Chapter 296
“Wait!” Chen An couldn’t help but interrupt.
Why did the art style change so abruptly here! He could accept having an older sister, but a mother, wasn’t that a bit too much, too soon?
“Why Mom, rather than sister?” the little boy asked.
His words made the girl’s expression turn cold again. She retorted, “What’s the difference?”
Chen An pointed at her, then at himself, earnestly trying to persuade her. “Look, the age difference between us isn’t that big, right?”
But the girl just looked at him coldly, “As long as you’re obedient, I’ll definitely treat you well. What’s wrong with you calling me Mom?”
As she said this, she seemed to recall something, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, as if she was suppressing her emotions. Chen An wasn’t an ignorant little kid; he naturally saw the girl’s abnormality. He stopped talking in time and didn’t argue further on this topic.
In the corner, silence fell again. The girl curled her legs up and lowered her head silently. Her little head was buried between her legs, leaving Chen An with only the back of her head to see. He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out and gently placed his hand on the girl’s. His movements were light and gentle. But the girl, as if startled, quickly slapped his hand away.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking up.
Chen An didn’t get angry; instead, he smiled and said, “You just said we’re family. What’s wrong with family holding hands?”
The girl seemed to still be angry; her short black hair swayed, and she turned her head away, refusing to look at him. If it had been a child who didn’t understand the atmosphere, they would have surely retreated by now. But Chen An was definitely not a child in reality. He keenly sensed the trace of vulnerability exposed in the heart of this girl who appeared strong and indifferent on the outside. So the little boy reached out again, carefully fumbling towards her. His hand wasn’t big enough to fully enfold the girl’s. So Chen An chose another way to hold her hand. His hand rested on the girl’s, and this time she only trembled slightly but didn’t pull away. Then, Chen An guided her, and the two slowly interlaced their fingers. The warmth of their palms meeting offered them a small bit of comfort in the cold wind. Chen An spoke first.
“Thank you for saving me. I still don’t know your name.” The girl finally turned back. Her eyes were lowered, looking at their interlocked hands, her expression a bit unnatural. *I’m the one who’s more capable, the older one…* she thought. She answered somewhat unwillingly, “Mu Sanniang.”
“Mu Sanniang?” the boy unconsciously repeated. He then asked, “Don’t you have a formal name?” Mu Sanniang looked up, then flicked her hand, breaking free. She looked at him and said coldly, “Mu Sanniang is Mu Sanniang. That is my name.”
Chen An was stunned, not expecting the girl’s reaction to be so intense. She was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “No, I didn’t mean anything else,” the boy apologized earnestly. His little face was full of sincerity, with a little frost hanging on his eyebrows. Although he was young, one could still see his extraordinary features, exuding an air of handsome elegance. Mu Sanniang kept a cold little face, pondering something in her heart. At the age of eleven or twelve, in this world where people preyed on each other, she had already learned to wear another mask. Chen An’s voice didn’t stop. He extended his hand in front of the girl again, his voice gentle. “Nice to meet you. My name is Chen An.” Mu Sanniang again pushed his opened hand away, her expression stern, but her tone unconsciously softened a little. She said, “You ate my biscuit, so you have to take my surname. From now on, you’ll be called Mu An.” Chen An smiled helplessly at this, “Where did that rule come from?” Mu Sanniang glanced at him and replied seriously, “This is Mu Sanniang’s rule.”
…
…
It was late at night. Under the cover of night, the tall city walls looked like terrifying beasts, with only large dark shadows visible. The night should have been quiet, but the snowfall had become more intense these past two days, the piercing howls filling the air. It sounded like the mountain wind blowing through a deep ravine, like mountain spirits wailing and howling. In an unnoticed corner, two small figures were holding each other tightly. They would occasionally tremble, then quickly calm down. The cold was biting, and only their skin emitted a faint warmth. This warmth was like an invisible little sun, drawing the two of them together. The little boy slowly opened his eyes. Chen An wasn’t very sleepy. In this environment, he found it hard to sleep. It was too cold. If it continued like this, even if nobles from the city came out to give out congee every day, they wouldn’t live long. That bowl of thin congee could sustain life, but it couldn’t give them any warmth on a night like this. To survive, they had to find an opportunity to enter the city. But under normal circumstances, cities would never allow refugees to enter. Because once that door was opened, countless troubles would follow. Looking at the large shadows lurking in the darkness, Chen An frowned. Perhaps because his body had shrunk, these city walls now appeared even taller and more awe-inspiring in his eyes. To be honest, he couldn’t think of any good solution at the moment. The girl in his embrace suddenly stirred restlessly. Her eyes fluttered, but she didn’t wake up. She just unconsciously murmured, “Dad, Mom…” Her voice trembled, filled with helplessness and bewilderment. In her sleep, the girl shed her daytime mask. The feigned indifference and strength naturally crumbled. What Chen An saw now was only immense, heart-wrenching fragility. Chen An sighed softly and tried to bring his face closer. He shifted his position so that he could more easily press his cheek against the girl’s. He could see that the tip of her ear had turned a pale blue from the cold. Chen An tried to be as gentle as possible, not wanting to wake her. But he had underestimated Mu Sanniang’s vigilance. The moment his cheek touched hers, Mu Sanniang’s eyes snapped open. Her pale blue pupils were devoid of any emotion, filled with coldness. Only when she saw it was Chen An did the killing intent in her eyes slowly recede. Mu Sanniang didn’t push Chen An away. Or rather, after she had said they were family, she would no longer doubt him. Simple, pure. This was Mu Sanniang’s rule. She could choose to believe unconditionally based on a single glance. The contact of their skin brought a little warmth. Mu Sanniang couldn’t help but snuggle closer. “I’m sorry I woke you up…” The boy’s apologetic voice came from beside her ear. Mu Sanniang shook her head and said nothing. And so, the world quieted down again, with only the mournful howl of the wind and snow. After a while, she suddenly spoke. “My parents are dead.” Chen An hummed, not understanding the meaning of her sudden confession. However, he always knew how to be a good listener. The girl continued to speak softly. “They died on the road while fleeing from famine.” Her voice paused. “I killed them.” (End of this chapter)
