Chapter 157 (First Release)...
Ning Wanwan: "..."
She looked at Xiaozhou's face with suspicion.
When Xiaozhou said "I'm scared" with such a calm and indifferent expression, it was almost comical.
"What are you afraid of?"
Ning Wanwan thought for a moment, trying to put herself in Xiaozhou's shoes to understand his feelings. She naturally thought of herself, "Is he afraid because of this blizzard?"
Xiao Zhou blinked, thought for a moment, and then slowly nodded.
Ning Wanwan found it somewhat amusing: "Okay, you're scared, but you don't want to leave. Do you want to stay here forever?"
Xiao Zhou silently gazed at Ning Wanwan, his metallic silver-gray eyes revealing an air of innocence.
Ning Wanwan didn't really believe Xiaozhou was scared. After all, Xiaozhou didn't seem scared at all... Compared to her, she was more likely to be scared.
However, thinking that Xiao Zhou was still just a child, Ning Wanwan softened a little. She felt that it was normal for a child to be afraid, and she couldn't just conclude that Xiao Zhou wasn't afraid at all based on his outward appearance.
"Xiao Zhou, are you being coquettish?" Ning Wanwan pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized something.
Xiao Zhou's gaze froze for a moment, a hint of confusion on her face: "Acting cute... what's that?"
Ning Wanwan: "Hmm, acting cute is about showing weakness or expressing emotions to people you're close to in order to achieve certain goals..."
Xiao Zhou's silver-gray pupils trembled slightly.
It was as if she hadn't realized she was being coquettish.
When he heard the words "intimate person," he answered without hesitation and without a second thought: "Yes, Ning Wanwan, I'm being affectionate."
The handsome little boy was expressionless, and his voice was calm and steady as he spoke, showing no embarrassment at admitting such a thing in front of the person involved.
Ning Wanwan was speechless for a moment: "Uh, real coquetry doesn't seem to be like this..."
Xiao Zhou blinked slowly, as if she didn't quite understand Ning Wanwan's words.
Why does it suddenly stop being considered coquettish?
Seeing Xiao Zhou's unusually bewildered face, Ning Wanwan couldn't help but smile.
"Okay, now it sounds like you're being coquettish again."
Xiao Zhou blinked, not quite understanding why it had changed back.
The definition of human beings is really hard to understand.
However, Xiao Zhou stopped dwelling on it; his ultimate goal wasn't whether or not he acted cute or not.
He looked at Ning Wanwan and asked softly, "Then, Ning Wanwan, may I stay here?"
Ning Wanwan hesitated for a moment.
Actually, she wasn't used to being in the same room with others, especially because of what happened this morning, which left her with a lot of questions about Xiaozhou.
But... never mind.
Ning Wanwan glanced at Xiao Zhou, who was standing obediently in front of her, making no overstepping moves except for her request in her speech.
Well-behaved children have the right to be affectionate.
Ning Wanwan sighed. This child was too well-behaved. He had done so much since moving into this house, and it was so rare for him to make a small request. It was impossible to refuse him!
"Okay, we can sleep together tonight," Ning Wanwan finally said, "but only for one night."
A ray of light seemed to shine in Xiao Zhou's dull, silvery-gray eyes: "Okay."
Even if it was just for one night, he was happy.
This strange feeling that overflows from my chest, a light and satisfying sensation that makes me feel like I can fly, that must be happiness.
Ning Wanwan opened her eyes wide, leaned down to examine Xiao Zhou carefully, and said in surprise, "Xiao Zhou, you're smiling."
On the little boy's cool and aloof face, as white as snow, there was indeed a faint, almost imperceptible, awkward smile that seemed about to melt away, yet it was real.
Compared to her previous stiff smile that felt overly inhuman, Xiao Zhou now seems more like a real "person".
Ning Wanwan thought this should be a good thing.
"I'm laughing." Xiao Zhou seemed completely unaware of his own expression. He paused for a moment, then reached up to touch his face.
Ning Wanwan nodded: "I really am smiling, but you definitely can't touch me like this."
Xiao Zhou: "Really?"
Ning Wanwan: Xiaozhou seems a little dazed right now.
Was it really that shocking and unexpected for Xiao Zhou to see someone smile like that?
Seeing Xiao Zhou frowning slightly and still trying to find something on his face, Ning Wanwan couldn't help but laugh and rub his head.
Xiao Zhou's hair was snow-white, clean and soft like a handful of fresh snow, and when it passed through her fingers, it was as cool as snow.
Ning Wanwan's hands were more honest than her thoughts; she subconsciously ruffled her hair a couple more times, making her snow-white hair a little messy.
Xiao Zhou obediently placed Ning Wanwan's palm on his head without making any resistance.
He simply tilted his head slightly, a hint of doubt in his metallic eyes.
Ning Wanwan reluctantly withdrew her hand, looking at Xiao Zhou's ahoge (cowlick) that she had ruffled, and felt a slight guilty feeling of having secretly bullied a child.
"...Xiao Zhou's hair is very beautiful, and it feels nice to touch."
Ning Wanwan scratched her cheek lightly with her fingertips, feeling embarrassed.
Xiao Zhou remembered that Ning Wanwan did seem to really like his unusual hair color, which was different from most people's.
However, since Ning Wanwan didn't show any further interest in his hair after the initial mention, Xiao Zhou assumed she was just being polite.
Xiao Zhou's two slightly cool little hands cupped Ning Wanwan's hands.
Ning Wanwan was stunned for a moment: "W-what's wrong?"
Xiao Zhou placed her palm on the top of her head.
"You can touch Ning Wanwan as you please."
You can touch it as much as you like.
You can touch it if you don't like it.
Ning Wanwan froze, her hand touching her snow-white hair, and she instinctively touched it again.
A jolt ran through me.
Good heavens, Xiao Zhou is just too well-behaved!
Ning Wanwan sensed that the girl had stopped touching her head. Xiao Zhou tilted her head slightly and looked at her in confusion, as if asking why she had stopped touching it.
Ning Wanwan rubbed it vigorously again, then helped Xiaozhou tidy up her fluffy, slightly frizzy, snow-white hair.
"Okay, that's enough." Ning Wanwan smiled and praised, "Xiao Zhou is so cute."
Ning Wanwan rarely praises others so directly and proactively in front of them.
Xiao Zhou's obedience and sensibility are simply too much.
If she hadn't met Xiaozhou in person, after seeing the other children in the village who were also quite unpleasant, Ning Wanwan would have found it hard to believe that there could be a child like Xiaozhou in the world.
Ning Wanwan dislikes dealing with difficult people, especially unruly children. She hates trouble, but Xiao Zhou has never caused her any such trouble. On the contrary, she is always taken care of by Xiao Zhou.
Ning Wanwan couldn't help but sigh and jokingly said, "If all children were like you, I might want to raise a child like you too."
"Does Ning Wanwan want to have a child with someone else?" Xiao Zhou suddenly asked.
Ning Wanwan: "I don't want to, but if it's a kid like you, I'll be tempted."
Ning Wanwan was just joking around; after all, who wouldn't want a child as well-behaved and capable as Xiaozhou?
But that was just talk. If Ning Wanwan were actually asked to consider major life events like marriage and having children, she would definitely run away faster than anyone else.
Because Ning Wanwan is extremely afraid of pain.
Of course, the deeper reason is that the life she brought into the world is so deeply bound to her that bearing that relationship until the end of her life is a terrifying thing for Ning Wanwan.
Xiao Zhou didn't know that Ning Wanwan was just saying it casually; he genuinely thought that Ning Wanwan was considering such a thing.
"So, Ning Wanwan, do you want to be with someone else?"
The little boy with white hair and gray eyes, his eyes vacant, asked slowly and very seriously.
Ning Wanwan blinked, then laughed, assuming it was just a childish possessiveness.
"Don't worry, I won't raise any other kids. I was just joking, Xiaozhou, don't take it so seriously."
The light in Xiao Zhou's eyes slowly returned.
"Okay, that's enough." Ning Wanwan leaned back again, lay back on the bed, and habitually pulled the blanket over herself.
I also covered my head.
It's definitely warmer this way.
I was tormented by those guys before. Although I'm not physically tired, I'm mentally exhausted.
Finally, I can have some peace and quiet.
As for Xiao Zhou, she's so well-behaved and cute, she definitely won't bother me.
With this in mind, Ning Wanwan felt at ease wrapping herself up like a plump silkworm cocoon.
Xiao Zhou watched for a while, as if he were studying an important topic, trying to figure out what she was doing.
It wasn't until the "big cocoon" slowly writhed on the bed for a while, then finally quieted down as if it were tired, that Xiao Zhou realized something. She walked to the bedside and reached out to tug at the corner of the blanket.
"Ning Wanwan, you'll have trouble breathing like that."
Feeling a slight pulling force coming from outside the blanket, Ning Wanwan rolled herself up even tighter.
"No, it's warmer this way." And it makes me feel super safe.
Xiao Zhou watched as the "cocoon" made a token movement before falling silent again, and a rare hint of helplessness appeared on her usually cold face.
Then, instead of forcibly pulling off Ning Wanwan's blanket, he walked out of the room.
Hearing the soft click of the door closing, Ning Wanwan cautiously peeked out from under the covers, looked around, and confirmed that Xiao Zhou had indeed left.
...Could it be that Xiao Zhou, being a child, has also been led astray by her childish ways?
Ning Wanwan coughed awkwardly twice, but still couldn't bear to abandon her "cocoon" form, and pulled her head back under the covers.
After all, it's really comfortable this way.
Especially in such cold weather, wrapping yourself in a blanket to keep out the cold makes you feel incredibly safe.
Ning Wanwan closed her eyes, and in the dark, warm, and stuffy environment, she unconsciously drifted into a dream.
"...Ning Wanwan, Ning Wanwan," Xiao Zhou's indistinct voice came from outside the blanket again, "Is she asleep?"
Ning Wanwan suddenly sat up in bed, and this time Xiao Zhou easily pulled the thick quilt off Ning Wanwan.
Moreover, because the blanket had slipped down quite a bit, and considering that Ning Wanwan was wearing thin clothes, Xiaozhou pulled the blanket up a little more and draped it over her.
"Ning Wanwan, what's wrong?"
Ning Wanwan sat on the bed blankly for a while.
"Xiao Zhou... I think I dreamt of another world."
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Author's Note: Oops, I finished writing it but forgot to post it! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-07-06 13:18:44 and 2024-07-16 23:43:08!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Warmth 34 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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