feng Zhaoxuan’s gaze swept over instantly.
The figure darted through the crowd like a slippery loach, weaving left and right.
She tapped her foot lightly, and her body shot forward like an arrow, slipping through the gaps in the crowd.
In just a few movements, she had already closed most of the distance.
The thief ahead sensed someone chasing him and hurriedly sped up.
He turned into a narrow alley, climbed a two-meter-high courtyard wall with practiced ease, and vaulted over.
【Oh? A skilled one? Interesting.】
A faint smile appeared on Feng Zhaoxuan’s lips as she followed unhurriedly.
She stepped on the wall bricks twice, her body rising weightlessly. With a flick of her skirt, she landed steadily on the wall top.
Inside was a large three-section residence, quite prosperous-looking, with blue bricks, black tiles, and winding corridors.
After landing, the thief didn’t stop for a second and rushed straight toward the western courtyard.
Finally, he plunged into the west wing’s latrine.
Feng Zhaoxuan silently landed outside the latrine and waited with one hand behind her back.
A moment later, the door creaked open.
The thief poked his head out, looking left and right. Seeing no one, he sighed in relief.
But just as he took a step out, a pale hand suddenly reached from behind and clamped onto his neck like a steel vice.
Before he could even struggle—
She tapped several acupoints on his body, instantly immobilizing him.
Then she tore a strip of cloth from his clothing, stuffed it into his mouth, and gagged him.
【System, scan this place. Whose house is this?】
【Beep! Scan complete.】
【The Zhou family. Head of household Zhou Dashan, with two sons. A well-off family running a cloth business.】
【However, Host, I’ve detected a huge melon inside this house!】
Feng Zhaoxuan paused, holding the thief in place.
She tilted her head toward the tightly shut west wing room.
【Oh? How big?】
【Big enough to completely refresh your worldview!】
Intrigued, Feng Zhaoxuan dragged the immobilized thief and stuffed him into the shadows by the wall, letting him slump to the ground.
The thief could not move, only making muffled “wu wu” sounds through the cloth.
In his mind, ten thousand wild horses were already running.
Damn it.
He definitely didn’t check the almanac today.
Of all people to steal from, he picked a female demon!
And this “demon” didn’t even take him to the authorities—she brought him here to eavesdrop instead?
What kind of situation is this?!
Feng Zhaoxuan leaned against the window and listened carefully.
Voices from inside clearly drifted out.
“…It’s all your fault! You barren hen! Married for five years and only gave birth to five girls!”
“When will I, Zhou Laoe’r, ever have a son?!”
A young man’s voice was full of resentment.
“SMACK!”
A crisp slap rang out.
Then a sharp female voice exploded:
“Zhou Laoe’r! You still have the nerve to talk?!”
“I think it’s your problem! If you weren’t useless, how could I not give birth to a son?”
“If I had married someone else, I would’ve had a son long ago!”
“Besides, do you even know your own worth?”
“Every time you’re like an unfed chick—peck twice and you’re done! And you still dare blame me?”
Outside the window, Feng Zhaoxuan’s eyes lit up.
【Whoa! Blaming each other for not having a son? Straight into the drama already?】
【System, this melon has flavor!】
【Host, the eldest son of the Zhou family has six sons. The second son has five daughters.】
【The ones speaking now are the second son’s household.】
The thief pinned beside her trembled even more.
Not from fear—but from holding back laughter.
This was the first time in his life he’d been forced to listen to such explosive domestic gossip while tied up.
“Unfed chick?”
Hahahaha!
He bit down hard on the cloth to stop himself from laughing out loud.
Inside, the argument continued.
An elderly male voice suddenly spoke up, heavy with authority:
“Enough! All of you shut up!”
The old man knocked on the table.
“In my opinion, it’s the house’s feng shui.”
“I arranged the rooms poorly back then, letting the eldest live in the east wing.”
“East is noble, east brings prosperity. Good light, good fortune—no wonder he keeps producing sons!”
“As for the second son in the west wing, west gets evening sun, heavy yin energy—that’s why…”
The old woman beside him shook her head.
“Nonsense. It’s fate.”
“The eldest is destined for sons, the second destined for daughters. What does the house have to do with it?”
Zhou Laoe’r refused to accept it:
“No! It’s because my elder sister-in-law can give birth!”
“My wife is the one with a daughter’s fate!”
He pointed at his wife, getting more and more agitated.
“Look at my sister-in-law’s body—those hips, that waist, clearly made for sons!”
“Look at my wife—skinny as a pole, what could she possibly give birth to?!”
“SMACK!”
Another loud slap.
His wife trembled with rage:
“You damned bastard! So you’ve been eyeing my sister-in-law all along?!”
【Truly a family obsessed with sons.】
【Stupid, yet weirdly confident.】
Feng Zhaoxuan shook her head inwardly.
【System, why don’t they just balance it out?】
【Just let the eldest give one son to the second branch. Problem solved.】
【Host, it’s not that simple.】
The system replied.
【In their eyes, an adopted son is still someone else’s blood. Not pure. Doesn’t count.】
【And both of them think raising someone else’s child is a loss.】
Feng Zhaoxuan: “……”
What kind of absurd logic is this?
Inside the room, the old woman lowered her voice, sounding almost seductive:
“Or… let your wife borrow a seed from the eldest?”
“We’re all family anyway. The eldest’s child would still be your child, right?”
“As long as it’s born in our family, it counts as Zhou second branch’s son!”
Zhou Laoe’r immediately exploded:
“No way! The eldest’s child is closer to him!”
Then his tone suddenly turned shameless and justified:
“Besides, if anyone’s borrowing, it should be me!”
“I’ll go help big brother ‘plow the field’—he’ll definitely be happy! He might even thank me!”
“Zhou Laoe’r, you shameless bastard!”
His wife completely snapped.
Sounds of furniture banging echoed from inside—they had started fighting.
“You disgusting thing! So you’ve been eyeing my sister-in-law all along!”
“I’m telling you, I will never raise another man’s child!”
【This relationship mess… I love it.】
The thief now had only one thought:
Please… let me listen a bit longer.
This is even more exciting than the storytelling of “The West Chamber.”
“Enough! All of you stop!”
The old man slammed the table again.
Silence fell.
“If you all think the other side is better, then fine.”
He cleared his throat and delivered a plan that shattered Feng Zhaoxuan’s worldview.
“It’s settled! Double approach!”
“Second son, you go to your elder brother’s wife!”
“Second son’s wife, you go to your elder brother!”
“I refuse to believe we can’t produce a son if both sides try!”
“Whoever the child belongs to, it will be the Zhou second branch’s son!”
The old woman clapped her thigh, delighted:
“Oh my! Old man, you really are clever!”
“This way, the second branch will have two sons at once!”
【Forgive me, what did I just hear???】
Feng Zhaoxuan felt her scalp go numb from shock.
【They don’t even have shame left! Not even a shred!】
The thief beside her was also nodding frantically, gagged.
His eyes clearly said:
Exactly! This is insane!
I’ve lived over twenty years and never heard anything like this!
Inside the room, after a brief silence—
Zhou Laoe’r and his wife looked at each other.
In that silence, something strangely called “temptation” appeared in both their eyes.
If I go to sleep with the sister-in-law/brother-in-law, I won’t lose anything.
And if the other side goes… it’s a bit disgusting, but for a son…
It… might not be unacceptable after all.
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