roccoschili Chapter 185 The Happy Times of the Three Children
Chapter 185 The Happy Times of the Three Children
Inside that ancient and mysterious library, three curious children were happily wandering around.
Like nimble little elves, their light footsteps made a soft sound on the wooden floor.
Their fingers gently caressed the neatly arranged, slightly yellowed ancient books, as if engaging in a silent dialogue with history.
Suddenly, Jiang Youan's gaze was drawn by an invisible force and fixed on a book with a cover depicting exotic birds and beasts.
With a heart full of anticipation and reverence, he carefully and slowly pulled the heavy book from the shelf.
Then gently place it on a stone table bearing the marks of time, and slowly unfold it.
When the book was fully opened, Jiang Youan's already round eyes widened to the size of copper bells, sparkling with curiosity.
Just then, Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao, who were standing nearby, also noticed the commotion and curiously came over.
Soon, the three little heads were pressed tightly together, forming a close triangle.
They stared intently at the various lifelike monsters in the book, and began to comment on these strange creatures.
"Wow, look at this monster with three eyes! It looks terrifying! What if it suddenly appears in our palace?"
Jiang Youan covered his mouth with his hand and muttered in a low voice.
A fleeting look of tension crossed his fair and adorable face due to fear.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Nanyi, who was standing to the side, quickly reached out and patted Jiang Youan's shoulder heavily, then raised his chin.
With a confident look on her face, she said, "Oh dear, little brother You'an, don't be afraid! If such a monster really appears, Xiao Nanyao and I will definitely rush up to protect you without hesitation. After all, we are the bravest and most fearless friends in the world!" After saying that, she didn't forget to puff out her slightly thin chest.
Xiao Nanyao, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, quickly nodded in agreement with her brother.
Her bright, clear eyes revealed an unwavering determination, leaving no doubt about her resolve to protect her friends.
As the children were engrossed in their discussion, warm, soft rays of sunlight quietly streamed through the exquisitely carved windows of the library, transforming into dazzling golden beams that poured down. Tiny dust particles floating in the air danced within these beams of light, like a flock of golden butterflies displaying their graceful movements. However, the three children, completely absorbed in the wondrous world of the book, were oblivious to this, utterly unaware that time had slipped away so silently…
It wasn't until their stomachs started growling that they realized it was well past lunchtime.
"Let's go eat quickly, I'm starving!" Xiao Nanyao said pitifully, clutching her stomach.
So the three children held hands and skipped and hopped towards the imperial kitchen. Along the way, they were like happy little deer, weaving through the palace corridors.
As they passed a flowerbed, Xiao Nanyi suddenly stopped, his eyes lighting up: "Look, that flower is so special, let's pick it and give it to Mother!"
The other two immediately nodded in agreement. They cautiously entered the flowerbed, searching for the most unique flower. Jiang Youan reached out to pick it, but accidentally pricked his finger on a thorn, crying out in pain.
Xiao Nanyao quickly ran over, grabbed his hand, and gently blew on it: "Little brother You'an, are you alright? It's all because of these annoying flower thorns!"
Jiang Youan forced a smile despite the pain: "I'm fine, let's continue looking for flowers."
Finally, they found the flower, carefully cradled it, and continued walking towards the imperial kitchen. Inside, the chefs were busily preparing the meal.
Upon seeing the three little ones enter, a chef greeted them with a smile: "Little prince, little princess, and little guest, you must be starving! Come and try some of our newly made desserts."
The three sat around the table, enjoying the sweet pastries with gusto, and soon their stomachs were full. After the meal, they went to the pond in the Imperial Garden. The lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom, their pink petals swaying gently in the breeze, emitting a delicate fragrance.
Xiao Nanyi suggested, "Let's have a competition to collect the prettiest stones and see who collects the most and the prettiest ones!"
The competition began, and the three children carefully searched along the edge of the pond. Jiang Youan, with his sharp eyes, quickly spotted a strangely shaped stone with...
The faint patterns resembled a natural ink painting. He excitedly held it up: "Look at this one I found, what do you think?"
Not to be outdone, Xiao Nanyao found a smooth pebble next to some water plants; it was multicolored and very beautiful. Xiao Nanyi, on the other hand, found a stone with a small hole in a corner. Through the hole, she could see the scenery on the other side, which was quite interesting.
Just as they were having a great time, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and large raindrops began to fall with a pattering sound. The three of them hurriedly ran to a nearby pavilion to take shelter from the rain. Looking at the garden through the rain, Jiang Youan suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Let's name these flowers and trees, so that we can remember what happened today when we see them in the future."
Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao thought it was a great idea, so they began to seriously name the plants around them. Xiao Nanyi named the crooked willow tree "Wanwan" because its trunk was crooked, like a hunchbacked old man; Xiao Nanyao named the most vibrant rose bush "Honghong" because...
Its petals were as red as fire; and the largest lotus flower on that lotus leaf was named "Da Da" by Jiang Youan because its lotus leaf was really, really big.
The rain gradually stopped, and a beautiful rainbow appeared on the horizon. The three children excitedly ran out of the pavilion, looking up at the sky with eyes full of surprise.
"This rainbow is so beautiful! It's like a bridge leading to the sky!" Xiao Nanyao exclaimed.
Looking at the rainbow, Xiao Nanyi suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Let's have a race to see who can reach the end of the rainbow the fastest!"
After saying that, he dashed off first. Jiang Youan and Xiao Nanyao were not to be outdone, chasing closely behind. They ran through the garden after the rain, their laughter echoing throughout the entire space.
Before they knew it, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sky was tinged with orange-red sunset clouds. The three children were covered in sweat from playing, tired but happy.
"I'm so happy today. I wish every day could be like this," Jiang Youan said contentedly, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao nodded repeatedly. Hand in hand, they strolled slowly towards the palace. Along the way, they shared their joy and discoveries of the day, their little hearts filled with anticipation for tomorrow. Back at the palace, they gave the beautiful stone and the special flower they had found to Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan. The two queens, seeing their children's happy faces, couldn't help but smile.
Night fell like a vast black silk ribbon, gently draping the palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom. Moonlight, like water, streamed through the carved window lattices, bathing the children's room in a dreamlike veil. Xiao Nanyi, Xiao Nanyao, and Jiang Youan tossed and turned in bed, wide awake.
The happy scenes of playing during the day were still echoing in their minds, especially when they thought of the grown-up tiger cub. It felt like a kitten was scratching at their hearts, making them feel itchy and full of anticipation.
Finally, Xiao Nanyi couldn't hold back any longer and sat up from the ground, saying softly, "Xiao Nanyao, You'an, are you asleep? I really want to go play with Xiaohu."
Xiao Nanyao sat up abruptly, her eyes sparkling: "I wasn't asleep either, I want to go too! You'an, what about you?"
Jiang Youan excitedly crawled out of bed and nodded vigorously: "I want to go too, let's go quickly!"
The three children tiptoed into their clothes and cautiously opened the door. The corridor was quiet, save for the faint glow of a few palace lanterns.
They lit the way forward. Like three little mice, they moved quietly, afraid of disturbing others.
When they arrived at Little Tiger's place, Little Tiger was lying on the ground, leisurely wagging its tail. Seeing its three friends arrive, it immediately stood up excitedly, barking happily, and ran over to rub against them.
Xiao Nanyi reached out and patted Xiao Hu's head, smiling as he said, "Xiao Hu, did you miss us? Look, we secretly came to see you!"
Little Tiger seemed to understand him, wagging its tail happily and rubbing its head against Xiao Nanyi's chest. Xiao Nanyao also came over, gently stroking Little Tiger's back, and said, "Little Tiger, you've grown so much, and you've become even more majestic."
Jiang Youan took a small pastry out of his pocket and handed it to Xiao Hu: "Xiao Hu, this is a pastry I secretly hid. It's delicious. Try it."
Little Tiger sniffed the snack, opened its mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp. Then it licked its lips and looked at Jiang Youan with lingering satisfaction. Jiang Youan was amused by its appearance and laughed heartily: "Little Tiger, you're such a glutton!"
Then, they started playing games with Xiaohu. Xiao Nanyi picked up a small ball, threw it hard, and shouted, "Xiaohu, go and get the ball back!"
Little Tiger darted out like an arrow, and soon returned with the ball in his mouth. He placed the ball at Xiao Nanyi's feet and wagged his tail proudly, as if to say, "Look how awesome I am!"
Xiao Nanyao wanted to play too. She picked up a small twig, drew a big circle on the ground, and said to Xiao Hu, "Xiao Hu, let's play a jumping-the-circle game. You have to jump over this circle."
Little Tiger tilted his head, seemingly not quite understanding. Xiao Nanyao demonstrated, and Little Tiger looked at it, then took a few steps back, leaped forward, and easily jumped over the hoop. The three children clapped happily: "Little Tiger, you're amazing!"
Jiang Youan wasn't going to be outdone, so he came up with a new idea. He found a piece of cloth, covered his face with it, and said to Xiao Hu, "Xiao Hu, come find me."
Little Tiger circled around him, sniffing around, and soon found Jiang Youan. It nudged the cloth off his face with its head and licked his cheek with its tongue. Jiang Youan giggled at the lick and quickly took the cloth off, then hugged Little Tiger.
They were having a great time, their laughter carrying far and wide in the quiet night. Little Tiger was also having a wonderful time, sometimes rolling around on the ground, sometimes running around the children.
Before they knew it, it was already quite late. Xiao Nanyi yawned and said, "We should go back. It would be troublesome if Father and Mother found out we sneaked out."
Xiao Nanyao and Jiang Youan were also feeling a bit sleepy. They reluctantly said goodbye to Xiao Hu: "Xiao Hu, we'll come see you again next time. Be good, okay?"
Little Tiger seemed a little reluctant to leave them. He followed them for a few steps, then lay down on the ground, watching their departing figures until the three children disappeared into the night.