200 A Critical Hi

Lu Tingxiao looked away, his face like a lake that had been stirred by a breeze, rippling but quickly becoming calm once again.

He knew that sooner or later, this day would come, and he had been waiting for it.

He had been walking on eggshells during this period, but had weathered it without mishap. This was already the best situation that he could have hoped for.

The only thing he could do now was to wait.

Looking at his brother's expression, Lu Jingli couldn’t help worrying about him.

His brother had almost used up his whole life’s worth of endurance and restraint in the last few months. If something went wrong… he didn’t dare imagine what he would be like then…

Since meeting Ning Xi, he had changed, and not just a little. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was a whole transformation. Lu Jingli really didn’t want him to revert back to what he had been like before, or to become even scarier.

He had decided, he would go to the temple tomorrow to pray for his brother, and kneel for a longer period of time for him!

…

Ning Xi, who had said she wanted to memorize the plan, had been in bed for at least two hours.

Her mind was completely empty, and was completely clear of any thoughts she might have.

Whenever she encountered something extremely difficult to solve, she would relieve the pressure in such a way. When this way couldn’t help, she could only choose a slightly more extreme method…

But it had been a long time since she had been bothered by something to this extent.

It was only when she saw on the wall clock that it was almost ten o'clock that Ning Xi got up, and spent an hour memorizing the data that Lin Zhizhi had given her.

Her knowledge of lines that actors used was solid, so this was quite easy for her to memorize.

Only at this moment did she suddenly realize that Little Bun hadn’t come looking for her the whole night, likely because Lu Tingxiao had explained to Little Treasure that she was busy.

After memorizing the data, Ning Xi was ready to check on Little Bun.

At the door to Little Bun’s room, Ning Xi was sure he would be asleep already, so she straightaway opened the door quietly.

But when it was open a crack, she saw that the warm yellow bedside lamp was on.

She saw Little Bun leaning against the headboard, playing with a Rubik’s cube with fixed, single-minded focus. Lu Tingxiao was sitting on the edge of the bed, a hint of helplessness on his cold, hard face.

"It's ten fifty-four. In six minutes, it’ll be eleven o’clock," said Lu Tingxiao.

Meaning that it was already very late, it was time for bed.

As if he hadn’t heard him, Little Bun continued to turn the cube in his hands, assembling it within seconds so that the colors on each face matched, before shuffling it and reassembling it again, in a repetitive and tireless process.

Lu Tingxiao picked up the fairy tale book which Ning Xi had bought; it had a colorful drawing of a little rabbit and a wolf on the cover. Lu Tingxiao asked expressionlessly: "Which story do you want to listen to?"

Little Bun finally lifted his head to look at him, but his eyes seemed somewhat disdainful…

Lu Tingxiao pinched the skin between his eyebrows, then picked up <The Prince>.

Little Bun was dismissive.

Lu Tingxiao picked up <A Brief History of Time>.

Little Bun was still uninterested.

Lu Tingxiao finally gave up. Looking at his watch, his face began to darken. "It's eleven o'clock."

Noticing that Lu Tingxiao was about to lose his temper, Ning Xi quickly coughed and knocked on the door. "Little Treasure darling, aren’t you asleep yet?"

As soon as she said the words, Little Bun, who had been as unmoving as a mountain on the bed, threw the Rubik's cube away and ran towards her like a little tornado. He clung to her leg and tilted his little head back, his big, expressive eyes blinking up at her.

Ning Xi clutched at her chest, as if she had suffered a critical hit.