Volume 2: Winter’s End
Various cheerful comments flooded the screen, and the popularity of the livestream instantly soared. Personally, Shu Xun received a substantial wave of gifts.
Meanwhile, in the game world, Ye Qian and Shu Xun couldn’t see the live chat. Shu Xun wasn’t even aware of being in the live broadcast. When Shu Xun realized that, due to the urgency, he had jumped too close to Ye Qian’s face after landing in the bowl, he decided to push the person away, using all his strength, and even gave Ye Qian a little pat on the nose with his chubby paw.
Feeling a ticklish sensation on his nose, Ye Qian eventually stepped back, following the will of the small fluff ball.
Temporarily escaping the precarious situation, Shu Xun sighed with relief. However, as he looked at Ye Qian’s cold face and sharp gaze, and recalled the bathwater that was consumed, he couldn’t help but feel conflicted. After humming and hawing for a while, he finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up, “This was my bathwater, what are you gonna do about it?”
Ye Qian, holding the wooden bowl, with a poker face: “…”
The live chat went blank for a moment, then exploded with countless comments rushing in, and the barrage almost filled the entire space.
“Ye Qian drank a bowl of bathwater!!!”
“Memories! I wonder, God Ye, what does bathwater taste like?”
“Danger for the little fluff ball, quick, escape!”
“Haha… bathwater!”
“The way the little fluff ball talks is so peculiar, like some ancient dialect. Are there any ancient language scholars here? Seeking enlightenment!”
“Bathwater… bathwater… bathwater…”
The entire live broadcast was now dominated by the three words, “bathwater.” Ye Qian continued to maintain his poker face (╰_╯).
Silence lingered in the empty wooden house, and the awkwardness escalated in an instant.
In the end, Ye Qian placed the wooden bowl back on the coffee table, then extended his two slender fingers, gripping Shu Xun’s collar and lifting him.
Shu Xun’s little short legs kicked chaotically, but it was clear that it had no effect. Unable to stop Ye Qian’s actions, he was eventually lifted into the air, and he cleverly wrapped his two short arms around his chest, pretending to be calm and indifferent. In reality, his brain uncontrollably recalled various inherited information: the treasure-seeking mouse is the favored creature of the heavens, with a robust aura of fortune. It is a rare spiritual beast that brings opportunities when obtained, enhances fortune when consumed, and can be refined into a spiritual elixir…
Cold sweat instantly climbed up his forehead. Shu Xun discreetly swallowed, pretending not to care, and raised his eyes to look at the man who had just drunk bathwater, hoping to discern some emotion from his face. However, all he saw was the unchanging coldness and a hint of confusion. Confusion? Following Ye Qian’s gaze, Shu Xun turned his head and saw the small backpack on his back. He breathed a sigh of relief, twisted his small body to move the backpack to the front, and then reached in to pull out a chocolate bar, waving it in front of Ye Qian. “I’ve got food here, and it’s really delicious!”
The live chat screen was instantly filled with laughter, with “hahaha” and laughing emojis flooding the comments. Anyone who saw the chocolate bar, as thin as a toothpick and less than a centimeter in size, couldn’t help but find it hilariously amusing. Moreover, the obvious lack of appeal in the mouse’s attempt at temptation added an extra touch of cute stupidity.
Shu Xun believed he was looking at Ye Qian in the most sincere way possible, hoping that Ye Qian would trust that the thing he was waving in his hand indeed tasted delicious.
Amid Shu Xun’s earnest gaze, Ye Qian, with his deadpan expression, extended his hand, palm open, in front of Shu Xun’s chubby paw.
Upon seeing this, Shu Xun promptly placed the chocolate bar in Ye Qian’s palm, then with a hopeful face resembling a steamed bun, he gestured for Ye Qian to give it a try.
Once the chocolate bar left Shu Xun’s chubby paw, it automatically returned to its normal size. Then, under Shu Xun’s watchful eyes, Ye Qian quickly devoured the chocolate bar in three or four bites, so fast that Shu Xun wasn’t even put down during the process. After finishing, Ye Qian continued to maintain his deadpan expression, extending his palm once again in front of Shu Xun.
Observing this, Shu Xun immediately pulled out an unopened can of beverage from his backpack, thinking that at least he would be let down when Ye Qian opened the drink. However, in reality, after tearing open the chocolate packaging with one hand, Shu Xun was fortunate enough to witness Ye Qian open the beverage can with just a single hand.
After a can of beverage, Ye Qian once again extended his palm. Shu Xun stared at the large and slender hand in front of him, silently puffing his cheeks to look like a bun. However, he obediently took out a box of cookies. Instead of retracting his palm, Ye Qian continued to wait. So, Shu Xun placed another box of cookies on Ye Qian’s palm. Ye Qian kept staring, and Shu Xun continued placing more. Each time he put one down, he would lift his little head to gauge Ye Qian’s expression, but each time, he received no reaction.
Until Ye Qian’s palm couldn’t hold anything else, Shu Xun reluctantly hugged a box of his favorite peach-flavored cookies.
The live chat was now filled with comments expressing shock at Ye Qian’s shameless act of robbery. While some viewers had previously suggested robbing the little round creature with a cold heart, witnessing the pitiful sight of the small creature clutching a box of cookies with reluctance caused a sudden shift in sentiment.
“God Ye! You’ll lose fans like this, do you know?”
“Let go of that little creature; I feel like crying!”
“Hey hey hey, Ye Qian successfully robbed and achieved the goal, gaining a pitiful little creature!”
Ye Qian couldn’t see the barrage of comments, but perhaps he suddenly realized the error of his ways. In the face of Shu Xun’s pitiful expression, he retracted his hand, then, amid Shu Xun’s heartbroken look, he tucked the cookies into his pocket.
Shu Xun suddenly noticed that while Ye Qian’s clothes seemed similar to his own, the pockets had a space compression function similar to his small backpack. It seemed like this system storage tool wasn’t limited to just backpacks, or perhaps there was some modification method.
Lost in thought, Shu Xun’s little bare feet unconsciously rubbed against each other. Having jumped into the wooden bowl in a moment of urgency, his knees and below were once again soaked in water. This time, without the temperature control array, the dry cold made Shu Xun’s bare feet turn red.
Suddenly, his body sank, and Shu Xun immediately snapped out of it. He then realized that this time, instead of the cookies, he had taken their place in Ye Qian’s hands. The chilly little feet were stepping on warm palms, and Shu Xun stiffened, wondering if this man named Ye Qian thought the food wasn’t enough and was about to target him. Was it too late to take out the peach-flavored cookies now?
Feeling the slightly cool sensation and the gentle weight on his palm, Ye Qian was extremely satisfied. He raised his hand to put the little round creature into another pocket, but as he did, he felt the weight increase. He saw the little creature holding a box of peach-flavored cookies with an expectant look. Ye Qian paused for a moment, then with an expressionless face, he accepted the cookies. Although his face remained cold, inside, he felt a silent pride: truly, this was the little round creature he had chosen—so generous, even at such a young age, unexpectedly giving a bunch of food.
If Shu Xun knew Ye Qian’s true thoughts at this moment, he would probably be angrily flipping tables. However, as the first person from the future to interact with Shu Xun, and considering he had a severe case of facial paralysis, Shu Xun was still unable to discern any emotion from Ye Qian’s face.
Holding his chubby little paws, Shu Xun watched as Ye Qian stored his favorite peach-flavored cookies in his pocket. Before Shu Xun could react, Ye Qian continued to raise his hand and placed him into the left chest pocket of his jacket.
Struggling to readjust into a comfortable position, Shu Xun finally started to grasp the situation. The pocket didn’t actually have any storage capacity; it was just a simple pocket. Shu Xun was somewhat puzzled, unsure of the current circumstances.
Meanwhile, the live chat was already flooded with congratulations and gifts.
“Is Ye Qian trying to find a teammate? Right? Seeking clarification!”
“Is God Ye preparing to raise a child!!!”
“Suddenly remembered that pile of cookies. Actually, when Ye Qian opened his hand, he wasn’t expecting cookies but the little round creature itself! And the little creature ended up gifting a bunch of cookies. Haha…”
“Requesting the expression of the poor little creature after realizing the truth!!!”
“Poor little creature, encountering God Ye, don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate! But really like this pair!”
“Ye Qian is actually a hidden adorable creature enthusiast!”
“Congratulations to God Ye for finding a teammate little round creature!”
“Congratulations to Ye Qian for adopting a baby!”
…
With both chubby hands gripping the edges of the pocket, the slow-witted Shu Xun finally realized that this man didn’t seem to harbor any hostility towards him. Even after drinking bathwater, there was no furious reaction. Shu Xun looked at the pocket on his right side, as if trying to see through the fabric and catch a glimpse of his long-awaited box of peach-flavored cookies.
But Ye Qian, apparently oblivious to Shu Xun’s signals, contentedly leaned back on the sofa, feeling satisfied with having acquired a generous little round creature as a teammate.
Shu Xun watched as Ye Qian closed his eyes, appearing quite weary. However, those sharp eyebrows gave him a piercing look, making him seem sharp and unyielding even with closed eyes. Shu Xun couldn’t quite figure him out at the moment and didn’t dare to make any rash moves.
Ye Qian seemed to have fallen asleep, allowing Shu Xun to rummage through his pockets. Seeing this, Shu Xun pulled on his own hair, contemplating the possibility of quietly slipping away. He glanced at the door, then back at Ye Qian, who was leaning on the sofa with closed eyes. Shu Xun reached out, using his fingers to poke Ye Qian’s chest through the clothes, but Ye Qian remained completely unresponsive.
Shu Xun took a deep breath, then quietly crawled out, clutching the edge of Ye Qian’s pocket. The plump little figure looked particularly agile, slowly sliding down by clinging onto buttons and clothes. Approaching the sofa, he released his chubby paws and made a gentle leap.
As Shu Xun descended, prepared to meet the sofa’s bounce. Just as he was about to land, a pair of large hands suddenly appeared from below. Shu Xun, who had already lost his momentum, landed with a soft thud in Ye Qian’s hands.
Turning his head, Shu Xun’s gaze immediately collided with emotionless black pupils. After a brief rest, those eagle-like eyes seemed to shine even more brightly, resembling an awakened beast.
Before Shu Xun could ponder the next steps, he felt himself being lifted. The stoic man extended a small finger towards Shu Xun, simultaneously a cold and slightly hoarse voice echoed from above. “Ye Qian, nice to meet you.”
Shu Xun blinked his large eyes, quickly contemplating, then extended his two chubby paws, gripping Ye Qian’s small finger and shaking it up and down in a practiced manner. “Shu Xun, nice to meet you.”
In the live chat:
“Come on, let me shake hands too!”
“Fingers ready for shaking, requesting a handshake!”
“Shake hands, shake hands, shake hands…”
Unbeknownst to them, the atmosphere in Ye Qian’s livestream was gradually deviating, and it seemed to be on an unstoppable runaway train.
