Ears

“Xia Lun… Xia Lun…”

In his hazy sleep, Xia Lun felt a gentle breath brush past his ear, like the softest breeze of spring.

“Aina is the cutest.” Aina’s voice carried a strange rhythm, like an ancient incantation lightly tapping at his consciousness. “You must always like Aina…”

Xia Lun opened his eyes groggily. Morning sunlight filtered through the gauzy curtains, spreading a soft golden glow across the bedroom. Aina was leaning close to his ear, whispering, while a few strands of her silver-white hair brushed lightly against his cheek.

“What are you saying, Aina?” Xia Lun couldn’t help asking.

“Nothing.” Aina turned her head away and lied with a perfectly serious expression. “I wasn’t trying to hypnotize you.”

“I’m just saying…” Xia Lun propped himself up and leaned against the headboard, then let out a sigh. “If you wanted to hypnotize me, you should have asked for something I can’t do yet, not something that’s already an obvious fact.”

“So that’s how it works!” Aina looked enlightened, her crimson eyes suddenly shining. She leaned close to Xia Lun’s ear once more.

“Xia Lun, Xia Lun… you’re Aina’s little puppy…”

“I’m already awake! Hypnosis doesn’t work!” Xia Lun vigorously rubbed Aina’s head.

“Then I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“I won’t let you have your way, Aina.” Xia Lun deliberately put on a stern expression. “I’m a hero, you know.”

Aina blinked, the corners of her lips curling into a mischievous smile. Her slender fingers gently lifted the hem of her nightdress, revealing a stretch of fair skin. The tip of her foot brushed against Xia Lun’s ankle as if by accident.

“Then, will the hero have breakfast today?”

Xia Lun’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. Of course he wasn’t going to refuse such an invitation.

However, just as the two of them began rolling around together on the bed, a knock suddenly sounded from outside the door.

“Father, Mother, come have breakfast!”

Xia Yi’s bright voice rang out like silver bells.

Xia Lun’s fingers slipped through Aina’s hair, and he somewhat helplessly smoothed it back into place.

“Let’s go eat breakfast.”

“All right…” Aina’s little face immediately fell, her lips pursing slightly. Xia Lun couldn’t resist giving her a kiss.

Xia Yi waited excitedly outside the door.

Before long, the door opened.

“Father! I helped make breakfast today too!” Xia Yi immediately lunged forward, tilting his little face up with eager anticipation shining in his eyes.

“Mm. Good job.” Xia Lun patted Xia Yi on the head.

“Mother… Is Mother unhappy today?” Xia Yi had clearly noticed that Aina’s expression wasn’t as pleasant as usual, and he asked timidly.

“That’s right.” Aina, who was holding onto Xia Lun’s arm, gave a soft snort. “Xia Yi, you’d better not make any mistakes today and give me a chance to spank you…”

Xia Yi shrank his neck, suddenly feeling frightened.

His watery eyes turned pitifully toward his father, but Xia Lun merely smiled at him helplessly, apparently with no intention of coming to his rescue.

“Ah, Xia Lun, you’re up early today.” Just as they stepped out, they ran straight into Liyana.

Normally, Xia Lun and Aina would have gotten up later than this.

“Xia Yi… Ah, I see what happened.”

Liyana grabbed Xia Yi by one of his little ears. “Did you disturb the two of them?”

“I only called Father and Mother to get up! I didn’t disturb them!” Xia Yi protested unhappily, his little feet kicking restlessly against the floor. “Aunt Liyana, let go of my ear!”

“Then you did disturb them!” Liyana waved toward Xia Lun and Aina with an apologetic smile. “This boy goes to bed early and wakes up early too. I failed to keep an eye on him… You two carry on, carry on.”

With that, Liyana dragged Xia Yi away.

“Stop pulling my ears, Aunt Liyana!”

“I wasn’t even using any strength, you little brat.”

“Auntie, your ears are so long. Is it because you made lots of mistakes when you were little, so people pulled them until they grew that long? Ow, ow, ow—it hurts!”

“I’m an elf! My ears are naturally long!”

The two of them chattered away as they disappeared into the distance.

Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a glance in front of the bedroom door.

“Should we carry on, like Liyana said?” Aina poked Xia Lun’s arm with one finger and asked in a quiet voice.

“We’re already dressed, and Xia Yi is definitely looking forward to having breakfast with us.” Xia Lun helplessly glanced at his wife and reached out to straighten her collar. “Tonight.”

“Oh…” Aina stuck out her little tongue. She knew the chances were slim, but she still couldn’t resist asking. She gently rested her head against Xia Lun’s shoulder and breathed in his reassuring scent, only then managing to put her disappointment behind her.

When they arrived at the dining table, a rich aroma greeted them. The table was covered with all kinds of breakfast foods: freshly baked bread giving off a warm wheat scent, fried eggs and bacon sizzling on their plates, fresh fruit cut into bite-sized pieces, and a pot of steaming flower tea.

Xia Yi came running over again, as lively as ever. He habitually hid behind Xia Lun, peeking out with only his little head as he cautiously studied Aina’s expression.

“Father.”

“Mm?”

“Are Aunt Liyana’s ears really not that long because people pulled them?” Xia Yi lowered his voice and asked mysteriously.

Xia Lun looked at Xia Yi in surprise, not knowing how he had arrived at that conclusion. “No. It’s because she’s an elf. Elves naturally have ears like that.”

“So Aunt Liyana really wasn’t lying to me!” Xia Yi looked astonished. “She really is an elf!”

Wasn’t that something anyone could tell at a glance?

Xia Lun had no idea what was going on inside the little boy’s head.

“But Father, if Aunt Liyana is an elf, why aren’t you?” Xia Yi tilted his head again, a troubled and confused look crossing his face. “Then am I an elf?”

“Because I was adopted by Liyana’s parents—your grandfather and grandmother.” Xia Lun patted Xia Yi’s head and patiently explained, “You’re the child of Aina and me. I’m human, and Aina is a vampire, so you’re a half-vampire.”

“I see.” Xia Yi nodded thoughtfully, then touched his ears with lingering worry. “I was afraid Aunt Liyana would pull my ears until they became as long as hers.”

“Aunt Liyana is an elf, Big Sister Little Lan is a slime, and Mother is a vampire…” Xia Yi muttered to himself. Suddenly, he jerked his head up, his eyes filled with shock. “Mother, so you’re not human either?”

Aina’s little face instantly turned cold. The knife and fork she had just raised, ready to begin eating, slowly lowered again.

Xia Lun patted Xia Yi on the shoulder and sighed, his voice carrying a hint of sympathy.

“Father can’t save you this time.”