"Na'er, would A-Jiu ever hurt you? Family never lies to family, just like A-Jiu never lies to Na'er!"
Su Jiu, wearing A-Jiu's costume, had become the old black serpent from the Garden of Eden.
His forked tongue flicked as he spun his words of temptation, each one hiding a fatal lure, enticing Na'er to reach out and pluck the forbidden fruit.
But Na'er trusted A-Jiu without question.
A-Jiu had taken care of everything she needed to eat and drink these past few days. She knew she had a huge appetite, and she couldn't help feeling guilty about being such a burden to A-Jiu for so long. The sheltered girl had never been out in the world, after all.
"Mm! A-Jiu, Na, Na'er is going to find that old geezer, act cute, and get him to cough up some cash!"
A-Jiu: "..."
At that moment, Su Jiu was in a park not far from Na'er, holding a handful of rice. Quite a few pigeons had gathered around his feet, gazing up at him, their necks bobbing up and down with the movement of his hand.
Was this guy going to feed them or not? He'd been at it all morning.
Before long, a little silver-haired girl came walking this way in tiny, hesitant steps, hugging A-Jiu in her arms. Every few steps, she glanced timidly at Su Jiu, then quickly looked away.
"O-old geezer, I heard that if I act cute for you, you'll buy me something to eat. I-is that true?"
Na'er spoke timidly, her large eyes sparkling like purple crystals. But the blush on her face betrayed the mask she'd worked so hard to summon the courage to put on.
O-old geezer?
Su Jiu's mouth twitched. He was only twenty-four this year, wasn't he? Even counting the three years he'd been unconscious, he still wasn't exactly old, was he?
Su Jiu gave Na'er a once-over. Compared to her, he was nothing but a small witch before a great one.
"Of course. I, Su, never lie, especially not to children."
Na'er followed A-Jiu's instructions and struck a soft, adorable pose. The moment she finished, she buried her bright red face, mortified and embarrassed.
A-Jiu, th-this is so embarrassing...
"O-old geezer, I did it, so don't you dare go back on your promise to feed me!"
"Sure. I won't go back on it."
He scooped up the little Na'er, scattered the rice in his hand, and then shattered the void, arriving at the darkest restaurant in Aolai City.
Na'er had barely realized what was happening when her little bottom landed on a chair. A menu was tossed into her arms, and she was still completely dazed.
"Go ahead and order whatever you like, kid."
After casually tossing out those words, Su Jiu turned to admire the scenery outside the window and paid no more attention to the Little Silver Dragon.
"Na'er, what a rare chance! Let's splurge today. Order the most expensive stuff and eat your fill. This guy looks kindhearted, so he should be pretty generous..."
"A-Jiu, r-really?"
"Grrr..."
Na'er was still embarrassed, but her little stomach betrayed her once again. She sneaked a glance at Su Jiu and saw him admiring the scenery outside the window, then quietly sighed in relief.
Good thing he didn't notice. Otherwise, that would've been...
After A-Jiu's repeated coaxing, Na'er ordered nearly every dish on the menu. The table was soon piled high with food, all of it bright and inviting, and Na'er drooled without pause.
Su Jiu picked up a king crab leg and handed it to Na'er with a "kind" smile.
"Here you go, kid. Your big brother will treat you."
"Thank you, o-old... big brother!"
Na'er's face lit up with joy. A-Jiu had been right after all! This guy looked kind, and he really was kind!
Hehe~
She polished off the king crab leg in no time, then let herself go and began devouring the feast spread across the table.
Th-this was the most sumptuous and satisfying meal Na'er had eaten in days! She was so moved she could almost cry.
Where Na'er couldn't see, A-Jiu's screen and the corner of Su Jiu's mouth displayed matching wicked grins.
Half an hour later.
Na'er lay back in her chair, rubbing her little belly in contentment. Her face was beaming.
Heaven!
Just then, a server brought Su Jiu a bill longer than Na'er and handed it to him. The gesture clearly displeased him.
"Sir, could you take a look at this bill? It's time to settle up..."
"Hey, wait! I didn't order this. I didn't even touch the food. I only came over to share a table, and you're handing me the bill? Are you picking on an honest man?"
"Oh! Right, I only touched the king crab. I can pay for that."
"If you don't believe me, check the security footage. I've done nothing wrong, so I've got nothing to hide!"
Hearing this, Na'er immediately realized something was wrong. She scooped up A-Jiu and tried to make a quick getaway, but Su Jiu grabbed her by the back of her clothes. She was done for.
"Liar! You promised to buy Na'er something to eat! Why are you going back on your word now? You're bullying me!"
"That's right, liar! A-Jiu saw it too! Don't think we're easy to bully just because we're small!"
A-Jiu took Na'er's side at just the right moment, joining her in "resisting" Su Jiu.
Su Jiu grinned. Tricking people from the sticks really was fun.
"Na'er, I did treat you. Didn't I buy you that crab leg at the start? Even if you've forgotten, come on, there are cameras here. I've got all the time in the world to go through it with you."
Na'er vaguely remembered that part, but having already fallen into his trap, she instinctively tightened her arms around A-Jiu, holding him close as if afraid Su Jiu would snatch him away.
Her expression visibly crumpled as she looked again at the sky-high bill, a six-digit number. Panic immediately swirled in her heart.
Even if she sold herself and A-Jiu, they still wouldn't be able to pay it off!
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Na'er's eyes reddened, and she nearly burst into tears.
A-Jiu, it's Na'er's fault. I dragged you into this too. I'm sorry... Boo-hoo...
"Actually, I'm not saying I can't front the money for you, but I have one little condition. It just depends on whether you're willing to agree."
Su Jiu's words made Na'er's eyes light up. She was just about to blurt out her agreement when A-Jiu "timely" stepped in front of her, wary.
"Na'er, listen to his condition first. Don't agree to things too easily!"
"A-Jiu is right!"
Only then did Na'er come to her senses. Thank goodness A-Jiu had reminded her in time. Otherwise, this guy might have tricked her again.
"My condition's simple. Be my child bride for three years, and I'll let you leave after that. During those three years, I won't do anything against your wishes!"
"Huh? A child bride? Wh-what does that mean, A-Jiu? Do you know?"
"A-Jiu doesn't know either, but it probably won't be a big deal. It's not like he's going to make you his wife, right? It's only three years. After that, we'll both be free. Maybe he'll keep feeding us even after that..."
A-Jiu's words turned Na'er's cloudy expression sunny again, and she smiled once more. As expected of A-Jiu! He was so quick-witted, even thinking of the food!
"Na'er agrees to be your child bride, but A-Jiu has to come along too. We're family, the kind that'll never be apart for our whole lives!"
"Good! You said it yourself, my little Na'er!"
Su Jiu had finally managed to get the Little Silver Dragon onto his black carriage. That hadn't been easy.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Su Jiu. You can call me A-Jiu."
"Hello, Old Su. My name is Na'er, and this is A-Jiu. Please take good care of us from now on!"
Su Jiu's mouth twitched. Did he really seem that old?
To Na'er, though, there had always been only one A-Jiu. No matter which A-Jiu she meant, it always referred to the one in her arms. That was her conviction, her one and only, something that could never be changed!
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