When Lu Nian and Hiratsuka Shizuka returned home after eating, it was already close to eleven at night. After struggling for a while, he finally settled the thoroughly drunk teacher onto her bed, carefully placing a glass of water on the bedside table before quietly closing the door behind him.
Just as Lu Nian was about to head to the kitchen to prepare some hangover soup, his steps paused.
"Hm? A guest?"
Within the Pure White Space, he sensed an unfamiliar fluctuation of life—weak, fragile, yet unmistakably present.
Without hesitation, Lu Nian abandoned the thought of soup. The space around him rippled like disturbed water, and in the next instant, his figure vanished from the room.
When his vision stabilized, Lu Nian saw a small figure lying on the pristine white floor.
It was a little girl with black hair and crimson eyes, no more than eight or nine years old. Her body was thin, almost fragile, and her small hands—covered in old scars—clutched the hem of her tattered clothes as she wiped the floor again and again.
She was so focused that she didn't notice Lu Nian appear behind her.
"This little guest," Lu Nian asked gently, "what are you doing here?"
The sudden voice startled her like a frightened rabbit.
She shrieked softly, instantly covering her head with both hands as her body curled into a tight ball, trembling against the floor.
"P-please don't hit me!" she cried in a small, panicked voice. "I just wanted to find something to eat. I don't know why I came here!"
No fists came down. No curses followed.
After waiting several long seconds, the girl cautiously lowered one hand and peeked through her fingers. What she saw was a strange but gentle-looking big brother standing there, not a monster or an angry adult.
Only then did she dare to speak properly.
Her name was Yun—a name given to her by her sister.
Earlier that morning, Yun had crawled out of the sewers, planning to head to the garbage dump in search of food. But after turning a corner, the world had suddenly changed, and she found herself here instead.
At first, fear overwhelmed her. She searched frantically for an exit until she noticed a door behind her. Somehow, instinct told her that passing through it would send her back, and that realization finally calmed her heart.
Then she noticed the problem.
The spotless floor was covered in her footprints.
Yun wasn't clever, nor particularly brave, but she was kind. Even if no one would ever see it, she felt that since she had dirtied the place, she had to clean it before leaving.
That was why Lu Nian saw this scene when he returned.
"Big brother… I'm sorry," Yun said softly. "I'll wipe everything clean before I go. I promise I won't cause trouble."
She carefully got up. After confirming that the strange big brother had no intention of chasing her away or hurting her, she once again grabbed the corner of her clothes and prepared to continue wiping the floor.
Lu Nian watched quietly.
He didn't stop her until the little girl finished cleaning and was about to leave.
"Yun, right?" Lu Nian said. "Come here and sit down for a bit. These are your rewards for cleaning."
He pointed to the sofa nearby. At the same time, a card appeared in his hand, dissolving into light as an exquisitely prepared afternoon tea materialized on the table.
Gurgle—
The sweet, milky aroma hit her nose, and Yun's stomach betrayed her immediately.
She swallowed hard, glancing at Lu Nian's smiling face before hesitantly walking over. However, she didn't dare sit on the sofa—afraid her dirty clothes might stain it—so she carefully picked up a small piece of cake, sat on the floor, and began eating.
Lu Nian said nothing. Each time Yun finished a piece, he quietly handed her another.
Halfway through, Yun suddenly lowered her head.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, falling onto her hands smeared with cream. She tried wiping them away, but the tears only kept coming.
Several minutes passed before she finally calmed down. Her eyes were red, her face flushed with embarrassment as she looked up at the strange big brother who had been so kind to her.
"Are you full?" Lu Nian asked softly, lifting her onto the sofa and gently wiping away her tears. "If not, there's still more."
"I'm full," Yun nodded obediently. Then she hesitated, her voice turning timid. "Kind big brother… can I take the rest back to my sister and the others?"
"Of course—" Lu Nian paused, then smiled. "No. Because this is all Yun's. As for what you want to share with your sisters, I'll prepare more for you."
As he stroked Yun's dry, yellowed hair—clear signs of long-term malnutrition—Lu Nian observed her carefully. The faintly narrowed red eyes, the mixed and unstable aura within her body, and the scars scattered across her skin.
A guess slowly formed in his mind.
"Yun," he asked gently, "can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Yun looked up innocently, her little tongue subconsciously licking the cream at the corner of her mouth.
"There's a bit of salt mixed in," she said honestly, not realizing it came from her tears, "but it's still really good."
Lu Nian smiled faintly.
"You said you came out alone to find food. What about your parents… and your sister?"
Yun's expression dimmed.
"I've never seen my parents," she said quietly. "My sister told me that because we're cursed children, we were abandoned when we were born. My sister picked me up and raised me."
Her sadness was fleeting. When she spoke about her sisters, her face lit up again, like a cheerful little bird chattering endlessly, her hands and feet moving excitedly as she talked.
But soon, worry crept back into her voice.
"Last time, my sisters went to the boundary monument area… they came back hurt and couldn't go out again. So Yun came by herself to find food."
She glanced at the half piece of cake in her hand, suddenly jumping down from the sofa. Carefully, she wrapped it up.
"Kind big brother, Yun has to go now," she said earnestly. "I need to bring food back. If I'm late, my sisters will be hungry."
She bowed deeply.
"Thank you for the cake. It's the best thing Yun has ever eaten."
Holding the cake tightly, she turned and began to run away on her short legs.
"Hm?"
Lu Nian reached out, gently stopping her.
"Didn't I say there's still cake for your sisters? Why are you leaving without taking it?"
Yun looked up, her red eyes meeting his.
"But big brother," she said seriously, "I already ate so much as a reward for cleaning. I can't take more."
In Yun's mind, cleaning the floor she dirtied was only right. Eating the cake was already too much kindness.
Taking more would be wrong.
Yun shouldn't be a bad child.
Lu Nian fell silent for a moment, then straightened his posture.
"…You're right," he said solemnly. "Big brother apologizes."
Then, with equal seriousness, he continued.
"I'm a store manager. This is my store. Yun—would you like to make a deal with me?"
_____________________
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