radicalducati Chapter 17 The Bunny That Fell From the Sky
Chapter 17 The Bunny That Fell From the Sky
Little Qingyi took the heavy lunchbox, hugged it tightly with her little arms, and politely bowed to Chef Li, saying in her childish voice, "Thank you, Uncle Li, I'm off!"
Chef Li grinned from ear to ear, feeling incredibly pleased with himself: Look how polite and well-behaved the little lady is, like a lucky doll straight out of a New Year's painting, she's practically a little angel on earth.
Huffing and puffing, Xiao Qingyi hugged her "gift" and toddled back to her room with her short legs. Her mind was racing with plans—this time, she was going to go play with her "good friend" Li Chengqian!
(If Li Chengqian knew, he would probably facepalm: When did I become your "friend"?)
In her little mind, her ancestor was so pitiful, eating such unpalatable meat every day. Last time she only brought some snacks, but this time she was determined to let her ancestor try her family's food, which was the best in the world!
She stuffed her beloved baby bottle into her pink backpack and then solemnly put on the phone watch her father had bought her on her chubby wrist. Looking at the insulated lunchbox and backpack lined up on the ground, Xiao Qingyi suddenly frowned, her brows furrowing: There seemed to be... a lot of things, and she didn't think she could carry that many.
Xiao Qingyi, who was sighing over her "luggage," was completely unaware that the familiar scenery around her was rippled and fading away silently.
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The Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters.
Li Chengqian had just finished the court session, changed out of his court robes, and was about to rest for a while when his gaze swept over the inner room, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Beside his large couch, which was covered with brocade, on the floor... when did a fluffy, white thing appear?
What is that?
He frowned, approached, and examined it closely...
A... rabbit? Has it become a spirit?
The "white dumpling" had its back to him, its two long, droopy ears drooping, and it was shaking its head and making small, annoyed sighs as it looked at the strange objects at its feet (a square box and a bulging bag).
Just as Li Chengqian was wondering if he was too tired to see clearly, the "white dumpling" seemed to sense his gaze, slowly turned around, and tilted its head back—
A familiar chubby face, delicately sculpted and surrounded by a fluffy white rabbit-ear hood, unexpectedly came into Li Chengqian's view.
Li Chengqian: "..."
A few words flashed through my mind: What a fat rabbit.
"Wow! Ancestor, you're here!" Xiao Qingyi, who was still worrying about her "luggage," instantly threw her troubles to the winds, and her big, round eyes shone brightly.
Looking at the "fat rabbit" that had "fallen from the sky" before him, Li Chengqian was surprised, but also felt a sense of knowing, "She's here again, just as I expected." She had disappeared for two days, and she had indeed reappeared. Judging from her attire today… could she really be a rabbit spirit?
"Grandma, I was just thinking of coming to play with you!" Xiao Qingyi jumped up excitedly, the long ears on her hat swaying. "I can't believe I'm here already! You're amazing! Did you know I was thinking of you and turn me around? Are you a fairy?"
immortal?
Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow slightly. "Young man, you've asked the wrong question. I did nothing; you yourself appeared and disappeared in an instant. If we're talking about supernatural abilities, aren't you more like it?"
But looking at the round, childlike face before him, with its clear, innocent eyes, which didn't resemble a spirit at all, he secretly shook his head. Well, if it really was a spirit, it was probably just a little rabbit spirit with shallow cultivation and no understanding of the world.
"Where did you go the other day?" The words had barely left his mouth when Li Chengqian himself was taken aback. He hadn't even realized he'd asked such a... almost concerned question. He was truly bewitched.
"I'm home!" Xiao Qingyi answered matter-of-factly, her little face full of confusion. "Didn't Grandma know? Didn't you take me home?"
Li Chengqian: "..."
If he possessed such supernatural powers of doing as he pleased and traversing distances without fear, why would he need to toil away at official documents? He would probably have already helped his father pacify the four directions and ensure the eternal prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
Xiao Qingyi, however, drew her own conclusion and became even more excited. She opened her short arms, clad in a plush bunny costume, and hugged Li Chengqian's leg tightly: "Grandpa, you're so amazing! You sent me home the day before yesterday, and today you brought me here again! Were you missing Yiyi too, which is why you sent me?"
Li Chengqian looked down at the "fat bunny" enthusiastically "hanging" on his lap, finally bent down, and casually picked up the heavy bundle, shattering her fantasy with a calm tone: "I have no such ability."
What?
Xiao Qingyi wrapped her arms around his neck, her little feet swinging restlessly in his embrace, the soft rabbit ears on her hat brushing against Li Chengqian's chin: "Not the Ancestor? Then who sent this duck from our nest?"
Li Chengqian was also pondering this question.
A person doesn't simply disappear and reappear out of nowhere. Either she possesses unfathomable abilities, or she uses some special "medium."
As the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengqian received instruction from renowned teachers from a young age, read extensively, and possessed a sharp mind far surpassing his peers. Looking at the little dumpling in his arms, who was at most four or five years old and no different from an ordinary child except for her unusual attire, he almost immediately ruled out the former—if she possessed such supernatural abilities, she would not be so bewildered.
Therefore, the answer is most likely the latter.
His gaze swept over the oddly shaped square box (insulated lunchbox) and the bulging bag (small backpack) she had brought with her, and a thoughtful look crossed his eyes.
Perhaps it wasn't "someone" who brought her here, but rather "something" that became the bridge connecting that place and this place?
"Perhaps," he spoke slowly, his voice calm and cautious, "it wasn't someone who led you here, but rather something special about you that became the... medium for your arrival."