The sunset gradually dipped low, and the shadows of the people ahead were slowly stretched out.
Zhuang Zhong bounced Pi Tao'er in his arms, his arms feeling a bit sore: "I say Tao'er, shouldn't we control your food intake? How old are you, and your Brother Zhuang Zhong can barely hold your bottom anymore."
As he spoke, he bounced Pi Tao'er to steady her.
Pi Tao'er was sleeping soundly; she rubbed her little nose with the hand that was hugging his neck, let out a couple of hums, tilted her head, and fell back asleep.
"What are you saying? Our Tao'er is what you call plump," Lao Lu said.
"Plump? If she lay down here, I wouldn't know whose little piglet she was," Zhuang Zhong looked at Lao Lu and corrected his word choice, "Succulent!"
Lao Lu let out a snort of laughter.
Zhuang Zhong wished Lao Lu would spit: "Still laughing? I think you did it on purpose, giving Tao'er to me because Shui Cao was light."
The two walked further and further away, their voices gradually fading.
Xia Mian was still stunned, staring blankly at the rain of flowers that had just fallen before her eyes.
Zhou Ran's action was so sudden, the first time ever, that it left Xia Mian dumbfounded.
She asked blankly: "Are you doing a magic trick?"
As soon as she asked, she felt silly.
Xia Mian looked up at the top; the flower branch had just been released and was still trembling.
Zhou Ran's tug had pulled all the petals off, leaving it bare.
Xia Mian: "..."
Several children ran over from the street corner, their laughter and screams carrying from far away, breaking the stillness after the sunset.
Xia Mian's attention was pulled back, and her gaze turned to the children running over.
The children were chasing each other, running with their mouths open against the wind, not paying any attention to the people in front of them.
Seeing that they were about to run into Zhou Ran, he took half a step back, but the child suddenly veered off at the last second and crashed straight into Xia Mian.
Xia Mian's frame was slender, and the older child knocked her back two steps.
Zhou Ran was quick-witted and grabbed her arm, allowing Xia Mian to steady herself.
A warmth spread from her palm; Zhou Ran took a look, that slender touch circled by his knuckles, and as he gripped tightly, he felt his own fingertips.
He was startled and quickly let go.
Xia Mian instinctively grabbed the child who had bumped into her: "Are you okay?"
The child was perhaps playing too wildly, a smile still on his face as he looked back at his group of friends.
Upon hearing Xia Mian's voice, he looked up.
The laughter under the sunset stopped.
The group of children all stood still, staring blankly at Xia Mian.
Xia Mian saw the child's face clearly; wasn't that Xu Zhenguo, who had been fighting with Pi Tao'er at the alley entrance this afternoon?
Xu Zhenguo's eyes widened; his shoulder was held by Xia Mian, and his gaze involuntarily drifted to the tattoo on her arm.
Green, and so large.
Xu Zhenguo shuddered, pushed Xia Mian away, and turned to run toward the group of children.
As he ran, he shouted—
"Run! The underworld is here!"
The scream was so loud that Lao Lu and Zhuang Zhong heard it from far away and looked back.
Xia Mian's hand remained frozen in mid-air, maintaining her previous posture.
"..."
Zhou Ran looked back at Xia Mian, one eyebrow raised: "?"
Inside the Tattoo Shop.
Pi Tao'er was surrounded by three grown men on the sofa. She had been sleeping soundly when she was woken up, and just when she thought it was over, her Brother suddenly looked at her with an interrogating expression and said just one thing—
"Explain yourself, little sister of the underworld boss."
Pi Tao'er quickly looked at Xia Mian, only to find her sitting to the side, her eyes full of embarrassment and a look of helplessness.
Lao Lu chuckled, hooked a stool with his foot, and pulled it over to sit down.
"You've really made a name for yourself, Tao'er, going out to play and befriending a underworld boss."
Zhou Ran was calm and composed, slowly adding: "And it was your own title for her, Tao'er."
Zhuang Zhong was amused; he clapped his hands and gave a thumbs up.
"You're awesome!" came the approval from Zhuang Zhong.
"Don't flatter her," Lao Lu said, "Let her explain herself. Fighting outside is one thing, but getting involved in the underworld?"
Pi Tao'er looked at Xia Mian, looking heroic: "Who told them to bully Shui Cao!"
Her shout startled Shui Cao, who was leaning on the sofa, awake.
Shui Cao jumped up from the sofa.
"Huh?"
Pi Tao'er tugged at her little braids: "They tricked Shui Cao into going out to play, took her to the arcade, said they were going to play hide-and-seek, and then ran away while she was closing her eyes to count!"
Zhuang Zhong scratched his head: "Isn't it normal to run away during hide-and-seek?"
Pi Tao'er was unconvinced: "They ran home! They left her alone in the arcade!"
Zhuang Zhong was stunned: "Hey, those little brats."
"Don't interrupt," Lao Lu said, "And then?"
Then... then she beat them up, and when Xia Mian arrived, she scared Xu Zhenguo by saying she was from the underworld.
Pi Tao'er looked at Xia Mian, her little hands twisting the corner of her shirt.
Xia Mian pursed her lips and spoke up quietly from the side: "Actually, I'm responsible for this too."
She had acted quite convincingly when she was scaring the child.
Pi Tao'er stiffened her neck: "I'll take responsibility for my own actions!"
Zhou Ran let out a short laugh: "You're quite the tough one."
He turned to look at Xia Mian.
The little girl was sitting to the side; she was the one scolding Pi Tao'er, yet she felt embarrassed herself, her eyes darting around from time to time, wondering what she was thinking.
To be honest, when Xu Zhenguo called her "underworld," he had been stunned.
He had seen all kinds of people in this area, both good and bad.
For someone like Xia Mian, who looked like a goody-two-shoes, to be called a underworld member—that was only something that could fool a child.
Zhou Ran thought, and the curve of his mouth deepened.
Quite impressive, being able to fool children while out and about.
Lao Lu clapped his hands, stood up, and took Shui Cao down: "Alright, I'm taking Shui Cao back. You stay here and reflect, and I'll deal with you when I get back."
Pi Tao'er tilted her head, her mouth pouting high.
"Keep an eye on this little lady here," Lao Lu said, pointing at Zhuang Zhong, "Crazy girl, playing without any boundaries."
Zhuang Zhong was amused: "Got it."
When Lao Lu said he would deal with Pi Tao'er, it was just to scare her.
He couldn't bear to do it.
Xia Mian quickly stood up: "I'll head back too."
Zhou Ran said "Hmm": "I'll walk you."
"No need, I'll go back by mysel..."
"There are no streetlights in the old residential area at night," Zhou Ran said.
Lao Lu left first with Shui Cao. Zhou Ran held the glass door open for Xia Mian, and the moment the wind chime rang, he lowered his voice and said to Xia Mian.
"Perfect, tell me on the way how underworld members usually scare children for fun."
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