Chapter 26: I’ll Take You Out of Here

"Is that so? Then the one in my room last time must have been a real monkey. Haha, I’m going back to see if that silly monkey is still there." Impulsive as ever, the little one dashed straight toward the small courtyard.

"Monkey, cheeky monkey, come out! Come out quickly!" Ling Wei shouted excitedly at the space under the bed. The youth, unable to bear the silly girl’s antics, flicked a tender leaf toward her. *Thwack*—it hit the little one’s upturned bottom square on.

"Ouch! Is that you, cheeky monkey? Come out! Come out!" Instead of getting angry, the little one became even more excited. She just knew that cheeky monkey was still hiding in her room.

Covering his ears, the youth watched the excited little fool scurrying around the room. His mood brightened involuntarily. She really was a little fool—where on earth would there be a cheeky monkey? Was her little head filled with nothing but mush? Haha.

After snickering for a while, the youth felt something was off. Wait, she was calling for a "cheeky monkey"? And after he threw the leaf, the little fool was excitedly searching everywhere. Did that mean the little fool thought he was a monkey? A "cheeky monkey" at that? Once he realized what was happening, the youth’s face turned black. Idiot! A hopeless idiot.

"You idiot, what are you looking for? Why don't you look in a mirror? You look hideous," the youth sneered, his tongue as sharp as ever.

The smile froze on the little one’s face. She scrambled out from under the bed, hands on her hips, and shouted, "You stinky sack! Why is it you? Always hiding and covering up, not even daring to show your face. You’re the ugly one! You monster!"

"Hmph, use your trotters to touch your hair—it’s full of mud. You don’t look like a girl at all," the youth continued his venomous tirade.

The little one obediently wiped her hair, tutting at the handful of dust. She brushed her hands off dismissively and continued shouting, "Cheeky monkey, you stinky monkey, come out! Come out!"

The youth was surprised that she stopped arguing with him, watching her continue her foolish search for a monkey. "You really are an idiot. No wonder your father and mother don't come home. They must have been scared off by having such a stupid daughter."

The little one stood with her back to the youth, her spine rigid. She stood there silently, not saying a word.

The moment the words left his mouth, the youth wished he could bite off his tongue. He just hadn't wanted to be ignored by the little fool; he hadn't meant to say that. Was the little fool hurt?

Ling Wei’s face was streaked with tears. She knew it; it was all her fault, which was why her father and mother wouldn't come home. *Sob*, she mustn't cry. She could cry in front of anyone, but not this stinky sack!

"Hey, idiot, are you... are you alright? I..." The proud youth felt a pang of regret, but he couldn't bring himself to lower his head and apologize.

"Get lost!" the little one said fiercely, wiping her face with her hand.

"Hey, don't push your luck! I’m not leaving, so what? Are you going to bite me?" Never having been spoken to so disrespectfully, the angry youth forced himself to hold back, remembering his earlier thoughtless words.

The little one ignored him—completely ignored him. No matter what he said, no matter how harsh his words, she acted as if she heard nothing, focused entirely on finding the cheeky monkey in the room. She wanted to see with her own eyes if a real monkey looked exactly like the one her father had drawn.

"Hey, do you want to see a monkey that much? I’ll take you out to see one." Unable to stand being ignored any longer, the youth finally surrendered. He truly could not bear the little one’s icy demeanor.