Chapter 10 : The Demon King’s First Skill Was Postpartum Care

“Stop.”

I sighed, looking at the girl trailing behind me.

“Saying you’re escorting Zhu Lubing was a lie, right? There’s no trace or scent of her here.”

Walking beside me, Shen Yingxu dropped her smile, revealing the expression unique to her former saintess self.

What are you, a dog? Scent and traces?

“Yeah, I sent her home early,” I shrugged. “This mess has nothing to do with her anyway.”

“Hmph, she really listens to you,” Shen Yingxu said, no longer hiding her hostility and sarcasm now that it was just us. “Just like the Zero Witch’s clean, ruthless style.”

“I don’t know what you think she’s like, but I wasn’t lying about one thing—Zhu Lubing did remind me to help.”

I sighed helplessly, glancing at Shen Yingxu walking beside me.

“You can hate me all you want, but no need to hate her, right?”

“I won’t let any of you Demon King folks off.”

Guess there’s no talking this out.

“…Your fighting moves back there were cool,” I changed the subject. “If I’m not mistaken, they’re similar to the style of that female martial artist in your old team.”

“Jiexin Style. Probably beneath a Demon King like you,” Shen Yingxu sneered, giving me a sidelong glance. “After all, your forces slaughtered everyone in that school, leaving only the one who taught me as the sole survivor.”

“Was that a thing? My minions probably thought it was just some village guard squad. It was such a crude fighting style they didn’t even report it to me… Whoa, whoa, easy now. A gentleman uses words, not fists.”

Raising my arm, I blocked Shen Yingxu’s no-holds-barred straight punch.

“That hurt,” I sighed, gently pushing her back a bit.

“As expected. You too.”

Her eyes, devoid of light and chillingly cold, stared at me as she spoke icily.

“You still carry traces of that world, don’t you?”

I sighed, dodging her question and offering a guess instead.

“…You claimed to be my ex-girlfriend back then because you were worried about Ye Qingshu, who seemed close to me, right? You thought saying that would make her and the other girls in class think less of me, protecting them in your own way.”

“…” Shen Yingxu went silent.

“Sure, you wanted to see me squirm, but you were also playing the saintess, fussing over pointless kindness and doing useless things.”

I gave a cold assessment.

Shen Yingxu narrowed her eyes.

“…So you knew from the start but let this mess slide. Did you find me amusing, like some clown hopping around for your entertainment?”

“She’s a cute beauty, so I’m not losing out,” I shrugged.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Yingxu lowered her gaze.

“I don’t get it. With your power back then, you had so many choices. You grew up as an ordinary person in this world—so why did you choose to become the Demon King who destroyed everything there?”

I grinned.

“Because my first skill was Postpartum Care.”

“Huh?”

Spreading my hands, I flashed a classic villain smirk.

“Pretty useless skill, right? I wanted a do-over when I crossed over, but then I noticed every woman in that world had a ‘Skill Usable’ tag. Don’t you think that’s hilarious?”

“…Not funny at all.”

I thought it was.

Ugh, dirty jokes are better told to guys.

“Tell me, Zhu Hanqi.”

Shen Yingxu stood in front of me, her tone colder than our first meeting.

“In this world… will you…”

“—become a Demon King again?”

—Huh?

…

A few days later, one afternoon.

The courtyard.

“Hasn’t it been forever since we ate lunch together? Not since the tea party after sixth grade!”

“Since you guys ate the ice cream I waited ages for at that tea party, I haven’t wanted to eat with you.”

“Hahaha, don’t say that! We promise not to steal your ice cream now, right, Zhu Hanqi?”

“…”

“Zhu Hanqi?”

“Huh? What?” I snapped back, looking at the two staring at me.

“You’ve been so distracted lately. Even in class—Teacher Xia glared at you a few times,” Ye Qingshu said, taking a bite of egg roll from her bento, frowning at me. “School’s officially started. If you don’t pay attention, I’m not lending you my notes.”

“Eh? It’s fine, I’ll ask Mu Ziqing…”

“Mu Ziqing, you’re not allowed to lend him yours!” Ye Qingshu snapped at him.

Mu Ziqing gave me a wry smile, spreading his hands.

“You can’t give in to her tyranny!”

“How many times have we fought her since we were kids? Ever won?”

Fair point. Never.

I sighed softly, stabbed an egg roll from my bento with my chopsticks, and popped it in my mouth.

“…Tastes good.”

“Of course! My mom made it. Her cooking’s amazing~”

Ye Qingshu looked smug.

“What’s her cooking got to do with you? Why’re you so proud…”

“What’d you say?—”

Seeing Ye Qingshu’s smiling-but-not-smiling face, I shrank back.

“Hey, I want a bite too,” Mu Ziqing said, poking my shoulder with a grin.

“Here… Are you human?! I said try the egg roll, not steal my sweet-and-sour pork!”

I glared as Mu Ziqing wolfed down the biggest piece of meat in my bento.

“Mmm, so good!!” But when it’s just us three, Mu Ziqing drops his polished act, turning into a prank-loving kid. “I’m so jealous, Zhu Hanqi. You get to eat Aunt Ye’s cooking every day.”

“Then I’ll bring you some next time. It’s no extra work for Mom,” Ye Qingshu said naturally.

“Nah, Zhu Hanqi gets it ‘cause he lives next door. I’d feel bad making Aunt Ye cook more and having you bring it,” Mu Ziqing declined.

“Sure, but isn’t it because your girlfriend makes you cute bentos?” I rolled my eyes at him.

“I told you, that senior and I broke up. I made this myself…” Mu Ziqing casually showed us his bento. I grabbed a meatball; Ye Qingshu took a slice of eggplant.

“…Feels like we’re back in elementary school,” Mu Ziqing said, looking up at the sky with a smile as he took his bento back.

“We did this in early middle school too, right? The first time I tried cooking, you guys…” Ye Qingshu said unhappily, then paused, stunned, opening her mouth but eating silently instead.

“…It really wasn’t good.”

I spoke up.

Ye Qingshu’s eyes widened, a flash of surprise and joy crossing them, but she quickly puffed her cheeks, snapping back in irritation.

“You’ve got some nerve! I got up at 5 a.m. to make that! Even if it sucked, Mu Ziqing at least choked it down—you! You went to the store, bought instant noodles in my face, and told Mu Ziqing not to force himself.”

Mu Ziqing, beside us, was already cracking up, but Ye Qingshu got angrier the more she spoke.

“I mean, I couldn’t lie to myself. That black lump was supposed to be diced beef…” I said with a wry smile.

“Mu Ziqing ate it!”

“So he’s a champ. Respect.”

“You!”

The thin barrier between us seemed to finally crack. Ye Qingshu dropped her high-school maturity act, swinging her fist at me.

Mu Ziqing, playing his usual peacemaker role, laughed while blocking her attacks for me.

I dodged, clutching my bento, my mind flashing back to my talk with Shen Yingxu.

Will I become a Demon King again?

A faint glow pulsed in my palm—weak, but definitely the touch of that world’s magic.

“…With this little magic? Besides, it’s not about what I want, is it?”

I muttered softly. Ye Qingshu’s fist lightly tapped my shoulder.

“What’re you mumbling about? No amount of begging will save you now, you dignity-trampling jerk!”

Why didn’t Mu Ziqing block that one? Aren’t we bros?!

I looked at him in surprise, only to see his face pale, staring at his phone, knuckles white from gripping it.

“…What’s up? Didn’t you get dumped? Or…” Ye Qingshu teased, leaning over, but Mu Ziqing visibly recoiled, hiding his phone behind him.

“Just, just a silly prank!”

“Huh? Weird, what is it? Let me see!”

I glanced at my phone, shoving rice in my mouth.

Ye Qingshu was still obliviously wrestling Mu Ziqing for his phone.
On my screen, campus group chats had exploded with thousands of messages.

The topic: “Class Beauty Freshman’s Messy Middle School Love Life Exposed”