Chapter 50: Second Update

Qin Yao stretched her arms and looked out the window. The snow had stopped, and the world was blanketed in white. She exhaled, and her breath turned into a mist before her. Brr, it's really cold!

She stuffed her hands into her sleeves, thinking she couldn't stay home reading books all day. Where should I go tomorrow? How about ice skating? She had her old ice skates at home. A full set of skating gear cost forty-five yuan—quite expensive. Still, kids always found a way to get their hands on one, even if it was second-hand.

But the thought of falling and hurting her behind made her think twice.

How about the zoo? Even during the Lunar New Year, her brother was working every day. People had to celebrate the new year, but baby pandas still had to be fed. She had heard that the zoo in winter had its own unique charm. Many small animals loved to play in the snow, just like kids.

"Auntie."

As Qin Yao was lost in thought, a little girl with a ponytail and a headband stood next to her. The girl's clear voice was like the clattering of marbles. Her big eyes were curiously fixed on Qin Yao.

"Miaomiao." Qin Yao smiled. She knew this little girl was Gu Miaomiao, the daughter of Gu Cheng's older brother. Her oldest niece.

The child was clever and charming, often delighting her great-grandfather with her eloquence. Despite her young age, she acted like a little adult.

"Auntie, do you want to go out and play with us? My friends and I are having a snowball fight. You should come and watch!" Saying this, Gu Miaomiao grabbed Qin Yao's hand and tried to pull her outside.

Qin Yao followed her, casually checking the affection meter.

"Her affection for you: -20 (She dislikes you)."

Qin Yao, who had been nodding off, was wide awake now. She looked at the young girl in front of her—her features were not yet fully developed, a bit immature but with a good foundation. Her eyes were full of energy, and her smile was pure.

Noticing Qin Yao looking at her, the little girl gave a sweet smile.

Qin Yao: "..."

She wondered, is the Gu family full of born actors?

She dislikes me but still invites me to play snowball fights.

"Miaomiao, how do you play this snowball fight?"

Gu Miaomiao tugged at her sleeve and ran outside. "Auntie, you'll see when you get there."

To ensure her safety, Qin Yao used the "Luck" skill before going out. She didn’t want to be tricked by these kids.

Gu Miaomiao led her to a construction site that was not yet complete. After the heavy snowfall, it had become a paradise for the children. In the compound, there were dozens of kids around Gu Miaomiao's age.

These kids were incredibly capable. They had dug defensive trenches, built forts and highlands. Two groups were preparing for a snowball fight—well, more like a snow war.

Qin Yao was amazed: "..." I hope they're really just playing snowball fights.

"Auntie, join our team. There's an adult on their side too," Gu Miaomiao invited her, then gave an eight-year-old boy on the opposite side a knowing look. He would take care of Qin Yao later.

The little boy gave her an "okay" gesture.

Gu Miaomiao looked back at the unsuspecting Qin Yao, planning to teach her a lesson. If an adult got bullied by kids, there would be no use crying.

Gu Miaomiao didn't like Qin Yao. Her Uncle Gu Cheng had been her idol since she was little—handsome and cool. But this year, he got married to this fake, pretty woman.

Uncle Jiang said she was scheming. Originally, Uncle was supposed to go on a blind date with Grandpa Qin's granddaughter, but it didn’t work out. Yet this woman had managed to approach Uncle Gu through Grandpa Qin's granddaughter, pretending to be harmless. Even Grandma had been deceived by her, constantly fussing over her and scolding Uncle Gu for not caring enough about her.

Why should Uncle Gu be nice to her? This pretentious, scheming woman only knew how to steal Grandma's affection.

"How do you win the snowball fight? By taking over the enemy's highland?" Qin Yao asked with some excitement.

With so many kids, though they were just reserves, more people meant more fun, and she wanted to see how this snow fight would play out.

"Yes." Gu Miaomiao was a bit stunned, recalling the gentle, delicate appearance of Qin Yao when she was reading at her house. She'd thought Qin Yao would be scared.

Qin Yao grabbed Gu Miaomiao, and the two found some cover to hide behind.

The surroundings were covered in white snow, and even though the cold wind was howling all around, Qin Yao suddenly felt a battlefield thrill. She felt a little excited; this was perhaps the joy of a winter snow fight.

"Miaomiao, you be in charge of logistics and help me make the snowballs," Qin Yao said without hesitation.

Gu Miaomiao was taken aback. "!"

"Little Auntie, I'm in command here!"

Qin Yao: "Then command and help me make the snowballs."

Gu Miaomiao: "..." Yep, that's my annoying little auntie for you.

Gu Miaomiao called over a few kids, laid out the strategy, and assigned one child to lead a team to attract attention while another sneaked around the snow path to flank. "Just don't get spotted."

Qin Yao found that these kids were surprisingly well-organized. She was given a task too, to do a fake frontal charge while there was a logistics snowball team in the rear.

Having her do a feint attack was basically asking to get pelted.

That little rascal.

At that moment, on the third floor of a building in the distance, Grandpa Gu and a few other elderly men were standing in the corridor. Grandpa Gu had a pair of binoculars in his hand, watching the kids play. It was a source of amusement for the old men.

Grandpa Gu was a bit surprised to see his granddaughter-in-law, Qin Yao.

A bad guess formed in his mind. He knew his great-granddaughter was up to something. Though she was a girl, she was just as troublesome and wild.

As for Qin Yao, his granddaughter-in-law, Grandpa Gu didn't particularly like or dislike her. To him, she was just a younger generation, but his heart still leaned toward Miaomiao, who had been his constant companion. Even though he knew she loved to mess around, his heart still favored her.

Grandpa Gu sighed inwardly.

He put down the binoculars and stopped looking over there.

"Little Auntie, let's charge!" Gu Miaomiao urged Qin Yao.

Qin Yao smiled slightly. "Alright."

The next second, Qin Yao jumped into the fight. She turned on her 'sight hack,' which allowed her to clearly see which shelters had kids hiding behind them. It was like having a game cheat code! The movements of these kids were clearly displayed under her eyes.

As soon as someone popped out from the other side, Qin Yao hit them accurately.

As for herself, with her 'luck aura,' the snowballs thrown at her turned into harmless misses.

This cheat mode was too much fun! Hexagonal warrior with vision—Qin Yao was online.

Qin Yao's physical strength was greater than that of an average girl. After all, she used to weigh over 140 pounds, and most of her weight loss was achieved through exercise. After three months of military training, her physical quality was no worse than these kids.

It was just a massacre.

"Come on, Miaomiao, let's move forward." Qin Yao, the warrior, led the charge.

Gu Miaomiao's jaw dropped, her mouth forming an "O."

Holy crap!

With the wind in their favor, they captured three prisoners.

Qin Yao led them in a swift and unstoppable advance, taking the enemy's high ground. The victory was so easy that Qin Yao was left unsatisfied. It had been too smooth. She planted a small red flag on their high ground.

"So satisfying!"

Not quite ready to stop, Qin Yao said, "How about we do it again?"

Go again?

The little boy on the other team gave Gu Miaomiao a look of utter despair and looked at her. Hadn't they agreed to team up against her?

Gu Miaomiao was speechless.

"I'm done!"

Qin Yao chuckled. "Can't handle a loss, kid?"

"Alright, let's go again!"

……

The same thing happened all over again.

"Special Forces Yaoyao" teased the kids again before finally letting them off the hook. She said she was hungry and headed back home to warm up by the fire.

"Miaomiao, I'm going back."

Gu Miaomiao followed her back.

From the distant upper floors, the group of elders, especially Grandpa Gu, had just witnessed their granddaughter-in-law's heroic performance. He felt a lump in his throat.

When Qin Yao and Gu Miaomiao returned home, two little girls who had been part of their logistics team followed them. Qin Yao thought, "It's a winner's feast," so she went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks to reward everyone.

She decided to make something simple. She made sugar-coated yam, fried shrimp cakes, and brewed some rose milk tea. Along with the amber honey walnuts made by her father, she set them on the small table for the kids to try.

The two little girls looked up and said, "Miaomiao, your aunt is so beautiful and amazing!"

"So beautiful and fierce, she trounced Xiang."

Gu Miaomiao sat in her chair, her hands on her cheeks. What should she do? She also thought her aunt was stunning and impressive!

Qin Yao came out with a bowl of sugar-coated yam and poured a cup of freshly brewed rose milk tea for the three kids. The milky liquid, slightly yellowish, had red dates and rose petals floating on top. A sip revealed a rich, sweet taste with the fragrance of roses.

Gu Miaomiao cradled her cup and glanced sideways at Qin Yao. The woman was surrounded by the warm scent of roses. Her skin was even whiter than the rose milk, her full cheeks tinged with a light pink.

She was like the enchantress described in books. Gu Miaomiao felt herself being charmed, just like her uncle had been.

"Auntie, you're now the 'Snow Battle Goddess' of our compound."

Qin Yao had become famous after just one battle.

Qin Yao: "……Ahem."

"My victory wasn't fair and square."

As an adult, she felt a little guilty for using cheats to bully the kids. No bragging, dignity must be maintained.

Gu Miaomiao asked, "Auntie, have you received some training before?"

"You could say that, your uncle was an instructor next door."

"Wow!" Gu Miaomiao pressed, curious, "What happened next? And after that?"

Qin Yao told her some stories about what happened on the island and during the voyage at sea. Her storytelling was so good that the kids were hooked, almost becoming her little fans.

The sea was something mysterious to them.

"I'd love to go squid fishing. It looks so fun when they squirt ink."

"I want to touch jellyfish and see the corals up close."

...

After hearing the stories, Gu Miaomiao felt more connected with Qin Yao. It was the first time she had heard so many interesting seaside stories. When her uncle returned, he always looked serious and never told her so many stories.

And he wouldn't go squid fishing either!

Her aunt told really interesting stories, had a lovely voice, and was so beautiful. What could she do? She liked her more and more!

"Aunt, you smell really nice." Gu Miaomiao couldn't help but lean closer and sniff. Qin Yao smelled sweet.

At that moment, Gu Miaomiao felt a desire in her heart. She wanted to sleep with her aunt that night!

Her mother stood by the window, watching her daughter affectionately hover around her sister-in-law. She looked surprised. Her daughter was so happy and clingy, an innocent joy. For this, her mother felt an indescribable loneliness in her heart.