The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife(341-345) (Patreon)

Chapter 341: Can't Warm Up


After dinner.


Bai Lu quickly finished washing the dishes, and Xiao Wei knew that his elder brother and sister-in-law had things to do, so he volunteered to help wash the dishes.


As Bai Lu hurriedly opened Xiao Cheng's room door with a small medicine box she found under the TV cabinet...


She was caught off guard by a visual feast.


Her hand holding the door handle froze, her steps to enter the room halted, only her eyes showed a flicker of movement.


A black shirt flew in a parabolic trajectory through the air, landing casually on the chair by the bed, lazily draped over the back of the chair, revealing the man's broad and solid back.


The old scars hidden in the shadows had long cooled down, the distinct lines of his back extending from the neck down, as he bent slightly to pick up a clean shirt from the bedside, exposing the scar at the base of his spine inevitably.


A glass sliver, the size of a fifth of a fingernail, embedded in the flesh at the junction of his waist and coccyx.


The blood, blocked by the glass sliver, had nowhere to go, forming a ring of red bloodshot around it, a purplish bruise.


If he hadn't bent over, it wouldn't have been visible at all, after all, when he stood upright, the wound was blocked by his waistband.


Xiao Cheng was changing clothes!


As Bai Lu's first perception formed in her mind, her second cognition followed closely behind—


Xiao Cheng still had a wound on his back!


As Bai Lu came back to her senses and lifted her foot to step forward, she was pulled in by a force and the door closed behind her.


Pressed against the wall.


The faint smell of blood mixed with the refreshing scent enveloped her surroundings, instantly silencing the words she was about to utter unconsciously, forcefully seizing her breath.


Caught off guard by Xiao Cheng's sudden and unexpected kiss, Bai Lu's mind went blank.


He was in front of her, the wall behind her.


His powerful arms imprisoned her in this small space, with no retreat and nowhere to hide.


Different from the past gentle and tender kisses, the kiss between their lips and teeth was fierce and aggressive.


Highly invasive, overwhelming, sweeping through all corners as if to determine something.


"W-wait..."


"The wound hasn't been treated yet!"


Bai Lu couldn't speak, one hand holding the small medicine box, the other pushing him away.


But her palm touched a cold surface.


His chest, as if soaked in ice water, cut through by the cold wind, had no trace of a normal person's warmth.


Bai Lu was stunned, her attempt to push him away halted abruptly, her palm pressed against his chest.


She didn't know how long it had been.


A gentle breeze blew in through the window crack, carrying a hint of faint blood scent, ringing alarm bells.


Bai Lu pushed hard.


Whether it was because she suddenly gained superhuman strength or because Xiao Cheng relaxed his grip in his drunken state, the door opened with a push.


But the confined space didn't loosen.


Xiao Cheng's suddenly opened eyes were crimson and fierce, like an angered beast, making Bai Lu feel a little uneasy.


"T-that..."


"The wound hasn't been treated yet..."


Bai Lu couldn't open her mouth, her hand holding the small medicine box accidentally poked him, and seeing his expression, she remained expressionless.


As if the pain wasn't from his hand.


"You didn't... get into a fight with Jiang Zhengang, did you?" Bai Lu felt it was unlikely.


Even if they couldn't make a deal, there would be other opportunities for cooperation in the future. Xiao Cheng wouldn't act so irrationally.


At least... not without being drunk.


She asked just to get the truth.


"No." Xiao Cheng denied it as expected.


But the next sentence revealed the truth: "Taught a cockroach a lesson."


Bai Lu was stunned for a moment, then realized what Xiao Cheng meant by "cockroach".


Cockroach = a despicable person.


Thanks to having seen his memories, she knew how disdainful he looked at the troublemakers who came looking for trouble, as if looking down from high above, like an indifferent god, disdainful of life.


Cockroach = correct analogy.


Bai Lu couldn't help but smile wryly: "So how did you injure your own hand? What kind of cockroach has bones so hard that it even got glass shards stuck in them?"


Xiao Cheng's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness: "An ignorant cockroach."


His gaze met the girl's pure and clear eyes, and he quickly regained his composure: "The cockroach hid in the glass cabinet."


Bai Lu stared at him: "So, you smashed the glass cabinet with your fist?"


Xiao Cheng pursed his lips in silence.


Bai Lu didn't know what to say to him: "Doesn't the glass cabinet have a door?"


Xiao Cheng said, "The cockroach locked itself inside."


Bai Lu: "..."


"Next time, you could use a hammer."


Bai Lu realized that being with Xiao Cheng for a long time had made her a bit cruel, not trying to calm him down, but rather suggesting he use a more suitable tool.


Although it was for the sake of his hand not getting hurt, but...


He actually said, "A steel pipe won't break it."


"The cockroach is provoking."


Bai Lu retracted her definition of cruelty: "Take care of your hands."














Chapter 342: Unbuttoning





Before returning home, Xiao Cheng had washed his hands multiple times.


As he wiped away the dried blood stains at the door, fresh blood suddenly seeped out again, and he heard that Bai Lu was coming out to find him.


Without much thought, he hurried inside.


Upon being discovered, he had expected her to be angry or disappointed, but he never thought she would be nervous and caring.


Bai Lu didn't hear Xiao Cheng's response. Worried that he might be overthinking things again, she reminded him, "Don't fight again in the future."


Xiao Cheng's heart sank, descending from a half-forgotten place to the depths of despair.


"I will worry," she spoke again.


With just one sentence, Xiao Cheng's heart settled. He looked at her steadily, "What did you say?"


After Bai Lu treated Xiao Cheng's hand injury and bandaged it, she let go of his hand.


She earnestly replied, "I said, if your hand is injured, I will worry."


She said she would worry, but her hands were unbuttoning his shirt.


Xiao Cheng watched as the first button was undone, her delicate hand reaching for the second, before he snapped out of his daze and grasped it.


"What are you doing?" he asked.


Bai Lu blinked and smiled, retracting her hand, continuing to unbutton his shirt, "Guess."


Because of the height difference, she had to bend over.


Her hand reached out to undo his buttons.


The strand of hair that had been tucked behind her ear fell again, brushing across Xiao Cheng's face.


Xiao Cheng's eyes darkened, and he pulled her into his arms, his large hand resting on her waist.


Even though nothing happened, and they were still separated by clothes, Bai Lu couldn't help blushing like a shrimp.


Sitting so close to Xiao Cheng, this was the second time, no, the second time... no, it was the first time... Or was it the second?


And that first time, Xiao Cheng had drunk a whole pot of tonic soup, naked.


Remembering that indescribable scene, Bai Lu's face flushed, her heart pounding like a drum.


Her hand trembled uncontrollably.


Seeing the familiar handsome face so close in front of her, with that unmistakable dangerous look in his eyes, Bai Lu's heart raced in panic.


She withdrew her hand in a fluster, trying to explain incoherently, "I saw you changing clothes just now... No, no, I saw the wound on your back."


"There's a piece of glass... I need to remove it. Otherwise, if it stays in the wound for too long, it will worsen..."


"I have something to discuss with you..." Bai Lu attempted to explain further, but Xiao Cheng suddenly sealed her lips, his voice cold and indifferent, "I don't want to hear it."


And he wouldn't let her go.


When Bai Lu was released, her head was spinning, and she wanted to try to explain again.


"I just wanted..." she began, but her lips were sealed once more.


This time it lasted longer than before.


Xiao Cheng seemed tireless, each time she tried to speak, he took away all her words.


Swallowing all her sounds.


In the end, Bai Lu couldn't remember what she wanted to say anymore, her head feeling fuzzy.


She lay in Xiao Cheng's arms, gasping for breath...


It took a long time for her to recover, and she decided, firmly, not to waste any more effort explaining.


Whatever it was, she would discuss it after treating the wound.


Fortunately, the big boss, seeing that she had stopped talking, finally mercifully let her go.


But... this 'letting go' made Bai Lu feel helpless.


Xiao Cheng put her back on the table again.


Then he stood up, turned around, and revealed everything she wanted to see and didn't want to see.


She didn't know when his clothes had been removed, or by whom.


Bai Lu felt it wasn't her.


She definitely wouldn't do something so outrageous.


Xiao Cheng felt the soft little hand exploring his back, not moving, allowing her to examine him.


After Bai Lu finished inspecting the big boss's entire back, her gaze fell to the small wound near his coccyx. She picked up the tweezers.


She was a bit short, so she had to bend over.


And she had to bend very low.


"Ah Cheng, why don't you stand on the chair? The table is too high, and I can't reach it by bending over," Bai Lu suggested.


Xiao Cheng didn't agree with Bai Lu's suggestion.


Instead, he picked her up and placed her back on the chair.


Bai Lu: "..."


So, why did he just carry her up to the table earlier?


Forget it, that's not the point.


The point is to treat the wound.


Under the illumination of the lamp and the moonlight, Bai Lu found the glittering piece of glass, and her tweezers reached for it.


As she touched the spot above his tailbone...


His body suddenly tensed.


Thinking she had hurt him, Bai Lu quickly comforted him softly, "It'll be over soon. Because it's deep, I have to reach in a bit with the tweezers."


"The wound isn't very big, and there aren't as many glass shards as on your hand. It'll be over soon..."


Xiao Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, suppressing the restless crimson in his eyes, but his voice uncontrollably low and hoarse.


"It's okay..."














Chapter 343: Our Future


The wound behind her only had three glass shards, probably from accidentally splashing.


Maybe it was the angle, the right angle splashed a bit deeper, which took Bai Lu some time to pick out.


After cleaning it with disinfectant, when applying the medicine, she unexpectedly found that the icy-cold skin was warming up.


The robust muscles were still tense, and it seemed like they were getting tighter.


What was going on? Just now it was cold without any temperature, but after picking out the glass shards, it suddenly had a temperature. When picking the wound on her hand, there wasn't this strange reaction either...


Curiously, Bai Lu pressed around the wound, and her fingertips suddenly felt the burning body temperature.


In the silence, a low groan from the man echoed.


As if enduring some pain.


Bai Lu immediately let go.


Awkwardly, she explained, "I was just worried if applying this medicine would cause any adverse reactions... I pressed a bit too hard, sorry for hurting you..."


"It's okay," he rasped.


Feeling remorseful for causing pain by pressing on his wound, Bai Lu quickly redeemed herself by grabbing the shirt scattered on the back of the chair.


She put it on Xiao Cheng from behind.


Turning around to button his shirt for him, she was instantly dumbfounded, her hand freezing in mid-air.


Xiao Cheng's cold and deep eyes had changed a bit, like two glaring red lanterns.


He stared at her without blinking.


Within them, there was a strong emotion woven by red threads, surging and burning like flames in the depths of his eyes.


The burning emotion boiled at a high temperature, scorching the soul.


It felt... desirous...


Bai Lu thought she knew what Xiao Cheng had just reacted to.


Before he could make any move, she quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "I need to talk to you about something."


Xiao Cheng's eyes cooled, instinctively lifting his hand.


"I went to study at a university in Guangzhou not because of Lin Jinfan, but to learn more advanced internet technology, for our better future!" Bai Lu rushed to explain, even though the cicadas were chirping outside, her voice was the clearest,


Every word was firm and clear, piercing Xiao Cheng's eardrums, crystal clear.


After a moment of silence.


Xiao Cheng slowly let go of Bai Lu's hand and encircled her waist, sitting back in the chair by the window, his gaze semi-believing, with a hint of expectation.


With the experiences of the previous two times, Bai Lu felt natural sitting on his lap for the third time.


Her face wasn't blushing, but her heart was racing, still catching her breath.


"Um... Acheng, I really need to talk to you about something. If you want to hear it, just nod, and I'll let go of your hand. If you don't want to hear it, you don't have to nod, and I'll continue covering your mouth."


Xiao Cheng: "..."


He nodded.


Bai Lu slowly let go of his hand.


Xiao Cheng just pursed his lips, not saying anything, nor making any other movements.


Bai Lu didn't want her thoughts to be interrupted by the feast of beauty, so she decisively buttoned up his open shirt and sorted out her thoughts while doing so. She repeated to Xiao Cheng what she had said to the child last night.


After explaining, she continued, "Computers will soon dominate the era, not just TVs for purchasing goods. With the advent of the internet era, online shopping will become mainstream. Individual businesses will gradually decline...


"We need to create our own business world before the economic revolution comes. We should develop both online and offline, using the funds earned from offline businesses to build a more advanced and solid online shopping platform...


"When the economic revolution comes, even if offline businesses decline, our online shopping world will have already formed, not only immune to any economic turbulence but also seizing the opportunity to rise earlier than our competitors and gain profits ahead of the big e-commerce era."


During the time Xiao Cheng was away in another province, he had already discussed future plans with Bai Lu over the phone every night.


Fruit trading was just the beginning; establishing factories and companies was the focus.


Therefore, everything Bai Lu said about the future, Xiao Cheng could understand and comprehend.


Bai Lu came from the future, experienced the era's changes, and had never made any mistakes in her career direction.


Xiao Cheng believed every word she said.


The only uncertainty was the thing weighing on his mind: "Are you really doing this for..."


When Bai Lu heard Xiao Cheng's hesitant words, she knew what he wanted to say. The big boss wasn't a simple-minded child; he could say anything without reservation.


Many things, however, he couldn't express.


Gentleness and thoughtfulness were part of daily life, jealousy was deeply hidden, quietly concealing it from her.


But it was okay; she understood. "Yes, of course, it's for our better future. My choice to study at a university in Guangzhou has nothing to do with anyone else, only with Acheng.


"It's only related to our future. We will continue to work together in business, make big deals together, and build a better and happier home together..."


Before she finished speaking, she was tightly embraced.


Listening to Xiao Cheng's clear and powerful heartbeat, in the intimate distance, urgent sounds rang out.


Even through the shirt, the body temperature of his cold skin gradually warmed against hers.


She smirked slightly, taking the opportunity to touch his head and run her fingers through his soft hair.


Xiao Cheng remained still, burying his face in Bai Lu's neck, holding her tightly, almost using all his strength.


"Lu... Lu..."


As warm breath brushed over Bai Lu's neck, she felt a little ticklish but didn't move away. "I'm here."


"In the future, let's talk about anything, okay? Don't keep it in your heart. If you do, misunderstandings are likely to happen." She coaxed softly.


Soothing the long-standing restlessness and anxiety in his heart.


Xiao Cheng said, "Okay."


After calming down, the genuine joy of returning home emerged in his heart, a sense of belonging settling in.


Then he remembered something he had forgotten to give her.


It was in the wardrobe.


Bai Lu accompanied him to the wardrobe and came back with a beautifully wrapped gift box.


"Is this a gift for me?"


"Mm."


Bai Lu wasn't too surprised. In the past, Xiao Cheng had given gifts like clothes, dumplings, supplements, etc., all of which were practical for daily life and consistent with his past life of never giving gifts to anyone.


But now, there was only a small exquisite sea-blue gift box, too small for clothes, shoes, or large supplements.


It couldn't hold the slow pace of life with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.


It lacked the usual earthly atmosphere but added a touch of delightful thoughtfulness.


Having received the first gift to nourish her body, Bai Lu couldn't help but think—is it a miraculous medicine?


Or a necklace?


A bracelet?


Earrings?


Whether in real life or on TV, people often gave such types of gifts; nothing out of the ordinary.


It was normal for Xiao Cheng


 to give them, so Bai Lu was full of anticipation, sitting on his lap and opening the gift.


Her fingertips lightly and forcefully lifted the lid of the box.


Full of joy and excitement, she froze as she caught sight of the item inside, her breath hitching.


Her heart skipped a beat, and her hand stiffened.


The gift box fell vertically.


"Bang..."











Chapter 344: Pearl Hairpin


The morning nightmare still lingered, a paleness washed over Bai Lu's face, instantly driving away the rosy hue.


Her palms were also icy cold.


Bai Lu's abnormal reaction caught Xiao Cheng off guard. He didn't have time to think much before he immediately placed the gift box on the table, embracing Bai Lu tightly and patting her back to comfort her.


"It's okay."


"Don't be afraid, Lu... You're safe with me... Don't be afraid..."


Bai Lu's eyes were dazed, her face as pale as paper, her expression still, her body stiff, her breath faint.


She was still in shock from her initial reaction upon seeing the gift, as if she had been frightened into a trance.


No reaction at all.


Embraced by Xiao Cheng, the familiar crisp scent filled her nostrils, forcefully replacing her breath with new ones, gradually merging with the faint weak breaths. Bai Lu plunged into the whirlpool of memories in her mind, only returning to the real world gradually.


Her stiff hands regained sensation.


The first thing she did was to bury them in Xiao Cheng's broad and solid chest, letting the reassuring breath envelop her layer by layer.


From top to bottom, inside and out, her body gradually relaxed and returned to normal.


Xiao Cheng continued to pat her back gently, his strength light and slow, his soft coaxing voice reduced to the lowest level.


"Don't be afraid, Lu..."


"It's okay..."


As Bai Lu calmed down, she raised her head in Xiao Cheng's arms, staring directly at him.


"The gift, did you buy it?"


Xiao Cheng lowered his eyes slightly, looking at her face, which had lost its fear but still appeared somewhat pale. After meeting her clear eyes for a moment, he raised his gaze slightly.


Glancing at the open gift box on the table.


A pearl hairpin had fallen out.


Under the moonlight, the seven crystal-clear white pearls were round and flawless, exuding a perfect luster.


Silently attracting all the attention around.


It was exactly the same as the first time Xiao Cheng saw fishermen open a giant clam in the coastal city of Guangdong Province.


His attention was instantly captured.


At that moment, his first instinct was that Bai Lu would like it.


Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind, urging him to buy it, to buy seven pearls for Bai Lu.


It was a very strong, undeniable thought that rooted itself in Xiao Cheng's mind, reminding him like the tolling of a bell.


He must buy the seven pearls in order to move on.


Without buying them, even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't take a step forward, as if his feet were glued to the ground and couldn't move.


Later on... "I bought them."


Bai Lu asked again, "Did you buy them while you were doing business in Guangdong Province, or did you buy them after you came back? And from whom did you buy them?"


Her tone was slightly urgent, her gaze also eager.


Xiao Cheng explained, "The day before the Qixi Festival, I went to a coastal city to scout, and I bought the pearls from a fisherman."


Bai Lu's breath tightened.


Just as her heartbeat, which had just returned to normal, sped up again. "On the hairpin, those seven pearls, were they all from the same pearl clam?"


Xiao Cheng nodded lightly. "I watched the process of opening the clam."


Bai Lu couldn't help but clench her fingers.


The silence around them was so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat: "Are those seven white pearls each naturally round in shape, or were they polished into perfect circles on the hairpin?"


Under normal circumstances, the pearls produced by pearl clams have various shapes.


Oval, irregular round, teardrop-shaped, pear-shaped, flat pearls, button pearls, nearly round pearls, etc.


It's almost impossible for pearls to be perfectly round when they are opened; the perfectly round pearls on the market are usually polished afterwards.


Not to mention, if all seven pearls from the same clam were perfectly round in shape.


This is extremely rare, with a one in a billion chance. Even Xiao Cheng, who had never seen it before, had never seen or heard of it in decades of opening pearl clams.


But accidents always come unexpectedly.


There was no chance for anyone to prepare mentally.


The miracle of one in a billion happened unexpectedly, as it appeared before Xiao Cheng's eyes without any warning, in front of Bai Lu.


The fact presented before him was undeniable; nothing was more real than witnessing it with his own eyes.


Xiao Cheng didn't know if Bai Lu had ever seen a miracle of one in a billion, but seeing her eyes filled not only with urgency but also with a faint sense of anticipation, he felt a bit surprised and replied at the same time.


"Seven perfectly round pearls from the same clam."


Bai Lu's hurried heartbeat stopped for a moment, and she slowly turned her head to look at the hairpin on the table.


Then she turned back, looking at Xiao Cheng with a determined gaze.


In disbelief, she asked, "Did you personally see the fishermen open the clam and buy seven perfectly round pearls? But this gift... is a hairpin. Did you later have someone craft it into a hairpin and set all seven pearls on it?"


Xiao Cheng looked at Bai Lu's bright and clear eyes, confirming that there was no longer any fear or terror in them before he slowly spoke up.


"Yeah."


His large hand, which had never left her back, was gently patting again, but this time it was suddenly pulled back in front of him.


Bai Lu's two small hands wrapped around his large hand, asking him, "Why did you want to make it into a hairpin?"


"Why not a necklace? Pendant, bracelet? Or other accessories? Isn't the gift that the male protagonist gives to the female protagonist on TV always a necklace? We've seen it together on TV before."


There was a TV at home, and Bai Lu and Xiao Wei only liked to watch martial arts dramas and, occasionally, the nightly news broadcast.


Xiao Cheng wasn't interested in TV and never touched the remote. He watched whatever Bai Lu watched.


The only two times they watched reality shows were on the movie channel, once for "Jeepers Creepers" and the other time during a commercial break in a martial arts drama. The romantic drama was almost over, and the male protagonist gave the female protagonist a necklace.


They confessed their love and the show ended.


Xiao Cheng remembered that scene because Bai Lu had said, "A necklace with little stars."


There was a hint of amazement in her expression, as if she liked it.


But when he received the pearls, what appeared in his mind wasn't a necklace, but a hairpin he had never seen before.


And the undeniable thought came up again, reminding him repeatedly that he must make the pearls into a hairpin.


Bai Lu liked hairpins.


Bai Lu didn't like necklaces.


Bai Lu had always liked white pearl hairpins, with seven perfectly round pearls.


The reminder echoed in his mind like a bell tolling, but Xiao Cheng didn't believe it and asked someone to make a necklace.


As a result, the machine broke.


Making a bracelet also caused the machine to malfunction.


Making earrings, the machine broke as well.


In the end, according to the instructions in his mind, he had to make a hairpin with seven pearls.


Whether it was a one in a billion chance or a miracle, the machine didn't break.


The hairpin with seven pearls was completed in less than seven minutes, finely crafted, with a unique and beautiful shape, showing exquisite craftsmanship.


There's only one like it in the world.


Even the jeweler himself couldn't believe it came from his hands, exaggerating his own skills to the point of being a genius.


He even said that this hairpin with seven pearls, if given to a girl, would capture her heart two hundred percent.


Xiao Cheng also thought that Bai Lu would like it.


But unexpectedly, her first reaction...


"Why don't you hurry up and tell me, Acheng, why did you turn the pearls into a hairpin instead of something else?" Bai Lu was very anxious, shaking Xiao Cheng's arm impatiently.


Xiao Cheng glanced at the hairpin with seven pearls on the table, but there was no thought in his mind, as if everything before was an illusion, and turning it into a hairpin was just his own idea.


"Because..."


Xiao Cheng looked at Bai Lu's bright and clear eyes, confirming that there was no longer any fear or terror in them, before he slowly spoke up.


"Because a hairpin with seven pearls suits you."
















Chapter 345: No Dream


Bai Lu felt a bit incredulous.


Turning back, she picked up the pearl hairpin that burned her hand and spread it out in front of Xiao Cheng. "Do you think this hairpin looks good?"


Xiao Cheng didn't see any disdain in Bai Lu's eyes. He lowered his gaze and glanced at the pearl hairpin, nodding lightly.


"It suits you."


Bai Lu realized that she couldn't get the answer she wanted with this question, so she decisively changed her question. "Was the pearl hairpin made into this shape by the jeweler's improvisation, or was it your idea?"


The seven-pearl hairpin in front of her was not a typical straight shape but rather crescent-shaped.


Like the crescent moon on the first day of the lunar month, with seven white pearls adorned along the arc of the crescent.


When held up against the night sky, half of the sky was covered, and the darkness was illuminated by the seven pearls.


Xiao Cheng, from the girl's raised crescent, saw the moon that appeared in his eyes on the day before the Qixi Festival... the sun... the confluence of the sun and the moon.


Xiao Cheng clearly remembered that at that time, there was no irresistible urge in his mind.


But when the jeweler asked him what shape he wanted, he blurted out... crescent moon.


The jeweler seemed to understand instantly and didn't ask any more questions. He simply made the "crescent moon" pearl hairpin.


It was exactly as he had imagined.


So, the crescent moon seven-pearl hairpin before him.


"It was my idea."


As soon as Xiao Cheng finished speaking, Bai Lu heard the sound of her own heart racing again.


She once again held up the hairpin to him. "Did you feel like something was missing from this hairpin?"


With only half a moon, Xiao Cheng saw Bai Lu's clear and bright eyes from the hollow space. Involuntarily, he blurted out, "Perhaps something could be added to the center."


Bai Lu tentatively asked, "White pearls?"


Xiao Cheng subconsciously shook his head.


Bai Lu took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the hairpin, and slowly said, "White... jade... pearls?"


Suddenly, the image of the large house flashed in Xiao Cheng's mind, by the side of the secondary building's hot spring pool, where a circle of perfectly round white jade beads was made of top-quality sheep fat white jade.


If one were taken down and set into the hollow space of the crescent moon hairpin, it seemed very fitting.


"Appropriate."


Excitedly, Bai Lu grabbed Xiao Cheng's collar, "Have you had any dreams recently?"


Xiao Cheng met her sparkling eyes with a clear response, "Yes."


Bai Lu asked again, "What did you dream about?"


Xiao Cheng: "You."


Bai Lu was momentarily stunned, pinching his face, "Be serious, I'm being serious with you."


Xiao Cheng was accustomed to her daring behavior, ignoring the little claws on his face, and not telling lies.


"Really."... I dreamed that you left.


Bai Lu suddenly felt trapped, meeting his intense gaze filled with possessiveness, and promptly released his face, covering his mouth.


"Alright, alright, I believe you. I still have other questions to ask. If what you want to say isn't particularly important, please wait your turn. If it's very important... you still can't cut in line."


Xiao Cheng: "..."


There was never a choice.


Who gave her the courage?


"Acheng."


Ignoring Xiao Cheng's murderous gaze, Bai Lu without hesitation brought the pearl hairpin to his eyes. "Have you ever dreamed of this hairpin?"


"Or this kind..." Bai Lu paused, "of pearl hairpin with the theme of 'seven stars accompanying the moon'?"


Xiao Cheng didn't notice anything unusual in Bai Lu's words. He even thought that "seven stars accompanying the moon" was more suitable for defining the seven-pearl hairpin, after all, it was missing a white jade pearl.


But the pearl hairpin before him, from the moment he encountered the seven pearls in the same clam to buying it and having it made into a hairpin, each time a strong thought appeared in his mind, it had nothing to do with dreams.


All he could say was, "No."


"Not even once?" Bai Lu's tone was slightly urgent.


Xiao Cheng didn't want to lie to her. "No."


"No pearl hairpin with the theme of 'seven stars accompanying the moon,' just a pearl-made hairpin? Even a crescent moon hairpin made from a single pearl?"


"No."


"Not even a crescent moon hairpin made from pearls?"


"No."


The brightness in Bai Lu's eyes dimmed instantly. "Have you never dreamed of any hairpins at all?"


Xiao Cheng sensed a hint of disappointment in her tone, feeling sorry, but he also didn't want to deceive her.


He truthfully replied, "I've never dreamed of any hairpins."


Bai Lu deflated, burying herself in Xiao Cheng's embrace, with only half of her eyes still shining. She carefully examined the seven-pearl hairpin in her hand, missing one white jade pearl.


Xiao Cheng saw the girl in his arms staring at the hairpin in a daze, her complexion normal and healthy, showing no signs of abnormality, her breathing steady and even, so he didn't disturb her, quietly changing his posture to make her more comfortable.


The seven-pearl hairpin in Bai Lu's eyes gradually overlapped with the memory of the seven-star accompanying moon hairpin from her previous life.


When she was twelve, in the warm spring, she was giving a bath to a little white rabbit, which suddenly kicked its legs and ran away.


She chased it into her parents' room, where the wet little white rabbit was hopping around, knocking over the metal box on the dressing table.


Seven crystal-clear white pearls rolled out.


As she pinched the long ears of the little white rabbit to prevent it from causing any more trouble, she picked up the scattered white pearls.


Coincidentally, her mother came home from shopping and heard the commotion, entering the room. The two of them, along with the rabbit, awkwardly looked at each other.


"Mom's pearls are so beautiful... so pretty... I wonder where you bought them..." She went all out to protect the rabbit from being confined.


Fortunately, her mother didn't get angry and even fell into sweet memories upon hearing her words.


While squatting down to pick up pearls with her, she mysteriously and sweetly said, "Are they beautiful? Pretty? These are the token of affection your dad gave me."


"Wow~ Dad is so serious, yet he has such a romantic side..."


"He learned it from TV, but... I also think it's very romantic~" Her mother smiled, her eyes curved.


"The first time your dad and I went on a date, we went to the beach to stroll along the shore. When we came back, we happened to see fishermen opening pearl clams. Guess how many pearls they opened?"


"Seven?"


"Wow! LuLu is so smart. Not only did the pearl clam open seven natural pearls, but each one was the same size, pure white, round and flawless, without any blemishes. The fishermen said it was a rare miracle in the world, and your dad and I saw it for the first time too, and then your dad bought this miracle and gave it to me..."


"Wow~ Dad is so romantic!"


"Very romantic~ That's how the token of affection was born. But, because it's a rare miracle, I also thought about what to do with the pearls. I kept them in a box all this time. Now that I think about it, it seems a bit wasteful..."


"Tomorrow is LuLu's birthday. Your dad and I will take the pearls to the jeweler and have them made into a hairpin as a birthday gift for LuLu, okay?"


"Well... this doesn't seem quite right... this is the token of affection between you and dad..."


"LuLu, do you like it or not?"


"I do like it... but..."


"Then let's happily decide on this!"