"Miss Yaoliuliu?!"
Several different voices of surprise were heard at the door, as if the family had never expected Qi Ji to come at this time.
"Why are they surprised? Didn't we agree that I would come today?"
Sensing their reactions, several question marks popped up above Qi Ji's head.
When we parted last night, Mrs. Gary made it clear that she wanted to invite me to her home.
And Qi Ji could tell that this was not just a courtesy, she really wanted him to go.
And Qi Ji didn't choose an awkward or inappropriate time for this trip - at least that's what she thought:
Although in order to protect the privacy of her family, she did not let the mini puppet spy on what was going on in the house.
But based on the noises she could sense outdoors, she was sure that the whole family had gotten up and finished their breakfast.
In short, they should be in the best spirits and have the most free time of the day, so why would they be surprised by my arrival?
Shouldn't they be well aware that they are very likely to come?
Amidst all the doubts, the door was pushed open.
Qi Ji took a few steps back to avoid being hit by the door, and then he saw Mrs. Gary's Renee's sister, Nancy, appearing in the gap of the door which was about half a meter open.
After seeing Nancy's image clearly, she was slightly stunned.
"Um...cough..."
Immediately, an uncontrollable distortion quickly clambered over her cute and pretty face, and her throat was very restrained but couldn't avoid squeezing out a few humming sounds.
"Miss Yaoliuliu, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you..."
Nancy, the beautiful, calm and capable leader of the executor team, looked extremely embarrassed at this moment. Her face was flushed to her ears and she dared not look the other person in the eye.
"Yeah...it's okay, it's okay..."
Qi Ji had to use up almost all of his control over his body to suppress the urge to hold his stomach, laugh out loud, and roll on the ground.
She calmly took a few deep breaths, returning her expression to its usual calm and relaxed state, but her tone of voice still carried an obvious smile:
"This is what you are doing?"
"Um, we're celebrating Daisy and You'er's birthdays..."
Nancy, who was dressed as a clown, wearing a cone-shaped hat, a brightly colored sequined tights, and a ball-shaped red nose on her face, had her facial muscles twitched and she forced out an awkward smile:
"Since we didn't make an appointment with the circus and didn't hire a clown, I just... did it myself."
Chapter 196 Family Dinner
...celebrating birthday?
Qi Ji was slightly stunned, feeling that such an action seemed a little inappropriate.
In fact, it is normal for her to have such thoughts.
After all, from their family's perspective, the whole family went through so many dangerous and tense experiences in just two days. Although they had the protection of the mysterious and powerful bounty hunter Yao Liuliu, their lives were on the line many times and they almost lost their lives.
Until yesterday, it all just ended.
It's only been one night, and you still have the time to celebrate your child's birthday?
If it were Qi Ji in his previous life, he would probably choose to run with his family to the local security bureau or the super-management bureau to stay and ask for protection. Unless the enemy is completely eliminated and the leader is arrested, he would never come out.
"Well, to be safe, I'll stay here for one night," Nancy, dressed as a clown, probably saw the other party's confusion and explained seriously, "and I will stay here for the next few days to protect the safety of Renee and the others."
"That's it."
It turns out there are people who are trustworthy enough and powerful enough to provide protection.
It makes sense to take time out to hold a birthday party for the children. After all, organizing some relaxing and enjoyable activities can help relieve the tense mood of all family members.
Qi Ji nodded in understanding, and then heard Gary's mellow and steady voice. This time his voice was a little embarrassed and surprised:
"Miss Yaoliuliu, why are you here now? We didn't expect you to..."
Qi Ji poked his head to the side and looked past Nancy into the house:
"Uh, am I here at a bad time?"
"No, no, you misunderstood."
Gary hurriedly explained, so as not to make people think that he didn't like her, and then he smiled and invited her:
"If you don't mind, would you please join us for this little family gathering?"
His wife, Renee, wearing a homely lace dress, stepped forward with a smile and said:
"Daisy kept talking about you before she went to bed yesterday, calling you 'Mage Sister' all the time. It seems like she likes you very much... mmm..."
She had only said half of her words when a shadow appeared behind her, stretched out two hands and covered her mouth tightly, preventing her from saying any more.
"No, nothing. Don't listen to what my mother says..."
Daisy crossed her arms and blocked her mother's mouth from behind, blushing and changing the subject, but she didn't dare to look at Qi Ji at the door:
"Hello, Sister Mage, you are here..."
Today she was wearing a long-sleeved dress with a light blue base. The hem of the dress reached her knees and the sleeves were wide-sleeved, with few patterns or lace, making it look simple yet elegant.
She was wearing white pantyhose on her lower body. Perhaps because she was at home, she was not wearing shoes. Her little feet wrapped in snow-white stockings stepped shyly on the wooden floor, soft and silky like ice cream.
The medium-short hair, whose ends just touched the shoulders, was still not tied up, but was freely draped. A blue silk ribbon with white edges was tied into an exquisite bow on the right side of the head, echoing the color of the whole outfit.
Daisy greeted Qi Ji in a very embarrassed tone. She didn't even look at him. She lowered her head slightly and looked at the floor at the door. She stood on tiptoe and tapped the ground with her toes.
Her pretty and delicate little face was tinged with a light blush, making her even more adorable.
"Okay."
Qi Ji smiled and waved, and then he heard the clean and pleasant voice of Nancy, the clown in front of him:
"Please come in, don't stand outside the door."
Then he pushed the door open completely and moved to the side to make way for Qi Ji.
"You haven't started yet?"
Qi Ji walked in, took off his shoes at the entrance, stepped into the room, and said to the people inside with a smile.
Obviously, this family is still in the early stages of preparation. They have just changed their clothes and put food on the table, and have not officially started yet.
"Sister Mage, we are just about to start."
Daisy left her mother and walked happily to Qi Ji. She wanted to take her hand and lead her to the dining table, but she felt embarrassed when she thought about the family members watching around.
So she just walked to Qi Ji's side, put her hands on his waist, and whispered:
"Sister Mage, I originally wanted you to come with me, but I was too tired last night and forgot to tell you. And I didn't know how to contact you this morning..."
"That's quite a coincidence."
Qi Ji nodded and followed Daisy to the dining table. The latter pulled out a chair for her and Qi Ji sat down without hesitation.
Everyone else sat down. Daisy still sat next to Qiji, and her brother Youer sat next to Daisy; the three adults, Gary, Renee, and Nancy sat opposite.
One row for children, one row for adults, a classic arrangement.
"…No, I'm an adult too!"
He quickly corrected his thoughts in his mind and glanced at the table. He found that although it was a birthday party, there was no cake, but turkey, fish, steak, milk, fried noodles and other meats, eggs and milk.
After all, eating cake on birthdays is a custom in the Western world on Earth, and it may not necessarily apply to the other world.
And it’s almost noon now, so the food on this table should be considered lunch.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't expect you to come," Mrs. Gary Renee, who was sitting diagonally opposite Qi Ji, smiled apologetically, "If we had known earlier, we should have prepared more food."
Qi Ji also began to understand that the customs of this world, or the empire, were somewhat different from those of his homeland on Earth.
We usually don't visit other people's homes in the morning or evening, but around four or five in the afternoon.
"Yao Liuliu, isn't it inconvenient for you to eat with a hood on?"
Just as they were about to eat, Nancy, who was sitting opposite Qi Ji, took off her clown red nose, looked at the girl in front of her for a while, and asked curiously.
She was curious about why the other person wore a hood even indoors, and she was also curious about what this mysterious extraordinary person looked like.
Although her face was covered by the hood, she could still feel the ultimate charm emanating from the other person. Just a few words and a few gestures could stir the hearts of others and make them feel excited.
What kind of face would be beneath that vague shadow? Nancy really wanted to know.
"Yeah...too."
Qi Ji's movements paused slightly, thinking that there were no strangers here anyway, so it didn't matter if he showed his face, and he didn't have to worry about exposing his identity.
So she put down her knife and fork, pinched the brim of her hat with one hand, and pushed it back.
As her long black hair fell freely, Nancy, who was standing opposite her, gasped and leaned back involuntarily.
Mr. and Mrs. Gary were also shocked for a while and forgot what to say for a moment.
"Stop looking and eat."
After this kind of scene happened many times, Qi Ji was somewhat accustomed to it. He picked up the knife and fork naturally and started cutting the black pepper steak on the porcelain plate in front of him.
"Miss Yao, Yao Liuliu," after a few seconds, Leni blinked with great envy, staring at Qi Ji with the eyes of admiring a work of art, "You...you only have this set of clothes?"
"what?"
Qi Ji put a small piece of steak into his mouth with a fork and uttered an unclear syllable expressing question.
"I mean," Renee's eyes sparkled with hope, "Do you need me to provide you with some clothes? It's free!"
"……Need not."
Qi Ji resisted the urge to roll his eyes and refused simply and neatly.
The dinner, which served as Daisy's birthday party, lasted for more than half an hour with everyone chatting and laughing.
When the sun was about to reach its highest point, Nancy's expression suddenly changed slightly.
She lowered her head and looked to the lower right, while her right hand reached into the right pocket of her trousers and seemed to take out something.
Then, her expression suddenly became serious.
"Everyone, I'm so sorry."
In the slightly puzzled eyes of the Gary family, she said seriously:
"Something happened in the city. I must return to the team immediately."
Chapter 197 Textbook
"That's it..."
Renee put down her knife and fork and let out a slightly depressed sigh, but she didn't complain, nor did she ask Nancy what happened or when she would be back.
Just reminding with concern and worry:
"be careful."
"Well, I'll change and leave."
Nancy didn't say anything else. She stood up and ran into a room.
Through the gap between the door and the bed, I could see a bed and a desk inside. It should be her bedroom.
"Sister Nancy is always so busy..."
Daisy swallowed a mouthful of dessert with a worried look on her face. Her face was full of contradictions. It seemed that she was proud of Nancy's identity and abilities, but also worried about her safety.
Within a few minutes, the bedroom door was opened.
Nancy came out in a new outfit.
He wore dark red straight trousers, a dark red suit-style jacket with white floral patterns, a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, and a dark red jazz hat on his head.
If you look at the left chest of the suit-like jacket with white stripes, you can see an embroidered pattern:
Three broom flowers on the same horizontal line jointly support a double door, with a sharp sword inserted downwards through the gap in the door.
This is the logo of the Executioner Squad.
