"When did you prepare all this?" Shui Bing'er held the bottle, her icy blue eyes fixed on him.
"I started on the way back." Jiang Lan clapped his hands and put away the empty bottles. "I was going to give it to you a little at a time, but since I'm leaving, I figured I might as well hand it all over."
He hopped off the low stool, took two steps back, and looked up at the dozen or so people in the courtyard. Then he bent at the waist and gave them a solemn bow.
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Then Ning Rongrong was the first to rush forward. She scooped him up and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "Who needs your thanks? Get out of here already. Don't go getting all sentimental on us."
Shui Yue'er came over and kissed his other cheek. "Remember to eat proper meals on the road. Don't just eat oranges."
Xue Wu, Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, Gu Qingbo, and Qiu Ruoshui gathered around him one after another, each giving his hair a ruffle.
Dugu Yan stood at the back with her arms crossed. She didn't join the fuss, but she could no longer suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
Ye Lingling shook her head at the sight of Dugu Yan. Such a hopeless tsundere.
By the time the girls finished ruffling his hair, it was a complete mess. Stray hairs and floral hair ornaments from who knew whom clung to the hood of his penguin suit.
He squeezed out of the crowd, scooped up Doro, and ran for the gate.
At the gate, Jiang Lan suddenly stopped and turned to call back into the courtyard. "I'll bring you