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Chapter 4 - 4. The Art of Escape: Marriage, Music, and Master Plans

Here's your text with corrected grammar while keeping the humor intact:

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After eating breakfast, Shi Chen and Hu Rong left after kissing Shi Hao's cheeks.

Once they were outside, Shi Hao rubbed his cheeks with both hands grumbling, "Ugh, how old am I? They still haven't stopped kissing me."

Although he was in a child's body, he was, after all, an adult.

After his rebirth, he acted the way a child should, since behaving too much like an adult might raise suspicion—no suspiciously mature words, no deep philosophical sighs, no casually predicting the stock market (not that Douluo Continent had one). It was all part of the act.

But he hoped these days would end soon. Once he turned six, he could finally leave his parents and enjoy academy life. But did it happen?

"No academy life, no nothing… It seems like I'll have to stay with them until at least ten or twelve."

"Alas… It's fine when my mother kisses me, but why does my bearded father have to do it too? It itches!"

"Anyway, I need my freedom if I want to travel and choose a suitable binding target…"

"If I have to sacrifice myself just to leave them, then… hmph, I'll just get married once I turn ten!" Shi Hao muttered righteously. He wasn't marrying because he wanted to. Definitely not because of that. No, this was a strategic move.

"Since I can't become a soul master or cultivate, my parents will probably force me to start a family early. Douluo children mature quickly and get married around twelve, after all…"

"Yes, I'll marry only because my parents will force me. Yup, that's the truth." He kept repeating this in his mind, reinforcing the totally real, absolutely-not-made-up logic.

Turning his head, he looked toward his neighbor's house.

Since he had nothing else to do for the day, Shi Hao decided to visit Aunt Hua.

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Nearly an hour later, now wearing clean robes and pants, Shi Hao knocked on his neighbor's door.

Aunt Hua, who lived alone, peeked out through a hidden hole in the door.

Seeing that it was little Hao, she opened the door with a smile.

"Oh, Little Hao came early today! Have your parents left for work?"

"How did your awakening go~? Everything alright?" Aunt Hua, a beautiful woman in her early twenties, asked with concern.

"Oh, don't even ask, Aunt Hua. I'm just like you—no innate soul power. Heh."

"Since we're the same, I came to keep you company. It's not like I have to waste time cultivating anyway." Shi Hao sighed, acting pitiful.

Seeing his expression, Aunt Hua looked heartbroken.

"Alas… Forget it! So what if you can't cultivate? Your Aunt Hua will teach you how to make everyone praise you even without strength!"

Shi Hao's eyes lit up.

He had heard about Aunt Hua from his mother. Two years ago, she was a brothel dancer and knew how to play music.

She had gained the favor of a soul master with her charm and skills and became his secret wife. That soul master had taken her out of the brothel, arranged a house for her, and visited her in secret. The rest of the time, she lived alone.

Although Aunt Hua wasn't a music master, she knew a little about many instruments and was quite skilled in playing the flute.

Hey, not that flute. A real flute.

"Learning music might not be a bad idea…" Shi Hao thought. "This world isn't very developed in the music industry. If I learn to play instruments, won't I be able to mesmerize people with my Earth melodies? Hehehe, Yup, That's it."

"And without a proper influential identity, I, who have no strength, won't be able to get close to powerful Titled Douluos. But if I gain fame like Tang Yuehua, I could have access to them, right?"

Shi Hao had been pondering this issue for a while.

He had considered going into business or becoming a theory master like Yu Xiaogang.

But both options had major flaws.

First, doing business and earning too much money would just get him killed early. Soul masters saw ordinary people like ants. Even if he tried to hire bodyguards, he'd probably be dead before making enough money. Not to mention, the business world was already dominated by established families who had mastered all the necessary tricks.

Second, trying to become a theory master like Yu Xiaogang by using knowledge from the novel was also a foolish choice. Without powerful backing like Bibi Dong and without soul power, nobody would take him seriously. He might even get killed in some dark alley.

Every solution he had thought of had flaws.

But now, music seemed like the best choice.

"As long as I don't use it to make too much money and attract greed, I should be fine."

"Yes! Once I gain a reputation, I'll just play music for powerful people for free. I won't accept payment—only connections."

With that idea, a series of chain reactions unfolded in his mind. He could already see himself planting his seal on Super Douluos.

"Alright, Auntie, I'm ready to learn!" Little Hao said sweetly.

Aunt Hua pinched his fluffy cheeks, picked him up in her arms, and carried him inside.

As they entered the room, a familiar charming fragrance hit his nose—the same fragrance Aunt Hua always carried.

Shi Hao quite liked this scent.

"Mmm, Little Hao, Auntie knows how to play music. I was especially good at playing the bamboo flute. If you master it, you'll be able to charm many women~" Aunt Hua said, picking up the flute from the table.

Oh? Now we're talking.

"Even soul masters might take a liking to you. When you grow up and get married, you'll have plenty of options. At that point, you'll be very successful…"

"So? Do you want to learn music from Auntie?"

She played a tune to demonstrate.

Even though she had no soul power and couldn't create magical effects, the melody was pleasant to Shi Hao's ears.

"Aunt Hua plays well… But the melody is so outdated. And the flute techniques in this world are so underdeveloped."

"On Earth, a flute could be used to play entire songs. Emotions could be expressed through melodies alone. I know so many heartwarming and heartbreaking tunes—Chinese, English, Hindi… With those, I could make people stop in their tracks and shed tears."

At that moment, Shi Hao saw his future in her tune.

And it was glorious.

Without hesitation, he expressed his willingness to learn.

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