The salty sea breeze swept across the deck, lifting everyone's clothes.
"Yun Lie, how can you be so rough!"
Nami's clear scolding cut through the stagnant air. Her amber eyes were full of anger. She rushed forward, taking a few quick steps, and with a slender arm, pushed away Yun Lie's hand, which he had not yet withdrawn.
At this moment, the little loli in the center of the deck had her hair tied into two crooked buns, and pink ribbons gently swayed in the wind.
Her fair, rosy cheeks were plump with baby fat, making her look incredibly cute. When she spoke, her voice was sweet and milky, as if wrapped in a layer of honey, making anyone who saw her feel an irresistible affection.
In Nami's eyes, how could Yun Lie treat such an adorable child so roughly?
"Exactly! Bullying such a small child, what kind of adult is that? I'm not going to speak up for him this time!"
Nojiko waved a spatula still dusted with flour and rushed out of the kitchen, which was filled with the aroma of food.
Traces of kneading dough remained on her light brown apron.
As soon as she saw the little loli, her eyes instantly softened, and she seemed to be under a spell, completely captivated by the little girl's cute appearance, joining the "cub-protecting" camp without hesitation.
Beside them, Karina leaned lazily against the mottled doorframe, her light purple hair casually draped over her shoulders; Mikita, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, watching the farce with great interest. The two exchanged a knowing glance and a meaningful smile, tacitly becoming spectators.
Yun Lie sighed helplessly, a vein throbbing slightly on his forehead.
He frowned, his voice full of urgency and helplessness: "Don't be fooled by this little one's appearance! What normal child drifts alone on the vast ocean, carrying so many strange powders with him?"
As he spoke, he specifically glanced at Nami—it was clearly her who had witnessed him searching out those suspicious items from the little girl the whole time, yet now she was feigning ignorance, looking innocent. Perhaps from the very beginning, she just wanted to take the opportunity to pinch the little loli's soft cheeks!
Nami paid no attention to Yun Lie's accusing gaze. She elegantly squatted down, her light blue skirt gently brushing against the somewhat rough deck. With her fingertips, she gently stroked the little loli's flushed cheek, her voice so tender it could drip water: "Little sister, can you tell big sister your name?"
The little loli looked up, her large, dark eyes clear as two springs, and said in a crisp voice, "Big sister, my name is Mitsuri."
However, the next second, an astonishing statement came out of her mouth: "You are a good person, but you are sick."
In an instant, the entire deck fell into a strange silence, as if the air itself had solidified.
Yun Lie's eyes widened first, full of disbelief, then he laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up, clutching his stomach and rolling on the spot, his hearty laughter echoing over the sea: "Hahahaha! Nami, she actually said you're sick!"
Karina and Mikita bit their lips tightly, but their shoulders trembled uncontrollably; Nojiko's face was flushed red from holding back, trying to maintain a serious expression, but the smile at the corner of her mouth couldn't be hidden.
Nami's smile instantly froze on her face, a blush spreading from her ears to her neck at a visible speed, her entire face turning crimson: "You brat, dare to trick me?"
She puffed out her cheeks, revealing her mutated shark-like teeth, and picked up the little loli. "Slap! Slap!"
After two crisp sounds, the little loli's bottom immediately suffered.
"Stop hitting me! Big sister, you're really sick!"
The little loli twisted in pain, tears welling up in her eyes, and she cried, "The incubation period of that virus is very long. In a few days, you'll have a high fever, and if you don't get treated in time, people really will die!"
"Nonsense! I can eat and drink, I'm very healthy!"
Nami still wanted to retort, but Yun Lie suddenly pulled her aside.
His face was terrifyingly grim. A scene from the original story flashed through his mind—in the mysterious and dangerous Small Garden primeval forest, mosquitoes were rampant, and Nami, both in the original story and recently, had indeed been bitten... Thinking of this, he felt a chill down his spine.
"Are you sure?"
Yun Lie slowly squatted down, his sharp gaze fixed on the silver stethoscope hanging around the little loli's neck, swaying with her movements, his voice carrying a hint of warning, "If you dare to lie to me..."
"Of course!"
The little loli proudly puffed out her chest, and with a chubby finger, pointed fiercely at the faint red spots on Nami's arm, "This virus is transmitted by ancient mosquitoes. Did you go to a primeval forest recently? Right now it's just the incubation period. If you drag it out any longer, you'll start feeling dizzy, weak in your limbs, your throat will hurt like you swallowed a blade, then you'll have a persistent high fever, and finally fall into a coma…"
Her voice was still milky, but what she said made Nojiko involuntarily grip Nami's arm tightly. Both their faces instantly turned pale, their eyes filled with fear.
Yun Lie took a deep breath, composed himself, and then bowed ninety degrees, his attitude extremely sincere: "I was very rude just now. Please, little divine doctor, save her. We will be eternally grateful."
"Given your sincere attitude…"
The little loli tidied her somewhat wrinkled skirt with a serious air, then suddenly extended her fair little hand, palm up, making a "money" gesture, "One million beli, no bargaining!"
"Aren't you afraid we're bad people and will just rob you?" Yun Lie raised an eyebrow with interest, his gaze fixed on this mysterious and bold little loli.
"My intuition tells me you're not bad people."
The little loli tilted her head, her eyes showing a sharpness and certainty inconsistent with her age. She emphasized again: "My intuition has never been wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to escape all the way here."
As soon as she finished speaking, a box of beli landed on the ground with a loud "thud," the crisp sound of it hitting the deck echoing across the deck.
The little loli's eyes instantly lit up like two sparkling gems. She hugged the money box tightly to her chest, rubbing against it contentedly, looking exactly like a greedy little cat that had stolen a fish.
Then, humming an off-key tune, her small hands rummaged through a pile of bottles and jars, skillfully concocting a dark green liquid that bubbled eerily.
After mixing, she proudly handed the liquid to Nami and said in a milky voice, "Drink it. I guarantee it will cure your illness!"
"This stuff, are you sure it's drinkable?"
Nami looked at the green bubbling liquid, making a face uglier than crying.