Chapter 19.1
Editor: Jodi
“Ning Ning, you can do it!” Xu Ling stood on the slope, stuffing a fourth-grade summer homework book into his backpack.
“You’re annoying.” Ning Sheng stopped on the slope, gasping for breath, “I’m already walking.”
“Princess, keep it up!” Lu Peng rolled his homework book into a megaphone, “You’re about to reach the top of the highest slope in Qing’an Town.”
“So noisy, shut up!” Ning Sheng said.
“By my estimate, there’s still thirteen meters to go, and with Ning Sheng’s stamina, he can probably make it another twelve meters.” Li Haoyue sat on the ground, sketching, “But taking into account the extra factor of Princess’s temper, I predict that Xu Ling will get scolded if he walks another ten meters.”
“Brat!” Ning Sheng’s voice came from the bottom of the slope, “I’m not playing anymore, I’m going home.”
Xu Ling: “……”
Li Haoyue: “See.”
Ning Sheng never joked about running away. When he said he would, he really meant it.
But with a pop, a firecracker exploded at his feet, startling Ning Sheng and causing him to climb several steps up.
“Princess, run fast!” Lu Peng shouted from the hillside.
Ning Sheng: “……ah ah ah ah.”
Xu Ling had slipped behind him at some point with a box of firecrackers aiming at his feet, the crackling explosions causing him to cry out in chaos.
Ning Sheng was chased by the firecrackers all the way up the slope.
“Applause!” Xu Ling shouted, “Ning Ning can climb slopes now!”
Lu Peng was the first to clap, while Li Haoyue clapped half-heartedly.
“You…” Ning Sheng snatched the box of firecrackers from Xu Ling’s hand, “I’m going to blow you up!”
But the box was light. It was empty.
Ning Sheng: “……”
Xu Ling patted his pocket and gave him a new box.
“You’re making me lose face like this.” Ning Sheng huffed.
After hesitating for half a second, Xu Ling fished another box from the pocket of his pants.
“You bought three boxes to blow me up?” Ning Sheng asked in disbelief, “Are you even human?”
Xu Ling: “Didn’t I only use one box!”
Ning Sheng: “So what? Should I praise you for that?!”
Xu Ling: “……”
Weighing the three boxes of firecrackers in his hand, Ning Sheng turned to Xu Ling: “Any more?”
Xu Ling: “No more.”
Ning Sheng didn’t believe him.
“Then search me.” Xu Ling spread his arms.
Ning Sheng did, searching the little devil king thoroughly from top to bottom.
Indeed, there were no more. Xu Ling had given him everything.
Satisfied, Ning Sheng pocketed the firecrackers.
Over the past two years, the always playful Xu Ling had taken a liking to teasing him, constantly dragging him a few steps, farther and farther.
So much so that in just two years, Ning Sheng’s wheelchair had become redundant, which was at least two years earlier than in his previous life when he had regained the ability to walk.
Normal-paced walking was no longer a challenge for him, but running, jumping, and climbing slopes still tired him out easily, so he was quite resistant to it.
“When you searched me, could you not leave something behind?” Xu Ling grimaced.
Ning Sheng: “What did I leave, the warmth of my fingertips?”
Xu Ling: “The marks of your nails.”
Ning Sheng: “You deserve it.”
“Where are we going to play today?” It was only just now Ning Sheng saw that they all had bicycles.
“We’re going to the mountains to see fireflies.” Lu Peng told him.
Ning Sheng: “?”
“I’m not going.” Ning Sheng said, “I hate bugs the most.”
“Okay, Ning Ning doesn’t want to go, so we’re leaving.” Xu Ling got on his bike and rode five meters away, “You can walk back by yourself.”
Ning Sheng: “Come back! I want to see the fireflies!”
The back seat of Xu Ling’s bicycle had a soft cushion fitted to it, so it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
Xu Ling carried him down the slope on his bike.
“Princess, trust me, it’s fun!” Lu Peng said while cycling, “There’s a market at the foot of the mountain on the days with fireflies, it’s full of delicious things.”
“Are there sugar cakes?” Ning Sheng asked, holding onto Xu Ling’s waist with both hands.
“This one is really only available at my house.” Xu Ling said.
“Yes, Xu Ling’s mom makes the best ones, you should just live at his place.” Lu Peng turned his head and shouted, “Math nerd, ride faster!”
The bicycles clinked and clanked through the small town, winding into the woods behind Qing’an Town.
Ning Sheng was helped off the bike by Xu Ling.
“Where are the fireflies?” He asked.
“They’re still sleeping, waiting for it to be dark.” Xu Ling replied.
Before the fireflies appeared, the market had already opened.
Xu Ling and Lu Peng parked their bicycles under a tree.
Then Ning Sheng stretched out his hand out of habit for Xu Ling to hold, walking step by step into the bustling market.
“Why didn’t you bring me here last year?” This was Ning Sheng’s first time visiting such a large-scale countryside market.
“It was raining during these days last year, so the market didn’t open.” Xu Ling explained.
Ning Sheng: “What about the year before?”
Xu Ling: “I took you shrimp fishing.”
“Hmph, then it’s your fault.” Ning Sheng said.
Xu Ling: “……”
“Have I ever been right?” Xu Ling asked earnestly.
“……You do remember quite clearly.” Ning Sheng said.
Xu Ling pushed him a bit in a direction away from him: “Walk on your own, don’t hang onto me.”
“Why are you so annoying!” Ning Sheng stood somewhat helplessly as he was pushed away.
The process of learning to walk again was too difficult, and walking was a matter of great insecurity for him.
Even though Xu Ling had shortened this process greatly with his playfulness, Ning Sheng still felt uneasy about walking, afraid he would fall or be knocked over.
He couldn’t walk fast, so he stumbled a little among the bustling crowd.
Xu Ling followed behind him, always keeping a distance of one meter from him.
Stopping in front of a stall selling accessories, Ning Sheng pointed at a green ribbon and handed a banknote to the stall owner.
“Buying it for some young lady?” The stall owner joked.
“No.” Ning Sheng answered, “I just want to lead my dog.”
Xu Ling: “……”
“Your dog might not like green.” Xu Ling fished two coins from his pocket and handed them to the stall owner who was struggling to find change.
Ning Sheng: “Really?”
Ning Sheng: “Just the green one, thank you. The greener the better.”
Ning Sheng tied one end of the long ribbon to Xu Ling’s wrist and the other to himself.
This instantly filled him with a sense of security, then he strolled through the market with peace of mind.
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