Ke Ke unleashed a Roaring Bear, a fierce but cute roar… truly a clumsy bear.
Doesn't she know how adorable she is?
Yun Ming squeezed Second Senior Sister's bun again and again; of course, he wouldn't mess with this clumsy Senior Sister, she's such a fool.
How could he bear to bully Second Senior Sister?
But, it's really good… at least when he returns to the mountain, Second Senior Sister will still be there, this human-shaped, self-propelled solar charging station is simply perfect.
Yun Ming gave his own thought a thumbs-up.
So, he still buried his head deep into Ke Ke's neck, nuzzling, nuzzling, nuzzling. His Senior Sisters smell so good!
He was immersed in the comforting scent, unable to pull himself away.
"That tickles, hehe~"
The girl's skin quickly flushed, and she squirmed, her small hands pushing against the boy's chest, making it hard for him to hold her steadily.
But it was enough.
Yun Ming let go, his head held high, looking spirited once more.
Charging complete—
"Let's go~"
"Oh, if you're not leaving tonight, remember to come find me to play!"
"Still thinking about playing, huh~"
"Pfft! Wait for me to finish my work and I'll come find you~"
Laughter echoed in the air.
It was very cheerful, and Yun Ming's mood visibly improved, even affecting the little girl he was holding, "Brother gets along really well with everyone."
"They're all pretty good, aren't they?"
"Everyone is very gentle."
"From now on, they are your family too, Nicole~"
"Nicole understands, but first, Brother needs to hold me."
The little pink-haired girl bounced into Yun Ming's arms. She still curiously surveyed the unfamiliar world, but now her eyes held no more worry.
"You're a bit clingy, aren't you~"
"Because Nicole likes Brother."
"Haha… your little mouth is quite good at coaxing people."
"No, Nicole really, really likes Brother. I'm not lying to Brother!"
Truly, truly, because Nicole only has Brother left.
Nicole's eyes were incredibly sincere. She looked earnestly at Yun Ming, while the young man became a bit shy, standing frozen in place.
Although he was often told 'I like you' by little girls.
But in those amber-like eyes, it seemed there was only him, as if he were her entire world, and she was very serious about it.
She was all alone… waiting for Yun Ming's response. It seemed if he didn't answer, she wouldn't move forward, that was the feeling she conveyed.
This sincerity and earnestness, coming from a child.
It inevitably made one feel a bit at a loss.
Should he say, "I like Nicole too"? Deep down, this wasn't the best answer, so he paused.
But it was that brief pause that prompted Nicole to act.
She gently cupped Yun Ming's face and kissed him. Liking Brother wasn't a lie, but what she wanted to say wasn't 'I like you.'
It was—
Brother, don't abandon me.
After all, her liking was worthless.
People without value wouldn't be taken seriously; this was a lesson she learned at the Orphanage. That's why people outside the Orphanage… didn't take them seriously.
Only valuable children would be adopted: they had to be smart, pretty, obedient—
One label after another, Nicole understood them long ago.
But all of these were useless to Yun Ming. She couldn't sense any desires or demands from him.
Hence, the unease.
She envied the affection between Brother and Sister Ke Ke just now, so casual, natural, and intimate, even a little jealous… "Will Brother always be by Nicole's side?"
Asking the obvious.
Children are probably like this, incredibly sensitive and incredibly innocent.
Even a husband and wife wouldn't dare to say they'd be together forever.
But the silly child just needs promises, needs to constantly confirm the other person's thoughts. In this regard, it's like a girlfriend constantly needing to confirm if you truly love her.
Because she loves you, not loving her makes her anxious.
Anxiety… Nicole hadn't spent years with Yun Ming; they were just two strangers who met, like two creatures drinking water together by a river.
She was a little white rabbit, and a wolf suddenly attacked from behind.
The wolf ate the rabbit's family.
And Yun Ming was a divine dragon who happened to pass by, drove away the wolf, and picked up the white rabbit.
The white rabbit then clung to him, for she was homeless.
Wherever the divine dragon was, she would be there.
From then on, even if a kind white deer, a gentle big ox, or a playful squirrel appeared, her heart still only held the dragon that descended from the sky.
But the divine dragon was free and unrestrained, coming and going without a trace.
The little white rabbit, who could only hop on the ground, was naturally afraid that if she turned her head, he would disappear, never to be seen again.
Only in his arms did Nicole feel safe.
Nicole's eyes at this moment were like that cunning little white rabbit, holding Yun Ming's hand, begging him not to abandon her.
She really is clingy, isn't she?
Yun Ming rode his sword into the sky, his gaze serious as he looked down.
A six-year-old child isn't necessarily ignorant of the ways of the world; the girl before him was probably as clever as Ling'er, one of a kind.
She just wants a family.
A certain family, where they will never abandon each other.
What's wrong with that?
But… "No, I will always be here, but Nicole also needs to look forward properly again."
"When you're scared, you can always come find me."
"After all, you've called me 'Brother' so many times, I have to acknowledge you as my little sister, right? You don't need to do anything…"
"I will still be here."
Nicole bit her lip, large tears plopping down. Sniffling, she asked again, "Really, really not?"
Not even if I act cute, whine, and play pitiful?
"No."
First she says she likes him, then a kiss, then asks if they can always be together, and then what? If Nicole wasn't so young.
Yun Ming would have thought he was being played.
This little one has a lot of ideas.
Calling him 'Brother' repeatedly really did make his heart flutter; she was even more skilled at coaxing than Ling'er. Ling'er was just clingy… but didn't have such a serious psychological burden.
The gloom of the Orphanage still hung over Nicole. She probably had some post-traumatic stress, an extreme lack of love and security.
So gentleness alone wasn't enough; sometimes, one also had to be a bit tough with a child, give her security, but tell her that even without him, she was still safe… Yun Ming thought for a long time, racking his brains.
He was truly afraid of raising her wrong, of turning her into a yandere brother-complex.
This was no joke; having read various books in his previous life, Yun Ming felt he was theoretically invincible, a master among masters.
The young man observed the little girl's changing expression and found that her tears indeed stopped quickly. She just hugged him again and kissed him.
"Why another kiss?"
"So Brother doesn't think that was a bribe just now. Nicole isn't that kind of bad child…"
Her pink little cheeks puffed up, finally showing a bit of childishness, as if she was a little sulky.
Yun Ming was speechless at these words.
He couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong, but he felt attacked. How could a bribe between master and disciple be called 'bad'?
It was clearly a little bit of fun to deepen their bond!
The young man got anxious and poked the girl's face. The puffed cheek deflated, leaving the girl stunned.
Nicole, blushing, gave a soft bite.
She mumbled.
"Brother is mean. Nicole cried so pitifully, but you still wouldn't agree to me, and you bullied me. I was just a little scared just now, that's why I said that…"