Kiana☆ stared at the palm-sized wooden sword and rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"She's only been born a few days, and you're already rushing to have her practice swordplay with you?"
Fu Shi put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and retorted righteously, "This is called planning ahead! Back when I was just born, I could already punch Schicksal and kick World Serpent! With a master as amazing as me, Little Star has to start early, of course!"
Fu Hua walked in at an unhurried pace. Her gaze swept over the little girl sleeping soundly in Fu Lin's arms, then returned to the wooden sword in Fu Shi's hand as she spoke calmly, "This wood sword… the carving is quite well done."
"Of course it is!" Fu Shi immediately beamed, lifting her chin proudly and holding up the wooden sword as if presenting a treasure.
"I carved it bit by bit myself with a small knife, then carefully polished it with sandpaper! The words 'Lucky Star' were written by my own hand too. This craftsmanship is practically divine!"
Fu Hua nodded slightly, then turned to look at Kiana☆ beside her, explaining Fu Shi's earlier behavior in an even tone, "In Shenzhou, there has always been a custom of having infants wear swords, axes, or gourds."
"If a sword is hung upside down, it's said to 'reverse evil,' warding off yin energy and protecting the child from malevolent influences."
"Fu Shi's intentions are good."
Fu Lin nodded in agreement as well, "That is indeed the case."
Fu Shi stiffened her neck and turned her head away arrogantly, stubbornly insisting, "Roughly… roughly what the old Antique said, I guess. So are you taking it or not? If not, I'm taking this sword back!"
She spoke harshly, but her eyes honestly snuck a glance at the sleeping Fu Xing. Seeing that the little girl hadn't been woken, she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Theresa's voice drifted in right after, "A sword made from peachwood? Let me see, eh? The workmanship is pretty delicate, just too light. When Little Star gets a bit older, I'll give her Judah as a toy."
Judah: So… no love for me anymore?
"That thing that's heavy enough to smash someone to death, you keep it for yourself."
Fu Shi curled her lips, but her fingertips were exceptionally gentle as she carefully pinned the sword engraved with the words "Lucky Star" onto Fu Xing's collar. She leaned in to examine it for quite a while before finally nodding in satisfaction.
"Speaking of toys, I also prepared something good for Little Star, " Siegfried's booming voice, along with a burst of footsteps, came from the doorway. He was carrying a bulging little bundle and enthusiastically squeezed his way inside.
But before he could finish his sentence, his voice abruptly cut off. In the blink of an eye, the tall figure vanished without a trace, as if the commotion just now had been nothing more than a collective hallucination.
Kiana☆'s eyes flickered. She shook her head helplessly, glanced at Fu Xing who was still sleeping soundly, and only then let out a quiet sigh of relief as she muttered softly, "Honestly, Dad is always so loud and rowdy. Good thing I teleported him away in time, or he would've woken Little Star."
Fu Shi's gaze fell on the bundle Siegfried had dropped on the floor. She bent down, picked it up, set it on the table, and tore open the packaging in just a few swift moves.
Inside lay a scaled-down model of the Kaslana family's weapons. The gun body gleamed brightly, engraved with exquisite patterns.
Fu Lin looked at the model on the table, then at the sword pinned to Fu Xing's collar, and finally turned his gaze to the eager-looking Theresa nearby. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Seriously, Little Star hasn't even been born that long, and you've already prepared everything for her first-birthday grab?"
"Of course!" Fu Shi and Theresa answered in unison. After speaking, they glanced at each other, both lifting their chins and snorting coldly before awkwardly turning their heads away.
Just then, Fu Xing suddenly let out a soft cry. Her tiny brows knit slightly as her chubby little hand waved unconsciously, brushing right against the sword on her collar.
As if finding it novel and interesting, the little girl's pink lips curved into a smile. She let out a soft, babbling sound, eyes still closed, sleeping sweetly and peacefully.
"Look! Little Star really likes the little sword I prepared!"
Fu Shi immediately puffed up like a victorious rooster, chest out, chin held high, her brows and eyes brimming with unconcealed pride.
Theresa was instantly displeased. She planted her hands on her hips and snorted,
"Hmph, she just touched it by accident. Maybe she finds that little sword uncomfortable! I'll go have someone forge a pure-gold mini Judah right now, guaranteed to be a hundred times more exquisite than your lousy wooden sword!"
"What do you know!" Fu Shi slapped her reaching hand away and stepped in front of Fu Lin protectively, nose practically pointing at the sky.
"This is clearly Little Star resonating with me!" The two bickered back and forth, but their voices unconsciously grew softer and softer.
Fu Lin lowered his head to look at Fu Xing in his arms. Perhaps the small, hushed argument that revolved around her had caught her attention.
She smacked her pink lips lightly, her chubby little hand tightening its grip, tugging the thread tied to the sword so that it swayed gently.
Watching the two still arguing yet deliberately keeping their voices down, Fu Hua's eyes softened with a faint smile.
"Alright, that's enough. Stop arguing." Fu Shi and Theresa exchanged a look, snorted in unison once more, and then tacitly fell silent.
....
Meanwhile, the utterly ignored Siegfried....
Griseo tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes filled with confusion as she looked at the Siegfried who had suddenly fallen from the sky, and asked softly, "Mr. Siegfried? Why did you suddenly come to Venus?"
Siegfried staggered as he steadied himself, looking around in a daze while muttering nonstop, "Where did Kiana☆ send me… is this still the Moon?"
Vita leaned lazily against a nearby tree, watching the scene unfold. Seeing his bewildered expression, she curled her lips into a sly smile and teased him with an exaggerated drawl, "This isn't the Moon at all, welcome to Vi~ta~'s homeland, Venus~"
Hearing this, Siegfried subconsciously scratched the back of his head, then suddenly widened his eyes, his voice jumping several octaves, "Huh? Venus?"
Before his words even finished, his face crumpled. He helplessly patted the ground, looking exactly like a large dog abandoned by its owner, flustered and aggrieved as he wailed, "Then how am I supposed to get back? My precious granddaughter is still waiting for me!"
Vita casually twirled a strand of hair around her finger, the cunning smile in her eyes deepening as she spoke slowly, "Oh my, it seems you really wants to go back? Warm-hearted Vita does have a way to send you home, but, first you have to agree to one tiny little request~"
Griseo hurried forward, covering Vita's mouth with her hand, and said seriously to the utterly despairing Siegfried, "Mr. Siegfried, don't listen to her. I'll find a way to help you contact Earth."
....
Griseo frowned slightly, her voice tinged with apology, "It seems… I can't get in touch with Uncle Su."
Vita crossed her arms and leisurely delivered the final blow, "Hehe, dear Griseo~ unless you beg the great Lady Vita to step in, he can only stay here on Venus and keep us company watching the stars~"
Siegfried looked up at the dazzling yet completely unfamiliar stars filling the sky, and in his heart, he cursed his good-for-nothing daughter a full eight hundred times over.