Chapter 88 Don't Touch Me, I Don't Love Others, But I Love You.
"Hurry up, hurry up." The sweet, urging voice mingled with the tinkling of the copper bell, crisp as if a piece of candy had been bitten into.
Li Xunhuan had no choice but to speed up his changing, saying helplessly, "I've only been here a short time, do you think I have two hands?"
His hand was still on the tie of his undergarment when he looked up and saw that Niannian had already barged in without a care in the world.
Li Xunhuan froze abruptly, quickly grabbing a fur coat to cover himself. His brows furrowed instantly, and he snapped at her, his breath ragged, "Nonsense! There's a difference between men and women. I was changing clothes; how dare you barge in like this?"
Fortunately, he was already wearing underwear. If he had been caught without any precautions, how would he have faced her afterwards?
He said coldly, "Disregarding propriety and shame, you don't even care about your reputation?"
Hearing his stern rebuke, Niannian pouted and ran to him, glaring at him and saying, "Why do you always talk about propriety, righteousness, and the code of honor among the common people?"
Her eyes darted around, and she muttered, "Aren't you going to be my father? There are clearly only the two of us here, are you really going to tell anyone?"
Li Xunhuan's chest heaved twice. He couldn't immediately refute the first half of her statement, and could only say in a deep voice, "Whether there's anyone there or not, you can't barge in while a man is changing clothes. You're a girl, how could you..."
Niannian snatched the fur coat from his hand and hurriedly tried to put it on him, making things worse while complaining, "Who told you to be so slow? Shouldn't you apologize to Niannian first, Uncle?"
Li Xunhuan was frowning, about to kick her out, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but exclaim, "You're telling me to reflect on myself? And you want me to apologize to you?"
There was even a hint of disbelief in his voice.
Niannian nodded, grasped three of his fingers with her little hand, and said in a drawn-out voice, "I'll call you Daddy, so apologize to me. I've fulfilled all your wishes!"
It's strange that Li Xunhuan encountered mostly hypocritical people who spouted benevolence and morality throughout his life, yet he never realized that pure, unreasonable behavior was like this.
Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief, "So, is calling you 'Father' really that valuable, and it's become my wish?"
Niannian tilted her head to look at him, feigning innocence, and said, "But when I call you Daddy, you are clearly very happy."
Li Xunhuan was taken aback, then suddenly straightened his face and said, "If I were to talk nonsense like you, I would probably be even happier."
She suddenly reached out and pressed her fingertips down to the corner of his eye. "I only made up one story at most. This is how you laugh when you're happy."
Li Xunhuan was silent for a moment, his delicate pink fingertips sinking into the fine lines, and he didn't know how to refute them.
Seeing that he was speechless, she muttered to herself, "What a stingy guy."
Although she was ignorant of poetry, literature, and etiquette, she was naturally very perceptive of people. She realized early on that from their first meeting, Li Xunhuan had unconsciously placed himself in the position of a father.
While Nian Nian may seem to be pressing her relentlessly, she is actually just pandering to her preferences.
Even though she really wanted to find out the reason, now was not the right time.
She's been so good to him, can't he at least apologize to her?
Niannian pouted, grabbed the fox fur cloak and draped it over his shoulders, "Let's go out and play."
As she spoke, she picked up the mink cape and said urgently, "Quickly put this on too."
Before Li Xunhuan could even reply, she stood on tiptoe and tried to wrap her arms around his neck.
Seeing her hopping and twisting around, still unable to reach it, Li Xunhuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "If you can't put it on, then don't bother Nian Nian to put it on."
Niannian lightly kicked his shin and gritted her teeth, saying, "If you dare cough at me outside, I'll see what happens..."
Her words, though seemingly disrespectful, were truly heartwarming. In ten years, aside from Tie Chuanjia, this was the only time she had uttered such a sound.
Li Xunhuan's eyes softened, and he ruffled her hair roughly, saying gently, "We're surrounded. Let's go. You'll need to learn to read when you come back from playing, so I won't let you run away this time."
Niannian quickly covered her ears and ran out; she was already exhausted from learning just one thing a day. And then Li Xunhuan had to come and cause trouble.
Who would want to learn the things he teaches?
A series of footprints, one large and one small, walked further and further into the snow.
After an unknown amount of time, clusters of red plum blossoms suddenly appeared at the end of Li Xunhuan's gaze.
Thin snow blankets the branches, reflecting off the pink walls and black tiles, a red hue that is not gaudy.
This is her favorite red plum blossom.
Ten years ago, they often came here to compose poems, drink wine, and enjoy the scenery.
Li Xunhuan slowed his pace, his heart instantly filled with water, and even his breath felt damp.
His gaze was only momentarily lost when a sudden weight pressed down on his back, causing him to bend over.
A copper bell suddenly rang in his ear. Just as he was about to lower his brows and begin to lecture, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck.
Niannian whispered sweetly in his ear, "Uncle, please straighten up."
The sound of hot, moist breath crept into my ear canal, but after only a couple of steps, a chill ran down my spine.
Li Xunhuan abruptly turned his head to the other side, panting, "Get down! What kind of behavior is this!"
Niannian clung to his back, secretly laughing as she stared at the tiny bumps on the back of his neck.
She coughed lightly, then said leisurely, "No, I want to pick plum blossoms."
As she spoke, she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, braced her left hand on her shoulder blade for leverage, and reached shakily for the topmost branch with her right hand.
The snow on the plum branches fell down with a soft patter, covering Li Xunhuan completely. He said with a headache, "Do you really have to have that branch?"
Niannian gently lifted her eyelashes and said sweetly, "I only want this branch. If I can't get it, I'll go crazy."
Li Xunhuan raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Going crazy just because you can't pick plum blossoms? Am I taking in a little madman?"
He knew that Niannian was stubborn and eccentric, but he had never seen anyone compare themselves to being crazy, so he just thought she was misusing words again.
Li Xunhuan shook his head, making a gesture to put her down, "I'll help you pick it."
With her small arms and legs, it must have been too difficult for her to pick them.
Niannian, however, refused, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing against him, saying, "I don't want to, I want to pick it myself."
Snow water mixed with fallen petals landed on his forehead and hair. Li Xunhuan closed his eyes and said, "If you slow down any further, I'll be soaked to the bone."
Her fingertips touched the rough plum branch, and with a slight effort, she broke it off intact. Before Li Xunhuan could notice, Nian Nian quickly stuffed two plum petals into his hair.
The deep red plum blossoms fell into her hair, adding a touch of elegance.
She jumped down decisively, held the plum branch in front of him, and said happily, "Isn't this branch beautiful?"
Li Xunhuan stared at the plum branch, which was almost bare of bark, and chuckled, "It's a pity it suffered."
Niannian poked at the flower buds on its branch, and said sarcastically, "Who told it to be so hard to pick? So troublesome? So disobedient?..."
Li Xunhuan listened with a smile as she relentlessly criticized Hongmei.
With such a childish temper, I wonder when she'll ever grow up? This thought had barely crossed my mind when she suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle Li, there's a plum blossom in your hair."
Before he could even touch his head, a plum branch swept over him. The soft petals brushed against his forehead, causing a tingling itch.
Niannian glared at him and said, "Uncle, why don't you know how to bend down? Do you know how tiring it is for me to stand on tiptoe?"
Li Xunhuan chuckled and had no choice but to bend down to cooperate with her.
It's no longer about whether it's plum blossoms or not; if she's unhappy, won't he have to come and coax her?
The plum branches swept haphazardly over his head like a broom, and more and more petals fluttered down, covering him completely.
He sighed and resignedly said, "I know you've come to collect a debt."
Niannian laughed out loud, finally willing to throw away the bare branch in her hand. Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, she jumped onto his waist, grabbed his shirt with both hands, and said in a coquettish tone, "I've come to ask for my plum blossoms."
A large mass was falling down in front of him. Li Xunhuan subconsciously caught it, but after his hands touched the soft flesh, he curled them up as if they were burned.
He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her down, saying wearily, "Get down! You're so old now, even close relatives should know how to avoid suspicion."
He couldn't understand how the child could be so clingy, acting just like a cat.
Niannian shook her head desperately, tightened her grip on his waist and climbed up, saying in a sticky voice, "I'm not a relative of anyone else, I'm a relative of you. They all know I'm your goddaughter, so we don't need to avoid suspicion."
Li Xunhuan leaned back as he tried to dislodge her rubbing ankles, his head throbbing as he said, "You're talking nonsense again."
She was like a freshly pounded hot rice cake, sticking to him and impossible to peel off.
Niannian retorted, "I helped you fix your clothes and hair, and you still hit me. I'm going to report this to the authorities."
In all honesty, Li Xunhuan wouldn't dare touch her.
Seeing that she was squirming in his arms and talking nonsense, he couldn't help but pinch her cheeks and was about to lecture her.
Nian Nian smiled at him, then suddenly slipped a plum blossom from her fingertip into his lips.
Her fingertips pried open his teeth, and plum petals covered in frost and snow rushed in. The sour and bitter plum flesh, coated with cold snow, was even hotter than the pear soup.
"Hmm..."
Niannian covered his lips with her slender hand, pressing down on his warm, tender flesh, and the plum petals stuck to her palm spread out in large patches of red.
Li Xunhuan instinctively wanted to hold his breath and run away, but she pressed her hand firmly against his lips and muttered, "Don't talk. You're definitely going to say bad things about me."
...
Lin Shiyin stared at the two people embracing not far away, speechless for a long time.
Her face was pale, her cuffs were slightly damp with sweat, and a thought suddenly came to her mind that she found utterly absurd.
He was just a child, how could that be?
Besides, isn't this his child?
Even if he were absurd and dissolute, he could not possibly do something so beastly.
But this child...
She walked back with a heavy heart, it was hard to tell whether she took a breath or a sigh of relief.
...
Inside the study.
Niannian rested her chin on her hand and repeated, "Don't listen to what's improper, don't do what's improper, don't look at what's improper..."
Li Xunhuan interrupted, saying, "Do not look at what is improper."
Niannian pouted and said indignantly, "Isn't it just the same idea?"
He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and said, "So, do you remember this? If you do it again, I'll spank your hand."
Niannian glared at him, "Go ahead and hit me, just don't kill me."
Li Xunhuan glanced at her with a half-smile.
Niannian covered her mouth and ran outside, muttering, "I'm never talking to you again."
Seeing her running straight out of the courtyard in the middle of the night, Li Xunhuan asked worriedly, "Where are you going to go?"
Without even thinking, he said, "Learn some knowledge!"
What kind of knowledge can she possibly learn? It would be good enough if she didn't cause any trouble.
However, since she hadn't caused any trouble since arriving at Xingyun Manor, Li Xunhuan could only let her be. She was at an age where she loved to play and cause mischief; even her wild antics were better than her previous gloomy demeanor.
The night wind blew in through the window, and he coughed as he tidied his desk.
Under the dim candlelight, the crooked characters looked even more comical, and he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
God knows how long he endured it.
If she laughed out loud immediately, how could she still be willing to practice calligraphy? She would probably suffer another blow to her own hand.
The sheets of Xuan paper were neatly stacked together, and as they were smiling, a slip of paper suddenly fell out.
He bent down and picked it up, only to see that it was written in beautiful small regular script: "Meet me at Lengxiang Xiaozhu tomorrow night at Hai Shi (9-11 PM)."
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