When Jiang Xun returned to the villa, he was not greeted by Mu Qingxue, but by a strong, somewhat pungent smell of traditional Chinese medicine.
He paused in the act of changing his shoes, then lazily looked up towards the living room.
An unfamiliar middle-aged woman was busy at the countertop in the open-plan kitchen, her back to him.
She was wearing an extremely simple cotton and linen dress, a dull grey color that was somewhat faded, like a style that could be bought for a few dozen yuan at a street stall.
Yet, such an inconspicuous outfit, worn on her, showed no hint of shabbiness; instead, it made her figure appear even more tall and slender, possessing a natural elegance refined by years.
The woman was around forty or fifty years old, her long black hair simply tied back with a wooden hairpin, revealing a section of her fair, slender neck, beautifully curved like a swan's.
Sunlight slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing her in a soft glow, making her appear gentle and serene, like an ink wash painting meticulously rendered by time.
Even just from her back, one could tell that she must have been a captivating beauty in her youth.
Seemingly hearing the movement at the door, the woman turned around.
Jiang Xun's gaze narrowed slightly.
Her features bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Mu Qingxue, but she lacked the sharpness and tension that Mu Qingxue had honed in the business world, instead possessing a resilience and tranquility forged by life's trials.
There were a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, which, far from diminishing her beauty, added a unique gentle charm of a mature woman, like a fine piece of warm jade, radiating a subtle, gentle light.
"You must be Jiang Xun, right?" the woman spoke, her voice soft, with a hint of cautious appraisal.
"I am Qingxue's mother, Wen Lan."
Jiang Xun nodded, acknowledging her.
Wen Lan quickly wiped her hands and walked over somewhat awkwardly, pointing to the steaming herbal soup bubbling in the clay pot.
"I... I heard Qingxue say you were going horseback riding today, and I was worried you'd get tired, so I took the liberty of coming over to stew some nourishing soup for you."
As she spoke, she ladled out a bowl and handed it over; the soup was dark in color, and its smell was even more potent.
"This is brewed with nine-jointed calamus, thousand-year-old fleeceflower root, and several secret herbs passed down from our Mu Family. It strengthens the foundation and nourishes the body, it's very beneficial."
Jiang Xun took the bowl, looked at the dark, unidentifiable liquid, then at Wen Lan's expectant gaze, feeling a bit apprehensive.
Good heavens, with this setup, one might think I was going to the Olympics.
"Thank you for your trouble, Auntie," he said politely.
Seeing that he didn't reject it, Wen Lan visibly relaxed, and her smile became much more genuine.
She pulled out a chair, motioned for Jiang Xun to sit down, and then sat opposite him, her hands clasped in her lap, her posture dignified.
"Drink it quickly, the medicinal effect will be less if it cools."
She looked at Jiang Xun with the scrutinizing gaze of a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, but more than that, there was a nearly compassionate concern.
"Qingxue is a good child in every way, but she's too strong-willed and treats everything like a project. I'm afraid she... might push you too hard."
Jiang Xun took a sip of the soup, and the bitterness instantly exploded on his tongue, shooting straight to his head.
He swallowed it without changing his expression and said blandly, "It's fine."
Wen Lan sighed, as if opening a floodgate, her voice tinged with melancholy.
"Don't look at how prominent the Mu Family is now; actually, Qingxue's father... passed away very early."
"He was also a renowned talent in Jinling City back then, but unfortunately, his body was too weak. Working day and night, his kidneys completely failed when he was just over forty..."
At this point, Wen Lan's eyes reddened slightly.
"This world is too harsh on you men. You are the pillars, the treasures, and also consumables. All we women can do is try our best to make sure your pillar can stand a little longer, and then a little longer."
Her words made Jiang Xun's fingers, holding the bowl, pause slightly.
He finally understood the heavy expectations and fears carried by this thick, undiluted medicinal soup.
This was a wife's remembrance of her deceased husband, and also a mother-in-law's most simple yet profound 'KPI assessment' of her son-in-law.
She hoped her daughter would not repeat her mistakes.
Wen Lan looked at Jiang Xun's handsome but somewhat thin profile, silently calculating in her mind.
This child is truly good-looking, but he looks a bit too thin.
That Qingxue girl is so reckless; what if she doesn't know how to control herself and drains her son-in-law dry?
No, she must help her daughter watch over him. This medicinal meal must be stewed every day, and at night, she must remind her daughter to take it easy; slow and steady wins the race.
Jiang Xun was unaware that he had already been placed on his mother-in-law's "key protection and sustainable development" list.
He just felt that the bit of desire for conquest stirred up by that Qin Lan woman at the equestrian club today was utterly insignificant compared to the "survival pressure" represented by this bowl of soup.
He suddenly had an intense urge to acquire that skill.
Silver Kidney Fighter.
In this world, this thing was probably ten thousand times more practical than any combat mastery or piano master skill.
This was no longer a simple matter of enjoyment; this was a strategic issue concerning the length of his life!
Jiang Xun finished the agonizingly bitter medicinal soup in one gulp and set the bowl down.
"Auntie, I'm going upstairs to rest for a bit."
"Go, go, your room is all tidied up for you," Wen Lan said with a kind smile.
Jiang Xun returned to his bedroom and locked the door behind him.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his mind stirring.
"System, open the lottery wheel."
"Ding! Normal Lottery Wheel activated. Current Reputation Points: 5450. Start lottery?"
"Yes. Draw 20 times consecutively."
"Drawing..."
On the virtual screen before him, a golden wheel spun rapidly, countless prize holograms flashing past.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining 1000 yuan in cash!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Stamina Recovery Potion (Small) x1!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining [Combat Skill Fragment] x1!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining [Cooking Skill Fragment] x1!"
...A series of notification sounds flooded his mind.
Jiang Xun's expression remained unperturbed.
These were just appetizers.
"Continue, use all remaining Reputation Points to draw."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Stamina Recovery Potion (Small) x1!"
"Ding! Helicopter Piloting Skill Fragment x1!"
...The lottery ended, and Jiang Xun looked at his accumulated fragments.
"Combat Skill Fragment: 10/10."
"Piano Mastery Skill Fragment: 10/10."
"Helicopter Piloting Skill Fragment: 5/10."
"Cooking Skill Fragment: 6/10."
"Synthesize [Combat Skill Fragment] and [Piano Mastery Skill Fragment]."
"Ding! Consuming 10 [Combat Skill Fragments], synthesizing..."
"Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the complete skill book — [Combat Mastery]!"
"Ding! Consuming 10 [Piano Mastery Skill Fragments], synthesizing..."
"Congratulations to the host, you have obtained the complete skill book — [Piano Mastery]!"
"Current Reputation Points: 50."
Jiang Xun looked at the two new glowing skills on the panel, feeling a bit like laughing, but couldn't.
"Combat Mastery"?
Good stuff.
Now, if anyone dared to snatch his food, he could punch them away.
But could this thing fight against kidney deficiency?
"Piano Mastery"?
Even better.
Elegant, tasteful.
Was he supposed to learn it in advance to play a requiem for himself?
Damn it.
He spent all his savings just to get two "honor guard" skills, one literary and one martial.
The most crucial engine part wasn't even a shadow.
This broken system truly understood irony.
Jiang Xun rubbed his temples, feeling the countless knowledge and muscle memories about piano and combat that had appeared out of nowhere in his mind.
Downstairs, Wen Lan had already prepared a sumptuous lunch.
"Xiao Xun, come down for lunch."
Jiang Xun pushed the door open and looked at his mother-in-law's face, which was full of "eat more, so you can work hard"; he suddenly felt he couldn't stay in this villa any longer.
If he continued to be "specially cared for" like this, he was afraid he would develop a psychological trauma before he even drew Silver Kidney Fighter.
He walked to the dining table and sat down, casually saying, "Auntie, I want to go out for a walk this afternoon."
"Go out?" Wen Lan immediately became alert, then put on a gentle smile, "Did Qingxue arrange some activity?"
"No, I just want to wander around and experience the artistic atmosphere of Jinling University," Jiang Xun found an excuse for his new skill without batting an eye.
"Artistic atmosphere?" Wen Lan thought for a moment, then realized, "Oh, you mean over at the Conservatory of Music, right? That's true, listening to more music cultivates one's temperament and is good for body and mind."
As she spoke, she added a large chopstick-full of deer antler to Jiang Xun's plate.
"But be careful when you go out; the girls nowadays are all too... too proactive."