Doudou Was a Little Devil

The room fell quiet, leaving only the faint, sweet scent of incense.

Ye Guyi sat on the edge of the bed, watching Chen Doudou sit obediently in a chair. Suddenly, she remembered something.

A flicker of curiosity passed through her clear eyes, and she couldn't help asking, "Doudou, was your Second Soul Ring... really a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"

It wasn't that she didn't believe him. It was just too astonishing.

"Mm-hmm."

Chen Doudou nodded, looking unconcerned. "Yeah. Why?"

"How did you do it?"

Ye Guyi leaned closer, her voice full of disbelief. "I've looked through the ancient records. Even our ancestor, Qian Renxue, absorbed a Second Soul Ring of only around nine hundred years. You're only six. How could you possibly withstand a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"

Chen Doudou blinked, thought for a moment, then gave her a plain, unvarnished answer. "I just absorbed it."

"..."

Ye Guyi froze.

You just absorbed it?

What a plain, unvarnished explanation.

Wait, what kind of explanation was that?!

It was as simple as saying, "If you're thirsty, drink water. If you're hungry, eat."

Looking at Chen Doudou's innocent little face, she began wildly speculating.

Could he have eaten lots of rare treasures since he was little, tempering his body until it became exceptionally strong?

Ye Guyi cautiously asked, "When you were little, did you eat lots of rare herbs or Immortal Herbs?"

Chen Doudou shook his head, looking perfectly sincere. "No. My mom said eating that stuff carelessly wasn't good for my health, so she never let me touch any."

Ye Guyi knitted her brows, even more confused.

"Then... what about Whale Rubber?"

Ye Guyi asked again, "Have you ever eaten Whale Rubber?"

"Whale Rubber?"

Chen Doudou tilted his head and thought for a long while before shaking it. "No. I heard that stuff tastes like rubber and smells fishy. Dad said I was strong enough already, so I didn't need to eat it."

Ye Guyi sucked in a sharp breath.

He hadn't even eaten Whale Rubber?!

Then how had he absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?

Just how strong was this little guy's body?

Looking at Chen Doudou's skinny arms and legs, she couldn't imagine him as some monster capable of enduring a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

No, she had to test it.

If he could absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring without even eating Whale Rubber, how terrifying would his body become if he did eat it?

Ye Guyi sprang to her feet and said urgently, "Doudou, wait here for your big sister. I'm going out for a bit!"

Without waiting for Chen Doudou to answer, she turned and rushed out of the room, her skirt fluttering behind her.

A quarter of an hour later.

Ye Guyi returned, breathing a little hard, her cheeks flushed from running.

She carried a small plate topped with several pieces of soft, roasted Whale Rubber, which gave off a strong fishy smell.

"Doudou, this is the Whale Rubber I asked my teacher for."

Ye Guyi set the plate on the table, her gaze resolute. "Come on, try some."

To prepare for the possibility that Chen Doudou might suffer a bout of heat after eating the Whale Rubber, she had even prepared a bucket of ice and set it beside the bed.

Chen Doudou leaned over to look at it and wrinkled his little nose. "It smells so fishy."

"Good medicine tastes bitter. It'll do you good."

Ye Guyi encouraged him. "Go on, eat up. Your big sister will stay here with you."

Chen Doudou had no choice but to pick up a piece and take a bite.

"Mmm, it really does taste like rubber."

He chewed and swallowed, then picked up a second piece, followed by a third.

Ye Guyi sat beside him, watching tensely.

According to the ancient records, Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber had potent medicinal effects. Even a Soul Emperor had to circulate their energy to neutralize them. Once the little guy finished eating, his whole body would surely turn red, and his meridians would ache and swell...

A minute passed.

Then two.

Chen Doudou continued eating calmly, without turning red or even breaking a sweat. He even let out a tiny burp.

Ye Guyi stared in disbelief and couldn't help asking, "Doudou, you... don't you feel anything?"

"I'm fine."

Chen Doudou picked up another piece and popped it into his mouth. "It's fishy, but it does fill you up."

Ye Guyi: "..."

This wasn't right!

Could the Whale Rubber be low quality?

Or had its medicinal properties expired?

She stared at the half plate of Whale Rubber left, filled with self-doubt.

That couldn't be. This was Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber. How could anything be wrong with it?

Since Doudou wasn't reacting to it, should she try some?

Ye Guyi gritted her teeth, pinched off a small piece of Whale Rubber with her slender fingers, and began chewing.

Mmm, it was definitely fishy, but it should be fine...

A while later.

"Boom—!"

A terrifying wave of heat burst from her abdomen, instantly sweeping through her entire body!

Ye Guyi's face turned scarlet in an instant, as if it were about to drip blood.

She felt as though countless ants were crawling all over her, making her unbearably hot and itchy. Her legs clenched together on their own, and her fingers gripped her skirt tightly.

Chen Doudou was busy eating. When he turned around and saw her like this, he blinked and asked curiously, "Sister Guyi, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"

"Doudou... could you go outside for a bit..."

Ye Guyi bit her lower lip, her voice trembling as she clung to the last shred of her reason. "Your big sister has something she needs to take care of..."

"Oh, okay."

Although Chen Doudou was confused, he obediently stood up and headed outside.

As soon as the door closed,

Ye Guyi could no longer hold on. She grabbed the bucket of ice beside her and stumbled into the bathroom.

"Bang!"

The door lock clicked shut.

Standing outside, Chen Doudou heard water splashing inside and some strange, suppressed sounds. He scratched his head, wondering.

Could the Whale Rubber have taken effect?

But that didn't make sense. This quality of Whale Rubber couldn't even affect him.

Chen Doudou didn't think much of it. He glanced at the sky, then called into the room, "Sister Guyi, I'm going out to eat, then. I'll bring you some food later."

Inside, there was nothing but the sound of melting ice dripping.

And the suppressed, faint-as-a-mosquito's-buzz panting of an angel girl.

Half an hour later.

The bathroom door finally opened with a soft push.

Ye Guyi stepped out barefoot, her slender, fair ankles touching the cold floor.

She had changed out of her fitted outfit and was now wrapped in nothing but a white bathrobe.

The belt had been tied in a hurry, faintly tracing the graceful curves of a figure that had yet to fully develop, but was already taking shape.

Her damp hair hung loosely over her shoulders, still dripping water. Droplets slid down her long neck and disappeared into the depths of her slightly open collar.

Her normally cool, jade-like face was still flushed, like a ripe peach, radiating seductive heat.

Her clear eyes were now veiled with mist, carrying the dazed look of someone who had just survived a calamity.

Leaning against the doorframe, she gasped for breath. As she recalled everything that had happened in the bathroom, the flush on her cheeks deepened, and even her earlobes turned crimson and translucent.

"That little Doudou... he really is a little devil!"

Ye Guyi bit her lower lip and muttered a curse.

She had thought the Whale Rubber's medicinal properties had expired, but the cruel truth was that nothing was wrong with the Whale Rubber. Doudou was just too abnormal.

For that half hour, she had felt as though she were about to melt. If not for the bucket of ice and the shock of the cold shower, she might still not have recovered.

She looked down at the collarbones faintly visible beneath her bathrobe, and the even more breathtaking curve below them. Shame welled up in her again.

That little rascal had even innocently asked why her face was so red!

Honestly... was ignorance an excuse?

Ye Guyi took a deep breath, trying to steady her still-uneven heartbeat.

The bathrobe hung loosely, yet with every breath, the slender curve of her waist and her willowy figure stood out even more.

Water droplets slid down her calves, catching the light and glimmering.

"I'm absolutely never feeding him anything again..."

Ye Guyi made a silent vow, while gaining an entirely new appreciation for Chen Doudou's terrifying physical constitution.

Even that much Whale Rubber was just a snack to him?

Just how terrifyingly strong was his body?

Ye Guyi didn't dare think about it, and didn't want to think about how the little guy could eat Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber like it was a snack.

She lifted her head and looked out the window at the darkening sky, her expression complicated.

Our ancestor had entrusted me with protecting this little troublemaker...

Was that a sign of trust, or a punishment?