“An An, An An!”

Jiang Wang knelt, embracing An An there on the ground.

He held her small head, rubbing it repeatedly. “You don’t have to be so obedient. I don’t need you to be so obedient.”

His voice was inexplicably hoarse. “You can be willful, you can be naive. You can do whatever you please, but it’s not necessary… to be so sensible.”

He regretted not shielding Jiang An An from his encounter with Zhao Rucheng when he went to seek funds. He had told himself countless times his sister was introverted and sensitive, yet he had still overlooked it.

He truly was as close to Zhao Rucheng as brothers, able to freely share even the most treasured techniques, not to mention mere gold and silver, these external possessions. But he had forgotten that An An did not know this.

An An would only believe she was a burden to her brother. That her brother, in order to provide her with a home, had to resort to asking others for money.

Since his father’s passing, Jiang Wang had shed few tears, yet at this moment, hidden behind Jiang An An’s little head, tears rained down.

“Brother… what’s wrong?” After a while, Jiang An An inquired.

“Ah, no, nothing.” Jiang Wang controlled his emotions, still holding Jiang An An. “Don’t call Zhao Rucheng a ‘pretty boy’ in the future. He won’t be happy.”

“But he’s really fair-skinned.”

“‘Pretty boy’ doesn’t just mean a fair face… Forget it, you can call him whatever you like. You don’t have to worry about whether he’s happy or not.”

“En!”

After confirming that no more tears flowed and that no traces of weeping remained, Jiang Wang gently released Jiang An An from his embrace and looked at her very seriously. “Brother wants to apologize to you. Brother shouldn’t have lost his temper with you. Brother… is being a brother for the first time, and I’m not doing a good job.”

Jiang An An fidgeted with her clothes, a little embarrassed. “I’m also being a sister for the first time, and I’m not doing a good job either. I shouldn’t have cheated, I shouldn’t have made the teacher angry…”

“Is that so?” Jiang Wang used both thumbs to gently wipe Jiang An An’s little face, wiping away her tears. “So you’re being a sister for the first time?”

Jiang An An nodded.

Jiang Wang moved his thumb before Jiang An An and held it up. “Then you truly have talent! I’ve never seen a better sister than you.”

“Hehe…”

An An smiled shyly.

The year was entering winter. Her small face still bore tear tracks, but with that smile, all the spring blossoms burst forth.

***

Everyone in the world has their destiny, and each person’s destiny is different. Half of this is utter nonsense.

Sun Xiaoyan felt truly foolish, utterly and completely so. How could he have believed in that so-called sisterly affection, how could he have trusted the words of that female devil?

“There are so many delicious things outside, things you can’t eat in Sanshan City!”

“I promise I won’t bully him. I’ll definitely set a good example. Please let me lead the team!”

“Treat it as my brother and I traveling together. We’ll be very happy!”

The voice still echoed in his ears, the voice still echoed in his ears!

Sun Xiaoyan, who was thirteen this year, bore a remarkably clear and beautiful name, but he appeared exceptionally… round.

Hoo! Hoo!

He ran forward with difficulty, his entire abdomen burning hot, sweat pouring down like rain. The bright and beautiful clothes on his body were unrecognizable, crumpled and soiled.

He felt he could collapse immediately, his entire being dissolving into a pile of mud, a pig, or whatever could collapse. But he dared not.

He wanted to cry so badly. He should have clung to his mother’s thigh and never let go. How could he have been so utterly blind, trusting the enemy of his life?

He ran and ran.

From a distance, it was almost impossible to see his legs, as if a colorful ball were rolling.

He didn’t want to roll!

Unless he could roll back.

To think of himself, Sun Xiaoyan, the son of the Sanshan City Lord, the only male of the Sun family’s generation, how glorious he was within the Sanshan City region! He could be called “one person below, ten thousand people above!”

Why did he fail to think clearly and venture out alone with that “one person”? Wouldn’t it have been better to remain dominant in Sanshan City? Wouldn’t it have been pleasant to bully other little friends? If the tiger were gone, wouldn’t he be able to declare himself the overlord?

Sun Xiaoyan stopped.

It wasn’t because anger surged in his heart, nor because evil arose from some organ… he lacked the courage for such a thing.

But he truly felt he had reached his limit.

He genuinely didn’t want to run anymore; he was truly incapable of running.

At this moment, he heard that exceptionally familiar voice, approaching him at an astonishing speed.

“Sun! Little! Fat!”

Sun Xiaoyan didn’t even have time to react before a pair of crystal-clear, white and tender, beautiful feet, in a not-so-beautiful manner, imprinted themselves upon his backside.

This time, he truly began to roll.

Sweeping across the official road, rolling without restraint.

When he finally came to a stop, he was already bruised and battered.

He sat there, swaying, feeling as though the entire world was shaking.

The first things to appear in his squinted eyes were a pair of red feet, carved like jade, rising to calves, and then a pair of six-point shorts, very convenient for combat. The owner of the red feet wore a short shirt with a slanted placket, her delicate and lovely small face matching her petite figure.

In contrast, the plump Sun Xiaoyan was almost a giant. Yet, he pursed his lips, as if on the verge of tears. “Sister, I can’t run anymore. I feel like I really can’t do it!”

“Don’t you feel, I feel.” Sun Xiaoman squatted down, smiling at him. “I feel you can do it.”

Sun Xiaoman’s seemingly communicative demeanor gave Sun Xiaoyan courage.

He simply lay down on the ground and groaned, “Ouch, I’m dying, can’t move…”

Looking like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. If you have the ability, just beat me to death.

He was a lump standing and a lump lying down; his figure was undeniably average.

“Is it so difficult to get you to lose weight?” Sun Xiaoman asked.

To make him lose weight, Sun Xiaoman had forced him to run all the way to this point using only his physical strength. Others could use divine travel talismans at will, go if they pleased, rest if they pleased.

Sun Xiaoyan was filled with grief and indignation. “My fat is innate!”

“There are no innately fat people, only lazy fat people!”

It was inexplicably somewhat inspirational…

But Sun Xiaoyan remained unmoved, even closing his not-so-large eyes, looking as if he wasn’t listening, wasn’t listening, I just won’t listen.

“You’re as fat as a ball. When the time comes, wouldn’t it be embarrassing for our Sanshan City?”

“Everyone calls us mountain barbarians. Sanshan City has no face!”

Sun Xiaoman pursed her lips and remained silent.

Sun Xiaoyan’s heart leaped in alarm, and he immediately opened his eyes again, looking at his sister pitifully. “You’re my own sister. How can a sister be so cruel to her younger brother? And I’m still so young, I’m still a child!”

“Furthermore, the saying goes, ‘an elder sister is like a mother,’ and ‘mother’s love and son’s filial piety.’ You treat me well, and I’ll treat you well in the future. Wouldn’t it be delightful for everyone to be happy?”

He rattled off one reason after another, his logic perfectly clear.

“Everyone says when educating children, you have to give a stick and a date, but I only see sticks in you, and I don’t even see a date pit!”

Sun Xiaoyan grew more and more aggrieved as he spoke, and in the end, he wept and sobbed.

“Sigh.” Sun Xiaoman looked at him helplessly, gently patting his chest, looking very gentle. “Sister is being a sister for the first time, and she’s not doing a good job…”

She grabbed Sun Xiaoyan’s collar and lifted him from his prone position. “Get up and hit me!!!”

She slammed a fist, sending Sun Xiaoyan flying, roaring, “Be a man, will you?! Crying and sobbing!”

The other members of Sanshan City accompanying them silently watched this scene, shrinking their necks, none daring to step forward.

Sun Xiaoyan did a somersault in mid-air, landed, and without a word, started running again—though he couldn’t be beaten to death, it *hurt*!

No choice, run.

Ahead… ahead is Fenglin City, right? How much longer… how much longer!

Wuwuwu…