"I told you, I'm human, not a monster, nor a human-demon hybrid. What are you doing on land instead of in the water, you little monster?" Liu Nanfeng asked helplessly.
"Sunbathing," the little monster replied.
"Sunbathing?"
Liu Nanfeng looked up at the scorching sun in the sky, unsure what to say. The sun would probably dry her into a little dried fish. Were monster hobbies this peculiar?
"What's your name?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
Although he already knew, he still needed to follow the procedure. He didn't want to reveal his abilities yet.
"My name is Feng Hongjin, and I'm three years old."
"Three years old? You look three hundred to me?"
Liu Nanfeng thought to himself, but it was possible that monsters calculated age differently. Wait, if that were true, then...
Liu Nanfeng dared not to think further.
"My name is Liu Nanfeng, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
Liu Nanfeng also politely introduced himself.
"You want to be my friend, right?" Feng Hongjin asked with anticipation.
"Uh..." It was just a simple introduction; did he express any desire to be friends with her?
However, seeing the little one's expectant look, Liu Nanfeng couldn't bring himself to shake his head, so he nodded.
"I want to be your friend too," Feng Hongjin said with surprise.
"Alright then, friend, would you like some fried chicken?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
He asked this because she had been staring at the fried chicken in his hand while talking.
"I want to eat," Feng Hongjin immediately opened her arms and ran forward happily.
Liu Nanfeng then noticed that her clothes were very special, shimmering with specks of light under the sun, making them incredibly beautiful.
When she came closer, she plopped down beside Liu Nanfeng and looked up at him with a face full of expectation.
The little one's chubby cheeks, large, watery eyes, small nose, and delicate mouth were indescribably cute.
Her grown-ups were truly carefree to let such a cute child go out alone. What if she was caught by a bad person? Liu Nanfeng thought to himself, but his hands didn't stop moving.
He brought a box of fried chicken to the little one.
"Which flavor would you like? You can pick yourself. But I'd advise you not to eat the one sprinkled with chili powder; it's spicy and very hot..."
Liu Nanfeng introduced each flavor to the little one.
Since it was a combo, all flavors were included.
Sweet and spicy, creamy cheese, sour and spicy, amber, and more—everything was available, and of course, this box wasn't cheap.
"You can try everything except the spicy one."
Feng Hongjin was not polite. She sniffed with her little nose, picked up a sweet and spicy piece, and took a bite. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she looked blissfully happy.
"Is it that delicious?" Liu Nanfeng asked, slightly amused.
"Mmm-hmm..."
She nodded repeatedly, her mouth full of food, unable to speak.
"Then I'll have the spicy one, and the rest is all yours."
Liu Nanfeng had already eaten lunch, so he wasn't hungry at all.
"Thank you... *hic*..."
She ate too fast and choked.
Liu Nanfeng quickly patted her back gently and then handed her the cola in his hand.
Feng Hongjin took it and took a sip. Her eyes brightened, and her already watery eyes became even more luminous.
"This is so good..." she said with pleasant surprise.
"Then it's all yours," Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
"Thank you, you're so nice, my good friend."
Feng Hongjin reached out and patted Liu Nanfeng's leg.
Liu Nanfeng felt a mix of amusement and helplessness; this little one was too adorable.
He couldn't help but think of himself. He had wanted a child a few years ago, but his wife had always been unable to conceive. They had even gone for check-ups, and neither of them had any problems, yet she still couldn't get pregnant. Now, he thought, there was a big issue.
If his wife were an ordinary human, their child would probably be around the same age as this little one now, Liu Nanfeng thought with emotion.
"You're so naive, aren't you afraid of meeting bad people?" Liu Nanfeng couldn't help but say, looking at Feng Hongjin who was burying her head in eating.
"My mother said I shouldn't eat things from strangers," Feng Hongjin replied, looking up.
"But you're eating mine?" Liu Nanfeng asked, somewhat amused.
"You're not a stranger, you're a friend, a good friend. It's okay to eat a friend's food," Feng Hongjin said.
Liu Nanfeng: ...
No wonder she had asked if he wanted to be friends right away; she had been waiting for this.
The little one could eat a lot. She finished the entire box of fried chicken, except for the spicy flavor.
She even took a bite of the spicy one, and her eyes watered from the heat. She stuck out her little tongue, reluctant to give it up.
After taking a gulp of cola, she felt as happy as a celestial being.
"Who's in your family?"
Seeing her innocence, Liu Nanfeng took the opportunity to inquire about some information. He knew nothing about these demons and had to figure things out himself. He finally met someone he could ask.
"There's no one in my family."
"Didn't you just mention your mother?"
"My mother is a monster, not human."
"Uh—okay, then who are the monsters in your family?"
"Mother, me, and Sister Yu Chan," the little one answered everything without reservation.
"Do you live underwater?"
"Yes, because we are water monsters."
Feng Hongjin looked at him strangely, as if to say this person was so dumb.
"Then your father... where is your dad?"
The little one froze upon hearing this and then said sadly, "He was human, and he died."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that."
Seeing her like this, Liu Nanfeng quickly apologized.
The little one shook her head and looked at the river, saying, "I haven't seen my dad in a long time."
After saying that, she stood up and walked towards the river.
"I want to go home."
Liu Nanfeng wanted to stop her but opened his mouth and didn't know what to say. He had indeed been too rash and had made the little one sad.
Then, with a "splash," Feng Hongjin jumped into the water.
Liu Nanfeng sighed helplessly, stood up, gathered the trash on the ground, and prepared to leave.
Just then, Feng Hongjin popped out of the water again and asked, "Liu... Liu..."
"Liu Nanfeng."
"Liu Nanfeng, are you coming again tomorrow?" her little face was full of expectation.
"Yes, tomorrow—around this time?" Liu Nanfeng said, looking at his phone with a smile.
"Okay, my good friend, goodbye."
Feng Hongjin waved her little hand and dove into the water, disappearing without a trace.
Looking at the rolling river and thinking of the little one, Liu Nanfeng's lips couldn't help but curve upwards.
His clothes were mostly dry, but his shoes were still a bit wet. Liu Nanfeng didn't bother and put them on, went up the embankment, and rode his bike home.
After Liu Nanfeng rode away, a flash of red figure quickly darted away underwater.
...
"Mom, Mom... I made a good friend today! He also treated me to delicious fried chicken and tasty water," Feng Hongjin exclaimed excitedly as soon as she returned home.
This was a mysterious place at the bottom of the river. Although there was water all around, the scenery was not much different from the buildings on the surface, just more ancient.
At that moment, a woman in a blue long gown walked out of the house.
The woman had fair skin and beautiful bones, exuding an indescribable beauty.
"You went ashore again. What did I tell you?" the woman said with a stern face.
The little one, who was about to rush forward for a hug, immediately stopped in her tracks, looking timid.
This was Feng Hongjin's mother, Zhu Yin'e.
"I... I went up to sunbathe," Feng Hongjin said aggrievedly.
Seeing her daughter's pitiful expression, Zhu Yin'e's heart softened.
"Sigh~ Mom isn't forbidding you from going ashore, it's just that you're still so young. What if you encounter a bad person?" Zhu Yin'e squatted down and hugged Feng Hongjin.
"My good friend said the same thing," Feng Hongjin said foolishly.
"Good friend?"
Zhu Yin'e heard the phrase again and frowned slightly. She took her daughter's hand and stood up, saying, "Come back to the house and tell me all about it."
So, Feng Hongjin chattered excitedly, recounting the entire encounter with Liu Nanfeng from beginning to end.
"He could jump into the water to save you, which shows his character is not bad."
"Mhm, he's a very good person," Feng Hongjin nodded repeatedly.
Are you saying he's a good person because he saved you? You think he's a good person because he treated you to fried chicken, don't you? Zhu Yin'e thought to herself; she knew her daughter too well.
"You said he recognized you as a monster at first glance?"
"Yes! I even thought he was a human-demon hybrid."
Zhu Yin'e: ...
"He said he wasn't, that he's human. He's a really strange person. How did he know I was a little monster?" Feng Hongjin scratched her head, looking adorably clueless.
"Oh right, what did you say his name was?" Zhu Yin'e suddenly remembered. The name sounded vaguely familiar.
"He said his name was Liu Nanfeng."
"Liu Nanfeng?" Zhu Yin'e finally remembered.
"Does Mom know him?" Feng Hongjin asked curiously, seeing her expression.
Zhu Yin'e shook her head and said, "No, but I've heard of him."
"Heard from whom?" Feng Hongjin's little face was full of curiosity.
"Alright, this isn't something you need to worry about. Since you ate so much fried chicken, you won't have dinner tonight."
"No..." Feng Hongjin wailed, her face falling.
"No means no."
"Just one bite, just one bite..."
Feng Hongjin clung to Zhu Yin'e's leg, refusing to let go.
"You..." Zhu Yin'e helplessly tapped her little head.
"Oh, and we agreed to meet again tomorrow. Mom, can I go?" Feng Hongjin tilted her head up, her face full of anticipation.
Zhu Yin'e thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Yay..."
Feng Hongjin cheered, then blew out a string of bubbles.
"Where did Sister Yu Chan go? I want to tell her this good news!"
Looking at her daughter hopping around energetically, a smile appeared on Zhu Yin'e's usually cool and detached face.
...
Liu Nanfeng returned home. "Su Jinxiu" wasn't there; she must still be at the coffee shop.
He threw his clothes into the washing machine and took a shower.
He opened the refrigerator; there were indeed chilled drinks inside.
He opened a bottle and took a sip, and the summer heat instantly dissipated.
Looking at the dazzling array of well-organized items in the refrigerator, Liu Nanfeng suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
With such a virtuous wife, why should he care if she was human or not?
Most people really couldn't compare to her.
But when he thought about the matter of children, a shadow fell over Liu Nanfeng's heart.
They had tried many things, but they had never had a child. Now, he realized it was probably related to his wife being a monster.
"Could there be reproductive isolation between humans and demons?"
The more Liu Nanfeng thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Wait, that didn't seem right. What did the little carp say today?
Her father was human, and her mother was a monster. That meant humans and monsters could have children, right?
Thinking of this, Liu Nanfeng's face lit up with joy.
Then why hadn't his wife conceived for so long?
Did his wife not want to? Or was he not strong enough?
Liu Nanfeng's thoughts raced, drifting further and further away, becoming a chaotic mess.
"Oh, you're back so early today?"
"Su Jinxiu" opened the door and looked at Liu Nanfeng sitting on the sofa with some surprise.
"Mmm, I saved a little girl who fell into the water today, got my clothes wet, so I came back first," Liu Nanfeng said, half-truthfully.
"Is the person okay?"
"Su Jinxiu" put down her backpack and asked with concern.
"She's fine; she's already gone home."
"That's good."
"Su Jinxiu" said, turning towards the kitchen.
"What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook for you?"
"You just make whatever you think is best; I'm not picky," Liu Nanfeng replied.
"Okay. What did you eat for lunch? Should I make something light?"
"Su Jinxiu" bustled in the kitchen, talking as she worked.
Liu Nanfeng walked into the kitchen and stood at the doorway, watching "Su Jinxiu's" busy figure.
"Su Jinxiu" finally noticed Liu Nanfeng's unusual demeanor and walked over to him, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
As she spoke, she reached out to touch his forehead.
"No, I just wanted to ask, when can we have our own child?"
Liu Nanfeng said this deliberately to test her, wanting to know if they could have children.
"Why are you bringing this up again?"
"I saved a child today, and she was quite cute, so I got a bit emotional."
"I see."
"Su Jinxiu" smiled.
Then she said, "Don't worry, we'll have one soon."
"Don't comfort me; it's not something that happens just because you say it does."
"I... I've been preparing for a long time. This time, it should be fine. In any case, don't worry about it. Before the end of the year, we'll definitely have our baby."
As "Su Jinxiu" said this, she turned her back, so Liu Nanfeng couldn't see the expression on her face.
"Wow, that's wonderful!"
Liu Nanfeng excitedly hugged her from behind, but his mind was already calculating.
It seemed like they could have children, but it was difficult to conceive. "Su Jinxiu" said she had been preparing for a long time; what was she preparing?
He hadn't seen Su Jinxiu taking any medication or anything.
"Alright, you go out first. Don't get in the way here,"
"Su Jinxiu" looked back at Liu Nanfeng and said with a smile.
"Okay."
Liu Nanfeng smiled, released "Su Jinxiu," turned, and walked out of the kitchen. His expression then became serious.
He had clearly sensed a faint trace of sadness on "Su Jinxiu's" face, which was not consistent with the happiness she displayed.
If she didn't want children, then they wouldn't have them. Liu Nanfeng was not the type of man who would divorce his wife for not having children.
If she expressed a desire to have children but then showed sadness, it was worth pondering.
Could there be risks involved in monsters having children? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
However, this was all his speculation. He needed to ask someone. No, he should ask a monster.
But he knew very few monsters right now.
And there seemed to be only one person he could directly ask: the little monster he had met today.
Although the little monster might not know the answer, he could ask her to ask the adults at home.
With that thought, Liu Nanfeng decided to buy more delicious food tomorrow to "bribe" her.