Shen Qingyao silently watched the little boy’s retreating figure.
Although he had never said he wanted to follow her, she could tell from his eyes.
He wanted to stay with her.
Maybe she was just soft-hearted by nature.
Or maybe it was because the little boy was so well-behaved and obedient.
Either way, she found herself wanting to take him in.
Some people would probably say she was asking for trouble.
Others might say she deserved to be betrayed again.
But she simply couldn’t bring herself to ignore such a well-behaved child and leave him to fend for himself.
This time, however, she wouldn’t make the same mistake she had with Liang Xinxin by bringing him into her Space without any precautions.
As for the Space, she would never tell anyone about it again.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Shen Qingyao climbed into the carriage and took out a quilt and a blanket.
She spread them neatly on the ground, planning to let the little boy sleep there while she slept in the carriage.
Before long, the little boy returned.
He handed the pot, bowl, and chopsticks back to Shen Qingyao.
“Elder Sister, here you go. Look, I washed them really clean.”
His eyes were crystal clear, and his dark pupils reflected nothing but her.
He looked at Shen Qingyao expectantly, obviously waiting for praise.
She accepted the dishes.
Unable to harden her heart, she praised him anyway.
“Good job.”
The little boy immediately beamed.
For the first time, a trace of life appeared on his thin, sunken face.
Shen Qingyao pointed at the bedding she had laid out.
“You sleep there. I’ll sleep in the carriage.”
After saying that, she climbed into the carriage with the dishes.
The little boy looked at the neatly prepared bed, and his eyes gradually reddened.
His heart, which had remained calm for so long, suddenly felt swollen and sore.
He had the urge to cry.
He glanced toward the carriage, then quietly lowered his head and wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
How wonderful.
It had been a very long time since anyone had cared about him like this.
Although Elder Sister looked cold on the outside, she was actually a kind-hearted person.
Smiling, he climbed under the quilt.
Wrapped in its warmth, the smile on his face never disappeared.
That night, he even had the sweetest dream he had experienced in a long time.
After entering the carriage, Shen Qingyao examined it carefully.
It was exquisitely made.
Both the windows and the door could be locked from the inside.
To prevent anyone from entering the carriage and discovering she had disappeared whenever she entered her Space, she locked both the door and the windows.
Only then did she flash into the Space.
Her ability level was still too low.
She needed to become stronger as quickly as possible.
Just as before, she filled the bathtub with Spiritual Spring Water.
Before stepping in, she drank three cups of it.
Only then did she slowly lower herself into the bath.
Only her head and both hands remained above the surface.
Two crystal cores appeared in her hands.
Shen Qingyao closed her eyes and began absorbing the energy inside them.
The energy slowly flowed through her meridians.
Unlike the first time, however, it no longer hurt.
Instead, it felt pleasantly warm as it traveled through her body.
One crystal core after another turned dull gray in her hands.
She crushed each spent core into powder before casually waving her hand.
The powder scattered into the air.
Soon, it disappeared completely, as though it had never existed.
This was one of the abilities of her Space.
Shen Qingyao continued absorbing crystal cores.
Only after consuming nearly thirty crystal cores did her Lightning Ability finally break through from Level 1 to Level 2.
Even so, she was already extremely satisfied.
She remembered that, in her previous life, it had been incredibly difficult for ability users to advance.
Even after using crystal cores, many people would come right to the brink of a breakthrough…
Only to fail at the very last moment.
All their previous efforts would be wasted.
Yet she had broken through after using only thirty crystal cores.
It was an unexpected delight.
This time, Shen Qingyao definitely didn’t slap the edge of the bathtub in excitement like she had before.
She had no desire to electrocute herself into a lump of charcoal again.
Thinking back to how miserable she had looked last time, she couldn’t help laughing.
After drying herself off and blow-drying her hair, Shen Qingyao got dressed and left the Space.
She still needed to sleep outside.
After all, there was another person nearby.
The next morning, Shen Qingyao woke up and lifted the carriage curtain.
The little boy, who should have been sleeping outside, was nowhere to be seen.
The bedding had been folded neatly and placed where she had left it.
She froze for a moment.
Looking around, she couldn’t find him anywhere.
Had he left?
Looks like I was just overthinking things.
He never planned to stay in the first place.
She had thought the little boy wanted to remain with her.
She hadn’t expected him to leave instead.
Well…
If he left, then he left.
After all, they had only met by chance.
Shen Qingyao climbed down from the carriage and stretched lazily.
She planned to wash up first.
Then she would fetch some water from the river.
It was broad daylight now.
If she entered her Space and someone happened to see her disappear, it would be troublesome.
After washing her face at the riverside, Shen Qingyao slowly walked back.
Whenever she saw fallen branches, she picked them up.
She still needed firewood to cook breakfast.
Even though she was camping in a small forest in the wilderness, breakfast was still essential.
As the saying goes, “Food is the staff of life.”
Skipping even one meal left you hungry.
But when she returned…
She found the little boy standing there.
Beside him was a large, neatly stacked pile of firewood waiting for her.
“Elder Sister, you’re back.”
The little boy smiled at Shen Qingyao.
Huh?
So he hadn’t left.
Then she noticed the pile of firewood beside him.
She immediately understood.
He must have gotten up early to gather it.
Well now…
He’s quite hardworking.
Keeping a straight face, Shen Qingyao nodded.
“Do you know how to start a fire?”
she asked, holding up a fire starter.
The little boy immediately smiled brightly and nodded.
“I do! Elder Sister, I know how to start a fire.”
“Then go ahead and light it.”
As she spoke, Shen Qingyao handed the fire starter to the little boy. He took it and immediately began building the fire.
Shen Qingyao climbed into the carriage and took out a bundle of noodles from her Space. Noodles were the easiest thing to cook.
Of course, she had already removed the packaging. She couldn’t let anyone notice anything suspicious.
Besides, the pot was small and she didn’t have a steaming rack, so she couldn’t heat up steamed buns. She couldn’t exactly have them drink plain porridge.
She could have taken steaming hot buns and freshly cooked dishes straight out of the Space.
But there was an outsider here.
Although porridge could fill the stomach, it also made people need the bathroom very quickly.
So noodles were the most suitable choice.
As for the sausages and shredded kelp, she didn’t take those out.
She only brought out some salt and a jar of beef chili sauce. That single jar held the equivalent of ten jars’ worth.
The original packaging from her previous life was far too eye-catching, so she had transferred everything into a small earthenware jar.
She stuck her head out of the carriage and beckoned to the little boy.
“Come here for a moment.”
The little boy had just finished starting the fire. Hearing his elder sister call him, he happily ran over.
“Big Sister, you called me?” he asked cheerfully, a smile never leaving his face.
There was a hint of ingratiation in that smile, and Shen Qingyao noticed it immediately.
But so what? Even if she noticed, she wasn’t going to say anything.
She handed him the jar in her hands.
“Take this over there.”
The little boy accepted it with a smile.
“Okay, Big Sister.”
He hugged the jar and ran back to the campfire, setting it down beside it.
Then he hurried back again.
By then, Shen Qingyao was carrying the pot, bowls, chopsticks, and noodles, preparing to get out of the carriage.
The little boy immediately reached out eagerly.
“Big Sister, I’ll carry them.”
Shen Qingyao glanced at him calmly. She was even more satisfied with his attitude, so she handed everything over without hesitation.
The smile on the little boy’s face grew even brighter.
Great!
Since Big Sister was willing to let him help like this, did that mean he could ask to stay with her?
Just thinking about being able to follow her all the time filled him with happiness.
The two returned to the campfire.
The little boy was very observant. As soon as they arrived, he picked up the pot and ran to the river.
Watching him work so diligently, Shen Qingyao thought that if he asked to stay by her side…
She would agree.
Not only would she have company on the road, but she would also have someone to help with chores. The more she thought about it, the better it sounded.
After all, this boy was obviously nothing like Liang Xinxin, that ungrateful wretch.
After Shen Qingyao had kindly rescued Liang Xinxin in her previous life, Liang Xinxin had taken it for granted that Shen Qingyao should look after her.
She never did any work around the house.
All she did was eat, sleep, or wander aimlessly around the villa.
Fortunately, the Space had placed restrictions on Liang Xinxin, preventing her from leaving the villa. Otherwise, she would have become even more outrageous.
This little boy, however, knew how to help.
He never took other people’s kindness for granted, nor did he think that being a child meant he could do nothing.
He didn’t dump all the work onto adults.
That was the difference between people.
Shen Qingyao decided that as long as the little boy asked to follow her, she would agree.
Before long, the little boy carefully carried back a pot full of water.
He never let Shen Qingyao lift a finger.
He personally handled every task while Shen Qingyao sat to one side, resting her chin on her right hand as she watched him busily work.
Not bad.
Very good.
He always looked for work to do on his own. Keeping someone like this around would certainly make life much more pleasant.
It made her even more certain that he was completely different from Liang Xinxin.
Soon, the noodles were ready.
The little boy served a bowl, added some beef chili sauce, mixed it well, then respectfully presented it to Shen Qingyao with both hands.
He was incredibly thoughtful.
Shen Qingyao accepted the bowl and gave him a long look.
Only then did the little boy serve himself.
But he didn’t take much—only half a bowl.
He thought that if he ate less, perhaps Big Sister would be more willing to let him stay.
Shen Qingyao noticed and approval flashed across her eyes.
Not bad.
Very good.
He wasn’t greedy.
That made her even more satisfied.
“Go ahead and take more,” Shen Qingyao said. “There’s still plenty left in the pot. You’re far too skinny. Eat a little more.”
The little boy’s eyes sparkled.
“Big Sister… I can really eat more?”
He really was hungry.
But all the food belonged to Big Sister. He didn’t want to overstep his bounds.
Shen Qingyao nodded firmly.
“Yes. Eat as much as you want. Just don’t overeat. It’s bad for your health.”
The little boy nodded.
“I understand, Big Sister.”
Shen Qingyao was pleased by how obedient he was.
She picked up a large mouthful of noodles with her chopsticks and ate it.
Not bad.
The noodles were wonderfully chewy, and the beef chili sauce was rich and flavorful.
Mixed together, they tasted delicious.
After swallowing the bite, Shen Qingyao finally asked,
“What’s your name? How old are you? Why are you here all by yourself? Where are your parents?”
The little boy paused.
A strange look flashed through his eyes before he quickly hid it.
But Shen Qingyao saw it clearly.
Her expression turned cold, and her gaze became sharp.
The little boy was very perceptive and immediately sensed the change.
Big Sister… seemed angry.
He had originally intended to hide some things.
It looked like he couldn’t keep them secret after all.
He set his bowl and chopsticks on his lap and looked at Shen Qingyao with determined eyes.