A Best Actor Performance on the Journey (Please Follow, Vote Monthly Tickets, Recommendation Tickets, and Bookmark)

A Best Actor Performance on the Journey (Please Follow... Monthly Tickets... Recommendation Tickets... Bookmark)

A bold—and slightly shameless—thought instantly filled Ling Han's mind: What a perfect opportunity!

He took a deep breath and forced down his genuine discomfort. Then his little mouth puckered, and his face immediately shifted into an expression of tearful terror.

Even his voice took on a heavy sobbing tone. What a waste it was that I didn't act in dramas in my previous life. This acting is absolutely Best Actor material!

"Waaah! Sister Xue! It's too high! The wind is so strong! I'm so scared! I'm going to fall! Help—!"

Ahead of him, the faintest, nearly imperceptible trace of amusement flashed through the depths of Xue Qinglan's ice-blue eyes.

With the spiritual power of a Super Douluo, Ling Han's slight dizziness and chill were as clear to her as lines on her palm.

And that deliberately exaggerated performance of "fear," complete with trembling voice and the tiny glance he cast toward her back... in her eyes, it was clumsy in an endearing way.

This little master... certainly has an active mind. He clearly wants to... Never mind. He's still just a child.

Her expression remained unchanged. She even cooperatively had the Frost Phoenix slow down slightly, while thickening the protective barrier around them. Her voice carried just the right amount of concern. "Do not be afraid, Young Master Han. With me here, I will never allow you to suffer the slightest mishap. We have slowed down, and the barrier has been reinforced as well."

The moment Ling Han saw that Xue Qinglan had "taken the bait," he secretly rejoiced and immediately pushed his acting to its climax. He continued to "tremble uncontrollably."

At the same time, he pleaded in a tearful voice. His body swayed cooperatively, and his little hand pretended to helplessly "slip" from the feathers. He looked as though he were about to fall at any moment—small, pitiful, and helpless. Perfect! The timing of this "slip" was flawless!

"No, no! Sister Xue, I'm still so scared! I feel like I can't hold on anymore! Sister Xue, can... can I... hug you? Just... just for a moment! Otherwise, I really feel like I'm going to be blown away! Waaah!"

Xue Qinglan: "..." This little rascal... he's really committed to the act.

She could clearly "sense" Ling Han's "slipping" hand accurately feeling its way toward her waist amid his "panic."

The faintest blush quietly surfaced behind her snow-white ears, only to be instantly suppressed by the cold.

She sighed softly. Her voice remained cool and detached, though it carried a trace of imperceptible indulgence—and an equally imperceptible "warning" meant to go along with his performance.

"If Young Master is truly so frightened, then hold on to me tightly. But..." She deliberately paused, and a hint of "sternness" entered her tone. "Young Master must hold firmly and not move around, otherwise I cannot guarantee a stable flight." If he wants to hug me, then so be it. But rules still need to be set.

Finally, he had succeeded! Ling Han was ecstatic inside, but his face still maintained the relieved expression of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster.

"Thank you, Sister Xue! I definitely won't move around! I'll... I'll just hold you for peace of mind!" Yes! Success! Sister Xue really falls for this!

With that, he immediately crawled forward with both hands and feet. His small body pressed against Xue Qinglan's back without hesitation, carrying a hint of eager urgency at finally getting his way.

His arms naturally and tightly wrapped around her slender waist, which contained astonishing strength, while his little head rested lightly against Xue Qinglan's back with quiet satisfaction.

Gasp—!

At the instant of contact, Ling Han sucked in a cold breath inwardly. On the surface, he still had to keep up his frightened trembling, completely unaware that he had already been seen through.

So cold! So soft! So fragrant! This is already insanely good!

Xue Qinglan's body temperature was extremely low. Even through their clothes, he could feel the bone-piercing chill of Extreme Ice. Yet beneath that chill was an indescribably soft sensation.

At the same time, an exceptionally crisp fragrance, like an ice lotus blooming atop a snowy mountain, drifted faintly into his nose and instantly drove away all his discomfort.

I've hit the jackpot! This is practically a VIP supreme experience! It's way more enjoyable than riding a dragon!

Xue Qinglan's body visibly stiffened again the moment Ling Han hugged her.

The sensation against her back was incomparably clear. The little fellow's warm breath passed through the thin fabric and brushed against her skin, bringing an unprecedented strange feeling.

She had lived for nearly forty years and had never shared such intimate contact with anyone, much less been tightly hugged this way by a little boy who had so deliberately schemed for it.

She could clearly "hear" the tiny exhale of satisfaction he could barely suppress after getting his way, his face buried against her back.

This little rogue... he certainly hugs tightly. Fine, let him be happy.

She forcibly suppressed the unfamiliar ripples in her heart. Her voice tried to maintain its usual cool steadiness, though careful listening would reveal a nearly imperceptible tension. "Young Master Han... are you holding on securely?" Let's see how long you can keep pretending.

"Mhm, mhm! I'm secure, I'm secure!" Ling Han answered in a muffled voice. His little face even contentedly rubbed against the chilly fabric, utterly unaware that none of his little movements or true emotions could escape her perception.

"Sister Xue, you're so cool and comfortable, and you smell so nice. It feels so good hugging you. I'm not as scared anymore!" This move was absolutely perfect! Oscar owes me a little gold statue!

Xue Qinglan: "...As long as Young Master Han is satisfied." Satisfied? I think you're so comfortable that you're about to forget all about the soul ring.

After saying that, she decided not to continue the conversation and focused on guiding the Frost Phoenix.

Yet the warmth at her back, the dependence, and that little smugness he thought he had hidden so well seemed to quietly melt a corner of her heart, frozen for countless years. Ripples of helpless affection spread through it, so faint that even she herself had not noticed them.

A stream of icy-blue light traced a graceful arc across the heavens as it sped toward the Great North.

Summary of the information gap: the reader sees through everything.

The little "Best Actor" clung tightly to his powerful guardian, burying his face in that cool softness and fragrance. A satisfied smile of triumph hung at the corners of his lips, while inwardly he remained immensely pleased with his own "cleverness" and "acting."

He had no idea that all his little schemes had long been seen through by the seemingly aloof but actually shrewd and indulgent Super Douluo behind him.

As for Xue Qinglan, feeling the "heavy" dependence on her back and that childish slyness, the corners of her frozen lips curved upward ever so slightly in an almost invisible arc.

Mm, perhaps there was no need to rush to the Great North after all. As for the soul ring, it could wait. This "high-altitude flight experience" would probably be more worth savoring for a certain little fellow than the soul ring itself.