“Alright, I’ll give you an extra piece of this tofu. You can go back and make some soup with it; it’ll help mend your bones.”
As the woman spoke, she really did scoop an extra piece of tofu into a leaf wrapping and handed it to En Zai.
“Aunt, you really don’t have to.”
“Why be so polite? We’re all neighbors, and your A-niang and I are good friends! You need to take good care of yourself so you can grow up quickly and look after your A-niang.”
The woman refused to back down, insisting on pressing it into his hand.
Since she had said so much, En Zai found it hard to refuse again, so he just nodded and said thank you.
During this time, Xiaoxiao did not look at him again.
Seeing En Zai constantly sneaking glances at Xiaoxiao, the woman, probably used to it, covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Xiaoxiao is a bit reclusive and doesn’t like to talk. Don’t mind her.”
“No, I just… wanted to properly thank little sister Xiaoxiao.”
“Then you should come to Aunt’s place often and play with Xiaoxiao, so she won’t be so lonely.”
The woman was actually worried that Xiaoxiao’s personality was too reclusive and quiet; it would be good if she had a playmate.
As for the separation of genders, she wasn’t some young lady from a prestigious family, and she was still young. In this poor place, there was nothing to worry about; all the children on the street played together.
“Okay, Aunt, little sister Xiaoxiao, I’ll come find you again tomorrow!”
After En Zai said this, his face flushed, and he quickly ran off.
Xiaoxiao watched En Zai’s rapidly disappearing back, silently wondering what he was thinking.
The woman patted her head: “I think En Zai is a good boy. You should go out and play with him more. It’s so good to be like him, like a real child!”
Of course, the woman didn’t know that En Zai wasn’t entirely a child at heart, but he was close enough.
…
With the woman’s words, En Zai started coming to play with Xiaoxiao every other day.
One moment he would catch grasshoppers, the next he would say he folded a small boat, constantly finding new and interesting things to amuse Xiaoxiao.
At first, Xiaoxiao really didn’t want to bother with him, but she couldn’t help but be drawn in by his endless new ideas.
Although En Zai was now a slum kid, he was once one of the ten great fops of Chang’an. Having grown up indulging in pleasure, it was naturally easy for him to take out some of the little toys he used to play with to amuse this six-year-old girl who hadn’t seen much of the world.
For some reason, En Zai became more and more immersed in this life, and his extravagant past gradually faded from his memory.
He had also tried cultivating, but he couldn’t sense the Supreme God here, nor could he feel any Spiritual Qi, so he couldn’t even begin to practice.
Thus, he could only give up and contentedly live as En Zai, a boy from the slums.
Every day, he either played with Xiaoxiao or helped his A-niang with some tasks, and when he encountered those fops who used to beat him, he could now fight back using his residual combat instincts.
Gradually, no one dared to look down on this En Zai anymore.
He and Xiaoxiao also grew closer, though Xiaoxiao still didn’t talk much.
But to En Zai’s delight, she was always willing to hold his hand. Although it seemed she didn’t have any special meaning, it always made En Zai’s heart pound and his palms sweat.
…
In the dilapidated old temple, under the thick Sophora japonica tree in the courtyard, a little girl was leaning against the tree trunk, covering her eyes and counting down aloud.
“Thirty!”
“Twenty-nine!”
“Twenty-eight!”
En Zai glanced at Xiaoxiao’s figure, chuckled, and quickly ran towards the side hall behind the old temple.
They were playing hide-and-seek.
This time, it was his turn to hide and Xiaoxiao’s turn to seek.
“Twenty-three!”
“Twenty-two!”
“Twenty-one!”
Upon reaching the side hall, Xiaoxiao’s voice was only faintly audible.
En Zai’s gaze fell on a broken wooden box in the corner.
The wooden box wasn’t big, but it was just enough to hide a child. If the lid was closed, it would be very concealed.
Moreover, there were many worm-eaten holes in the box, so he could breathe inside and wouldn’t feel suffocated.
He figured Xiaoxiao would never think of it.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
En Zai crawled inside and closed the lid.
“Eight…”
The world was silent.
Xiaoxiao’s voice was no longer audible.
En Zai curled up inside, secretly chuckling.
After waiting for a while, it should be time to start seeking.
Xiaoxiao’s footsteps echoed, sometimes near, sometimes far, as she searched everywhere for him.
Slowly, she actually drew closer and entered the side hall.
En Zai quickly held his breath, so as not to reveal himself.
But very soon, the footsteps moved away again.
En Zai breathed a sigh of relief and became smug.
Indeed, she couldn’t find him. He was so clever!
However, after only a moment of joy, En Zai’s heart tightened.
The footsteps returned.
Why did she come back again?
And, closer and closer.
Finally, they stopped beside the wooden box.
En Zai’s breathing was rapid, and he was very nervous.
Could she really have discovered him hiding here?
But En Zai thought it unlikely.
Waiting, the footsteps still didn’t move.
En Zai felt a bit flustered, wondering if he should just open the lid and jump out himself.
While he was still deliberating, the lid was opened.
Light instantly flooded into En Zai’s eyes, making him momentarily uncomfortable.
En Zai blinked, looking at Xiaoxiao’s beautiful face in the light, and was just about to smile and speak.
Suddenly, a heavy object landed heavily on his head.
His smile froze on his face, unmoving.
…
After an unknown amount of time, En Zai slowly opened his eyes, feeling a bit bewildered at first.
His head was spinning, and it took a while for him to sort through the jumbled memories.
What? I was hit by Xiaoxiao?
He finally realized this point.
Fortunately, Xiaoxiao’s strength was still too small; she hadn’t broken his head, only knocked him unconscious on the spot.
He wanted to cry out, but he found his mouth stuffed full with a cloth, making it impossible to speak.
His hands and feet were also tied, completely unable to move.
How many times has this happened now?
Why do I always end up in such a predicament?
Strange thoughts popped into En Zai’s mind; he was both amused and baffled, completely at a loss.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Xiaoxiao’s slender figure approaching. En Zai struggled violently, hoping to attract Xiaoxiao’s attention.
It was just hide-and-seek, why do this?
En Zai’s eyes were full of pleading and entreaty, begging Xiaoxiao to let him go.
It must have been when he was being foolish and did something to offend Xiaoxiao, which made Xiaoxiao want to punish him.
Once Xiaoxiao let him go, he would definitely apologize to her properly.
Although En Zai felt the current situation was a bit strange, he wasn’t worried.
They were all just children, what could they do?
En Zai thought this, but then a cold glint flashed before his eyes.
Subsequently, he watched in horror as Xiaoxiao held a gleaming cleaver, gesturing back and forth over his wrist.
“Wuwuwuwuwu!” En Zai struggled even more fiercely.
He really didn’t know how he had offended Xiaoxiao so much that she would try to harm him.
And with such a vicious hand!
At this moment, he saw Xiaoxiao’s eyes, which were so cold they held no emotion.
Not like a human.
As if…
Like a weird object.