novelraw Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Attack!
Coming out of the bathroom, Xia Li’s head was steaming, and he let out a long sigh.
The girl’s bathwater is so hot.
Every time Xia Li entered the bathroom after Lucia finished bathing, the water from the showerhead was as hot as boiling water, making him yelp.
He didn’t know if it was because Lucia wasn’t sensitive to hot water or because girls generally had a higher body temperature.
He grabbed a set of clothes and went to the small dark room to put them on.
Xia Li thought something was wrong, so he came out wearing only a pair of pants.
He appeared at the door of the room, his upper body bare.
Lucia was still blowing the last bit of her hair, the sound of the hairdryer buzzing incessantly in her ears.
Seemingly sensing the gaze behind her, Lucia slowly turned her head and looked at Xia Li at the door. Xia Li’s elbow was resting on the door frame, his hand supporting his head.
A posture that, in his own opinion, was very manly, and if he had a rose in his mouth, he could charm the little girl into a daze.
Xia Li still had some confidence in this body that had suffered for three years and trained for three years in another world.
“…”
“Buzzing…”
The hairdryer whirred, and Lucia sat on the edge of the bed, carefully blowing her hair.
Xia Li: “??”
No.
Give me some reaction??
“Cough, I’m coming in to get some clothes.”
Xia Li felt that his brain must have rusted to think of standing in front of Lucia like this.
It felt like he was a male dragon performing a courtship dance, but the female dragon across from him didn’t know anything and looked dumbfounded.
While rummaging through the drawers, Xia Li noticed Lucia’s gaze following him.
But after seeing his naked upper body, the evil dragon’s clean and fair face, apart from the slight redness from the bath, showed no other reaction.
Xia Li wondered, he hadn’t noticed when Lucia would blush before, but he felt that the evil dragon’s skin was quite thin, especially when dealing with strangers, she was so shy that she didn’t look like the same dragon.
Why did her skin seem to have thickened now?
Could it be that after becoming familiar with him, the threshold for her shyness had also increased?
This won’t do.
If he wanted Lucia to realize that his liking for her was a romantic one, his current lethality was far from enough.
“Finished blowing?”
“Yes, almost dry.”
Lucia got down from the edge of the bed and shook her head, her soft, not yet completely dry black hair cascading over her shoulders.
The long black hair draped down to her waist, making her already petite and lovely waist look even thinner. Paired with her rosy and plump face, Xia Li always had the urge to take a bite.
“Let me check.”
Xia Li walked over and grabbed a strand of hair to smell it.
“Hmm, smelly.”
“I’m fragrant!”
Lucia was obviously not happy with this statement.
Xia Li smiled, “Let’s go, if we don’t go down, Aunt Zhao will bring the noodles up.”
Knocking on the door of the neighbor on the second floor, the person who opened the door was still the middle-aged woman.
“What a coincidence, I just finished cooking.”
Zhao Qin enthusiastically opened the door and hurriedly turned to go back to the kitchen to serve the noodles.
“Where’s Uncle Chen?”
Xia Li was not polite and put on shoe covers at the door.
“He’s on a business trip,” Zhao Qin replied casually, “Wait a minute, I’ll blanch some more vegetable leaves.”
“Aunt Zhao, my girlfriend’s portion doesn’t need chili peppers.”
“Okay~”
A response came from the kitchen, and Xia Li turned to see the evil dragon behind him honestly taking off her shoes with both hands.
“Don’t take off your shoes, this isn’t our home.”
Xia Li casually took a pair of shoe covers and squatted down.
Lucia had taken off one of her shoes, and Xia Li took that clean little white foot and spread it out in his palm.
The bare feet were smooth and tender, perhaps because she had just come out of the bath, they were still a little moist, and warm in his hand.
What top-notch jade feet.
*Panting*…
“Hee hee, itchy…”
The soles of Lucia’s feet were about as sensitive as a human’s, and Xia Li tickled her as soon as he touched them, making her shrink back.
But they were outside now, and she was a high and mighty silver dragon, what was the difference between being openly teased by the Brave Hero like this and being defeated?
Lucia shrugged her shoulders, secretly glanced at the middle-aged woman bustling about in the kitchen, and then, with a delicate face, lowered her head shyly and looked at Xia Li.
Oh, now you know to be shy?
Could it be that this evil dragon’s sensitive spot was ‘doing shameful things with Xia Li in front of strangers’?
This was too… exciting.
“Come, come, there’s not much food at home to entertain you, eat while it’s hot.”
At the same time, Zhao Qin came out of the kitchen with the noodles ready. Xia Li quickly put the shoe covers on Lucia and turned to look at the food on the table.
“Why are you cooking dishes when we’re just eating noodles? It’s too much trouble, Aunt Zhao.”
“It’s nothing, I’m entertaining Little Lu, Little Lu, eat more.”
Zhao Qin beckoned to Lucia cheerfully, and Lucia walked over quietly with a straight face.
Seeing the evil dragon’s stark contrast in behavior at someone else’s house compared to her own, Xia Li couldn’t help but want to laugh.
Where was your Dragon Collision? Your Storm Inhalation? Your ability to eat a whole basin in one go?
Zhao Qin naturally didn’t know Lucia’s appetite, so she just served a little more according to the usual amount a girl would eat, about two taels of noodles.
This amount, for the evil dragon in Xia Li’s family, was only enough for half a meal.
However, the shy evil dragon didn’t show any dissatisfaction with this bowl of noodles. She carefully held the chopsticks and took a bite under Zhao Qin’s urging.
Meat sauce noodles, one of the specialties of the Sichuan region.
The minced meat and pickled mustard greens were evenly mixed in the thin noodles, and with the addition of water spinach, a common side dish for noodles in Sichuan, the noodles looked so good that Xia Li couldn’t help but swallow his saliva at the sight of them.
Since he went away to college, he rarely ate this kind of food. Today, he was able to eat it thanks to Lucia.
“Do you want me to prepare another bowl for you?”
Seeing Lucia’s restrained and demure way of eating, Xia Li wanted to laugh, but he still saved face for the evil dragon.
His soft inquiry did not receive a response from Lucia, only a light glance.
Those innocent, watery eyes seemed to say, ‘I usually eat this much…’
“Hahaha…” Xia Li laughed out loud.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing, the noodles are delicious, Aunt Zhao’s cooking has improved again.”
“Oh, how can I compare to your mother… Xiao Fang’s cooking is the best.”
Zhao Qin was very happy to be casually praised by Xia Li. Speaking of this, she remembered something, “By the way, have you taken Little Lu back home?”
“Not yet.” Xia Li shook his head.
Xia Li knew in his heart that Zhao Qin was asking knowingly.
Whether he had taken Lucia back home or not, with his mother’s ability to spread news, the whole neighborhood would know, let alone Zhao Qin, who was on the same page as his mother.
There were no secrets between these two old sisters.
One of the reasons Xia Li brought Lucia here for a late-night snack today was to let Zhao Qin go back and reveal some information to his mother.
So that his mother would have a more detailed mental expectation of Lucia’s situation.
“Well, you two have been living together for a while, you can take her back to meet them…”
Zhao Qin skillfully avoided the topic of Lucia’s family situation.
She had already heard about this from Chen Tao, so there was no need to bring up this sore spot in front of Lucia.
After saying that, Zhao Qin paused.
Xia Li knew that the combo attack should be triggered next.
“How old is Little Lu?”
“Ten… twenty-two years old.”
Xia Li originally wanted to report Lucia’s age as eighteen according to the actual age ratio between humans and dragons, but then he thought about it.
This guy’s current persona was his classmate from university.
The age of eighteen didn’t make sense.
“She looks quite young.” Zhao Qin said with a smile.
“Yes, she’s a little short and has a round face, so she looks younger.” Xia Li nodded.
Lucia beside him was listening to their conversation with her ears perked up.
She was eating noodles very elegantly now, slowly and methodically, and deliberately slowed down to slurp them together with Xia Li.
Xia Li suppressed the upturned corners of his mouth and stuffed another mouthful of noodles into his mouth.
“Not short, not short, the girls in our area are all about this height.” Zhao Qin said sincerely.
After a pause, she took out her phone and said her ultimate goal.
“So, your mother also really wants to see Little Lu, how about I take a picture of you two and send it to her?”
She asked, but in reality, she had already opened the camera function of her phone.
Xia Li didn’t refuse and pulled the evil dragon who was about to bury her face in the bowl over.
Lucia knew what taking pictures meant, it was a device that could freeze a person’s image… a magical device.
Lucia didn’t like taking pictures, but she didn’t know how to refuse the human woman, so she could only shrink her head and try to rub her head into the bowl as much as possible.
“What are you shy about? Come here,” Xia Li pulled her over.
“Get more exposure to social interactions, you’re only facing one person now, when you go to my house, the old couple will make you even more at a loss.”
Xia Li whispered to Lucia, and then added in a way that Lucia could understand.
“By then, those two will be great humans, you won’t be able to handle them, so you need to rehearse in advance.”
“Oh…”
Hearing that they were great humans, and Xia Li’s parents, Lucia had to muster up the courage to face them.
If she wanted to suppress Xia Li in the future, getting along with his neighbors was secondary, Xia Li’s parents were the main targets to win over.
◈◈◈
Judging by Xia Li’s reaction to answering his mother’s call last time……
The Brave Hero’s mother is definitely his weakness.
Lucia only needs to win over the Brave Hero’s mother as an ally, and then she will have defeated the Brave Hero without a fight!
“We need to leave a good impression on my parents,”
Xia Li held Lucia’s hand, his mind racing.
“So, come closer first, put your hand on my waist, yes, just like that.”
As he spoke, Xia Li took the evil dragon’s small, white hand and placed it on his waist. Then, he put his arm around Lucia’s shoulders.
The moment Zhao Qin finished counting down from three, he pulled Lucia closer.
Lucia’s eyes widened in surprise, a noodle still clinging to the corner of her mouth, her soft cheek pressed against Xia Li’s.
‘Click’ The picture froze once again.
“Oh, what a lovely couple.”
Zhao Qin looked at the photo with satisfaction.
Xia Li leaned in for a look and was also satisfied.
“Aunt Zhao, send me a copy later.”
“Sure.”
They chatted casually about everyday life.
Although Xia Li wasn’t usually a social butterfly, he was quite adept at dealing with elders, especially Zhao Qin, who had watched him grow up. So, there was no awkwardness in their conversation.
Lucia found it difficult to blend into this atmosphere, so after finishing the noodles in her bowl, she quietly left the table.
Catching a glimpse of a black shadow in her peripheral vision, Lucia noticed a large black and white dog hiding by the sofa and immediately became interested.
No longer the shy, well-behaved girl with a passive expression, the pureblood Silver Dragon’s true nature began to emerge.
Lucia walked slowly towards the dog, her hands raised and clasped in front of her chest, looking like a predatory dragon.
The black and white dog, already tucked away in the corner with its tail between its legs, trying to minimize its presence, lowered its head in fear, letting out a whimper as if it was being swallowed alive.
“Ow… ow ow ah!”
“Ow ow ow——！！”
In the living room, Lucia chased after Blackie （（the dog’s name））, running in circles. Although the layout of the apartment was unfamiliar to her, she moved with agility. Driven by her hunting instincts, she caught Blackie in no time and started to rub him vigorously.
“Chen Tao said…”
At the dining table, accompanied by Blackie’s pained cries in the background, Zhao Qin finally spoke up.
“Yes.” Xia Li nodded emphatically.
He knew what Zhao Qin wanted to say.
“She really doesn’t have parents, and no friends…”
Xia Li lowered his voice, “You see, she’s quite introverted.”
Xia Li wasn’t wrong. To outsiders, Lucia appeared cold and aloof ━ a trait inherent to dragons.
Even in front of Xia Li, Lucia was lively and cheerful, but when she was alone and quiet, loneliness would follow her like a shadow.
Lucia herself didn’t feel much about it.
She could digest and accept this strange world, this strange everything.
Xia Li always noticed these things.
“Yes… she does seem a bit introverted.” Zhao Qin nodded in agreement.
Their two families had a close relationship spanning two to three decades, and Zhao Qin had watched Xia Li grow up. So, she treated him like her own second child.
Looking back at Little Lu playing with the dog.
Zhao Qin couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl…
Not only did she have no parents, but even her grandparents had passed away in the past two years. Her tuition fees, apart from the school’s financial aid, were all earned by her working part-time while attending university.
At this blossoming age, while other girls were pampered by their parents, she had to be self-reliant after graduation and face society alone.
Such family situations were not uncommon in the news, but seeing it in reality evoked a different feeling.
“It’s okay, Aunt Zhao, since she’s with me, I’ll definitely take care of her as best as I can.”
Seeing the sympathy on Zhao Qin’s face, Xia Li felt a pang of guilt.
He had essentially fabricated this backstory.
Although using this identity to gain sympathy was an important part of the plan, Xia Li felt that if they continued talking, he would be exposed sooner or later.
Less talk, less risk.
Lucia’s current identity couldn’t withstand any scrutiny. Until Xia Li found a way to resolve her identity issue, he couldn’t openly discuss her situation.
“Sigh…”
Zhao Qin sighed deeply.
“Poor child.”
“Aunt Zhao, it’s getting late. I’ll take Little Lu back now. You should get some rest too.”
Afraid of triggering another round of Zhao Qin’s “combo attack,” Xia Li didn’t linger. He pulled Lucia, who was squatting by the sofa petting the dog, and made a quick exit.
As they were leaving, Zhao Qin went to the kitchen and gave them a jar of Doubanjiang.
Xia Li didn’t refuse, accepting his neighbor’s kindness.
It just so happened that if his little chef wanted to learn Sichuan cuisine, Doubanjiang was an essential ingredient.
“Xia Li, that dog is fun.”
Back home, Lucia returned to her usual lively self.
She was covered in dog hair, even on her face and forehead.
It was evident that Chen Tao’s dog had suffered a great deal today.
“Do you want to keep one?”
Xia Li picked the black hairs off her face.
“No…” Lucia shook her head, wiping her face with her hand.
There could only be one glutton in the house.
If there were two, she worried she would fight the dog for food.
“You must not be full. Do you want to eat something else?” Xia Li remembered.
Xia Li knew the dragon’s appetite well.
Lucia was about to nod, but then she thought better of it.
She was the little chef now, and it wouldn’t make sense for Xia Li to steal her job.
“Xia Li, you must want instant noodles. I’ll make some for you.”
Quickly rolling off the sofa, Lucia landed on her feet and trotted towards the kitchen in her slippers.
Xia Li: “I’m full, I’m not hungry.”
“You’re hungry, I’ll make you instant noodles.”
“…”
Looking at the dragon straining to reach the top cabinet, Xia Li sighed and went over to help.
“Buzz…”
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He opened it to see a message from Zhao Qin with the photo.
In the photo, Lucia was clinging to Xia Li’s waist, held tightly in his embrace. Her clean face had noodles stuck to it, and her helpless eyes had nowhere to look, finally closing as if in pain.
>~< xia="" li="" looked="" at="" it="" over="" and="" over="" again,="" liking="" it="" more="" and="" more="" each="" time.="" he="" wished="" he="" could="" print="" it="" out="" and="" hang="" it="" on="" the="" wall,="" ideally="" at="" an="" angle="" where="" he="" could="" see="" it="" as="" soon="" as="" he="" woke="" up.="" as="" expected,="" this="" feeling="" of="" love="" couldn't="" be="" hidden.="" now,="" just="" looking="" at="" lucia's="" photo="" filled="" him="" with="" a="" sense="" of="" contentment.="" this="" sudden="" surge="" of="" emotion="" and="" excitement="" was="" indeed="" strange.="" xia="" li="" tried="" to="" analyze="" it="" deeply="" but="" found="" no="" cause="" and="" effect.="" it="" wasn't="" because="" lucia="" was="" this="" or="" that="" that="" he="" liked="" her.="" there="" was="" no="" such="" reason.="" this="" feeling="" was="" too="" pure,="" purely="" intuitive.="" he="" liked="" her="" because="" he="" liked="" her.="" it="" was="" like="" tasting="" a="" new="" flavor="" of="" chips="" and="" simply="" saying,="" "i="" like="" this."="" liking="" was="" such="" a="" straightforward="" emotion.="" 'i="" like="" lucia...'="" he="" wondered="" when="" he="" would="" be="" able="" to="" convey="" these="" words="" to="" the="" silly="" dragon's="" heart?="" to="" break="" through="" the="" shackles="" of="" friendship,="" his="" efforts="" alone="" were="" definitely="" not="" enough.="" feel="" human="" emotions="" properly,="" you="" stinky="" dragon.="" for="" humans,="" 'waiting'="" was="" a="" form="" of="" punishment.="" "xia="" li...！"="" "instant="" noodle="" attack!"="" "..."="" the="" shout="" from="" the="" kitchen="" broke="" xia="" li's="" train="" of="" thought.="" snapping="" back="" to="" reality,="" xia="" li="" saw="" lucia="" with="" her="" head="" stuck="" in="" a="" box="" of="" instant="" noodles.="" "...you're="" so="" clumsy,="" i="" told="" you="" i="" would="" do="" it."="" "no,="" i'm="" the="" little="" chef="" now!"="" "okay,="" okay,="" you're="" the="" little="" chef,="" and="" i'll="" be="" the="" glutton="" this="" time."="" xia="" li="" rescued="" lucia="" from="" the="" box,="" and="" they="" squatted="" down="" together="" to="" pick="" up="" the="" scattered="" noodle="" packets.="" he="" held="" up="" the="" seafood="" instant="" noodles="" and="" asked,="" "is="" one="" enough?"="" lucia="" shook="" her="" head="" modestly:="" "it="" depends="" on="" you..."="" xia="" li="" then="" remembered="" that="" it="" was="" 'he'="" who="" wanted="" to="" eat.="" "then="" i'll="" have="" two,="" plus="" a="" glass="" of="" milk...="" will="" that="" be="" enough="" for="" me?"="" "more="" than="" enough."="">