Chapter 24
The bushes seemed sparse and not very tall, making it hard to believe that a child could be hiding there.
If it were anyone else, they would have been scared out of their wits hearing that voice. But Zuo Bian, a cultivator who had seen countless strange and wondrous creatures, wasn’t afraid; she was curious.
‘555, you heard that too, right?’
【5555555 I didn’t hear anything, that’s so scary! Why would there be a child’s voice? Could it be a ghost?】
‘555, aren’t you a system that transcends humanity? Are you afraid of ghosts?’
Faced with Zuo Bian’s question, 555 vehemently denied it.
【What? Me, 555, afraid of ghosts? Don’t talk nonsense, Host!】
By then, Zuo Bian had already reached the bushes. She crouched down, her hand about to touch the leaves.
555 wanted to shield its vision out of fear, but it wasn’t something it could control. It could only face whatever was in the bushes along with Zuo Bian.
‘Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.’
【I-I’m really not scared~】555’s voice trembled, clearly putting on a brave front.
“42, 43, 44, 45…”
The voice from the bushes continued counting without stopping.
Zuo Bian boldly parted the bushes, revealing the source of the sound.
It was a green, frog-shaped alarm clock! The alarm clock was round like a ball, with a cat-like mouth that was counting.
555 breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the alarm clock. So it was just an alarm clock, it had thought it was something strange.
Zuo Bian picked up the green alarm clock, turning it over and over. It only looked like an alarm clock; it didn’t actually have hour, minute, or second hands. She poked the alarm clock’s white face with her finger, and it was surprisingly bouncy.
When Zuo Bian poked it, the alarm clock’s counting stuttered for a moment, but then it resumed as if nothing had happened. It was as if the slight pause was just Zuo Bian’s imagination.
Zuo Bian listened quietly to the alarm clock’s voice, all the way to 99.
“98, 99, 1, 2, 3, 4…”
“It started counting again, what a strange clock. Is this really a clock, or is it a broken record?” Zuo Bian couldn’t help but squeeze the alarm clock’s face again.
“You’re the broken record, ribbit! 23, 24, 25…”
Zuo Bian looked at the alarm clock in surprise. “Wow, it can talk.”
The little frog puffed up its cheeks and nudged Zuo Bian’s finger. “31, 32, it’s obvious, ribbit! I’m called Little Frog, ribbit! Do you want to be the 100th, ribbit?”
“The 100th?” Zuo Bian asked, confused.
“I eat people, ribbit! I’ve already eaten 99, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!” The little frog’s cheeks puffed up as it spoke, its soft, childish voice sounding adorable.
Zuo Bian’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the little frog, just like she looked at the little dumpling plushie Qin Ai had given her.
“You’re so cute! Do you have an owner? If not, I’ll take you home with me.”
“Ribbit! Of course, I have an owner, ribbit! Although she left me here, I know she’ll come back for me, ribbit!”
Zuo Bian looked at the little frog sympathetically, gently stroking its head. “Poor thing, it seems you’ve been abandoned by your owner. I’ll take you home then.”
【Host, are you really going to take it home? Its temper doesn’t seem very good, and it’s very noisy.】
Actually, 555 was afraid that the little frog would threaten its position in Zuo Bian’s heart. The little frog was just too cute, even 555 was almost smitten.
“555, you can’t be prejudiced against it. Little Frog looks very cute.” Zuo Bian tucked the little frog into her arms.
The grumpy little frog miraculously quieted down. It had lived for thousands of years, but it had never been held like this before.
In the afternoon, Zuo Bian had to go back to filming, so she could only temporarily put Little Frog in her bag. When she returned to her hotel room in the evening, she immediately took it out.
Little Frog rolled around on the table, counting as it went. 555, seeing that Little Frog had a physical body, felt envious and wanted one too.
“555, you could hack into my phone before, why don’t you try hacking into the little dumpling?” Zuo Bian held the dumpling plushie Qin Ai had given her.
555 exerted its power, and the little dumpling actually stood up.
“I have a body! Woohoo!” 555 clumsily walked around on the bed, stumbling several times as it wasn’t used to its new body.
Zuo Bian placed Little Frog from the table into the arms of 555, who was now inhabiting the little dumpling’s body. “555, don’t bully Little Frog, I’m going to chat with Qin Ai.”
555 wanted to pat its chest to make a promise, but its small hands were too soft and short, making the gesture look anything but imposing.
“Don’t worry, I, 555, am very mature. I’ll take good care of the little one.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian patted 555’s soft, round head as a reward.
Zuo Bian took out her phone and lay on the bed, opening her chat with Qin Ai. She searched through the emojis and sent one with a Caogenyantuanzi popping out of a gift box.
Zuo Bian: Your little cutie wants to see you.
After waiting for two minutes, Zuo Bian didn’t receive a reply from Qin Ai. Her dangling feet fell onto the bed.
Just as Zuo Bian was about to get up and find something to drink, a pop-up appeared on her phone screen. She stared at it for a moment and realized it was a video call invitation from Qin Ai.
Zuo Bian’s feet immediately swung back up, almost kicking 555 and Little Frog, who were “fighting.”
After clicking “Accept,” Qin Ai appeared on the screen. She seemed to be in a study, with a wall full of bookshelves behind her.
“I can see you now.” Zuo Bian couldn’t help but smile upon seeing Qin Ai.
Seeing Zuo Bian’s smile, Qin Ai’s face also softened. “Because you said you wanted to see me.”
“I forgot to ask yesterday, Qin Ai, how did you and Hu Miaofu fall into the water together?”
Qin Ai said, “She mistook me for you.”
“Huh?” Zuo Bian didn’t understand what Qin Ai meant. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Why? I don’t think I’ve even spoken to Hu Miaofu more than a few times.”
“Hatred can arise so easily. Excellence can also be a reason for envy. But you won’t be seeing her for much longer.” Qin Ai’s expression remained unchanged as she spoke, as if she was just commenting on the weather.
Zuo Bian blinked and asked in a low voice, “Are you going to get rid of her? There’s no need for that.”
Qin Ai suddenly chuckled, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “I’m not a gangster. I just had her removed from your production crew. She won’t be acting in the drama anymore.”
“Oh, okay, then I’m relieved.”
“It sounds like there’s someone else there with you.” Qin Ai’s brows furrowed.
Zuo Bian subconsciously glanced at Little Frog and 555, who were “wrestling.” “It’s two cute little friends.”
“You’re a big dummy, ribbit! Dummy, dummy, dummy, ribbit!”
“You’re the dummy, little dummy! I’ll spank you and teach you a lesson!”
Little Frog had a childish voice, and after obtaining a body, 555’s voice was also childish. Their bickering wasn’t even on the level of elementary school kids arguing, it was more like kindergarteners quarreling.
Qin Ai on the other end of the phone clearly heard their childish bickering, and a smile appeared on her lips. “So it’s children.”
Zuo Bian didn’t even realize that Qin Ai had been jealous, and Qin Ai’s jealousy had already dissipated.
“Qin Ai, I’ve taken too many days off recently, and I don’t know when the filming will wrap up. I still don’t know when I’ll get to hear you play the piano.” Zuo Bian muttered, her expression slightly disappointed.
Qin Ai said, “You can hear it now.”
“Really?” Zuo Bian’s eyes lit up.
“Mm, wait a moment.”
Zuo Bian watched as the camera moved, the image shifting to a heavy, carved wooden door.
Qin Ai reached out and opened the door. A pitiful-looking ball rolled into the study.
Zuo Bian stared at the phone screen, trying to see clearly. She finally realized that it wasn’t a ball, but Qin Tian.
Qin Tian slowly got up from the floor and clung to Qin Ai’s leg like a small rice cake. “Sister, why didn’t you include me in the call with Zuo Bian? I want to talk to her too.”
“Xiao Tian? Why are you squatting at the door?”
Hearing Zuo Bian’s voice, Qin Tian put on an even more pitiful act. He wiped the drool from his face and said tearfully, “Sister kicked me out. Zuo Bian, tell her off, how could she be so heartless to her cute little brother?”
Qin Ai bent down and “gently” patted Qin Tian’s head. “Xiao Tian is so cute, how could Sister be so heartless to you? Come on, help me hold the phone.”
“Mm-hmm!” Qin Tian instantly stopped crying and smiled. He took the phone from Qin Ai’s hand and followed her into the music room next door.
Although Qin Ai hadn’t entered this room in seven years, it was still cleaned daily, and the piano was as well-maintained as ever.
Qin Ai sat down at the piano, Qin Tian holding the phone towards her. Zuo Bian sat up in bed, specifically to watch Qin Ai play the piano.
Bright light shone down on Qin Ai, her long, thick eyelashes casting shadows on her fair skin, hiding the emotions in her eyes.
But Zuo Bian could still feel that Qin Ai was reminiscing about something.
Qin Ai placed her long, jade-like fingers on the black and white keys. After a long silence, she finally pressed down, producing the first note.
It was a familiar tune, simple and cheerful, completely different from Qin Ai’s cold and aloof image.
It was “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” the song Zuo Bian had sung for Qin Ai before.
This simple nursery rhyme took on a different color under Qin Ai’s fingertips. It was cheerful and bright, each note seeming to strike Zuo Bian’s heart.
“It’s so beautiful.” Zuo Bian’s eyes were filled with longing. She also wanted to be able to play music so effortlessly like Qin Ai.
Zuo Bian listened to Qin Ai play several more pieces. Qin Ai seemed to be lost in the music, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
“You should go to sleep. One last lullaby, sweet dreams.” Qin Ai’s expression softened as she touched the piano, a gentleness that seemed out of place on her face.
Zuo Bian fell asleep to the flowing piano music. 555 and Little Frog had long stopped their bickering. They slept soundly on either side of Zuo Bian’s head.
Qin Tian, who was holding the phone, also dozed off, his head resting on the table. Qin Ai closed the piano lid and carried Qin Tian back to his room.
In the past, even when everything was quiet at night, her heart was not.
Tonight, she could feel that her heart was at peace. Qin Ai smiled and turned off the light.
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