Qian Xiao choked out, "Devil! You’re a devil!"
However, in the eyes of humans, most monsters were no different from devils, so Beibei did not retort.
"Enough." Xu Lai’s head ached from the crying. He knocked on Qian Xiao’s head. "Stop crying. It’s just a fear of heights, not a big deal."
Xu Lai snapped his fingers, and snowy white wings appeared simultaneously behind his daughter and Qian Xiao.
"You won’t be afraid of heights if you can fly," Xu Lai said, lifting his chin. "Go on and fly, brave boy."
Qian Xiao kept shaking his head, his eyes brimming with tears. "No! Even if I die on this cloud, I will never jump down from here!"
SLASH!
Beibei, brimming with excitement, drew her sword and swung it at him. "You said it yourself, so don’t you dare dodge!"
Qian Xiao jumped in fright. With the teary-eyed resignation of a man facing death, he leaped from the cloud. A pitiful scream faintly drifted back, "I’ll be back!!!!"
This phrase seems oddly familiar. Beibei fell into thought. She seemed to have heard it somewhere before, but where?
"Daddy, Yiyi wants to fly too," Xu Yiyi said, flapping her wings eagerly.
"Aren’t you scared, Yiyi?" Xu Lai asked with a smile.
"I’m not scared," Xu Yiyi said earnestly. "I believe in Daddy. If Daddy says I can fly, then I definitely can."
Even so, her eyelashes trembled lightly, betraying her nervousness. Beibei couldn’t help but jump onto Xu Yiyi’s shoulder.
Beibei took a deep look at Xu Lai.
She wasn’t a Great Demon, merely on the threshold of becoming one. Her Boundary was comparable to the peak of the Ninth Grade Great Perfection of the Human Race. But even with such a Boundary, she couldn’t conjure two pairs of wings for two ordinary people out of thin air.
Her understanding of Xu Lai deepened a bit more.
This man... profound and unfathomable!
But Beibei didn’t ponder any further. No matter how mysterious Xu Lai was, he was still Yiyi’s father. With a genuinely carefree smile, she said, "Don’t be scared, Yiyi, I’m with you."
With that, Xu Yiyi finally closed her eyes and jumped. Soon, bursts of delighted laughter filled the air.
But Qian Xiao was terrified. He was about to crash into the sea before he frantically flapped his wings. He didn’t dare to fly high, only skimming along the sea’s surface.
If it weren’t for Xu Yiyi shouting Qian Xiao’s name from the sky, Xu Lai estimated the boy would have clung to the sea surface all the way back to the coastline.
Xu Lai curled his lip. Such a coward.
Ruan Tang’s good friend Luo Chu is a powerful Martial Artist, so how did her son end up so cowardly?
「」
Night fell quickly. After flying all day, both Xu Yiyi and Qian Xiao were so tired they had fallen asleep. Xu Lai carried one in each arm.
When they returned to Haitang Court, Ruan Tang was feeding Xiao Hei. She quickly carried her daughter to her room and settled Qian Xiao in the guest room.
"Where did you two go? Why are you both asleep?" Ruan Tang asked curiously.
"We took a tour under the sea, then flew in the air for a while."
Ruan Tang was speechless. She felt Xu Lai’s forehead, puzzled. "You don’t have a fever. Why are you spouting nonsense?"
"I’m not talking nonsense," Xu Lai whispered, catching her slender hand. "Want to try?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel★fire.net
Ruan Tang’s cheeks flushed as she retorted, "Flirtatious man!"
"What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook," Xu Lai said with a laugh as he let go of her hand and headed for the kitchen.
"No need," Ruan Tang said calmly, following him into the kitchen. "I’m cooking tonight."
Xu Lai was baffled. He seriously reached out to feel her forehead. "You don’t have a fever either. Why are you heading into the kitchen?"
Ruan Tang slapped his hand away. "Fine, don’t eat then," she said, turning her head.
Actually, Ruan Tang wanted to thank Xu Lai. She had been so busy with her company lately that he had been the one looking after Yiyi and doing all the cooking. But when she finally offered to cook, she was met with skepticism...
"I doubt you can make the dish I want," Xu Lai said, shaking his head.
"Just say it!" Ruan Tang demanded as she tied on an apron and gripped a large ladle, giving off the air of a virtuous wife and devoted mother. Of course, she was also the queen of the dark cuisine world.
"I want to eat..." Xu Lai paused for a long moment before leaning close to her ear. "You."
With a dark expression, Ruan Tang shoved Xu Lai out of the kitchen. "Instant noodles! Take it or leave it!"
Xu Lai sat on the sofa, holding back his laughter. On the ground sat the round, plump, black-and-white creature. This Gold Swallowing Beast from the Immortal Domain—well, this giant panda—had completely adapted to life on Earth. It had even learned how to act cute. It hugged Xu Lai’s calf, looking up at him adorably. It clearly wanted some Purple Bamboo.
However, Xu Lai was not Ruan Tang, Ruan Lan, or Xu Yiyi. He unceremoniously lifted the giant panda by the scruff of its neck and tossed it into the backyard. "Don’t interrupt my alone time with my wife."
About five minutes later, a bowl of instant noodles was brought out.
He had to admit, his wife was a woman of her word. When she said instant noodles, she meant just instant noodles—not even a slice of ham or an egg.
But Xu Lai still found it incredibly delicious. "This is great," he said.
Ruan Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was one of the few things she could make without blowing up the kitchen.
After a brief pause, Ruan Tang sat on the sofa opposite Xu Lai. She fidgeted for a moment before speaking. "Xu Lai, I... I did something I should apologize for. I need to confess."
"Sis, you didn’t cheat on my brother-in-law, did you!?" Ruan Lan exclaimed in shock, appearing at the second-floor railing.
"Ruan Lan!" Dark lines formed on Ruan Tang’s forehead. What is she even talking about?
"Why are we having instant noodles?" Ruan Lan asked as she came downstairs, looking slightly disappointed with the food. Her love for gossip, however, triumphed over her hunger. Her bright eyes gleamed. "Sis, what do you need to confess?"
"Haaah..." Ruan Tang took a long, deep breath to suppress her anger. "Go back to your room and continue studying those Go records!"
"I need at least one night off," Ruan Lan said, stretching tiredly. For the past few days, she had only been sleeping a few hours a night, poring over Xu Lai’s Go records with her senior, Lu An, and the other members of the Go club. Besides, she deserved to treat herself after stealing the limelight at the competition in the gymnasium yesterday.
"So, what’s this about?" Xu Lai asked, trying to suppress a laugh as he ate his noodles.
"My parents are coming over to visit tomorrow..." Ruan Tang bit her lower lip, feeling nervous.
Even though her name was on the deed for Haitang Court, the house was ultimately bought by Xu Lai, so she felt it was necessary to ask for his opinion.
Xu Lai raised an eyebrow. "And then?"
Ruan Tang faltered. She knew her parents’ quirks all too well and was certain Xu Lai wouldn’t like them.
"You’re... not angry?"
"They’re our parents. Why would I be angry?" Xu Lai shrugged.
Even though he didn’t have a high opinion of his so-called father-in-law and mother-in-law, they were still Ruan Tang’s parents and Yiyi’s maternal grandparents.
Ruan Tang breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she whispered softly.
"Is it just our parents? Or are Grandpa and our uncles coming too?" Ruan Lan’s interest in the drama faded, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Just Mom and Dad."
Ruan Tang stopped short, leaving something unsaid.