Chapter 45: If you kiss a childish person while burning fire, you'll also become a childish person.

Xin Mian subconsciously turned her head away, widening the distance between them, and immediately looked towards Xiao Liwo's side.

Fortunately, the child didn't notice this side at all.

She turned around, glared at him, and said in a low voice, "Your dimples are still there."

Chi Yu smiled, a carefree and unrestrained smile, almost like a rogue, "Teacher Xiaomian."

"Can't I even talk to you now?"

Xin Mian was speechless. "...You're standing so close, don't think I don't know what you're up to."

"What do I want to do?" he countered, his tone drawn out with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Does Teacher Xiaomian mean that Xiaoliwo can't do it now, but I can do it when Xiaoliwo is gone?"

It was clearly a question, but the light in his dark eyes carried an unwavering determination to win.

Xinmian felt a slight warmth in the earlobes.

I couldn't argue with him.

She pushed his shoulder away, took the thermos, and went to the sofa.

Little Dimple tilted her head up to look at her, her eyes sparkling, "Teacher Xiaomian, did you draw all these stickers?"

Xin Mian nodded, smiled, and asked, "Is it pretty?"

"It's so beautiful!" Little Dimple nodded emphatically, her two little tufts of hair bobbing back and forth with her movements. "I also want to be able to draw such beautiful pictures like Teacher Xiaomian!"

Xinmian patted her head, "Our little dimple can definitely do it!"

Her tone was gentle yet incredibly firm. Little Dimple stared at her intently, then suddenly put down the sticker, reached out and hugged her, burying her head in her chest and nuzzling against her.

"Teacher Xiaomian, I like you so much~"

Xinmian smiled, wrapping her arms around the little girl's small body, and responding in her childlike, upturned tone, "Teacher Xiaomian also likes dimples~"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoliwo suddenly became a little shy, looked up and blinked shyly, then grabbed Xinmian's arm.

Xinmian leaned down following her force.

The next second, a child's soft, gentle kiss landed on her cheek.

Instantly separate.

Chi Yu, who had been standing by the table, immediately turned pale.

The voice was cold, "Li, Li."

Call them by their full name and surname.

Xiao Liwo shrugged, turned her head to look at him blankly, was immediately frightened by his gaze, and quickly turned back to bury herself in Xin Mian's arms.

Xin Mian glared at him immediately, "Why are you scaring her?"

Chi Yu: "She kissed you."

“Chi Yu,” she said, somewhat speechless, “you’re an adult.”

"She is a kindergarten student."

Chi Yu didn't speak, his dark eyes staring straight at her, filled with intense possessiveness.

Xin Mian pursed her lips and muttered softly, "Childish."

Chi Yu sneered, took a long stride to the sofa, and covered Xiao Liwo's eyes with his large hand.

With his other hand, he gripped the back of Xinmian's neck and pulled her close. His rough fingertips caressed the dimples on her cheeks as his tall frame leaned down, his warm breath falling on her ear. "You kissed a childish brat."

"You're a childish idiot too."

"you...!"

Xin Mian's cheeks flushed instantly. Just as she was about to struggle free, Chi Yu stepped back before her, sitting casually on the single sofa and looking at her with a lazy and unrestrained air.

Little Dimple looked completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.

All I know is that my vision suddenly went black, and then suddenly it went bright again.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was the takeout that Chi Yu had ordered. Li Ke came in carrying two full bags.

"elder brother!"

Little Dimple shouted excitedly.

The four people sat down in the lounge.

Chi Yu must have often eaten with Xiao Liwo and Li Ke before, so he knows their tastes quite well. Xiao Liwo ate a small bowl of minced meat and egg custard clean.

Xinmian could clearly sense that she was very happy. When she ate with a spoon, she would look up and scan them all, then lean her head to the left and rub against Li Ke's arm affectionately. After Li Ke patted her head and told her to eat obediently, she would turn to the right and rub against Xinmian's arm in the same way, her big, grape-like eyes looking at her.

Xin Mian's heart softened at the sight. "Do you still want some shrimp? How about I peel one for you?"

Little Dimple shook her head and patted her round belly. "Teacher Xiaomian, I'm full."

"Okay, then you can go play over there first. The stickers are in your little backpack."

......

After we finished eating, the rain finally stopped.

The road outside the internet cafe was wet, and the air was fresh after the rain.

In October, the seaside town is still very hot during the day, but a bit cool at night.

Before taking Xiaoliwo to school in the morning, Li Ke had put a light jacket in her small backpack, and now she took it out and put it on her.

A few people stood at the doorway, water still dripping from the eaves.

Li Ke hesitated for a moment before speaking, "...Brother Yu, the rain has stopped. How about Xiaoliwo and I take a taxi back ourselves?"

Chi Yu glanced at him, twirled the car key around her index finger, and walked towards the black SUV, saying lazily, "Stop talking nonsense."

Xin Mian glanced at the two of them, but didn't ask any questions. She then took Xiao Liwo's hand and followed behind Chi Yu.

Li Ke had no choice but to get on the bus as well.

Li Ke and Xiao Liwo's home is also in the Wangshui Island residential area, but it is quite far from Dongpu Lane. It takes more than ten minutes to drive there from the internet cafe.

In just over ten minutes, Little Dimple was already drowsy and lay on Li Ke's lap with her eyes closed.

Li Ke wrapped her tightly in his coat and gently patted her back with his palm.

In the rearview mirror, Xinmian's gaze fell on the brother and sister in the back seat.

I just feel that Li Ke is not like an older brother at times, but more like a mother or father.

She remembered how Li Ke carefully removed the fish bones from Xiao Liwo's clothes during dinner, and she also remembered Xiao Liwo's always clean and fresh little dress, as well as the neatly folded spare clothes in her little backpack.

Li Ke seemed to play many roles in front of Xiao Liwo, but he was definitely not the older brother of a 14 or 15-year-old junior high school student.

The car finally stopped in front of a narrow alley. The streetlight at the entrance of the alley was broken and flickered, reflecting the traces of rainwater washing on the narrow stone road.

Li Ke carefully held Xiao Liwo in his arms, glanced at Xin Mian, and subconsciously didn't want her to get out of the car with him. "...Brother Yu, I can go in by myself."

Chi Yu raised his hand to check the time on his watch; it was already past 9 o'clock.

The residential area was quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog. Because of the rain tonight, there were very few pedestrians nearby.

A small shop at the alley entrance is lit by a tiny incandescent light, illuminating a small space under the eaves.

The shop owner was coming and going, packing up her things to close the shop. When she saw Li Ke and Chi Yu, she smiled and greeted them.

"Is Little Dimple asleep?"

Li Ke thought for a moment and asked, "Aunt Lü, is he home?"

Aunt Lü paused in her work, thought for a moment, and wasn't quite sure, "I saw him come back in the evening, but then it rained so hard that I didn't notice if he went out again."

After hearing this, Chi Yu grasped Xin Mian's shoulders, turned her around, and whispered, "Xin Xiaomian, wait in the car for a while, I'll be back soon."

Xin Mian was completely confused. "Aren't I going in?"

"Hmm," he responded softly, lowering his gaze to meet her curious eyes. "I'll tell you everything you want to know later."

The two stopped in their tracks in front of the passenger door.

Xin Mian turned her head to look at Li Ke, who was standing at the entrance of the convenience store. His right arm, which was holding Xiao Liwo, still had her little schoolbag hanging on it. Xiao Liwo was sleeping soundly in his arms.

The lights from the convenience store shone through from behind, as if coating them with a layer of warm, pearly light.

She didn't say anything more, opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, leaned against the half-lowered window, and whispered, "You guys go in quickly."

"Little Dimple is asleep, it's chilly outside."

Chi Yu gently patted the top of her head with his large hand, then turned and led Li Ke and Xiao Liwo into the alley.

Their figures gradually disappeared into the dim alley. Xinmian was bored in the car, so she turned her head to watch Aunt Lü pack her things.

Aunt Lü noticed her gaze, smiled, and took a bottle of yogurt from the shop. She was very enthusiastic, "Young lady, are you Chi Yu's girlfriend?"

Xin Mian smiled shyly and waved her hand, "Aunt Lü, you've misunderstood, I didn't..."

Aunt Lü shoved the yogurt into her hand, looking like a seasoned veteran who had seen it all, "Even if it's not now, it definitely will be in the future."

Xin Mian blushed as she accepted it.

Everything in the shop was packed away, the door was closed, and only a small lamp remained under the eaves.

On such a damp, rainy night, even the light and shadow seemed to be soaked with moisture.

Only two minutes had passed since Chi Yu and Li Ke went inside.

The surroundings were dim, so Xin Mian simply rolled up the car window and picked up her phone to chat casually with Qin Shengtian on WeChat.

In the quiet environment, even the croaking of frogs in the nearby grass could be heard clearly.

However, the next second, Xinmian realized that something was wrong.

It felt like I was being watched.

My scalp tingled instantly, and a chill ran up my spine from the soles of my feet.

The cold, pale light from the phone screen made her heart race, and she mustered her courage to turn around.

"Ah—" She quickly covered her mouth.

Outside the passenger-side window, a face was pressed against the car, its sunken, listless eyes staring intently into the interior, as if the person had been drinking.

He grinned, "Why is Chi Yu's car parked here?"

The person's voice wasn't clear through the car window, but it sounded especially distinct on such a night.

Xin Mian slumped in her seat. Even though she knew the car windows were tinted to prevent people from seeing inside, her hands and feet were still cold. Her first thought was to check if the passenger door was locked.

She swallowed hard, and before she could even dial Chi Yu's number, she heard a scream outside.

When I turned my head again, the face outside the car window was gone.

Chi Yu appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his right hand and twisted it behind his back, then kicked him hard in the back of the knee, pinning him to the ground. His eyes were so sinister they looked like he wanted to kill him.

In the dim night, Chi Yu exuded a cold and menacing aura that sent chills down one's spine.

"Aaaaaah!"

The man screamed, "Chi Yu, let go! I didn't do anything..."

"I didn't steal your car..."

Chi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, composed himself, and looked at the black SUV.

Even though the inside of the car couldn't be seen through the window tint, my gaze unconsciously softened.

"Li Ruifa, I advise you to act like a human being."

He withdrew his gaze, his voice cold, and suddenly shoved the person forward.

Li Ruifa was pushed to the ground, his drunkenness completely gone, and he grimaced as he rubbed his arm.

To this day, he still doesn't know that there was someone sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV.

He stood up from the ground, grinning as he approached, "It's so late, are you taking Li Ke and Xiao Liwo back?"

He's almost forty, but he still acts like a thug, spending his days doing nothing but drinking and gambling.

Chi Yu stared at him with a sinister look in her eyes, clearly issuing a warning. Without saying anything more, she turned and went back to her car.

But Li Rui seemed to have something to discuss with him. He chased after him for a few steps, but then hesitated because of Li Rui's powerful and chilling aura.

He could only limp into the alleyway.

Inside the car, Xin Mian clutched her chest, still shaken.

Only after Chi Yu got into the car did she feel relieved.

The familiar scent of the man wafted out with the airflow as the car door opened and closed, enough to put her at ease.

Before Xin Mian could say anything, she was pulled by a strong force and fell into a safe and warm embrace.

Chi Yu held her tightly with both hands, as if he wanted to crush her.

He buried his head against her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.

Xin Mian was caught off guard by his movements and found herself struggling slightly in his embrace, barely able to breathe.

But he didn't let her go.

Chi Yu tilted his head and kissed her cheek, his voice filled with remorse, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone in the car."

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Author's Note: [Please][Please][Please]