Yesterday, An Yuying and Tang Guihua had a small spat, which, although minor, made both of them extra frosty towards each other.
It was quite normal for An Yuying to not want to go to Tang Guihua's house.
"Sister An, I'll have a proper chat with you when I get back. Let's chat in bed, huh?" Luo Yang whispered into An Yuying's ear.
"I don't want to," pouted An Yuying, her lips turning red.
"Sister An, be good. I'll carry you upstairs," Luo Yang slightly crouched and, with his arms around An Yuying's thighs, he straightened and headed for the stairs.
An Yuying had no choice but to wrap her arms around Luo Yang's neck.
With each step he climbed, Luo Yang would stop and give a little shake to An Yuying's delicate body.
At first An Yuying didn't mind, but after they climbed several stairs, she realized Luo Yang's actual intention wasn't mere climbing.
"There you go again, always rubbing up against me," she complained.
An Yuying tightened her left arm around Luo Yang's neck and gently tapped his shoulder with her right hand.
"Sister An, I just needed to breathe, so I had to turn my face," explained Luo Yang.
"I know now, you are lying," An Yuying gently slapped Luo Yang's shoulder and back with her right palm.
"Sister An, no, I'm not," Luo Yang laughed.
"You keep doing it, I'm going to get mad now," complained An Yuying, who couldn't push Luo Yang's face away.
Luo Yang didn't carry An Yuying horizontally; he lifted her vertically.
If An Yuying were to push Luo Yang's head, she would lean backward herself and could fall.
As they almost reached the second floor, An Yuying's neck turned red.
"You keep nudging, you're about to knock off my..." An Yuying, blushing, could not continue.
For Luo Yang, who had the X-Ray Ability, it was clear what An Yuying meant.
Once they were on their feet, An Yuying quickly adjusted her top, eventually reaching inside to tug at it, and glared faintly at Luo Yang.
"So forceful, it hurts," she said.
As she spoke, she swung her little fists at him.
Luo Yang caught An Yuying's wrist and laughed, "Sister An, I didn't mean to."
Just then, Qin Piao laughed, "Yuying, Cowboy definitely didn't do it on purpose; it was probably intentional."
She spoke as she walked out.
An Yuying's pretty face reddened even more as she murmured resentfully, "I'm not talking to you anymore."
Since last night, Hong Jiaxin had been sharing a room with Suyun.
After going upstairs, Hong Jiaxin lay on Suyun's bed, curled up and motionless.
She could not possibly be asleep; she simply felt bad and didn't want to move.
Luo Yang didn't know what to say to Hong Jiaxin. She really wanted to see her parents, but Hong Zhong had instructed Luo Yang not to let Hong Jiaxin go off with just anyone.
He did not understand the full story.
If what Hong Zhong said was true, then the situation was really complicated and not a normal feud.
Luo Yang gave An Yuying a look, suggesting she should go in and comfort Hong Jiaxin.
It was probably more appropriate for a girl to comfort another girl.
An Yuying nodded slightly and then walked into the room.
Two comforters are better than one.
Luo Yang signaled to Qin Piao with his eyes; since Qin Piao always listened to Luo Yang, she promptly entered to comfort Hong Jiaxin as well.
At that moment, Luo Yang wanted to find Tang Guihua.
But having come all the way up to the second floor, he felt he couldn't just leave without comforting Hong Jiaxin with a few words.
So he too walked into the room.
An Yuying sat on the edge of the bed, gently shaking Hong Jiaxin's body.
Hong Jiaxin turned around, lay flat on the bed, opened her eyes slightly, and looked at the people around her.
Seeing the melancholy in Hong Jiaxin's eyes, one could tell her emotions were turbulent.
Seeing this distressed Luo Yang, but he felt powerless despite his willingness to help.
As an outsider, all he could do was offer his support as best he could.
But the issues concerning Hong Zhong seemed very complex, not something an ordinary person could easily resolve.
"Jiaxin, don't keep sleeping, you might fall out of bed," An Yuying advised.
"I feel a bit sleepy," said Hong Jiaxin.
Bad spirits make one feel tired easily.
"Jiaxin, how about we play a game of landowner?" Qin Piao suggested.
"No thanks. You guys play." Hong Jiaxin declined.
She looked listless and wilted.
Her parents hadn't exactly disappeared, but for some reason, were unable to come back, and having no siblings, anyone in her shoes would feel terrible.
For Hong Jiaxin, her two closest people had left without warning, and she wasn't mentally prepared to accept this reality.
If it weren't for Luo Yang's company, Hong Jiaxin would have felt even worse.
"Monitor, just say whatever you want to say, it might make you feel better," Luo Yang said.
"It's nothing, I just want to sleep for a while," Hong Jiaxin said.
She was a tomboy; even if she felt uneasy, she wouldn't easily confide in others.
Showing weakness was something she rarely did.
Tang Guihua had been on the phone for quite a while, and Luo Yang still hadn't left.
"You guys chat first, I'm going out for a bit," Luo Yang said.
An Yuying knew Luo Yang was going to meet Tang Guihua and felt jealous again.
"Cowboy, someone has something they want to discuss with you," An Yuying cooed.
"Okay. I'll be back soon," Luo Yang said.
As he spoke, he walked toward the door.
But An Yuying also followed him out, and at the door, she reached out and grabbed his jacket.
Looking at An Yuying's pouty red lips, Luo Yang pecked them several times before her lips lowered.
"Sister An, be good. I'll be back soon," Luo Yang gently patted her tender back.
"I have something to tell you," An Yuying whispered.
The two whispered at the door, attracting the attention of Qin Piao inside the room.
Ever since True Qi resided in Luo Yang's body, as long as he calmed down, he could hear even the slightest movement around him.
Hong Jiaxin wouldn't eavesdrop, only Qin Piao would.
Faint footsteps approached, stopped by the wall, and then halted.
Luo Yang felt embarrassed to call out Qin Piao, so he just let her listen.
"Sister An, you should sleep for a bit," Luo Yang advised.
"I'm not sleepy. I..."
Just as An Yuying was about to launch into a lengthy talk, Luo Yang covered her mouth with his.
Then came a series of muffled grunts.
Qin Piao suddenly laughed.
Only then did An Yuying notice Qin Piao eavesdropping nearby; her pretty face blushed, and she playfully punched Luo Yang with her little fists, coquettishly.
Luo Yang laughed again and pecked An Yuying's red lips a few more times.
"Sister Piao, you always pop up unexpectedly," Luo Yang laughed.
"What were you guys talking about? It seems so secretive," Qin Piao laughed.
"Nothing, I was just saying the monitor should rest, and I suggested Sister An rest too. Sister Piao, aren't you sleeping for a bit?" Luo Yang changed the subject.
"Can't sleep," Qin Piao admitted frankly.
Her body was filled with energy; she had only gone to the vegetable shed that morning and hadn't done much work, so she wasn't tired.
"Sister Piao, Sister An, since neither of you is sleeping, why not keep the Monitor company for a while?" Luo Yang suggested.
"Sure," Qin Piao agreed readily.
Luo Yang asked her to do anything, and she never refused.
So Qin Piao turned and walked back into the room.
An Yuying still stood there, gazing longingly at Luo Yang as if asking: Are you still going?
If Tang Guihua didn't have anything serious, Luo Yang didn't need to go.
But from her voice on the phone, he could tell she was facing more than just ordinary trouble.
It was not convenient to talk over the phone, so she had asked Luo Yang to meet in person.
"Sister An, wait for me to come back, I'll have a surprise for you," Luo Yang said.
"What surprise?" An Yuying asked.
Actually, Luo Yang had just said that offhand; as for what the surprise would be, he'd have to think about it when he returned.
"Just take a good guess, and I'll tell you when I get back. You chat with the Monitor," Luo Yang said, holding An Yuying's hand sincerely.