"Brother Kirin!? You, you..."
Little Hanbao was just coming to her senses, but this sentence left her flabbergasted, her round face instantly blushing warmly.
Her almond eyes shimmered with tears, flickering bashfully and frantically, her heart pounding like a deer, not knowing what to do.
What made her even more incredulous was that Brother Kirin had truly changed!
He not only took the initiative to go out to gather resources, but also... also stopped looking down on her, even wanting her to become his real woman?!
This... this!
Su Tongxi's heart was a swirl of mixed emotions, overwhelmed with surprise, joy, and indescribable shyness, yet she didn't refuse.
She only lowered her head, her pink lips gently bitten by her pearly teeth, stammering, unable to speak.
Su Lin watched with a tickling heart, his large hand hooking around her soft waist to draw her into his arms.
After half a day of running around, his body reeked of sweat, and now holding this little Hanbao fully in his arms, a strong masculine scent came rushing forward.
Su Tongxi felt her delicate body go soft and weak, panting lightly as she nestled against his chest, her small hands tightly clutching the bag of meat, softly wedged between them.
The usual innocent and pure almond eyes were now charming and seductive.
She murmured in a daze:
"Brother Kirin... no, it's not okay... you just went out this morning, so tired... and tonight, tonight you have to guard the house, drive away those monsters..."
This was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Su Lin's budding urges.
"Damn!"
Su Lin cursed inwardly, his face stiff.
Paying taxes was temporarily over, but there were still monster attacks on this ghostly place at night!
Ridiculous! Completely absurd!
Thinking of the danger at night and feeling the soreness throughout his body from exhaustion, Su Lin suddenly felt utterly desolate.
Is there really no chance to relax at all?
Will this shabby house of mine last through the night?
My only hope is that the "King of the Garbage Can" entry comes in handy, so those "street litter" mechanical blueprints will work ten times better.
If not, it might be better to shamelessly borrow those 50 Silver Coins from Second Uncle...
Su Lin looked thoroughly worn out, yet he didn't release his arm from around Su Tongxi's slender waist, unconsciously caressing her slim waist and legs.
This little Hanbao was fragrant and soft, making it satisfying to hug her, imprinting his scent onto her was comforting.
Ignoring those bothersome issues, in terms of women, Su Lin found this to be the only gain from his journey through time.
Single no more, everyone!
Finally saying goodbye to the little virgin life, it's time for the boy to become a man, got to show some masculine spirit!
Su Lin shook off the unpleasant things, pulled the bag of braised meat from Su Tongxi's arms, placing it on his lap with grand bravado:
"Come on! Eat meat! Big bites!"
He boasted exuberantly.
Su Tongxi lifted her little face from his arms, weakly reminded:
"Brother Kirin... I haven't eaten for two days, if I just eat meat... I'll get diarrhea..."
"Uh..." Su Lin's smile froze on his face again.
Seeing his frustrated, comical expression, Su Tongxi couldn't help but let out a giggle, most of her shyness dissipating.
Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, Brother Kirin was truly different!
This realization made her incredibly happy and comforted.
She gently pushed against Su Lin's chest, her slim waist gracefully slipping out from his embrace, standing up with her tender body, gazing at him with gentle affection, she softly said:
"Brother Kirin, you've worked hard this morning, rest here, I'll make you some food."
"...All right." Su Lin, reluctant to part with that warm, soft touch, could only nod helplessly.
Su Tongxi, filled with joy, picked up the heavy ration bag and that half portion of enticing braised meat by her feet, briskly walking towards the kitchen.
The stove at home had been cold for two days, and Brother Kirin had brought back so much after going out once, it truly surprised her.
But she didn't ask much about the source.
Regardless of whether the money was gained cleanly or through nefarious means.
As long as Brother Kirin no longer sought death.
Even if he wanted to kill and pillage.
She accepted it.
At worst, she'd go to the underworld with him!
...
Meanwhile.
Su Qi stepped into the house.
What he saw was his granddaughter Su Yingying huddled pitifully to the side.
Old Master Su Can stared intently at the brand-new doll in her hands, brows tightly knitted.
"How much did Su Lin spend on this?"
Su Can turned his gaze to Su Qi, who had just entered, speaking in a low voice.
"60 copper." Su Qi patted his granddaughter's head, comforting her a little.
"Bang—!" The old master slammed the table fiercely.
Su Yingying shuddered in fright, clutching the doll even tighter, tears welling in her eyes.
Su Can, filled with anger: "That rascal! Does he not know the meaning of 'death'!? I thought he had changed for the better, made some progress! But what happened? The moment he earns a few pennies, he reveals his true nature again! Only buying flashy but useless things!"
Su Yingying was frightened by her great-grandfather's anger, sobbing quietly, yet still clinging tightly to the doll.
Zhao Yaxin entered upon hearing the commotion, wrapping an arm around her daughter's waist and holding her up, tenderly wiping away her tears, and then silently carried her into the kitchen, avoiding the men's conversation in the hall.
Su Can looked at the backs of his granddaughter-in-law and great-granddaughter, slightly lowering his voice but still exasperated:
"He earns a bit of money and buys some food, and he thinks he can have peace of mind forever?
"Does that rascal think just because nothing happened the past few nights after his parents died, it'll always go smoothly like this?!
"If I had known, I should have let a few monsters through the past two nights to teach him a good lesson!
"I can protect him for a while, but can I protect him for a lifetime?