"Okay, that's enough. Let go."
"No."
"You're making it really hard for me to cook..."
"Then figure something out."
"Chen Banxia's watching from outside."
"Let her watch."
"Xiaoxiao's here."
"She can't see us."
"Zhang Suannai's here too."
"She's gone stupid."
"The food's going to burn."
"It's only potato pancakes."
"How much longer are you going to hold me?"
"A long time."
"..."
Chen Shu silently gripped the frying pan and gave it a toss.
Behind him, Ning Qing spoke again, her voice soft and faint:
"I can feel it."
"Feel what?"
"You're getting worked up..."
"No kidding!"
"Kiss me, and I'll let you go."
"..."
Chen Shu turned and glanced at the three people standing in a row in the courtyard, facing them. Then he suddenly coughed twice:
"Ahem."
The young girl looked away and turned her head from side to side, glancing at the dazed Chen Banxia and the expressionless Zhang Suannai beside her. After a moment's thought, she said, "The tallest Pink Dragon my sister planted has climbed onto the roof. Its flowers are about to wilt, and petals have been falling every day. Let's go cut them off..."
With that, she took one of them by each hand.
Chen Banxia and Zhang Suannai turned mechanically, like corpses controlled by a Daoist priest, and followed her toward the corner of the courtyard.
Only then did Chen Shu lower his head.
"Mr. Chen." Ning Qing met his eyes, her expression calm. "You swallowed."
Chen Shu did not answer. He shifted his stance until they were face-to-face.
Secret technique: Chicken Pecking Rice!
Half an hour later.
With Chen Banxia and Zhang Suannai's help, the young girl had cut off all the high rose blossoms so they would stop shedding petals every day. Whenever she came over, her hateful sister made