Chapter 82 Will Not Be Taken Away
Zhou Tingchuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "No, they are just some interesting toys. Princess, just treat them as a plaything."
"That's good." Xihe thanked him and took the box. "Thank you~"
"As long as the princess likes it." After the gift was delivered, Zhou Tingchuan looked a little relaxed.
The scene was full of joy, but it hurt someone's eyes.
"Are you done?" Xiao Mingxuan's cold voice came from beside him.
Xihe uttered "Ah!" and when he looked up, he met Xiao Mingxuan's meaningful eyes. He immediately took a step back and said, "That's all."
"Well, let's eat." Xiao Mingxuan glanced at Zhou Tingchuan indifferently, his eyes speaking for themselves.
Although Zhou Tingchuan didn't know where the Ninth Prince's hostility towards him came from, the current situation was indeed not a good time to continue talking, so he could only bow and leave, "Then I will take my leave first."
Xihe quietly glanced at the big bad wolf's expression and simply nodded as a response.
The two continued to walk towards the restaurant, and until they ordered the dishes, Xiao Mingxuan didn't say another word to Xihe.
A lackey suddenly felt uneasy and asked quietly, "Little brother, are you angry again?"
As soon as the word "again" came out, Xiao Mingxuan's face darkened. He suddenly remembered that the little girl said that he was difficult to coax, and he actually began to reflect on it.
Is his temper really getting worse?
"It's okay, not that serious." Although he was a little angry in his heart, he didn't show it.
Then he asked another question, "Xiao Xi'er, didn't you know that Zhou Bing was Zhou Tingchuan's father?"
Xihe put the box aside and shook his head. "I don't know. I thought we just happened to have the same last name."
Although Emperor Jingyuan mentioned Zhou Bing's political achievements in front of Xihe, he never mentioned his family background.
Therefore, Xihe never thought of these two people together.
"So you're speaking up for Zhou Bing not because of Zhou Tingchuan?" Xiao Mingxuan has always been brooding over the eye contact between the two outside the National Academy. When she heard Xihe defending Zhou Bing at the New Year's Eve palace banquet that day, she felt upset for a while. In the end, the little girl didn't like him at all. She really brought trouble upon herself.
"Huh?" Xihe found herself increasingly confused about Xiao Mingxuan's train of thought. "I haven't even matched the person yet, why is it all because of Master Zhou? Little brother, you've completely confused me~"
Xiao Mingxuan coughed twice unnaturally and said, "It's okay, just pretend I didn't say anything."
"Little brother, don't you like to stay home and interact with outsiders?" Although Xihe is a little silly and always slow to do things, he is not stupid at all. After this year, he has figured out some tricks.
Xiao Mingxuan is fine on weekdays, but once she comes into contact with a man outside, the other party will explode.
This was the case with Xu Chengyuan, Zhou Tingchuan, and that weird uncle from last time.
Xiao Mingxuan paused in holding the bowl, then resumed his action in an instant. He lowered his head and did not dare to look at Xihe's expression. A trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
He is half the age of Xihe and knows more about various matters.
This year, he took advantage of the fact that the girl didn't understand this and subtly guided her towards him, and dealt with a group of people who wanted to get close to her, both openly and covertly.
He taught her, but it also became a butcher's knife standing over his own head.
At this moment, the knife finally fell.
Xiao Mingxuan couldn't help but wonder in his heart, what would Xihe do?
Will I break up with him completely?
After all, no one wants to be restricted by others.
But he had no choice. He didn't have enough ability to take the girl away completely, and he didn't want to make her sad, so he had to use this covert method to gradually circle the girl into his territory.
After a long while, Xiao Mingxuan asked, "What... do you think?"
"What do you think?" Xihe scratched his head, his face full of suspicion.
Xiao Mingxuan took a deep breath, and as if he had made a decision, he said in one breath: "You guessed right, I just don't want you to come into contact with them."
Then he thought of something, his face changed, and he asked, "Will you... hate me?"
"No." Xihe gave the answer without thinking.
Xiao Mingxuan was stunned for a moment, and the rice porridge he swallowed had a few more flavors, and he said "hmm" softly.
Xihe hesitated for a moment and continued, "Brother, can we discuss something?"
"You say." Xiao Mingxuan put down the bowl, straightened his clothes, and said.
"That is... can you not restrict me from seeing others?" Xihe hesitated for a long time, and the words turned around several times on his lips before he slowly said it.
Xiao Mingxuan was silent for a while, then slowly closed his eyes to hide the pain in his eyes. After a moment, he said, "Xiao Xi'er, to be honest, I can't do it."
I can't bear to see you talking and laughing with others.
Every minute and every second you feel like you will be taken away by someone.
He sighed deeply and said, "Xiao Xi'er, I give you two choices. Either we break up now, and I will never care about you again. When I come of age, I will return to Beili. Or you stay away from those people, and we will remain the same."
The name Zhao Xihe had been silently engraved on a stone named Xiao Mingxuan, and it could not be erased.
There was a terrible silence in the room for a moment, and a pot of hot tea was brewing on the stove next to them, making a gurgling sound.
"Little brother, are you... afraid that someone will take my place away?" After a long moment, Xihe slowly uttered a guess she had long held. "Just like last time, you didn't want me to choose a consort, right?"
Xiao Mingxuan leaned back, a wry smile spreading across his lips, "Why can't you just stay silly forever?"
Perhaps it was because the little girl's heart was so pure that it was like a mirror, reflecting the ugliness of all those who faced it.
"Little brother, I can't possibly not see anyone." The little girl leaned her chin on the armrest, a look of incomprehensible depth between her brows. "But... I won't be taken away by anyone."
Xiao Mingxuan paused for a moment, his voice hoarse, "What do you mean?"
Xihe smiled, her eyes full of tenderness, "I'm meeting them, so why can't you meet them with me?"
Xiao Mingxuan stood there in a daze, muttering, "What do you mean?"
"Little brother, Xihe won't be trapped in any one place. She wants to see the mountains, the sea, observe the various aspects of human life, and discuss the vicissitudes of life. She can never live in just one cage. This is Xihe." Xihe walked around the table and sat next to Xiao Mingxuan. "But... I also want little brother not to be sad, so you have to stay with me from now on. That way, you can see whoever I see. If you say anything bad about someone, I will immediately ignore him. Okay?"
This is an attractive offer.
Xiao Mingxuan seemed to have his soul leave his body, and he watched his body answer for him.
"good."
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