"What do you mean 'on purpose'?" Xia Ningxing feigned ignorance.
Lu Tingli's dark eyes swept over her, and he slowly bent down, lowering his voice, "The loud exclamation that you had found a shower head was actually to catch Pangya's attention, so she would go to the riverside to pick the lotus heads, and then wait for her to fall into the river."
The young boy's breath was clean and cold, spraying near her ear, like a feather brushing past.
Xia Ningxing pursed her lips, "Lu! You can't slander me like this. Everything that happened was entirely her own doing. I didn't intentionally lure her there, she went of her own accord!"
She certainly wouldn't admit it; she didn't want her image to plummet in the eyes of a future big shot.
Seeing her denial, Lu Tingli couldn't help but snort softly and said, "Actually, it's only right that you taught her a lesson. She almost got you killed."
If it hadn't been for him passing by and seeing what was happening, and jumping in to save her in time, she might have ended up cooling in this pond by now.
So now, he didn't think there was anything wrong with what she did.
People should indeed be like that, settling scores and grievances.
"Lu, how can your values be so upright! Absolutely the most upright in the universe!" Since he had said so much, Xia Ningxing decided not to hold back anymore. Now, she cradled her tender, pale chin, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him with admiration.
"..."
"Brown-noser." Lu Tingli couldn't help but give her a disdainful glance and continued walking with long strides.
"Lu, wait for me!" Xia Ningxing hurriedly trotted after him, clutching the hem of his clothes.
"Let go, men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things."
Lu Tingli instinctively wanted to shake her off, but her hand seemed to be glued to the hem of his shirt with 502 adhesive and wouldn't come off.
"I won't let go! I didn't even touch you directly, just the hem of your clothes. Are you really going to make such a big deal out of it?" Xia Ningxing felt the boy in front of her was like an ancient relic.
Really, anyone would think he had just traveled through time from the ancient past!
"Can't be bothered with you!"
Lu Tingli was once again at a loss for words and just let her be. After all, he couldn't bring himself to actually hit her, could he?
Not long after the two of them walked one after the other on the countryside path, Xia Ningxing's five older brothers appeared halfway down the road.
"Sister! Why did you run off without telling us?"
They rushed up to her frantically, their eyes red with concern.
Heaven knows, when she disappeared, how worried and panicked they had been, fearing that she would have an accident again like last time.
"Uh... sorry, I forgot." Xia Ningxing touched her head in slight embarrassment. She had forgotten that she was currently just a little baby, so she had not informed them before leaving.
"Never mind, just remember to do so in the future." The brothers couldn't do much since their sister admitted her mistake; they naturally chose to forgive her.