Chapter 84 Nian Nian and the wood carving: From now on, you are not allowed to bite people randomly.
She buried her face in his chest and nodded, letting out a meaningless sob.
When those dark, round cat eyes drooped down, they looked moist and harmless. For some reason, it reminded him of the little raccoon dog he had raised with that person when he was young.
Li Xunhuan still remembered that as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the little cat would eagerly jump into his arms and rub against his clothes with its paws, just like a child.
She was dressed in purple, gently holding an umbrella and gazing at him.
At the time, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary...
He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
...There's no going back.
After a long while, he opened his eyes and looked at the book that was half-read on the bedside table.
Seeing something, he gave a bitter laugh, his eyes still stinging with pain, and slowly said, "From now on, you'll be called 'Niannian' (念念, meaning 'thought' or 'not dwelling on').
He had already suffered the pain of the word "Nian" for ten years, and fearing that she was too stubborn and persistent, he chose this name for her.
But little did they expect that their words would become a prophecy, and what came to pass was the 'longing' that they could never forget.
This name, intended to bring him relief, ironically became a knot in his heart, a knot that seemed to hold him back a thousand times.
Seeing him recite many "nian" characters in one breath, she was confused for a moment, then tentatively nodded.
She didn't care about her name.
Whether she reads it or not, she doesn't care.
Seeing that the red candles had burned down to more than half their original length, Li Xunhuan said with a faint smile, "It's late, you should go to sleep."
Niannian wasn't actually sleepy, but she still picked up the quilt and obediently turned over to lie down.
Seeing that she had nimbly crawled into bed and had no intention of moving, Li Xunhuan felt a slight headache for a moment, then frowned and said, "I meant for you to go back to your own room to sleep."
Niannian quickly shrank under the quilt, only revealing her pair of bright cat eyes, and glared at him, saying, "But my room is too far from yours, and I feel very uncomfortable."
She wasn't lying at all; the pain was excruciating, like her heart was being gnawed out, and life and death hung in the balance.
Li Xunhuan was speechless, assuming that she had become frightened and ill after this ordeal and was afraid to be alone.
Being so young, she nearly froze to death in the snow. After being rescued, she lost all her memories and could only regard her savior as her father. However, this father kept abandoning her.
It's understandable that the child was panicked for a moment.
But......
He sighed, "But you can't sleep here."
“But I don’t want to sleep there alone. I’m scared. I want to sleep with you.” Niannian pressed the blanket tightly against her face, as if afraid he would snatch it away.
Upon hearing this, Li Xunhuan couldn't help but laugh.
Does this little brat really think she's a three-year-old?
Seeing her naiveté, he said helplessly, "You're a girl, you can't talk like that. Even though you're young, you absolutely cannot sleep in the same bed as a man, understand?"
Niannian was already annoyed by what he was saying, and realizing he was unwilling, she resorted to being a brat and said, "But aren't you my father?"
That's utter nonsense.
Li Xunhuan glanced at her, curled up on one leg, and said, "You're so grown up now, even a biological father can't sleep with his daughter."
Niannian was so angry that she almost ripped the downy feathers out of the blankets.
She's already pretending to be obedient to make him happy, what more does she want?
She couldn't swallow her anger after thinking about it, so she rolled around in bed and said, "One minute they say I'm small, the next minute they say I'm big. Am I a noodle that can be stretched and then shrunk?"
Li Xunhuan had been lonely for too long, so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to be vibrant and passionate.
Seeing her throw such a tantrum so adorably now is actually quite amusing.
When he was traveling the world, he was always extra tolerant of children. But in reality, he wasn't a person who liked children. Only now is he finally experiencing some of the fun in teasing children.
He laughed and said, "Who told you to be so eager to acknowledge me as your father? Whatever your father says, your daughter has no choice but to listen."
Although his words were meant to be mischievous, he did soften his stance somewhat.
Niannian objected, saying angrily, "Where did Noodles get a father?"
Li Xunhuan said leisurely, "If you keep calling people out like that, you could conjure up a father even if it's not noodles."
Niannian, of course, couldn't win an argument with the third-ranked scholar. She was filled with resentment and had nowhere to vent it. She saw his slender fingers still waving around in front of her eyes, tapping his knees one after another, and he was quite relaxed!
She immediately crawled out from under the covers, grabbed his left hand, and bit down hard on his thumb and forefinger. The force was like a vicious dog biting into bone; her teeth dug into his flesh inch by inch, and blood appeared in an instant.
Li Xunhuan's eyelids twitched, and the veins on his hands bulged. He said coldly, "You're quite vindictive; I can't say a word against you?"
Niannian didn't want to give in, but when she heard him suddenly cough again and his eyes welled up with pitiful redness, she reluctantly let go of his hand.
After stepping back, his first words were: "I, the duck, will definitely get my revenge?"
Her face was filled with complete confusion and curiosity; she really couldn't understand where the ducks were.
Li Xunhuan was taken aback. The hesitation that had rekindled the old flame in his heart was abruptly extinguished, leaving only a rising smoke stuck in his throat, neither rising nor falling.
He had intended to reprimand her sternly, but after that one sentence, he completely calmed down.
He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly realized that being a father was not easy.
"From now on, you are not allowed to bite people randomly. Also, you must practice writing and reading with me every day."
I thought I only needed to teach her to cultivate her mind, but I didn't expect I would also have to teach her to practice calligraphy.
Li Xunhuan thought to himself: Fortunately, he was also a third-ranked scholar, so teaching a child shouldn't be too difficult.
Niannian noticed his earlier hesitation and obediently replied, "Oh."
As soon as she finished speaking, the flickering candlelight went out completely.
The stone house was plunged into darkness. Niannian quietly pulled the blanket over her head, determined to play the fool to the very end.
Li Xunhuan heard rustling sounds, but what else was unclear to him?
Helpless, he could only say, "Go to sleep, I'll stay with you."
It's just staying up all night.
He heard her chuckling softly under the covers, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
His smile was entirely genuine, but Nian Nian's smile was entirely fake.
Under the covers, her dark eyes were wide open, her fingertips slowly tracing the wooden carving in her palm.
The touch felt so familiar to her, like a fish that was dying of thirst finally finding fresh water.
Her deep-seated memories allowed her to decipher the carving technique of the wood carving in an instant.
But something is still missing... She needs to take one more step.
She couldn't remember, but that didn't matter; it didn't stop her from wanting to slice the wood carving to pieces with a knife.
Only by infusing one's heart and soul can such charm be sculpted.
Niannian's fingernails were already full of cracks, but she didn't blink as she dug her fingertips into the wood carving, deeper and deeper, until they were bleeding more and more.
Only after the wood carving was completely worn out did she secretly smile.
If you carve again, bite his hand to pieces.
A voice inside her told her that as long as she wanted to, as long as she remembered...
These are all very simple things.
Li Xunhuan closed his eyes and rested all night. Around dawn, he had already recovered his strength.
He was about to get up and go find Mr. Mei Er for a few drinks when he unexpectedly heard from afar that another guest had arrived.
Not knowing who the group of people was, and fearing he might get into trouble, he abandoned his plan to go out.
But unexpectedly, trouble came to him even though he didn't want to get into trouble.
The door was flung open with a bang, and the person rushed in like a whirlwind.
This uninvited guest was not fierce or menacing at all; on the contrary, he was incredibly cute—a child wearing a red cloak. He looked to be about ten years old, slightly younger than Niannian, but his eyes were filled with intense killing intent.
As soon as Red Boy barged in, his jackal-like eyes swept over the two faces. After a flash of his gaze, he glared at Nian Nian and said coldly, "You're the patient, aren't you?"
Seeing Niannian lying on the bed with her face covered in injuries, so ill that even her father stayed by her side day and night, he was convinced that the patient that Mr. Mei had mentioned he wanted to treat first was her.
Take advantage of her illness and kill her.
He narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, three hidden arrows shot out from his sleeve, each aimed straight at her throat.
Niannian stared straight at him, her black hair fluttering in the wind. Before she could even blink, Li Xunhuan had already blocked all three hidden arrows.
Li Xunhuan's expression had hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "At such a young age, you've already resorted to such insidious tricks."
This child looks even younger than Niannian, yet he is so ruthless. What will he be like when he grows up?
This child is even more ruthless than Niannian.
The Red Boy angrily retorted, "Who do you think you are, daring to try and discipline me!"
The child glared at him angrily, then two short swords slid out of his sleeve. He drew the swords and thrust them, each move aimed to kill.
He left no room for maneuver, but Li Xunhuan couldn't bring himself to kill him.
This Red Boy is still younger than Nian Nian. If someone disciplines him strictly, it may not be impossible to bring him back from the wrong path.
Seeing that he couldn't hit the man even with a single move while he remained still, Red Boy's eyes turned red. He had no choice but to stop and ask with a stiff smile, "Why don't you fight back?"
Li Xunhuan said, "You are too young, and not beyond saving. I am unwilling to take action."
Red Boy's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly said, "I know your martial arts are superior to mine. You don't resent my attack on you, which makes you a true gentleman. I willingly admit defeat."
He turned to Niannian and said innocently, "I will apologize to this younger sister; it was my fault."
As he spoke, he clasped his hands together and raised them above his head, as if to bow in greeting.
As soon as Red Boy bent his waist slightly by three inches, the crossbow on his back transformed into three streaks of black light, shooting swiftly towards Nian Nian.
He had a backup plan! How cunning!
Li Xunhuan's pupils contracted sharply. By this time, it was too late for him to rush forward and stop him!
There are probably very few people in the martial arts world who can escape this insidious crossbow bolt.
Niannian remained motionless, her cat-like eyes, soaked in black water, fixed intently on the triangular arrowhead.
Red Boy was already grinning with glee. His crossbow was ingeniously crafted, and this silly girl was doomed.
However, the next moment, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat.
The little girl with frostbite on her face suddenly stood up. Before he could see how she had gotten the crossbow bolt into her hand, she had already flashed to his side.
Li Xunhuan leaped but missed, and his heart, which had been taut on the string, suddenly relaxed. Before he could figure out how she had done it, he saw her kick the Red Boy in the chest, sending him flying to the ground.
She gripped the crossbow bolt, a violent emotion rising to her brow, her chest almost submerged in thick, black water.
Red Boy lay on the ground, clutching his chest, his eyes blazing with fury. He was about to use his parents' identities to intimidate the two of them when he looked up and met her gaze, only to have his throat suddenly choked.
A green light, not belonging to humans, was swimming in her pupils, and when the black iron tip of the arrow swept across it, it gleamed with a sinister and menacing light.
He suddenly felt a chill run through his body, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. A sharp sense of danger pierced his heart like a blade.
My mind was filled with only one thought: run.
But how did he escape?
-----------------------
Author's Note: Just finished writing!! I was too busy today~ Updates might be a little late during the Chinese New Year holiday!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
