Esper X Family – Chapter 317 – Only a Strong Move Will Do

In the living room.

Ye Yao fumbled around, helping Wu Mi and the others start up the game console.

Since Fu Qi had prepared so thoroughly, it would be a shame not to play.

Of course, Ye Yao wasn’t planning to play just yet.

After all, she had to confront Fu Qi.

Getting Wu Mi and the others to pass the time with games was a good choice.

It would keep them from getting bored just sitting there silently.

At that moment, Fu Qi had already walked out of the kitchen and sat down beside the sofa.

He looked ready to answer questions.

“Little Yao, ask whatever you want. I’ll tell you truthfully.”

Truthfully?

More like telling a mouthful of lies.

Ye Yao was internally speechless.

“Hmm, there really are a lot of things I want to ask Uncle. What does Uncle do at the headquarters?”

“I’m just a logistics personnel, not an important position.”

Fu Qi replied with a smile.

He had indeed used his authority to register a logistics staff member identity.

Even if Ye Yao wanted to see his work ID, Fu Qi could produce one.

It was watertight.

Fu Qi had initially considered presenting himself as a high-level official at the headquarters.

That would be closer to his real identity as the Countermeasures Bureau’s Director.

When things were exposed later, it might lessen Ye Yao’s feeling of being deceived.

Perhaps she wouldn’t feel so resentful then.

However, such a high-profile identity didn’t quite fit Ye Yao’s current family situation.

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In Ye Yao’s eyes, Xiao Jing and Lou Wei were both ordinary people.

If her “uncle” turned out to be this important.

It would instead make Ye Yao suspect that her parents might also be hiding something.

They weren’t ready to have their identities be exposed yet.

They had to play the part of ordinary people for a while longer.

Ye Yao read through all of Fu Qi’s thoughts.

“Hmm, I see. Logistics personnel, that sounds very tiring.”

She didn’t show any sign of doubt, only complete trust.

“Then, do my parents know?”

Ye Yao’s question began to take a dangerous turn.

Fu Qi’s thoughts quickly became active.

This had always been a sensitive topic.

Xiao Jing and Lou Wei had both adopted Ye Yao as ordinary people.

Without showing a trace of their Esper identities.

Even now, they hadn’t slipped up.

If Ye Yao were to learn of their extraordinary identities, many unpleasant thoughts might pop into her head.

It would be easy for her to assume that they had adopted her with a special purpose.

Although that was indeed the case.

Ye Yao was still too young to understand these complicated matters.

They could only cover it up with white lies.

Fu Qi maintained a relaxed tone.

“Of course. They know what kind of work I do, but they only have a rough idea, not the detailed specifics.”

“Actually, I was quite surprised to learn you were coming to headquarters. Coming from a branch base to headquarters shows that you have great potential.”

“Maybe Little Yao will grow into a very powerful Esper. If that happens, I might be able to bask in your glory and get a promotion.”

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Ye Yao was almost speechless.

Promotion?

How could you, the Countermeasures Bureau Director, get promoted further?

What utter nonsense.

A big shot deceiving a little girl, how despicable!

In that case, don’t blame me for using a strong move.

Ye Yao’s expression turned somewhat uneasy.

Her hands, which were resting on her knees, unconsciously twisted the fabric of her clothes.

Her knuckles whitened slightly from the tension, and her entire shoulders hunched timidly.

“Hmm…”

Her eyes, which had previously shone with cunning and insight, suddenly dimmed.

Her small nose twitched slightly.

Her long eyelashes drooped, obscuring most of the light in her gaze.

And her eyes darted nervously over the intricate patterns of the carpet, no longer daring to meet Fu Qi’s.

“So… does that mean they know I’m an Esper?”

Her voice was light and airy.

Seemingly fragile.

It was almost drowned out by the faint sound effects from the game console Wu Mi and the others were playing in the living room.

“They do have that awareness.”

Fu Qi subconsciously nodded, maintaining a facade of calm.

Then, a wave of intense unease washed over him, an ominous premonition like ice water suddenly pouring down his spine!

It was the intuition of someone who had been in a high position for long, screaming a warning!

Fu Qi clearly caught the drastic change in Ye Yao’s expression.

Her little face, which had just held a hint of testing, was now drained of color, left with an almost translucent, fragile pallor.

Anxiety wildly sprouted and entangled her eyes like tangible vines, quickly replacing all other emotions.

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It was… the fear of losing something precious after being caught doing something wrong!

Wait, what’s with this expression?

Why does she look so unsettled?

Fu Qi’s heart sank, alarm bells ringing.

Little ancestor, don’t do this!

Let’s talk this through calmly!

Fu Qi’s mind instantly went on a rollercoaster of emotions, shifting from certainty to shock.

One second he thought that his well-crafted white lie was flawless.

The next, he was caught off guard by this sudden emotional storm.

Fu Qi had weathered many storms.

But this sudden emotional turn from Ye Yao was more daunting than facing a siege by four experts!

Ye Yao’s head drooped even lower.

Her voice carried a faint tremor, like a feather adrift in the wind.

“…I always thought they didn’t know. I never told them…

I thought when the Countermeasures Bureau people came back then, they just said we were going to a private boarding school.

They didn’t mention exposing the Esper thing at all…”

Ye Yao’s tone paused, as if brewing an even heavier emotion.

“…Uncle, I’m a little scared… Scared that they’ll think I’m a bad kid for hiding it from them.

That they’ll think I’m no good… That they… won’t like me anymore…”

The last few words were as soft as a sigh, yet carried immense panic, striking straight at Fu Qi’s heart.

Ah… this?

He had completely failed to anticipate that Ye Yao’s point of worry would be here.

Not suspecting loopholes in his identity.

Not probing the secrets hidden by her parents.

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But… afraid that hiding this from her “ordinary” foster parents would cost her their love?

Afraid that her image as a “good child” would crumble?

Fu Qi felt a tremendous sense of suffocation.

He was too focused on concealing Xiao Jing and Lou Wei’s true identities and the deeper purpose of the adoption.

He had completely overlooked that, as an adopted child yearning for familial warmth, Ye Yao possessed an extremely sensitive and fragile mindset regarding the parent-child relationship!

Pressure! Unprecedented pressure!

It was ten thousand times more terrifying than being trapped in a life-or-death crisis back then!

He initially thought that Ye Yao wouldn’t be like Ye Tong, pulling off various maneuvers that left people breathless.

It turned out that Fu Qi had miscalculated.

No.

This wasn’t the pressure he should be dealing with either.

It should be Lou Wei’s pressure to handle.

But that guy was just hiding up in the sky, carefree.

Leaving him alone here to clean up the mess.

If handled poorly, it might plant a source of unease deep in Ye Yao’s heart.

They had finally steered her away from her goal of pursuing strength.

Now, she was trapped in another dilemma.

With such immense emotional fluctuations, who could guarantee that nothing would go wrong?

Where’s the Prophet?

Miss Tu Sheng, please help!

Author Note

Happy New Year, kids! Seeing that this tentacle ¹ The author’s pen name is Tentacle-san. is still struggling to move forward during the Spring Festival, I’m asking for a small gift! Even just sending electricity ² Free gift tier. is fine! Here’s wishing all readers a prosperous and healthy New Year!

Text: hold in mouth ³ 叼diao literally means “hold in mouth”, like a dog holding a bone in its mouth, or someone with cigarette in mouth. The original image might have something related that got covered up by the Chesire face. Edit: It might be because 叼 looks like a person bowing their head, although I’m still unsure.