Chapter 65

Last time, we talked about how Li Kuan taught Li Lizhi to practice boxing, but Xiao Nianwei was causing trouble on the side, splashing Li Kuan with shaved ice. What will be the outcome this time? Will Li Kuan lose his temper? Will the two little girls be taught a lesson by his angry fists? Please read on.

Li Kuan lay on the ground, with Li Lizhi lying on his chest, and a little girl on Li Lizhi's back, wriggling and babbling happily, holding a small porcelain bowl. The half-melted shaved ice had drenched Li Kuan's head and face.

"Get up, all of you! You're going to get your little bottoms in big trouble, and I'll plant a pumpkin on each of them!" Li Kuan roared in anger, his fierce gaze scaring Li Lizhi as she tried to get up. She had never seen her second brother so angry before.

It's no wonder Li Kuan was angry. In just a few days, the little girl on Li Lizhi's back had played tricks on him three times, each time making him laugh and cry at the same time. He could only seethe inwardly, but every time he faced the little girl's innocent smile, he couldn't help but forgive her, only to be tricked again and get angry once more. This cycle had become a pattern that made him shudder, and Li Kuan now wanted to end it, or it might continue.

The thought of such a miserable life made Li Kuan want to bang his head against the wall. So this time, he was really determined to teach this bold little girl a lesson. His second brother wasn't a pushover, and if provoked, he would be hurt and cry rhythmically. Therefore, Li Kuan began to exert himself, bending his legs to plant his feet firmly on the ground, digging his toes into the earth, and using his waist strength to lift all three of them off the ground. This was a big test for Li Kuan, who was only eight years old and far from his peak strength. Although his whole body's strength had increased after entering the Mingjing stage, his waist and abdomen were still not strong enough. So, in addition to using his waist, he also used his hands to push against the ground, bending them and then springing upward, creating an upward momentum. With this force, Li Kuan managed to get all three of them to stand up.

The moment they stood up, Li Kuan's hands quickly circled around to the front to catch the little girl on top, who would have fallen if he hadn't. Li Lizhi's hands were only loosely supporting her, and if she fell, he might have to comfort her instead of punishing her.

"Ha ha... That was fun! Wei'er wants to do it again!" Xiao Nianwei showed no sign of impending trouble, only finding it fun to suddenly fly up from the ground, and she called out for another round.

Li Kuan let the two little girls go, and Li Lizhi, with her sister on her back, stood timidly to the side. She had never seen her second brother angry before, and she was truly scared. Now, she only dared to sneak peeks at him, afraid of seeing that angry look again. Seeing her second brother with a stern face, she quietly put her sister down.

Li Kuan, with a stern face, wiped the shaved ice residue from his cheeks and then turned to look at the silent Li Lizhi and the still excited Xiao Nianwei. "Is it fun? Do you always play with your second brother? Is it that amusing?"

At this moment, the little girl finally realized something was wrong. She turned her head with two little pigtails and saw her second brother's face, which was dripping with juice and had a gloomy expression. Xiao Nianwei was at a loss. Her second brother was angry, seemingly because she had done something wrong, but she couldn't figure out what. Her face showed confusion, and her smile disappeared.

A small spoon tapped on her head, and the little girl tried hard to think about what she had done wrong, but she couldn't remember. Her little mouth began to pout, and her big eyes started to well up with tears, ready to burst into tears at any moment.

"What, crying again? This trick doesn't work anymore, little girl. You've been causing trouble for your second brother these past few days! First, you fell into the lake, then you sprayed snot on his face, and now you used shaved ice to wash his face. You're really something!" Li Kuan squatted down, holding the little girl's shoulders, and looked into her big eyes. "Do you know that your second brother has things to do? Do you know that this concerns the lives of everyone in the mansion? Please don't cause trouble anymore, okay?" Li Kuan didn't care if the little girl understood, and he vented his inner frustration and anxiety. Historically, Li Lizhi and the little girl were recorded as safe, but what about himself? Would he be safe? And with the small changes he had made in this era, would Li Er still defeat Li Jiancheng and become emperor as recorded in history? Li Kuan was worried about his future, which was one of the reasons he was so determined, trying to exhaust himself physically to avoid overthinking.

"Second brother..." Li Lizhi felt that her second brother was strange today. The indescribable feeling made her feel that her second brother was now a stranger, no longer the familiar one who laughed with her, told her stories, and put her to sleep. He was someone else, but she also felt that this second brother had a different charm, deeper and more attractive than the lazy, smiling one. His words made Li Lizhi feel that her second brother was anxious and lost, but why didn't he share with her? She would help him come up with ideas and share his burdens. The little girl had many thoughts, but Li Kuan's secret couldn't be revealed.

Xiao Nianwei, however, didn't have the same feeling as Li Lizhi. She was too young and only felt that her second brother was scolding her, filling her little heart with委屈 (grievance): Did she make her second brother dislike her? Did he no longer like Xiao Nianwei? The little girl looked at the familiar face with tears quietly sliding down her tender cheeks, looking particularly pitiful and heart-wrenching.

"Xiao Nianwei, do you know that your second brother really likes you? He hopes you grow up happily, just like your sister Li Lizhi. You two are the dearest people to your second brother in this era. He really wants to see you grow up and marry well, but he doesn't know if that day will come! Ha ha..." Li Kuan forced a bitter smile, his uncertainty about the future making him somewhat pessimistic. In less than half a month, the Xuanwu Gate would be stained with blood, and the Qin Mansion would be surrounded by Xue Wanche's troops. There might be a battle, and Li Kuan could hide, but he didn't want to. He knew this was the most critical moment to change history and his fate. His previous influence on history was minor, but if he changed something in this battle for succession, it would be a significant distortion of history, and he would know if he would be erased by the historical correction force.

History is something that has already happened, and going back in time can only make one a spectator. Li Kuan didn't remember where he read this, but he deeply believed it. History had a corrective force, making everything follow a predetermined path. Li Kuan didn't know if this was true, but this time he would test it, to see if changing history would create another parallel space or revert everything to its original path.

Reaching out, he wiped the tears from her cheeks, looking at the bewildered Xiao Nianwei. Li Kuan realized he had been overwhelmed by his emotions, and this outburst had left the little girl at a loss. Not only Xiao Nianwei but also Li Lizhi, who understood most of what he said, might overthink it.

"Be good, Xiao Nianwei, don't cry. Your second brother will take you all out of the city to play tomorrow!" Li Kuan didn't ask Li Lizhi to keep it a secret. Even if she understood, she would probably only tell Changsun, who had been laissez-faire with Li Kuan for the past two years and almost never interfered with his affairs, so there was no need to say more.

Li Lizhi obediently came to Li Kuan, looking at him with a complex expression.

"What, don't you recognize your second brother? You've been practicing boxing so much that you're almost crazy. We'll go out to play tomorrow! Go tell Mother, and you can also invite Qingque." Li Kuan said gently.

"Okay, second brother!" Li Lizhi replied softly, not looking at Li Kuan, turned around, and led the still dazed Xiao Nianwei towards the door.

"Li Lizhi, you're not angry with your second brother, right?" Li Kuan finally asked. He had suddenly lost his temper today because he had been suppressing his feelings for too long, and the bowl of shaved ice was just the trigger. But he had lashed out at Li Lizhi and the two-year-old Xiao Nianwei, which was too rash. Now, he regretted it but was too embarrassed to admit it until Li Lizhi was about to leave the room.

"Second brother, how could Li Lizhi be angry with you? Although I don't know what's wrong with you, I know you're not feeling well, and I even think you're scared. I'm useless and can't help you, so how could I be angry? It's just Xiao Nianwei." Li Lizhi was already seven and no longer as naive as she was two years ago. Her keen observation had detected some signs of Li Kuan's abnormality, so she could understand, but the youngest little girl...

Xiao Nianwei was not as lively as usual, allowing Li Lizhi to lead her like a delicate doll. Her little mind was still replaying her second brother's angry face, muttering, "Is Nianwei disliked? Nianwei is a motherless child, and now she's also disliked by her second brother?"

These little ones, each with so many thoughts, might seem lively and cheerful, but a conversation she had overheard between Changsun and Li Chenggan had planted many things in her heart. These things were quietly sprouting, slowly changing her. If this knot wasn't untied, it would eventually change her beyond recognition.