Chapter 48: Second Elopement
Tao Yingjia, four and a half years old, male.
He has a happy family, good health, easygoing personality and a lovely little sister.
If the sensible and obedient child Tao Yingjia were at home at this time, he would either be playing with his sister, or playing games with his father, or he might be leaning on the bed listening to his mother telling him a bedtime story.
So he didn't understand why he was riding a cat and running wildly in the night at this moment.
Literally, riding a cat, a chubby, bad-tempered tabby cat.
Not far from him, there was a curly-haired boy riding an equally chubby Ragdoll cat, the culprit who had instigated this sudden attack.
Twenty minutes ago, Tao Yingjia's best friend Mian Xiaoli just announced a great and bold decision: to find someone who is not a "human".
Ragdoll cat Zhizhi was the first to ask: "If it's not a human, then what is it?"
Mian Li's eyes lit up: "It's a beast!"
beast?
Zhizhi and Taotao looked at each other.
In common perception, living beings are divided into two types: humans and animals.
If they are not human, then they are also animals.
Zhizhi continued to speak on behalf of the group: "Same as us, meow?"
Mianli glanced at them and shook his head with regret.
...What does this mean!
The sensitive Taotao felt her self-esteem was hurt.
As a human cub, Tao Yingjia had a completely different perspective: "Why are you looking for that 'beast'?"
Mian Li's amber pupils were sparkling, filled with anticipation, joy, and a hint of fear.
He did not answer immediately, and seemed very serious, so Tao Yingjia even held his breath unconsciously.
Until the little fairy stuck out his tongue and said, "Lili, I won't tell you."
Tao Yingjia: “…”
He doesn't want stupid Jiajia to know his secret now.
The little fairy bent his fingers and placed them on his cheeks, making a cat's paw gesture.
"Lili is looking for an ancient ferocious beast—wow!"
Ancient beast, sounds even scarier now QAQ
Mianli waited and waited, but Tao Yingjia still didn't express his opinion.
He raised his chin and asked, "Are you going or not?"
If it were any other child who stayed up late at night and wanted to run outside, Tao Yingjia would definitely not associate with such a naughty child.
But that was a sleeping ceremony—that was a sleeping ceremony.
Tao Yingjia turned around in confusion.
When did he start to have the idea that he must protect Xiaoli and become Xiaoli's superman when he grows up?
The adults are not around. How dangerous would it be if Xiaoli ran away on his own?
What should I do if I get lost and can’t find my way home?
Just imagining tears leaking from the doll's caramel-colored eyes would break his heart.
Then be a bad boy for Him.
Tao Yingjia gritted her teeth and said, "...Okay! I'll go!"
Now it's voting time:
As the initiator and initiator of Mianli, he naturally had to go;
Tao Yingjia, believing herself to be the doll's guardian, also followed;
Zhizhi always joins in wherever there is a commotion, and the little fairy always needs it when he goes out;
Taotao least wanted to participate, but when the owner was not around, she was the head of the family and had to look after the cubs, so she had no choice but to follow.
Wow, all four of them ran away in one breath.
By the time adults find out, it's probably another severe heart attack of the magnitude of a bolt from the blue.
"Then you have to listen to me!" Tao Yingjia, who was used to being an older brother, said seriously, "Hold my hand, and don't run around by yourself."
Mianli surprisingly didn't argue and put her little hand into his not-so-big palm.
Young children have no way of knowing that this act of traveling secretly without telling adults may be called elopement.
*
This is why, late at night, Tao Yingjia did not fall asleep in the children's bed, but instead went on a real-life jungle adventure with his friends.
Mianli input a map into the cat's brain and attached some power to it.
Zhizhi and Taotao easily carried the children for a long distance, and their speed, endurance and consumption were no less than that of a real car.
It was the first time for Tao Yingjia to see the world on the back of a cat.
He didn't know whether it was due to the influence of divine power or his own confusion, but the scenes on both sides could not be connected into one piece, and all he could see were blurry fragments.
Eventually, the cats slowed down and entered a... jungle.
It was dark all around, and the branches were filled with the sonata of insects and birds.
From time to time, an unknown rustling sound could be heard in the bushes, perhaps the wind, or perhaps something else.
Even the crunching sound of leaves underfoot was creepy.
Not to mention Tao Yingjia and Zhizhi who lived in a greenhouse, even Taotao, who had wandered outside before, couldn't help but want to turn around and run away.
The children got off the cat and walked forward carefully, hand in hand.
The cats pricked up their ears and monitored their surroundings at all times.
The cats' eyes are accustomed to the darkness and can see clearly;
The sleeping ceremony is even more of a piece of cake;
The only one with poor night vision is Tao Yingjia.
Of course there were no lights here, and the dense leaves blocked out the stars and the moon, making it almost pitch black.
The little god noticed his retreat, thought for a moment, and then a pale golden light appeared all over his body.
A "light" is turned on, although it is not very bright, it can at least dispel the darkness.
Tao Yingjia looked at the gold and finally felt a sense of relief.
He knew exactly where to go for the Mian Li ceremony. It seemed that he was not thinking with his memory, but the route was hidden in his intuition.
There is guidance from somewhere, and He naturally knows where to go.
The little ones walked and walked and heard the sound of gurgling water.
Mian Li's eyes lit up: "That's it!"
When they got closer, they found a crystal clear stream winding through the jungle.
His parents love outdoor sports and have always taken Tao Yingjia to similar places since he was very young.
Camping, picnics, catching small fish and shrimps, and playing in the water when the weather is hot.
Therefore, Tao Yingjia had some understanding of such streams. It looked very shallow. Even if one walked in barefoot, the water would not reach the calf at most.
But he couldn't explain the reason. Since it was Mian Li who brought him here, he didn't dare to go into the water rashly.
…Not that he distrusted dolls or anything.
God's thoughts certainly cannot be measured by human thinking.
There must be something fishy going on here.
He remembered.
Before the doll set out, she said that she was not going to look for "people".
Tao Yingjia looked at the stream with fear and trepidation.
Could it be that there is a monster hidden beneath the water?!
In fact, Tao Yingjia is definitely not a brave kid. He followed here purely for the sleeping ceremony.
They would risk their lives for their friends and go through fire and water for the one they love - even though children don't quite understand the meaning of these words, they have already done more than most adults who can only talk empty words.
Mianli squatted on the shore and leaned over to touch the stream water.
Tao Yingjia was terrified, afraid that the doll would fall in, so she stood behind and waited to grab the doll's clothes at any time.
The young god concentrated all the light on his fingertips, and it became brighter and brighter, like a flowing, gentle flame.
He stretched out his hand, and a halo of light dripped as his fingertips gently stroked the water.
The moment it came into contact with the stream, it shattered into countless sparkling specks of light.
A gentle breeze came at the perfect moment, blowing away the scattered light particles and sending them far away.
In the dark night, the sky was suddenly lit up with bright golden fireflies, forming a net of light that covered every corner on both sides of the river.
Incredibly beautiful.
Mianli is the offspring of God.
Although He is young, He will definitely inherit everything from God in the future.
There are so many abilities that have never been revealed to humans.
"Wow..." Tao Yingjia raised his head high, his neck was sore and his eyes were not enough, but he couldn't bear to look away.
He exclaimed: "Lili, it's so beautiful..."
After saying that, I felt something was wrong.
But when he saw Mian Li, whose eyes were translucent under the fireflies and more delicate than a real doll, it seemed to make sense.
Tao Yingjia's father is a very romantic man. He often sends flowers and gifts to his mother and arranges candlelight dinners every now and then.
He and his sister Tao Mian both grew up in a romantic environment.
Even so, Tao Yingjia has never had a completely different understanding of "romance" as he does at this moment.
Mianli walked towards the stream, and Jiajia's heart tightened. But the next second she saw that the young god did not fall into the water, but was floating on the surface.
He raised his little face, staring intently at the beautiful scene he had just created, and reached out to catch the falling stardust.
For some reason, he looked a little lonely.
Tao Yingjia hesitated for a few seconds on the shore, then approached Him
The two little hands were quietly pressed together.
"Jia Jia."
Mian Li freed herself from her floating state and sank into the stream that was already knee-deep, calling his name under the dancing fireflies.
He looked different from the usual little boy who could easily turn into a puffed-up pufferfish.
Even in the cold light, there was a hint of godly solemnity.
Mian Li asked, "Do you want to go?"
Tao Yingjia blinked: "What do you mean?"
"It could be... well, very dangerous." The child tried to describe it using the language he knew. "If you don't want to go, I can take you home."
The Father God will give mortals a chance to regret, and the Young God will follow suit.
If He really needs to send him home, He will also 'in the meantime' erase his memory of tonight.
Tao Yingjia had hesitated before, but now he was very determined: "I want to stay with you."
"Why?"
Tao Yingjia said as a matter of course: "I have to protect you."
"You are a child." Mianli pointed at himself, "Lili is a little fairy."
"so what?"
"You can't protect Lili."
Tao Yingjia blushed as she didn't expect to be looked down upon like this.
Can't children protect the people they love?
Tao Yingjia defended herself: "I can do it. I'm one year older than you, and I'm taller than you."
Although Mianli has never called him brother, this does not affect Jiajia's desire to protect him.
Tao Yingjia shook her finger gently: "I will protect you, let's pinky promise."
How much weight can a child’s oath have?
Mian Li looked at him seriously for a moment, then chuckled and returned to his usual innocent self: "Then don't be frightened and cry!"
"I, I won't!"
The children hooked their little fingers together and put their thumbs together to seal their promise.
Gods are not something that stupid humans can touch casually.
Once you hold Lili’s hand, you must do it for the rest of your life.
*
Even though summer has already begun, the stream water is still freezing cold at night.
Tao Yingjia took off her shoes and socks, stepped into the water carefully, and couldn't help shivering.
Mian Li didn't seem to feel any discomfort.
It would be great to be a god, Tao Yingjia thought.
Only when I stepped on the small stones in the riverbed did I find that the stream was much deeper than I had imagined.
And the further they go, the deeper it gets. Perhaps it will only take a few steps to swallow up those who are just over a meter tall.
Tao Yingjia was a little worried.
He held one of Mianli's hands in his palm and waved the other hand casually in the drifting fireflies.
The light spots gathered again, but did not return to the young god's hand. Instead, they formed a whirlpool, dividing the stream into two parts.
Mian Li sprinkled the water on his hands and said: "Let's go~"
As they walked deeper into the "stream", the whirlpool became bigger and bigger.
The water flow was forced to separate, and then, a new channel opened up.
Water cannot be divided, Tao Yingjia has known this since childhood.
But water also has to listen to the little fairy.
In the seemingly ordinary stream, there is actually a completely independent space hidden.
Tao Yingjia opened her eyes wide.
Can the power of a little god actually reach this level?
The water is isolated outside and is not as cold.
They walked into the dark passage.
Tao Yingjia asked carefully: "Have you been here before?"
He found that his words actually echoed.
That’s right, the road opened in the water can have an echo effect - it can be seen that they are no longer in an ordinary space.
Have you been here before or not?
Mianli thought about it and changed his words: "That, that 'person' is an old friend of Lili."
They are only three years old, but they still have 'old' friends.
Jia Jia asked: "Is it fierce?"
Lili said, "It's okay."
Jia Jia asked: "When was the last time you saw it?"
Lili said, “I forgot.”
Jia Jia asked: "Then, will it eat people?"
Lili said, "I don't know. Lili is not a human."
Jia Jia said: "That's right...but I'm a human! What if it wants to eat me?"
Lili said: "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
Jia Jia asked: "Can you beat it?"
Lili said, "Why do you have so many questions?"
Tao Yingjia: “…”
The two children walked towards the depths while chatting.
Mian Li did not tell Tao Yingjia what the ancient ferocious beast was. Tao Yingjia was worried, but there was no turning back.
He imagined that perhaps there were creatures even more terrifying than the lions and tigers in the zoo?
No, no, since it lives in the water, maybe it's a shark?
That's not right. How could sharks live in a creek?
The further you go in, the wider the passage becomes, and it is already much wider than a small stream.
The sounds of the stream and all things were gradually isolated, and nothing could be heard except the children's footsteps.
Tao Yingjia was very nervous as this was his first adventure in his life. If he had long ears, they would probably stand up like a little rabbit.
Just when his nerves were about to get too tense, the little fairy who was walking a little behind him suddenly rushed to his side, his hands curled into claws, "Wow!!"
Her tense nerves were completely torn apart by fear, and Jiajia fell to the ground in fear.
The little scoundrel laughed unscrupulously after his prank was successful.
After Mianli had laughed enough, she came over obediently, took his hand and helped him up.
Jia Jia is not spineless, it’s just that... her legs are a little weak.
It’s a bit difficult to stand up without relying on the sleeping ritual.
Tao Yingjia was still a little angry at first, but when he stood up again, he found that he was not so scared anymore.
He looked at Mianli who had walked in front of him - was this the little god's unique way of comforting himself?
Just when he was doubting, Mianli was already several steps ahead of him and looked like he would be swallowed by the darkness at any time.
Tao Yingjia quickly caught up: "Hey, slow down! Wait for me!"
…
Outside the passage, beside the stream.
The two cats were still squatting in the bushes, watching cautiously.
Taotao scratched behind her ear: "I seem to be unable to hear their voices anymore."
Zhizhi said, "Yes, meow. It's really weird here, meow..."
Taotao suggested: "Let's go in and take a look."
It was really worried about these two human cubs.
I thought that the puppet, who always likes to join in the fun, would run in first, but unexpectedly, it took several steps back and hesitated to move forward.
"I, forget it! I'll just help you guys guard meowing here, even if there's danger..."
Before it could finish its words, it was slapped in the face by the tabby cat.
Zhizhi's miserable cries echoed in the silent jungle.
"I hate water the most, meow meow meow meow meow——!!!"
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