Chapter 44 "Dog Hook! Green Eyes!"
Li Xiao said he would take me home.
At first, I didn't fully understand what he meant, but the word "home" was too magical for me, so I couldn't help but lose my focus for a moment and unconsciously reached out to that outstretched palm.
Until I felt a cool sensation between my fingers.
I shivered from the cold, and by the time I instinctively tried to back away, it was too late.
Li Xiao grabbed my wrist with his other hand and held my entire hand in his palm with ease. He smiled slightly at me, who was just waking up from a dream, and said, "You made the first move, so it's too late to take it back now."
As he spoke, he led me once again toward the bustling, crowded lantern market.
I jogged a few steps to catch up with the boy, looking up at his fair chin peeking out from above his fur collar, my mind filled with questions.
...When Li Xiao said he was going home, which home was he referring to?
Furthermore, based on what the young man from the Shen family said earlier, it seems that Li Xiao and the two of them are cousins. Since they are cousins, is Li Xiao's dislike for the former simply because he feels indignant about his close friend's fate? After all, regardless of what Shen's father is like, the young man from the Shen family and the Lan family's fate should not have any direct connection.
Compared to Li Xiao's rejection and fear, the young man from the Shen family didn't seem to have much ill feelings towards his cousin. Although his words were full of teasing, it felt more like he was teasing a younger person and there was no malice in them.
And then there was the half-true, half-false remark left by the young man from the Shen family—"If you miss this face, you're welcome to come find him anytime."
He was probably saying it to Li Xiao, but he lowered his voice so much, whispering so intimately that it almost sounded like lovers murmuring to each other.
Thinking about this, my ears suddenly felt hot.
Unfortunately, I was carrying a lantern in one hand and holding Li Xiao's hand in the other, so I could only let the heat on my ears gradually spread amidst the hustle and bustle of the lantern festival.
As night deepened, the long procession that had been seen from upstairs had receded into the distance, and the clamor of gongs and drums had subsided.
The vendors hawking their wares along the street and the various tourists passing by still made the market lively and bustling.
This was the first time I had ever walked out of Huayuelou at night, and the first time in my life I had ever been so close to such a bustling market.
Before long, I was drawn to the various trinkets being sold on the street.
Looking around, everything seemed new and interesting.
The terrifying impression of being swept up in the crowd, helplessly pushed and rubbed by external forces, gradually faded away, and my state of mind returned to calm. Then I suddenly realized something I hadn't noticed before.
As I walked along, while I looked around curiously, I was also being looked around by the people around me without realizing it.
To be precise, they weren't looking at me, but at Li Xiao.
This is actually quite reasonable—Li Xiao's appearance is truly uniquely beautiful, especially her emerald eyes, and her light-colored long hair, which shimmers with a strange luster like fine silk under the lamplight.
In addition, he was tall and dressed in gorgeous clothes. When he didn't deliberately show a smile, he naturally exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay. In other words, you could tell he was not someone to mess with just by looking at him.
This young man walked down the street as if no one else was around, but he kept holding onto another person's hand tightly.
How could such a sight not attract attention?
Thus, an invisible circle naturally formed around the teenager.
We are in the circle, subject to the intentional or unintentional scrutiny and whispers of outsiders.
Until a little girl holding a candied hawthorn stick spotted Li Xiao while looking around, and then suddenly stopped.
The little girl stared intently at them as if she had witnessed something incredible, until Li Xiao himself noticed the intense gaze and looked in that direction.
The moment our eyes met, I saw a strange, excited light suddenly flash in the little girl's rosy cheeks and her big, dark eyes. Then, she abruptly broke free from the woman holding her little hand and ran towards us, shouting something in her childish voice as she ran.
I didn't hear it clearly, but seeing the child's unsteady steps, I couldn't help but worry that he might suddenly fall, and I was about to go forward to catch him.
The woman who had been holding the child suddenly realized what was happening. She rushed over, scooped the child up, and held him in her arms, silencing the baby's incessant babbling. Then she glanced over cautiously, looking quite anxious.
It was as if they were afraid that this series of actions would displease Li Xiao.
I was thinking to myself that this woman was probably a little too nervous.
Putting me aside, Li Xiao is just a human boy, he doesn't have three heads and six arms, and he's not some kind of monster. Why is he so panicked and on guard?
Turning around, he found Li Xiao staring silently at the mother and daughter. To be honest, his expressionless face was quite intimidating.
"Young Master Li..."
I was just about to remind Li Xiao to tone it down and not frighten the mother and daughter unnecessarily when Li Xiao took the first step and walked over. We hadn't let go of each other's hands, so when he moved, I naturally had no choice but to follow.
When the mother saw Li Xiao standing aggressively in front of her, her face turned pale. She wanted to leave but couldn't, so she could only stand there, holding her child and repeatedly bowing her head to apologize, saying that the child was ignorant and had unintentionally offended the young master, and asked for his forgiveness.
I don't understand why this woman is so panicked. Regardless of what happened, even if the child did run over and bump into Li Xiao, it's not something so serious that she should be so flustered and apologizing.
The child in the woman's arms was equally puzzled. She was held tightly in her mother's arms, with only her eyes showing as she curiously stared at Li Xiao not far away, with an indescribable restlessness in her eyes.
What is she trying to do?
"That's enough, I'm not going to eat this child." Li Xiao said expressionlessly, seemingly annoyed by his wife's incessant apologies.
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately shut her mouth and stopped talking.
Li Xiao then turned his gaze to the child in the woman's arms, leaned down slightly to bring their eyes to the same level, and then asked, "Little girl, what did you want to say to me when you ran over here just now?"
He gestured for the woman to loosen her hand from the girl's, and although the girl was unwilling, she had no choice but to comply.
The little girl, who was initially a bit resentful because her journey had been interrupted, suddenly became happy when she saw Li Xiao's face so close to hers. Pointing at the boy, she said in a clear voice, "You little rascal! Green-eyed!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, I was stunned. Seeing the obvious surprise on Li Xiao's face, the little girl's mother, standing beside him, turned pale with fright.
The little girl giggled as if she didn't notice anything, reaching for the fur coat draped over Li Xiao's body while calling out in her childish voice, "Big dog, fluffy!"
I thought Li Xiao would probably be angry, but to my surprise, he just frowned slightly and then calmly replied, "I made a mistake, there are no dogs here."
Li Xiao even went over to let the little girl touch the fur trim around her neck.
When the little girl heard Li Xiao deny her statement, she was first confused, but then she was happy because she could touch the furry thing in her mouth.
When she tried to go a step further and reached out to touch the boy's long hair on the side of his face, he stepped back to avoid her chubby little hand.
The little girl's hand touched empty air. As if she couldn't quite adjust, she hesitated for a moment before opening her innocent big eyes and staring at Li Xiao, saying in a childish voice, "No...can't I?"
“No, you can’t.” Li Xiao said succinctly.
"Hmm... but why?" The little girl seemed to still be curious, staring intently at Li Xiao's face.
“Because—” Li Xiao pondered, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and revealed a handsome smile.
He stretched out a finger and pointed mysteriously to the sky. Then, as the little girl looked up at the brightly lit night sky with a puzzled expression, he raised his chin smugly and said...
"I swore an oath before that only my mother and my future wife could touch my face, so I'm sorry, little girl."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
