Baiheng: Wow, she's so cute

Aventurine tightened his arms slightly and lifted her up. He immediately noticed something was wrong with her weight: the body in his arms felt light as a feather, practically weightless. He couldn't help being surprised.

That can't be right. Is this a normal weight for a woman? She's far too light, as though a gust of wind could blow her away.

Though Bai Tang was usually slender, her skin was firm, and aside from the gruesome wounds on her body, she looked perfectly healthy. She didn't look underweight at all.

Surely the Express hasn't been skimping on her food.

Astral Express: That's not fair! Bai Tang hasn't been here long. How much difference could feeding her up make in such a short time? Getting her clean and full of life again has already taken a lot of effort!

The school exam results had come out that day, and she had taken first place. Her mom and dad would surely be happy.

The little girl was thin, and her ragged clothes were covered in dirt and stains, leaving them dull and dingy. Their edges were worn, and some parts had even torn, exposing the thin lining beneath.

Half of her clothes were wet, perhaps because she had accidentally fallen into a puddle, or perhaps because they had been soaked with tears. Her cheeks were covered in mud, but her bright eyes still shone with innocent light.

She walked with a spring in her step, clutching the exam paper marked with a bright red hundred. It was as though it were not a sheet of paper, but a medal that could make her parents pay attention to her.

Nothing could spoil her good mood. She couldn't wait to share the joy of her success with her family, and her steps grew quicker and quicker. Before long, she reached her front door, her heart full of anticipation.

Her family lived in a self-built house, a carefully constructed four-story building.

Its decor was modern and minimalist, with walls painted in soft latex paint, simple suspended ceilings, and bright lighting that created a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

There had once been a thriving vegetable garden by the entrance, filled with all kinds of seasonal vegetables. Now it had been cleared away and covered with cement, leaving a flat, empty space.

At the door, she could faintly hear voices talking inside.

"I want a hamburger—"

"Little Bao, you just had one yesterday. You can't have one today."

"No, I want one! I want one! Waaah! Dad, Mom won't let me have a hamburger!"

"All right, all right. Mom will go buy you one right now."

The voices abruptly stopped, and the door opened. A smiling woman stood in the doorway.

She wore a light blue dress, its hem swaying gently with her movements, making her look especially graceful. Her hair was neatly combed, and she wore light makeup. Her eyes showed her love and hopes for her child.

Her wallet held a few banknotes and some coins. Clearly, she was ready to go out and buy her child a hamburger. By all appearances, she was a good mother.

"Mom! This is my..."

When the woman saw the filthy little girl, her expression instantly darkened. Her brows knitted tightly, and unmistakable disgust showed in her eyes.

She instinctively took a step back, as though the filth on the little girl might rub off on her. Then she said coldly:

"You're here. Your little brother wants a hamburger, so I'm going out to buy one. Once you're inside, remember to wash the clothes and mop the floor. I don't want to see any trash when I get back."

Her tone carried an unquestionable command. Every word pierced like an icicle, leaving no room for even the slightest defiance.

The little girl's bright smile froze instantly. The corners of her mouth drooped slightly, and tears glistened in her eyes.

But she still tried, slowly holding out the paper bearing her perfect score to her mother. Her movements were slow and heavy, as though the sheet in her hand weighed a thousand pounds.

Mom, just take one look.

The woman impatiently took the paper, tossed it aside, and hurried out:

"How old is she, still making trouble? Can't she see her brother's waiting to eat? If Little Bao gets hungry, just see how I deal with her."

The exam paper fluttered to the floor, where water that had not yet dried soaked into it, like a bucket of cold water thrown over her good mood.

But she had only just gotten out of school, and she hadn't eaten either.

"Bai Xiaopei, get over here. Clean up my trash, then buy me a drink."

"Bai Lianghao, I'm your big sister. If you want one, go buy it yourself."

"You're not my sister. You're a money-losing brat. Money-losing brat, money-losing brat."

The little girl could bear it no longer. She felt the anger inside her erupt like a volcano; her long endurance had finally reached its limit.

She clenched her little fist and moved swiftly and forcefully, aiming straight at the younger brother she could no longer tolerate. It seemed she really had to beat him to death to quell the rage in her heart.

The chubby little Bai Lianghao was so frightened that he fell to the floor, his face full of terror. His little body trembled on the cold ground, tears rolling down like beads from a broken string as he wailed:

"Dad! Dad! Bai Xiaopei's going to hit me!"

"I'll beat you to death, you money-losing brat!"

Her father appeared in the doorway, furious, carrying a thick, heavy wooden stick. His face was full of anger and impatience.

Seeing Bai Lianghao crying his heart out over there, her father had neither the time nor the inclination to find out what had happened, nor did he bother to determine who was right or wrong.

In fact, he didn't care who was right or wrong at all. All he cared about was the son who was his very life.

He immediately swung the stick in his hand and brought it down on the little girl's frail body with all his strength. The heavy impact and the girl's sudden scream filled the scene with suffocating fear and despair.

"Little Bao, how are you? You're not hurt, are you?"

"Here's the hamburger you wanted. Come on, have some."

"Money-losing brat, go mop the floor now."

"Baiheng, look, your little sister."

The newborn's skin was a little wrinkled, like a little old man who had soaked in amniotic fluid for too long. But in Baiheng's eyes, this tiny life was incredibly precious and cute.

This was her little sister.

"Wow, she's so cute! What's her name?"

"Bai Tang. She's one of our precious jades."

Tang referred to a kind of jade in ancient texts.

"I'm going to tell Jingliu and show off that, starting today, I have an adorable little sister!"

The first ray of morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains and fell gently on Bai Tang's face, like the soft touch of a mother's fingers.

She squinted slightly, adjusting to the change from darkness to light. A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes and sat up in bed.

Honestly, what kind of dream was that? Don't make me relive my life before I was thirteen in a dream! Couldn't I dream about what came after thirteen instead, like the first time I met Baiheng, just before I woke up?

Wait, where am I now? It was one thing when it was Jing Yuan before, but if it's a stranger, that wouldn't be right.