Chapter 153 (First Release)...
The tall boy was wrapped in a blanket, his bangs sticking up in the wind, and his sleepy puppy eyes were wide open, but the sleepiness was rapidly fading away.
Zhou Yanyao stared at the two of them with a look of utter disbelief, as if he couldn't understand why they were together.
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Help! Help!
I thought we were almost inside the room and safe, so why is someone still awake at this time!
In a short time, Zhou Yanyao had completely sobered up. Ning Wanwan didn't reply, and he didn't press her for answers. Instead, he turned his attention to another person present.
"Old Qi, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
Qi Lin glanced at Ning Wanwan at this moment, and then simply replied with two words: "Boil water."
Ning Wanwan: "..." Why are you looking at me?
"I didn't force you to boil water," she thought a little guilty.
Zhou Yanyao raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat disbelieving: "Why would you boil water so late at night?"
Fortunately, Qi Lin didn't look at Ning Wanwan this time. Instead, he chuckled softly and looked back at Zhou Yanyao without hesitation: "No reason, I just suddenly wanted to drink hot water."
"You're asking because you want a drink?" Qi Lin paused for a moment, then added, as if he really was about to turn around and get the water bottle.
Zhou Yanyao immediately refused: "No, I won't drink."
He has no appetite for hot water right now, not even the hot water his good friend poured for him.
His gaze swept between Qi Lin and Ning Wanwan, his eyes filled with confusion.
Zhou Yanyao always felt that it was strange for the two of them to be together so late at night, and he couldn't help but wonder if Qi Lin really had feelings for Ning Wanwan.
After all, in Zhou Yanyao's eyes, what happened during the day was somewhat staged, so although he felt a sense of crisis, it wasn't too intense.
But if Qi Lin is serious, then it's a different story.
Qi Lin is a strong-willed person who won't give up once he's made up his mind, a fact that Zhou Yanyao knows to some extent, even though Qi Lin usually hides it well.
To most people, Ning Wanwan might seem like an ordinary girl, so how could she and her best friend both fall for her?
However, Zhou Yanyao didn't think so at all. In his eyes, Ning Wanwan was perfect in every way. It was just that he had always felt that his sweetheart wasn't the type his good brother liked, so he was just jokingly telling Qi Lin not to fall for the same person as him.
Therefore, it is very important to determine whether Qi Lin has truly developed feelings for Ning Wanwan.
However, Qi Lin's calm attitude made Zhou Yanyao feel uncertain.
Perhaps it really was just a coincidence that we bumped into each other.
Ning Wanwan had no idea what the two men present were thinking, but she sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
For no apparent reason, I had a feeling of being caught in the act of adultery.
I just want to crawl into my room and escape this scene...
After standing there for a while, Ning Wanwan felt a bit cold and couldn't help but tighten her coat.
She swore that she had only moved slightly to attract Zhou Yanyao's attention.
Then she saw that Zhou Yanyao's gaze was fixed on her and wouldn't move.
Then, Zhou Yanyao's surprised and hesitant voice rang out.
"Wanwan, why are you wearing his coat?"
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Ning Wanwan was taken aback by Zhou Yanyao's attention to such a detail.
Fortunately, Qi Lin came to her rescue again. He calmly explained, "It was too cold tonight, and she came out to find water without a coat, so I lent her my coat."
These words instantly clarified everything, even connecting the previous discussion about boiling water to this statement.
"Thank you so much, Lao Qi."
Zhou Yanyao said this to Qi Lin first, and then Chao Ning gave a bright smile.
"Wanwan, if you want hot water next time, you can just tell me. Don't worry about bothering me. I can't sleep at night anyway."
Ning Wanwan hesitated, "Uh... ah..."
That's what I said, but how could I possibly bother someone for such a trivial matter!
Qi Lin suddenly spoke up: "Alright."
"Yoko, don't act like a dog that has lost its bone and is running around aimlessly. It's too unsightly."
Zhou Yanyao's lips were taut, and he looked up at his good brother Qi Lin with no emotion.
The faint anxiety he felt was suppressed and transformed into a deeper response to the intruder.
Ning Wanwan discovered that when Zhou Yanyao wasn't smiling, he was no longer like a big dog that would pounce on you, but rather a more aggressive... ferocious beast.
He only showed Ning Wanwan the gentle and harmless side of the big dog.
Zhou Yanyao and Qi Lin stood facing each other, while Ning Wanwan was sandwiched between them, like a poor kitten being attacked by dogs from both sides, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Not to mention Qi Lin added, "Besides, boiling water is something I can do easily, it's not troublesome."
Zhou Yanyao chuckled.
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Why does the atmosphere seem more serious even though it looks like the two of them were chatting and laughing?
Ning Wanwan stood there for a while longer, then couldn't help but wonder how long they would have to stand there.
However, even the most timid person can't resist the overwhelming drowsiness.
After waiting a while, she lowered her head, gently covered her mouth with her hand, and yawned softly.
The atmosphere suddenly relaxed.
"Wanwan, you must be sleepy. Go to sleep now."
A look of apology crossed Zhou Yanyao's eyes. He quickly opened the door for Ning Wanwan, pushed her into the room, and then considerately closed the door behind him.
Ning Wanwan was suddenly pushed into the room with a blank expression, and then looked up at the door that was already tightly closed.
Ning Wanwan: "..."
Ning Wanwan didn't want to open the door and go out again. She listened carefully by the door for a while with some worry, but she didn't hear any strange noises outside.
Ning Wanwan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, the two of them looked like they were about to fight... But no matter what, they were very close friends, and she had obviously been overthinking things...
Just to be on the safe side, she waited a while longer, but still found nothing amiss. Ning Wanwan finally relaxed completely, snuggled back into bed, and closed her eyes.
Oh right, I forgot to return the coat to Qi Lin... I'll return it tomorrow... Sleepiness washed over Ning Wanwan as she drowsily thought.
The next morning, when Ning Wanwan got up, she found that the temperature had not warmed up as she had hoped; instead, it had become even colder.
Ning Wanwan put on several more layers of thick clothes and walked out of the room shivering.
"Ning Wanwan, are you cold?" Xiao Zhou stared at her with his silver-gray eyes, then ran over and stuffed something warm into her arms.
Ning Wanwan instinctively hugged the warm thing tighter. Looking down for a closer look, she found it was a soft leather bag filled with hot water, essentially a hand warmer, perfect for carrying around.
Ning Wanwan was pleasantly surprised: "Thank you, Xiaozhou."
Xiao Zhou's fair and delicate face remained expressionless, except for a slight brightening in her inorganic pupils: "You're welcome. Come and have breakfast."
Ning Wanwan looked at the table. Xiao Zhou had already prepared breakfast. The steaming food was placed on the table, looking very appetizing to her.
Ning Wanwan was deeply moved and couldn't help but sigh in her heart once again. Despite Xiao Zhou's cold and aloof appearance, which made her seem like a little ice block, she was actually very domestic and virtuous.
"By the way, Xiaozhou, are you still wearing such thin clothes? Aren't you cold?" Ning Wanwan suddenly noticed that Xiaozhou wasn't wearing any extra clothes at all, and the child still looked very thin.
She couldn't help but frown, but Xiao Zhou slowly shook her head and answered confidently, "It's not cold."
Ning Wanwan didn't believe it at all, thinking that Xiaozhou was just being too sensible: "Really? Don't be afraid of causing us trouble, it would be terrible if you got sick from the cold."
Ning Wanwan got up to find some warm clothes for Xiaozhou, but Xiaozhou immediately pushed her back down.
"No need," Xiao Zhou said. "I'm really not cold."
Knowing that Ning Wanwan wouldn't believe him without evidence—after all, such a temperature was indeed unbearable for an ordinary person, let alone a small child—he placed his hand in Ning Wanwan's palm, letting her feel his body temperature.
Ning Wanwan was taken aback and realized that Xiao Zhou's body temperature did not seem to have changed.
The small hand belonging to Xiaozhou in my palm was cold, like some kind of non-human existence, but Xiaozhou's body temperature has always been low, and this was the temperature he usually had.
Ning Wanwan took another careful look at Xiao Zhou's face. It was still snow-white and cold, like some kind of jade. Her lips were still pink and had not turned bluish-purple due to the cold temperature.
And the force with which he pushed himself back into the chair just now was quite considerable...
Ning Wanwan then reluctantly believed that Xiao Zhou wasn't cold.
"But do you really not need to wear more clothes? Wearing more clothes is better for your health, right?"
"No, it would be a bit of a hindrance to me," Xiaozhou said.
Ning Wanwan said "Okay".
Ning Wanwan quickly let go of Xiao Zhou's hand, stopped looking at him, and instead looked at the dining table as if trying to hide her thoughts.
The small boat paused for two seconds before withdrawing its hand.
Did I... say something that an ordinary person shouldn't say?
A faint look of confusion flashed in Xiaozhou's metallic pupils.
Ning Wanwan rubbed her fingertips together, where the small boat's icy, unchanging body temperature still seemed to linger.
Xiao Zhou's health is fine, which is a good thing, but it also makes Ning Wanwan recall a question from the past.
Is Xiao Zhou really human?
...But no matter what, Xiao Zhou shouldn't hurt herself, right...?
Looking at the steaming, delicious breakfast on the table, Ning Wanwan suddenly felt a little more relaxed.
She ate a few bites in silence, then suddenly realized that there was no one else in the living room besides herself and Xiaozhou.
It's impossible for me to be the only one getting up.
"Xiao Zhou, where are Ansel and the others?"
Xiao Zhou replied, "They went out to shovel snow."
Ning Wanwan paused for a moment, then suddenly had a bad feeling. "Was the snow heavy last night?"
Xiao Zhou nodded, confirming Ning Wanwan's guess: "Very big."
He simply uttered those two words, but Ning Wanwan didn't have much of a appetite for breakfast. She hurriedly put down her breakfast and looked out the window, where she could see the silvery-white world outside.
"...!!!"
Ning Wanwan was almost completely stunned by the scene that seemed to have the whole world wrapped in white.
White is supposed to be a beautiful and pure color.
But even standing here, Ning Wanwan could feel it through the window, as if this pure, flawless color was pouring down on her endlessly, almost suffocating her.
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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 16:39:48 on June 9, 2024 and 16:38:58 on June 14, 2024!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 57900050 (5 bottles); Bright but not warm (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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