NABC Page 29
Page 29
"we are very good friends."
Looking at her distraught appearance, Mu Qinghan spoke in a calm tone, but with a touch of gentleness.
"friend……"
Aoki Yuan repeated the two words in a low voice, as if savoring their meaning, then nodded vigorously and gave Mu Qinghan a sweet smile.
"Yes! We'll be best friends for life!"
As soon as she finished speaking, two lines of tears silently slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the hem of her skirt.
She quickly turned her face away and raised her hand to wipe away her tears, but as soon as she wiped them away, new tears welled up again, and she couldn't stop them no matter what she did.
How could she accept this...?
There was clearly a chance...
Mu Qinghan slowly turned around and looked at the people in the cave who were already showing signs of waking up.
"You're tired, let me take you home first."
"Um... thank you."
She is very strong-willed and doesn't want others to see her vulnerable side.
He... knew it too.
Chapter 37 Continuing the Dream
Dongfang Qinlan was clutching a candied hawthorn skewer that was piled high with candied hawthorns.
The bright red hawthorns, coated with a glistening sugar coating, gleamed enticingly in the sunlight.
She stood on tiptoe, tilted her little face up, and bit off the very top one.
With a crisp "crack," the sweet sugar coating melts on the tongue, releasing the tart flavor of the fruit and its aroma.
She chewed slowly, her eyes curving into crescents, oblivious to the sugar residue on the corners of her mouth, her face filled with the satisfaction of being healed by the sweets.
"Mmm... Hoot hoot..."
Dongfang Huaizhu stood to the side, her delicate hands gently holding the bamboo basket. Looking at her younger sister's puffed-out cheeks, a gentle smile appeared in her eyes.
He gently brushed away the bits of sugar clinging to Qin Lan's lips with his fingertips: "Eat less, the sugar coating is too thick, be careful not to get cavities."
With a hawthorn in her mouth, Qin Lan spoke indistinctly, shaking the candied hawthorn in her hand. "Sister, what's the point of life without candied hawthorn?"
She swallowed the fruit in her mouth and raised her chin in a serious manner.
"In this life, eating and drinking to your heart's content, enjoying your favorite flavors every day, and living a carefree life—that's true happiness!"
Dongfang Huaizhu was amused by her mature demeanor and spoke softly as a spring breeze.
"You little brat, you've got a whole repertoire of twisted logic. Wait until you're really in pain and crying, then let's see if you still dare to say that."
"I won't cry!"
Qin Lan immediately puffed out her chest and held the candied hawthorn high, "I am Qin Lan of the East! Even if I have a cavity, I will grit my teeth and see the doctor, and I will never shed a single tear!"
"Okay, okay, Qin Lan is the bravest."
Dongfang Huaizhu ruffled her hair with a mixture of helplessness and affection. Seeing her younger sister's smug little face, her own mood lightened as well.
"Hey hey hey..."
Qin Lan smiled, her eyes crinkling, and quickly bit into a candied hawthorn. The sweet taste made her wiggle her legs.
"Huh? Little Qin Lan is eating candied hawthorn?"
Dongfang Qinlan was happily licking the sugar frosting off the candied hawthorn when she heard the sound. Her face immediately fell, and her brows furrowed into a small knot.
Ugh, so annoying, it's Jin Renfeng again!
This guy is always hanging around my sister, like a piece of chewing gum that I can't shake off, he's so annoying!
She glared at the approaching young man in brocade robes, puffing out her cheeks as she retorted.
"Senior Brother, you're so old and you've never seen candied hawthorn before? This isn't candied hawthorn, it's pig intestines!"
As she spoke, she deliberately moved the candied hawthorn closer to his eyes, the bright red hawthorn skewer waving in front of Jin Renfeng.
"Pig...pig intestines?"
Jin Renfeng was taken aback by these words, his gentle smile froze for a moment, and then he chuckled dryly, "Hahaha, little Qin Lan is really joking. This candied hawthorn looks sweet, how could it be pig intestines?"
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Dongfang Huaizhu beside him, his eyes revealing an undisguised eagerness.
Dongfang Huaizhu stood there, watching her younger sister's sullen face, a faint smile flashing in her eyes.
This girl's verbal skills are getting better and better.
But when she caught a glimpse of Jin Renfeng's slightly embarrassed yet still persistent gaze, the smile on her lips gradually faded, replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible distance.
This senior brother really deserves it. He has told me many times that he has no feelings for him, but he still keeps pestering me.
Now that she's reached the age where she's just beginning to experience romantic feelings, she has a clear understanding of the difference between love and infidelity.
She knew Jin Renfeng's thoughts, but she had never had any special feelings for him. On the contrary, she always felt that there was an inexplicable ruthlessness hidden under his gentle mask.
The occasional calculating glint in his eyes made her feel disgusted from the bottom of her heart.
"Senior Brother," Dongfang Huaizhu stepped forward, subtly blocking Qin Lan's path, his tone calm yet distant.
"Qin Lan must be tired from playing, I'll take her back to rest first."
After she finished speaking, she nodded slightly as a farewell, took Qin Lan's small hand, and turned to leave.
Little Qin Lan, being led by her older sister, didn't forget to turn around and make a face at Jin Renfeng, sticking out her tongue, which made Jin Renfeng's face darken even more.
Watching the two sisters' departing figures, Jin Renfeng clenched his fists. The gentleness in his eyes completely disappeared, and a shadow crept up his brow, but he quickly concealed it. He stood there staring at the alley entrance, motionless for a long time.
Two vile women... sooner or later... you'll both be kneeling before me...
.....................
Freshly made osmanthus pastries were placed on the stone table.
Tu Shan Honghong looked at Tu Shan Ya Ya, who was resting her chin on her hand and looking into the distance, and couldn't help but reach out and wave gently in front of her eyes, her voice soft.
"Ya Ya, why have you been spacing out these past few days? I called you three times to try a piece of the new osmanthus pastry, but you didn't respond."
“That’s right,” Tu Shan Rongrong said, holding a piece of custard bread. She took a big bite, not caring that crumbs were stuck to the corners of her mouth. Her fox ears trembled slightly as she chewed.
"She always goes back to her room to sleep, and yesterday afternoon she even slept on the bed all afternoon."
Tu Shan Ya Ya suddenly snapped out of her daze, her eyes still somewhat hazy, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
She hurriedly turned her face away, pretending to look at the little fox demons chasing and playing in the distance, her fingertips gently twisting the hem of her skirt.
"No, no, I'm just... I've just been a little tired from cultivating lately."
Despite saying that, I was secretly stamping my feet in frustration.
Ever since she dreamed of Mu Qinghan that day, her mind has been filled with the warmth of his hand holding hers in the dream, the faint scent of ink when he was close, and the unfinished moment of getting closer that made her heart race.
These past two days she's been deliberately going to sleep frequently, just trying to continue that dream.
But every time he closed his eyes, either his mind went blank or he dreamed of all sorts of trivial things, and he couldn't see Mu Qinghan at all. Instead, he became mentally confused and even lost focus on his cultivation.
"If you get tired from cultivation, take a break and don't push yourself too hard."
Tu Shan Honghong gently patted her head and said in a tender tone, "If you encounter any obstacles, I'll help you figure them out."
"Okay... I understand, sister."
Ya Ya gave a vague reply, then secretly glanced at Rong Rong, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Rong Rong was focused on licking the bread crumbs off her fingers.
But when she thought of the scene in her dream, the blush that had just faded crept back up onto her cheeks, and even the tips of her ears felt hot.
Stealing a glance at Tu Shan Ya Ya's flushed face, Tu Shan Hong Hong and Tu Shan Rong Rong exchanged a look.
Yes, that's probably what you think.
What should we do then? Ya Ya can't go on like this forever. How about we try to capture Mu Qinghan?
Good heavens, sister! You're thinking way too far! That kid is the number one genius of the human race right now. If you capture him, the Dao Alliance will declare war on Tushan the very next day.
Besides, that kid is pretty strong too.
But I want to help Ya Ya; she's not like herself anymore.
Don't panic, I'm a matchmaker, I've seen it all, even if I haven't eaten pork. Let me secretly do a little trick.
Oh? How do I do that?
Tu Shan Ya Ya's lips twitched slightly as she watched her sister and Rong Rong's frantic exchange.
Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt even tighter, causing the fabric to crease deeply.
The blush on her cheeks spread down her ears and neck.
"Oh dear, sister, Rongrong, don't overthink it!"
She stamped her foot in frustration, "It's really not what you think! I just... I just haven't been sleeping well lately!"
"Huh? Did I say anything?"
Tu Shan Honghong raised an eyebrow and innocently shrugged.
"Sister, I was just thinking about what to have for lunch."
Tu Shan Rongrong took a bite of the bread in her hand, slowly opened her mouth, and her fox ears twitched slightly.
"Rock sugar stewed pear? Or red bean and glutinous rice porridge? What are you talking about?"
Tu Shan Ya Ya looked at the two sisters singing in unison, opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything to refute them for a long time. She could only stand there awkwardly, her cheeks so red they could bleed.
Tu Shan Ya Ya was rendered speechless by Rong Rong's words. Her cheeks turned as red as ripe hawthorns. In her panic, her eyes darted around, and after stammering for a long time, she finally managed to utter a sentence.
"I...I was saying...I was saying...the weather is pretty good today! Look at the sun, how warm it is."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to the sky, but his gaze was not on the sun at all.
"Well, it's really good."
Tu Shan Rongrong slowly took a bite of the osmanthus cake, her eyes curving into sly crescents, her tone light and airy.