Chapter 137 (First Release)...
Ning Wanwan glanced at him and couldn't help but smile: "Don't you have a conflict with Ansil? Are you worried about him too?"
Did their relationship improve somewhere she wasn't aware of?
Xiao Zhou looked up and denied it, saying, "No."
He just didn't want Ning Wanwan to have any accidents outside.
Ning Wanwan reached out and rubbed his head. The cool, white strands of hair made her palm feel slightly cold. "Xiao Zhou's body temperature is so low."
It seems to be natural, and with its all-white skin, it really looks like a person built from snow.
As the girl ruffled his hair, Xiaozhou's metallic eyes lit up slightly, and he obediently tilted his head back so the girl could pat his head more easily.
Unfortunately, the girl only touched it a few times before stopping.
“Alright, let’s go to Ansel together,” Ning Wanwan said.
"Mm." Xiao Zhou followed closely.
Unfortunately, after wandering around the village several times, the two did not see any trace of Ansel.
"Could it be outside the village?" Ning Wanwan hesitated, wondering whether she should take Xiaozhou out of the village.
After all, the outside environment is still quite harsh, and the experiences we had before are still vivid in our minds. In addition, the weather is not cooperating at the moment, and it is starting to snow.
Cold snowflakes fell on Ning Wanwan's face. She looked at the snow falling heavier and heavier, pursed her lips, and looked at the small boat.
"Otherwise, Xiaozhou, I'll take you back first."
Then she went out alone again.
Xiao Zhou shook his head.
He knew Ning Wanwan was concerned about his safety, so he lowered his eyelashes and didn't say he wanted to be with Ning Wanwan anymore. Instead, he said...
"I don't want to be home alone." Xiao Zhou paused, then added expressionlessly—
"I'm scared."
Ning Wanwan paused for a moment, then hesitated.
She didn't feel anything was wrong when she went out by herself, but she felt it was a bit dangerous to take Xiaozhou out with her.
However, it's perfectly normal for a child like Xiaozhou, who is usually quite calm, to feel scared being home alone right now.
Ning Wanwan sighed softly, and was about to say something when she encountered two figures rushing towards her.
Ning Wanwan vaguely remembered that they were residents of the village. They lived not far from their home; they were kind-looking old women with their ten-year-old granddaughters.
Come to think of it, that granddaughter and Xiaozhou seem to be the same age.
Although the granddaughter was young, she was talented, so the grandfather and granddaughter lived a relatively good life in the village.
Ning Wanwan didn't pay much attention at first, because usually unless she mustered up the courage to speak to them, the xenophobic villagers wouldn't pay any attention to her.
and……
Ning Wanwan remembered it clearly. She had met that little girl near her home. The girl looked up with her innocent face and asked the first question, "Are you an outsider? What are your qualifications?"
Ning Wanwan said no, and then the little girl's smile visibly faded.
Actually, the little girl was quite polite, and even said goodbye to her at the end. Compared to Jeremy and the others, she was much better. But perhaps the contrast between her behavior before and after left a deep impression on Ning Wanwan.
Ning Wanwan thus gained a deeper understanding of how harsh this world is on unqualified individuals; even a child cannot escape the evaluation of this system.
Sure enough, as they got closer, the grandfather and grandson ignored her, neither causing her trouble nor showing her any affection.
She was just wondering whether she should go up and ask the two of them if they had seen Ansel when she saw the little girl suddenly give her a big smile and wave enthusiastically.
Just as Ning Wanwan was confused and hesitant about whether to respond, she heard the little girl cry out.
"Small boat!"
Oh, her name is Xiaozhou.
Ning Wanwan looked down at Xiaozhou with some surprise: "Xiaozhou, do you know her?"
The child has actually made friends, which is a good thing.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Zhou glanced at it indifferently and denied it bluntly and ruthlessly: "I don't know him."
The little girl said something to the old woman, and then ran over by herself.
The little girl who had just approached also heard what Xiaozhou said, and she pouted, looking very unhappy.
"Xiao Zhou, you don't even remember me? The day before yesterday, I was almost bullied by Jeremy and the others, and you were the one who happened to pass by and saved me."
Ning Wanwan exclaimed, "Huh?"
Ning Wanwan was even more surprised.
Xiao Zhou actually came to the rescue!
But isn't Xiao Zhou no match for Jeremy and his group?
"I didn't save you." Xiao Zhou's attitude remained cold and indifferent. "I just didn't want them to get my clothes dirty."
Now he lives under the same roof as Ning Wanwan.
What if he gets his clothes dirty and Ning Wanwan thinks he's not a good boy anymore?
What if I find it too troublesome and don't want to live with him anymore?
Even if she didn't know how, Xiao Zhou didn't want Ning Wanwan to worry.
So when those kids and Jeremy saw him and tried to bully him again, his previous indifferent and apathetic attitude towards them changed.
He made a move.
Just like an object that was originally left to be treated arbitrarily by others, at this moment it takes on its own actions and actively breaks the original predetermined trajectory.
Amidst their incredulous gazes and before Jeremy, he effortlessly trampled them underfoot.
Aside from the bewilderment of those people, Jeremy's gaze held a hint of realization, as if he had noticed something he hadn't paid attention to before.
Because Xiao Zhou forcibly broke away from the village chief's house, the village chief was still able to maintain his composure, but the young Jeremy did not have that kind of shrewdness and no longer treated Xiao Zhou with the same kindness as before.
Before he could do anything, he was so shocked by Xiao Zhou's display of martial prowess that he was speechless.
"You, you..."
Xiao Zhou didn't even glance at Jeremy, as if the people lying on the ground were insignificant specks of dust.
He walked straight over.
It seems that someone did call out to him at the time, saying something like, "Thank you for saving her."
But Xiao Zhou ignored it; he was in a hurry to go home, and nothing could stop him from returning.
"Xiao Zhou, you were just like this a couple of days ago, you didn't even notice me."
"But I didn't expect you to be so strong, Xiao Zhou. You knocked them all down in one go."
The little girl was talking excitedly, but suddenly she felt a little helpless and frustrated. "Why can't anyone notice me? My presence shouldn't be that weak, right?"
Xiao Zhou hadn't intended to speak, but Ning Wanwan and the little girl were both looking at him.
He glanced at Ning Wanwan beside him, lowered his eyes, and politely replied, "Oh."
Little girl: "..."
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Wait, wait a minute, is Xiaozhou really like this outside?
To be fair, the little girl is quite cute for a child, and she is also very articulate. Even though she is young, she can hardly be described as having a weak presence.
If we're talking about having a weak presence, then Ning Wanwan is the type.
"Xiao Zhou probably didn't notice for a moment, it wasn't intentional." Ning Wanwan, as the only "adult" present, tried to find some reason for Xiao Zhou.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Zhou, who was usually very well-behaved, bluntly contradicted her this time: "No."
Ning Wanwan: "...Huh?"
Meeting Ning Wanwan's confused gaze, Xiao Zhou repeated, "It wasn't that I didn't notice for a moment."
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Xiao Zhou, what's wrong?
"Speaking of which... was the time you met Xiaozhou a couple of days ago when she went out to buy groceries by herself?" Ning Wanwan asked, remembering something.
A couple of days ago, Xiao Zhou wanted to make a new dish, but the family was short of ingredients. So Xiao Zhou ran out and bought them without saying a word. Ning Wanwan didn't even notice when he left.
In short, by the time she realized it, Xiao Zhou had already cooked the dishes and brought them to the table.
"Probably," Xiao Zhou replied to Ning Wanwan.
It was only then that the little girl noticed the presence of Ning Wanwan, an adult.
"Hello, are you Sister Wanwan?" She gave a very polite and sweet smile, which was very endearing.
Ning Wanwan was surprised that the woman actually remembered her name, and even addressed her so affectionately. Receiving such treatment for the first time in the village, she responded somewhat flatteredly, "Y-you, hello..."
The little girl glanced up at Ning Wanwan, then smiled thoughtfully, "Xiao Zhou really pays attention to Sister Wanwan, but ignores me."
Ning Wanwan was stunned.
really.
Come to think of it, it seems that I've never had a weak presence in Xiao Zhou's eyes.
No matter what she wanted to do, Xiaozhou seemed to be able to figure it out immediately.
It was as if... he had been watching her the whole time.
Ning Wanwan couldn't help but glance at Xiaozhou, but Xiaozhou, with her snow-white eyelashes drooping and her obedient and silent demeanor, wasn't looking at her. This made Ning Wanwan secretly laugh at herself for having a misconception.
However, Ning Wanwan didn't know how to respond to the little girl's words, so she just smiled awkwardly.
Xiao Zhou noticed Ning Wanwan's discomfort: "Ning Wanwan, don't you still have things to do?"
"Ah, yes..." But Ning Wanwan was still wondering whether she should take Xiaozhou with her to the more dangerous area outside the village.
Looking at the little girl, Ning Wanwan suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Xiaozhou, why don't you invite your friends over to play? I'll go out first..."
With peers around, Xiaozhou shouldn't be so scared.
The little girl's eyes lit up, and she looked very happy and even expectant: "Great! I'd love to spend more time with Xiaozhou too."
Ning Wanwan smiled and thought to herself, with such a lively and outgoing peer leading the way, Xiao Zhou should be happy too.
"don't want."
Ning Wanwan was stunned for a moment: "Xiao Zhou, what did you say?"
"I don't want to go back." Xiao Zhou raised her face and repeated clearly, "I want to stay with you."
Ning Wanwan: "But..."
Xiao Zhou glanced at the little girl coldly, his expression one of utter indifference and rejection.
What an inhuman, indifferent gaze it was.
Startled, the little girl glanced at Ning Wanwan and then at Xiao Zhou, before thoughtfully saying, "You must have something to do, right? Then I won't bother you any longer."
"You can go again next time you have time, no problem at all."
Ning Wanwan: "Okay, welcome to come again next time..."
The little girl was quite adept at handling interpersonal relationships; Ning Wanwan felt she was much better than herself. Perhaps it was due to her environment, but children in this world tend to mature very early.
"By the way, did you hear that you were looking for someone?" the little girl suddenly asked as she was about to leave.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-03-31 20:03:16 and 2024-04-01 13:34:06!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Little V (10 bottles); 63196485; and Xiu Shen Yang Xin (1 bottle).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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