By the time he got out of the barrel, the dirty reddish black water had completely cooled down. He didn't know how much time had passed, and Ah Zhu wasn't in the room, but Xia Xiao filled himself up with vitality, and felt pretty good, so he evaporated the water droplets on his body, put on his clothes and went out to look for someone.

"Azhu?"

She shouldn't go far. Sure enough, when he opened the door, Ah Zhu was just about to push it open. The two of them looked at each other, and then sat together on the steps outside the door, basking in the warm afternoon sun.

"Uncle and big brother came to look for you just now, but you woke up right after they left. Do you want me to call them back?"

"No, we'll go in the evening."

"Feeling better?"

Ah Zhu tilted her head to look at Xia Xiao, who put one hand on her head and said with a smile:

"It's nothing serious, so I'm naturally in a good mood."

"You scared me to death today, suddenly talking about magic and stuff. Also, aren't you afraid that your skin will get rotten after soaking for so long? Really, you always make me wait for a long time, it makes me so angry!"

Ah Zhu raised her arms and hit her legs with a pouty look, somewhat dissatisfied, but Xia Xiao pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her head.

"Stop talking nonsense, isn't everything alright now?"

Ah Zhu made faces for a while, and then faced with the emperor's decree, they all shook their heads in agreement and said they didn't want to go. Xia Xiao wanted to be alone now. Every time he was called over, he would just flatter her. It was boring. It would be better to stay with Ah Zhu for a while. This girl was quite resentful, so he would play with her for a while today.

There was really nothing to do in the military camp, so after walking around for a few rounds, he ran to the kitchen. However, since Azhu wanted to go, Xia Xiao would accompany him. After all, every time Azhu followed him to the city wall, they would sit there for a long time.

Azhu looked around, then looked at Xia Xiao with a smile, his extremely clear eyes narrowed into two slits, like a pair of crescents.

"Want some baked sweet potatoes?"

"If you roast it, I'll eat it."

Ah Zhu said this and immediately got busy, picking a few big and sweet ones from the pile of sweet potatoes. She had grown sweet potatoes before, and on the slightly cold autumn mornings, her grandmother would pull her out of bed to pull out the sweet potato vines. The sweet potatoes were difficult to pull out, and she had to use a shovel, but she still pulled them out vigorously.

Childhood memories taught Ah Zhu that roasted sweet potatoes should be eaten right after they are roasted, so she carried a basket and walked to her own small courtyard. Xia Xiao, holding a large bundle of firewood, walked beside him, saying, "You roast them later, I won't care." Ah Zhu said that Xia Xiao was lazy, but the latter did not retort. He was lazy, mainly because Ah Zhu was diligent in eating, and he would be sorry for Ah Zhu's cleverness if he didn't enjoy it.

The chef in the kitchen was so happy when he saw the two quarreling that he couldn't stop smiling. He said to the young apprentice beside him:

"Look, the Third Young Master who killed 200,000 people this morning has spoiled Ah Zhu to the sky."

"Master, are there really 200,000 people?"

"It is said that someone has counted them and there really are that many. It is really not a small number. I have never killed that many pigs in my entire life."

"So there's no celebration party tonight?"

"The deputy general said that the emperor will host a banquet tonight, so we don't need to cook any extra food. We just need to take care of everyone else."

The young apprentice said thoughtfully, "Did we cut too much meat today?" The master said not much, and added it all to the soldiers. He was happy today, so it was not too much to have a good meal.

Faced with the emperor's repeated summons, Xia Xiao refused one by one. But he had a legitimate reason, always saying that he was tired and didn't want to go. But as soon as he turned around, he lit the firewood placed in front of the steps and made it burn in an instant.

"You really aren't going?"

Xia Xiao realized that Ah Zhu was talking about the emperor and laughed out loud.

"How can I accompany you to roast sweet potatoes if I go? Don't worry, even if we don't go, someone will bring us food, and you won't be left without a bite."

Ah Zhu liked to hear this kind of talk, so he sat on the steps and warmed himself by the fire, waiting for the firewood to turn into charcoal. This process took some time, so Ah Zhu and Xia Xiao stretched out their slightly red hands from the cold and moved closer to the flames.

Seeing Ah Zhu's red little hand, Xia Xiao grabbed it with one hand and said jokingly:

"Your hands are made of ice? They're so cold."

"I don't blame you for not helping me carry the sweet potatoes?"

"Don't spit blood on me. You only carried a few steps. The rest was all carried by me. Carrying firewood in one hand and a basket in the other. Is there anyone as nice as me?"

Ah Zhu snorted and said after a while:

"Let me rub your hands for you. You've worked hard."

Seeing Ah Zhu wrapping his hand with her small hand and rubbing it seriously, Xia Xiao couldn't help but want to laugh. Staying with this eccentric girl every day, there is no need to worry about really becoming a demon, as long as things like today don't happen again. But this opportunity will definitely not come again, where can he kill so many people again? The Qulun warriors of Nanshang are probably crazy, and they wish they could get back to the academy as soon as possible.

According to the current direction of the war, even if Xia Xiao leaves, Da Xia will be able to hold on and always maintain its own territory while creating miracles.

Even if something unexpected happens, Daxia will not perish within three years as the leader of the imperial army said. Although Xia Xiao's current strength is not bad, his insights in this regard are far less accurate than the former's analysis. However, in this case, he can leave with peace of mind.

Xia Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. Azhu beside him was still holding his hand, as if he had something to say.

"What's wrong?"

Ah Zhu bit his lip, a little tangled, but still ready to speak out what was in his heart. Just like what sister Xia Wan said, different methods should be used to deal with different people. Some people know everything, and it would be cumbersome to say more. But for Xia Xiao, it is better to speak out some things than to hold them back. After all, Xia Xiao is a person who often deceives himself and pretends to be confused. Xia Wan knows him very well.

"Well, um... I don't know how to put it."

"It's okay, take your time."

Looking at Xia Xiao's eyes, they were extremely deep, and were painted bright by the fire beside them, like light or darkness, but never lacking a kind of tenderness. In the past, Ah Zhu could only see Xia Xiao show this kind of tenderness to others, but now, it has become her private property. She was always secretly happy in her heart, but if there was any, she had to see Xia Xiao nod in response, and she would be truly at ease.

"I feel like I have one more relative besides my grandma, and that person is you."

Ah Zhu learned this sentence from Xia Wan, but when she said it hesitantly, the meaning changed. She usually read it silently, with a very affectionate feeling, but now it is no longer so heavy, as if it is a declarative sentence. Xia Xiao listened, and there was a warm current in his heart, which made him smile and say:

"I also have one more person to protect."

Xia Xiao reached out and held her in his arms. This simple action made Ah Zhu feel extremely safe, and she always remembered what Xia Xiao said next.

"No matter what happens in the future, we must believe in each other, support each other, and stand behind each other without hesitation."

"Okay~"

Ah Zhu nodded and stayed in Xia Xiao's arms, as obedient as a kitten. When the firewood was almost burned, they put the sweet potatoes in and continued to roast the fire while adding firewood. Simple things were not boring to do. When the food given by the emperor came, they started dinner under the lanterns and candlelight.

With the candlelight and the flame, as well as the vitality in her eyes, Xia Xiao could clearly see the smile on Ah Zhu's face. This girl, who was bright even at night, was a treasure bestowed by God on the world. At this moment, after two glasses of light wine, her face flushed and she hummed a song in high spirits.

"Oh, you're so happy? You don't even want to eat meat."

"Leave it for you to eat."

Xia Xiao couldn't help laughing. He looked at the stars in Ah Zhu's eyes under the thick clouds on every ordinary winter night, and felt like getting drunk and singing. Ah Zhu saw Xia Xiao pouring wine, so he also picked up the cup to ask for more.

"May I?"

"Of course, I won't stop until I'm drunk!"

Ah Zhu looked cute when she was yelling. Anyway, with her around, Ah Zhu wouldn't be in danger if she got drunk, so Xia Xiao poured her another glass. Ah Zhu imitated Xia Xiao, took a sip and exhaled a long breath, not forgetting to make strange noises when drinking. She found it funny, and Xia Xiao's smile grew deeper.

At first, Ah Zhu was able to use chopsticks to pick up food, but gradually he became unsteady, and finally he frowned, staring at the food on the plate, and couldn't touch anything after picking up food for a long time.

"It's okay, get started."

Xia Xiao's alcohol tolerance was many times better than Ah Zhu's, so he just watched her grab the food with her hands. He was grinning, or as Ah Zhu said, he was grinning like a flower. Seeing Xia Xiao grinning, Ah Zhu was even happier, and when the sweet potato was baked, he ate one while it was still hot, and said he wanted to drink.

After wiping the sweet potato pulp off the corner of Azhu's mouth, Xia Xiao poured her a cup of hot water. Azhu continued to drink it with relish, and even imitated Xia Xiao's expression and said that the wine was good.

“Is it really a good wine?”

Ah Zhu took another bite and said as if to confirm:

"It must be good wine given by His Majesty!"

She had already started to stutter, and Xia Xiao waited until she finished the last two glasses of wine and ate all the roasted sweet potatoes that Ah Zhu had left for him before he carried her back to the room.

“It’s hot.”

Ah Zhu hummed in Xia Xiao's arms, looking like she would never sleep peacefully. This was Ah Zhu's first time getting drunk. Everyone got drunk in different ways, but Ah Zhu was the type who would never stop. However, when Xia Xiao waved her hand, she couldn't move, but her little mouth kept moving, and she even sprayed a few drops of saliva on Xia Xiao's face.

After taking off Ah Zhu's clothes, Xia Xiao wiped them for her before putting her in bed.

"I want to fly and fly on my little whale!"

Ah Zhu, who had just laid down, suddenly stood up, and then ran around, feeling top-heavy and about to fall down. Xia Xiao hugged him and said with a smile:

"Next time you return to the academy, you will be able to sign a spiritual contract with your little whale, so don't worry."

"Then I'm going to marry that bastard Xia Xiao!"

Ah Zhu's tongue was a little stiff because of being drunk, and she spoke word by word, like a child still babbling. But she knew that Xia Xiao didn't answer, so she pouted and yelled:

"Tell me now, will you marry me or not?"

"Marry! Marry!"

Xia Xiao knocked Ah Zhu down, causing the latter to drawl out and shout:

“Ah—Ouch~”

His head hit the pillow and Azhu wanted to sit up again, but was held down by Xia Xiao.

"Be good, or I'll do it."

Ah Zhu grabbed his hand, looked pitiful and made a mistake, and put it on his soft face, and began to sleep. Xia Xiao secretly touched it a few times. His face was as soft as cotton candy, which was really cute. But Ah Zhu drooled for a while, which made Xia Xiao feel sick. But he would not leave until Ah Zhu fell asleep completely.

Xia Xiao was also fascinated as he rarely was. After pulling his hand away, he bent down and kissed Ah Zhu's cheek. The soft and pink face felt great to the touch, and Ah Zhu trembled when being pricked by the stubble on Xia Xiao's chin. Ah Zhu even shrank his neck and hummed. The sound that went deep into his bones made Xia Xiao feel like he had done something bad. He blew out the candle very happily and walked out the door.

When she fell asleep tonight, Azhu was still smiling. When she woke up, Xia Xiao was still in the room, giving her the illusion that he had been there all night.