Liu Nanfeng stopped his electric scooter and looked down from the embankment. The little koi wasn't there, only the ceaseless river water lapping against the bank.
Liu Nanfeng didn't mind. He descended the steps along the embankment and reached the river's edge.
He peered into the river along the bank and then called out, "Stop hiding, I see you."
But there was still no movement in the water.
"Hong Jin, I see you, come up quickly." Liu Nanfeng pointed to the riverbank on his right.
His vision was exceptionally sharp now, allowing him to see the little koi cautiously hugging the riverbank far below, her movements entirely visible.
"Swish."
A water arrow shot out from underwater, splashing Liu Nanfeng's face.
"So mischievous."
Liu Nanfeng wiped his face. In the heat of the day, the water spray felt refreshingly cool.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
The little koi leaped out of the water, sending spray flying. Her red scales shimmered brilliantly under the sun.
She flicked her tail in the air, transforming from a beautiful koi into a cute little girl.
She lunged at Liu Nanfeng from mid-air, and he caught her.
"It's been a few days, anything interesting happen?" Liu Nanfeng asked, holding her.
"I went to play with Shui Sheng! Shui Sheng said he recently saved a little child swimming in the river."
"Oh, really? That's a good kid, Shui Sheng." Liu Nanfeng was a bit surprised.
From his own experience, he knew what it felt like to be a water ghost. The icy river water, the bone-chilling cold – to maintain a kind heart through it all was truly not easy.
This was why many water ghosts looked for substitutes; if someone took their place, they could be freed from the suffering of drowning.
"I've saved other children before too," the little koi said eagerly.
"Then you're very good too."
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
The little koi put her hands on her hips, tilting her head back, and was incredibly happy.
It seemed this little one also enjoyed praise.
"Look what I bought for you?"
Liu Nanfeng set her down and then presented the bubble gun he had just bought, like offering a treasure.
"Wow, it's a little koi, but... but why is she in a bag? Is she dead?" the little koi asked, clutching her chubby cheeks with both hands, her eyes wide with surprise.
"This is fake, it's a little koi bubble gun."
The little koi thought she was trapped in a bag because of the transparent outer packaging.
Liu Nanfeng helped her unwrap it, then unscrewed the bubble solution from the back seat and peeled off the top layer. To the little koi's anticipation, he pressed the trigger. With a burst of music, countless bubbles spewed from the little fish's mouth, drifting in the air before landing on the river's surface and disappearing into the rolling currents.
The little koi's eyes widened, her small mouth agape. Her look of surprise was utterly adorable.
"You try." Liu Nanfeng handed the bubble gun to her.
The little koi carefully took it.
"Just press here hard," Liu Nanfeng pointed to the trigger.
The little koi pressed lightly, and instantly, countless bubbles spewed from the little fish's mouth, shimmering radiantly under the sunlight.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."
"I can blow bubbles too."
As the little koi spoke, she opened her mouth and made a sound, "Abo." Immediately, a large bubble floated into the air, bursting the smaller bubbles around it.
"You really are amazing," Liu Nanfeng sighed with genuine admiration.
He had seen the little koi blow bubbles once before. Not only were the bubbles structurally stable, but they also had many special uses. They were essentially independent spaces that were hard to break unless the little koi willed it.
However, the little koi still found the bubble gun more fun and was having a delightful time playing.
Liu Nanfeng bent down to pick up the discarded packaging, intending to throw it into the nearby trash can.
Just then, he remembered he had a few lollipops in his pocket.
He casually took them out and stuffed them into the little koi's hands.
"These are lollipops I bought for you, but you can't eat too many. Only one a day."
"Okay," the little koi chirped happily.
Liu Nanfeng paid her no more mind and turned towards the trash can by the embankment steps.
Halfway there, he suddenly felt something was amiss and glanced back.
Seeing the little koi tilting her head back, gazing happily at the bubbles in the sky, he dismissed his unease and continued to the trash can, disposing of the rubbish.
"Husband, brother-in-law..."
Just then, Liu Nanfeng heard calls and looked up to see the two sisters standing on the steps.
Looking up from below, the two sisters seemed to glow with beauty, like a pair of exquisite flowers.
"Why are you here?" Liu Nanfeng asked in surprise.
"We were passing by, so we decided to come and see," Su Jinxiu said.
Then the two sisters walked down the steps.
"Hey, Sister, look, this is what Big Brother gave me!" The little koi also saw them and ran over happily.
But suddenly, she stopped.
She looked down at the ground.
"What's wrong?" Su Jinxiu asked, walking up with a smile.
Then she saw the little koi, her bottom tilted upwards, picking something up from the ground.
"Wow, fifty yuan! You're so lucky," Su Jinxiu said, a little surprised.
"Money?"
The little koi looked at the green paper bill in her hands back and forth, then asked with a happy expression, "Can I buy a lot of delicious food with this?"
"Of course," Su Jinxiu smiled and nodded.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..." The little koi was overjoyed.
"Wow, you really are lucky," Su Huamei also said with a laugh.
"Lucky?"
These words reminded Liu Nanfeng. He quickly patted his pocket and indeed, the luck-fortune pill from that morning was gone.
No wonder he felt something was off earlier; he had given the pill to the little koi along with the lollipops.
"Hong Jin, did you happen to eat a round, red bean earlier?" Liu Nanfeng asked nervously.
He was worried he might have harmed Feng Hongjin.
The little koi immediately nodded when she heard this.
"It had no taste, not good to eat," the little koi said.
"Quick, open your mouth and let me see if you feel unwell anywhere?"
Liu Nanfeng pried open her mouth, peered inside, and then felt her little belly, his face etched with anxiety.
"What's wrong?" Su Jinxiu asked, a little concerned.
"She ate a pill from my pocket," Liu Nanfeng said helplessly.
"Pill?" Su Jinxiu paused for a moment, then understood.
It was refined from a nascent demon. Who knew if eating it would cause problems, so she also quickly checked, but found nothing amiss.
Su Huamei and the little koi were a bit bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened.
Su Huamei planned to ask Liu Nanfeng properly that evening.
As for the little koi, with food and fun, she had forgotten all about it in an instant.
"You haven't eaten lunch, have you? Let's go find a place to eat together," Su Jinxiu said, taking the little koi's hand.
"Alright."
The three of them then headed towards the embankment.
But after only a few steps, the little koi suddenly pulled her hand away and, with her little bottom tilted upwards, picked up a coin from the ground.
Luck-Fortune: As long as you strive forward, fortune will surely descend. Walk more often.
So that's how you walk?
Now, even if she wasn't a koi, she was truly a lucky one.