Chapter 55: Wang Fang's Worries

After wandering around for a little longer, Su Hao noticed many stalls selling various types of equipment. Those items were dazzling in variety, some emitting a chilly gleam that looked exceptionally sharp, while others radiated a mysterious halo, seemingly imbued with formidable power.

Gazing at the equipment, Su Hao thought to himself that upon returning, he should focus on studying his "Comprehensive Alchemical Codex" rather than constantly obsessing over making money.

After all, if he could successfully brew pills himself, it would not only assist him in completing tasks but also save him a substantial amount of money. It was a rather decent and much more reliable option.

Just at that moment, an abrupt prompt rang in Su Hao's ears, cold and mechanical:

【Candidate Cleaner, your remaining time in the Universal Environmental Protection Agency is 2 hours. Please prepare to return to the real world.】

Su Hao snapped back to reality abruptly, as if startled awake from a long, rambling dream. He slapped his forehead. Oh right, when he traveled to the universe last time, he had been teleported from teacher Iris's room. Returning this time would certainly require going back to Iris's room as well.

With this thought, he hastily turned around, parted the crowd, and hurried toward his exclusive chamber. His pace was swift and urgent, fearing that any delay would cause him to miss the return window.

Stepping into the room and looking at the familiar furnishings and neatly arranged items, an inexplicable sense of warmth welled up in Su Hao's heart.

Remembering the clothes he had worn when crossing over from the real world, he walked over and straightened them out. His movements were gentle and meticulous, as if handling a precious treasure.

Then, he stood quietly, his gaze slightly vacant, and took out the "Comprehensive Alchemical Codex" to study it meticulously.

He waited quietly for the teleportation back to the real world to begin, surrounded by a silence so profound that only his own slightly hurried breathing could be heard.

【Candidate Cleaner, return to the real world will commence in approximately three minutes.】

【Teleportation starting.】

A ball of white light enveloped Su Hao, and the force of teleportation unfolded.

He felt a sharp pain in his head, as if thousands of needles were fiercely stirring inside, followed immediately by an intense wave of dizziness. The environment before his eyes instantly blurred, resembling a watercolor painting soaked in water where all scenes twisted and fused together.

In an instant, when he regained his senses, he found himself back in teacher Iris's room.

Iris was sitting opposite him. Seeing Su Hao appear, a warm and kindly smile immediately blossomed on her face. The smile was like the warm winter sun, gentle and cordial, as she said:

"Su Hao, you're back. Judging by your aura, you must have reaped quite a few rewards from this trip outside? Well, how was the effect of the four hundred catties of gold I sponsored for you?"

Upon hearing this, Su Hao instantly recalled the matter of the four hundred catties of gold, and a sharp pang of heartache gripped him. That had all been his grandfather's estate; just to achieve a critical attribute transformation, it had been completely wiped out in one go, costing him a full two hundred thousand cosmic particles.

Nevertheless, he nodded helplessly, a trace of regret on his face as he replied:

"Teacher, if not for those two hundred thousand cosmic particles, my critical attribute transfer would have been a major problem. It seems places requiring cosmic particles will still be numerous in the future. I haven't figured out what to do yet; it's truly vexing."

Iris, however, waved her hand, the gentle smile still lingering on her face as she offered comfort: "Oh, stop overthinking it. When the boat reaches the bridge-head, it will naturally straighten out. It's time for us to return to your parents' side; they must be waiting anxiously. With you away like this, they must be talking about you every single day."

Meanwhile, in that modest yet cozy room, the minds of Su Ming and Wang Fang were like two leaves fluttering in the wind, tethered by an invisible yet resilient thread. The other end of that thread was firmly bound to their son, Su Hao, and every single twitch of it tugged at the softest and most sensitive corners of their hearts.

Thinking back to the moment their child was born into the world, fate had seemed like a ruthless executioner, delivering a fatal blow without mercy—Su Hao had been born without limbs.

At that instant, Wang Fang felt as though the heavens had collapsed and the earth had shattered, her entire world breaking into powder before her eyes. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes, like a breached floodgate or a string of broken beads, pattering down her cheeks without stopping.

Ever since then, for ten long years, she had spent her days enduring bitter agony amidst tears.

Day and night, the couple had endured hardships in caring for Su Hao that were simply beyond description.

Physical exhaustion was barely tolerable, but the heavy bitterness in their hearts was like a dense, unmelting cloud pressing heavily upon their chests, making it hard to breathe.

Finding no outlet for release, they could only silently swallow the bitter pill, knowing the true taste of it all too well themselves.

Until one day, Iris appeared like a brilliant dawn, or an angel descended from heaven, bringing miraculous power and miraculously healing Su Hao.

At that moment, the gratitude Su Ming and Wang Fang felt toward Iris was like a surging, roaring river, endless and endlessly expanding.

They had thought they could finally live out their days in peace amidst this regained happiness, but who could have foreseen that only a few days of comfort and stability had passed before Iris took Su Hao away.

Well, now the couple's hearts were instantly seized as if by an invisible yet powerful giant hand. The feeling of yearning was like thousands of ants gnawing at their hearts—utterly agonizing.

Wang Fang sat quietly by the window, her gaze dull and hollow like a puppet that had lost its soul, staring blankly out the window.

She muttered continuously under her breath, her voice tinged with a trace of trembling anxiety:

"This child, barely recovered and already running off to play outside. My heart feels like it's harboring a frightened little rabbit, throbbing with tension, always feeling like something is going to happen to him. Alas, I'd rather he just stayed bedridden; at least then I could have some peace of mind."

As she spoke, her eye rims grew red once more, tears swirling within them as if threatening to burst forth the next second.

Watching his wife's lovelorn state from the side, Su Ming felt a pang of deep heartache. He quickly strode over, gently extending a hand to pat her shoulder soothingly while whispering words of comfort:

"You mustn't think like that. Isn't a child growing up healthy and strong what we've always hoped for? Look at birds; once their wings harden, they are bound to bravely fly out of their nest and explore the vast world.

Besides, our son is a living person with his own thoughts and ambitions. You can't possibly keep him cooped up in bed all day; he has things he wants to do too.

Furthermore, with a reliable teacher like Iris accompanying him, what is there for you to worry about?"

Wang Fang, however, still furrowed her brows in deep distress, shaking her head gently as her voice filled with helplessness and worry:

"I understand all of this in my mind, but my heart feels as though it's tightly clutched by an invisible hand. That agonizing feeling is simply indescribable in words.

It's been several days already without a single word, and Iris's phone won't go through. It's driving me out of my mind with anxiety."

Meanwhile, Iris herself was filled with intense internal conflict. After taking Su Hao away, she had been terrified that his parents would call to inquire and that she wouldn't know how to explain.

After much deliberation, she hardened her heart and turned off her phone, simply hoping to bring Su Hao back as quickly as possible to prevent them from worrying too much.

Just as the couple was consumed by worry, sitting on pins and needles like ants on a hot pan, Su Hao returned.

Glancing out the window inadvertently, Su Ming caught sight of his son's figure and instantly lit up. Too excited to care about anything else, he bolted out the door, hopped into his car in a flurry of action, and whisked Su Hao back home.

Wang Fang's previously dim and lifeless eyes instantly lit up the moment she saw her son's figure, as if a powerful surge of energy had been injected into her whole being, instantly revitalizing her.

Disregarding everything else, she moved with wind at her heels, lunged forward in a single bound, and tightly embraced Su Hao with a force as if she wanted to melt her son into her very body. Her voice carried a crying tone born of agitation and grievance:

"My son, you're finally back! You have no idea—the past few days you've been away, Mommy's heart felt as though it was being viciously clutched by an invisible giant hand. It was agonizing, Mommy was worried to death."

Only after speaking did she slowly release her embrace, circling her son front and back multiple times. Her eyes acted like high-precision scanners, scrutinizing every single detail of her son up and down without missing a spot.

Noticing a slight crease in her son's hem, she hurriedly reached out to gently smooth it down, her focused and cautious demeanor as if she were trying to comprehend everything her son had experienced outside through this single gesture.

Seeing his mother so tense and anxious over him, Su Hao felt a deep sense of helplessness. After all, the Universal Environmental Protection Agency had selected him as a candidate cleaner, and numerous important tasks were lined up waiting for him to complete over there.

In truth, he was quite reluctant to roam the universe; in his view, simply staying healthily by his parents' side was more than satisfying. Yet, how could he dictate such matters? He could only accept it helplessly.

He forced a bright smile and feigned nonchalance as he told his mother:

"Mom, don't worry. I know what I'm doing and I'll look after my own safety."

With that, he deliberately puffed out his chest, patted himself like a mischievous child, and joked playfully:

"Tell Mom what you've been up to these past few days! Let me tell you, I joined a training class, and it was so interesting. Look at my physique now—it's top-notch."

Watching his robust and vibrant son from the side, Su Ming burst into a gratified smile, bright and warm like blossoming spring flowers.

He turned toward his wife, giving her a slightly reproachful yet deeply affectionate look before teasing with a chuckle:

"Look at you. The boy is back safe, sound, and healthy, and even got to attend a study class to further improve himself. Look how sturdy his physique is—like a little bull. What on earth is there left for you to worry about?"