Chapter 296: Will You Be My Family?
Chapter 296: Will You Be My Family?
In a daze, Chen An extended his hand.
Both hands were small and equally cold.
It was likely that the person extending a helping hand was not much older than Chen An.
Two small hands clasped tightly in mid-air.
Then, Chen An felt a force from the hand, pulling him up.
His small body trembled like a sieve, shaking off the frost and wind.
Chen An finally had the chance to get a good look at the heroine of this third life.
She was a black-haired girl.
Her hair was very short, just reaching her ears. Her small face had several tiny nicks from the wind and snow.
The girl’s clothes were tattered, with two small holes in her trouser legs that kept letting in the wind.
Compared to Chen An, she was not much better off.
Or rather, anyone who ended up here was not well-dressed.
But despite this, she stood straight.
She was also a bit taller than Chen An, about half a head taller.
Her pupils were a rare light blue.
Seeing Chen An looking at her, the girl frowned, then let go of his hand.
She didn’t say anything further, just turned and walked away in another direction.
As a stranger, she felt she had done enough.
As for the fate of this little boy from here on out… did it have anything to do with her?
Didn’t people around who noticed this scene already have looks of ridicule in their eyes, just because she had lent a hand?
If she didn’t want to expend energy, they would probably have loudly mocked her as a living Bodhisattva.
But after a few steps, the girl suddenly stopped.
She turned her head and saw that the little boy was still standing in place, unmoving.
For some reason, a sense of irritation welled up in her heart.
Three seconds later, the girl walked back.
Her voice, cold and clear, came through the wind.
“If you don’t want to die, then follow me.”
Chen An was startled. He tried to follow.
Unfortunately, because he had been frozen for too long, his lower body was still very stiff.
It was better not to move, but as soon as he tried, he lost his balance and was about to fall to the ground.
Fortunately, the girl was quick-witted and grabbed him by the back of his collar.
Feeling the force, Chen An was secretly alarmed.
This strength was really not small…
“Are you an idiot?”
Her raspy voice came again, and her impatient tone revealed her current annoyance.
Chen An’s expression faltered. He apologized, “I’m sorry, my legs were frozen…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the girl.
She looked at him, her expression stern.
“Shut up.”
Chen An wisely closed his mouth.
He didn’t think her attitude was too bad.
Compared to those who stood by and watched, she was already Chen An’s savior.
The girl’s strength was truly remarkable.
She simply lifted Chen An and then, with a swing of her arm, embraced him.
It was fortunate that Chen An was so small and light now.
In this situation, being small had its advantages.
The girl held him in her arms.
Chen An moved his lips, wanting to say something but stopping.
He used to be the one holding others. This was truly the first time he had been carried in a princess carry.
Although the posture was a bit awkward, considering his physical condition, Chen An did not choose to be stubborn.
He was not the type of man who would suffer needlessly for the sake of pride.
He let the girl do as she pleased.
The girl held him with a cold expression, her face showing a slight strain.
Then, she began to walk.
Step by step, she moved forward cautiously.
Her speed was not fast, but she walked very steadily.
Only occasionally did she need to turn her head to check the road ahead, so as not to go astray.
In the wind and snow, the two small figures seemed to become one.
Until they were finally swallowed by the snow.
The girl, carrying Chen An, walked for a few minutes and reached a corner.
There was a large wall pillar here, and by leaning against it, they could shield themselves from the wind and snow.
Although it didn’t help much, it was better than nothing.
In this small corner, there was a thin mat on the ground, made of several scraps of cloth sewn together.
The girl placed the little boy on the rags and then, as if relieved of a great burden, bent at the knees and began to pant heavily.
Although her strength was indeed much greater than that of her peers, carrying Chen An all the way had still consumed most of her energy.
In such weather, expending energy was akin to playing with one’s own life.
Just then, a gust of wind and snow blew in, forcing its way into the girl’s mouth.
She frowned, choking several times.
Chen An’s legs were still numb, but he had regained some feeling.
He looked at the girl with concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
The girl looked up when she heard him, her expression already returning to its indifferent state.
She ignored Chen An’s well-meaning inquiry and silently walked to the corner and sat down.
Seeing this, Chen An wanted to say something.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, the first sound to come out was the rumbling of his empty stomach.
The girl looked at him.
Chen An met her gaze and gave a slightly forced smile.
The girl frowned, then cautiously peeked her head outwards.
She quickly scanned her surroundings. Seeing that no one was paying attention to this corner, she shifted her body and became very close to Chen An.
If not for their clothes, their skin would have been touching.
Watching her every move, Chen An felt a bit confused.
But the girl’s next action answered his unspoken question.
She reached into her chest and pulled out a small piece of bread, frozen hard.
She quickly stuffed it into Chen An’s mouth, then retreated.
The entire action was done swiftly and cleanly, without a word.
Chen An watched this scene, his heart touched.
He chewed, and a bitter taste filled his mouth.
He didn’t know what the bread was made of; it had a terrible texture and tasted rather strange.
But having food at all was excellent.
He was not a picky person, and in his current situation, he had no room to be picky.
Forcibly swallowing the crumbs, Chen An said, “Thank you.”
The girl’s expression remained indifferent, and she did not reply. She just lowered her head, her expression unreadable.
Chen An thought for a moment and tried to call out to the system in his mind.
But ever since he had said, “Who says being raised isn’t being raised?” the system seemed to have vanished into thin air and had not responded.
It was as if his calls were sinking into the sea.
Just as Chen An was struggling to find a reason to strike up a conversation, the girl spoke first.
She suddenly asked, “Where are your parents?”
Chen An was taken aback by her question, then shook his head.
“I don’t have parents.”
He had always been alone.
The girl said, “Oh,” and then, “I don’t have them either.”
She then looked up, her light blue eyes gazing at the little boy.
She suddenly asked, “Do you still want to live?”
Chen An was a little confused, but he honestly nodded.
Seeing his nod, the girl seemed to heave a sigh of relief.
She continued, “If you want to live, you’ll have to rely on my help.”
“And only family helps each other. Do you want to be my family?”
Chen An nodded without hesitation.
Seeing this, the girl moved closer to him, her expression shifting slightly.
It was clear she wanted to smile, but it didn’t quite work out.
She gently placed her small hand on the boy’s head and softly said, “Then be good, and call me ‘Mother’.”
