Come Here, Mommy Will Hold You

Cai'er gathered up the scattered hay and carefully spread it in another clean corner, arranging it into a "bed" thicker than the one before.

The mess inside the hut was gradually cleaned up through the two of them working together in silence.

Afterward, Saint Cai'er picked up a battered clay pot and headed toward the nearby stream.

When she returned, clear droplets clung to her fingertips, and the pot was full of washed wild fruits.

She carefully sorted through them, then handed Long Xuanye the biggest, reddest fruit, the one that looked sweetest.

"Xuanye, have some."

Long Xuanye paused.

He stared at the plump red fruit before him, momentarily dazed.

In his memories, whenever there was anything good, he and Bai Yue had always saved it for Long Haochen first.

After all, Hao Chen really was such a well-behaved, good little boy...

As someone who had crossed over with the soul of an adult, he naturally wouldn't begrudge him that.

But now, the taste of this wild fruit...

He took a gentle bite.

Sweet juice burst across his tongue.

"It's so sweet." Cai'er's eyes curved into crescents as she said it with a smile.

Long Xuanye's heart stirred. Yes, it was sweet.

Once they had finished tidying the thatched hut, the two of them divided up the work again.

Long Xuanye went to the edge of the woods and set a simple trap with a few branches and vines.

Before long, a plump wild rabbit blundered right into it.

Meanwhile, Cai'er rummaged through the hut's ruins.

To her surprise, she unearthed half a sack of leftover rice and flour, along with a small jar of unbroken salt.

She even found a few dried wild-fruit preserves crushed beneath the rubble.

When it came time to cook, Long Xuanye was at a loss. In his previous life, he had only ordered takeout. After crossing over, Bai Yue had been frail, but she had still never needed Long Xuanye to take charge of the cooking.

Unexpectedly, Cai'er turned out to have a real knack for it.

She chopped the rabbit meat into small pieces and blanched it to remove the gaminess.

Then she put it in a pot with the rice and flour and cooked it into porridge.

Finally, she carefully drizzled in two spoonfuls of wild-fruit preserves.

A savory aroma, tinged with sweetness and tartness, filled the entire hut.

As soon as the porridge was ready, Cai'er served up a bowl and offered it to Long Xuanye with both hands.

A hint of anticipation showed in her eyes.

"Xuanye, try it. Is it good?"

Long Xuanye scooped up a spoonful.

The warm porridge slid down his throat, rich with the aromas of meat and fruit, and instantly warmed his stomach.

He nodded emphatically.

"It's delicious!"

Cai'er immediately broke into a sweet smile, a spot of dark-red fruit preserve accidentally smearing the corner of her mouth.

Long Xuanye smiled and gently wiped it away with his fingertip.

Embarrassed, she lowered her head, then hurriedly added a generous spoonful of porridge to Long Xuanye's bowl.

After eating their fill, they watched as night fell completely.

They found a pond, heated some water, and quickly washed up before getting ready to rest.

Long Xuanye had meant to sleep on the other side of the hay, keeping some distance between them.

But Cai'er tugged at his sleeve.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the hut roof, casting a few silvery beams that fell right on the little hand tugging at his sleeve.

Her voice was soft, touched with weariness.

"Come here, Mommy will hold you."

Long Xuanye froze.

He looked at the girl's half-open eyes in the moonlight. There wasn't a trace of impurity in those gray irises, only pure, trusting affection and a desire to be close to him.

Cai'er's breathing was perfectly clear.

Even Long Xuanye's heartbeat seemed to fall into rhythm with it.

He was speechless. Truly speechless.

Though... maybe his heart had stirred a little, too.

Especially since they had just washed up in a nearby stream. She still carried the faint fragrance of soap bean mixed with grass.

Beneath the bright moonlight, the girl's silver hair spilled across the hay like a waterfall, gleaming softly. She tilted her delicate face up slightly and opened her arms. The sight...

A thought crossed Long Xuanye's mind.

She wasn't his little sister at all. She was an adorable, perfect cuddle pillow.

He sighed helplessly, though his voice held a tenderness he hadn't even realized was there.

"Okay, your big brother's coming over."

Cai'er didn't correct him. She merely curved her eyes in contentment and, once he lay down, opened her little arms and wrapped them around his waist.

So soft.

The girl's body was light and soft, pressed close against him, bringing a strange sensation.

Long Xuanye's body, by contrast, was firm and warm. Held like this, Cai'er felt a peace she had never known before, as if she had finally found the safest harbor.

Perhaps she really had been exhausted from the day.

This time, Cai'er didn't hum him a lullaby first, the way she had in the cave. Instead, she absently patted his back and tucked her little head closer into his arms.

Her breathing soon grew steady and slow.

She had fallen asleep.

With the girl holding him like this, Long Xuanye felt completely at peace. The weariness from days of wandering and fighting seemed to melt away.

Aside from not being able to use his phone, wasn't this... pretty nice?

Just as his eyes were about to close, a deep-blue light screen appeared before him.

[God-Tier Choice System triggered—Fixed Mission Mode]

[Choice One: Take Cai'er and flee immediately]

[Reward: 2 points of External Spirit Power]

[Choice Two: Wipe out the Demon Race Squad]

[Reward: 0.5 points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power]

Long Xuanye's gaze sharpened.

Slowly and carefully, he slipped his arm out of Cai'er's embrace, moving as gently as if he were afraid of disturbing a butterfly's wings.

Cai'er seemed to trust him completely. She slept deeply, without even furrowing her brow.

Looking at her peaceful, tranquil face, Long Xuanye felt a little wistful.

Perhaps in all the years she had spent wandering in the wild, she had never once slept this soundly.

He rose to his feet as quietly as he could and stepped outside.

The night breeze was cool, stirring the ends of his hair.

He looked at the bare little hut, warmed by the presence of that girl, then glanced back at Cai'er, asleep in her dreams.

His gaze gradually hardened.

Demons again? They were probably searching in the direction of this abandoned town.

Sorry, but I don't want to do anything that would make Cai'er sad.

So you'd better...

Die somewhere far away.

The night wind grew colder.

Long Xuanye headed toward the border and walked for a little over five minutes.

Five figures slowly emerged from the shadows among the trees.

At their head was a third-tier Bone Erosion Demon, its gaunt body covered in bone spurs and its scarlet eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Behind it stood a Rotting Mist Demon, a Sharp Claw Demon, a Dark Arrow Demon, and a Shadow Demon, lined up in a row. All were third-tier.

Their lineup was exactly the same as the one from the day.

Only their leader was a little weaker.

Seeing Long Xuanye alone beneath the moon, the Bone Erosion Demon let out a hoarse, grating laugh.

"Just one brat?"

"You're not running, and you've even come here to die?"

Long Xuanye said nothing.

He simply raised his hand and gripped the short blade at his waist.

"Clang—"

A clear ring sounded. Moonlight spilled across the blade, revealing a silvery-white gleam.

His Inner Spiritual Power had already gathered.

Pure White Blade.

He gave a slight flick of his wrist.