Having found a demon, I've decided to raise her.

"If you're going to sleep with the child, you'll definitely have to consider their sleep schedule."

The landlady's eyes lit up as she looked at Lucifer.

Sister Lucifer is so kind.

Chen Ming nodded and said—

"Okay, let's dry our hair and go to sleep."

……

……

The landlady trotted back to bed, her little feet making a light pattering sound on the floor, then curled up on the bed and looked at Chen Ming.

She patted the spot next to her, covered half her face with the blanket, and said—

"You sleep here."

Chen Ming walked over carrying the blanket, blinked, and said—

"No need, I'll sleep on the floor, you can rest easy."

"What...no way!"

The landlady exclaimed excitedly, then realized her reaction was a bit excessive, shrank her shoulders, and stammered—

"The floor is very dirty; it's not safe for people to sleep on."

"Um... but you just stomped your bare feet on the floor a few times, and then jumped right onto the bed."

Chen Ming raised questions.

The landlady squinted at him, looking at him as if he were a block of wood. She gritted her teeth and said—

"Yes, my feet have been on the floor, so the floor is dirty. You can't sleep on the floor now."

"..."

What's the logic behind this?

Chen Ming remained silent.

4⑧87④97⑨9

Chapter 165 The Promise to the Landlady

Is it too late to say that you're not a lolicon now?

Chen Ming looked at the landlady's determined expression, as if she would throw water on the floor if he insisted on sleeping there.

The little girl puffed out her cheeks and stared at him with her big, bright eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment...

Then he raised his hands in surrender—

"Okay, okay, I'll sleep in your bed."

It's like he's guilty of something. It's just putting the kids to sleep, what other meaning could it have? He's coaxed countless little brats before.

The landlady happily hugged her pillow, lay down, and looked at him.

He climbed onto the somewhat old wooden bed, which creaked as he lay down beside her, propping his head up with one hand and staring wide-eyed at the little girl.

The landlady clenched her fist secretly. Could this be considered a breakthrough? At least the distance between them had been reduced quite a bit, right? She grinned and moved closer.

Chen Ming reached out and held her head, asking—

What are you doing?

"Come closer, the bed is too small, you'll fall off if you turn over."

The landlady had already come up with an excuse beforehand; she was well-prepared this time. The little girl is actually quite clever.

Chen Ming looked down at her helplessly. She poked her little head out from under the covers, blinking and looking innocent and adorable.

He said—

"Stop acting cute, didn't you say you were going to sleep?"

"Hmm... I can't sleep."

"You were the one who said you wanted to go to bed early?"

"It's precisely because I can't fall asleep that I need to go to bed early so I have time to prepare to fall asleep."

The landlady looked at him confidently, and he felt there was something strange about her gaze, a kind of excitement, whether it was his imagination or not.

Her knee touched his body, she stole a glance at him, seemingly without any reaction, and slowly pushed her luck, getting a little closer.

Chen Ming watched her little actions speechlessly.

He said he slept with her because he was worried that something might happen to the landlady if she slept alone, and also to keep her from being scared.

Now she doesn't seem scared at all; instead, she looks a bit like a lovesick little girl...

Chen Ming thought of the landlady's previous attitudes, which were clearly not what one would call "pure-minded"; she was definitely a seasoned pro.

Therefore, he had reason to suspect that she didn't want to sleep well.

Children are naturally curious about these things, so we need to guide them properly. Anyway, it's too late to stop her from knowing so early.

He grabbed the landlady's wrist.

The landlady stared in surprise, and before she could react, Chen Ming pulled her into his arms, his broad embrace enveloping her.

"Hey?"

The landlady is completely bewildered.

She had rehearsed it in her mind: retreat when the enemy advances, harass when the enemy tires out; the point was to use every effort to close the distance.

She was very worried because Chen Ming was surrounded by so many beautiful girls, while she was just a "child." How could she be content to remain a child?

Call it precociousness or just impulsiveness, whatever it is, the feelings she cherishes are genuine aspirations.

Her pace was completely disrupted by Chen Ming. Feeling Chen Ming's embrace, his body temperature, and his faint breath, her cheeks slowly turned red, and even her ears became hot.

No, really?

She felt a little flustered.

However, Chen Ming simply held her like this, gently stroking her delicate back, as if he could feel her fluttering heart.

Smile.

Are there really people in this world who are so clueless about such obvious affection that they can't even see it? Are all those guys online who are called "straight men" really that clueless?

It's actually quite easy to notice other people's goodwill and feelings.

Sometimes I just don't want to understand, or I can't understand.

They are unwilling to break the status quo and face a future that deviates from their current trajectory.

It's easy to keep running away, but wouldn't that be unfair to the landlady...?

He doesn't really understand either, why it had to be him. What's so good about him? He's so promiscuous, falling for every girl he picks up.

I'm actually speechless with myself.

Carrying so many emotions makes responding exhausting. Is that why he hasn't made things clear with the landlady?

In the end, it's all for their own convenience.

He's such a terrible person.

He stroked the landlady's hair in his arms, pressed his face against her hair, and whispered—

“At first, I didn’t actually plan to settle down at Tsinghua or Peking University. But as I passed by you with my luggage, I saw this lovely girl cleaning the yard, and I don’t know why, I watched her for a long time.”

"Hmm... because you're a lolicon?"

"..."

"Don't speak such obvious truths," Chen Ming tapped the little girl on the head.

He watched as the landlady rubbed her head, smiled gently, and said—

"When I saw you, I thought, you are such a young child, yet you are so strong. Meanwhile, I am throwing a tantrum at my family and running away from home. I feel really ashamed."

"Then I stayed, borrowed some money from my sister, and planned to work hard to support myself, because if I didn't, I wouldn't even be able to support myself, let alone take care of others."

"I want to take care of the landlady, but that seems a bit strange. After all, although she's young, she can take good care of herself on her own. Am I being a bit redundant...?"

Listening to his words, the landlady gradually calmed down. What? Staying here, working—was it all for her sake that he made the decision?

Is this love at first sight?

She smiled happily, but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. He really didn't treat her as a woman; his words sounded like concern for left-behind children.

She pressed against his chest, her petite figure contrasting with his, perhaps truly resembling a father with a child?

She said—

“You’re not superfluous at all. I’m so glad you’re here… Actually, I’ve always been afraid, whether it’s eating alone or sleeping alone… The thought of waking up and no one being there terrifies me…”

She gripped his clothes tightly, her expression a mixture of wanting to cry, wanting to laugh, or both.

"But now that you're here, I'm not afraid. The thought that you'll be here whenever I wake up makes me feel very safe."

So perhaps this is enough; anything more is just a young girl's delusion.

He looked at the landlady, small and nestled in his arms, like a wounded little animal hiding inside.

He smiled, whispered in her ear—

"Then let me take care of you... until you come of age, then we can take care of each other."

"Hey?"

The landlady was slightly taken aback, as if she had heard something extraordinary.

She suddenly looked up at him.

However, he released the little girl, turned his back to her, and said—