Chapter 175: 174 "Hmm, overthinking it.

Words : 1397 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 175: 174 “Hmm, overthinking it. “You...” Ai Yi turned her head, looked behind herself, and gave Shane a somewhat incredulous look. “What’s wrong?” Shane appeared indifferent, but internally he was secretly exclaiming. He couldn’t help it; the loli in his arms was just too soft and fragrant, and incredibly light, making the feel of her in his arms almost too good, causing Shane to nearly succumb in that instant he had picked her up. Seeing Ai Yi’s incredulous look made Shane feel amused. “Isn’t it just lifting you up? Is there a need to be so surprised?” With this little girl’s level of cuteness, he believed that everyone in the world would want to hold her, and surely her family must have held her often, right? However, while Shane thought this, Ai Yi fell silent. “Indeed, I am surprised,” Ai Yi murmured. “I can’t remember how long it’s been since I was last held like this.” Shane’s initial thought was shattered by Ai Yi’s remark. “Has nobody held you before?” Shane was genuinely surprised. Who would have thought that Ai Yi would then lower her eyelids. “Of course there has been,” Ai Yi said faintly, “it’s just that it was a very, very long time ago.” “Is that so?” Shane laughed as if he were seeing a child pretending to be an adult. “How long ago?” “At least, longer than you can imagine.” Ai Yi spoke in a tone that sounded both nostalgic and sorrowful. “There has only ever been one person who could hold me like this, and she is no longer here.” Ai Yi’s words cast a heavy mood around them. “Er...” Shane suddenly didn’t know what to say. Looking at this adorable little girl with a face full of nostalgia, in that moment, Shane truly began to wonder. (This girl called Ai Yi, could she really be no ordinary person?) The undetectable magic power. The mysteriously mature and self-directed behavior. And the current atmosphere. All these were telling Shane that Ai Yi might not be just a cute little girl as she appeared to be. (...According to the usual tropes, she might be a formidable figure.) Could she be a Goddess or a member of the Demon Clan who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years and was pretending to be a young girl in the Human Realm? As Shane thought this, Ai Yi seemed to sense something and turned her head. “You seem to be thinking something rude; surely it’s not just my imagination?” Ai Yi stared intently at Shane, making him inexplicably feel a chill down his spine. Now, Shane was certain. This adorable little girl was definitely not an ordinary child from some Noble Family, but a true powerhouse. As for how powerful, Shane didn’t know. At that moment, Shane could only force a smile. “No, you’re thinking too much, yeah, thinking too much.” He didn’t even know whether he was speaking for Ai Yi’s benefit or his own. “Forget about it.” Although Ai Yi still looked skeptical, she eventually gave up on probing further. She looked at Shane who was holding her and said, “By the way, why did you hold onto me?” Of course, it was to keep you from running around! Shane really wanted to say that. But, wanting to keep Ai Yi from wandering off, there were other methods, such as calling out to stop her, or just grabbing her hand; there was really no need to lift her up. But Shane had lifted Ai Yi up anyway. He had no other reason, only that seeing this cute little girl taking small steps, looking all set to march towards the Royal Palace with an air of importance, Shane just couldn’t control his hands. (If I tell the truth, would I get beaten up?) Shane hesitated. If he hadn’t guessed that Ai Yi was a formidable figure, he might not have considered these things, but now that he had, Shane naturally couldn’t tell the truth. Otherwise, who knew if this big shot was too much for Shane to handle? Thinking this, Shane could only hem and haw. “There’s no particular reason, I just suddenly wanted to hug you, is that not okay?” As soon as he said this, Shane even doubted whether he was some kind of pervert. Just because you want to hug, so you hug, and still ask if it’s okay? What kind of ravenous words are those? Just when Shane wanted to slap himself, Ai Yi was silent for quite a long while before finally sighing. “Since you’ve already hugged me, it’s too late to say anything now,” Ai Yi said, glancing at Shane. “But don’t treat me like a little child. I hate when people treat me like a child, and I hate when people think I’m short. So, don’t touch my head in the future, and don’t add ‘little’ in front of my name, understand?” Ai Yi’s face was serious and stern, clearly not joking. It seemed this young girl really hated being treated like a child. “Alright,” Shane said indifferently, nodding, but then he thought of something and blurted out, “So can I keep holding you like this in the future?” At that, Ai Yi was startled. “You still want to hug?” Ai Yi asked, puzzled. “Why?” Why? Isn’t that obvious? The feel is so good, so fragrant, so soft; not to keep hugging would be a big mistake, right? Shane really didn’t want to let go, even knowing Ai Yi was a hidden powerhouse. “You just tell me if it’s okay, or if it’s not.” Suddenly, Shane said it as if he were reciting a tongue twister. “If it’s not okay, then forget what I just promised. I’ll start calling you ‘little’ and touching your head in the future.” Shane started playing the scoundrel. This left Ai Yi both astonished and speechless. This Hero, had he become a bit different from the others? Since when could Heroes be so shameless? However... (It’s quite interesting.) Ai Yi couldn’t help but think so. If it were anyone else, even if that person was a Hero, Ai Yi wouldn’t mind dealing out some punishment for such disrespect. But Shane, although very disrespectful, didn’t make Ai Yi feel annoyed. Maybe it was because Ai Yi could feel Shane’s affection for her, or maybe because the long-missed embrace made Ai Yi feel nostalgic and emotional. So, Ai Yi was silent for another long while, sighing a second time. “Well, it’s already like this, I’ll specially allow it,” Ai Yi said, with a mix of resignation and nostalgia: “You should feel honored. The number of people who could do this, both in the past and in the future, should have been only one. Now you’re the second.” “Yes, yes, yes,” Shane responded, sounding as if the statement was quite impressive: “I’ll take it as an honor, Lord Ai Yi.” “Don’t call me ‘Lord’ either,” Ai Yi complained again. “Alright, alright,” Shane’s tone sounded quite dismissive. The two bickered for a while, and then Shane finally put Ai Yi down. “Here, take a few more, eat them slowly,” Shane said, handing over a few more desserts: “I’ll go deal with some annoying people now. You shouldn’t follow.” “Okay,” Ai Yi seemed indifferent, accepting the desserts and saying: “Then you go, I’ll wait here for you.” “You’ll wait for me?” Shane was taken aback. “Mm,” Ai Yi nodded, seemingly truly planning not to leave. “Alright,” Shane confirmed, nodding helplessly: “I’ll come back as soon as possible. Don’t go far, and don’t get tricked by anyone. If someone comes up to talk to you and invites you to go somewhere, just punch them and send them flying.” “Okay,” Ai Yi readily agreed, completely unaware that Shane’s way of talking was actually no different from coddling a child. Afterward, the two chatted a bit more before finally parting ways. Ai Yi watched Shane leave, looking at the desserts in her hands and recalling the recent embrace, a faint smile appeared on her face. “He really is quite interesting.” This was Ai Yi’s assessment of Shane.

Chapter 175: 174 "Hmm, overthinking it.

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