"Little village girl, are you alright?" Xiao Jinheng helped her up.
Xiao Xitian rolled her eyes, rubbing her forehead. "Of course I'm alright. I've got a big lump on my forehead, hmph..."
Xiao Jinheng couldn't help but chuckle. He gently pried her hands away and saw that a large bump had indeed formed on the little village girl's forehead.
"It's a bit red. Let me blow on it for you!~" Xiao Jinheng leaned in towards Xiao Xitian and blew gently twice.
This was the first time Xiao Xitian had been this close to the bratty boy, and her cheeks inevitably felt a little hot.
Blushing, she pushed him away. "No... no need, it's fine!"
Her third brother usually drove the carriage very smoothly. Why did it suddenly stop?
Xiao Xitian lifted the curtain and glanced outside. She saw a group of men in black and Kong Xingzhuo and others surrounding a young boy, about eight or nine years old, with swords almost at his throat...
"Huh? Who is he?" Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes.
The boy's clothing and appearance didn't resemble anyone from the Liang Kingdom or the Chen Kingdom. His skin was a bit dark, his eyes were large and sparkling, and he had golden curly hair...
He was just covered in dirt, with scrapes on his hands and face. He was thin and weak, like a stalk of sorghum in the cold wind.
Xiao Jinheng frowned and pulled Xiao Xitian back. "He's just a little beggar. What's so interesting about him?"
Xiao Xitian: "???"
What was going on? She just glanced at the bratty boy and he was already making a face? https:/
"Don't you think he looks strange?" Xiao Xitian asked.
Golden hair and blue eyes, this was clearly a foreigner...
"What's so strange about it?" Xiao Jinheng peeled an orange that Eunuch Zhao had just delivered and put a segment into Xiao Xitian's mouth. "Foreigners with this kind of appearance are everywhere in the capital. There's nothing strange about it!~"
Xiao Xitian nodded blankly. That was true. The capital was a huge place, so it was normal to see foreigners...
But encountering a foreign child in this desolate wilderness was quite puzzling.
How did he end up here?
"I want to go down and see!~" Xiao Xitian said, eating the orange and lifting the curtain. Before Xiao Jinheng could pull her back, she jumped out.
"Ai!" Xiao Jinheng shook his head helplessly. "That stubborn girl, she must have taken a liking to that boy!"
No, he had to go and see too. What if the little village girl was tricked away by that boy?
Thus, Xiao Jinheng tidied his clothes and also hurried to jump off the carriage.
The little boy clenched his fists, his hawk-like eyes scanning everyone intently. Although he was young, he was filled with a ferocity and a composure unbefitting his age...
It was as if these people were insignificant in his eyes.
Emperor Cheng sat in the carriage, looking at the little boy through a gap in the curtain, his heart filled with doubt.
Why was a foreigner appearing here?
"Boy, what are you doing? Why are you blocking the road and not letting us pass?" Kong Xingzhuo asked sternly, gripping his long sword.
The other men in black were imperial guards secretly protecting Emperor Cheng. Seeing the situation, they all jumped out...
The boy looked at Kong Xingzhuo expressionlessly. After a long pause, he finally uttered three words, "Take me away!~"
His pronunciation was unclear and his accent was not standard, indicating he was not proficient in the Liang Kingdom's language...
Fortunately, he could understand what Kong Xingzhuo was saying.
"What do you mean 'take you away'? Who are you? Get out of the way, or I'll pull down your pants!~" Kong Xingzhuo threatened.
This trick always worked in Dashui Village.
Whenever a mischievous boy in the village misbehaved, he would pull down their pants and tie them to a tree...
He thought the child would be scared, but to his surprise, the boy remained expressionless, showing no reaction. "Take me away!~"
Kong Xingzhuo: "???"
Good boy, pushing his luck, wasn't he?
"Hmph, today I'll show you why the flowers are so red!~" Saying this, Kong Xingzhuo rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the child.
Just as Xiao Xitian was about to step forward to stop him, Eunuch Zhao beat her to it, grabbing Kong Xingzhuo. "Hey, hey, hey, don't be rough..."
Didn't he see the Emperor was here?
If he made a fuss and disturbed the Emperor's rest, he'd see how the Emperor dealt with him.
Eunuch Zhao liked children, especially when he saw a little boy with golden hair and blue eyes, he found him incredibly endearing.
At first glance, the child looked like a doll. Although he was small and thin, if he were dressed up, he would surely be very handsome...
Kong Xingzhuo crossed his arms and said with a half-smile, "Old Zhao, be careful. Don't let this little thing scratch you!~"
The little boy's gaze was cold when he looked at people. He was clearly an untamable wild donkey.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense!" Eunuch Zhao glared at Kong Xingzhuo, then smilingly approached the little boy. "Little one, what's your name? Where do you live?"
The little boy listened, then slowly looked at Eunuch Zhao, remaining silent...
Eunuch Zhao was not discouraged. He asked again, "Why did you come here alone? Where are your parents? You must be hungry. Wait, I'll go to the carriage and get you two steamed buns to eat!~"
After speaking, Eunuch Zhao trotted to the carriage and began to rummage...
The little boy turned around and saw Xiao Xitian standing behind him.
His previously expressionless face instantly reacted, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
What a delicate little girl!
She had two little buns tied with pink hair ties and wore a little floral jacket. Her chubby appearance was very cute...
Especially her smiling big eyes. Every time she blinked, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, vibrant and lively, like a little lucky charm from a New Year's painting.
Xiao Jinheng frowned and stepped forward, blocking Xiao Xitian behind him. He glared at the boy and said, "Didn't your parents teach you not to stare at strangers like that?"
The boy raised his hand and pointed at Xiao Xitian behind Xiao Jinheng. "What is your name?"
His pronunciation was still not standard, but everyone could tell he was asking for Xiao Xitian's name...
Xiao Jinheng narrowed his eyes. "Why should she tell you?"
Where did this person come from?
He immediately asked for the little village girl's name. Didn't he know the word "polite"?
The little boy ignored Xiao Jinheng. Instead, he cupped his chin and stared intently at Xiao Xitian...
Just then, Eunuch Zhao ran back. "Oh, you're in luck! There are exactly two steamed buns left in the carriage. They should fill your stomach. Eat them with this pickled radish. Here, take them!~"
The little boy didn't take the steamed buns. Instead, he walked directly towards Xiao Xitian...