"Nothing." She said sullenly, then turned her back to him again. "I'm sleepy. Going to sleep."
Qian Xunji looked at the back of her head, seeing through her as clearly as if it were written on a mirror.
He had actually had the idea long ago, but he had not begun making preparations yet, so he could only play dumb for now.
The room fell quiet again.
After quite a while, Bibi Dong suddenly said softly, "Teacher... I'm cold."
Qian Xunji understood instantly.
He stretched out his arm and wrapped Bibi Dong completely in his embrace from behind, his chest pressed against her back as his warm palm covered her hand.
"Are you still cold?"
Bibi Dong snuggled against him. "Mm... not anymore."
The two quietly held each other like that, able to feel each other's warmth.
"Teacher."
"Mm?"
"I want to eat fish tomorrow."
"Alright, we'll go catch some tomorrow."
"Do you know how to catch fish?"
"You're the Pope..."
"Can't a Pope catch fish?"
"When I was little, I was quite skilled at catching fish in the small river in Spirit City."
"Back then, Uncle Golden Crocodile—Second Worship—said that if I couldn't become Pope, I could still support myself as a fisherman."
Imagining her teacher as a child with his trouser legs rolled up, feeling around for fish in the river, Bibi Dong could not help laughing. "Really? Then tomorrow, I want to see just how good His Holiness the Pope is at catching fish."
"I guarantee you'll get to eat the freshest fish."
"Then I want braised fish."
"Steamed fish is delicious too."
"Then make half of each!"
"Alright, whatever you say."
The two chatted for a while longer. Bibi Dong gradually relaxed in his arms, and her eyelids began to droop.
Before falling asleep, she murmured