“I learned from you.” Jinhsi’s answer was completely unabashed, even carrying a touch of pride.
“Who told you to learn that?
You’re going to be tearing roofs off next,” Mohai chuckled softly.
She hopped down lightly from the window sill, deftly brushing the dust off her hands in one fluid motion.
Gone was any trace of the dignified, mature little adult from their first meeting.
Looking at her, Mohai didn’t know whether to praise her fast learning skills or reflect on whether he was corrupting the future ruler of Jinzhou.
“Still, our Jinhsi really is exceptionally bright.” Jinhsi clearly enjoyed the praise, the curve of her smile growing more pronounced.
Mohai’s eyes fell upon her little face, which still had a smudge of dirt on it, making her look like a little kitten caught red-handed sneaking food.
Saying nothing, he picked up a clean cloth hanging by the bed, stepped over to her, and raised his hand to gently wipe her cheek.
Jinhsi’s body froze instantly.
She could feel the warmth of Mohai’s body transferred through the cloth, his fingers pressing lightly against her face through the fabric.
Unlike their last fleeting touch, this was clearly longer and far more lingering.
*How strange…
Why does my head feel like complete mush?* Jinhsi didn’t understand what was happening.
It was a contact even more intimate than holding hands.
Her heart hammered out of control, and her cheeks burned hot—whether from the cloth’s warmth or something else entirely, she couldn’t tell.
“There, all clean.” Mohai pulled his hand back, admired his handiwork, and nodded in satisfaction.
“You…” Jinhsi parted her lips, but didn’t know what to say.
“What about me?” Mohai blinked, looking utterly innocent.
“Nothing.” Jinhsi quickly looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.
She glanced around the small room.
It was really small.
A single bed, a table, and a chair took up nearly the entire space.
It stood in stark contrast to her vast, luxurious bedchamber.
“Your room…
is so small,” she murmured.
“But it’s very warm, isn’t it?” Mohai smiled, leaning against the table.
Jinhsi paused.
It was true.
Though small, everything here was within arm’s reach.
Unlike her room, where walking from the bed to the door took a long while.
*A palace high in the heavens…* Vast, silent, cold.
Those were her most direct impressions of her own bedchamber.
“Jinhsi, let me tell you a story,” Mohai suddenly offered.
Striking upon an idea, he decided to tell a story to pass the time.
“A story?” “Yep.
A story about the ‘Box of a Thousand Reflections.'” Mohai cleared his throat and began his impromptu performance.
“Far, far away, there’s a magical treasure called the ‘Box of a Thousand Reflections.’ It’s only the size of a palm, but as long as you speak to it, it can manifest the people you wish to see and the sights you wish to behold through light and shadow.” “You can even hear their voices, as if they were standing right in front of you.” Jinhsi was captivated by this novel tale.
“Can it manifest anything?” “That’s right, anything at all.
Whether high mountains, vast seas, or the local customs of another realm—it can even show you thrilling stories of heroes defeating monsters.” Mohai described it with vivid flair, packaging a smartphone’s functions in a way this world could comprehend.
Jinhsi listened entranced.
In her tiny head, she was already imagining that marvelous box.
If she had it, could she see the soldiers guarding the border anytime she wanted?
Could she know which children in the corners of the city were going hungry?
And…
could she see Mohai whenever she wanted too?
The moment the thought surfaced, her face flushed red.
From that day on, sneaking off to Mohai’s room at night became Jinhsi’s most anticipated daily secret.
Her “culinary skills” improved at a speed visible to the naked eye.
From burnt, unidentifiable blobs at first, her creations gradually turned into presentable pastries and buns.
Though the taste was still a bit hard to describe, Mohai polished off every last bit each time.
And Mohai became her exclusive “storyteller.” He told her about “fast-running giant carts inside iron boxes,” “iron birds that fly beyond the sky,” and all sorts of whimsical stories she had never heard before.
Jinhsi’s world was opening up, little by little.
That evening, Jinhsi came to see Mohai as usual, carrying her latest creation—a plate of rice cakes sprinkled with osmanthus sugar.
The two were sitting by the table, sharing this one-of-a-kind “late-night snack.” Suddenly— *Creak—* The sound of faint footsteps and chatting patrol guards drifted in from outside.
The two froze as if someone had hit the pause button.
Mohai reacted instantly.
Grabbing Jinhsi, he whisked her into the cramped space under the bed in a flash.
He even remembered to snatch the plate of rice cakes off the table as he moved.
Since he was a child living alone, patrolling guards would occasionally pop in out of kindness to check on him.
“Mmm…” With Mohai covering her mouth, Jinhsi could only let out a faint whimper.
Pressed tightly together, they could practically feel each other’s breath and heartbeat.
Outside on the floor, the elongated shadows of guards walking by with lanterns stretched across the ground.
“I’ve felt like there’s been movement around here the past couple days.
Did you check properly?” “Probably just stray cats.
The kid lives alone, so it’s bound to be a bit restless.” *Restless?
What am I, the Straw Hat kid?* “Fair point.
Let’s go, on to the next spot.” The footsteps and voices gradually faded into the distance.
Yet the two beneath the bed remained in the same posture, not daring to move an inch.
Only after a long while did Mohai slowly release his hand.
“Phew…” Jinhsi let out a long sigh of relief.
That had been terrifyingly tense.
But…
it was also so exciting.
She could feel her heart still pounding wild beats against her chest, her cheeks burning hot from excitement and lack of air.
Her mind was a complete blur, and her whole body felt somewhat weak.
Looking at Mohai right in front of her, Jinhsi couldn’t think straight at all.
He was all that was here…
“Scared the life out of me.” Mohai exhaled as well, holding out the plate of rice cakes in front of her and lowering his voice.
“Quick, eat a rice cake to calm your nerves.” In the dark, Jinhsi looked into his bright, sparkling eyes and couldn’t help but burst into a soft giggle.
This night became a secret shared exclusively between the two of them.
Another few days passed.
When Jinhsi came again, she brought along a thick bundle.
“What’s this?” Mohai asked out of curiosity.
Jinhsi unwrapped the bundle to reveal a brand-new quilt made of fine cloud silk.
It was light, soft, and smelled faintly of sunshine.
“It gets cold at night.
Cover up with something thicker so you don’t fall sick.” She spoke casually, as if merely stating a trivial matter.
But Mohai’s heart was filled to the brim by this “trivial matter.” He knew that this soft-spoken girl was caring for him in her own clumsy, yet utterly genuine way.
Reaching out, he didn’t touch the quilt; instead, he gently untangled a few strands of hair that had gone messy from her window climbing.
“Thank you, Jinhsi.” His voice was soft, laced with an unprecedented gentleness.
Moonlight poured through the window, bathing them in its glow.
Time seemed to stand still in that moment.
It was time for her to leave again.
Jinhsi stood by the window, hesitating.
“Mohai…” She lingered for a long moment before speaking softly.
“Tomorrow…
will you still be here?” Her voice carried a trace of reliance and anxiety that she herself hadn’t noticed.
She was afraid all of this was just a fleeting dream.
Once the dream ended, she would be left all alone again.
Mohai saw right through the fear in her heart.
He walked over to her and gave a solemn nod.
“Of course.” “I told you, I’m your friend.” “Friends don’t just disappear for no reason.” He extended his pinky finger.
“Pinky promise.” “Pinky promise?” Jinhsi looked at him, puzzled.
“Yeah, a pinky promise.
It’s a vow—whoever breaks it becomes a puppy,” Mohai declared in an unquestionable tone.
Jinhsi nodded half-understandingly, imitating him by sticking out her own pinky.
Two tiny pinkies locked together tightly under the moonlight.
“Pinky promise, lock it tight, for a hundred years, keep it right.” Watching Jinhsi’s figure disappear into the night, Mohai lay back down on the bed and pulled the soft new quilt over himself.
A soothing warmth spread from his body all the way into his heart.
He closed his eyes and addressed the system in his mind.
*System, I seriously suspect your so-called ‘extremely low probability’ is just a scam.* [Warning: Host is advised not to question the scientific validity and rigor of the System.] “Yeah, yeah, got it.” Mohai turned over, a smile playing on his lips.
[Ding!
Detected that the emotional bond with simulation target “Jinhsi” has reached a new stage…] [Bond: “Friend” has stabilized.] [Unlocking next stage objective: Become the “one and only” presence in her life.] Mohai’s smile grew even brighter.