Chapter 212 The Unbearable Cost of Losing Him
Gems were piled up in the corner, and when the light shone on them, beautiful light and shadow refracted out and fell on the floor and walls.
After looking at them for a while, Qiao Mei didn't plan to put them away. Instead, she got up, picked up the gem nest that was placed to the side, and put it in the very center of the gem pile.
"Cangcang, why don't you transform into the form of the little black dragon and go up there and try?"
If she remembered correctly, dragons seemed to really enjoy nestling on a pile of gems.
And that is indeed the case.
Ao Cang mustered immense willpower to refrain from touching the gems.
Now that Qiao Mei had given her permission, he quickly transformed into a little black dragon, climbed up the gem mountain, and left his own aura on each gem.
Seeing that he was happy, Qiao Mei felt even happier.
Once Ao Cang had enjoyed himself enough, Qiao Mei picked him up and started talking to him about serious matters.
“Tell me honestly, where did you get the money to buy these gems?”
She had a vague idea that he had taken it from the Yan family.
She asked this question not only to confirm, but also to see if Ao Cang would lie to her.
The money she gave him was only a few thousand interstellar coins, while the not-so-large gem nest on the pile of gems cost her a full ten thousand at the time.
Not to mention, there are so many enormous gemstones that could fill countless gem nests.
Ao Cang glanced at Qiao Mei, his thick eyelashes trembling, and finally told the truth.
“I went to the Yan family and got back the 30% of the rights that the Yan family head had promised me, and that’s how I got this money.”
Qiao Mei nodded: "Yes, anything else?"
"Anything else?" Ao Cang looked up, somewhat confused, not quite understanding Qiao Mei's meaning.
Seeing his expression, Qiao Mei decided to be more explicit: "What was your identity when you went there? How many people knew about it? What would be the consequences if they found out? Have you considered that?"
Ao Cang went to the past, of course, as the Dragon God.
He glanced at Qiao Mei's somewhat serious face and vaguely guessed that he must have done something wrong. So he transformed back into human form, took her hand in a somewhat ingratiating manner, and told her that many members of the Yan family did know that he had gone to the Yan family ancestral hall.
"If An'an is worried, I'll use my divine power to alter their memories right now, what do you think?"
Qiao Mei was speechless: "What's the use of altering it now? Those who were going to tell have already told. Can you be sure who knows? Can you be sure that everyone who knows will forget?"
"Cangcang!" Qiao Mei pulled him to sit on the sofa, cupped his slightly chubby face in her hands, and forced him to look at her. Her red eyes were filled with unprecedented worry and concern.
"Let it go this time. Since it has already happened, there's no point in me saying anything more. Besides, the Yan family has indeed received a lot of kindness from you, so they might not tell anyone because you've protected them for so long. But if there's a next time, I hope you won't make such a big fuss and let them know your true identity, okay?"
Ao Cang didn't understand: "Okay, but may I ask why? Are you afraid they'll attack me?"
But his strength has clearly recovered considerably, and he is now certain that no one or nothing can harm him.
"Yes, I am afraid of that. I also know that you have the ability to protect yourself, but Cangcang, there is always a chance of something going wrong. I don't want that chance to happen to you, do you understand?"
If only the heads of families who have received great favors from him or the leaders of the empire know about this, she feels that the danger is still very small. But if anyone can know, wouldn't that cause chaos?
Ao Cang noticed her worry, and without saying anything more, he nodded silently.
He seemed much more dejected than when he first entered the room.
Seeing him like this, Qiao Mei felt bad too. She reached out and hugged him, saying gently, "I'm not blaming you. I just can't bear the cost of losing you, so I might seem a little too strict. Don't overthink it."
Her body was soft, and she had a faint scent of roses about her.
Being held in her arms like that was incredibly therapeutic for Ao Cang.
He buried his head in her arms, hugged her back, and replied in a deep voice, "Okay, I'll do whatever An'an says."
After finishing her important business, Qiao Mei handed Ao Cang the pajamas she had prepared beforehand and told him to go in and take a shower.
She was tasked with repairing the damage to the [Black Crow Boy] mech and seeing how to make a small modification to it.
You don't know until you're on the field, but once you're on the field, all sorts of minor problems arise one after another.
Fortunately, the competition lasts for a relatively long time, so she still has a lot of room for trial and error.
In the bathroom.
After Ao Cang immersed himself in the bathtub, the image of Xiao Qiao Mei suddenly reappeared in his mind. He wondered how she was doing after he left.
Perhaps it is because you think about something during the day that you dream about it at night.
That night, as Ao Cang was half asleep with Qiao Mei in his arms, he had that very strange feeling again.
When he opened his eyes again, it seemed as if he had returned to the world where Xiao Qiaomei was.
However, compared to before, the little Qiao Mei in front of us can no longer be described as little.
She looks much older, around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Despite wearing tattered and dirty clothes and having a less-than-clean face, his exposed features looked remarkably handsome.
She bears a six-tenths resemblance to Qiao Mei, whom he saw during the interstellar era.
Her physique, however, still seems to be just as thin and frail as before.
It felt like any gust of wind could knock her over.
She was carrying a tattered vegetable basket containing some vegetables with mud still clinging to their roots.
In the dead of winter, she went to the frozen riverbank wearing a tattered dress that could easily be mistaken for spring attire.
Then, he skillfully used stones to smash several holes in the ice, allowing the water to seep out.
She had severe chilblains on her hands, which were swollen like sausages.
But as if she were completely oblivious, she took the vegetables out of the basket and then put her hands and the vegetables into the ice water together.
The temperature was very low, and she was wearing very little clothing.
The cold wind outside had drained all color from her lips, and Ao Cang felt a pang of heartache seeing her like this.
He stepped forward and took her hand, which she was about to dip into the ice water, and said to her in a hoarse voice, "An'an, doesn't it hurt?"
His voice didn't seem to have any effect on Qiao Mei. She only paused for a moment before continuing to touch the ice water with a numb expression, but a faint smile still appeared on her face.
It was unclear whether she was talking to Ao Cang or to herself.
"Cangcang, it's been so long since you've appeared. The last time I saw you was when I almost starved to death."
Qiao Mei: I'm fine with anything, but Cang Cang absolutely cannot be harmed!!
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