Gu Gu grabbed Liu Nanfeng's collar, quietly observing the little girl opposite, her face full of tension and unease.
The little carp, holding a bag of chips in one hand and a chip in the other, stared blankly at the two of them, her focus naturally on Gu Gu behind Liu Nanfeng.
At this moment, the little carp's face was smudged with chip crumbs, her messy appearance quite amusing.
"Don't be scared. This is Feng Hongjing. You can also call her Little Carp," Liu Nanfeng said, putting an arm around Gu Gu's shoulders and patting her gently.
Gu Gu's tiny wings trembled slightly with nervousness and a hint of curiosity. Fortunately, with Liu Nanfeng by her side, she gradually calmed down.
Liu Nanfeng beckoned to Little Carp, inviting her closer.
Little Carp immediately placed the chips on the table, slid off her chair, and walked up to Liu Nanfeng.
Liu Nanfeng reached out, pulled her over, and said, "This is Gu Gu, the one I told you about. You two should be friends."
Little Carp looked at Gu Gu, who was hiding half her face behind Liu Nanfeng, and offered the chip she held in her hand.
"Do you want to eat? They're really tasty."
Gu Gu immediately retracted her head behind Liu Nanfeng.
"It's okay, don't be afraid. Little Carp just wants to be your friend," Liu Nanfeng comforted her.
"That's right! I'm very nice. I'm not a big bad dragon. Roar, roar..." Little Carp said, tilting her head back and letting out a few "roars" at the sky.
Her adorably silly demeanor made Gu Gu want to laugh. She was no longer as frightened and slowly peeked her head out from behind Liu Nanfeng again.
"Take it then," Liu Nanfeng said to Gu Gu, noticing Little Carp's outstretched arm.
Gu Gu glanced at Liu Nanfeng at his words, then slowly reached out and took the chip.
"Gugu..." Gu Gu softly cooed.
"Uh..." Little Carp didn't understand and wasn't sure what she meant.
"Gu Gu can't speak much, but she can understand what you say," Liu Nanfeng explained.
Little Carp finally understood.
Gu Gu quietly popped the chip into her mouth. A burst of savory, salty flavor exploded on her taste buds, causing her wings to involuntarily flutter slightly.
Little Carp, who hadn't noticed before, saw this now.
Her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed with surprise, "You're a little bird, a flying little bird!"
Her eyes were full of admiration and envy.
When she was in the water, what she envied most were the birds in the sky, able to soar freely wherever they pleased.
Gu Gu was startled by Little Carp's loud voice and quickly hid behind Liu Nanfeng again.
Little Carp paused, then said with disappointment, "I'm not a big bad dragon, I'm a good little fish." She then turned and started walking back.
Gu Gu peeked out from behind Liu Nanfeng again. She looked at Little Carp's dejected back, then looked up at Liu Nanfeng.
Liu Nanfeng gave her an encouraging smile and gently pushed her forward.
Gu Gu cautiously stepped forward and softly cooed again.
Little Carp immediately perked up and turned around excitedly.
Gu Gu was startled, her wings suddenly spread out, and she felt an urge to turn and run. Fortunately, her reason suppressed the impulse.
"Do you want to eat with me?" Little Carp asked excitedly.
Looking at the little girl, who was about her height and beaming, Gu Gu finally nodded.
"Ge ge ge..."
Little Carp laughed happily, then pulled Gu Gu to the table and climbed onto a chair.
Completely oblivious to Gu Gu's desire to escape, Gu Gu looked back at Liu Nanfeng, who gave her an encouraging look.
Then he said, "You two eat first. I'll cut some fruit for you."
"And milk, I want milk," Little Carp said, completely unceremonious.
"Got it," Liu Nanfeng replied with a hint of amusement.
He went to the kitchen, cut some bananas, apples, pears, and other fruits, then poured in some milk, mixed it, and brought it out.
As soon as he emerged from the kitchen, he saw Little Carp chatting animatedly while munching on snacks.
Gu Gu, also eating snacks, stared intently at Little Carp, occasionally cooing in response to her words.
Seeing the two little ones getting along well, Liu Nanfeng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He then placed the fruit salad in front of them.
"Eat up, there's milk and fruit," Liu Nanfeng said, handing each of them a fork.
Little Carp eagerly picked up a piece of banana and put it in her mouth, her eyes squinting in enjoyment.
"Delicious, isn't it?" Liu Nanfeng asked with amusement.
He then turned to Gu Gu, who was still in a daze, and said, "You should eat too."
"Big Brother, you're such a good person," Little Carp said, waving her fork excitedly.
"Haha, thank you for the compliment," Liu Nanfeng replied, patting Little Carp's head with a smile.
Gu Gu, seeing this, quickly cooed twice and looked up at Liu Nanfeng with anticipation, then lowered her head.
Liu Nanfeng blinked in surprise, then realized, and gently patted her little head too.
Gu Gu nuzzled into his palm, full of affection.
After finishing their snacks, the two little ones played with toys, gradually becoming more familiar with each other.
Although Gu Gu still did not speak, her cooing frequency had significantly increased. Liu Nanfeng had not only bought Little Carp a kite but also a small ball.
The two little ones then played catch with the ball in the living room. It was a simple game, yet they were endlessly delighted, tossing it back and forth.
When they tired of playing, they sat on the sofa to watch television.
Liu Nanfeng paid them little mind, attending to his own tasks. As noon approached, Su Jinxiu returned unexpectedly.
Seeing the two little ones, she appeared somewhat surprised.
"Didn't you say you had something and wouldn't be back?" Liu Nanfeng asked in surprise.
"The matter has been resolved. I thought you'd be alone at home for lunch, so I came back," Su Jinxiu said, tying on an apron.
"By the way, have you found Moyu?"
"No," Liu Nanfeng replied with a frown.
"What happened? I wasn't very clear on the phone. Tell me in detail," Su Jinxiu pressed.
Liu Nanfeng then recounted the entire incident.
Su Jinxiu walked to the balcony, sniffed the air, and said, "Why do I smell Little Carp?"
"You can smell that?" Liu Nanfeng asked, surprised.
Su Jinxiu nodded. "Not only do people have unique scents, but so do demons."
Liu Nanfeng then described Little Carp's mischievous act of squirting water.
Su Jinxiu, however, looked puzzled. She had indeed smelled Moyu on the balcony, but there was nothing unusual about it.
If that was the case, why would it have jumped off the building for no reason?
"I'll go downstairs and take a look." With this thought, Su Jinxiu, without removing her apron, hurried downstairs.
Watching Su Jinxiu leave, Liu Nanfeng's brow furrowed. Based on his understanding of Su Jinxiu, he easily sensed that she was acting somewhat unnaturally.
Ever since her return, Liu Nanfeng had noticed that she had been avoiding his gaze, never meeting his eyes.