Chapter 337
“Ying Shu, can I go see Sister Bing now? I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”
“Sure, my dear, you can take Xiao Mo with you.”
Ying Xu Liang nodded slightly. Just then, his wife was about to deliver lunch, so he let her lead Li Mo into the Ying family residence.
The mansion was much larger and more impressive than he remembered, exuding an air of elegance and uniqueness.
By comparison, the Li family home felt like an ordinary rural courtyard.
When Li Mo was a child, he didn’t think much of it, but seeing it again now, he felt it was far beyond what a small county in the Eastern Wilderness could possess.
“What’s wrong with Sister Bing lately?”
“She’s fallen ill.”
Ying Mu sighed and said, “She’s been feeling cold all over and doesn’t want to talk to anyone. We’re considering sending her to a private school to spend more time with kids her age…”
Realizing she was saying too much to a child, she trailed off.
As they spoke, the surroundings grew quiet, and they arrived at the side room of the guest house.
The door was tightly shut, but it couldn’t contain the chill seeping out.
...
P.S.: I originally planned to update two chapters together for better continuity, but I took too long to think through the second chapter and the subsequent plot, so it’s delayed, orz.
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**Chapter 368: The Complex Feelings of Little Bing’s Father**
The side room wasn’t secluded, yet it felt eerily quiet. The courtyard, which must have once been filled with exotic flowers and plants, was now entirely withered, leaving only a lingering cold fragrance.
“Bing’er, it’s time for lunch.”
Ying Mu gently knocked on the door, but there was no response, so she pushed it open.
Li Mo shivered; it had been a long time since he felt such cold. Still, he peered into the room.
Sunlight poured through the window, dust motes dancing in the light, illuminating the chessboard where a game had just been played.
The little girl sat quietly in front of the board, her bright red dress radiating an air of elegance and a breathtaking charm.
Little Bing’s face was delicate, exuding a tranquility that seemed beyond her years.
Though she lacked an ethereal quality, she possessed a faint, otherworldly aura. If it weren’t for her eyelashes fluttering slightly, one might mistake her for a precious porcelain doll.
She turned to look back, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
“This is the child from the Li family that you’ve met before,” Ying Mu introduced, opening the food box.
It seemed Little Bing didn’t remember him?
Li Mo pondered.
They had only met once; if she remembered him, wouldn’t that mean her subconscious was awakening, and her dreams would soon follow?
“Bing’er, I made your favorite dish.”
“Mother, I’m not hungry.”
The little girl’s voice was soft and crisp.
“You hardly ate anything yesterday,” Ying Mu said, worry etched on her face.
Little Bing nodded and took a bite of the food, only to furrow her brow immediately.
After just two bites, she tightly closed her lips, unwilling to eat anymore.
“Auntie, who was she playing chess with?”
Li Mo hopped onto the opposite side of the table.
“She was playing against herself; no one at home can beat her anymore.”
“How about I play a game with you?”
Little Li Mo wore a mysterious expression, cool and composed.
“?”
She lifted her gaze, the icy look in her eyes seeming to freeze in place.
Little Bing’s dazed expression was adorable.
Li Mo couldn’t help but smile; others might think this little girl was a bit odd, but to him, her contrast was endearing, especially when she was lost in thought.
So cute!
“Want to play? I have a new rule: connect five pieces to win. Want to give it a try?”
Little Ying Bing remained silent, but her small hands began to gather the black and white pieces on the table.
It seemed Bing had a strong competitive spirit even as a child…
Ying Mu was somewhat surprised; she had never seen her daughter take an interest in anything before.
But what shocked her even more was that—
Ten minutes later.
The daughter, who could outplay masters in Go, actually lost!
Though it wasn’t Go, merely connecting five pieces was clearly much simpler.
“Pretty impressive, right?”
Little Li Mo beamed with pride.
Little Ying Bing narrowed her eyes slightly:
“The first player will always win in this game.”
“!”
Li Mo leaned back slightly.
He had lost many times before finally realizing this, proving that even in her younger version, Bing was still formidable!
“Sister, it’s time to eat.”
Little Ying Bing instinctively nodded and picked up her chopsticks.
As the food reached her mouth, her beautiful eyes momentarily lost focus, as if she didn’t quite understand why she was responding so naturally to his words about eating.
Ying Mu covered her mouth in astonishment.
Her daughter had always been cold, and since falling ill, she had become even more so, rarely showing any emotional fluctuations, even towards her parents.
And now she was…
“Auntie, can I go out for a walk with Sister Bing later?”
Li Mo remained calm on the surface, but inside, he felt a surge of joy.
Bing’s subconscious still remembered him.
It worked!
“Bing’er?” Ying Mu looked at her daughter with a hopeful gaze, her tone a bit excited.
Her daughter hadn’t left the house in a long time, and if this continued, she feared it might lead to more serious issues.
“Sister, take me to play for a while.”
Little Li Mo said earnestly.
Strangely enough, although he had been a mischievous little rascal in private school, he was undeniably cute, even when he was serious.
“Um…”
Little Ying Bing’s cheeks flushed slightly as she responded in a voice as soft as a whisper, then she began to eat her meal in small bites.
After lunch,
Li Mo was the first to step outside. The threshold was a bit high, and he had to bounce a little to get over it.
Little Ying Bing set down her bowl and, encouraged by her mother’s gaze, lifted the hem of her rose-red skirt, preparing to step over the threshold before jumping down, when a hand reached out in front of her.
She looked up in surprise to find the little boy bathed in sunlight, wearing a bright smile.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Little Ying Bing momentarily lost her train of thought; her mind hadn’t quite caught up, but her body had already given the answer.
By the time she realized what was happening, her small hand was already warm, held by a larger hand.
Ying Mu: “?”
She had just tidied up some dishes; what had she missed?
And also—
Bing was actually willing to let another child hold her hand so calmly?!
The three of them returned to the bustling courtyard in front of the ancestral hall.
“Little sister is going out?”
“Am I seeing things? Or am I still dreaming?”
“Ouch... if you’re dreaming, why are you pinching me?!”
“She’s being led out by another child!”
“That must be the Li kid, right?”
Despite her small stature, Little Bing held a significant position in the Ying family, and some children her age were already comparable to her.
The Ying family members outside, upon seeing the two emerge from the courtyard, rubbed their eyes in disbelief, having heard of this little sister before.
Now that she was out, it was more exciting than the New Year.
“Hubby, look quickly.”
“Hmm?”
Ying Xu Liang was chatting with a friend when he turned around to see the two little ones holding hands.
They looked like a pair of golden boys and jade maidens.
It was a good thing that his daughter was willing to go outside.
But they say daughters are their father’s little cotton-padded jackets; his little jacket not only let in the cold but was made of ice.
Counting on his fingers, she hadn’t spoken more than ten words to him in three days, and her icy intelligence often left him feeling intellectually overshadowed.
Now she was being led by another boy, looking serene and obedient?
The father’s feelings were complex, a mix of excitement and inexplicable gloom.
“Ying Shu, what’s wrong?”
Little Li Mo stood in front of the couple, holding Ying Bing’s hand.
For some reason, he felt a bit nervous under Ying Shu’s gaze.
“It’s nothing; you two go play, but don’t wander too far.”
“…”
Looking at the lively scene in front of the Ying family ancestral hall, Li Mo’s lips moved, but he merely nodded in response.
Tonight, during the Ying family’s ancestral rites, everyone would die.
But as a child, who would believe him if he spoke such gloomy words during the New Year? It was good enough that he wasn’t chased away.
And besides—
This was a dream.
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**Chapter 369: Little Bing, Brother Li Mo is a Bad Kid**
“Is it possible to lead Little Bing out and avoid her experiencing everything that will happen tonight in the Ying family mansion?”
Li Mo held her cold, soft little hand with one hand while rummaging through his pocket for snacks with the other, brainstorming ideas.
He turned to her and asked, “Sister Bing, do you want to go outside and take a look?”
“Outside?”
“Yeah, it’s the New Year, and Qinghe County is bustling with activity.”
“…”
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