Volume 12
Chapter 13: Pushing the Iron Hoop
With more and more girls around him, Lu Li rarely had the chance to completely devote his time to one person as he was now. He sat on a stone pier in the park, watching Zhu Qiao in her down jacket pushing an iron hoop on the flat ground with a group of seven or eight-year-old children. He felt this girl truly had the potential to be a king of children. That group of little boys and girls surrounded Zhu Qiao, calling her “big sister” nonstop. With a wave of her small hand, Zhu Qiao led the noisy group of children to “charge into battle.”
The so-called “pushing the iron hoop” involved using a long-handled U-shaped iron hook to push an iron ring in front of oneself, making the iron ring roll faster and faster, while the person also ran happily behind it. Lu Li had only ever seen this kind of recreational activity in textbooks before. He had thought that no one played such a retro game in this day and age.
He tightened his collar, thinking that the local culture of the Capital City was completely different from that of Mulan and Chuanhai. Perhaps because it had been an ancient capital for successive dynasties, the Capital City exuded an air of simple antiquity everywhere. There were few tall buildings, and the residential houses were mostly classical courtyards. Some of the old men sitting by the street also smoked dry pipes, as if the city’s time had been frozen sixty years ago.
Zhu Qiao was the fastest at pushing the iron hoop, and she pushed it the most steadily. She made “vroom vroom” sounds with her mouth, excitedly leading the children on a stroll. “You all can’t catch me~ Vroom vroom—I’m the fastest—”
“Big sister, big sister, wait for us—”
Watching this scene, Lu Li couldn’t help but reveal a warm smile. Little Qiao was truly like his younger sister or his child—pure, innocent, and romantic. He had never enjoyed this kind of experience of “being a father.” In his past life, he had actually always wanted a child, especially a daughter, but unfortunately…
The few grandmothers sitting beside him also looked over at Lu Li with a chuckle. “Young man, that girl has a very good personality. You’ll be blessed in the future.”
These few grandmothers were the elders of that group of children.
“My daughter-in-law, for example, has no patience with children.”
“Exactly. It’s rare to see a girl as meticulous and childlike as your girlfriend. You have to cherish her.”
As people get older, they love to discuss matters of love and hate. They meant no harm, so Lu Li just smiled. “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my younger sister.”
“Younger sister?” one grandmother looked at Lu Li in surprise. “You two don’t look alike.”
“We’re not related by blood.”
“Sigh, young man, when feelings come your way, you must not shrink back, or you’ll never have a chance in this lifetime.” That old grandmother said with emotion, “Don’t mistake love for kinship. I’ve seen too many people miss out on a good marriage because of this…”
An unintentional remark that hit the mark. This casual comment made Lu Li’s heart tremble. When feelings come, don’t shrink back. Yes, wasn’t this the very idea he had held onto since his rebirth? He looked at Zhu Qiao, but in his heart, he was thinking of Zhu Xi.
From the initial prejudice, to the indistinguishable friend or foe, to living and dying together, and now to helping each other, his relationship with Zhu Xi was full of drama, like a Hollywood movie with many twists and turns. Then what exactly were his feelings for Zhu Xi? And what were Zhu Xi’s feelings for him?
Lu Li’s gaze briefly lost focus.
…
Zhu Qiao took first place amidst the envious and admiring gazes of the children. She proudly put her hands on her hips. “I’m amazing, right~” Compared to dealing with adults, she preferred to play with simple children. Perhaps it was because they were all on the same level.
“I’m not playing with you guys anymore. I’m going to find my gege. Bye-bye~” Zhu Qiao looked at Lu Li, who was sitting on the stone pier in a daze in the distance, her heart full of joy. She pushed the iron hoop, making “vroom vroom” sounds as she approached Lu Li.
“Goodbye, Sister Qiao~” the children said in unison with their tender voices.
Zhu Qiao pushed the iron hoop over to Lu Li, let go of it, and, without any awareness of her own height and weight, threw herself at Lu Li. If it had been An Baili or Chen Jianing doing this, it would have been fine; Lu Li could have caught them steadily. But Little Qiao’s figure was comparable to Zhu Xi’s; she was a confirmed “big” girl.
Lu Li was knocked dizzy by Zhu Qiao. He helplessly hugged the coquettish Zhu Qiao in his arms. “Little Qiao, how many times have I told you not to pounce on me so suddenly? Your gege will get an internal injury from you sooner or later.”
“Hehe, I won’t do it next time,” Zhu Qiao said happily, her smile a genuine joy from the bottom of her heart. Little Qiao always said this. Yesterday, Lu Li had even received a video call from the girls at home. They had repeatedly told him not to make a move on Little Qiao, or they would tattle on him to Zou Yameng, saying he was bullying a fool. Lu Li broke out in a sweat hearing this. Little Qiao just lacked social experience; she wasn’t a fool, was she?
“Have you had enough fun?” The gazes of those old grandmothers toward them became more and more ambiguous. Right, what brother and sister would still hug so intimately at their age? Not to mention they weren’t even related by blood…
“Mm-hmm, I’m a little tired.”
Lu Li noticed fine beads of sweat on Zhu Qiao’s neck. He brought his nose close to her neck and could smell the hot, natural fragrance emanating from the young girl. Zhu Qiao had one special quality, and that was her body odor. The girls Lu Li knew more or less all had a natural fragrance, but everyone also had a sweaty smell after sweating. Only Zhu Qiao’s sweat was also fragrant.
“Hehe, that tickles~” Lu Li’s nose touched the young girl’s neck. She giggled and shrank her neck. “Gege, don’t sniff me~” This one “gege” was extremely coquettish, making Lu Li’s whole body go numb. If Zhu Xi was a cunning and fierce wolf, then Zhu Qiao was perhaps a little fox with natural charm, and she wasn’t even aware of it.
Lu Li looked at the fair and tender flesh of her neck and thought, *if he were to bite or lick it at this moment, if he were to bite or lick it at this moment, Zhu Qiao would only coo and ask him to be gentle. This thought was both tempting and guilt-ridden. He took a deep breath, recalled Zhu Xi’s ice-cold rebuke from yesterday, and finally managed to overcome his shameful desire.
Bullying a fool should be a criminal offense… Lu Li thought for no reason.
…
Lu Li picked up the iron hoop from the ground. Zhu Qiao still hugged his arm tightly, pressing his arm into her ample bosom, unwilling to separate from him. Lu Li tried to pull his hand away a few times, but found he couldn’t, so he simply ignored it. “Little Qiao, if you’ve had enough fun, we should go home.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zhu Qiao nodded obediently. “I’ll listen to you, gege~”
This “gege” made Lu Li’s spine tingle again. It’s over. I’m really getting addicted to this. No wonder Zhu Xi valued this younger sister of hers so much. Being called “gege” and “big sister” by Little Qiao every day, who wouldn’t be dazed?
Walking back to the hotel with Zhu Qiao, Lu Li thought of tomorrow’s horsemanship test, and his heart was still a little apprehensive. He had spent the whole day playing with Zhu Qiao today. Let alone learning to ride a horse, he hadn’t even touched a horse’s back. He would probably make Zhu Xi angry again tomorrow.
As if sensing Lu Li’s thoughts, Zhu Qiao said gently, “Gege, don’t worry. You’ll definitely return in triumph tomorrow. You have to remember to definitely, definitely choose horse number 6.”
Lu Li patted her little head. “Silly girl, ‘return in triumph’ is grammatically incorrect. ‘Triumph’ already includes the meaning of returning.”
Zhu Qiao stuck out her tongue. “I didn’t know… Will you teach me again when we get back?”
