Dugu Yan, however, was not one to be easily dismissed, especially when it came to someone she considered a dear friend. 'Who does this little brat think she is, trying to just snatch Little Qing away like that?' she thought, a hint of annoyance flickering in her emerald green eyes. She had been having a lovely time showing Song Qing around, and this sudden interruption by a rather bossy-looking child was not something she appreciated.
"Oh, I don't think so," Dugu Yan said, her voice still friendly but with a firm undertone as she gently placed her hand on Song Qing's other arm, effectively sandwiching him between the two girls. "Little Qing just arrived, and we were in the middle of having fun. Perhaps you could join us, little sister?" She offered a polite smile, though her eyes held a hint of challenge. She had grown considerably in the past few months, her figure blossoming into a more prominent and curvaceous form, her youthful plumpness giving way to more defined lines. She wasn't about to be intimidated by a child half her age.
Ning Rongrong's cyan eyes narrowed slightly at Dugu Yan's words. 'Little sister?' she thought, her pride slightly stung. 'I might be younger, but I'm not just any little sister!' She tightened her grip on Song Qing's arm and puffed out her cheeks, looking adorably indignant. "Qing came to see me! He promised he would play with me today!" she declared, her voice laced with the unwavering certainty of a spoiled princess.
"Now, now, Rongrong," Song Qing began, trying to mediate the situation with a placating tone, "I promised to play with you too, and I will. But I was just spending some time with Sister Yan first."
Before he could finish his sentence, both girls turned and glared at him with such intensity that he immediately clamped his mouth shut. 'Okay, maybe it's best if I just stay quiet for now,' he thought, grumbling internally, 'Both of them are too bad!'
Dugu Yan, sensing the little girl's possessiveness, decided to play along, but on her own terms. "Well, Rongrong, there's plenty of fun to be had for everyone! Little Qing is very good at games, I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing with both of us." She offered a seemingly genuine smile, but there was a competitive glint in her emerald eyes.
Ning Rongrong, however, wasn't fooled. She could sense the underlying challenge in Dugu Yan's tone. 'She thinks she can just waltz in and steal Qing's attention?' she thought, her competitive spirit igniting. 'I'll show her!'
"Actually," Ning Rongrong said, her voice sugary sweet as she looked up at Song Qing, "Qing and I have some very special games we like to play. Games that might be a little too… childish for an older sister like you." She batted her eyelashes innocently, a classic trick she often used to get her way.
Dugu Yan raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. 'Childish? Oh, she wants to go there, does she?' "Well, I'm quite young at heart, little sister. And I'm sure I can handle any 'special' games you and Little Qing have." She emphasized the word 'special' with a playful tone.
The atmosphere between the two girls was now thick with a subtle yet undeniable rivalry. Song Qing stood awkwardly between them, feeling like a prized toy being contested over. He tried to interject again. "Maybe we could all just…"
He was once again cut off by simultaneous glares from both girls, their eyes daring him to speak. He sighed internally. 'This is going to be a long afternoon,' he thought, resigning himself to his fate.
Ning Rongrong, not wanting to lose any ground, decided to employ another tactic. She suddenly feigned a stumble, expertly using Song Qing as a support. "Oh, dear! I almost fell!" she exclaimed, clutching his arm even tighter and leaning against him, giving Dugu Yan a triumphant little smirk over Song Qing's shoulder.
Dugu Yan simply chuckled, crossing her arms. "Careful there, little one. Wouldn't want to hurt yourself." Her tone was laced with amusement, but her eyes held a hint of warning. She wasn't about to let this little act fool her.
The 'catfight' continued in this vein for quite some time. Ning Rongrong used every trick in her arsenal – feigned clumsiness, innocent-sounding but subtly insulting remarks about Dugu Yan's age, and constant attempts to monopolize Song Qing's attention by pulling him into games that Dugu Yan couldn't easily join.
"Qing, let's go play hide-and-seek! You're 'it'!" Ning Rongrong declared, tugging him away before Dugu Yan could even respond.
Song Qing, feeling a bit like a puppet, reluctantly went along, though he couldn't help but glance back at Dugu Yan with an apologetic look. Dugu Yan simply winked, shaking her head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. She knew this little girl was trying to get rid of her, but she wasn't about to give up that easily.
When Ning Rongrong finally 'found' Song Qing hiding behind a large fountain, she immediately suggested another game. "Now let's play 'Catch the Dragon's Tail'!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and starting to run around in circles.
Dugu Yan, with a playful smirk, joined in, grabbing onto the back of Song Qing's robes, effectively becoming part of the 'dragon's tail'. Ning Rongrong shot her an annoyed look, but Dugu Yan simply winked again, her emerald eyes sparkling with mischievous amusement.
The afternoon wore on with this playful yet persistent rivalry. Ning Rongrong continued to try and exclude Dugu Yan, while Dugu Yan, with her greater maturity and physical presence, found ways to insert herself back into their games, much to Ning Rongrong's chagrin. Every time Song Qing tried to say something, to perhaps suggest a game they could all enjoy together, he would be met with those piercing glares, forcing him back into silence.
'Honestly,' Song Qing thought, a pout forming on his lips, 'they're both being so childish! Can't they just get along?' He really liked spending time with both of them, and this constant bickering, albeit playful, was starting to get a little tiring. He just wanted to have fun with his friends.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the city, Gu Rong, who had been patiently observing the unfolding drama from a distance, finally approached. "Rongrong, it's time for us to head back to the clan."
Ning Rongrong's face fell. "Already? But I was having so much fun with Qing!" She shot a pointed look at Dugu Yan, as if implying that her fun would have been even greater without her presence.
"We can play again tomorrow, Rongrong," Song Qing quickly interjected, wanting to smooth things over. "I'll be in Heaven Dou City for a few more days."
Ning Rongrong's face brightened slightly at his words. She turned to Dugu Yan, a smug look on her face. "See? Qing wants to play with me again tomorrow."
Dugu Yan simply smiled. "Then I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow." Her tone was polite, but her eyes held a hint of determination. This little girl might have won this round, but the game was far from over.
As Ning Rongrong and Gu Rong departed, Ning Rongrong still clutching Song Qing's hand until the very last moment, Dugu Yan turned to Song Qing, a playful smirk on her face. "Well, Little Qing," she said, her emerald eyes sparkling with amusement, "it seems you have quite the admirer."
Song Qing sighed, a sheepish grin on his face. "She's just a good friend, Sister Yan. A very… enthusiastic friend." He shook his head, still slightly bewildered by the intensity of the afternoon's events. 'They're both really something else,' he thought, a small smile playing on his lips despite his earlier frustration. He had a feeling his time in Heaven Dou City was going to be a lot more interesting than he had initially anticipated.
~~
After a few more days of Song Qing dividing his time between Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong, it became clear that neither girl was willing to concede defeat in their unspoken competition for his attention. Dugu Yan, with her more mature understanding of social dynamics, tried to engage Song Qing in conversations that were slightly above Ning Rongrong's head, hoping to establish a more intellectual connection. Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, relied on her charm, cuteness, and the occasional well-timed pout to keep Song Qing focused solely on her.
'This is getting nowhere,' Dugu Yan thought one afternoon as Ning Rongrong interrupted their conversation about spirit beast habitats for the third time with a request to play a childish rhyming game. 'This little imp is relentless!'
'She thinks she can just bore Qing with her grown-up talk?' Ning Rongrong fumed internally as Dugu Yan launched into a detailed explanation of a rare medicinal herb. 'He wants to have fun, not listen to a lecture!'
Eventually, a sort of uneasy truce formed, dictated not by any genuine desire for harmony but by the sheer stubbornness of both girls. If neither could have Song Qing entirely, they would simply have to share him. This led to several rather… interesting outings where the rivalry simmered just beneath the surface of forced politeness.
One such afternoon, they were exploring a bustling marketplace, Song Qing walking between them, holding a hand of each. "Look, Qing! They have some beautiful silk here," Dugu Yan said, pointing towards a stall displaying vibrant fabrics. "Perhaps you'd like a new robe?"
"Oh, but Qing already has so many robes!" Ning Rongrong interjected quickly, her grip on his hand tightening. "What he really needs is a new kite! They have a fantastic dragon kite over there!" She pointed in the opposite direction, her cyan eyes pleading with Song Qing.
Song Qing looked from one to the other, a small smile playing on his lips. 'Here we go again,' he thought, secretly rather enjoying the attention. He decided to play along. "A new robe would be nice, Sister Yan, but a dragon kite does sound fun too, Rongrong." He deliberately left his statement ambiguous, watching their reactions.
Dugu Yan's emerald eyes narrowed slightly, while Ning Rongrong's face lit up with a triumphant grin. "See? Qing wants a kite!"
"Well, perhaps he wants both," Dugu Yan countered smoothly, not willing to give in so easily. "A well-made robe can last for years, and it's much more practical than a kite."
"But kites are fun!" Ning Rongrong insisted, pulling Song Qing towards the kite stall. "We can fly it together, Qing!"
Song Qing allowed himself to be led, glancing back at Dugu Yan with an innocent expression. 'Let's see what Sister Yan does now,' he thought mischievously.
Dugu Yan, not to be outdone, followed them, a thoughtful look on her face. "You know, Qing, there's a wonderful tea house nearby that serves the most delicious pastries. Perhaps after we get the kite, we could go there for some refreshments?"
Ning Rongrong's smile faltered. 'Pastries?' she thought, her weakness for sweets momentarily overriding her competitive spirit. "Well… maybe for a little while," she conceded, but quickly added, "But then we're going to fly the kite for the rest of the day!"
Song Qing chuckled internally. 'They're both so predictable,' he thought, finding the whole situation rather amusing. He realized that as long as he remained somewhat neutral and showed affection to both of them, neither girl dared to truly alienate him. They were both so worried about displeasing him that they were practically bending over backwards to gain his favor. This gave him a surprising amount of leeway.
Over the next few days, this dynamic continued. If Song Qing spent a little too much time talking to Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong would find a way to interrupt, often with a sudden hug or a request for a game that required his undivided attention. If he focused too much on playing with Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan would interject with a more mature topic of conversation or suggest an activity that appealed to her own interests, subtly reminding Song Qing of their connection.
One afternoon, as they were watching a street performance, Song Qing leaned towards Dugu Yan and whispered a comment about the performer's spirit. Ning Rongrong, who had been momentarily distracted by a vendor selling colorful candies, immediately noticed. Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly snuggled closer to Song Qing, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Qing, this candy looks yummy! Can we buy some?" she asked, her voice deliberately loud enough for Dugu Yan to hear.
'She's doing that on purpose,' Dugu Yan thought, a wry smile on her face. 'Little jealous, are we?' She decided to retaliate in her own way. Later, as they were Browse a shop selling elegant hair ornaments, Dugu Yan picked out a beautiful jade hairpin and presented it to Song Qing. "I thought this would look lovely on you, Little Qing," she said with a warm smile.
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in alarm. Before Song Qing could even respond, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards another stall. "Qing, look! They have a spirit beast puppet show starting! Let's go watch!"
Song Qing, observing these interactions, couldn't help but find the whole thing incredibly entertaining. He was, after all, still just an eight-year-old boy, and having two pretty girls vying for his attention, in their own childish ways, was a novel and rather amusing experience.
He even started to subtly play along, sometimes leaning a little closer to Dugu Yan while they were talking, just to catch Ning Rongrong's reaction, which usually involved a slight pout and an attempt to pull him closer to her. Other times, he would shower Ning Rongrong with compliments, just to see the flicker of annoyance in Dugu Yan's emerald eyes.
What Song Qing found particularly interesting was that neither girl ever directed any anger or criticism towards him. They seemed to be in a silent competition, each trying to win his favor without directly confronting the other or, more surprisingly, without risking his displeasure. 'They're actually being quite careful around me,' he mused. 'It's like they're worried I'll get upset if they fight too much.' This realization gave him a surprising amount of leeway.
This gave him an almost comical amount of control over the situation. He could ask for almost anything, and they would both readily agree, eager to please him.
One afternoon, as they were resting after a particularly energetic game of tag, Song Qing suddenly had an idea. "You know what I really want?" he said, his voice thoughtful. "I really want to try some of those… special Starfall Berries that only grow on the highest peaks of the Misty Mountains." He had heard about these rare and incredibly delicious fruits from a story Dugu Bo had once told him.
Both girls' eyes widened. "Starfall Berries?" Dugu Yan repeated, a look of determination crossing her face. "Those are very rare, but I'm sure my grandfather knows someone who can get them."
"The Misty Mountains?" Ning Rongrong chimed in, her brow furrowed in thought. "My clan has connections with some of the spirit beast tamers who sometimes venture into those areas. I bet Grandpa Bone could ask them to look for some!"
'This is actually so much fun,' Song Qing thought, a wide, innocent smile on his face. He had absolutely no understanding of the underlying romantic feelings that might be budding in the hearts of the two girls. To him, it was simply an entertaining game of attention and affection.