Chapter 603: Too simple

Tuan Tuan leapt from Bai Boluo's arms with a bounce, running over to Kang An: "Xiao An'an! You're back!"

Bai Boluo's arms suddenly felt empty; he hurriedly reached out to hug, but froze midair.

He frowned, "Really bad timing! I haven't had enough hugging yet!"

Tuan Tuan ran up to Kang An, grabbed his hand, and noticed both his hands were trembling: "What's wrong, Xiao An'an?"

She lifted her head to look at Xiao Er and Lu Qi: "Did that bastard bully Xiao An'an? I'm going to beat him!" Having said that, she rushed toward the door.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance, unsure how to answer.

Kang An grabbed her: "No, no."

Xiao Ningxun instantly understood, hurriedly rose, walked to his sister's side, and lifted her: "Don't worry, Xiao An'an is fine."

"He must be cold from the damp jail; staying too long has just chilled him."

"Oh," Tuan Tuan poked her little head out from her brother's shoulder toward Bai Boluo: "Gui Dawang, Xiao An'an is cold—do you have something warm for him to drink?"

Bai Boluo stared at Kang An, his pair of blue eyes shining astonishingly, his complexion deathly pale yet his lips blood-red.

This kid, he just personally killed his own enemy.

"Warms best with liquor; just give him a cup."

"Liquor?" Tuan Tuan understood, slid down from her brother's arms to the floor, picked up the wine cup in front of her older brother, ran back to Kang An and handed it to him: "Xiao An'an, take a quick sip to try!"

Kang An took it, drank it all in one gulp, a flush quickly rose on his cheeks, and his trembling hands gradually stilled.

Tuan Tuan grasped his hand again: "Wow, Gui Dawang's method really works!"

Bai Boluo wanted to change the subject, deliberately putting on a wounded look: "I'm clearly the King of Qiuci, so why does Tuan Tuan call me Gui Dawang?"

"Uh," Tuan Tuan realized, "I've been calling him Gui Dawang since I thought he was a bad guy; I just kept saying it out of habit and forgot to change it."

"Xiao An'an, Uncle Er, Uncle Qi, hurry up and sit down to eat!" Having said that, she turned and ran back to Bai Boluo's side.

Bai Boluo, feeling content, held her again in his arms.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi led Kang An to a seat.

Xue Tong saw Xiao Ningxun looking worriedly at Kang An the whole time.

He sighed, took Kang An's hand and placed it on his pulse; after a moment, he said softly: "He's fine, he can hold on."

Xiao Ningxun nodded, relieved; this trip was precisely to avenge Kang An's family grudge, and at last it was not in vain.

Tuan Tuan solemnly regarded Bai Boluo's big face: "You know, turtles live long lives, right?"

Bai Boluo blinked: "I know."

"So, I call you Gui Dawang, wishing you a long life of a hundred years!"

Bai Boluo: "……"

Lu Qi had just taken a sip of wine when he spat it out directly.

"Cough cough cough..." Xiao Er and the guards choked and kept coughing.

Kang An burst out laughing with a "pfft".

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ningyuan bowed their heads so low they were nearly touching the table, both their shoulders shaking wildly.

Bai Boluo narrowed his eyes at Xiao Tuanzi before him: "I feel like what you're saying isn't true."

Tuan Tuan's eyes shifted: "No worries, if you don't like it, I'll stop calling you that, okay?"

"But then, what should I call you?"

Bai Boluo thought: "From now on, you shall call me Guiren Dada."

The maids and guards inside the room all sucked in a breath of cold air.

"The king actually lets this little girl call him Dada!"

"That's the most intimate term a little girl uses at home when she calls her father!"

Although the group didn't understand, seeing the expressions of those inside, they could roughly guess a bit.

"Dada!" Tuan Tuan shouted crisply.

"Eh!" Bai Boluo replied, "Say it again!"

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around his neck and shouted in succession: "Dada! Dada! Dada!"

Bai Boluo laughed heartily, extremely delighted.

He fed Tuan Tuan bite after bite of the tasty food on his table: "Do you like it?"

Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously: "I like it!"

"Good girl!"

The more Bai Boluo looked at Xiao Tuanzi, the more he liked her from the bottom of his heart, and he couldn't help but kiss her forehead.

Tuan Tuan lifted her head to look at him.

Bai Boluo's heart tightened: "Did I scare the child?"

Just as he was about to say something to change the subject, Tuan Tuan set down the food in her hands on the table, stretched out her two little hands to cradle his big face, and planted a firm kiss on his cheek:

"Dada, just like my father, you fight everywhere so the common folk can live well—you're a truly excellent king!"

Xiao Ningyuan curled his lip: "My sister's flattery is unprecedented—nothing like it before or after!"

Xue Tong rolled his eyes: "Disciple, if my medical skill were number one under heaven, your little mouth would be the sweetest under heaven."

Bai Boluo froze, his heart shaken.

As a monarch of a nation, his life has been iron and blood; although his attendants daily sing his praises, no one, no single sentence, could make him feel as snugly pleased as today.

"With your words, I suddenly feel that being called a tyrant for all these years was worth it."

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips: "Dada is no tyrant! Whoever dares say that again, I'll go beat them up for you."

"Good, good, good!" Bai Boluo was delighted.

He lifted his gaze to Xiao Ningxun: "If you need anything from your father's side, just speak up."

"As a dadda, I simply cannot let my daughter's own father suffer grievances out there."

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ningyuan were overjoyed; is Kucha Kingdom going to send troops to aid their father? The younger sister really is a great lucky star!

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance: "What did we miss? We just left for a moment, and this Kucha king was already subdued by the miss?"

Xue Tong frowned, "Another one trying to steal my disciple!"

Kang An's eyes widened, "Tuan Tuan became the Kucha king's daughter so quickly?"

Xiao Ningxun pondered for a long while, then looked up at Bai Buluo: "King, I have something to say, not sure whether I should speak."

Bai Buluo waved a hand: "You are Tuan Tuan's brother, thus my nephew, so speak freely."

Xiao Ningxun said: "This time Wei Chi Guang and Gu Li Han caused a rare disturbance; in the end, it's just a few petty men from Yutian Kingdom whose ambitions never die."

"There is no enmity between Wei Chi Ming and the king; it was all Wei Chi Guang stirring trouble in between."

Bai Buluo nodded: "Indeed."

"Since it's a misunderstanding, I, as a junior, am willing to be a mediator, urging Wei Chi Ming and the king to turn swords into jade and silk."

"From now on the two nations will exchange resources, with no more grievances."

Bai Buluo looked at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Do you mean to have Kucha ally with Yutian?"

Xiao Ningxun nodded: "Exactly."

Bai Buluo lowered his head to contemplate, lifted his wine cup and took a sip.

Xiao Ningxun continued: "King, there must be a great battle between my father and Jingcheng."

"If Kucha sends troops to help, I worry Yutian will seize the chance to invade and weaken Kucha."

"The king and my father hold each other in high regard, remembering old ties, and are willing to send troops to assist."

"Naturally I should also make thorough plans for the king, lest Kucha fall into trouble because of this."

Xiao Ningyuan understood, interjecting: "Third brother's concerns are valid; if the two families join forces and share the worries, Kucha can rest easy."

Bai Buluo set down his cup, looking at the two brothers: "Your thoughts are very thorough."

Xiao Ningyuan felt a surge of joy inside.

Bai Buluo's tone shifted: "But that's thinking too simply."