Giving Gifts

Filler chapter warning—read it or skip it.

Qingluan Douluo stood where he was, wondering what places Shen Nuonuo had mentioned—Ningguta, Beijing, Heilongjiang—actually were.

How had he never heard of them?

Nuonuo's Yunli?

Could it be that she was dating someone?

How old was she? Even if she matured early, it couldn't be this early!

"Nuonuo, I've only been gone for less than ten days. Don't tell me you've started dating already?"

Like Jiangmo Douluo, Qingluan Douluo was straightforward and asked directly.

Guangling was actually younger than the Qian Jun and Jiang Mo brothers, but he was stronger than them.

The rankings among the worshippers were mostly based on strength. For instance, although Golden Crocodile was the oldest, everyone still called him Second Elder. Likewise, Guangling ranked fifth among the worshippers in terms of strength.

Hearing Qingluan Douluo's words, Shen Nuonuo's blood pressure instantly rose. She replied through gritted teeth, "Fifth Grandfather, don't talk nonsense. I'm not!"

Heavens above, earth below—although after coming to Spirit Hall, Shen Nuonuo had found the looks and physiques of every worshipper and Elder completely to her taste.

But she wasn't that much of a beast!

These Titled Douluo were all Little Xue's grandfathers or uncles. She had no desire to become anyone's grandmother or aunt.

And most importantly, she didn't even like men!

"I was just worried that you're still young and might be easily tricked!"

Qingluan Douluo looked embarrassed as he spoke sheepishly, his hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Ahem. I brought back five of each item from the list you gave me!"

Seeing Shen Nuonuo staring at him resentfully, Qingluan Douluo hurriedly poured metals and materials out of his ring.

Clatter, clatter.

A huge pile of metal materials spilled onto the floor.

Seeing that the metals had piled higher than she was, Shen Nuonuo looked up at the ceiling, feeling both helpless and amused.

"Fifth Grandfather!"

"Ahem, I was just in a hurry!" Qingluan Douluo's gaze drifted away as he scratched his head. He also realized that he shouldn't have tossed everything directly onto the floor.

Resigned, Shen Nuonuo sat down on the floor and looked at the pile. "Fifth Grandfather, it's getting late. We'll make the Soul Tools tomorrow. Little Xue isn't here right now either."

"Ah! We have to wait until tomorrow?" Qingluan Douluo sounded somewhat disappointed, then suddenly thought of something. "Nuonuo—wait, where's Little Xue? Isn't she always glued to your side?"

"She's with Grandpa."

"Fifth Grandfather, how much did all this metal cost? I'll transfer it to you!"

Shen Nuonuo skipped over the previous subject and changed the topic.

Hearing how polite Shen Nuonuo was being, Qingluan Douluo put his hands on his hips. "How could I possibly take your money? It's a gift, a gift!"

What a joke. If he accepted Shen Nuonuo's money, his own Big Brother would probably beat him to death.

Besides, he was a person of standing. How could he take money from a child?

"Um, then thank you, Fifth Grandfather. Gifts should be reciprocated, so I'll give you some presents too!" Shen Nuonuo had expected Qingluan Douluo to refuse, but she still intended to return the favor.

A peach given deserved a plum in return.

Qingluan Douluo liked little trinkets, so she would give him what he liked.

The gifts she had bought with Little Xue at the night market had already all been handed out. Of course, everyone except Bibi Dong had accepted them.

"What presents?" Qingluan Douluo's eyes immediately lit up.

Shen Nuonuo had the strange feeling that Qingluan Douluo currently looked like a child asking his mother for a present.

What am I even thinking? Shen Nuonuo shook her head, trying her best to shake off the bizarre image in her mind.

"The premise is that we need to put away this pile of metal first." Shen Nuonuo got a headache just looking at the heap.

She had a slight case of trypophobia.

Qingluan Douluo raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes full of amusement. "Can't we just find a few people to clean it up?"

"That's true."

Shen Nuonuo had not yet fully adjusted to her identity as Spirit Hall's Miss.

She did not need to personally handle things like tidying up at all.

Qingluan Douluo directly sent a voice transmission to several guards outside, telling them to come and put the items away.

Their service was highly efficient. Five or six guards, each apparently around the five- or six-ring level, quickly arrived and moved the pile into the side hall next door.

Once the guards had left, Shen Nuonuo immediately took three yo-yos from the system backpack. She gave two to Qingluan Douluo and kept one for herself.

"Thank you, Nuonuo." Qingluan Douluo thanked her as he accepted them, examining them with great interest. "What is this thing called? Why are these two flat half-wheels tied together with a thin purple string?"

"It's called a yo-yo. Watch how I use it first, and you'll understand." Shen Nuonuo felt that there was no point in explaining this kind of toy too much. If you were bad at it, you just had to play more and practice more. She took the remaining yo-yo with the shorter string to demonstrate for Qingluan Douluo.

As for why it had a short string, that was because a normal yo-yo's string was very long. If she used one of those here, wouldn't it just roll straight onto the floor?

"First, I'll show you how to throw and return it."

Shen Nuonuo raised her arm with her palm facing upward, then used the strength of her wrist to throw the yo-yo downward. It began spinning with a "bzzzz," and with a light upward tug of her wrist, it automatically returned.

"It looks pretty simple." Qingluan Douluo copied Shen Nuonuo's movements and started fiddling with it too.

Bzzzz.

Qingluan Douluo smoothly succeeded in throwing the yo-yo down and pulling it back with the strength of his wrist.

"That's only the simplest move. Want me to show you something a little more difficult?"

Shen Nuonuo chuckled. She had loved playing with these during elementary school and had no idea how many yo-yos she had bought.

She had started playing after watching Firepower Youth King. Yo-yos could be said to have accompanied her throughout her childhood.

"Oh?" Qingluan Douluo was somewhat doubtful. What tricks could a little ball like this possibly have?

"Watch closely."

Shen Nuonuo flicked the yo-yo downward again with her wrist, then quickly raised her right hand while spreading her left palm downward, making the purple string form a triangle. She then swung the yo-yo back and forth with her right hand.

After a short while, when it was about to stop spinning, Shen Nuonuo immediately pulled it back with her wrist.

"I'll try too."

Qingluan Douluo recalled Shen Nuonuo's demonstration and threw the yo-yo down. Then he tried to form a triangle with the string using his hands, but by the time he finished, the yo-yo had already stopped spinning. There simply was not enough time.

"Why did that happen? Nuonuo, why can your yo-yo spin longer than mine? Aren't our yo-yos the same?"

Qingluan Douluo looked troubled.

"Because your movements aren't standard, and they're too slow, so naturally it stops. This string is very important. It creates friction with the yo-yo."

"If the friction is too low or too high, the yo-yo will stop early."

Shen Nuonuo gave a simple explanation, because that was all she understood herself. She did not know anything more complicated than that. In any case, all it took was more playing and more practice.

"Then what should I do?"

Qingluan Douluo was now very interested in this toy called a yo-yo.