Chapter 165 : Mom is the Worst! Hmph!
"Get up already!!!"
After taking a morning soak in the hot spring and a walk around the courtyard, Ling Ning returned to the room to find that Xia You and Ling Ye were still fast asleep, with no intention of getting up.
This made Ling Ning furious. They had finally gotten out for a trip, and here they were, wasting time in bed until the sun was high in the sky. Sleep could be done anytime, but it wasn’t every day they got to visit a place like this!
To be blunt, Ling Ning was just annoyed—why could those two sleep so comfortably while she couldn’t? That was just unacceptable.
Apparently disturbed by Ling Ning's loud voice, Ling Ye furrowed her brow and pulled the blanket over her head, retreating into her makeshift turtle shell. Xia You, on the other hand, slowly blinked her eyes open.
Upon waking, Xia You adorably blinked a few times, instinctively scanning the room until her eyes landed on Ling Ning. She gave her a pure, sweet smile. "Good morning, Ling Ning~"
Seeing Xia You's gentle smile filled Ling Ning with a sudden wave of guilt.
"Is it really that late already?" Xia You checked her phone, feeling surprised. It was the first time in ages she’d slept in so late. Maybe it was because Ling Ning was there—having her close seemed to make her sleep feel more restful than usual.
"It's still early~ You don’t have to rush. If you still feel sleepy, you can go back to bed for a while," Ling Ning said, trying to ease her guilt.
Xia You shook her head. With Ling Ning around, it felt like her energy recovered faster than usual. She felt refreshed, as if she had limitless strength coursing through her. It must be that the "Ling Ning energy" was particularly abundant today.
When Xia You left to wash up, Ling Ning turned her attention to her still-snoozing daughter. With a thought that "one shouldn’t cultivate the bad habit of sleeping in at such a young age," Ling Ning reached out with her mischievous hands...
And began to tickle her daughter's waist.
"Wahahaha... Mom, stop! Stop tickling me! Ye Ye's awake, really awake now—hahaha!"
Ling Ning’s tickling attack proved extremely effective. Ling Ye, who was planning to sleep in just a little longer, immediately woke up, sitting upright with an aggrieved look as she glared at her mom.
"Since you’re up, hurry and wash up. Didn't you say you wanted to go explore the town today?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know~ You won't even let me sleep a little. Moms are the worst! Hmph~"
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After breakfast, the three of them met up with Zhou Xiaoxiao to head down to the little town at the base of the mountain. As for Qian Xu, he was still hiding in his room, too embarrassed to show his face. He’d discovered last night that the marker drawings on his face were practically impossible to wash off. Well, they weren’t totally permanent, but scrubbing them away was an ordeal.
It wasn’t until late at night that Zhou Xiaoxiao’s conscience pricked her enough to send him a message apologizing and admitting she’d grabbed the wrong marker—a permanent one instead of a washable one. She offered her sincerest apologies.
With Zhou Xiaoxiao apologizing like that, what could Qian Xu say? All he could do today was stay quietly in his room, scrubbing his face.
Without Qian Xu pestering her, Zhou Xiaoxiao was in unusually high spirits. She was bubbly and chatty the entire walk, and for some reason, she seemed particularly interested in chatting with Ling Ye. Though Ling Ye responded with minimal interest, Zhou Xiaoxiao didn’t seem to mind, continuing her attempts undeterred.
The town wasn’t far from the resort, and it took them just over half an hour to walk there.
It was obvious that the town had only begun to develop in recent years, as evidenced by the mix of new high-rises and old bungalows.
Ling Ning recalled what Ohana had mentioned that morning in the hot spring—this town had indeed only started developing in recent years.
There was a lively New Year’s atmosphere in the town. Every household had red couplets pasted on their doors, with bright red lanterns hanging overhead. From time to time, a group of rowdy kids could be seen running along the street, chasing each other or playing with colorful fireworks.
Ling Ye watched the children holding fireworks with a curious glint in her eyes. She had only ever seen such things on television or online—this was her first time seeing them in real life.
Noticing her daughter's eager gaze, Ling Ning instantly understood what she was thinking. After a quick glance around, she led her group toward a nearby street vendor.
In small towns like this one, it was common for fireworks stalls to pop up around the New Year.
The shop Ling Ning chose had an impressive variety of fireworks—everything from small sparklers to larger fireworks that needed a metal tube for launching.
Ling Ning considered for a moment, then bought a bag full of smaller fireworks, mostly sparklers. She handed the bag over to her daughter. "Ye Ye, these are yours to take care of. You can only set them off tonight during the fireworks festival, alright?"
"Yes! Ye Ye promises to complete the mission!" Ling Ye saluted her mom with a serious expression before hugging the bag of fireworks tightly, as if it were a treasure.
Ling Ning smiled faintly, gently patting her daughter's soft hair without saying a word.
The town had many local specialties, and the prices were reasonable, so Ling Ning couldn’t resist her impulse to buy quite a few things—"King's Power" truly at work here.
"Ooh, this bracelet is really pretty~"
Ling Ning came across a small shop selling handmade trinkets, and a particular bracelet caught her eye. It had a combination of red, yellow, blue, and white threads, and for some reason, she felt a strong attraction to it. It felt as if it was meant for her, as though it was predestined. Though she wasn't fond of wearing jewelry, buying it as a gift wasn’t a bad idea.
"Ling Ning, hurry up! There’s a performance starting over there~"
"I'm coming!"
Hearing Zhou Xiaoxiao's impatient voice, Ling Ning quickly paid for the bracelet without hesitation. After all, they might need it tonight.
"Mom, why’d you buy so many snacks?"
Ling Ye looked curiously at the bags of snacks her mom was holding. After all, they could easily find such snacks at any supermarket, so she couldn’t understand why her mom was buying so much.
"You'll find out tonight."
"Hey, there’s a cake shop here too. I’m gonna go take a look."
Ling Ye watched her mom’s retreating figure, tilting her head in confusion. There was definitely something off about her mom today, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
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Author's Note:
Stuck and feeling like a salted fish, my brain was empty all day. What a struggle~