Xie Xie's Unreserved Submission, How Did Xie Xie Become My Little Brother?

Seeing someone suddenly block his path, Guang Long was stunned for a moment.

Especially after hearing the tone of the other party, he truly thought he had encountered some formidable figure, and his heart began to drum with inexplicable nervousness.

But once he saw clearly that the person standing in his way was nothing more than a brat about the same age as the kid on the ground, his anxiety instantly transformed into an even greater rage.

"It's one thing for one little brat to have a death wish. Now another one has come? Do you really take me, Guang Long, for a charity house? Do you think I don't know how to hit children?"

After he roared, two Soul Rings lit up on his body with a flash. Their yellow color was quite eye-catching; this guy was actually a two-ring Soul Grand Master.

This time, he truly intended to strike with lethal force.

"He's actually a two-ring Soul Grand Master?!"

Beside him, Xie Xie's expression changed the moment he saw the Soul Rings.

Mu Xi's face also revealed worry; after all, her own cultivation had not yet reached the two-ring level, and facing a genuine Soul Grand Master put her under immense pressure.

However, Yao Chuan showed not a single shadow of panic on his face; he remained completely calm.

Watching Guang Long's mortar-sized fist come smashing over with the sound of rushing wind, Yao Chuan didn't even lift an eyelid.

Behind him, within that dense and profound darkness, two majestic and ferocious black dragon phantoms let out a sudden roar, and a terrifying, tangible pressure descended with a boom.

Yao Chuan didn't even need to lift a finger himself.

Those two massive dragon heads, condensed from pure soul power, acted as if they had come to life.

Moving with lightning speed, one precisely clamped onto the wrist Guang Long had swung out with all his might, emitting a crisp crack.

Clearly, it was broken.

At the same time, the other dragon head coiled like a giant python, using its upper and lower jaws to bite down firmly on Guang Long's other thick arm, rendering him completely unable to move.

Then, as if two giant dragons were swinging a sack of rags, two overwhelming, irresistible forces erupted.

They pulled to either side, then slammed him downward.

"Bang!" A dull thud echoed, and dust flew into the air.

The Guang Long who had been fierce and menacing with his flashing Soul Rings a second ago now looked as if his bones had been pulled out.

His entire body was smashed heavily into the ground.

Face down, he lay in an extremely unsightly posture, motionless, having fallen into a deep coma, his life or death unknown.

This sudden turn of events happened so quickly that no one had time to react.

The onlookers, who a moment ago were worried for Yao Chuan and thinking the little boy was in trouble, saw in the next second that the once arrogant Guang Long was lying at the child's feet like a dead dog, without even a whimper.

Everyone was dumbfounded, their mouths hanging wide enough to fit an egg.

Those small-time thugs who had come with Guang Long saw with their own eyes that their boss—the Soul Grand Master they considered incredibly strong—had been rendered unconscious by the kid with two casual moves. Their souls were scared out of their bodies; not daring to stay, their faces turned deathly pale.

With a strange shriek, they scrambled away, wishing their parents had given them more legs, and vanished in the blink of an eye as if chased by ghosts.

The onlookers who had been watching the spectacle finally snapped out of their daze.

Coming to their senses, they erupted into heated discussion and praise directed toward Yao Chuan.

"My god. Is this little kid too powerful or what?!"

"Yeah, yeah. That Guang Long was a Soul Grand Master, right? He was just knocked down like that?"

"Goodness. Which family's little genius is this? His soul power is so strong!"

"A hero is born in youth. Truly, a hero is born in youth!"

Uncle Li, the owner of the beef pot shop, was so excited he couldn't help himself. With trembling lips, he hurried over to Yao Chuan in three steps, bowing and cupping his hands repeatedly while thanking him incessantly.

"Little hero! Little hero!"

"Thank you for stepping in to save me. Otherwise, this old bag of bones of mine would have..."

Yao Chuan felt nothing toward such a scene.

He waved his hand, his tone quite indifferent.

"It's nothing. Just a small effort. They shouldn't dare to come back again."

The reason he intervened was, on one hand, because he couldn't stand by and watch an injustice.

On the other hand, it was because when he had read the original story back in the day, he had been particularly annoyed by thugs like Guang Long who bullied others by relying on their status.

Of course, this was just his internal monologue.

He certainly wouldn't say it out loud.

The matter was resolved.

He turned around, took Na'er's small hand, and called out to Mu Xi, intending to leave this noisy place.

They hadn't even taken two steps.

A figure "whooshed" over, darting in front of them to block their path.

Yao Chuan looked up and saw it was Xie Xie again.

Before he could speak, Mu Xi beside him furrowed her brows, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

"Why are you here again, you guy? Are you really that much of a lingering ghost? Are you only satisfied if you get into a fight? What, do you think you're stronger than that Guang Long from before?"

She assumed Xie Xie was still looking for trouble.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Mu Xi say this, Xie Xie didn't get angry; instead, he shook his head.

The expression on his face was very earnest, devoid of the provocation and defiance he had shown earlier.

"No, I'm not here to fight. I... I wanted to thank him."

He pointed at Yao Chuan, his voice dropping a little.

"Also... this shop... to me... it holds extraordinary meaning."

"Extraordinary meaning?"

Na'er, who had been quietly following by Yao Chuan's side, blinked her beautiful large eyes, which were filled with innocence and curiosity.

"Is it because this beef... is especially delicious?"

She tilted her little head and asked in a milky, childish voice.

Looking into Na'er's pure eyes, Xie Xie fell silent for a moment, his gaze dimming slightly.

He took a breath.

His voice carried a subtle, imperceptible heaviness as he began to tell the story of this shop.

He spoke of his mother, and how she used to love bringing him here to eat the beef.

He spoke of coming here alone when she was sick.

He spoke of his mother's final regrets... of his complicated feelings toward his father... and of the warmth and loneliness this little shop held.

Yao Chuan actually already knew this story.

But in this moment, hearing Xie Xie's voice recount it in person, and feeling the suppressed sadness and small stubbornness in his tone, he couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart, stirred by a sense of emotion and empathy.

If he felt this way, it went without saying for Mu Xi beside him.

Before Xie Xie had even finished his story, the way Mu Xi looked at him had completely changed.

The earlier annoyance and wariness had vanished without a trace, replaced by undisguised heartache and sympathy.

She finally realized that the little boy before her, who had been full of defiance and looking for a fight just moments ago, was actually only six years old. He hid so much sadness in his heart and was far lonelier than she had imagined.

She stepped forward and reached out.

She gently patted Xie Xie on the shoulder, her voice softening with comfort and encouragement.

"Alright, alright. It's okay. It's all in the past."

She paused, her tone sincere.

"In the future... if you want to come eat beef, you don't have to sneak here alone. We can keep you company."

Xie Xie looked up at Mu Xi, then at Yao Chuan.

He also looked at Na'er, the little girl with silver hair and purple eyes whom Yao Chuan was holding. In his dark green eyes, something seemed to light up.

He nodded heavily.

"Mm!"

Then, to everyone's surprise.

He suddenly took a step forward.

He bowed once more in Yao Chuan's direction.

He shouted loudly and clearly at Yao Chuan.

"Big Brother!"

"From this day forward, you are my, Xie Xie's, Big Brother. I will follow your lead in everything!"

Yao Chuan was completely stunned, unable to react for a moment.

He looked down.

He gazed at the excited Xie Xie before him, and then at those sparkling eyes filled with anticipation.

Only one thought churned over and over in his mind.

What on earth is this? Isn't the plot jumping a bit too fast?

He had just come out for a meal, helped Na'er out of a tight spot, and incidentally dealt with a thug—how, in the blink of an eye, did he end up taking one of the future Shrek Seven Devils as a lackey?

This was all too sudden; it caught him completely off guard.

He looked at Xie Xie's little face, which was practically written with "I'm sticking with you."

For a moment, he truly didn't know what to say.