Chapter 688: Whisper (2)

Chapter 688 -440: Whisper (2)

Ugh!

Feng Shan was suddenly hit by a wave of embarrassment.

He wished he could dig a hole in the floor and crawl into it.

He never imagined Erica would so bluntly allude to last night’s… commotion.

“Erica, was there really a rat? How come I didn’t hear anything? Was it big?” Tammy asked, her eyes wide with curiosity, completely oblivious to the delicate atmosphere.

“Mhm, the rat was *huge*,” Erica said, casting a pointed, dissatisfied look at a certain someone.

Demi, who was standing to the side, saw what was going on and couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.

She quickly pulled Tammy away, afraid she would ask something even more embarrassing.

Fortunately, the plump Mexican woman, Laura, emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of breakfast.

The enticing aroma wafting from the tray temporarily eased the awkward tension in the living room.

“Thank you!”

Feng Shan’s eyes lit up instantly at the sight of the hot breakfast placed before him.

The freshly made waffles were golden brown, the beef sausages were sizzling with grease, and the pancakes with fruit sauce exuded a sweet, fruity fragrance.

At the same time, his stomach chose that moment to let out a hungry GROWL.

After all, he had “worked overtime” very late last night. Even with the aid of his Witch Power, facing such unbridled madness had been a bit much to handle.

The high-intensity… expenditure had left his body in desperate need of refueling.

The breakfast before him right now was a lifesaver.

“I won’t hold back!”

Feng Shan picked up his fork and eagerly speared a beef sausage.

The sausage, still dripping with grease, disappeared into his mouth in just a few bites. After a couple of chews, he swallowed it down, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.

Next, Feng Shan moved on to the waffles and the pancakes with fruit sauce.

In less than three minutes, all that was left of his breakfast was an empty plate.

Even so, his stomach was still GROWLING. He clearly wasn’t full yet.

“Holy Mother Mary, you have quite an appetite! I’ll go make you another serving,” the plump woman, Laura, said, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at the empty plate. She quickly picked it up and hurried into the kitchen with slightly rushed steps to prepare another breakfast for Feng Shan.

“Feng, are you really hungry?” Tammy asked, propping her head up with her arms on the coffee table. She tilted her head, her big eyes blinking with curiosity.

“Hmph, of course he’s hungry! You slept like a log last night, so you wouldn’t know anything.”

Erica, standing nearby, shot a certain someone an annoyed glare tinged with reproach.

But a closer look revealed it wasn’t anger, but pure, unadulterated jealousy.

As if she were sulking at someone, the volume of her voice unconsciously rose a few notches.

Seeing the atmosphere heading back into awkward territory, Demi looked exasperated. She gave Erica a push, trying to get her to stop talking.

“Why’d you push me? I’m not wrong. It was so loud, who could have possibly slept through that? Lady Penny, were you able to sleep?”

But Erica, as if oblivious to Demi’s warning, defiantly tossed the question to Lady Penny. The living room’s atmosphere instantly became delicate once more.

Feng Shan was now mortified, his face flushing red then turning pale.

He could only keep shooting glances at Erica, begging her with his eyes to just drop it.

As for Lady Penny, she naturally wasn’t going to touch that topic. She tilted her head slightly, a baffled and confused expression on her face.

“What happened last night? I’m getting old. I went to bed very early.”

“What happened? Let me tell you, last night…”

Erica was ready to blow the whole thing wide open, her face eager and her mouth flapping like she was about to let loose with an assault rifle.

But before she could finish, Demi clamped a hand over her mouth, terrified Erica would say something she shouldn’t.

Then, Demi simply dragged Erica toward the cabin door.

With her mouth covered, Erica could only make muffled “MMPH” sounds, her arms and legs flailing wildly in the air.

Tammy followed behind them with a wide grin, like a gossiping bystander who loves to watch a good drama. She found it all incredibly amusing.

Only Feng Shan and Lady Penny were left in the living room.

The atmosphere grew even more awkward.

Silence spread between them. The air seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.

The commotion last night had indeed been a bit loud. Lady Penny saying she hadn’t heard anything was, of course, a white lie.

But Feng Shan couldn’t pretend not to know. His face faintly red and his gaze shifting, he scratched his head and said sheepishly,

“I’m so sorry, last night…”

However, as if she knew what Feng Shan was about to say, Lady Penny suddenly raised a hand, cutting him off.

Her gaze was gentle and understanding, and a faint smile played on her lips.

“You don’t need to explain. It’s Jenny’s happiness to be with you, and I won’t stand in her way. It’s just like when she wanted to marry Gaston when she was younger. Everyone makes their own choices. You only know if it was right or wrong after you’ve walked the path.”

She paused for a moment, a wistful look in her eyes, before her tone shifted. “In fact, I should be thanking you. I heard from Jenny that the environment in the Crown Territory is very helpful for treating mental illnesses. Thank you for allowing Gruus to enter the Crown Territory.”

“Penny!”

Jenny slowly descended the stairs.

Her voice trembled slightly, and tears glistened in her eyes.

Her eyes were fixed on her mother, filled with a complex mix of emotions: gratitude, guilt, and a touch of sorrow.

Seeing this, Feng Shan quietly stood up.

He then silently walked into the kitchen, giving the mother and daughter space to talk.

‘American culture… It’s hard to put into words,’ Feng Shan thought.

‘Especially their individualism and trial-and-error approach to growth.’

‘The former holds that every person is an independent individual with the right to decide their own life path.’

‘This value permeates their family upbringing, manifesting as parents who generally emphasize their children’s autonomy. They trust their kids have the ability to take responsibility for their own choices, even if those choices lead to mistakes or setbacks.’

‘The latter philosophy believes that children need to learn and grow by making their own choices and bearing the consequences. Even if the choice is wrong, failure itself is a form of growth.’

‘In China, on the other hand, parents are seen as the authority figures. They have the final say in decisions, and children are expected to respect their elders’ opinions.’

‘Parents often intervene in their children’s choices, using their own life experience to keep them from taking the “crooked path”.’

‘You can’t say one culture is right and the other is wrong.’

‘It’s just that American culture places more emphasis on individual independence and the right to choose. A parent not objecting is a sign of respect for personal rights and an acceptance of diverse values.’

‘Chinese culture focuses more on the family as a whole and on social order. Parental intervention is often seen as a way of protecting the child and fulfilling a familial duty.’

‘If I had to choose,’

‘I’d still raise my children according to Chinese culture.’

‘After all, it’s in my bones. I couldn’t change it even if I wanted to.’

‘I really can’t get the hang of the way foreigners do things.’

…

He walked into the kitchen.

The plump Laura was standing at the stove, her hands moving nimbly as she busied herself with making breakfast.

Pots were sizzling on two different burners at the same time.

One pan was filled with sizzling sausages, rolling around as they turned golden-brown and released an enticing aroma. In another, batter was slowly transforming into a pancake as it cooked.

“Ma’am, just the sausages are fine. I’m not used to the pancakes,” Feng Shan suggested tactfully, thinking of his blood sugar.

‘He felt a little helpless when it came to foreign cooking habits.’

‘He had to admit, foreigners were incredibly liberal with sugar when they cooked. It was like they’d robbed a sugar factory and were desperately trying to dump the evidence into the food.’

‘Take the pancakes with fruit sauce from earlier.’

‘Good lord! The entire pancake was drowned in fruit sauce.’

‘The thick sauce was practically overflowing, coating the pancake in layer after layer.’

‘When he ate it, it was cloyingly sweet—the kind of sweet that scratches your throat.’

‘Every bite was like eating pure sugar, instantly overwhelming his taste buds with stickiness.’

‘If he hadn’t expended so much energy last night and desperately needed to refuel, he would have sooner died than touched that pancake that had been drowned in sauce.’

“Right away, sir!”

The plump Laura quickly replied.

She tipped the already-formed pancake out of the pan.

Then, she quickly placed more beef sausages into it, one after another.

During the short wait for the sausages to cook,

the plump Laura’s gaze kept drifting toward Feng Shan.

Her eyes seemed to hold a hint of hesitation, mixed with a bit of anticipation. Several times, she looked like she wanted to speak but stopped herself.

After she snuck another glance at him,

Feng Shan could no longer contain his curiosity and finally spoke up.

“Ma’am, is there something you need?”