novelraw Chapter 232
Chapter 232
Chapter 232: I, the Little Dragon, Willingly Let the Brave Hero Ride Me （5.3K）
The next morning.
Xia Li got up, tidied up, and drove Lucia out.
First, he went to the hospital to ask for leave, then headed to Miyang City.
It was quite easy for Lucia to ask for leave.
As she was still in her internship, her work schedule was flexible. The Cat Director didn’t hesitate much when he saw the leave form and approved it directly.
The leave form was written by Xia Li for Lucia.
Reason for leave: Honeymoon.
Lucia asked Xia Li what a honeymoon was.
Xia Li just shook his head evasively, saying she would know later. ◈◈◈
Last time, it took Xia Li two and a half hours to get home from Miyang City to Qingcheng City.
This time his driving skills had improved a lot, and he arrived in Miyang City in less than two hours.
The weather was pretty good today. Xia Li rolled down the car window, allowing the air to circulate in the enclosed car. The early summer temperature was just right, blowing a refreshing breeze on people.
Lucia sat in the passenger seat, her head drooping as she slept soundly.
Actually, Xia Li had thought about letting Lucia experience the high-speed rail.
If Lucia used her invisibility magic, it wouldn’t be difficult to sneak into the high-speed rail station.
But the high-speed rail station was not like an amusement park. The surveillance here was extremely tight, with no blind spots, and the key point was the dense crowds.
Lucia’s invisibility magic only interfered with the surrounding light, making her visually invisible, but it didn’t make her body completely disappear.
She still had physical volume.
In crowded places, especially in the cramped carriages of the high-speed rail, she would definitely bump into people.
Moreover, there were so many pairs of eyes staring in the carriage, and train attendants constantly checked tickets. It would be troublesome to maintain invisibility in this situation, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to suddenly appear midway.
It was too risky.
After thinking about it, Xia Li decided not to take the risk.
“Wake up.”
The car slowly drove into the underground parking lot.
Xia Li turned the steering wheel and parked the car, then hooked his finger and scratched Lucia’s little nose.
There had been quite a lot of changes in the past six months.
Xia Li often said, “Lucia has been changed by this society.”
In fact, he himself had also been changed a lot by Lucia.
From a novice driver who would get nervous holding the steering wheel, to an old driver who could drive for two hours on the highway without breaking a sweat, and was even better at steering with one hand.
And that Xia Li, who always thought about earning and spending money on the same day, who refused to compromise with society before finding the job he wanted, who was full of dreams and ambition… was also gone.
He was now content with the status quo.
This was also a kind of growth.
“Mmm…huh.”
Lucia wrinkled her cute nose and opened her eyes in a daze.
She remembered that just a second ago, she was assuring Xia Li that she wouldn’t sleep and would definitely keep him company by chatting until they reached their destination…
How did she suddenly fall asleep?!
There must be some magic in Xia Li’s car that made her pass out every time she sat in it for more than ten minutes!
“Why, why is it dark?!”
Lucia was still a bit bewildered. After a moment of regret, she looked up at the sky.
Then she was shocked by the pitch-black ‘night’.
She woke up and it was already dark?!
“This is the underground parking lot,” Xia Li explained, turning his head.
Only then did Lucia push open the door and get out of the car. Looking at the dark dome, the hollow sounds echoing around her made her ears twitch.
This vast and enclosed space gave her an urge to howl.
Evil Dragon Roar~
“Ah…woo.”
Just as she was about to vocalize, Xia Li pulled her dragon claw over.
Lucia swallowed the sound stuck in her throat and obediently followed Xia Li into the building entrance.
Then they took the elevator upstairs.
Xia Li asked Lucia to close her eyes, and then he covered her ears. This way, the feeling of suffocation brought by the narrow space could be reduced a lot.
“Take this, you’ll give it all to my mom later.”
This time, it was considered the first time he brought Lucia back to his parents’ house, so Xia Li bought two boxes of milk and fruit.
There was no need for anything expensive or valuable, just something he picked up on the roadside, mainly to show his sincerity.
“H-hello, Auntie…”
Just as they stepped out of the elevator.
Before Xia Li could hand the things to Lucia, they were caught red-handed by Fang Xia, who was waiting at the door.
Lucia quickly took the things from Xia Li’s hands, feeling like she had been caught cheating. She greeted the old couple who had been waiting for a long time, shyly and awkwardly.
“Hello, Uncle…”
“Come, come, Xiao Lu, come in quickly.”
Fang Xia’s eyes were crinkled with a smile. She hurried forward to take the things, her arms sinking under the weight. She then threw them to Xia Li, who was standing next to her, and led Lucia into the house.
“I was just about to call and ask where Xia Li was, but your uncle wouldn’t let me, saying it’s not safe to answer the phone while driving… Come on, there’s a lot of washed fruit in the house, as well as fried crispy meat and dried fish, all freshly made by Auntie, still warm.”
Fang Xia was very enthusiastic. The moment she saw Lucia, she couldn’t stop talking.
Lucia had been getting along with Fang Xia for so long, but she still couldn’t handle such warm hospitality.
As she walked, she kept looking back at Xia Li, her eyes full of pleading.
Xia Li smiled helplessly at her.
Just eat.
You definitely won’t be able to leave today without eating your fill.
Looking away, Xia Li glanced at Xia Yuanjun, who was standing motionless at the door.
Xia Yuanjun had his hands behind his back, his slightly hunched posture, and the way he looked out the window of the corridor with his glasses on… He looked exactly like an old cadre lecturing a newcomer.
This tsundere dad definitely had something to say.
“You’re back.”
The thick lenses of his glasses distorted Xia Yuanjun’s eyebrows and eyes. Xia Li couldn’t see his exact expression and could only hear a hint of worry in his sighing voice.
“Yeah…”
Xia Li responded.
Logically speaking, today was a workday, and Old Xia should be at work at this time.
It seemed that he had specially asked for a day off after learning that Xia Li was coming back last night.
“I heard from your mom that you’re planning to take Xiao Lu abroad to travel?”
Xia Yuanjun turned his gaze back. His high nose bridge and well-defined lips were somewhat similar to Xia Li’s, but there were two deep nasolabial folds between his nose and the corners of his mouth.
Xia Li didn’t avoid his gaze but nodded solemnly.
“Yes…”
He quickly guessed what Xia Yuanjun was thinking.
During the last Chinese New Year, Xia Li had confessed part of Lucia’s situation to Xia Yuanjun.
He told Xia Yuanjun that Lucia came from a distant place and didn’t have an ID card.
Xia Yuanjun automatically assumed that she had ‘sneaked’ in for some reason.
Xia Li had promised at the time that he would solve Lucia’s identity problem. Xia Yuanjun was a little worried about this, but he had never explicitly said it.
“Have you bought the tickets?”
Xia Yuanjun asked, staring into Xia Li’s eyes.
Xia Li’s fingers tightened around the plastic handle of the milk carton. Fortunately, he had something heavy in his hand, so Xia Yuanjun didn’t see this slight movement.
“Dad, I have my own way…”
Xia Li ultimately chose not to lie directly to the old man.
Sometimes things didn’t necessarily need lies to be smoothed over; sincerity was equally important in family communication.
“Is it legal?” Xia Yuanjun added.
“Legal.”
This time, Xia Li’s tone was much firmer.
Xia Yuanjun had served in the army when he was young, and after being discharged, he joined a government agency. He had dedicated his entire life to the country, so he knew better than anyone where the red line was.
Xia Li was also very clear about it.
Therefore, even though Lucia now possessed almost invincible magic, he had never thought of taking shortcuts.
Xia Yuanjun looked at Xia Li and remained silent for a while.
After a moment, he decided to trust his son.
He then stretched out the hands he had been hiding behind his back. Xia Li looked closely and saw a wrapped plastic bag.
“Don’t tell your mom.”
Saying this, Xia Yuanjun shoved the things in his hands into Xia Li’s arms.
Xia Li felt the heavy weight and looked down… It was an envelope, probably containing a stack of money.
It was probably all the old man’s private savings.
“What are you doing outside, dawdling? Come in quickly.”
While the father and son were talking, Fang Xia pushed the door open again.
Fang Xia shouted into the corridor, and Xia Li and Xia Yuanjun nodded as if they had been suppressed by some ferocious beast.
Xia Li quickly stuffed the money into his pants pocket. As he passed by Xia Yuanjun, he whispered,
“Thanks, Dad.”
Although these red banknotes were useless in the other world, it was the old man’s kindness, so Xia Li naturally accepted it.
Moreover, he did need a sum of money to buy Lucia an identity.
He entered the house and closed the door.
Lucia in the living room was at a loss. In the time it took Xia Li to stand at the door and say a few words to Xia Yuanjun, her hands were already piled high with snacks.
Fang Xia usually didn’t like Xia Li eating snacks, but when Lucia first visited her house, she bought a lot of delicious things for Lucia, despite her sharp tongue.
She probably already understood Lucia’s childlike personality.
Using snacks to coax her into happiness was the simplest and most effective method.
“Mom, how can she eat so much…”
Looking at the little dragon buried in snack packaging, Xia Li couldn’t help but laugh.
He walked over and rescued Lucia from the snack pile.
Just as he put the snacks back into the bag, Fang Xia brought over a plate of cut fruit and stuffed it into Lucia’s hands.
“You must be tired from the journey. Come and try some of this!” she said with a beaming smile.
“…”
◈◈◈
Xia Li really wanted to interject.
He was the one driving, and Lucia had been sleeping the whole way. No matter how you looked at it, he was the one who was tired, right?
“Eat some, my mom specially prepared it for you.”
Sighing, Xia Li didn’t voice his complaints.
Lucia looked at the fruit plate from side to side, then symbolically wiped her small hands on her skirt and picked up the biggest and reddest cherry, stuffing it into Xia Li’s mouth.
“How was the exam?”
Fang Xia was cracking melon seeds on the side.
Seeing Xiao Lu’s actions of always thinking of her son first, she felt both relieved and emotional.
“It was okay… I’m somewhat confident.”
Xia Li said without any modesty.
“When will the results come out?” Fang Xia continued to ask.
“Next month, or maybe the month after.” Xia Li wasn’t too sure.
“Alright… How long are you planning to go out and play this time?”
“We haven’t decided yet, we’ll play wherever we go.”
Xia Li lowered his head to eat the cherries. The blood-red cherry pit was spat out by him onto a piece of paper. Lucia picked up the pit from the paper and looked at it. She seemed to be startled by the color and quickly looked up to check on Xia Li.
“…We plan to go to Southeast Asia first. There are quite a few visa-free countries there, so we can change places when we’re tired of playing.”
Xia Li picked up a cherry and stuffed it into Lucia’s mouth.
It was Lucia’s first time eating this kind of fruit, and she was a little hesitant to eat it, but after biting into the flesh, the rich sweet and sour taste made her eyes light up.
“It’s not very safe over there.”
Fang Xia frowned and said worriedly.
There had been a lot of news about organ harvesting online recently, and Fang Xia was puzzled that Xia Li would choose such a place for his first trip abroad.
“It’s okay, we’re choosing safe countries, and after playing for a while, we might go to East Asia. Don’t worry, Mom.”
“Alright…”
After listening to Xia Li’s explanation, Fang Xia could only silently accept it.
“It’s good to go out and see the world while you’re young.”
Fang Xia herself supported Xia Li taking Lucia on a trip.
In her eyes, Lucia was a simple girl from a remote area who hadn’t seen much of the outside world. It was good for Xia Li to take her out to play.
“Okay, okay, wash your hands and let’s eat.”
Fang Xia stopped dwelling on this matter.
Young people’s matters should be handled by themselves. As a mother, all she could do was support him in every way.
Coming to the dining table, the family happily ate lunch.
Fang Xia had prepared a table full of dishes early in the morning.
To welcome Lucia’s official ‘meeting the parents’, Fang Xia put a lot of effort into the dishes.
Lucia never disappointed when it came to ‘eating’.
If there was a ‘most satisfying diner for a chef’ award, Lucia would definitely win first place.
Her considerable appetite always made Fang Xia feel satisfied, secretly wondering if her cooking skills had improved again, as she could actually make the little girl eat four bowls of rice.
After lunch, Fang Xia, under the pretense of going out for a walk to aid digestion, wanted to take Lucia out for a stroll.
Xia Li knew what his mom was thinking.
She wanted to take Lucia out and let the neighbors see her future daughter-in-law.
Mrs. Fang was showing off.
Xia Li didn’t stop her and nodded, letting Lucia go. Lucia’s face flushed slightly, unable to resist Fang Xia’s enthusiasm.
“Let’s go, Xiao Lu, I’ll show you around our community… Oh right, let’s go to the teahouse I opened for a visit.”
The mother and daughter went out arm in arm.
Only the father and son were left at home.
Xia Yuanjun was a man of few words. After saying everything he wanted to say, he kept silent.
In the end, it was Xia Li who casually chatted with the old man, and the lifeless atmosphere finally livened up.
It wasn’t until the sun was about to set in the afternoon that Fang Xia reluctantly brought Lucia back.
Xia Li’s eyes straightened when he saw the little girl entering the house.
Who was this?
Was this the same delicate dragon girl who had left his house at noon?
“Does it look good? I bought several sets for you to change into.”
Fang Xia had taken Lucia out to buy several sets of softshell jackets.
The ginger-yellow windbreaker she was wearing was very bright. The jacket was loose, the hem hanging down to cover Lucia’s little butt. There were two large pockets on both sides of the waist, which could easily hold two bottles of mineral water.
This color on Lucia gave her a lively and bright feeling, very suitable for her active personality.
Xia Li had always admired Mrs. Fang’s taste.
Even at her age, she could still keep up with fashion.
“It looks good… Mom, where’s mine?”
Xia Li asked enviously.
“Buy your own!”
Fang Xia’s words belied her actions. As she spoke, she tossed a cloth bag over.
Xia Li caught it with a chuckle.
“Thanks, Mom.”
He peeked into the bag and saw a set of softshell jackets, light green in color, the same style as Lucia’s.
Couple outfits!
Accepting his mother’s kindness, Xia Li exchanged a few pleasantries, then went out with all the bags.
“It’s getting late, we have a flight tomorrow, so we’ll go back first!”
Seeing this, Fang Xia didn’t try to keep him but turned around and quickly went back to the kitchen to get a bag of dry food.
“Take this, eat it on the way.”
“Mom, what time is it? I won’t starve…”
Fang Xia glared at Xia Li and stuffed the things into a black waterproof bag by the door.
Xia Li took a look and saw that the travel bag was already filled with all sorts of things.
There were flashlights, trekking poles, even sleeping bags, all kinds of outdoor equipment.
“…Mom, we’ll go now.”
Xia Li didn’t stand on ceremony and took everything.
Fang Xia waved her hand, urging him to leave.
If he didn’t leave now, she would want to keep him again.
“Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie!”
Before closing the door, Lucia poked her head out and said sweetly to the people inside.
The two returned to the car and drove back home along the same route they had taken in the morning.
The sun was setting at this time, and the orange fiery glow was very similar to when they set off in the morning.
The difference was that it was in the west, giving a feeling of brilliance but fleeting beauty.
It inexplicably made people feel a little nostalgic.
“Eh?”
Lucia promised not to doze off this time. She played with her new clothes in her seat, studying the eight pockets sewn on it.
She felt a bulging bag in the lining, so she quickly rummaged through it and pulled out a ‘red brick’ tied with a rubber band.
“So much money!”
Dragons loved money the most.
She had never seen so much money in her life.
When she saw the money, the excited expression on her face showed what it meant to ‘have one’s eyes light up at the sight of money’.
Her bright almond eyes reflected the red banknotes, and her small mouth was rounded into an ‘O’ shape in surprise.
“…My mom gave it to you too.”
Xia Li glanced over, his tone helpless.
But it was also expected.
However, what he didn’t expect was that the old couple hadn’t discussed it beforehand and hadn’t told each other about giving the ‘sponsorship money’.
Now it was good.
Xia Li received double the sponsorship money in one go.
The two sums of money added together… probably amounted to tens of thousands.
Xia Li had originally planned to borrow money from his friends, but this money, plus the money he had saved from serializing his novel for more than half a year, was enough to buy Lucia an identity.
Not only a foreign identity, but also the return ticket issue was solved…
“After returning there, what’s the first thing you want to do?”
Xia Li smiled and suddenly wanted to ask Lucia this question.
Lucia answered immediately.
She had imagined this scene countless times in her heart.
“First, transform into a dragon and have some fun!”
“And then?”
“And then let Xia Li have some fun!”
“Ah… huh??”
“That is, let you ride me,”
Lucia paused, suddenly feeling that her words were a bit strange, so she blushed and added in a low voice,
“The kind of sitting… sitting on my head… You must have never ridden a dragon before.”
“I’ve never ridden a dragon before.”
Xia Li’s words had a double meaning.
In the other world, even the most pathetic mixed-blood, multi-scaled dragons would run away at the sight of him. He had never had the chance to sit on a dragon’s back.
Let alone a pure-blooded silver dragon like Lucia.
It must be a good ride.
“Then I’ll have to look forward to it.”