novelraw Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
After a moment of struggle, little Xia Ying stayed put, and the knee-high puppy bounded around to play with her.
Little Xia Ying stared down blankly for a long while before finally mustering the courage to pat the puppy's head. Once she succeeded, she whispered in delight to Liu Wenjie: "Older Brother Wenjie, I think I did it! I don't think I'm so scared of puppies anymore."
Liu Wenjie looked disgusted. "Congratulations on successfully taming a puppy that isn't scary at all."
Soon the two puppies—one big, one small—were both playing with little Xia Ying. The little girl squatted happily on the ground teasing the two of them.
"So cute, both of you~"
"Woof, woof~"
Little Xia Ying felt she liked them very much. She looked toward Liu Wenjie. "Older Brother Wenjie is amazing!"
Liu Wenjie was puzzled. "Amazing at what?"
Little Xia Ying answered without thinking: "Amazing because after special training even I'm not scared of puppies anymore. Amazing in every way."
Liu Wenjie sighed inwardly—this girl, timid as she was, had a sweet mouth. This inexplicable sweetness wasn't the first time; was it innate?
Before long Liu Wenjie returned the two puppies to the security uncle. Little Xia Ying actually felt a bit reluctant, standing there in a daze.
Liu Wenjie: "Strike while the iron is hot. While you've just tamed the puppy and your confidence is soaring, I'll teach you how to change your aura!"
"Ch-iron while it's hot? What does that mean... Older Brother Wenjie always says words I don't understand."
"Don't worry about the details. Come on, first give me a really fierce, really angry expression—let me see what you look like when you're mad!"
"Mm, I'll try."
Little Xia Ying gathered herself, stretched her tiny mouth, wrinkled her brows hard, and showed her pearly teeth.
But her cute, lovable eyes made the expression utterly comical.
Annoyed, Liu Wenjie tugged her cheeks. "That's an angry face? I feel like you're teasing me!"
Little Xia Ying closed her eyes, looking wronged. "It doesn't look angry? I don't know how. Older Brother Wenjie, don't pull my face—I'm sorry."
Liu Wenjie let go helplessly. "Come on, copy me—simplest thing first. Stand straight, tighten your face! Frown, give a sideways glare!"
Little Xia Ying imitated Liu Wenjie's scary face, pursed her lips slightly, her slightly chubby cheeks puffing up; she glanced sideways at Liu Wenjie in doubt. "Like this?"
Liu Wenjie studied the girl's expression, deadpan. "You're really cute."
Startled by the sudden praise, little Xia Ying's face reddened. She lowered her head shyly, fingers fumbling in front of her, stammering: "I—I'm not cute. Older Brother Wenjie is the handsome one..."
Veins bulged on Liu Wenjie's forehead as he shouted, "You think I'm complimenting you? Idiot Xia Ying!"
After messing around for a while to no avail—maybe because of her looks, the girl simply couldn't look fierce—he was exhausted. He turned back toward the estate. "Forget it, special training ends today. We'll continue tomorrow. I'm going home to take a nap, or I'll die of anger sooner or later. We'll try again tomorrow."
Little Xia Ying hadn't expected it to end so quickly. She hurried after him. "Older Brother Wenjie, don't be mad—I didn't mean it. But we're continuing tomorrow? No special training this afternoon?"
Liu Wenjie walked ahead. "I can't spend all my time on you. I have my own things to do."
"Okay. Then what time tomorrow, Older Brother Wenjie?"
"Same time as today."
Little Xia Ying nodded, remembering something. "Older Brother Wenjie, Grandpa bought me some candy this morning. Do you want some? I'll bring it to you when I get home."
[Your childhood sweetheart wants to get closer to you and offers you the candy she bought especially for you. Your choice is?]
[Option 1: Eat. Reply: I'll wolf down my sweetheart's snacks! Reward: one bag of snacks]
[Option 2: Eat a little. Reply: Give me just a bit to taste. Reward: two bags of snacks]
[Option 3: Eat slowly, thoughtfully, with a plan. Reply: Let's save it for later. Reward: +10% success rate in future civil-service exam]
[Option 4: Don't eat. Reply: No thanks, you eat it yourself. Reward: never get stomach problems in your lifetime]
Liu Wenjie thought the system's options were getting more creative. What are you implying, what do you want to change? Damn it!
He picked the last one outright.
"No, you eat it yourself."
[Congratulations, host—you'll never get stomach problems in your lifetime]
Liu Wenjie felt his stomach had truly become stronger. Great reward—he could eat spicy food without worrying about an upset stomach!
Er... then he remembered that spicy food hurt at both ends; he still needed to be careful.
Little Xia Ying had nothing to say to Liu Wenjie's refusal—after all, he had turned her down many times.
But just then Liu Wenjie suddenly had an idea: could he deliberately game the system's options?
He took the initiative and suggested to little Xia Ying, "Xia Ying, ask me again whether I want the snacks."
"Ah? Okay." She obediently asked a second time: "Older Brother Wenjie, do you want snacks? Grandpa bought them for me."
Liu Wenjie waited a moment—silence. As expected, having the little girl ask on her own didn't count; the system wouldn't acknowledge it. Only when she brought it up herself did it register.
Noticing Liu Wenjie wasn't answering, little Xia Ying asked tentatively, "Older Brother Wenjie?"
Liu Wenjie came back to himself and replied, "Oh, I still don't want any. You eat them yourself."
Little Xia Ying pursed her lips in small grievance.
Sometimes she couldn't figure out what was going on in Liu Wenjie's head, but whatever it was, Older Brother Wenjie was still the best Older Brother Wenjie to her.
Early the next morning, Liu Wenjie called his mom, Lin Xiaoli, to assist.
He said to Xia Ying, who had come to meet them: "Today's special-training item is courage. I told my mom yesterday that I'm taking you to town to try the haunted house, the children's roller-coaster, the children's pirate ship, and so on. You've never played these before, right?"
Little Xia Ying shook her head. "No. Are they fun?"
Liu Wenjie grinned that familiar wicked smile. "Especially fun."
The moment she saw that expression, little Xia Ying had a bad feeling.
But Mom Lin Xiaoli cheerfully patted little Xia Ying's head, putting her at ease:
"Your Older Brother Wenjie told me last night he wanted to help you build some courage? Auntie totally supports it. Today Auntie will take you two to the amusement park in the city—okay? It's really fun."
Little Xia Ying replied softly, "Thank you, Auntie."
"Such a good girl, little Xia Ying~ Let's go—time to set off by car! Onward to the amusement park in the city!"
The family set off by car toward the city.
Little Xia Ying had rarely come to the city. During the ride she pressed her face to the window the whole time, watching the scenery curiously.
She watched the houses outside the car window change from one- or two-story buildings to high-rises, the crowds growing thicker.
Liu Wenjie sat next to little Xia Ying and reminded her, "When we're playing later, don't hold back—shout when you need to. I'll sit right beside you the whole time."
Little Xia Ying blinked, puzzled. "Why would I shout while playing?"
Liu Wenjie gazed out the opposite window without answering, the corners of his mouth curling up, eyes playful. Who could say?
A little over an hour later, the family arrived at the amusement park, passed the ticket check, and went inside.
Then—as expected—on the first children's roller-coaster, little Xia Ying was terrified. At first she simply closed her eyes to resist, but then instinctively grabbed Liu Wenjie's arm: "Older Brother Wenjie! What is this! It's so fast—I'm scared!"
"Haven't you seen roller-coasters on TV? Shout it out—once you shout you won't be scared. Shout with me: Ahhh!"
The roller-coaster plunged, carrying little Xia Ying's scream: "Ahhhhhh!"
Hearing her shout, Liu Wenjie stopped yelling himself—after all, the children's version was tiny; what was so scary?
He even felt like dozing off.
"Ahhhhhh! So exciting!" That was Lin Xiaoli, seated behind them, shouting in delight.