Chapter 36: The Head of the Family

When Song Qi stepped out of the City Lord’s mansion, evening had already fallen. The sky was completely dark. He glanced at his watch and realized he had spent five hours in meditation! It was already a little past eleven.

“Well, it was worth it.” Song Qi grimaced from the pain wracking his entire body, yet at the same time, he felt exhilarated. Forty points added to his mental attributes in one go! That was enough to level up twenty times. If he could gain this much every day—no, even a tenth of it—he’d gladly do it. Attribute points were simply too vital for professionals.

He briefly oriented himself and headed toward his new home. Fortunately, he had already moved to District One, not far from the City Lord’s mansion. Holding his aching stomach, Song Qi returned home. It was his elder sister who opened the door; his parents were still awake, apparently waiting just for him.

“Mom, Dad, you’re still up?”

“We were waiting for you. You must be hungry; we kept your food warm. Come eat while it’s hot.” His parents rose, smiling, and went to the kitchen, pulling Song Lan along with them.

“Chicken soup’s here!”

Soon, the three brought steaming dishes to the table.

“Oh, my sister is here too. Were you waiting for me as well?” Song Qi teased with a grin. Normally, his sister was good to him, but this was unusual.

Song Lan shot him a look and said, a bit exasperated, “You’re the head of the household now. It’s only right we take care of you.”

“Head of the household?” Something felt off. Song Qi sensed something unusual—this wasn’t the sort of thing his sister would say.

“What do you mean?”

“A return gift, big brother. The neighbors gave us so many presents this morning; we have to return the favor, don’t we?” Song Lan explained.

“Then let’s do it.”

“Where’s the money? As head of the household, shouldn’t you provide some? If you don’t, how can we afford gifts? We can’t just use the few hundred credit points’ worth of local specialties from the industrial district, can we? Besides, Mom and Dad spent all their savings buying furniture.”

Song Lan spread her hands, utterly unconcerned.

“Oh, right.” Song Qi smacked his forehead. He hadn’t handled money in so long, he’d gotten used to overlooking it.

His parents sat quietly, less at ease than his sister, a bit embarrassed—not because they lacked affection, but…

After all… Just a few days ago, Song Qi was still a child they had to care for, and now he was being asked for money. It felt strange.

After thinking it over, he didn’t transfer funds directly to his parents. Instead, he took out the black card given to him by the Professional Guild and handed it to them.

“Mom, Dad, this is my credit card. If you need anything, just use it.”

The card had a limit of ten million credits—more than enough for the family’s needs.

“Alright, son, don’t worry. We’ll be careful with it,” his mother said, smiling as she took the card.

“No need. Spend as you like. The card’s limit is ten million. I’d be happy to see you spend it.”

“Ten million credits?!”

“Wonderful, our son has grown up and can support the family now.”

His parents were first shocked, then overjoyed. With Song Qi easily resolving the issue of money, the atmosphere returned to its usual warmth and harmony.

Looking at his parents’ faces, their smiles growing ever brighter, even though Song Qi was not a man who loved money, he had to admit—sometimes, happiness comes easier with wealth.

Soon, after Song Qi finished his meal, everyone retreated to their rooms. Lying in bed, Song Qi’s mind was a whirl of thoughts.

Just days ago, he’d been a student, merely the youngest son needing his family’s care. Now, suddenly, he was the head of the household?

“How quickly things change…”

“But as head of the family, I should consider my relatives’ needs.”

“A million for Mom and Dad should suffice. But if my sister wants to pursue her professional path, she’ll need equipment and skills. That alone would cost several million for extraordinary quality. In a few days, I’ll need to find a way to earn more.”

“Oh, and the emergency escape device Gong Sun Wu Yue gave me—that should go to my sister. It’s useless for me, but it might save her life.”

As he pondered, Song Qi drifted into a deep sleep…

…

The sun set and rose; a night passed in the blink of an eye.

“Song Qi! Get up, your classmate is here!” His sister’s voice reached him, and Song Qi opened his tired eyes, preparing to rise—

“Damn!” “It hurts! It hurts!”

The moment he moved, an indescribable soreness swept through him, leaving him breathless with pain. After a night of lactic acid buildup, limbs that could barely move yesterday now felt agonizing with every effort. He couldn’t even shift, let alone walk.

“How am I supposed to go out?” “Should I have Lu Bu carry me to the dungeon plaza?” “No, I have to train at the City Lord’s mansion tonight. I can’t go on like this.”

Song Qi thought it over, then reluctantly took a life potion from his system pack and dripped a bit into his mouth.

No wonder it cost five million credits! As soon as it touched his tongue, the pain eased dramatically.

“Damn, did the City Lord give me the life potion for this reason? Without special remedies, there’s no way to train daily. No wonder he handed it over so easily.”

Song Qi felt the changes in his body: still sore, but he could now get out of bed.

“Strange, which classmate came to see me?”

He stepped out of his room and looked downstairs in confusion.

He froze.

A strikingly attractive girl, curvaceous and dressed lightly, her long, pale legs gleaming, was chatting and laughing with his family. Who else but Gong Sun Wu Yue?

“Gong Sun? What brings you here?”

Song Qi hurried downstairs, bewildered.

Gong Sun Wu Yue turned, smiled, and waved at him. “Hello, Song Qi. It’s time to clear the dungeon.”

Song Qi was stunned. What did she mean by this?

Song Lan narrowed her eyes and sidled up to Song Qi, giving him a playful punch. “Wow, little brother, never knew you could land such a beauty at school! Bringing her home for dungeon runs?”

“No, Sis, don’t misunderstand! She paid me to bring her along,” Song Qi hastily explained, his scalp tingling.

But judging by Song Lan’s half-amused, half-skeptical expression, she clearly didn’t believe him.

With no other choice, Song Qi braced himself and hurriedly led Gong Sun Wu Yue outside.

“What are you doing at my house?” he asked, a bit displeased as they rounded the corner.

Gong Sun Wu Yue was beautiful, with a graceful figure, skin as fair as snow, and a face easily rated above eight out of ten. Especially those long legs—sleek, shapely, and almost unreal.

But Song Qi, a transmigrator with two lifetimes’ experience, knew all too well the schemes of beautiful women. He would never be fooled.

Gong Sun Wu Yue looked at him with a playful smile, her demeanor calm. “Nothing much. My family sent me to discuss something with you.”

“Your family wants to discuss something with me?” Song Qi pointed at himself in surprise.

The Gong Sun family was so prominent—what could they possibly need to discuss with him?

“What is it?” he asked.

“They want to ask if you’d be willing to enter into a marriage alliance with the Gong Sun family.”