Chapter 47 Don't Be a Bird Without Feet You paused for a moment, then...
You hesitated for a moment, but couldn't overcome his strength, and he grabbed your ankle and dragged you a little.
Standing on one leg made you a little unsteady, and you instinctively gasped and grabbed his shoulder.
Under the moonlight, Bai E used the moonlight to examine the injury on your foot.
Seemingly feeling that his gaze was too direct and intense, you couldn't help but flinch and try to pull your right foot back, but he exerted more force and gripped it firmly, the tiger's mouth pressing against your ankle, bringing a burning heat.
"...What are you doing!? Don't, don't grab there—"
You clutched the fabric of his shirt at his shoulder, looking down at his crouching body, which was shorter than you, and his white hair, feeling so shy you could hardly breathe.
Bai E didn't speak.
In the pale moonlight, the girl's instep was red and swollen, looking very painful. He felt his heart was also being torn apart, a dull ache in his chest, as if it wasn't her who was hurt, but himself.
He rubbed his thumb against his ankle.
You tried to hold it in, but it hurt so much that before you could even exert any strength, a low cry of pain rose from your throat.
"etc……!"
"Does it hurt a lot?" Bai E quickly withdrew his thumb, slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and tried his best to calm himself down. "Since you're already in so much pain, why don't you stay at home?"
Although his tone seemed a bit harsh, it was only because the young Bai E had not yet been able to control his temper as skillfully as he would later.
Actually, he wasn't angry or trying to question you; he was just heartbroken, and that pain was accompanied by self-blame.
He had gazed at your profile during class so many times, and secretly vowed to protect the people around him so many times... but it was you, the one he cared about most, who was seriously injured, and he couldn't even tell.
He thought, "Bai Er... someone like you, still clamoring to be a hero?"
You hesitated for a few seconds, "Actually, it doesn't hurt that much... Maybe it's because it's a fresh wound, it'll be fine once the scab forms..."
Bai'e released your right foot, helped you up, and only straightened up after seeing that you could stand on your own.
“I’ll carry you back,” he said.
"ah?"
You blinked, as if you hadn't quite realized what was happening.
He met your gaze, and his blue and gold eyes took on two completely different qualities in the moonlight. One was ethereal and vast, like the surface of a lake not far away; the other was gentle and magnificent, like reeds dancing in the night breeze.
The lake and reeds are closely intertwined.
Bai E didn't say anything more. He walked to your side, his blue eyes staring straight at you, his eyelashes trembling a few times.
In the night breeze, his bangs were blown up slightly, revealing his tightly furrowed brows that had been hidden beneath.
You can't understand what's in his eyes. Pain, obsession, guilt... what exactly caused these emotions to arise?
It's just an ankle injury, not even a proper injury, but before you've said anything, Bai E seems more concerned than you are, as if it's about to break.
"……All right."
You could never handle his show of weakness. You could only mutter under your breath, losing in this silent battle of wits, and climbed onto his shoulder after he turned around and squatted down.
A refreshing scent of soap wafted to my nose, along with a cool breeze that tickled my nose.
"Achoo—!" You sneezed.
After you climbed up, Bai'er waited a while to make sure you were fully secured, then wrapped his arms around his neck before slowly straightening up and supporting your thighs.
The air fell silent for a few seconds.
Neither of them spoke or made any further moves. You had no idea what he was thinking; his own mind was a complete blank. It seemed like the two of you had inexplicably started arguing.
until……
"Croak! Croak!"
Not far away, the frogs that Bai E had carelessly left on the ground tried several times to break free from the large net, leaping with their hind legs for a long time, only to be blocked by the fine mesh of the net. Other frogs around them were also jumping around, tangling the net wires together, further reducing their living space.
The frog is angry.
It was singing happily by the pond... Ah, what a beautiful night, what a clear moonlight! It swelled its vocal sacs and sang even more energetically, hoping to attract females.
To his surprise, instead of attracting females, he attracted a white-haired human baby. Without saying a word, the baby covered him and his brothers from head to toe, leaving the frog completely bewildered.
What's the meaning of keeping them trapped here without leaving?! Is there no justice left?!
"Quack! Quack! Quack quack quack!"
You and Bai Er paused at the same time.
"puff……"
"……well."
You couldn't help but laugh.
The tense atmosphere eased a bit, and you whispered something in your childhood sweetheart's ear.
"Let's go home first, okay, Xiaobai?"
Bai E couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. "Okay."
He picked up the net bag, carried you on his back, and slowly walked towards home.
Along the way, the croaking of frogs filled the air, and the moonlight shone on the country lanes, making the wheat fields and puddles shine.
"I want to eat Aunt Odatta's honey pancakes..."
"Then I'll go back and make it for you? Although it's not as good as Mom's, I'm still pretty confident."
"No, it's so late. Aren't you afraid of getting scolded?"
"What's the big deal? Neither Mom nor I would want to see you go hungry."
"Wow, you guys are so kind...! By the way, when did Xiaobai grow so tall? Hmm... I have absolutely no recollection of it. It feels like he was just a little guy before, and suddenly he's shot up so tall!"
"Hmm...maybe it's because I've been diligently exercising every day? Speaking of which, partner, you've been skipping your morning workouts a bit too often. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it a secret any longer..."
"Oh dear, why bring up morning exercise? I think the night view is quite beautiful—"
"...Sigh. I just can't do anything with you."
Hurry up and get home quickly, for who knows what dangers await you deep in the fields.
Taking advantage of the rustling reeds, row your small boat and take off into the night—[Karslana], remember that a person's [birth] is not the moment when cells combine, but the moment when one is vaguely aware of this world and gazes at oneself.
I witnessed [my] birth.
Reeds, sway gently, lest you cut the passersby. Bird without feet, fly slowly, lest you collide with the small boats in the night sky.
...How you wish he wouldn't be a bird without feet.
*
The next day, a frog jumped out of the desk of the prankster, startling the mischievous boy.
One of the mischievous kids blew a loud snot bubble, looking quite pathetic, wiping away tears and crying out that he wanted to find his mother.
The teacher had no choice but to talk to his mother.
Actually, she was fully aware of Bai E and your behavior. It's just that the class had been suffering from these excessive pranks for too long. As a teacher, she was originally going to contact the parents, but seeing you and Bai E acting suspiciously, she thought about it and decided that this wasn't so bad.
That's right, the teachers and parents actually knew about this.
The parents were also very angry. They were all simple farmers, and they instinctively grabbed brooms, wanting to give their children a few slaps on the bottom.
But as the saying goes, words can never teach a person, but actions can teach a person in one go. So, after the teacher's persuasion, and given that Bai E and you have always had a good reputation in the class, they let you do as you pleased, intending to teach these troublemakers a little lesson.
Sure enough, the class was filled with crying and screaming early in the morning.
The students couldn't help but smirk, whispering among themselves about how awesome this was, and how it would make them pay for bullying them all the time.
"Hmph, you always laugh so happily when you see us getting scared... Now you're reaping what you sowed!"
"I wonder who did this? So many frogs, it must have taken a lot of effort..."
"Hmm, I don't know who did it. But they did a really good job!"
"That's right, that's right, you did a great job!"
The parents didn't tolerate it. When faced with their request to "find out who did it," they simply pinched their ears, glared at them, and stared wide-eyed.
"Hey! I haven't even settled accounts with you, you little rascal! And you said you were going to cause trouble for others? Bah! Do I look like you're going to cause trouble for me? Go home and stand in the corner!"
"Wait, Mom, go easy on me... Ouch!"
You left school in a good mood and went back to find Xilian.
Xi Lian was also very worried about your injuries. She anxiously circled around you several times, saying with great concern:
"Let me see...! By Oronis, how did you get injured like this...!"
You looked at your wound, which was originally just a little swollen and broken skin, and now it's mostly healed. It's hard to describe.
"Uh... 'So badly injured?'"
"...If I had known, I would have gone with you guys last night!"
"It's not Xiaolian's fault. Actually, it's largely because I can't stay still and I'm always running off to play..."
Even so, Xi Lian was still somewhat annoyed.
She gently helped you sit down, noticing that it was quieter than usual today, before remembering something, "...Wait, where's Bai E? He didn't come with you?"
You thought for a moment, "I don't know what he's been doing lately, he's been so secretive..."
...
Soon after, you saw two new pairs of shoes in front of your house.
A pair of shoes, decorated with a few dried flowers, were displayed in a unique way. Their design was also very similar to the pair that a certain pink-haired girl often wore. They were prominently displayed in the center of the doorway.
A note floated out:
[Hmph, this is a best friend's gift! You can't refuse it!]
The other pair is similar to your previous pair, a simple and unpretentious design. It was packed in a box but placed in a corner, with a letter tucked inside.
You unfold it and see an apology letter. Bai Er's childish handwriting is written slowly and deliberately, filling an entire page. Just as you are feeling helpless and touched, and are about to put it down, you accidentally flip it over.
In contrast to the lengthy discourse on the front, the back contains only a single sentence.
"From now on, I will definitely protect you."
It was like a naive yet solemn promise.
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