"Brother Xu, let me help you carry things." Ruan Jiaojiao leaned over the back of the tricycle, tiptoeing and reaching out to Xiu Xi.
Xiu Xi picked the lightest bag from the pile of things that needed to be taken inside and handed it to her. Watching her waddle in with the stuff, following Meatball one after the other into the yard, he looked around like a thief to make sure no one was watching, then turned around.
He carefully flipped out the photo he had stashed away, wiped off the non-existent dust with his hand, picked up another bag of things, pressed the photo under that bag to make sure it was not visible, then jumped down from the tricycle.
Once inside the yard, he nonchalantly took out the paper bag with the photo and handed it to her with one hand, "Keep it safe."
"Hmm." Without suspicion, Ruan Jiaojiao took the photo without looking at it, returned to the Ruanlin Family’s house, placed the photo on the table, and came back out.
Having already hidden the photo he wanted, Xiu Xi didn’t need to keep her away anymore. He didn’t allow her to keep moving things in and out, asking her to play by herself while he moved things back and forth alone.
After months of being together, Ruan Jiaojiao had already gotten to know his character well.
She knew that not only was he domineering, stubborn, and possessive, but he was also incredibly petty!
So, she didn’t argue with him and obediently waited for him. When he had finished moving everything, she hurried over with a cup of cool well water, "Brother Xu, drink."
Xiu Xi smiled and drank from her hand.
Halfway through drinking, Meatball, who had been circling them on the ground, suddenly stiffened, then turned and darted toward the main room, and through there to the kitchen.
Xiu Xi narrowed his eyes, took the cup from Ruan Jiaojiao’s hand, set it on the table, and followed suit.
Ruan Jiaojiao blinked in confusion and followed as well.
As they approached the kitchen, Ruan Jiaojiao began to hear some unusual noises inside, resembling something crawling on the ground, making a series of slick hissing sounds. Occasionally, it would bump into something, causing a clang...
Ruan Jiaojiao’s heart tightened. Could there be a thief in the house?
Or was it—Liao Zhaoji coming again?
Feeling slightly nervous, she clutched Xiu Xi’s hand. He looked back at her with a reassuring glance and whispered, "Don’t be afraid."
Reassured by him, Ruan Jiaojiao wasn’t so anxious anymore. She stretched her neck to look ahead from behind him, and then—
She locked eyes with a pair of triangular ones!!!
The owner of the triangular eyes was coiled atop the pot lid of the Ruan Family’s stove, twisting its seductive long body, and squirming around in some strange activity; when it turned its head, it met the gaze of Xiu Xi and Ruan Jiaojiao at the entrance.
The owner of the triangular eyes immediately froze—
"..." Ruan Jiaojiao stared at the owner of the triangular eyes, too stunned to react for a while.
Wasn’t this the Changchong that came to their house that night, twisting and turning so enchantingly?!
Meatball, unable to jump up onto the stove, circled around it, howling and growling, his eyes fixed on the Changchong on the stove.
The Changchong wasn’t afraid of the little creature on the ground; what it feared was the one protecting Little Cutie behind him.
It let go of the pot lid it was coiling on, slid its long body forward a little, and then stopped at a safe distance, tilting its head and looking at Ruan Jiaojiao, hissing and flicking its tongue.
Ruan Jiaojiao thought, if it had eyelashes, and could blink, it would definitely be batting them flirtatiously right now.