********


    While Cheng Nuo was standing there, stunned by this unexpected event, Bai Rui pushed the door open and strode out.


    From the other room, Liu Guang heard what Cheng Nuo had said. He hurriedly ran out and red at Cheng Nuo. "Why are you so good to him? Why do you want him to stay for dinner? He''s not that special anyway!"


    Cheng Nuo flicked him on the forehead and smiled: "He''s still hurt. He''s helped us so don''t be too stingy. I think the two of you can be friends."


    Liu Guang''s lips thinned and he said angrily: "When have I ever been stingy? Who is going to be friends with that Bai person? Don''t you have eyes?! And what about you? Who told you that you could enter that time? You''re not allowed to look at other people''s bodies!"


    The corner of Cheng Nuo''s eyes twitched. He definitely wouldn''t look at those "two birds" next time. Who would be able to bear that sort of stimtion?


    Cheng Nuo''s hands were injured so the food was cooked by two people. Liu Guang couldn''t cook but he was very good at cutting vegetables and noodles. First, they steamed snow-white buns then they fried six dishes. Lastly, they used the meat of the wild animals that Liu Guang had just brought back from his hunt to cook a big pot of stew. Both of them ate until their bellies bulged.


    There were some steamed buns left over. Cheng Nuo added those to some dishes that he had set aside in advance and asked Liu Guang to send them to Bai Rui. Without turning a hair, Liu Guang promised to do it but he secretly turned around and gave them to Cao Tou.


    That evening, Cheng Nuo was still very worried about the Ice Snake. He dreamed that it was chasing him, trying to bite him. There was also a dream where it sought Bai Rui to get its revenge on him. He broke into a cold sweat in his sleep.


    He woke up with a start, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then saw the messy red hair lying on his chest. He was a little speechless. No wonder he dreamed of being entangled then swallowed by a snake! Liu Guang was hugging his waist tightly and his head was on Cheng Nuo''s chest, making him feel suffocated in his sleep. He carefully moved Liu Guang off but Liu Guang quickly rolled over again and squeezed himself against Cheng Nuo again.


    However, although Liu Guang''s sleeping position was quite bad, he looked really cute when he was asleep. His eyshes were long, his mouth was slightly open, and his thin little chest was rising and falling with each breath.


    Cheng Nuo couldn''t help but reach out to stroke his hair and touch his forehead lightly with his lips. His restless mood had finally calmed and a tender feeling rose in his heart. He had been lucky to meet such a troublesome, hot-tempered, self-important, noisy child in this strange, rotten other world. He took Liu Guang''s little body into his arms and slowly fell into a deep sleep.


    In the next three or four days, Cheng Nuo went to Bai Rui''s house several times to talk to him about the Ice Snake. Many people were afraid to go hunting because of themotion the Ice Snake had made. Liu Guang was totally indifferent to the threat: "It didn''t fight me! Ha! If I had been at home that day, I would have beaten it up!"


    Cheng Nuo nervously pinched his face and wouldn''t allow Liu Guang to go to the mountains until it was safe. He repeatedly asked Liu Guang to not take risks and Liu Guang reluctantly agreed.


    Several times when Bai Rui wasn''t there, Cheng Nuo put some of the food on Bai Rui''s table. He was puzzled. Bai Rui''s hadn''t fully healed yet. Where did he go every day?


    When he passed Bai Rui''s house one day, he saw that the neat and clean house had been wrecked by someone; even the roof had copsed into two pieces.


    Cheng Nuo was shocked. Who did this? Neither Lan Yue Camp nor Bai Zhi could target Bai Rui…


    Liu Guang felt anxious about Cheng Nuo''s action. Every time he went out, Liu Guang went with him. Seeing this scene, he gloated: "This is normal. The Ice Snake was here because of him. The family members of the seven or eight people who were injured dared not provoke him but they can retaliate in secret."


    Cheng Nuo frowned. What should Bai Rui do in the future? Although Bai Rui is strong, after all, he is only a child. In fact, these things can''t be med on Bai Rui because it was all Bai Zhi''s doing…


    He was just thinking that when he saw Bai Rui in the distance, slowly walking towards them, his face and body covered in dust and his eyes showing his exhaustion. Cheng Nuo nodded awkwardly at him, at a loss about what to do.


    Bai Rui''s face remained expressionless as he looked at the ruins of his house. No trace of sadness or anger could be seen on his face.


    Cheng Nuo, knowing Bai Rui''s character, expected that he would disdain to react to what some people had done. He saidfortingly: "There''s a straw house in the vige that''s empty. You can live there temporarily. If there anything you need I can lend it to you…"


    Cheng Nuo stopped speaking. Since Bai Rui was out a lot, he was afraid that any house he lived in wouldn''tst long.


    Liu Guang''s lips curled up in a sneer: "What does his choice of where to live have to do with us? Go back and cook!"


    Cheng Nuo quickly grabbed him. That derelict straw house at the edge of the vige as dirty and messy as a pig pen. It''s likely that Bai Rui wouldn''t go to live there. He said: "Bai Rui, do you want to stay at my house for the time being? Let''s go."


    Liu Guang almost exploded with anger when he heard this. "Where would he sleep? We only have one bed!" If Cheng Nuo dares to say that he can sleep with them on their bed, he''ll bite him!


    Cheng Nuo quickly smiled and tried to appease him. "It''s okay, there''s a wooden board and a quilt at home. Bai Rui is only going to stay with us temporarily…"


    Bai Rui, who had been listening to the two of them make a lot of noise, suddenly said: "Alright."


    Cheng Nuo was almost too surprised to react at first. He asked: "What?"


    Bai Rui looked into his eyes quietly: "I''ll stay with you for now and I am very hungry."


    "…"


    Cheng Nuo was so shocked that his eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. What happened to Bai Rui? Based on his usual attitude, he would act cold and say "Nosy! Where I live is none of your business."


    Bai Rui walked straight ahead and did not reply: "Hurry up."


    Liu Guang was too angry to speak. Quickly, he sprang towards Bai Rui from behind. No matter what Cheng Nuo said, today he was going kill this boy!


    Bai Rui seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. He sidestepped Liu Guang''s attack, grabbed his shoulders, and threw him overhead.


    Liu Guang reacted quickly and twisted his body to in the air tond on his feet. He gnashed his teeth and said: "You person named Bai, it''s time for a fight!"


    Bai Rui said calmly: "You don''t have the skill to fight me."


    Liu Guang smirked and clenched his fist: "We won''t know until after this fight!"


    Just a moment ago they had been talking quietly; now Cheng Nuo was shocked by the sudden turn of events. He was afraid that Bai Rui''s words would further inme the already furious Liu Guang so he quickly walked to the middle of the two boys and whispered to Liu Guang: "No, don''t fight him… he doesn''t have a ce to live. He''s just staying in our house for a little while."


    Ah, the children of this world were too fierce! This wasn''t the same kind of rowdiness that children on Earth were known for. The children of this world liked to see blood spilled! Cheng Nuo''s intuition told him that Bai Rui was speaking the truth. If Liu Guang lost the fight, then Liu Guang would be mad enough to spit nails.


    After these few words offort, Liu Guang''s bad mood finally subsided since Cheng Nuo''s attitude showed that Liu Guang was still the person closest to Cheng Nuo. He grunted: "Only for today. He has to leave tomorrow."


    Cheng Nuo turned stiffly, fearing that Bai Rui would change his mind when he heard Liu Guang''s words. However, Bai Rui''s expression remained calm. It looked like Liu Guang''s words had no effect on him. He didn''t seem to care about them at all. Cheng Nuo smiled apologetically at Bai Rui.


    On the way to their house, Cheng Nuo was afraid that Liu Guang would run away and fight Bai Rui again so he held on to his hand all the way there. Liu Guang followed him obediently. Bai Rui was far behind them and Cheng Nuo couldn''t figure out what he was thinking.


    When they got home, Cheng Nuo smiled at Bai Rui: "What do you want to eat? I will cook it for you."


    Liu Guang said loudly: "I want to eat braised pork and sweet and sour spareribs!"


    Cheng Nuo smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Yes, eat more meat and grow taller. What about Bai Rui?"


    Liu Guang''s face suddenly turned red and he gnashed his teeth. He really wants to grow tall quickly so that he doesn''t have to look up at his future wife. What can he eat to grow taller? He''s half a head shorter than that Bai kid!


    Bai Rui quietly said: "Vegetarian, if you can."


    Liu Guang sneered: "Can you still be called a man if you don''t eat meat?"


    Bai Rui hit the nail on the head when he said: "The meat eater isn''t as tall as the non-meat eater."


    Liu Guang was rendered speechless. His little chest heaved up and down and his red hair almost stood up from sheer anger. He red at Bai Rui. That person was like a quiet dog who never barked but whose bite always left a mark. One day, the great Liu Guang would kill him!


    Listening to the two of them arguing made Cheng Nuo''s head hurt. Howe these two children wereplete opposites of each other? However, Bai Rui''s words must have really hurt his child''s pride. He rubbed Liu Guang''s forehead andughed, "You will grow taller in the future. You''re still young right now. Come and help with the cooking."


    Liu Guang nced at Bai Rui coldly then went to help light the fire.


    Bai Rui stood still and watched them for a while. Leaning his head against the wall, he slowly closed his eyes.


    When the food was ready, Cheng Nuo tried to call Bai Rui over to eat. To his surprise, he had shouted twice but got no response. He ran over and nudged Bai Rui but, unexpectedly, Bai Rui''s, with his eyes still closed, slid down the wall bonelessly.


    Cheng Nuo was shocked and quickly held on to Bai Rui. Bai Rui''s head hung limp and hair that was normally beautifully smooth was messy.


    Liu Guang quickly grabbed Bai Rui and forced him to stand up straight. cing a finger under Bai Rui''s nose, Liu Guang snorted and said: "He''s just asleep. It''s no big deal."


    After saying that, he dragged Bai Rui into the house by the cor.


    Cheng Nuo followed behind them and said worriedly: "He''s asleep? Ah, it looks like it… I shouted at him but he never responded. Xiao Guang, please put him on the bed."


    Liu Guang gritted his teeth and threw Bai Rui on the bed. He would be patient since he owed this Bai kid a favor. He was afraid that Cheng Nuo woulde to take care of Bai Rui so he tolerated the annoyance and pulled the quilt up for bai Rui.


    Cheng Nuo went over and examined Bai Rui''s face carefully, only to discover that there were dark circles under his eyes. He was sleeping soundly as if he had not rested for a long time.


    Based on Bai Rui''s personality and the fact that he had disappeared these past few days, Cheng Nuo had to wonder, had Bai Rui gone off alone to take care of the Ice Snake?


    ********


    The author has something to say: The characters are still children right now. They don''t feel any sort of physical desire.


    ********


    <strong>Trantor''s Notes:</strong><ul><li>If Liu Guang lost the fight, then Liu Guang would be mad enough to spit nails. - The original was 那还不得气的蹦到天上 which is something like "angry enough to jump to heaven/sky" or "his anger would be so huge it would reach the sky." It sounded too weird to literally trante so I had to substitute an English idiom.</li><li>One day, the great Liu Guang would kill him! - It''s actually "grandfather Liu Guang" but I tranted it as "the great Liu Guang." The whole "I, your father" or "I, your grandfather" thing is just a way of boasting.</li><li>Thanks for reading and please let me know if there are any errors since I don''t have an editor.</li></ul>