Chapter 136 (First Release)...
The low voice from Zhou Yanyao beside me was filled with amazement and affection.
Ning Wanwan was stunned.
The other person was also praising the fruit platter's presentation as cute, just like me!
Ning Wanwan turned to look at Zhou Yanyao in surprise. Seeing that he didn't seem to think anything was wrong and looked completely at ease, she felt a little amused.
Is this person... the kind who would talk to themselves and praise their own food plating as cute?
It's actually quite...down-to-earth.
Ning Wanwan couldn't help but ask the question aloud.
"My lord...didn't you set out this fruit platter? Why do you seem so surprised?"
"Hmm," Zhou Yanyao scratched his head and smiled a little embarrassedly.
"Haha, I accidentally said it out loud, did you hear me?"
"But Wanwan thought I was praising the fruit platter. I just arranged it casually. I wasn't praising the fruit platter."
Zhou Yanyao raised his lips, his smile bright and warm, his eyes and brows full of laughter, "But if Wanwan likes it, I'll be very happy too."
Ning Wanwan: "Ah... this arrangement is really cute."
Ning Wanwan reached out and gently touched the long oval fruit that was pieced together to form a little rabbit's ear with her fingertips, looking somewhat puzzled.
But if it's not praising the fruit platter, then what is it talking about?
Ning Wanwan looked around and glanced at the tablecloth.
Is it complimenting the cute pattern on the tablecloth?
Thinking this, Ning Wanwan couldn't help but poke the rabbit ears in the fruit plate again.
Zhou Yanyao looked on with a smile.
The smile on his face never disappeared when he was in front of Ning Wanwan.
"Thank you so much, sir. You even helped wash the fruit platter..." Ning Wanwan suddenly remembered something and quickly added to Zhou Yanyao.
Zhou Yanyao: "I am partly responsible for spilling this fruit platter, so it is only right that I clean it up. Wanwan, you don't need to be so polite."
"It's my own fault for causing this mess, so what's wrong with washing it myself?" Zhou Yanyao thought to himself, completely forgetting that with his status, he wasn't the kind of person who would personally wash things for others; at most, he would just pay them off.
Hearing Zhou Yanyao's words, Ning Wanwan pursed her lips and smiled at him, visibly relaxing a little: "Sir, please sit here for a moment, I'll serve you some soup right away."
Zhou Yanyao naturally wouldn't refuse the girl's invitation.
He obediently sat down at the table, resting his chin on his hand, as if he had just remembered something: "Wanwan, please don't call me 'Master' anymore, it's too formal. Just call me by my name."
Ning Wanwan: "Name, name"
Ning Wanwan wouldn't even dare to think of calling him by his full name. She only learned to address him as "sir" from the village chief, after all, she didn't know how important the guest's identity was.
“Yes, I’ve already introduced myself to you. My name is Zhou Yanyao. You can just call me by my name.” Zhou Yanyao said casually, as if he didn’t think it was a big deal.
Ning Wanwan was still hesitating: "But..."
Is it too impolite to call someone by their name directly?
“Otherwise, you can just call me by the last two characters of my first name instead of my surname, I’d be happy to do that.” Zhou Yanyao winked at her, smiling broadly.
Ning Wanwan: "..." No, no, I can't say it anymore, this is too intimate!
"Mr. Zhou Yanyao..." In the end, Ning Wanwan compromised and used this title.
Although the other person looked very young and energetic, calling him "sir" even gave the illusion of being old... but after struggling with it, Ning Wanwan still used this way of addressing him.
Zhou Yanyao let out an "Eh," as if he were somewhat regretful: "Wanwan didn't choose any of them... Calling her 'sir' still feels a bit distant."
"However, it is still a kind of progress."
Zhou Yanyao stopped dwelling on the topic and insisted that Ning Wanwan change how she addressed him.
On the contrary, she seemed to be in a good mood.
“Yes, Mr. Zhou Yanyao…” Ning Wanwan also breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yanyao, who had already turned to look at the soup pot, suddenly added, "But it really is a wonderful feeling that Wanwan calls me 'Mr.' compared to when other people call me that."
Zhou Yanyao seemed to have thought of something, and he laughed a little too happily.
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Isn't this a perfectly normal and polite way of addressing someone? What's strange about it?
"Wanwan, I've brought the bowls." Xiaozhou silently appeared from the kitchen and came to the living room carrying several bowls.
Ning Wanwan: "Okay, thank you, Xiaozhou."
Just as Ning Wanwan was about to take the bowl and serve some to everyone, Xiaozhou stepped back, avoiding her hand that was about to take the bowl.
"Ning Wanwan, I'll serve it. Please sit down first."
Ning Wanwan: "No, I'll do it..."
"Wanwan, you should let him do it." Zhou Yanyao rested his chin on his hand, his tone very serious. "What if you accidentally burn yourself?"
Ning Wanwan was speechless: "..." That little boat is still a child, Mr. Zhou Yanyao, can't you see that at all?
Xiao Zhou even said, "He's right, we shouldn't take the risk."
Then Xiao Zhou quickly ladled a bowl of soup for Zhou Yanyao and handed it to him expressionlessly.
"Uncle, aren't you going to answer?"
What should have been an innocent and cute tone was instead delivered with a chilling undertone by Xiaozhou.
Zhou Yanyao narrowed his dark eyes slightly, smiled as he took the bowl, and said very kindly, "Then thank you, Xiaozhou."
He paused almost imperceptibly as soon as he took the bowl.
It was an ordinary bowl, filled with steaming hot soup, but the part of the bowl that touched it was unusually cold and piercing, as if the palm of the hand was being pierced by a dense array of ice needles.
This is truly bone-chilling.
Zhou Yanyao looked down at the bowl as if nothing was amiss, but he couldn't see any signs of tampering. On the surface, it was still just an ordinary soup bowl.
Sure enough, the little boy with white hair and gray eyes was no ordinary person.
If an average person were here, they would have already thrown the bowl away because of the cold and pain.
Zhou Yanyao didn't move, but looked up at the small boat.
Incompetent good-for-nothings don't deserve to stay here. This was the merciless message conveyed in Xiao Zhou's cold, silvery-gray eyes.
If she were to drop the soup bowl, aside from the fact that Xiao Zhou's credibility was too low, it would also ruin Ning Wanwan's mood at the moment.
Zhou Yanyao didn't drop the bowl, showing no change in expression. After a while, the icy, knife-like illusion disappeared.
Even though the other party had passed the test, Xiao Zhou's eyes darkened even more.
"Mr. Zhou Yanyao... what's wrong?" Ning Wanwan's questioning voice rang out, tinged with a hint of caution. "Don't you want to drink anymore?"
"No, I just think the soup you cooked smells so good, I want to smell it a little longer." Zhou Yanyao smiled and then took a sip without hesitation.
There was absolutely nothing unusual about it.
Ning Wanwan looked at him nervously, afraid that this distinguished guest from the royal city would be dissatisfied.
Ultimately, Zhou Yanyao's response put her at ease.
"It's delicious! Wanwan, your cooking is amazing." Zhou Yanyao praised him enthusiastically, and judging from his reaction, he really liked it, taking one sip after another.
Ning Wanwan felt a little guilty: "So-so..."
I really don't deserve to be called a good cook; that's more like praising Xiaozhou, since she only made soup because it's a simple dish.
Moreover, Ning Wanwan had tried it, and it was just a decent soup. She didn't know why Zhou Yanyao, who should have tasted all sorts of good things, liked it so much.
What Ning Wanwan didn't know was that as long as it was cooked by her, let alone a delicious soup, even if it was rotten poison, the other person would turn into a praise machine without batting an eye.
The small boat did nothing more after that.
If this warning fails to deter the other party, then no amount of further action will be effective.
Previously, Xiao Zhou couldn't understand Ansel's hostility towards him, thinking that the other party was too naive and not calm enough.
At this moment, Xiao Zhou was even vaguely experiencing the same feelings as Ansel...
I don't want her precious attention to be diverted to someone else.
After finishing the soup, Zhou Yanyao subtly shook his hands, feeling that the icy cold sensation had dissipated, and there was nothing unusual about his palms.
Zhou Yanyao didn't believe it was just an illusion.
But at this point... he couldn't possibly back down.
Zhou Yanyao stayed there for quite some time afterward, and Xiao Zhou remained there without leaving, but did not do anything else.
He just sat quietly to the side, not saying much, his head down, seemingly lost in thought. He was almost invisible, only reacting when Ning Wanwan needed him.
As darkness fell, the sky gradually darkened.
Ning Wanwan got along quite well with Zhou Yanyao, and was a little surprised to find that time had passed so quickly.
But what puzzled her even more was...
"Why hasn't Ansel come back yet?" Ning Wanwan asked anxiously, feeling restless.
Logically speaking, Ansel wouldn't usually come back this late. Even if he went out to kill monsters, it would already be past his usual time.
"Did something come up and keep you from going, Wanwan? Don't worry," Zhou Yanyao comforted her.
"Um……"
Ning Wanwan waited a while longer, but she couldn't wait any longer, fearing that something unexpected might have happened, although with Ansel's current strength, nothing unexpected should have happened...
She decided to go out and look for Ansel.
Zhou Yanyao offered to help Ning Wanwan search, but Ning Wanwan shook her head and refused: "How could I trouble you? I'd better go and check myself first..."
Ning Wanwan had thought things through very carefully. Originally, Ansil might just be returning a little late, but if Zhou Yanyao accompanied her around the village...
It's just too conspicuous.
Putting aside whether the village chief would be unhappy that she was treating her VIP guest so casually, just the thought of other people's attention making Ning Wanwan extremely uneasy was enough to make her restless.
Besides, the newly arrived distinguished guest is generating so much buzz in the village...
That's terrifying! Everyone will be watching!
Imagining that scene, Ning Wanwan's social anxiety kicked in, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Seeing the girl's expression of refusal, Zhou Yanyao didn't press the matter and tactfully took his leave.
"Alright, it's getting late, so I'll take my leave now. Go find Ansel. If you still haven't found him, come back to me, and I'll ask the village chief and the others to help look for him."
"Thank you..." Ning Wanwan was stunned for a moment, not expecting the other party to be so considerate, and quickly thanked them.
"I already told you, Wanwan, you don't need to be so polite with me."
...
After Zhou Yanyao left, Ning Wanwan also prepared to go out to find Ansel.
Ning Wanwan wondered what had gotten into Ansel.
“I’ll go with you.” Xiao Zhou stood up and walked to her side.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 16:11:36 on March 30, 2024 and 20:03:16 on March 31, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 63196485 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
