Mo Qing stood at the entrance, a gentle smile playing on her lips as her gaze fell upon Acheron and Song Qianqian. Her tone was soft and filled with concern.
"Be careful when you're out, and remember to have fun."
"Thank you, Auntie. We will."
Acheron nodded lightly. "Mm."
"Qianqian, please take good care of Acheron while you're out."
"Mm, even if you didn't say it, I would have."
"Hehe."
Mo Qing's gaze rested on Song Qianqian, the smile on her lips growing wider—this child was lively and cheerful, and she got along very well with Acheron. Just looking at her made one feel fond.
Now, with Song Qianqian around, there was no need to worry about Acheron going out.
Upon hearing this, Song Qianqian immediately straightened her expression and nodded vigorously, like a little soldier promising to complete a mission.
"Don't worry, Auntie! I'll definitely bring Sister Acheron back safe and sound later, absolutely not letting her suffer the slightest grievance!"
"Look at you, making it sound so serious.
Auntie isn't worried about that. Just focus on having a good time and enjoying yourselves to the fullest."
"Oh!"
A moment later.
Acheron, who had originally been 'grounded' and told not to go out, was successfully rescued by Song Qianqian.
"Sister Acheron, aren't you cold... uh, never mind, forget I said anything."
Song Qianqian looked at Acheron, who was exposing her arms and legs in the middle of winter, and was about to remind her to wear more. But then she thought, Sister Acheron's constitution seemed fundamentally different from that of an ordinary person like herself. This bit of cold probably meant nothing to her.
So she gave up on persuading her and silently followed Acheron's footsteps.
As Song Qianqian was following Acheron, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of a familiar snow-white ball.
"Isn't that Little Yao! Long time no see!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Little Yao's ears perked up instantly. Turning to see Song Qianqian, she immediately let out a series of cheerful "aowu" sounds, her snow-white body shooting toward Song Qianqian's arms like a little cannonball.
Seeing this, Song Qianqian quickly spread her arms, ready to catch her.
But then a dazzling white light flashed.
Little Yao (^O^): "Sister Song!!!"
Song Qianqian (⊙▽⊙): "Little sister Little Yao... huh?!!"
Thump—
Crack—
...
Little Yao's ears drooped, like little leaves hit by frost. Her crimson eyes were misty with tears, looking utterly pitiful.
Her two slender fingers nervously poked at each other, her gaze avoiding Song Qianqian's eyes. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, full of apology.
"S-sorry, Sister Song. It's all my fault for getting too excited."
Hiss—
Song Qianqian quickly forced a big smile and waved at Little Yao.
"I-it's okay, Little Yao. I'm fine, don't worry about it... ouch ouch ouch, Sister Acheron, be gentler!"
Yes, the problem wasn't really that big—just a dislocated arm.
Little Yao was a Golden Core Stage demon beast, and also a Little Loli with monstrous strength.
Even an unconscious hug was something a mere mortal ant like Song Qianqian couldn't possibly catch.
If Acheron hadn't reacted in time, Song Qianqian would probably have been solo-killed by this white-haired, red-eyed, beast-eared Little Loli.
Just as Song Qianqian was doing her best to comfort Little Yao.
Acheron said expressionlessly, "Bear with it a moment."
"What?"
The next second.
Crack—
Song Qianqian (ﾉ ○ Д ○): "Yaaah!!!"
After a while.
A trace of imperceptible helplessness appeared on Acheron's cool face as she instructed Song Qianqian.
"There, as long as you don't push yourself too much recently, it won't have any effect."
"Huh... really! It doesn't hurt at all anymore. Sister Acheron, you're amazing, you even know how to do this!"
Song Qianqian carefully moved her arm, from lifting to rotating—every motion was smooth and effortless. The spot where she had been hit earlier showed no aftereffects at all.
"Just a little trick from traveling, not worth mentioning."
In the time that followed.
What was originally a party of two, with Little Yao joining, naturally became two adults and one child.
"Sister Song, won't people notice Little Yao like this?"
During this time, Little Yao had gradually learned about the common sense of this world.
She understood why Sister Acheron had her hide her identity.
Now, holding Song Qianqian's hand and walking on the street, Little Yao felt like she had a little rabbit in her heart, thumping wildly.
Her little claws nervously gripped Song Qianqian's fingers, her ears drooping. Her eyes kept darting glances at the passersby around her, not even daring to wag her Tail like she usually did.
Song Qianqian looked down at the little one's nervous appearance and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth, gently shaking the hand she was holding.
"Don't be afraid. The streets are lively lately anyway, and with Sister Acheron here, you won't be easily discovered."
"B-but... why does Little Yao feel like so many eyes are on her..."
"It's perfectly normal for someone as cute as Little Yao to attract attention. Don't worry, Sister Acheron and I are here."
Little Yao looked up, her pair of big crimson eyes like cherries soaked in water, staring unblinkingly at Acheron. The corners of her eyes still held a trace of lingering timidity.
Acheron lowered her gaze to look at her, a faint smile slowly spreading across her cool features.
"Just enjoy yourself. I'm here."
"Mm."
And so, for the first time, Little Yao stepped into the human world without any reservations, in human form.
Although she had already seen countless introductions about the human world online, when the real world unfolded before her eyes, those screen-mediated understandings ultimately couldn't compare to the vividness of firsthand experience.
Her eyes sparkled, as if holding two little suns, filled with curiosity about everything before her: the scent of sugar-roasted chestnuts wafting from the alley made her nose twitch slightly; the crisp sound of the diabolo spinning in the hands of a street performer; even the plush toys displayed in the shop windows made her stop to look, her eyes brimming with delight.
Watching the little girl ahead who was looking around curiously at everything, neither Acheron nor Song Qianqian urged her on. They just followed behind her at a leisurely pace.
This trio of two adults and one child was particularly eye-catching, even on a bustling day, becoming a unique sight on the street.
Warm moments always slipped away quietly like this.
The sky, which had just been bright like a sapphire, was now gently shrouded by a veil of thin clouds at some unknown time. The wind carried a hint of moisture.
At first, it was just a faint chill. Only when a subtle coolness touched her cheek did she realize that fine raindrops were already silently drifting down with the wind.
"Sister Acheron, is something on your mind?"
Song Qianqian suddenly turned to Acheron beside her and asked.
Acheron slowly turned her head, her purple eyes showing no ripples.
"Why do you ask?"
Hearing this, Song Qianqian's expression slowly grew complicated.
Having spent time together until now, she considered herself quite familiar with Sister Acheron. She knew that beneath her cool exterior lay a soft heart, and that she wasn't good at expressing herself but showed care through actions.
Along the way, Acheron would sometimes show a faint smile, then return to her usual expressionless state.
But Song Qianqian always felt something was off. She could sense that Sister Acheron had something on her mind, just hadn't said it.
Feeling the worried gaze resting on her, Acheron shook her head lightly.
She was indeed pondering some things, but she didn't plan to tell this girl about them.
Acheron blinked her beautiful eyes, her thin lips parting slightly.
"Once the outing is over, go home as soon as possible and just have a good, steady sleep."
Hearing the cool yet soothing words, Song Qianqian fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head and revealed a smile brighter than the lanterns on the street.
"Mm, I understand, Sister Acheron. Thank you for your concern!"
Acheron looked at her smiling face and nodded slightly.
"Wishing you a beautiful dream."