843

“What are you talking about?” Xu Xing smiled gently.

“I’ve scared you today. I swear I won’t do it again.” He would never place her in a dangerous situation ever again. Xu Xing’s life was more important than knowing whether An Xunuo was Xu Nuo.

“It’s not your fault. If it wasn’t for you, the snake could have bitten me instead.” Xu Xing snuggled up to him. “I finally know why Ning Ning’s auntie told me that he and I aren’t people of the same world. I only realized how useless I am today. You and I are so different. If anything dangerous happened, I can’t help but feel scared. There’s nothing I can do to help, and I would even be a burden to you. I’m really…”

“What are you saying?” Silver Cloud put his hands on her shoulders and said in a serious tone. “Stop saying these kinds of things. You are strong.”

Xu Xing smiled bitterly and asked, “Silver Cloud, do you feel that I’m bringing you trouble? I can’t even help you at the critical moment. My presence would only increase your burden.”

“Xing Xing, what’s the matter with you?”

“It’s nothing. I just feel that An Xunuo is a really nice girl. She is pretty, capable, and calm. She seems to know everything. No wonder both Ningyuan and you like her so much.” She sounded a little disappointed. Silver Cloud stared at Xu Xing without saying anything. She lowered her head. Whenever she was sad, she would look down to cover up her emotions.

‘This girl seemed to have misunderstood something.’

Silver Cloud smiled. “Xing Xing, are you jealous?”

“No!” Xu Xing denied quickly, making her jealousy more conspicuous. She looked up and saw Silver Cloud smile. Flustered, she lowered her head again. Silver Cloud looked so handsome when he smiled. Her heart rate increased, and she didn’t know what to do.

Silver Cloud said, “Silly Xing Xing, Xunuo is my subordinate who was once ordered to kill Ye Ningyuan. What are you thinking?”

“Really?”

Silver Cloud nodded. She smiled. He didn’t have to explain to her, nor was she in any position to know about it. However, his explanation cleared the unhappiness in her heart and the uneasiness she had disappeared instantly.

It felt good.

Silver Cloud looked at her smile and seemed to realize something. He frowned slightly and sighed. With a smile, he said, “You silly girl.” The sigh of his was filled with love. She smiled even brighter. Silver Cloud reached for her hand and held her in his arms. “Xing Xing, you don’t have to mind Xunuo. You are you. You have always been yourself all these years, and you have your own merits. I… I like the current Xing Xing.”

‘Did he just say that he likes me?’ Xu Xing had butterflies in her stomach, and her face turned red. She had always thought that she had nothing but status and beauty, just like a flower vase. She didn’t expect that anyone would like her and tell her that she had her own merits, especially Silver Cloud. She was overjoyed. The feeling of being on cloud nine made her so dizzy that she grabbed onto his shirt tightly while nodding profusely.

…

Ye Ningyuan flipped through Xu Nuo’s letter which recorded some information about medicine and poison. She had classified the little snakes she raised and wrote down all the ways to treat each snake venom in detail. Formulas of poison and antidote were also recorded clearly inside.

He missed the handwriting on the letter and was reminded of Xu Nuo. She was very interested in medicine and had many books regarding it on her table. She should be sleeping after the intensive training every day, but all she did was read, and he had always accompanied her quietly. Occasionally, the two of them would argue and fight.

He was not Xu Nuo’s match. However, although she was fierce, she did not really hurt him.

Xu Nuo had a special skill, which was to memorize everything in a book that she had only read once. That was what she told him. She could write the whole pharmacological book by heart after reading it once.

That skill was amazing. He was awed by it but also thought that having that kind of skill might be a pain for her. Being forced to remember everything must be taxing. However, Xu Nuo didn’t give a damn about it. Instead, she was always absorbing new knowledge like a sponge. Maybe because her goal was to kill Wolf then that she was hardworking and unsuppressed.

He smiled. There were two spacious study rooms in Xu Nuo’s room, and even her bedroom was filled with books. It was not an exaggeration at all to say that she had an encyclopedic mind. However, what she read was different from what other children read.

‘I miss her so much.’

He had once fallen asleep in a daze then. Under the light, he opened his eyes and saw her reading and taking notes carefully with all her heart. Her fair face looked extremely gorgeous as if it was covered with a layer of hazy light.

He didn’t understand the concept of beauty as he was still young then, but he thought that she was much better-looking than any girls he had ever seen in his entire life. People said that men who are serious were the most charming. In fact, that applied to women as well.

His head hurt suddenly. Ye Ningyuan rubbed his forehead and rose to make a cup of strong tea. He was not sleepy, but he needed something refreshing. He continued reading the books for a while after drinking tea. Then, he turned off the lights and lay on the bed, listening to the waves and wind quietly with his eyes open. In the dark, no one could see his face, his thoughts, or his loneliness.

Ye Ningyuan closed his eyes slightly. In his mind, there seemed to be a new red figure besides Xu Nuo. It was An Xunuo… He was really scared today. Ever since he had grown up, he had never felt such fear. As if all his thoughts were cut off by someone, his mind was totally blank then. However, he gloated over the fact that she wasn’t dead or injured.

He had never had those feelings toward anyone except Xu Nuo.

He felt a stabbing pain in his head. He raised his hand and kissed the ring with a yellow gem that was on his finger, like he was kissing Xu Nuo’s cheeks. “Would you be sad if your stone had fallen in love with other girls?”

Stone, Stone… That was a secret between the two of them. Nobody except her had called him that.

He liked the nickname. During all these years of loneliness, there had always been a cold voice shouting for Stone, which chased away his loneliness.

The ring couldn’t answer him as it wasn’t a living thing. Ye Ningyuan smiled and gently stroked the ring on his finger. Slowly, he said, “A jade pendant, a ring, and a yearning. They shall stay with me forever.”

“What are you talking about?” Xu Xing smiled gently.

“I’ve scared you today. I swear I won’t do it again.” He would never place her in a dangerous situation ever again. Xu Xing’s life was more important than knowing whether An Xunuo was Xu Nuo.

“It’s not your fault. If it wasn’t for you, the snake could have bitten me instead.” Xu Xing snuggled up to him. “I finally know why Ning Ning’s auntie told me that he and I aren’t people of the same world. I only realized how useless I am today. You and I are so different. If anything dangerous happened, I can’t help but feel scared. There’s nothing I can do to help, and I would even be a burden to you. I’m really…”

“What are you saying?” Silver Cloud put his hands on her shoulders and said in a serious tone. “Stop saying these kinds of things. You are strong.”

Xu Xing smiled bitterly and asked, “Silver Cloud, do you feel that I’m bringing you trouble? I can’t even help you at the critical moment. My presence would only increase your burden.”

“Xing Xing, what’s the matter with you?”

“It’s nothing. I just feel that An Xunuo is a really nice girl. She is pretty, capable, and calm. She seems to know everything. No wonder both Ningyuan and you like her so much.” She sounded a little disappointed. Silver Cloud stared at Xu Xing without saying anything. She lowered her head. Whenever she was sad, she would look down to cover up her emotions.

‘This girl seemed to have misunderstood something.’

Silver Cloud smiled. “Xing Xing, are you jealous?”

“No!” Xu Xing denied quickly, making her jealousy more conspicuous. She looked up and saw Silver Cloud smile. Flustered, she lowered her head again. Silver Cloud looked so handsome when he smiled. Her heart rate increased, and she didn’t know what to do.

Silver Cloud said, “Silly Xing Xing, Xunuo is my subordinate who was once ordered to kill Ye Ningyuan. What are you thinking?”

“Really?”

Silver Cloud nodded. She smiled. He didn’t have to explain to her, nor was she in any position to know about it. However, his explanation cleared the unhappiness in her heart and the uneasiness she had disappeared instantly.

It felt good.

Silver Cloud looked at her smile and seemed to realize something. He frowned slightly and sighed. With a smile, he said, “You silly girl.” The sigh of his was filled with love. She smiled even brighter. Silver Cloud reached for her hand and held her in his arms. “Xing Xing, you don’t have to mind Xunuo. You are you. You have always been yourself all these years, and you have your own merits. I… I like the current Xing Xing.”

‘Did he just say that he likes me?’ Xu Xing had butterflies in her stomach, and her face turned red. She had always thought that she had nothing but status and beauty, just like a flower vase. She didn’t expect that anyone would like her and tell her that she had her own merits, especially Silver Cloud. She was overjoyed. The feeling of being on cloud nine made her so dizzy that she grabbed onto his shirt tightly while nodding profusely.

…

Ye Ningyuan flipped through Xu Nuo’s letter which recorded some information about medicine and poison. She had classified the little snakes she raised and wrote down all the ways to treat each snake venom in detail. Formulas of poison and antidote were also recorded clearly inside.

He missed the handwriting on the letter and was reminded of Xu Nuo. She was very interested in medicine and had many books regarding it on her table. She should be sleeping after the intensive training every day, but all she did was read, and he had always accompanied her quietly. Occasionally, the two of them would argue and fight.

He was not Xu Nuo’s match. However, although she was fierce, she did not really hurt him.

Xu Nuo had a special skill, which was to memorize everything in a book that she had only read once. That was what she told him. She could write the whole pharmacological book by heart after reading it once.

That skill was amazing. He was awed by it but also thought that having that kind of skill might be a pain for her. Being forced to remember everything must be taxing. However, Xu Nuo didn’t give a damn about it. Instead, she was always absorbing new knowledge like a sponge. Maybe because her goal was to kill Wolf then that she was hardworking and unsuppressed.

He smiled. There were two spacious study rooms in Xu Nuo’s room, and even her bedroom was filled with books. It was not an exaggeration at all to say that she had an encyclopedic mind. However, what she read was different from what other children read.

‘I miss her so much.’

He had once fallen asleep in a daze then. Under the light, he opened his eyes and saw her reading and taking notes carefully with all her heart. Her fair face looked extremely gorgeous as if it was covered with a layer of hazy light.

He didn’t understand the concept of beauty as he was still young then, but he thought that she was much better-looking than any girls he had ever seen in his entire life. People said that men who are serious were the most charming. In fact, that applied to women as well.

His head hurt suddenly. Ye Ningyuan rubbed his forehead and rose to make a cup of strong tea. He was not sleepy, but he needed something refreshing. He continued reading the books for a while after drinking tea. Then, he turned off the lights and lay on the bed, listening to the waves and wind quietly with his eyes open. In the dark, no one could see his face, his thoughts, or his loneliness.

Ye Ningyuan closed his eyes slightly. In his mind, there seemed to be a new red figure besides Xu Nuo. It was An Xunuo… He was really scared today. Ever since he had grown up, he had never felt such fear. As if all his thoughts were cut off by someone, his mind was totally blank then. However, he gloated over the fact that she wasn’t dead or injured.

He had never had those feelings toward anyone except Xu Nuo.

He felt a stabbing pain in his head. He raised his hand and kissed the ring with a yellow gem that was on his finger, like he was kissing Xu Nuo’s cheeks. “Would you be sad if your stone had fallen in love with other girls?”

Stone, Stone… That was a secret between the two of them. Nobody except her had called him that.

He liked the nickname. During all these years of loneliness, there had always been a cold voice shouting for Stone, which chased away his loneliness.

The ring couldn’t answer him as it wasn’t a living thing. Ye Ningyuan smiled and gently stroked the ring on his finger. Slowly, he said, “A jade pendant, a ring, and a yearning. They shall stay with me forever.”