Inside the elevator, Chen Zhou looked at the silver-haired little girl in front of him. Though he already knew her name, he still asked out of curiosity:
"What's your name?"
"My name is... my name is Na'er... What about you? What's your name?"
The girl's voice was soft and sweet. Her pretty eyes looked at Chen Zhou, full of curiosity.
"My name is Chen Zhou. From now on, you can call me Brother Chen, or just Big Brother."
"You look so pitiful. You must be an orphan, right? From now on, you'll stick with me. Big Brother will look after you."
As Chen Zhou spoke, he patted Na'er on the head with his other hand.
Na'er simply stared at Chen Zhou as his chubby little hand patted her head.
She didn't feel the disgust she had felt around those men earlier. Instead, a warmth spread through her.
A trace of confusion showed in the girl's eyes, but she still gave a soft "Oh."
As the elevator climbed, Chen Zhou felt refreshed and invigorated.
He hadn't really meant for Na'er to call him Big Brother. He'd meant it for Gu Yue.
That way, when Gu Yue regained her memories three years later, the two of them could at least keep their bond as brother and sister, just like he had with Tang Wulin.
Even if Gu Yue and Na'er fall for Tang Wulin later, with me calling them little sisters, they shouldn't kill me, right?
Chen Zhou muttered under his breath. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and he carried Na'er out.
Su Xin stood at the entrance with a smile, but when she saw Chen Zhou carrying a little girl by one hand, she was completely bewildered.
"Young Master Chen Zhou, who is this?"
Su Xin paused. When she saw the girl's wide-eyed, slightly bashful expression, her heart instantly melted.
"What an adorable little girl! How can she be this cute?!"
There was a note of disbelief in Su Xin's voice. The usually gentle and composed woman had said something like that, and it made Chen Zhou laugh.
"Sis Su Xin, if you like her, you can hold her as much as you want. All right, take her to wash up. She should have Innate Full Soul Power too, so give her a Soul Ring when the time comes."
As Chen Zhou spoke, he held Na'er out toward her.
He wasn't very tall yet. How tall could a six-year-old child be?
And he was carrying a chubby little girl who weighed about as much as he did with one hand.
Seeing how Chen Zhou struggled to hold the girl out to her, Su Xin was stunned for just a moment before taking Na'er from him.
She didn't mind the dirt on Na'er getting on her clothes, nor did she mind the disgusting smell.
Su Xin held the adorable little girl with tender affection, then nodded respectfully to Chen Zhou.
"All right, Young Master. I'll take this young lady downstairs to wash up."
As she spoke, Su Xin turned and left. Chen Zhou sauntered back to his room and flopped onto his incredibly soft bed.
Chen Zhou raised a hand slightly, and a deep-blue little snake appeared. When Chen Zhou flicked a potato chip toward it, the little snake suddenly opened its mouth, caught the chip, and swallowed it.
"You're a strange little thing. Why can you eat snacks? Aren't you a Soul Spirit? Aren't you supposed to be in a spiritual form?"
Chen Zhou asked the deep-blue little snake in front of him. The little thing clearly couldn't answer, though. It only gazed at Chen Zhou with its adorable eyes.
Chen Zhou wasn't so polite with it, though. He went over and flicked it on the forehead.
Seeing the anger and indignation on the little snake's face, Chen Zhou burst out laughing.
"From now on, you'll take my surname. My name is Chen Zhou, so you can be Chen She. How does Chen She sound?"
As he spoke, Chen Zhou looked at the deep-blue little snake in front of him. He thought the name sounded terribly lame, so he expected the little snake to object. But it only gazed at him with curious eyes.
"Seriously, why are you so silly too? Chen She really doesn't sound very nice. Then you can be Chen Lengjing instead. 'Lengjing' sounds a little better. From now on, whenever I say 'Lengjing,' you can strike."
Chen Zhou smiled as he spoke. The little blue snake didn't understand what he meant at all, but when it saw its master smiling, it coiled its body in a little loop too.
After more than half an hour, Chen Zhou yawned and walked out of his room.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw a doll-like little girl standing by the entrance.
The dirt on her face had been washed clean, revealing skin as fair as porcelain.
Her silver hair, which had been tangled into a clump, had also been gently combed smooth.
A hint of rare baby fat rounded the girl's face. It only made her look cuter, without making her look chubby at all.
When they saw the doll-like little girl, several female employees who had been working on the top floor gathered around her.
The little girl had been standing there, gazing at the aunties in a daze. But when Chen Zhou came out, her eyes lit up instantly.
The moment she spotted Chen Zhou, the little girl came running toward him with quick, pattering steps.
Looking at the pretty girl rushing toward him, Chen Zhou didn't turn her away. He took two steps forward as well.
Na'er reached him and threw herself straight into Chen Zhou's arms.
"Big Bwother, hi." The little girl's voice was soft and sweet.
"Hi, hi," Chen Zhou replied, patting the girl on the head.
Chen Zhou didn't have much strength, but the sight made the brows of the female employees around them knit together.
Still, seeing Chen Zhou like that, they didn't dare stop him.
Na'er didn't mind at all. Instead, she slowly buried her head against Chen Zhou's chest.
Feeling the little girl's trust, Chen Zhou stopped patting her without thinking. A few seconds later, he heard the little girl's breathing.
The little girl was lying against him, and in less than two seconds she had fallen asleep. Chen Zhou wore a helpless smile.
"Ah, that kid Tang Wulin's really got it made. Just thinking about how the aloof Gu Yue and the adorable Na'er will both belong to him makes me furious."
A trace of jealousy crept into Chen Zhou's voice. He paused, looking down at the girl in his arms, and fell silent.
"But the problem is, Na'er never met Tang Wulin, so it seems like she won't fall for him."
"And if Na'er doesn't fall for Tang Wulin, then Gu Yue is even less likely to develop feelings for him. In that case, could I steal them both away?"
As Chen Zhou spoke, he gave the girl in his arms a little bounce. Just as he was mulling it over, Su Xin walked up and gently gathered Na'er into her arms.
"Young Master Chen Zhou, should I put her in the room next to yours? This little girl feels very insecure. She only seems to feel better when she's with you."
Su Xin spoke earnestly. Chen Zhou looked at her and gave a small nod.
That wasn't the whole story, of course. But since Chen Zhou had brought the little girl back, the best thing would be for him to adopt her. After all, she had Innate Full Soul Power.
Only by staying with Chen Zhou could she enjoy better treatment and have a better chance of becoming strong and gaining a higher status in the future.