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Chapter 163: “You two won’t become a couple, right, Sister Lu Xiaoxi?”

He had been licked on the lips, and before he could even feel that warm touch, it had already ended.

Lu Xiaoxi’s shy appearance was not an act.

He thought of ways to tease Lu Xiaoxi, but she didn’t say a word to him.

With her face buried, she revealed her big eyes, staring at him without saying anything about what had just happened.

Although her scarf covered her face, Li Mu was sure that her delicate little face beneath it must have turned red.

After exiting the elevator and passing the information desk, Li Mu took the young girl’s fair little hand, which felt cool and refreshing. He tightened his grip a bit, trying to convey his endless warmth to her.

It was cold today, and the wind was blowing. The trees by the roadside rustled, and from a distance, the sound of chess pieces clashing against the stone table could be heard, accompanied by the chatter of several middle-aged men. This had become a common sight in the neighborhood; it would be strange if those playing chess didn’t shout one day.

Li Mu knew that his dad was definitely over there too.

Li Changheng also loved chess and often studied strategies with the middle-aged men in the neighborhood, discussing how to break this formation and where to play that piece, which was one of the many joys of middle age.

Li Mu looked up at the sky, feeling the wind blowing into his collar, chilly and refreshing.

“Hey, Brother Mu?” Mi Dan waved at them from across the grass, holding two bags of spicy strips, “When did you guys come back?”

Lu Xiaoxi wanted to pull her hand back, but Li Mu held onto her tightly, and after a few attempts, she gave up.

“We came back yesterday afternoon; winter break has started,” Li Mu said with a smile.

Mi Dan wasn’t nearsighted; he could see from a distance that the two were holding hands.

He looked at their intertwined hands with a sigh, “Yu Yu, how did you two end up holding hands? You two won’t become a couple, right, Sister Lu Xiaoxi?”

“Kids don’t understand anything,” Li Mu waved his hand, “Come here, let me have some of your spicy strips.”

“You’re already this old and still stealing my spicy strips?” Mi Dan’s eyes widened, regretting it immensely. If he had known, he wouldn’t have tried to make conversation and would have avoided greeting Li Mu!

He had finally convinced his mom to give him two yuan to buy a bag of spicy strips, and he had just opened one bag, not even having the chance to enjoy it, yet he ended up giving it to Li Mu. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a loss.

“Hurry up, just let me have a little.”

“Just one stick, okay?”

“Two sticks; you, Sister Lu Xiaoxi, can have one too.”

Li Mu and Mi Dan played a game reminiscent of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, one reaching into the grass for the spicy strips while the other held them on the other side, with the grass in between representing the unbridgeable Milky Way.

“Why are you taking three sticks?!”

There were only five sticks in a bag!

“Don’t you know that Sister Lu Xiaoxi wants to eat two? Alright, alright, I’ll treat you to chips next time.”

“Hehehe, you said it, Brother Mu. If you don’t treat me to chips, you’re a dog!” Mi Dan felt much better all of a sudden, waving goodbye to Li Mu and Lu Xiaoxi as he walked home.

As for the two holding hands, Li Mu had already acknowledged their relationship as a couple… was it important?

He had felt this way the last time he came back.

“Li Mu!” Mi Dan ran off, and Lu Xiaoxi angrily bumped her forehead against Li Mu’s chest.

“Don’t rush; it’s not like I’m not letting you eat,” Li Mu ate one stick himself, carefully bringing the end of another stick to Lu Xiaoxi’s mouth.

Lu Xiaoxi took a bite, chewed a few times, and swallowed, her little mouth greasy. “When did we become a couple?!”

“What can we do? For others, being a couple is definitely better understood than being childhood friends.”

“But, but…” Lu Xiaoxi’s ears turned red.

“There’s nothing to but; just eat the spicy strips.”

“Mm, this spicy strip is so fragrant… no, wait!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Then why are you still talking?” Li Mu grinned, with red oil still on his fingers. He swallowed hard, silently bringing his fingers to Lu Xiaoxi’s lips, “There’s still a bit here.”

Lu Xiaoxi looked around, raised her eyebrows, and closed her eyes as she took Li Mu’s finger into her mouth.

Her warm and moist little mouth made it hard for Li Mu to control himself. After she released his finger, he cleaned his thumb.

Licking fingers wasn’t a good habit, but doing it occasionally seemed quite nice.

“Do you not want others to know about our relationship?”

“It’s not that; it’s just that everyone here knows each other, and I’m afraid they’ll laugh at us…” Lu Xiaoxi felt a bit wronged for no reason, her tone soft and weak.

Girls are always sensitive; she had already imagined others laughing at her and Li Mu being affectionate. Even though such smiles didn’t carry negative emotions, she still felt uncomfortable. To face the smiles of many people, she needed a lot of courage.

If only she had a thick skin like Li Mu, she wouldn’t be afraid.

“What’s there to be afraid of? We were together when we were kids; we’ve been laughed at countless times already.”

“You, hug me!” Lu Xiaoxi verbally asked Li Mu to hug her, but her body had already taken the lead in hugging him, her face rubbing against his collarbone, various emotions making her feel hot.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you afraid of crowds?”

“I am! If others laugh at me, I’ll hide behind you, then they’ll be laughing at you!”

The girl didn’t have Li Mu’s thick skin or his talkative nature. Her biggest problem was that she was easily shy, and when there were too many people, she would become flustered. This was due to her personality, and changing it was very difficult.

There were many acquaintances in the neighborhood, and it was hard to guarantee that someone like Mi Dan wouldn’t suddenly pop out and expose their relationship. Taking the risk to be close and hug Li Mu was her first step in gathering courage.

“Okay, you can hide behind me, just like when we were kids, and be my little shadow.” Li Mu gently patted her back, really forcing his little childhood friend.

“I’m not a little shadow; you held my hand and made me follow! You’ve been bullying me all along; you always knew how to bully me!” Lu Xiaoxi spoke in a muffled voice, her breath hitting Li Mu’s body.

“Is that so? Hahaha, you’ve really been bullied by me since childhood.”

“How can you still say that!”

“Look up; let me see how red your face has become.”

“I’m not blushing; you’re the one who’s blushing!”

“Stop trying to fool me; don’t deceive yourself.” Li Mu rubbed her hat, gently lifted her head, and hooked down her scarf, revealing her delicate little face with pursed lips, teasing, “Aren’t you just like a tomato?”

Lu Xiaoxi buried her head again, her arms around Li Mu’s waist tightening a bit, curling up in his embrace, relieved that there weren’t many people around; otherwise, she would be even more shy.

When she had just looked up, she had indeed seen Li Mu’s slightly flushed face, not knowing if it was due to the wind or shyness.

No matter what, Li Mu must have been shy too.

Thinking this way, she didn’t feel so shy anymore.

The shyness had shifted to Li Mu, hehe.

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