With Berry, such a big kid present, the rebellious teenagers didn't dare to drink and chat recklessly. The cigarettes tucked in their pockets were unprecedentedly neglected.
Zhang Mai and the other two found it boring. After finishing their meal, they went to the esports room to play a couple of games and catch up on sleep.
Feng Ci was a rich second-generation kid. Even before graduating from high school, he owned a large luxury apartment in the city center. The esports room was extravagantly decorated, equipped with four top-tier computers and two large beds inside, allowing them to rest right there when tired.
Zhang Mai and the others wouldn't come out for less than three hours.
Feng Ci wasn't comfortable leaving Berry alone in the living room, so he simply lay on the sofa, scrolling through his phone while secretly observing.
The little kid had polished off most of the fried chicken by herself, her belly round and full as she leaned back in her chair with a satisfied expression.
"Full?"
"Full, full." Berry jumped down from the chair, lifted the hem of her clothes, and gracefully bowed to Feng Ci. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"No need for such formalities." Feng Ci glanced at the unopened cola on the table and casually asked, "Aren't you going to try the cola?"
He didn't believe any kid could resist the temptation of carbonated drinks. Even he, already eighteen, often drank soda like water.
Berry grinned, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Brother Feng, is your body still happy? Are there any unhappy parts?"
…What a strange question.
Feng Ci gave her a sidelong glance, ignoring the lump on the back of his head, and stubbornly replied, "I'm perfectly happy and healthy."
"Oh."
Berry didn't press further. Happily, she climbed back onto the table, wrapped her hands around the cola, and took a sip through the straw.
Taking in the child's series of actions, Feng Ci finally caught on, his expression sharp with the insight of a clever person.
He understood now. The kid hadn't drunk the cola earlier because she was afraid it was poisoned. Only after seeing him perfectly fine did she eagerly take a sip.
And here he was, foolishly thinking Berry was scheming to feed him some unverified potion again. Feng Ci: "…"
Little did he know that in Berry's world, black symbolized evil—it was the mark of Dark Wizards. That's why the little witch was extra cautious about black liquids.
The fizzy, wonderful taste of the soda opened a new world for Berry. It turned out this pitch-black liquid wasn't bitter at all—it was sweet.
Greedily, Berry took three big gulps, only for joy to turn to sorrow.
"Burp—"
Berry covered her mouth, her eyes wide with confusion.
The bubbly burp surged from her chest to her ears and nose, finally shooting straight to the top of her head. The unfamiliar, tingling sensation forced tears from her eyes.
"It's… it's…" The word "poison" stuck in her throat as another burp followed closely.
The little witch stiffened all over and flopped to one side.
"Damn." Feng Ci cursed, but fortunately, he was quick. He reached down with both arms and caught Berry just before her face hit the floor.
"You're something else. How can you fall asleep while drinking? And even if you're sleeping, why are you just collapsing wherever?"
The child in his arms was soft and tender, her arms not even as big as his palm. Though Feng Ci scolded her harshly, he didn't dare use much force at all.
Berry, nestled in the crook of the young man's arm, wore a bitter expression. She clutched Feng Ci's sleeve, sniffling as she said, "I've been poisoned. I'm going to join Grandma."
?
Sometimes, when you're speechless, you really do laugh a little.
Feng Ci: "Are you in the late stages of persecution delusion?"
"What good would poisoning a little snot like you do for anyone? What, inherit your stick?"
Berry puffed out her cheeks: "Xiuxiu isn't a stick, Xiuxiu is a Magic Broom, it can fly."
Whether it was a Magic Broom or a stick, Feng Ci couldn't be bothered to argue with her. He set her down and steadied her:
"If you're tired, go sleep in your room. Don't try to pin it on me—I didn't do anything."
Berry pointed indignantly at the cola on the table: "It bites people, it's so rude."
What's all this gibberish?
Feng Ci had little experience dealing with kids and found it hard to understand the language system of human toddlers. He was completely lost.
"Speak properly."
"I am speaking properly," Berry's attention wandered. She tilted her head and asked with sincerity and a touch of concern, "Can't you understand human speech because you're not human?"
Little brat, that's a nasty insult.
Feng Ci waved her off impatiently: "Alright, go get some sleep."
He knew kids slept a lot, especially ones as young as Berry. She was probably exhausted by now.
He led Berry into the guest room: "The bedding is all freshly changed, clean and odorless. Sleep well."
The decor of this apartment was tailored to Feng Ci's tastes, perfectly reflecting his gloomy and austere personality.
The walls were painted a stark white, without any decorations or embellishments. The traditional Chinese wooden furniture was pitch black, and the bedsheets and duvet covers were a deep, dense black. Fortunately, the room had good lighting, with plenty of sunlight streaming in through the bay window—otherwise, it could easily pass as a horror movie set.
To put it nicely, it was minimalist; to put it bluntly, it was funeral parlor chic. Yet Berry was absolutely delighted.
It was much more spacious and brighter than her little attic. She could sit by the bay window every day, basking in the sun and picking fleas off Xiuxiu.
Berry couldn't wait: "Can I sleep here today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow?"
"No."
Feng Ci felt it was best to lay down the rules upfront, even if he had to repeat them. He bent down to meet Berry's eye level.
"Listen up, kid. Whether you like it or not, whether you're satisfied or not, you'll only be sleeping here for the next month. You're not allowed into any other rooms without my permission. While you're in my house, you follow my rules. Don't even think about crying or throwing tantrums—I'm heartless, and those tricks won't work on me."
The stern gaze of an unyielding landlord.jpg.
Feng Ci felt that his cold indifference at that moment must have thoroughly intimidated the child, saving him a lot of trouble in the future.
Unexpectedly, Berry swung her little satchel, stood tall and proud, and declared with conviction: "I want to repay you!"
The tiny three-heads-tall child was brimming with energy, her face tense as if she were here for revenge.
Feng Ci let out a soft hiss, leaned back, and reached up to scratch his ear: "Little snot's got quite the lung capacity."
Even though he didn't understand, it sounded impressive.
"Thank you, big snot, your lungs are quite strong too."
"…Just call me Brother Feng."
"Oh, okay." Berry continued earnestly, "Brother Feng, I want to repay you."
Feng Ci: "What, do you have something valuable on you? Are you planning to give me your precious stick?"
From morning till now, Berry hadn't taken off her little satchel. It was bulging, hiding who knows what treasures, and she didn't seem to mind carrying it around.
Perhaps she hadn't expected Feng Ci to still covet Xiuxiu, Berry was taken aback, her enthusiastic flame snuffed out in an instant.
"Xiuxiu is off-limits," the little witch whispered hesitantly.
"Forget it then." Feng Ci turned and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm busy, make yourself at home."
A small hand tugged at the hem of his clothes. Feng Ci turned back with an impatient look. "What else?"
"Why does the black sweet water bite my nose but not yours?"
Berry was still brooding over the cola incident. "Can you tell it not to bite me? I haven't eaten any children, I'm a good person."
Feng Ci was momentarily taken aback, then his mind quickly pieced it all together.
So her teary-eyed collapse earlier wasn't from drowsiness—it was from hiccups.
This unlucky kid. Feng Ci pressed a fist to his lips, stifling a laugh as he replied, "No, it doesn't listen to me."
Berry looked sheepish. "Alright then."
"However, I can give you a different sweet water that doesn't bite children. Want some?"
"I do!"
"If you want it, stop chattering and go to sleep right now."
Berry spun around and scurried inside, her little bottom wiggling. The bed was rather high, so she strained her legs and lifted her hips to climb up. Lying on the two-meter-wide bed, her tiny frame resembled a pearl washed ashore—pale, plump, and exceptionally eye-catching.
She wriggled under the covers, pulled the blanket up, and propped herself up on her elbows. "Please close the curtains for me, thank you."
"Aren't you afraid of the dark?"
"No."
Feng Ci strode to the window and drew two-thirds of the curtains shut. The room instantly darkened as if night had fallen, and human outlines grew indistinct.
Feng Ci stood still, hands in his pockets.
Children this age were usually fussy; he didn't quite believe Berry would dare to sleep alone in the dark.
The two of them, one large and one small, stared quietly at each other. Berry's sapphire-blue eyes glowed faintly in the gloom.
Feng Ci, with his 500-degree nearsightedness, was practically blind in the dark. He vaguely saw a little black bean hop off the bed and patter over to him.
The curtains stirred without any breeze, slowly drawing apart to let sunlight stream back in, falling precisely on the two of them.
Feng Ci felt a soft finger poke the back of his hand. Looking down, he saw Berry's face brimming with exaggerated concern as she comforted him:
"Don't be scared, don't be scared. It's not dark now. The great little witch will protect you."
???
What sentimental nonsense was she spouting? Him, afraid of the dark?
Feng Ci swished the curtains shut with two brisk pulls, tossed Berry a haughty, cold smirk, and left behind a tall, aloof figure that seemed to say, "My work here is done.""
Berry slept until two in the afternoon. The guest room bed was large and soft, and without the constant, echoing noise from her home in Southgrove Town, she slept quite soundly.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, Berry opened the door. A bristly broom instantly zoomed up to her, shaking and wagging as it performed a tap dance routine, looking every bit the part of an accuser.
Berry's half-yawn froze mid-escape. "Xiuxiu?"
Xiuxiu stood planted like a pole, tapping out a rapid-fire series of reproaches.
Berry hung her little head low, twisting her fingers guiltily. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd gone out to play. I was sleeping too deeply and didn't hear you knocking."
Xiuxiu: <(－︿－)>
Berry: "Don't be angry, I'll braid your hair into a pretty style."
"Ah, you want chicken? But I have no money."
Xiuxiu: Huffing with chubby anger jpg.
Berry scratched her head, thought for a long moment, then beckoned and whispered in a hushed tone, "I have an idea, but I need your help."
Zhang Mai and the others had already been chased away by Feng Ci. With so many unknowns surrounding the child, he didn't plan to let them visit anytime soon to avoid trouble.
"Heh."
"Feng-ge, I'm awake now. Nice to see you, how are you?"
Feng Ci jolted, glancing left and right to find no one around. A sudden realization struck him, and he looked up to see a child riding a broom floating near the ceiling, smiling down at him.
He gritted his teeth and forced out the words: "No. Flying. In. The. House. Get down here."
A few more scares like this and she’d be the death of him.
Berry obediently flew down, her bright eyes wide and unblinking. "Feng-ge, I’m here to repay you."
"What are you up to now?"
"Helping you fulfill your wish to fly." As she spoke, Berry pulled him up and demonstrated. "You sit on Xiuxiu, and Xiuxiu will take you flying."
Feng Ci: Confused black man meme.jpg.
"Stop messing around. I’ve never said I wanted to fly." He’d lost count of how many times he’d flown on planes since childhood, and he went paragliding abroad every year—he was long past being enchanted by the idea of flying.
"Don’t worry, Xiuxiu is really good." Berry stood on tiptoe, patting Feng Ci’s back encouragingly with her small hand. "I promise you won’t die. Be brave."
Feng Ci’s expression remained blank as he pressed a hand to his temple. "Do you even hear what you’re—holy shit!"
His feet suddenly left the ground as the broom stealthily slipped between his legs and hoisted him into the air.
Feng Ci instinctively clenched his buttocks and gripped the broom handle tightly. Just then, the ride jolted violently several times, turning his face bright red. He hunched over, unable to speak.
It… it pinched his balls, ahhhhhhh!
Berry, watching from below with her head tilted back, smiled approvingly.
Feng-ge is so amazing—he knew to hold the broom handle without her even teaching him. His broom-riding posture deserves a big thumbs-up (^o^)/~
The broom mustered all its strength, carrying Feng Ci in two laps around the living room. Though it flew high and low, repeatedly bumping into walls and nearly crashing several times, it managed to avert disaster each time, sparing the teenage boy’s unfortunate balls from further harm.
After two long minutes of torture, Feng Ci collapsed weakly onto the sofa, panting heavily.
Berry and the recently "heroic" Xiuxiu rushed over. "Feng-ge, are you happy?"
"Can you treat Xiuxiu and me to a whole chicken meal?"