LOT -Chapter 325 Childhood Arc: So We Knew Each Other as Kids

Not long after, when Lin Mo went shopping in the streets, she saw those two boys again.

Wei Zheng’an was wearing bright, flashy clothes, standing out in the crowd, while Qin Zheng looked like a well-behaved boy, standing quietly beside Wei Zheng’an.

As soon as Lin Mo got close, she slapped Wei Zheng’an on the shoulder.

“Who dares hit me! Want a fight?!”

Wei Zheng’an had quite a temper in public, otherwise he wouldn’t have had conflicts with Lin Mo.

Lin Mo chuckled, and her system immediately moved forward: “I’m the one who hit you! You’ve become even flashier in just a few days.”

Wei Zheng’an carefully sized her up, sneering: “You’ve gotten even fatter in just a few days, little thing. Don’t your parents care about you being so fat?”

At this age, Lin Mo still looked more like a little boy, and with her manner of dressing and behaving, it was easy for them to mistake her for a boy.

Lin Mo didn’t get angry when they called her fat. Instead, she cheerfully replied: “I’m fat and I’m happy. No amount of money can buy my joy!”

“And I’m at an advantage in a fight—you can’t beat me!”

Wei Zheng’an was speechless. He really couldn’t win against this little chubby kid. Every fight, she used her weight to overwhelm him, leaving him gasping for air.

And this little chubby kid hit the most painful spots, clawed, scratched, and even bit—utterly chaotic.

Qin Zheng noticed Lin Mo’s eyes sparkling, full of admiration.

“Little brother, you’re out buying food again today? You’re really brave to come out alone. You look so small, how can you be so bold?”

Even though she was already seven, her height made her look at most five or six. And since she was chubby, she appeared even shorter—standing there, she looked like a little lucky doll.

Lin Mo had a good impression of Qin Zheng: “I’ve always been brave, and when buying food, there’s no need for others to come along.”

Meanwhile, the Lin family servants trailing behind thought: Little ancestor… if you used your brain for even a second, you’d know your family wouldn’t actually let you come out alone. We’re just being discreet.

These three were friends without ever needing to fight to get along. They weren’t particularly unattractive, and they often played together.

But despite playing together for so long, none of them had bothered to ask each other’s names.

Lin Mo had called them “Flower” and “Dumb” for Wei Zheng’an and Qin Zheng, respectively, while they had called her “Little Thing” or “Little Chubby.” It suited their appearances—one flashy, one a bit dull.

“Come on! Today I’ll take you to eat something delicious. There’s a barbecue shop in the east that’s amazing—it’s the kind from the Western Regions.”

Lin Mo knew every eatery in the capital like the back of her hand. She could tell which places were good and which weren’t.

Wei Zheng’an immediately clutched his coin pouch, wary: “We’re not going with you! Last time you took us out, we didn’t have enough money, and you pawned us both. That’s too much!”

Lin Mo defended herself: “I went home to get money and redeemed you both. Don’t just tell half the story.”

Wei Zheng’an: “Still, we’re not going. You’re way too tricky.”

“Tricky” was a word they had learned from Lin Mo. At first, they didn’t know what it meant, but after her explanation, they used it all the time.

Qin Zheng licked his lips, tempted: “I want to go! If we don’t have money, we can just stay there like last time. Anyway, little brother will get us out.”

Lin Mo liked obedient friends like Qin Zheng—they didn’t ruin the fun.

“You’re good. If he doesn’t go, then it’s just the two of us. This time I’ll bring enough money. Nothing like last time will happen.”

Lin Mo slung an arm around Qin Zheng’s shoulders in a “buddy-buddy” gesture. But because of her height, her arm barely reached his chest, so it looked like she was hanging from his neck—quite comical. Her feet barely touched the ground, only her toes grazing it.

Wei Zheng’an looked at her and said helplessly: “With your height, stop hanging on people’s shoulders. You look like a huge handbag.”

In this era, handbags were common and often exquisite—more so than modern ones. People joked that current fashion trends were just leftovers from ancestors.

Lin Mo’s system didn’t care for words. She punched Wei Zheng’an in the stomach. What do you mean I’m a handbag? Can you find a handbag as cute and refined as me?

Wei Zheng’an coughed: “You hit me again! I’m taller and bigger than you. You can’t keep doing this. By age order, you should call me elder brother—Wei Xiong!”

Lin Mo glanced at him with disdain, snorting. Call him elder brother? Dream on.

In the end, Wei Zheng’an still went along to eat the barbecue. In his words, “If I don’t eat, it’s a waste. And there’s no way I’ll get left behind this time!”

The three kids ate so much that their bellies were round. Lin Qi happened to pass by that street in the evening and noticed a very familiar figure at one of the tables. He came back to take a closer look.

Seeing his little sister, now a round ball, still munching happily, Lin Qi’s expression was extremely complicated. Without a word, he pulled her away.

Wei Zheng’an and Qin Zheng, showing their loyalty, followed along fiercely, leaving their food behind.

“Who are you! You can’t just snatch kids on the street! We’ll report you to the authorities!”

Lin Qi carefully sized up the two kids, trying to figure out whose children they were. Unfortunately, he only knew classmates’ siblings, and these two were only children who didn’t attend school.

Still, he explained: “I’m her older brother. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her.”

Lin Mo, chewing barbecue, casually nodded: “Yes, this is my brother. You can call him brother too.”

The two boys obediently called him “brother.” Though they often played together and had small quarrels, they still felt a bit intimidated in front of an elder sibling.

For playmates, an older brother or sister is like a mini guardian. Who wouldn’t feel a bit awed in front of them?

“It’s getting late. You two little masters should head home. I’ll take my sister back first.”

Who would dare say no? Lin Qi, as the eldest in the family, educated and from a prestigious background, carried a natural aura. For kids, that presence felt both imposing and refined.