Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Aquaman Dad 6
The temple ruins were fraught with danger, and the group soon encountered a group of magical puppets. These puppets were the remains of those who had previously entered the temple and died. They were all above mid-level strength, and because they were controlled by the element of light, they were 80% immune to light magic attacks. They quickly defeated the Knights.
Caroline has specialized in healing magic since she was young. Seeing the knights almost being beaten and unable to fight back, each one covered in wounds, she was extremely anxious but could only continuously cast light magic to heal them, and then watched them bravely rush forward one by one and get beaten and vomit blood.
This crushing defeat made Zhuozhuo extremely anxious. She tried several times to rush forward and throw the little light ball, but Cheng Su quickly grabbed it and brought it back. She slapped Cheng Su's arm anxiously, beckoning him, "Go help Sister Kaka!"
Cheng Su watched the knights and puppets fighting in a clump, his face thick with worry, anxiety, and genuine emotion. Hearing Zhuo Zhuo's request, he smiled down at her, his tone resigned. "Good mother, do you think I can defeat so many puppets by myself? And I need to protect you. You're so tiny; even a touch from a puppet would be seriously injured."
He gestured and said that it looked as big as a small potato that anyone could step on.
Zhuozhuo glared at Cheng Su, pouting her lips and saying childishly, "Good son, listen to your mother."
Cheng Su seemed to be choked, speechless yet wanting to laugh. He casually pointed ahead and said sincerely, "Good mother, it's not just me who thinks so, they think so too. Look, now they can't even get up, and no one has asked me for help."
9972 was too lazy to complain about him. He was about to explain to Zhuozhuo that it was not that the Knights did not want to ask Cheng Su for help, but that Cheng Su was calm and motionless, and it was obvious that he was ready to make conditions. The Knights did not want to be manipulated, so they did not ask for help.
Zhuozhuo said in a baby voice, "We're together. Even if they didn't tell you, you should still go fight the puppets. You're better than them, so why are you hiding behind them and letting them protect you? Are you a coward?"
Zhuozhuo tilted her head, remembering what 9972 had said about him. She didn't understand what it meant, but knew it wasn't a good thing. She wrinkled her nose and said with disdain, "An embroidered pillow."
“…”
This little devil.
Cheng Su gritted his teeth and sneered to scare her, "Provocation won't work on me."
"Bad guy."
Zhuozhuo made a face at Cheng Su and kicked to get off, but he held on tightly. As he struggled, Zhuozhuo used more and more strength, and suddenly kicked against a soft spot. Cheng Su groaned, his face flushed instantly, veins bulged on his forehead, and a look of pain appeared in his eyes.
Zhuozhuo: "Huh?"
Cheng Su closed his eyes, took a deep breath, slowly bent down and put Zhuo Zhuo on the ground, and pushed her back with a little force, "Go away."
Zhuozhuo staggered two steps, then suddenly turned around and rushed back towards Cheng Su like a little bull, giving him a hard headbutt, hitting his hand between his legs.
Cheng Su let out an exaggerated yet genuine cry of pain, then fell to the ground and slowly curled up like a shrimp, motionless, as if he were dead.
The little guy was also bounced back to sit on the ground, holding his forehead and whimpering in pain, complaining unhappily that the back of Cheng Su's hand was too hard and made of bones.
[……]
9972: [It's okay, baby, you've already hurt Cheng Su badly.]
"All right."
White light emanated from her palms. She rubbed her red forehead until it no longer hurt. When she looked up, she saw Cheng Su, who seemed to be shrouded in a dark cloud of sadness. She subconsciously swallowed the "big one" that was about to come out of her mouth and called out softly, "Cheng Su."
Cheng Su said nothing.
Zhuozhuo took hesitant steps towards him, squatted down, and pulled Cheng Su's hair aside to look at his face. He glared at her expressionlessly, and she inexplicably felt guilty and lost, having done something wrong. Zhuozhuo was confused and circled around Cheng Su, then simply ignored him. She turned and ran to the Saint, excitedly saying, "Sister Kaka, Zhuozhuo will fight the bad guys with you!"
In just a short while, the Knights fell down twice and looked increasingly weak.
However, Zhuozhuo failed to throw the small ball of light in his hand.
"Can't."
[Can't! ! ! ]
Caroline and 9972 tried to stop her at the same time, but Caroline only said one sentence in the midst of her busy schedule, and when she saw that Zhuozhuo didn't continue, she stopped paying attention to her, while 9972 shouted at the top of his lungs, with the same tragic and resolute tone as the ancient ministers who died in the court.
Zhuozhuo was frightened and didn't dare to move. He pricked up his ears to listen to what 9972 would say next.
9972 said earnestly: "Baby, your little light ball doesn't belong to light magic. It's usually hard to tell, but if it lands on a puppet, it won't be immune, and it'll be immediately noticed that something's wrong."
It wouldn't matter much if the people of the Western Fantasy Continent discovered that Zhuozhuo was a sprite capable of light magic. However, if she were discovered to be able to wield a form of magic independent of known elements, that would be a major event that would drive the entire Western Fantasy Continent into a frenzy. Then, every race on the continent would be hunting her down, and she would have no hope of living in peace.
In case Zhuozhuo didn't take it seriously, 9972 emphasized, "Baby, if we're discovered, we'll have to leave this little world."
"leave?"
"Yes, if you leave this place, you can no longer be an elf. You won't have pointy ears, and you won't be able to see the Elf Mother Tree, Ariana, and Caroline. Maybe in the next small world, you will choose an ugly race, and when you open your eyes, you will only see a group of ugly monsters, each ugly in its own unique way."
It didn't dare mention Cheng Su, for fear that Zhuo Zhuo would deliberately expose himself in order to avoid seeing Cheng Su.
Zhuozhuo wasn't frightened; she wanted to see how ugly everyone else could be. She sensed 9972's anxious and anxious mood, so she decided to comfort him first, saying, "Okay."
Before 9972 could sigh that she was a face control, Zhuozhuo stretched out his chubby little hand and said, "Tongtong, give me the little bow."
[……]
Seeing that Zhuozhuo was determined to fight, 9972 stopped trying to stop her and gave her the small bow given by the Elf Mother Tree. Worried that she might rush in without any strategy like before, it earnestly warned her: "Baby, archers are ranged. You need to stand behind the Knights and Caroline. Don't get too close."
"I know."
Zhuozhuo grabbed the small bow, aimed it at the area with the most puppets, and pulled the string. The Life Spring Arrow quickly formed and was ready to be launched. Just before Zhuozhuo let go, Cheng Su suddenly stood in front of her and said exaggeratedly, "Mom, there are so many people fighting, I'm scared."
Zhuozhuo immediately looked Cheng Su up and down carefully and said happily, "Cheng Su, you're okay. I thought you were going to die."
“…”
She thought he was going to die, but she had no intention of calling for help. Cheng Su knew what position she held in Zhuo Zhuo's heart. And wasn't it this little devil who had severely injured him twice, causing him to almost die from the pain? She still looked innocent.
But Cheng Su couldn't say anything to blame the little girl, she didn't understand at all! He could only swallow this loss in silence, with a fake smile, "I'm lucky to still be alive. Mom, please come to the back and protect me, it's too dangerous here."
9972 couldn't bear to listen any longer. [Why is Cheng Su so timid this time? Has his core really not changed?!]
Almost at the same time, Caroline, who had heard the conversation between the two, looked over with concern, "Angus, are you injured? Did the puppet's attack bypass us and hit you? I'll help you heal your wound."
Her tone actually sounded a little guilty, and her words and actions clearly showed that she had a very good impression of Cheng Su.
9972 was shocked. [Is the protagonist's aura so powerful? Is Caroline blind and can't she see Cheng Su's cowardly and helpless behavior?]
Cheng Su smiled and refused, looking very remorseful. "Thank you, Lady Caroline. The situation is critical now. I won't waste your healing magic by not participating in the battle. You and the other knights have worked hard."
As soon as he finished speaking, a soft, healing white light fell on Cheng Su, healing the injuries he had sustained while being hunted by the Vatican. Cheng Su moved his arms and said, somewhat flattered, "Caroline, I hid behind you, and not only did you not despise me, you even healed my wounds. I... thank you."
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he forgot the word "adult" and seemed much more approachable.
The knights, caught in the act, didn't notice the conversation behind them. Caroline pursed her lips but didn't correct them. She said gently, "Don't overthink it. I know you're staying by Zhuozhuo's side because you're worried about her. You'd rather be misunderstood than protect your child. Your love for your child is a hundred times stronger than those scum who sell their children for wealth and fame. We respect you so much, how could we look down on you?"
9972: [……]
He was so busy with a bunch of swear words that he didn't know which one to swear at first. Cheng Su endured the humiliation and performed this act just to target the saint.
Caroline has lived in the Vatican since she was three years old, and was trained as a candidate for sainthood with a group of children. She soon showed talent far beyond her peers, and became a saint at the age of five. She was respected and had an extraordinary status.
But few people know that Caroline's life before the age of three was extremely difficult. Her alcoholic father, having squandered all his money on the tavern, had no money left to support his children. He even planned to drown his newborn daughter, but her mother desperately saved her. However, when she was a year and a half old, her mother, ill from overwork, was beaten to death by her drunken father. Faced with hunger and beatings from her father, Caroline's instinct for survival prompted her to awaken her magical talent, barely surviving.
It was not until Caroline was three years old that her alcoholic father suddenly realized how incredible it was that an unattended child could stumble to life. He believed that she was a reincarnated witch and attributed the reason for his own years of failure and hardship to her. He decided to tie her up and burn her in the square.
In the flames, Caroline burst out with powerful light magic and was discovered by a local priest and sent to the Vatican.
To help Caroline better serve as a saint, the Vatican concealed her past experiences, claiming she was a gift from the God of Light, brought down from the statue by the Pope himself eighteen years ago. However, Caroline knew everything by heart, but she simply followed the Vatican's instructions and never spoke of it.
Growing up in the vortex of power of the Holy See, Caroline was undoubtedly lacking in love. She longed for maternal love and was also very fond of men who doted on children.
The character Cheng Su created in front of Caroline was that of a single father who doted on his children infinitely. He was also tall, handsome, and powerful, and his lethality to Caroline was immeasurable.
9972 remembered a detail. In the original plot, the emotional lines between the male protagonist and the many female supporting characters were very simple and crude, and the focus was almost entirely on the female supporting characters' beauty, figure, and physical communication between the two. Every time it came to this world to perform a mission, everything it saw was consistent with the original plot, until one time its host accidentally overheard the male protagonist and the saint having sex.
The male protagonist, who had transformed into his original form and was experiencing a period of puberty, comforted the frightened saint, "Don't be afraid, dear child. Lie down and hug me. You don't have to think about anything... Good child, um..."
It's as if a mature and steady elder is coaxing and caring for a young and tender child.
At that time, 9972 thought the male protagonist was a bit greasy and perverted, but now think about it, the saint obviously fell for it.
From then on, the interaction between the saint and the hero became much more delicate. It was as if "she loved him" was a set program, a concept forcibly instilled in her before, but now it is her love from the heart, it is true love. Those interactions are no longer the author's description, but her active behavior.
9972 suddenly had a guess: the process of Small World evolving from a literary work is actually the process of giving souls to all the characters within it and ensuring that these souls function normally. If nothing unexpected happens, these souls will never realize that they were created and that their world has transformed from a false world to a real one throughout their lives.
If during the repeated world rewinds, a soul awakens and realizes the falsity of the world, what will this soul do?
The male protagonist's comfort to the saint can be understood as the filling of details in the evolution of the small world, or it can be understood as the autonomous behavior of the awakened male protagonist.
As for what exactly happens, we need to continue to observe. But 9972 doesn't want the hero to awaken, because the hero of this small world is destined to be burned by the fire of the earth's core. Before he awakened, he was able to escape at the last moment, so after awakening, would he just wait to be burned? He must have been planning to avoid death the moment he awakened!
Maybe he'll even take revenge on the whole world.
Regardless of whether Cheng Su's current personality was intentional or an accident, Caroline has really fallen for him.
Seeing Cheng Su suddenly exchange silent glances with Caroline, Zhuozhuo immediately bypassed him and fired an arrow into the group of puppets. The Fountain of Life and the Elven Mother Tree both contained powerful life force, which was perfect for restraining the undead and death magic, including these undead puppets.
With one arrow, not only did the target turn into dust, but the aftermath also knocked down several puppets around it. The power was astonishing.
Zhuozhuo was very surprised when he saw this. He changed the direction and shot another arrow. This time he was lucky and shot two arrows, saving the knight commander who was almost beheaded.
The Knight Commander was stunned for a moment, and just as he was about to thank Zhuozhuo, she had already gone off to shoot in another direction. He took one look and knew the little girl had absolutely no archery skills. To avoid accidental injuries, he directed the knights to withdraw from the battlefield in an orderly manner, allowing Zhuozhuo to fully demonstrate her skills.
Caroline, who looked away with her heart beating faster, also noticed the changes on the battlefield. She realized that her healing magic could also hurt the puppets, so she immediately cooperated with Zhuozhuo.
Soon, all the undead puppets were destroyed. Caroline cast healing spells on the seriously injured knights one by one, and then cast a rejuvenation spell on the knights, healing all their injuries.
The Knights then took out clean clothes from the space props and changed out of their tattered and dirty clothes, and they looked as solemn and neat as when they first met.
Zhuozhuo's eyes sparkled when she saw this scene, and she asked 9972 to change her clothes as well. 9972 asked her to stand in the place where the knights changed clothes, and she picked out a white dress with golden floral patterns. After putting it on, she looked like a little angel.
The saint, who had consumed a lot of magic power, was helped by the Knight Commander to sit on a high platform to rest. Zhuozhuo was about to climb up to be close to her and show her new clothes when he was picked up by Cheng Su.
He was tall, and he purposely held Zhuozhuo higher, so that Zhuozhuo could look at Caroline, who was sitting on the high platform, at eye level. She waved happily, "Sister Kaka."
Caroline smiled tiredly, "Zhuozhuo is amazing, he saved everyone, thank you Zhuozhuo."
She held Zhuozhuo's little hand, and light magic surged, smoothing out the marks on Zhuozhuo's hand from pulling the bow.
The marks were so shallow that Zhuozhuo herself didn't even notice them, but as she turned over and over her unmarked little hands, she felt as if her heart, too, had been enveloped by a magical light. Zhuozhuo blinked and said softly, "I like Sister Kaka."
Caroline smiled gently. "I like Zhuozhuo too. Zhuozhuo's new clothes are so beautiful, like the divine light in the sky when the God of Light sends down his oracles."
Zhuozhuo twisted happily in Cheng Su's arms, then suddenly pounced on Caroline and kissed her on the face.
Caroline was stunned for a moment, then a charming smile blossomed on her face, like a bud blooming in the rising sun. She simply took Zhuozhuo in her arms and spoke to her gently. Zhuozhuo chattered as if she hadn't been in contact with a female elder in 800 years, and she couldn't wait to cling to Caroline.
Cheng Su's legs were almost numb from standing for a long time before he waited for the two to finish talking. He put Zhuo Zhuo on the ground neatly and looked at Caroline hesitantly.
After a moment of silence, Caroline's eyelashes fluttered, and she took the initiative to speak: "Mr. Angus, what can I do for you?"
Glancing at the eager knights, Cheng Su said, "I'm here to say goodbye to you. You're searching for the holy artifact, and bringing Zhuozhuo and me with you would be a burden..."
"You are not a burden. Zhuozhuo just saved everyone." Caroline said earnestly, "Mr. Angus, I know what your concerns are. I promise that my knights and I will not do anything that is detrimental to Zhuozhuo. If you don't believe me, we can sign a contract."
The bow and life-spring arrows crafted from the Elven Mother Tree were so recognizable that even before Zhuozhuo revealed her small light ball and elven ears, Caroline and the Knights had guessed her identity. This also revealed the reason why Cheng Su had been reluctant to attack and had repeatedly tried to stop Zhuozhuo from doing so. This not only strengthened Caroline's favor towards him, but also changed the Knights' attitude towards him.
9972 rolled its eyes, and it knew that Cheng Su was going to take the opportunity to act, yue!
However, Cheng Su performed this act just to improve his character. He would definitely not let Caroline sign the contract. He would probably say something about trusting her character in order to gain Caroline's trust and move her.
Thinking of this, 997t2 felt unhappy. Just as he was about to complain to Zhuozhuo, he heard Cheng Su say gently, "It would be great if we could sign a contract. I have already drafted the contract content. Please take a look."
Cheng Su handed Caroline a contract scroll, and Caroline looked at it silently.
9972:[……]
Actually signed a contract?
Cheng Su will definitely tamper with the contract!
Thinking this way, 9972 urged Zhuozhuo: [Baby, take a look at what's written on the contract.]
Zhuozhuo satisfied it, she held Cheng Su's legs and climbed up, just after climbing for a while, she was picked up by him. She immediately clung to Caroline's shoulders and tilted her little head to look at the contract scroll.
9972 studied it carefully and found that this was indeed an ordinary confidentiality agreement, which only required the Saint and the Knights not to disclose Zhuozhuo's identity or harm Zhuozhuo. There was no selfish motive on Cheng Su's part at all.
This is impossible.
Is it raining red from the sky?
The sun rises from the west?
9972, surrounded by various conspiracy theories, suddenly noticing the unfriendly glances from the Knights, he felt a sense of clarity. Cheng Su was trying to play a trick of undermining before praising. He deliberately demanded the contract, causing dissatisfaction among the Knights and the Saint, only to regret it when the time came to sign. This would more vividly and deeply demonstrate his regard for Zhuo Zhuo and his trust in the Saint and her group, while also conveying his tangled pain and causing the Saint to feel a pang of distress.
9972 was lost in thought, and when he came to his senses, he discovered that the Saint had already signed a contract with Cheng Su as a representative. Two beams of light sank into their brows, [……]
Okay, it’s just a contract, just sign it. Anyway, a contract can’t mean that Cheng Su is really good to Zhuo Zhuo.
Even after resting and setting off again, 9972 was still mumbling in his head, "Baby, Cheng Su is really scheming! You must not be fooled by his sweet talk. He may say nice things to you, but who knows what he's plotting against you. If you really let him trick you into falling in love with him, you'll definitely be sold out and help him count the money!"
Zhuozhuo said unconvincedly, "No way. If Cheng Su lied to me, he would turn into a hippopotamus and give birth to a baby. I would know it the moment I saw it, and I wouldn't believe him."
[That's a good idea, but baby, it's about turning into a seahorse, not a hippopotamus.]
9972 imagined the scene of Cheng Su turning into a hippopotamus and couldn't help laughing.
Zhuozhuo covered his nose and asked with a sad face, "Tongtong, did you fart in my brain?"
[No!]
"Oh." Zhuozhuo put down his hand and sniffed. Reassured that he didn't smell anything bad, he asked curiously, "Aren't hippos and seahorses different?"
9972 showed Zhuozhuo images of hippos and seahorses. Zhuozhuo was startled by the hippopotamus's huge mouth. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Its mouth is bigger than my head. I'm afraid to look at it."
9972 immediately turned off the image of the hippopotamus and released images of pufferfish and dolphins to divert Zhuozhuo's attention. Seeing that she was interested, he directly moved on to fresh river and seafood.
Zhuozhuo was held in her arms, and with science films about marine and river life playing in her mind, she gradually fell asleep. When she woke up, the magnificent palace was gone, and the surrounding firelight was dim and cold. Zhuozhuo subconsciously snuggled into the arms holding her, and heard Cheng Su's chuckle, "Are you awake?"
Zhuozhuo moved, resting her little head on Cheng Su's arm as she looked up at him drowsily. Suddenly, she felt that his shoulders were so broad, like a wall that could protect her from wind and rain, which made her feel very reassured. She called out softly, "Cheng Su."
"Um."
"I'm hungry, let's eat."
"Just wait a moment, it will be ready soon."
Cheng Su held Zhuozhuo for a few steps. The firelight grew brighter and hotter. Zhuozhuo arched his back and sat up from his embrace. He found that it was getting dark and everyone had stopped in a very open place to rest. They were sitting around several campfires, some busy cooking, but none of them could compare to the delicious aroma wafting from Cheng Su's room.
Cheng Su hugged Zhuozhuo with one hand and raised a long stick in the other hand and waved it in front of her. The aroma of meat filled her nose. She took a breath and unconsciously chased after the long stick.
"Hey, she's about to fall." Cheng Su leaned back and used his waist and abdomen to lift up Zhuozhuo, who was about to fall, and held her tightly. Just as he was about to teach her a lesson, he heard a series of gurgling sounds. He laughed dumbly, "Are you starving?"
Her burning eyes were glued to the long stick, and she wanted to eat the roast chicken skewered on it through the air. She nodded randomly when she heard it, "Good son, Mom wants to eat it, and she wants to eat it now."
Cheng Su glanced at the knights giggling by the campfire, pinched Zhuozhuo's face with the hand that was holding her, and said slowly, "But I've seen other mothers give the food to their children first. Zhuozhuo, mother, please be patient."
Zhuozhuo couldn't help it, her mouth was watering. She said confidently, "Every mother is different. Zhuozhuo's mother eats before her child!"
Cheng Su was amused and tore off a chicken leg. "Okay, Mom will eat first."
When it was almost to Zhuozhuo's mouth, he suddenly turned around, took a bite and ate it. Looking at Zhuozhuo's shocked and angry expression, he smiled and said, "I'm a filial son. I'll taste it for mom to see if it's cooked."
This was indeed very important. Zhuozhuo swallowed his saliva and asked expectantly, "Is it cooked?"
"It's cooked."
Zhuozhuo immediately opened his mouth wide and waited for the food to be fed, "Ah——"
However, the second bite went into Cheng Su's mouth again.
Zhuo Zhuo was furious, "Bad son!"
Cheng Su smiled and said, "I'll taste it for Mom to see if it's poisonous."
"Ah? Is it poisonous?" The little baby said in a wronged voice.
"I don't know. Wait another half an hour and see if I'm dead or not."
Zhuozhuo was not happy when he heard that. "No wait, no wait, just poison Zhuozhuo to death. Zhuozhuo will die of hunger."
As she said that, she hugged Cheng Su's arm, pounced on him and bit the chicken leg. She bit off a piece of meat with a whoosh, chewed it twice and swallowed it without tasting it at all.
Seeing how she ate like a starving ghost, Cheng Su was worried that she would choke to death, so he quickly tore off a small piece of food to feed her, and also gave her some saliva from time to time.
"Is it tasty?"
Zhuozhuo hadn't eaten proper food in days, and this simple roasted chicken leg brought tears to her eyes. The more she ate, the more delicious it became. In the midst of her busy schedule, she mumbled, "Delicious!"
It was the first time that Cheng Su saw the little guy give him a good face, and he was satisfied. Then he hissed, warning himself to be more careful and not be bullied by the little kid.
Seeing how deliciously Zhuozhuo was eating, the people around him couldn't help but ask, "Angus, can I have a bite too?"
When cooking, they had never seen Cheng Su's method of grilling meat or the spices he used. Even though they were tempted by the aroma, they didn't want to eat it. But now they were very curious.
"Of course." Cheng Su gestured for them to take any meat from the fire.
Someone cut off a small piece with a knife and ate it with a skeptical attitude. He was immediately amazed by the crispy outside and tender inside, and strongly recommended it to his companions. Soon, the meat on the fire was divided up, but Cheng Su's feet were piled with gifts from everyone.
After eating the meat, everyone's attitude towards Cheng Su became much better, including Zhuo Zhuo.
The little guy didn't look for Caroline anymore, and snuggled in Cheng Su's arms, saying childishly: "Cheng Su, your cooking is delicious, I like you."
Cheng Su didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He never expected that the key to conquering this little devil was here. He teased her deliberately, "You only said one thing: you like me, but you said many things: you hate me, so you still hate me."
9972 Angry, [The villain is getting his way!]
Zhuozhuo didn't care about that. She felt that what Cheng Su said made sense. She was worried that he would think that she didn't like him now, so she quickly leaned over to his ear and shouted, "Cheng Su, Zhuozhuo likes you, like, like, like——!"
Cheng Su's ears were almost deafened. He lifted the little guy away and stopped urgently, "Alright, that's enough, I get it. I like it more than I hate it. No need to say more."
After the tinnitus subsided, Cheng Su put Zhuo Zhuo on his lap and looked at her pitiful little face with eager eyes. He felt that she was like a stray puppy, who was fierce because she had no one to protect her and had a hard life. She would follow whoever gave her food wholeheartedly.
Come to think of it, the little guy is pretty cute.
Noticing the change in Cheng Su's attitude, Zhuo Zhuo put his arms around his neck and said lovingly, "Cheng Su, what are you going to cook tomorrow?"
Cheng Su laughed, "What do you want to eat?"
Zhuozhu's eyes lit up, and he counted on his fingers as he carefully read out the dishes, "Eat egg brain, eat shrimp dumplings, eat custard buns, and drink fish soup!"
“These—”
Cheng Su dragged out his words, and under his blazing, expectant gaze, he cruelly said, "None."
"Why not?" Zhuo Zhuo was extremely disappointed. Thinking that Cheng Su still didn't believe her, she deliberately added, "Zhuo Zhuo likes you."
Cheng Su felt a little guilty when he said the following words, "Because there are no other living creatures in the temple ruins, the roast chicken and roast meat just now were all ingredients prepared in advance by the Knights of Light. The Knight Commander couldn't bear to let us starve, so he gave them to us."
9972 complained that the Knight Commander did not seem to be such a soft-hearted person. He probably noticed some subtle changes in the atmosphere between Cheng Su and Caroline, so he took the initiative to give Cheng Su some food to avoid more interactions between him and Caroline.
Zhuozhuo glanced at the nearest Knight Commander and called sweetly, "Big Brother!"
The Knight Commander couldn't stand Zhuo Zhuo's scorching gaze, so he leaned back slightly and said casually, "Zhuo Zhuo, have you never eaten food cooked by your father, ahem, your son?"
Zhuozhuo shook his head honestly: "I haven't eaten it."
"Oh? Didn't you live together before?"
The Knight Commander's eyes were sharp. Although there were no loopholes in Cheng Su and Zhuo Zhuo's performance, his intuition told him that there was something wrong with them, and he couldn't help but test them.
Zhuozhuo subconsciously wanted to shake her head, but her desire and love for the roasted chicken legs made her instinctively look at Cheng Su.
Cheng Su said calmly, "Zhuozhuo left her mother and came to me recently."
"Why didn't the child live with you before?"
"Is the child's mother gone?"
Two voices sounded at the same time. The Knight Commander glanced at the Saint, lowered his eyes, shut up, and handed the conversation over to her.
The Saint pursed her lips. Because she was far away, she couldn't see Cheng Su's expression clearly. She regretted asking such a rude and sharp question, as if she were possessed by the devil. After a moment's hesitation, she said awkwardly and apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. You didn't want to say..."
"The child's mother is indeed dead." Cheng Su pulled the corner of his mouth and said sadly, "After getting married, I have been working outside and neglecting her health and thoughts... I feel sorry for her and for Zhuo Zhuo."
"Please accept my condolences and may the child's mother go to heaven."
Caroline stood up and walked a few steps away from the campfire, then knelt on the ground and began to pray.
The Knight Commander wanted to find out more detailed information, but the saint was already praying for Cheng Su's deceased wife. It would be inappropriate for him to ask further, so he had to give up.
Zhuozhuo didn't notice the brief undercurrent of trouble. Her mind was filled with laughter. She whispered to the Knight Commander, "Big Brother, what did you bring?"
She didn't know when she ran to the Knight Commander and touched his armor. Her upturned little face was full of heartfelt respect and love for the god in charge of food.
The Knight Commander couldn't resist at all. He squatted down and looked Zhuo Zhuo in the eye. He unconsciously said softly, "There are a lot. What does Zhuo Zhuo want to eat? Meat, cheese, butter, fruit..."
It was too vague. Zhuozhuo couldn't imagine it. He tilted his head and asked, "What do they look like?"
The Knight Commander paused for a moment and asked everyone to take out the food they brought so that Zhuozhuo could take a closer look.
The Knights of Light were equipped with space props, and everyone could bring whatever they liked, so the wide variety of items instantly filled up a large open space.
Zhuozhuo ran around happily, dazzled by the sight and unable to figure out what to make of all these ingredients. He turned around and called out to Cheng Su, saying softly, "Cheng Su, come and see."
Cheng Su cooperated and walked over to look. He actually remembered who had taken out the items and thanked them after looking at them. After looking at everything, he smiled and said, "I'll make you meatball soup and pancakes tomorrow."
"good!"
Zhuozhuo jumped up happily, and after dancing for a while, he hugged Cheng Su's legs and said with great sincerity: "Cheng Su, you are so nice, I like you!"
Her expression at this moment made Cheng Su believe that if he took the opportunity to propose to end the mother-son role-playing game, she would agree.
Zhuozhuo fell asleep, anticipating meatball soup and pancakes. But when he opened his eyes, he saw not the next day's sun, but a group of people with wings and ears and tails. These people were dressed in cool clothes and shivered in the cold night, all gazing at the campfire with longing and greed.
Zhuozhuo was half asleep, covering his nose and muttering, "Stinky!"
9972 investigated and found two dead bodies lying on the ground between the two groups. One was a Knight of Light, the other a bear-eared bear orc. Blood was everywhere. The wind carried the smell of blood to his nose, mixed with the smell of burning wood. It was quite pungent.
Cheng Su looked down at Zhuo Zhuo and cast a magic barrier around her to isolate her from the cold wind and noise. "It's okay, go to sleep."
Zhuozhuo covered her eyes and continued to sleep, but because she was uncomfortable being held while standing, she couldn't fall asleep. Her eyes kept moving and her eyelashes kept blinking, and she could wake up at any time.
Cheng Su let Zhuo Zhuo lie on his shoulder and patted her back gently. She was calm for only a moment before kicking her feet in frustration. Cheng Su, still apprehensive, held Zhuo Zhuo's ankle to stop her kicking, and then she slapped him in frustration even more.
The breath hit his neck, causing his scalp to numb and his spine to feel an electric shock.
This couldn't go on any longer. Cheng Su looked at the beleaguered orcs and whispered to Caroline beside him, "Their leader is not here."
Caroline suddenly realized that the temple ruins had been disturbed, and all parties had sent people to investigate. It was unlikely that the orcs would just send a ragtag group of people here. Now that the leader was gone, it was likely that they had encountered danger and got separated.
In this situation, the enemy would be virtually powerless to fight back. However, Caroline didn't want to seize the opportunity to kill the orcs; she simply wanted to avoid conflict. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "You have no chance of winning. It's best to find your leader quickly before he perishes in the perilous temple ruins."
The Knight Commander opened his mouth to say something, but after taking one look at the dead knight on the ground, he said nothing.
George, on night watch, spotted a bear-beast exploring the path, mistook it for a wild beast and attacked. The bear-beast immediately fought back. Tragically, both perished. Both sides were victims, but it would have been reckless to provoke a fight.
Apparently, they weren't the only ones who thought so.
The orcs on the opposite side exchanged glances, and a bird-beast with wings on its back shouted, "Let's leave, don't attack us from behind!"
One knight couldn't help but curse, "Get lost! Sneak attacks are your orcish trick!"
The orc wanted to curse back, but no sound came out when he opened his mouth. He was suddenly terrified. Knowing that there was a master on the opposite side, he immediately turned around and ran away, not even caring about the bodies of his companions.
The abusive knight fell to his knees, weeping as he embraced the dead knight. The others lined up in silence. Caroline, with a look of compassion, prayed for him.
"Lady Saint, will George go to heaven?"
"God is the most just. Good people will enjoy eternal life in heaven."
Zhuozhuo was about to fall asleep. 9972 looked away and suddenly noticed Cheng Su's mocking gaze. Its first reaction was that Cheng Su had noticed it, but then it realized that he was mocking something else.
9972 stared at Cheng Su intently, trying to figure out what was going on. He only saw Cheng Su sit down against the pillar, then carefully adjust Zhuo Zhuo's position so that she could fall asleep comfortably. Then Cheng Su breathed a sigh of relief as if he had accomplished something monumental, and he quickly closed his eyes to rest.
[……]
The next day, Zhuozhuo woke up to the aroma of pancakes. Before she even opened her eyes, she sniffed around like a puppy, mumbling, "What a nice smell! Zhuozhuo is dreaming of eating delicious food! Come on, food, come to your mouth soon..."
Then a small piece of something warm, soft, and fragrant with oil and wheat was stuffed into her mouth. Zhuozhuo subconsciously chewed it, and after swallowing it, the satisfaction in her stomach immediately sobered her up.
Zhuozhuo jumped up from the fluffy blanket, locked his little head in the direction of the aroma, and saw Cheng Su busy in front of two pots, working in an orderly manner like a chef.
Zhuozhuo ran over and stood on tiptoe to take a look. In one pot were bubbling meatballs and various vegetables and mushrooms, and in another pot was a browned pancake.
Cheng Su pinched the edge of the pancake with both hands and turned it over. Without even looking, he used his legs to block Zhuo Zhuo and pushed him back, gently scolding him, "Stay away, be careful not to get burned."
After saying that, he deliberately glanced at Zhuo Zhuo's expression.
Zhuozhuo ignored the older boy's offense and walked around Cheng Su's legs to get closer. He saw a plate of fried pancakes on the table next to the pot and said happily, "Cheng Su, I want to eat some!"
"Wash your face, hands and rinse your mouth before you can eat." Cheng Su acted like a patriarch.
Zhuozhuo was already lying on the table with the plates, staring at the pancakes with his little face pressed against the table. He replied sleepwalkingly, "Don't wash it, good son, feed me."
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