Chapter 76 Father and Mother She always thought of the peach blossoms brewing in those dimples...
"Young Master Lu, this is the place." Tang Hao stopped and turned around with a smile.
The room had plain white walls and was completely empty, except for two wooden doors standing on the left and right.
Lu Xiaofeng remained calm and said indifferently, "Without a gambling table or anyone to gamble with, how can we engage in high-stakes gambling?"
Tang Hao narrowed his eyes and said kindly, "The gambling table is right in front of us."
Lu Xiaofeng followed his gaze to the two doors. One door was painted with mottled paint and full of splinters, while the other was painted brightly and looked brand new.
His eyes flickered slightly, and he said thoughtfully, "It seems there's a hidden world behind this door."
Tang Hao simply smiled and said calmly, "Behind every door is just another door. Life is like a gamble; at every juncture, you only have two choices. Once you've made your choice, there's no going back."
He looked at the two of them and said meaningfully, "Today, only I am the one betting against myself. You two may enter this game together. How many doors are behind this door? Only by pushing open the door will you know."
Lu Xiaofeng's breath hitched. This Jin Yu Lou dared to use two doors to play tricks, so it must have something to rely on. This door would probably be difficult to break through.
Tang Hao bowed to the two men, leaving only the words, "If you two are able to leave, the host will certainly welcome you with courtesy," before turning and leaving.
He pulled the door shut from the outside, and with a 'click,' the latch snapped shut, locking the two of them securely inside.
The moment the lock clicked shut, Yan Jin wrinkled her nose and said, "Such a strong demonic aura."
Just as she had expected, Jin Yu Lou must be in cahoots with demons and ghosts.
Lu Xiaofeng gripped her hand tightly, frowned, and looked her over. "Could there be a trap behind this door?"
Yan Jin raised her eyelashes and said sweetly, "What, are you scared?"
Lu Xiaofeng nodded, staring into her eyes, and said, "Do you think I'm not afraid?"
You can glean some insight into what he fears by looking into his eyes.
Yan Jin's heart skipped a beat, and she said slowly, "Didn't I say I would protect you?"
How could I bear to let you protect me?
Lu Xiaofeng sighed and asked, "Which one should we choose?"
Yan Jin glanced up and said, "It doesn't matter which one you choose."
Since we know nothing about what's behind the door, it doesn't matter which one we choose.
Lu Xiaofeng could only smile wryly. He looked at the bright red paint and said slowly, "Then let's choose this door. I've always been very lucky."
With a creak, the door was gently pushed open.
Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback; behind the door was a small garden.
As they stepped onto the pebbly path, the door behind them slammed shut. When they turned around, the wooden door was gone; only a finely textured courtyard wall remained.
Yan Jin stepped forward, picked up a few scattered kapok flowers from the ground, and said softly, "Red kapok."
Lu Xiaofeng raised his head and stared blankly at the red kapok tree. He had carefully selected this kapok tree from dozens of trees, and he remembered its branches and shape more clearly than ever before.
But he clearly planted this tree in the small building in Yanjin, so how did it end up here?
Yan Jin's eyes darkened as she stared at him and said, "Let's find the door first."
Wherever they are, this is a gamble.
Behind the door is only another door; all they need to do is open it.
Lu Xiaofeng understood this principle, nodded, and then split into two groups, searching along the courtyard wall.
A gust of wind rustled through the trees, and Lu Xiaofeng suddenly perked up his ears. He flipped in mid-air and scrambled up to the densest part of the foliage.
However, what appeared before them were not some suspicious demons or ghosts, but rather an innocent-looking child.
It was only about a dozen months old, and it was sleeping on the tree trunk like a little dumpling, which immediately reminded people of a kitten sunbathing.
Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback, then smiled silently.
I wonder which parents are so careless as to let such a young child climb up the tree along the railing.
Luckily, Lu Xiaofeng saw it!
He sighed softly, put his hands under the child's arms, and with a little effort, pulled the little bundle of flesh into his arms.
The little thing was sleeping soundly, its cheeks rosy, a few tears glistening at the corners of its eyes, and bubbles gurgling from its mouth.
He couldn't help but laugh again, so he carefully rolled over and landed, not daring to make a sound.
Unfortunately, his handling of the child was so clumsy that the little bundle squirmed uncomfortably in his arms and suddenly began to whimper.
Lu Xiaofeng had never seen anything like this before. He thought he had been hurt somewhere, and his hands, like an octopus, changed positions seven or eight times in a single breath.
The Spiritual Finger technique had completely lost its power, and in the constantly bobbing embrace, the little dumpling finally burst into tears.
Lu Xiaofeng's breath hitched; this time, his hand was truly burned. He was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could only try his best to shake him like a woman comforting a child.
However, it had little effect; his head had almost doubled in size, and he couldn't help but plead, "Little ancestor, stop crying."
Lu Xiaofeng hadn't expected the child to be obedient, but to his surprise, the little dumpling actually stopped using his supernatural powers as soon as he made that sound.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the little thing choke up twice, open its eyes and look at him with a pitiful expression and a handful of tears in its eyes.
Lu Xiaofeng's pupils widened suddenly!
This child was born with a pair of fox-like eyes that slanted upwards at the corners!
As Lu Xiaofeng stared at those eyes with similar outlines, his mind went completely blank, as if fireworks had exploded in his head.
Lu Xiaofeng stared intently at him, then exclaimed, "You, whose child are you!"
The little dumpling was completely oblivious to his shock, only blinking blankly and babbling, "Daddy...Daddy!"
Lu Xiaofeng's head was buzzing from the sound of "Daddy," and he stared wide-eyed at the little thing.
How did he become a father?
Yanjin, do you know Yanjin?
Before Lu Xiaofeng could recover, the little dumpling waved her tiny hands and touched his lips.
The tingling of the stubble tickled my palm, and the little dumpling smiled so hard her eyes crinkled, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her look as cute as a white-skinned glutinous rice ball.
Lu Xiaofeng could hardly look away, staring blankly at those two dimples and those fox-like eyes.
This is... his child with Yanjin?
Yan Jin walked over from a distance and saw Lu Xiaofeng standing there blankly. He raised his voice and said, "Let's go inside and take a look. There isn't a single door in the courtyard."
Lu Xiaofeng seemed to snap back to reality, stiffening his neck as he turned around, staring at her speechlessly.
Seeing him like this, Yan Jin frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
Before Lu Xiaofeng could answer, the little dumpling climbed up his clothes, revealing a pair of fox-like eyes that crinkled with laughter, and said sweetly, "Mother~"
Yan Jin stared wide-eyed at Lu Xiaofeng, exclaiming incredulously, "What?"
The little dumpling pouted, its eyes filled with tears, and it struggled to get a hug.
Lu Xiaofeng didn't dare to hold him too tightly, and in her flustered state, her face turned red.
Yan Jin stood frozen in place for a long while before daring to approach the large and small creature. She fluttered her eyelashes and exclaimed in surprise, "What are these things?"
Lu Xiaofeng said in a hushed tone, "It seems... to be our child."
As soon as he said those words, he felt a strange sensation surge through his blood. This scalding heat meandered through his heart, leaving deep burn marks on the ground.
He subconsciously raised his hand and poked the little dumpling's dimple, whispering, "Little one, what's your name?"
The little bundle of flesh hugged his fingers and rubbed them twice, saying in a childish voice, "Little fox, little fox."
The tender, soft flesh brushed against the thin calluses on his fingertips, and Lu Xiaofeng's heart fluttered twice.
He swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice, "The character 'li' is bad. Who gave it to you?"
His voice was so soft that no one would have imagined it was Lu Xiaofeng.
The little raccoon's dark, grape-like eyes widened in surprise for a moment. It lowered its head, thought for a long time, and finally managed to utter, "Stars!"
Lu Xiaofeng frowned. Stars? What stars?
star......
He suddenly thought of a monkey spirit, and said in a tense voice, "Could it be Sikong Zhaixing?"
The little fox nestled into his heart and giggled, "Star, hello godfather."
A sudden clap of thunder startled Lu Xiaofeng, who nearly jumped up in disbelief, exclaiming, "Why would my son call Sikong Zhaixing 'godfather'?!"
Could it be that he lost another bet to Sikong Zhaixing in the future?
The son must pay for the father's debts!
He shuddered in fright, looked up at Yan Jin in disbelief, and stammered, "Jin Jin..."
I lost my child's bet!
Yan Jin herself was still reeling from the shock, forgetting everything she'd heard as soon as it was said. Meeting Lu Xiaofeng's gaze, she murmured, "Little Phoenix..."
The little dumpling turned its head, opened its arms to Yan Jin, and said in a sweet voice, "Hug Jin Jin."
Yan Jin gazed at him with his watery, fox-like eyes. After only a few moments of hesitation, he frowned, tears welling up in his eyes, which he then stared at her with half-closed eyes.
The thick layer of snow was suddenly scalded open, and before Yan Jin could even react, she reached out and hugged him.
So tiny, nestled on her chest, the flesh of her palm pressed into a small round pancake, while the other side sank in, forming a sweet dimple.
As Yan Jin watched, she suddenly thought of Lu Xiaofeng standing under the kapok tree, his face covered in wounds, smiling as he said, "I've fallen in love with you."
Of course, that's not all. She had seen those dimples countless times before. One after another, like peach blossoms, the dimples covered her heart, and the fragrance they exuded was like peach blossom wine, growing more and more mellow with age.
The reason she can freely talk about love in small buildings, in the sky, and at the bottom of the sea is because she never likes to drink alcohol; a cold-hearted person should drink tea.
But when exactly did she become so timid about the peach blossoms blooming in her dimples?
Yan Jin sighed inwardly; how could she not know the answer?
It's precisely because the answer to this riddle is too clear that it makes those who are unrestrained and passionate timid, and teaches those who are good at running away to relentlessly pursue.
Lu Xiaofeng is always on the run, but those who truly want to escape always do so silently. All the grand retreats are merely gambles on her taking that first step forward.
How could that playboy not realize he'd lost the bet? He'd rather lose millions of times than let her weigh the pros and cons, while he himself willingly accepts defeat.
She lowered her head in a daze, watching the little bundle of joy snuggle into her arms, and her heart suddenly softened.
This should be pretty much what he looked like when he was a child.
Lu Xiaofeng, when did you start to fear loneliness?
Is it too late to dry up the long rainy season that I experienced as a child, starting from when I was a baby?
This time, she didn't need to look back to know there was no way to retreat.
Lu Xiaofeng was still oblivious, and grabbed Xiao Li's collar from behind, saying dryly, "Where are you going to crawl to!"
The two shaved whiskers had just grown back as light stubble. This must be the reflection he saw as he walked out of the snow and passed the stream.
Yan Jin felt a lump in her throat, and suddenly raised her hand to touch the stubble, saying in a hoarse voice, "Grow it up quickly."
The shadows of my youth are fading into the distance.
When you see the reflection again, you can smile brightly, for the past is already like smoke.
She slowly covered her chest; it turned out that the first cup of Prajna wine was brewed out of heartache.
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