ALL NOVEL Chapter 68: Thief
"Father," Xiao Yan called as he walked into the hall.
At that moment, Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan looked back at Xiao Xun'er. Their gazes locked briefly before Xiao Xun'er quickly averted her eyes.
Xiao Yan, however, continued to stare at her, thinking to himself, Damn, what a cute little girl. I love her.
"Yan'er, this is your sister Xun'er," Xiao Zhan introduced.
"Oh," Xiao Yan responded.
"Hello, Sister Xun'er. My name is Xiao Yan. From now on, I will protect you, and no one in the Xiao family will be able to bully you," Xiao Yan declared with a confident look.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan," Xiao Xun'er replied in a crisp voice.
Although she didn't particularly like the silly Xiao Yan in front of her, he was better than the other fools in the family. He wasn't completely annoying, and considering her undercover mission in the Xiao family, building a good relationship with this "little brat" seemed like a wise choice.
This voice… I feel like I'm in love, Xiao Yan thought to himself as he listened to Xiao Xun'er's words.
---
Nightfall.
In Xiao Xun'er's room, she lay on the bed and took out an artifact given to her by Hun Xiu from the ring she wore around her neck.
Looking at the "divine weapon" in her hand, Xiao Xun'er murmured, "Brother Hun Xiu, you said you'd come to see Xun'er. When will you come? Xun'er misses you so much."
As she spoke, a sense of grievance overwhelmed her. Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to spill over.
"Um?"
Suddenly, Xiao Xun'er heard a noise outside. Clutching the artifact tightly, she got up. A determined look appeared on her little face, showing no signs of fear.
She carefully picked up the artifact given by Hun Xiu and quietly left her bed.
Creak.
Her door was pushed open, and a small figure sneaked into the room, fumbling around in the darkness.
Thief? Xiao Xun'er wondered, studying the small figure. But the "thief" was almost the same size as her.
Xiao Xun'er was briefly stunned but quickly composed herself. Determined, she thought, Thief or not, if someone dares to enter my room, they'll regret it.
As the small figure approached her bed, Xiao Xun'er readied the artifact and prepared to deal with the intruder.
"Sister Xun'er, you have a weak constitution. It must be too cold for you to sleep alone!"
As Xiao Yan finished speaking, he tiptoed onto the bed. But when he reached out to hug Xiao Xun'er, he found the bed empty.
"Huh? What's going on? Where is she?" Xiao Yan muttered, confused. Suddenly, he felt a chill as something sharp came toward him.
He quickly dodged, but not without consequences—a large tear appeared in his pants.
"Scissors!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, touching the ripped fabric near his crotch.
Xiao Xun'er stood holding a pair of scissors, her voice crisp as she declared, "You thief! How dare you enter my room to steal things!"
Though her first attack missed, Xiao Xun'er remained undeterred.
"Oh no, I've been discovered!" Xiao Yan realized. Without hesitation, he bolted toward the door, terrified of what might happen if he was caught.
Creak.
The door swung open as Xiao Yan darted out, not daring to look back. Feeling the breeze through his torn pants, he muttered to himself, Good thing I ran quickly, or I wouldn't have been able to save this tiny treasure of mine.
---
After Xiao Yan left, golden flames flickered in Xiao Xun'er's eyes, illuminating her room as all the candles lit up.
Placing the divine artifact back into her ring, Xiao Xun'er put her hands on her hips and called out angrily, "Uncle Ling!"
Whoosh.
Ling Ying, dressed in a black robe, appeared in the room, kneeling on one knee. "Miss," he addressed her respectfully.
"Uncle Ling, how did a thief manage to sneak into my room?" Xiao Xun'er demanded, her dissatisfaction evident. "Aren't you here to protect me? Why didn't you notice anything?"
"This…" Ling Ying's forehead broke out in cold sweat. He didn't dare to look up.
Just moments ago, for reasons he couldn't explain, he had fallen asleep—a ridiculous occurrence for a Dou Huang-level expert.
Because of his lapse, a thief had managed to enter Xiao Xun'er's room. Ling Ying knew that if anything had happened to her, it wouldn't just be his life on the line—his family and descendants would also suffer.
"Miss, I am guilty," Ling Ying admitted, his head bowed.
"Hmph," Xiao Xun'er huffed coldly, still displeased. Thankfully, she hadn't been asleep when the thief entered.
"Uncle Ling, did you see who it was?"
"My incompetence shames me," Ling Ying said, deeply ashamed.
"Fine," Xiao Xun'er sighed. "This will only happen once. Do not let it happen again."
"Yes, Miss," Ling Ying replied, relieved.
Whoosh.
Ling Ying vanished into the shadows once more.
Xiao Xun'er looked down at the scrap of fabric on the floor, her expression cold as she muttered, "Don't let me find out who you are. If I do, you're dead."
With a flicker of golden flames in her eyes, the piece of cloth disintegrated into ashes.
---
Xiao Yan's Room
"Phew…" Xiao Yan let out a relieved breath.
"Thank goodness I wasn't caught," he muttered. Still, the tear in his pants was a sobering reminder of how close he'd come. "Good thing I dodged in time, or I wouldn't have been able to save my precious enoki mushroom."