NOVPUB
Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Extra story of Baozi
The spring air was bright and beautiful, and the time was just right.
Inside the Space-Time Base, peach and willow trees blossomed, a dazzling array of flora captivating the sight.
Tian Xinyue chased after the man ahead of her with determination, her face flushed pink from the swift movement.
"Stop, hey!... Stop right there, Xiao Jian!"
Xiao Jian suddenly halted, and Tian Xinyue, caught off guard, collided with his back.
"Ow! It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts..." She covered her nose and glanced at Xiao Jian without losing focus, "I’ve called you so many times, didn’t you hear me?"
Xiao Jian raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat impatient, and asked, "What’s the matter?"
Tian Xinyue found herself speechless, stammering without uttering a word, her face growing even redder.
Xiao Jian turned and said, "If there’s nothing, I’m leaving." n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
"Don’t you dare go!" Tian Xinyue, feeling frantic, reached out and grabbed Xiao Jian’s arm.
The two stood in a deadlock, with neither speaking for a good while.
After a long time, Tian Xinyue mustered up the courage and almost shouted with her eyes closed, "Do you like me or not?!"
She waited a long time, but no response came. When Tian Xinyue opened her eyes to look at Xiao Jian—
His face was completely red, and with some irritation, he shook off Tian Xinyue’s hand, saying, "If it’s nothing, I’m leaving."
Tian Xinyue grew desperate, lunging forward to wrap her arms around his arm, saying, "You are not leaving! You’re trying to avoid me again! If you don’t like me, why is your heartbeat so fast?! I heard it!"
Xiao Jian became even more embarrassed...
Tian Xinyue continued, "You always steal glances at me! And when I turn to look at you, you quickly look away! When I talk to you, your heartbeats become uncontrollably rapid! Also, yesterday when Yang Qi called me ’Sweetheart,’ you got a long face and wouldn’t talk to me! He was just joking, deliberately calling me by the first two characters of my name. Why are you showing me attitude..."
"I’m not showing any attitude," Xiao Jian said, turning his face away uncomfortably.
"You are! You definitely are! You obviously like me! Why won’t you admit it?!" As Tian Xinyue spoke, her voice began to waver with a sense of grievance, "You clearly like me... why ignore me... why don’t you say something..."
Seeing Tian Xinyue looking close to tears, Xiao Jian hurriedly looked around. Finding no one else, he whispered, "I’ve said it before."
"Huh?" Tian Xinyue looked up at him, bewildered.
"Once..." Xiao Jian’s tone was unsure, and he paused before continuing, "...Once I asked you if you had any plans to get married, and you said... in the apocalyptic world, you could live well alone."
Tian Xinyue’s eyes widened in disbelief as she gazed at Xiao Jian.
"I thought... that was just casual conversation..." Could that have been a confession? Damn, could there be such an indirect way of confessing?! She hadn’t noticed at all!
Seeing Tian Xinyue’s expression, Xiao Jian, perhaps realizing his blunder, acknowledged silently that he was never good with words.
"Now..." Xiao Jian cleared his throat uncomfortably and asked her, "What are your plans now?"
— What?
Tian Xinyue’s mind went blank.
What are my plans?
She just wasn’t happy with his evasion and wanted an answer. Now that she had it, what next...?
As the blush that hadn’t completely faded returned, Tian Xinyue edged closer with a touch of bashfulness and whispered, "Just... like that..."
"Like what?" Xiao Jian didn’t understand.
"Just like that..." Tian Xinyue mumbled in response. She didn’t even know what she was saying. Why does a girl have to spell it out?! It’s so embarrassing!
"...Like what?"
"I really can’t stand it anymore, Uncle Xiao, you should kiss Aunt Xinyue now!"
A childish girl’s voice suddenly sounded, startling both of them! Looking toward the source of the sound, they saw a little piece of pink skirt peeking through the dense branches of a towering ancient tree.
Tian Xinyue nervously patted her chest and said, "Xixi? How did you climb so high?! What if you fall? It’s too dangerous! ..."
Before she could finish speaking, a little boy’s head popped out from the bushes below and he shouted loudly, "Haha! Sister! So you were up in the tree! I found you!"
Tian Xinyue stepped back in shock, "An’an? ... You’re here too?!"
Han Shixi rolled her eyes, her pale pink legs swaying. "Auntie, we’re playing hide and seek here..."
You, you all... have been here the whole time?... Heard everything?"
Han Shi’an jumped out and cheerfully replied, "Heard it all!"
Tian Xinyue, flushed with embarrassment, wished she could hide in a hole in the ground, "...Er, An’an, Xixi, could you help Auntie keep a secret, could you?"
Han Shi’an reflexively looked up at the tree. He was just a little over three years old and didn’t understand much. he simply followed his sister Han Shixi’s lead in everything.
But the problem was, Han Shixi was only five years old... still a child herself.
"Aunt Xinyue, we’ll need a secrecy fee," Han Shixi said from the tree, bracing her arms as she jumped down. Mid-air, she released a Spirit Energy Ball directly below her, cushioning her fall with a soft bounce before landing steadily on the ground.
Tian Xinyue awkwardly touched her shirt pocket, then looked to Xiao Jian for help.
Everyone knew that there were two little tyrants in the base, infamous for extorting everyone they met... so if you wanted to stroll around the palace garden in peace, you always needed to have something in your pocket.
Tian Xinyue had rushed out and forgot to bring anything.
Xiao Jian fished three or four lollipops out of his pocket.
Upon seeing them, Han Shi’an immediately dashed over with a hand stretched out, his eyes shining as he looked at the two adults, "Thank you, Uncle and Auntie!" Having said that, he grabbed a few in each hand and ran back to Han Shixi, showing off the candy, "Sister! They’re fruit-flavored!"
Tian Xinyue couldn’t help but warn, "An’an, eating too much sugar can cause cavities for young children..."
Han Shixi, who loved sweets and could not live without them, had recently had a toothache. she had just gotten better not long ago, and now here she was, clamoring for sweets again, and even getting her brother to join in...
Tian Xinyue remembered that Han Jiaojiao had instructed them to be very cautious with these two, specifically not to let them eat sweets secretly... and yet, here they were...
Feeling a bit guilty, she watched as Han Shi’an skillfully unwrapped a lollipop and began to lick it, leaving her no choice but to weakly remind them, "Make sure you rinse your mouth after eating, alright?"
The siblings kept eating and nodded their heads while doing so.
When Tian Xinyue and Xiao Jian had left, Han Shixi slowly raised her voice, "They’re gone, Uncle Yan Xiao, Uncle Kairui, you can come out now."
Suddenly, two figures became visible under the tree – it was Yan Xiao and Bai Kairui.
Seeing them, Han Shi’an immediately protested, "No fair! No fair! You used Invisibility Ability for hide and seek!"
Yan Xiao and Bai Kairui wiped sweat from their foreheads. They were just playing with the children - how could they really hide? Of course, they stayed nearby to keep an eye on them, but they had no idea Xiao Jian and Tian Xinyue would come by... and have such a conversation...
Yan Xiao crouched down to be on the same level as the two little ones, his face friendly as he said, "Xixi, An’an, Uncle knows you’re both very sensible... Remember, ha, don’t tell anyone else about Uncle Yan Xiao and Uncle Kairui being here..."
Knowing Xiao Jian’s reserved nature, what would happen if he found out that he and Kairui were here... wouldn’t he be irate?
An’an tilted his head, confused and not fully understanding.
Han Shixi, like a little boss, patted his shoulder and said, "An’an, do you want to eat some more fruit candy?"
Han Shi’an nodded like a pecking chicken, "Want to eat!"
Yan Xiao: "..."
Bai Kairui: "..."
