Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 91 – Blockhead

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Ning Shaobai had no idea his heartbeat had already given him away. As if she hadn’t noticed anything, Xia Mian subtly removed her hands, rubbed her nose, and muttered while glaring at him, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Ning Shaobai caught her hand. “Don’t rub it. You may get a nosebleed.”

“It’s not that bad, just a little sore,” Xia Mian said quickly, covering her nose. A little angel’s nostrils must never be seen—especially not by a handsome guy!

Xiao Feng had already run over, looking at her with concern. “Auntie?”

Ning Shaobai let her go, his now empty fingers unconsciously curled slightly.

Over there, Xia Mian squatted down and let Xiao Feng check, “It’s okay, don’t worry.”

Xiao Feng lifted his hand and carefully pinched her nose, then smiled. “It’s fine.”

Xia Mian kissed his soft cheek. “That’s right, it’s fine.”

Ning Shaobai watched her doting expression, then followed her gaze toward Xiao Feng. Something seemed to occur to him, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Xiao Feng quickly noticed his stare and looked up. “Uncle Ning?”

Xia Mian, thinking he was trying to sneak inside while she was distracted, hurriedly stopped him. “Dr. Ning, you can’t go in and ruin the mood.”

Ning Shaobai let her hold him back without resisting. Instead, he ruffled Xiao Feng’s hair and said, “Go get Chenchen and Huizhu, then come to the training room together.”

Xiao Feng was puzzled, “Uncle Han took the day off.”

“I’ll teach you today,” Ning Shaobai replied. “When it comes to martial arts, you can’t slack off on training.”

The boy saw nothing strange in this and obediently went to call the other two.

Xia Mian eyed Ning Shaobai suspiciously. “What’s your scheme? Coach Han’s been off for five or six days, and you didn’t offer to teach them before.”

“Because I have tomorrow and the day after off,” he replied. “And didn’t you say not to disturb my sister? Of course, we have to take Chenchen, that little third wheel, out of the way too.”

That was what he said, but Xia Mian couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t being purely altruistic.

Just as she was mulling it over, he added, “You should join us.”

His tone remained nonchalant. “Aren’t you leaving the day after tomorrow? You can memorize the basic drills Xiao Feng needs to practice, so you can keep up his training when you go back. This is the time to build his foundation—if you stop too long, all the progress will be wasted.”

Xia Mian: “…”

So this is just a ploy to get me to your place?

Heh, I’m not falling for it!

“No need, I already know all the basic drills.” Xia Mian responded with a bright, innocent smile. “Or you can just tell Xiao Feng directly—he’ll remember better than I do, so I won’t even need to supervise.”

“We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, so I need to start packing.” Without waiting for Ning Shaobai’s reply, she waved. “Dr. Ning, see you tomorrow!”

And by “tomorrow,” she knew she’d be busy packing most of the day, plus Xia Wenyue and the others would be back, probably with a bunch of instructions to give her. There’d be no time to run to his house!

Just as she thought of that, she clapped her hands. “Oh, right. You’re off work tomorrow, Dr. Ning—so I don’t need to bring you breakfast or lunch!”

“See you the day after tomorrow!”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

“Uncle Ning!”

“Uncle!”

Ning Shaobai’s gaze shifted to the children rushing hand-in-hand, and his eyes narrowed…

…

Xia Mian had fully intended not to go over, but she had underestimated Ning Shaobai’s determination.

By nine o’clock, the kids were still next door and hadn’t come back.

Using the children like this—what a schemer! So Xia Mian pretended to be busy and sent Mao Huimei to fetch them, but before long, she came back alone. “They won’t come. Just let them play over there tonight—Dr. Ning will watch over them while they sleep.”

Xia Mian: “???”

What on earth had Ning Shaobai done to them?

Unable to resist her curiosity, she finally wandered over next door.

Just as she arrived, she ran into Aunt Wei, who was there to pick up Chenchen—also empty-handed.

But Aunt Wei seemed perfectly happy about it, smiling as she said, “Didn’t expect Xiao Bai to be so good at entertaining children. Let them sleep here tonight.”

Xia Mian’s curiosity deepened.

As soon as she stepped past the decorative gate, she saw a large bamboo mat laid out in the middle of the yard, with a mosquito net propped up over it. Braids of burning mugwort hung at each of the four corners to ward off insects. A warm yellow lamp glowed in the yard, and the three kids were tumbling around inside the net.

Mao Huizhu, in particular, was deep in character—draped in her mother’s silk scarf, wearing a straw hat, she was in the middle of an intense martial battle with her great rival, Chenchen.

Their battle for the title of Martial Arts Leader had dragged on for two years without a winner. Meanwhile, Xiao Feng, once a humble disciple, had suddenly become a reclusive martial arts master—because Huizhu and Chenchen had realized that every main character has a mysterious, all-powerful teacher.

Whenever one of them lost, they’d go to the “master” to learn a move, then rush back into battle, only for the other to come back next time to learn as well.

While the two fought, Xiao Feng lay on his back, gazing at the stars, which the other two insisted was “entering a meditative state.”

Well, these kids certainly had rich imaginations.

When Xiao Feng spotted Xia Mian, he lifted the net and crawled out. “Auntie.”

Xia Mian smiled as she walked over. “Having fun?”

Instead of standing to hug her, Xiao Feng sprawled out on the mat, arms and legs spread, looking up at her with eyes like crescent moons reflecting the starry sky. “Auntie, you’re so beautiful!”

He patted the spot beside him. “Auntie, come.”

Xia Mian slipped off her shoes and lay down. A sky full of stars filled her vision, and she let out a breath of awe, “So beautiful.”

No wonder even Xiao Feng didn’t want to go back. On a hot summer night, lying under the open sky had its special charm—especially with such a brilliant spread of stars overhead, so close it felt like you were part of it. The feeling was indescribable.

Xiao Feng rolled onto his side, resting his little head on her arm, utterly content as he stared at the glittering sky.

Huizhu and Chenchen had just finished another round and, seeing their “master” lying down, joined them. Space was tight, so their bodies stayed inside the mosquito net, only their heads poking out as they looked at the stars.

“Milky Way,” Xiao Feng said, pointing to the bright silver band across the sky.

“That’s right, the Milky Way,” Xia Mian replied, ruffling his hair as she began telling the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

Chenchen and Huizhu, their energy spent, soon drifted off, breathing evenly.

Leaning against his aunt’s shoulder, Xiao Feng murmured sleepily, “Auntie, Mom’s here too.”

Xia Mian paused, then kissed his forehead. “That’s right. Xiao Feng’s mom is here—she’s watching you sleep.”

Xiao Feng’s eyes curved happily as he lay on his back looking at the sky, slowly closing them.

Feeling the gentle cool of the night breeze, Xia Mian began to grow drowsy herself. She sensed Ning Shaobai coming out of the house; he carefully carried Huizhu, Chenchen, and Xiao Feng one by one into the mosquito net, covering them with blankets.

A moment later, she felt warmth over her as well—a blanket tucked around her.

She opened her eyes, and their gazes met.

Xia Mian didn’t know exactly how Ning Shaobai was looking at her, but under the night sky, that strikingly handsome face seemed to carry a touch of softness, as if his eyes held no one else but her.

Her heart began to beat uncontrollably. They stayed like that, motionless, for a while, until Ning Shaobai, looking cautious, raised his hand to cover her eyes and slowly brushed downward.

Xia Mian couldn’t help but laugh. She caught his hand and whispered, “What, are you trying to make sure I rest in peace?”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

He chuckled too. “You were staring at me without moving—I thought you’d zoned out.”

“How would you know I was staring unless you were staring at me? You were in the exact same position, okay?” Xia Mian teased. “What, bewitched by my beauty?”

Ning Shaobai laughed, then simply sat down on the mat beside her. “That’s right—you’re the most beautiful, an angel descended to earth.”

Xia Mian, always one for returning a compliment, grinned. “Well, Dr. Ning, you’re ridiculously handsome, too. I was so stunned by your looks just now, I couldn’t believe I was still in the mortal realm. I was wondering which celestial world I’d landed in and which regal deity I’d just met.”

He laughed again, tapping her forehead lightly. “Where do you come up with all this nonsense?”

Xia Mian’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she took his hand and shook it. “Dr. Ning…”

“Mm?”

Whether it was the night or something else, his voice carried a tender, velvety note that was dangerously alluring.

She tightened her hold on his hand. “I think you’re genuinely amazing—handsome, good-natured, capable of anything…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “And then?”

She could feel his hand struggling as if to return her grip, only for him to restrain himself.

Just as his fingers were about to close over hers, a sly glint flashed in her eyes and she said solemnly, “I’ve decided—you should be my brother! From now on, we’ll be as close as family.”

For Ning Shaobai, whose heart had been ready to leap out of his chest, everything came to an abrupt stop. He nearly forgot to breathe.

When he finally did clasp her hand, his grip was so strong it hurt. Xia Mian, worried about waking the kids, grimaced in a low voice, “Ow, ow, ow!”

“You deserve it,” Ning Shaobai said, still irritated.

Not satisfied, he reached out and flicked her forehead. “Don’t even think about it. Having a little sister like you will stave off years of my lifespan.”

“Hmph, fine then,” Xia Mian said, sitting up. “If you don’t want the honor, so be it.”

Then, slipping into full drama mode, she put on a pitiful expression. “It was just my foolish wish… I thought if Dr. Ning were my real brother, I’d be so happy.”

“I could shamelessly act spoiled with you, have you clean up my messes, mooch your food and drinks…” She patted the mat. “Even sleep on your bed…”

Ning Shaobai nearly choked. “What kind of nonsense is that? You make it sound like you’re not already enjoying all of that without shame.”

Her eyes lit up as she leaned closer. “Then why don’t you just let me be your sister? Titles are important!”

He pushed her away firmly. “Not a chance.”

Next year, when you can have a rightful claim, I’ll be the one enjoying it—and I’ll be justified in giving you a good lesson too.

Xia Mian pouted as she crawled up from the mat.

“What are you doing?” Ning Shaobai asked.

“Going back to sleep,” she replied. “Since I’m not your sister, how could I keep sleeping on your bed without guilt?”

Ning Shaobai rubbed his temples. “What nonsense is that? Even a sister can’t sleep on my bed!”

Then he paused, realizing he’d been completely thrown off. What does this have to do with beds?

Xia Mian was already on her feet, heading out. “Alas, it was just my foolish wish. From now on, I’ll treat you with the respect due to Dr. Ning.”

“I should have been doing that from the start. I’ve just been too presumptuous, taking advantage of your patience.”

With that, she covered her face and ran off. “I’ll be more careful from now on!”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

Does this blockhead not realize there’s a third option?

Author’s Note:

Dr. Ning: “When the day comes and I finally have that rightful claim, the first thing I’ll do is give this girl a good, justified smack.”

Translator’s Note:

This is the last of the weekly mass release. Thank you Devon for your sponsor~