TECSBRO-(7)
While they were talking, they arrived at the underground parking lot.
This time, Rong Que didn't get out immediately. He waited for Qi Sui to open the door and carry Lu Xu down before jumping out himself.
Lu Xu naturally felt that they were worried about him falling again. The feeling of being cared for was unexpectedly joyful.
Qi Sui initially thought that they looked like parents taking their little son out for a stroll. However, when they walked together and saw the two little rascals who were not even half his height, Qi Sui realized that he seemed like a young dad who dropped out of high school and had two sons.
It felt somewhat awkward.
Lu Xu had never been to a mall before, and there were so many people in the mall. There were pretty big sisters and big brothers, as well as other kids. He tightly pulled down the hood of his hoodie. Even though it was the first time he saw so many interesting and colorful things, he didn't dare to look for too long out of curiosity.
Finally, they reached the third floor, where there were children's clothing stores and a children's playground.
When Lu Xu passed by a children's clothing store, his attention was drawn to a cute bunny doll in the shop window. He didn't dare to enter the store himself, but Rong Que noticed and thought he wanted to buy clothes, so he pulled him inside.
Qi Sui laughed at the two kids and said, "If you like anything, just take it. You can even take away the entire counter."
The shop assistant wanted to come over and recommend clothes but was blocked by Xiao Er. Fortunately, the shop assistant wasn't insistent, knowing that some people didn't like to be followed around when shopping for clothes.
Lu Xu couldn't relax with strangers around. However, he still didn't pick any clothes that interested him; he just followed wherever they went.
Qi Sui thought he might be hesitant to spend money, so he took the most expensive items and handed them to Rong Que, asking him to take Lu Xu to the fitting room.
Watching their backs, Qi Sui thought for a moment and couldn't help expressing his concern, "Can you guys dress yourselves?"
Rong Que gave him a cold glance.
Qi Sui approached Xiao Er, "Why do I feel like he just cursed me to go away?"
Xiao Er immediately spoke in defense of Rong Que, "How could that be, Young Master? You are their foster father; they only have respect for you."
Qi Sui chuckled at the term "foster father" but restrained his laughter. He then said with a meaningful look, "Forget it, you wouldn't understand."
Lu Xu and Rong Que entered the fitting room alone, feeling a bit relieved from the pressure outside.
The two kids were inside, and the fitting room had more than enough space. Lu Xu held onto the hem of his lower garment and said, "Rong Que, turn around, it’s ugly to look at ."
Rong Que didn't think much about it and thought the kid was just shy, so he turned to face the door, not looking at him.
However, children have short arms and big heads. Combined with Lu Xu's long hair and rabbit ears, the collar of Lu Xu's hoodie successfully got stuck on his head.
"Uh, uh..."
Hearing the helpless voice from behind, Rong Que was puzzled. "What happened?"
Lu Xu's voice sounded muffled, "It suddenly got dark."
Did his head get stuck in his clothes? Rong Que found it somewhat amusing. "Should I help you take it off?"
Lu Xu was really struggling with the clothing, and he was exhausted. He reluctantly agreed, "Okay, help me."
With permission granted, Rong Que turned around and saw the child's hands and head trapped in the clothes. On the exposed white and tender belly, there were many bruises and various old scars. There were even a few wounds that seemed to almost traverse the abdomen, leaving marks of stitched wounds.
Rong Que's expression darkened. It turned out that when Lu Xu mentioned "ugly," he was referring to these old scars. However, those stitches... they didn't seem like something the old director would do. In such cases, they would likely leave Lu Xu to fend for himself, and it's unlikely they would bother sewing him up.
What exactly has Lu Xu been through...?
Afraid of thinking for too long and raising Lu Xu's suspicions, Rong Que pretended not to notice anything. It seemed that Lu Xu also didn't want him to see these scars.
It seems like Lu Xu got his ears and hair caught in the collar while taking off his clothes, making his head tightly stuck. Rong Que had to gently extract his ears to allow Lu Xu to breathe more comfortably. With Rong Que's assistance, Lu Xu finally managed to take off the clothes.
Rong Que, like an old father, naturally picked up another shirt and helped Lu Xu put it on. It was just a casual T-shirt, and Rong Que took it off again to replace it with another nice-looking shirt.
Probably due to Qiu Sui's casual selection, there were some girls' skirts mixed in. Lu Xu didn't have a strong concept of gender. After trying the first piece, he took the initiative to pick up the next one.
When Rong Que finished folding the square clothes and turned around, he saw Lu Xu putting on a little white skirt meant for girls. The zipper was open, so Lu Xu easily pulled it over with his short hands.
Lu Xu hadn't worn such clothes before; occasionally, there were girls in the orphanage who wore skirts. His clothes were usually leftovers that the director threw to him after the other kids had picked their clothes.
Rong Que's eyes revealed a hint of amazement.
Lu Xu's hair was already quite long due to the neglect of the old director.
He turned his head, and a pair of cute ears drooped on both sides. The soft black hair, due to static electricity from putting on the clothes, stuck a bit messily to his exposed shoulders. Little Lu Xu, with his less agile short hands, tried to pull aside the hair covering his face to reveal his light red eyes as he looked at Rong Que. "Brother Rong Que?"
This version of Lu Xu looked incredibly beautiful, almost like an extremely adorable little girl.
Rong Que praised him with a smile, "Xiao Lu is really cute."
Lu Xu felt a bit shy, grabbing the skirt hem as he said, "But this dress doesn't have a hood."
"It's okay." Rong Que patted Lu Xu's head. "Xiao Lu's ears are the most special and cute. The little rabbit sister has to transform to have rabbit ears. So, our Xiao Lu is even more amazing."
Rong Que didn't intend for Lu Xu to go without wearing a hat when out in public. The stares of passersby could be as sharp as knives, cutting into him. However, Lu Xu needed to become stronger himself, or the hat would always remind him that he was different.
Until Lu Xu gained confidence in his own ears, Rong Que would protect him. He would slowly help Lu Xu build self-confidence.
Children tend to believe what trustworthy people tell them, and Lu Xu blinked, looking into the mirror inside the dressing room.
He used to be afraid of looking in the mirror. His unique appearance made him uneasy and fearful.
Encouraged by Rong Que, Lu Xu observed himself in the mirror for the first time with seriousness.
He did seem a bit different from the other kids.
His skin was as white as milk, and his facial features resembled the characters he had seen in the anime today. The little rabbit sister in the anime also had red eyes.
Lu Xu also noticed that the color of his irises seemed a bit lighter, making him look less mysterious.
Standing behind Lu Xu, Rong Que smiled and praised, "Xiao Lu is the cutest kid I've ever seen."
Seeing himself blushing slightly in the mirror, Lu Xu's snow-white skin took on a cute peachy color.
It seemed like he didn't look like a monster as the old director described.
Rong Que suddenly thought of something, went out, took off the hat from the model's head, and brought it back.
When Qi Sui saw Rong Que bringing Lu Xu out with the new clothes, Lu Xu had already been dressed like an ordinary child, disregarding those eyes.
Lu Xu's new outfit consisted of a cute short-sleeved T-shirt and loose checkered overalls.
Wearing a beret on his head, with two fluffy ears pressed underneath, resembling bunny ears extending from the hat, the overall style was like that of a young artist.
Qi Sui squatted down, looking at Luxu in the cute and well-fitted clothes, and generously praised, "Our Xiao Lu is really cute."
The child's figure was a bit round, and dressed like this, it was tender and soft, like a cotton doll.
Rong Que didn't change into new clothes, but since he was already wearing the best and newest clothes from the orphanage, he didn't want to buy more.
He wasn't fond of trying on clothes, but he enjoyed dressing Lu Xu.
The salesperson, seeing Rongque carrying a bunch of clothes, walked over enthusiastically. "Are you taking all of these?"
Qi Sui thought for a moment and casually said, "Please wrap up all the clothes hanging outside now, and those in the warehouse. Include the ones on the child as well. We'll pay for everything together."
Upon hearing this, the salesperson was stunned in place.
The salesperson pointed towards the warehouse, looking somewhat incredulous, "A-all of them?"
Qi Sui nodded, "Pack up everything and deliver it to Ping'an Orphanage today."
Lu Xu had never seen someone buy things like this. He couldn't help but glance at the bunny plushie in the shop window. Would Qi Sui also take away this bunny plushie when he emptied the store?
However, Lu Xu felt hesitant to ask.
Initiating a request was still too difficult for him.
Meanwhile, on this side, Qu Sui, feeling quite self-satisfied, just wanted to leave after paying, leaving behind a domineering figure.
But suddenly, he felt someone pulling at his clothes.
Qu Sui paused, whether it was Rong Que or Lu Xu, both behaviors were rare.
So, he turned around with an excited smile when he saw it was Rong Que, and there was a hint of curiosity in his tone, “What does Little Brother Rong Que want?”
Rong Que fell silent for a moment, but remembering the look in Lu Xu's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, “Xiao Lu likes that little rabbit.”
Hearing this, Lu Xu didn't react immediately, still looking confused.
Rong Que didn't specify whether he wanted it or if Lu Xu wanted it.
Because he knew Qu Sui would go buy it, he also wanted to take the opportunity to tell Lu Xu that he could speak up about what he likes, and everyone would fulfill his wishes.
Qu Sui, rare to know what Lu Xu likes, almost without looking, immediately said, 'What Xiao Lu likes, we'll buy!'"
Turning around, Lu Xu's eyes suddenly lit up at Rong Que's words, making Qu Sui suddenly understand Rong Que's intention.
Luckily, he spoke decisively about buying.
The shopping guide couldn't independently sell interior decorations, but the shop owner wasn't a fool. A single phone call could resolve that.
Moreover, with such a large order, they willingly offered the rabbit as a gift, shipping it back together with the clothes.
Quite convenient.
When the group left the store, everyone was satisfied, each with their own contentment.
After browsing the children's section, which had many amusement facilities, more diverse than those in the welfare institute, everyone was happy.
However, Lu Xu didn't want to go. He always felt scared in places with many children. Even though his ears were now well-hidden, he still couldn't approach other kids.
Perhaps it was the memory of not being allowed to touch amusement facilities in the welfare institute or being pushed out of the line by other kids that made him afraid to participate.
But there was no rush; these things could be taken slowly.
Seeing that lunchtime was approaching, Qu Sui took Lu Xu, who dared not play anything, and Rong Que, who wasn't interested in anything, to the first floor of the mall.
On the first floor, outside, there was a children's combo with hamburgers that all kids seemed to love. He vaguely remembered that they also included a small toy recently.
Almost no child could resist it.
However, not far from exiting the mall, Lu Xu saw a stall with toy cars.
In front of the old lady were various toy cars, and for just ten yuan, one could ride for ten minutes.
This was a popular toy for most children, and it didn't require waiting in line with other kids. Lu Xu clearly became interested.
Seeing Lu Xu's apparent interest, Rong Que intentionally slowed down his pace. It would be a significant improvement if Lu Xu could express himself.
If not, there was no hurry; Rong Que would willingly accompany him in playing.
Just as the two were following Qu Sui at a slow pace, about to leave, Lu Xu finally spoke up.
A hint of surprise flashed in Rong Que's eyes.
Lu Xu looked at Rong Que with eager eyes and said, "Brother Rong Que, can we play with that little car?"
Without waiting for Rong Que to convey it, Qu Sui also heard Lu Xu's quiet request.
Qu Sui immediately turned around, crouched down, and looked at Lu Xu.
Lu Xu turned to look at Qu Sui, and the little rabbit couldn't help but tilt its head, seemingly puzzled by Qu Sui's actions.
Qu Sui patted Lu Xu's head, "Next time, just tell Big Brother Qu Sui what you want to play. Big Brother Qu Sui has money."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xu glanced at Rong Que and, seeing only encouragement in Rong Que's eyes, gathered the courage to say, "Um, Big Brother Qu Sui, can Xiao Lu play with the car?"
"Of course, our Xiao Lu can."
After saying that, Qu Sui handed Lu Xu a ten-yuan bill, encouraging him to go pay himself.
He finally understood why parents liked letting children do things on their own.
It turned out that it was a way for the parents to train the child's sense of responsibility.
Lu Xu looked at the kindly old lady sitting by the cars, perhaps because her eyes were particularly gentle, Lu Xu clenched the ten yuan and walked over.
The silhouette of the child looked somewhat naïve, with a hint of indescribable determination.
Rong Que found it amusing and followed behind Lu Xu to make him less nervous.
"Grandma, Xiao Lu wants to play with the car." Lu Xu's voice wasn't loud, but his tone was unsteady, showing his nervousness.
The old lady took the ten yuan and, perhaps due to her poor eyesight, didn't realize any difference between Lu Xu and others. She smiled as if comforting a child, "Little one, which one do you like?"
Lu Xu looked around, and his soft rabbit ears swayed along. Without hesitation, he walked to a less attractive two-seater car nearby, "Little Deer likes this one."
The old lady looked and chuckled, "The two-seater car is only five minutes for ten yuan, while the single-seater can be played for ten minutes."
Lu Xu wasn't quite sure about the concept of ten minutes and five minutes, so he extended his fingers to count on his hand.
"1, 2, 3,..." No matter how Lu Xu counted, he could only count up to five.
Although he didn't know what ten was, he did know that ten was definitely more than five, so much that he couldn't count it all with one hand.
Even so, Lu Xu still decided to go for the two-seater car. He nodded to the old lady, "Little Deer wants this one."
Qu Sui and Rong Que were somewhat surprised. They thought Lu Xu would like the rabbit car, which, despite being considered ugly inside, offered more time.
They couldn't quite figure out why Lu Xu insisted on choosing the two-seater car.
Seeing Lu Xu's determination, the old lady adjusted the time for him.
As the little car lit up and began to play a children's song, Lu Xu ran over with a delighted face, and his plush ears swayed along.
He ran over, grabbed Rong Que's hand, and without saying a word, headed towards the small car.
Rong Que, being an adult in a shell, didn't find much interest in this type of small car. Moreover, having Qu Sui, an informed person, watching made it somewhat embarrassing.
However, Lu Xu had already pulled him in, and despite Rong Que's hesitation, his body obediently followed onto the car.
Lu Xu took the initiative to sit in the passenger seat, leaving the steering wheel for Rong Que, and looked at him with bright eyes.
Rong Que initially thought sitting would be fine, but now he had to personally control the small car.
Glancing at Qu Sui, he saw that he was indeed covering his mouth, trying not to burst into laughter.
With a suppressed smile, Rong Que reluctantly took the driver's seat. The kind old lady even considerately explained how to operate the car.
Even though Rong Que could play such a small car even as a fool, he still fastened Lu Xu's seatbelt first and then his own.
The old lady praised, "What a clever little one, Grandma hasn't even mentioned this yet."
Qu Sui, holding back laughter, asked the attendant to record with a phone. Although Rong Que's current body was that of a child, Qu Sui couldn't help but project the cool and calm Rong Que from their past life.
He even generously added another twenty yuan for Lu Xu and Rong Que to play a bit longer.
"Xiao Lu and Xiao Rong, have fun, and if it's not enough, big brother will add more for you."
Listening to Qu Sui's mocking tone, Rong Que gritted his teeth.
Lu Xu noticed Rong Que's discomfort and whispered, "Brother Rong Que, don't you want to play?"
Rong Que hesitated for a moment, forced a smile, and said, "No, I really like it."
Lu Xu nodded blankly and then looked at Qu Sui, "Why isn't Big Brother Qu Sui playing?"
Rong Que, upon hearing this, smirked and said to Qu Sui, "Xiao Lu wants to play with you."
Qu Sui, who had grown to over 1.7 meters: ...
In the end, the tall and imposing attendant was also squeezed into the small car, embarrassed by the young master.
Rong Que glanced at Qu Sui and said, "Why not continue recording? This is a precious and beautiful memory for Xiao Lu."
Qu Sui reluctantly looked at the attendant and said, "You record."
The attendant operated the toy car with one hand and skillfully recorded the young master and the two kids with the other.
The three of them had so much fun.
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