Chapter 456 - 0280 Raising a Girl (Two-in-One)_2

"Why are you silent?" Yun Qian asked curiously, "Don’t you like me that much?"

"I do like you." Xu Chang’an sighed and released Yun Qian’s hand, "Miss, if you were a child, you’d surely be adorable."

Childlike innocence, with her, it’s Yun-like innocence.

"...Mm." Yun Qian responded quietly and said no more.

There’s no denying that Xu Chang’an’s use of Yun Qian’s logic as a counterattack was effective; at least, Yun Qian wasn’t thinking about finding him a daughter anymore.

She truly wouldn’t want to see him be dissatisfied with the daughter she found for him, or someday treating her like a daughter...

The key is, if Xu Chang’an sincerely requested it, she would not refuse.

For someone who has experienced marriage and being "Yun Qian," such a world is really better off being reset.

Of course, that’s just talk.

She cherishes every minute and second, how could she want a reset?

Seeing Miss Yun begin to question her life under his machinations, Xu Chang’an, the great sinner, finally felt a pang of guilt. He helplessly took her hand, interlocking their fingers, and sighed: "I truly don’t understand why you like me so much, Miss... it’s a blessing accumulated over several lifetimes."

Even the smallest matters cause her distress. Carrying such heavy emotions from Yun Qian, Xu Chang’an could only feel immense guilt after teasing her.

"Meeting me is not a blessing," Yun Qian said calmly, feeling the warmth in her palm, "I’ve also wondered through several lifetimes."

She couldn’t remember clearly.

"Reincarnation involves drinking Meng Po’s soup, how could you know?" Xu Chang’an pursed his lips, amused by her innocence.

"Mm." Yun Qian nodded, choosing not to correct anything.

He says there should be a Meng Po. Then let it be.

Xu Chang’an blinked: "I still don’t understand why you like me, Miss."

Yun Qian looked at him.

In her eyes, having someone like this amid the darkness was enough.

Some feelings can’t be explained in a short time, but for the name "Yun Qian," it makes sense to like someone who cares for her, someone meticulous and gentle.

However, she’s not just Yun Qian, so her feelings are heavier than Xu Chang’an imagines... not a mountain, not a vast ocean, but a weight that could shatter even the Heavenly Law that supports the Sea of Consciousness.

Yun Qian knows what the consequences are if he learns the truth; for him, overly heavy emotions would only become a burden and ultimately crush him, so... Yun Qian chose a frivolous but reasonable answer.

"Because you’re good-looking," she said.

In her eyes, it’s true.

Perhaps there were times he wasn’t good-looking, but to her, what is good-looking remains good-looking.

"...Miss, ’good-looking’ isn’t meant for me." Xu Chang’an twitched slightly at the corners of his eyes, his body leaned back slightly, "Miss is the good-looking one."

Miss Yun is inherently beautiful, and having been cared for all these years, she has been well-tended. With her cold demeanor softened, he likes her even more; in Xu Chang’an’s heart, every strand of her hair seems to be shimmering with light, manifesting a particularly clear beauty.

"You say I’m good-looking, then I’m good-looking." Yun Qian would no longer rebut by claiming she had no appeal, for although it was true that no one but Xu Chang’an liked her... "Yun Qian," this girl whom he personally cared for, must be good-looking.

No one can say she’s not good-looking, having been groomed by her husband’s hands.

"But you’re good-looking too." Yun Qian nodded, "That’s the reason I like you."

Simple and lightweight, she was quite satisfied with this answer herself.

"That’s not right. I have some self-awareness." Xu Chang’an said, "After coming to Open Source, I changed somewhat, but back on the island, I wasn’t a handsome guy."

Spending the days accompanied by oil and smoke, occasionally going up the mountain to catch sheep and down to the sea to fish, he was clearly just a wild child.

Only when serving her or reading did he calm down and stay clean...

What was good-looking about him?

"But I felt you were good-looking even then." Yun Qian recalled the past, the corners of her lips lifting into a genuine smile, forged from the depths of her Sea of Consciousness, indelible and beautiful memories.

However, before she could smile completely, her lips were pressed down by Xu Chang’an’s finger, stifling that shallow smile.

"?"

"Miss."

"Hm?"

"Miss..." Xu Chang’an’s eyes showed a hint of complexity, "You wouldn’t have liked me from back then, would you?"

Years ago, he was still a child.

Suddenly recalling how others spoke of Miss Yun outside.

That he was Miss Yun’s Child Foster Husband?

Yun Qian: "..."

Yun Qian froze for a good while before seeing a glint of an unseen smile in Xu Chang’an’s eyes. She realized she was being teased and said, "I liked you back then, just even more now."

"..." Therefore, it was Xu Chang’an whose smile stiffened.

Miss Yun is not one to lie; when she says she likes, she truly does.

"Forget it." Xu Chang’an shook his head, "I didn’t like Miss that much at first either; initially, it was just respect, only later did it change."

He didn’t think Miss Yun liked him the same way back then, just saw it as the result of fermentation.

This is ordinary logic.

Yun Qian chose not to correct anything.

She doesn’t lie. She’s said before that she liked Xu Chang’an back then and likes him even more now... specifically, she likes this current moment’s husband more than the previous moment’s.

Her feelings always accumulate, and when time loses its meaning for her, the amount of emotion isn’t something he can know or bear.

"I’d rather think about it myself; I can’t ask you." Xu Chang’an sighed.

He had asked offhandedly, but now he genuinely wanted to know why Miss Yun liked him.

Nothing outstanding about him, what was there to like?

"Could it be... to capture a girl, you have to first capture her stomach?" Xu Chang’an asked.

"Have you captured me?" Yun Qian blinked, feeling that it was always her doing the capturing, so she wanted to learn culinary skills.

"This isn’t capturing." Xu Chang’an indicated his hand holding Yun Qian’s slender wrist, then pretended to grab her stomach.

"Ticklish..." Yun Qian pushed away his mischievous hand, then said, "I do like what you cook, hmm... I’ve liked it since then."

The answer he wanted, this would do.

Indeed, she liked him more when he cooked, and that’s the truth.

What kind of person is Xu Chang’an?

With a mere glance from Miss Yun, he knew she was appeasing him, thus he clicked his tongue, "If I said Miss liked me from when I bathed and clothed you, would you also nod?"

"Mm." Yun Qian responded, "That’s something I like too."

"Then that’s settled." Xu Chang’an realized he simply couldn’t find the answers from this besotted girl who lacked assertiveness.

"So... what’s your thought?" Yun Qian was curious about his thoughts.

Very much wanting to know, in his heart, when did he think she started liking him.

Miss Yun wasn’t worried he’d say it was love at first sight, or even before they met, hence she was quite assured.

Indeed, Xu Chang’an hadn’t considered such peculiar things.

He said, "It probably started from the everyday moments?"

"What everyday moments?"

"Like now." Xu Chang’an stretched lazily.

Such feelings don’t have a clear beginning, can’t be pinpointed.

Growing out of daily life like mist, unknowingly finding liking.

Maybe from a cup of porridge at breakfast, maybe from a day making clothes for her, maybe truly during a bath.

Saturating silently.

No clear start.

But he does know when it would end.

This affection for her would end when he dies — if there’s no next life.