Scaramouche was walking along the path when his foot bumped into something. A faint sense of danger prickled at his feet—not strong, but akin to a cat scratching lightly at his ankles.
Because the danger felt so minor, he didn’t immediately react. Instead, he glanced down curiously.
What’s this?
He frowned slightly, noticing a small round object resting by his feet—only for it to suddenly explode with a loud bang.
Black smoke instantly billowed out, thoroughly covering him.
Jiang Bai had been watching Klee after she tripped, but the grass was thick enough that he hadn’t seen the bomb roll away. Only when the explosion echoed did he realize some unfortunate passerby had gotten caught in the blast.
By the time he registered the situation, it was already too late. All he could hope was that the innocent bystander wasn’t badly hurt.
Klee, still sprawled on the ground, lifted her head in horror, watching her bomb explode at someone’s feet, too stunned even to shout a warning.
I’m finished! Klee’s not going to live to see tomorrow’s sunrise!
Panic, fear, and dread seized her at once, and she felt an overwhelming urge to bolt from reality.
Jiang Bai couldn’t attend to Klee at that moment. Instead, he ran towards the stranger, quickly channeling Anemo to clear away the smoke.
The oddly-dressed figure wearing a large hat stood completely still, face completely blackened—whether from the smoke or sheer fury, it was hard to tell.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem seriously injured, though the veil on his large hat was shredded, and his white socks had taken quite a beating.
Noticing the stranger frozen stiff, perhaps in shock, Jiang Bai anxiously approached, checking for injuries.
“Are you hurt? Is it serious?”
Scaramouche angrily brushed Jiang Bai’s hand away. An oppressive gloom radiated from him, his face darkening even further.
He’d never imagined that the harmless-looking thing rolling to his feet would be a bomb—weak in terms of destructive power, but exceptionally skilled at making a mess of his clothes.
Klee scrambled upright, grass stuck to her hair, mud smeared across her face, small cuts visible on her arms. She’d clearly taken a hard fall.
Suppressing her urge to flee, she jogged over, her expression earnest despite her disheveled appearance, and gave a deep apologetic bow.
“I’m sorry! Really, really sorry, mister! Klee dropped her bomb by accident!”
“Hmph.”
Scaramouche wanted to snap something back, but looking down at this dirty little brat sincerely apologizing to him, the scathing words caught in his throat.
“Where did this brat even come from?! You think a simple apology fixes this?!”
Annoyed, he brushed at the ash covering his clothes, only managing to spread it even more. His mood darkened further.
“What terrible luck!”
“I’m sorry! Mister, are you hurt? Klee knows she’s wrong and will take responsibility!”
Seeing the scary look on the stranger’s face, Klee scrunched up her expression again and apologized, eyes tightly shut as she braced for the impending scolding.
This mister is really scary, but Klee messed up. If Klee wants to see tomorrow’s sunrise, she needs to make this mister forgive her!
Scaramouche looked down contemptuously at the little girl desperately seeking his forgiveness, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.
“Hah, take responsibility? What exactly can you do? Can you fix my hat or clean my clothes?”
Seeing the stranger’s anger rising again, Jiang Bai quickly intervened.
“We’re truly sorry. It’s entirely our fault—we’ll make it up to you. Just tell us what you need.”
Jiang Bai spoke sincerely, clearly showing remorse.
Scaramouche’s mood eased slightly, satisfied that they weren’t making excuses like blaming the child’s youth or ignorance.
Still, mere apologies weren’t enough to fully appease him.
Jiang Bai didn’t expect forgiveness from just a few apologies. Luckily, Klee had only used a small bomb this time—if it had been something stronger, the consequences would have been disastrous.
“Are you injured anywhere? Is it serious? Do you need treatment?”
Scaramouche shook the ash off his sleeve irritably, his tone dark and moody.
“This pathetic explosion couldn’t possibly hurt me.”
Glancing at the fading daylight, Jiang Bai pulled out a clean set of clothes.
“It’s nearly dark. If you aren’t in a hurry, there’s a lake nearby. You can wash up, and we’ll clean your clothes.”
Klee nodded earnestly. “Yeah! Klee will wash it carefully!”
Seeing the little culprit seriously trying to apologize improved Scaramouche’s mood even more. Looking at the earnest little girl nodding frantically, he couldn’t resist the urge to tease her a bit.
“You know how to do laundry? Just don’t ruin my clothes, kid.”
“Mama taught Klee! Klee knows how!” she began confidently before faltering slightly, embarrassed. “But… if they’re too big or heavy, Klee can’t wash them very well…”
Hearing that, Scaramouche took off his coat and tossed it onto her head, followed quickly by his large hat.
The black ash scattered from his clothes, instantly covering Klee’s face and outfit, turning her into a soot-covered mess.
Seeing the brat get a taste of her own medicine, Scaramouche felt immensely satisfied.
“Then you can be responsible for cleaning these.”
Jiang Bai couldn’t help but notice how naturally mean-spirited this guy was—bullying a little kid without hesitation.
But at least he didn’t seem genuinely malicious. He hadn’t exploded into violence just because of a little bomb accident.
Since Scaramouche had worn an outer coat, his inner clothing was undamaged. He peeled off his thoroughly ruined socks and strode off to the lake in his sandals to wash up.
Seeing his reflection clearly for the first time, he finally understood just how miserable he looked.
His face, hair, and skin were covered in thick, sooty ash, as if he’d just crawled out of a coal mine.
He hadn’t seen himself in such a humiliating state in decades.
Expressionlessly, he scattered his reflection with a slap to the water.
Meanwhile, Klee crouched by the lakeside, vigorously scrubbing the coat on a small washboard Jiang Bai had conjured from Geo elements. Scaramouche at least had some conscience, only giving her a single coat.
But even that one coat was proving difficult for Klee to handle.
The large hat rested partially in the stream, where the gentle current washed away the worst of the stains.
Jiang Bai didn’t step in to help her. He wasn’t sure how best to care for a child, but he understood that too much interference would do more harm than good.
If he intervened too often, Klee might develop a habit of relying too heavily on adults.
As night fully settled in, Jiang Bai built a small fire, set up a pot, and began cooking ingredients he’d stored away, quietly watching the two at the lake.
Since they hadn’t managed to catch any rabbits, tonight’s dinner would be a simple stew of vegetables and meat.
—
T/N: LMAOO SCARAMOUCHE DID GET BLOWN UP!
This is a fan translation of 胡桃拿我冲业绩 by 余溯. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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