Life

Night wind gently brushed against the paper window.

Gu Chang'an walked through the dim alleyway, returning to that humble yet warm courtyard.

His mood was cheerful; today he had obtained the Body Tempering Pill, and after the medicinal bath his progress had been significant, his strength almost reaching the level of an Eighth Rank martial artist, and his future looked full of promise.

Pushing the door open and stepping inside, the room was pitch black, not even the usual faint oil lamp being lit.

Gu Chang'an paused in his steps, his brows slightly furrowed, and he walked silently to the desk, gently flicking the flint to spark a flame and brighten the wick.

Amidst the flickering light, a slender figure came into view—Wang Xiaojuan was actually slumped asleep on the table, her cheek pressed against the cold, hard wood, a thin cloth covering her shoulders.

She was sleeping extremely restlessly, tear tracks still drying at the corners of her eyes.

Gu Chang'an felt a pang in his heart.

This child, barely ten years old, had suffered so much hardship yet always silently endured it.

Wang Xiaojuan was stimulated by the brightness of the lamplight and gently opened her eyes.

For a brief moment she was dazed, then upon seeing Gu Chang'an, her gaze instantly lit up.

"Brother Gu... you're back..."

Gu Chang'an bent down and asked softly, "Why didn't you light the lamp?"

Wang Xiaojuan rubbed her eyes and said softly, "The oil... costs money, I didn't want to waste it..."

Gu Chang'an's chest tightened slightly, his gaze falling upon the nearly empty bottle of lamp oil in the corner, and he understood immediately.

He looked at Wang Xiaojuan, noticing her thin complexion and pale lips, and asked:

"Did you not eat today?"

Wang Xiaojuan was stunned by his gaze, the corners of her mouth twitching as she whispered:

"I... I ate in the morning... I ate a little."

"What about at noon and in the evening?"

She lowered her head and whispered, "...None."

Gu Chang'an sighed, said nothing more, and directly stood up to walk toward the kitchen.

Wang Xiaojuan was startled for a moment, hurriedly getting up to chase after him:

"Brother Gu, let me, let me do it!"

Gu Chang'an turned back and smiled, saying gently:

"Go rest, I'll cook today."

His tone was gentle, yet carried a rejection of refusal coupled with a firm resolve.

Wang Xiaojuan stood in place, looking with complex emotions at Gu Chang'an's upright back as he skillfully started the fire, washed the rice, and chopped the vegetables in the kitchen.

The aroma of rice and meat gradually drifted from the pot, and the room grew warm, driving away the chill of the night.

Before long, the dishes were served on the table, complete with meat, vegetables, and a bowl of hot soup. Gu Chang'an personally placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Wang Xiaojuan, saying softly:

"Eat, it's all made for you."

Wang Xiaojuan looked at the steaming food on the table, for a moment not daring to touch her chopsticks. Her eye rims suddenly turned red, and she whispered:

"I... never thought that one day... someone would treat me like this."

Gu Chang'an sat down, picked up a piece of chicken meat to put in her bowl, and said in an earnest tone:

"Xiaojuan, I took you in not to treat you as a servant."

"You and I are the same, we have no family left in this world."

"I hope that from now on—we become family."

"I take care of you, not out of charity, but because we are family."

This was Gu Chang'an's true thought.

He had already come to this world for several months, and understood that he could no longer go back.

Since that was the case, he should no longer reject this world or treat himself as an outsider.

Instead, he should integrate into this world and earnestly live on.

Wang Xiaojuan could no longer hold it in, tears streaming down her face as she threw herself into Gu Chang'an's arms, crying out with a choke:

"Brother Gu—!"

Gu Chang'an gently embraced her, saying softly:

"Silly girl, stop crying. Eat quickly, and rest early after you finish. I have a holiday these few days, and tomorrow I'll take you to the market to buy new clothes."

Wang Xiaojuan nodded through her tears, feeling for the first time what peace, warmth, and being cherished truly meant.

The next morning, sunlight spilled down and a warm breeze gently fluttered.

Gu Chang'an walked down the street with Wang Xiaojuan, holding hot steamed buns just bought from the bun shop, eating as they went.

Wang Xiaojuan had changed into clean light-green clothes today, her little face washed clean, and although she was still thin, her brows and eyes already held a bit more vitality.

"Today we'll go buy a few clothes first, then take you somewhere." Gu Chang'an smiled.

Wang Xiaojuan was startled, asking in a small voice, "Where?"

"Sky Wind Martial Hall." Gu Chang'an replied.

"A place to practice martial arts?" Her eyes lit up a bit more.

Gu Chang'an nodded.

Wang Xiaojuan bit her lip and whispered, "Brother Gu... can I practice martial arts too?"

Gu Chang'an turned his head to look at her, seeing that her eyes no longer held their former timidity, but rather a rare firmness.

Then he said softly, "Of course you can."

He did not offer much persuasion, nor did he try to pour cold water on her.

In this world, the strong were revered.

Though she was young, if she possessed such ambition, she might not fail to forge a path of her own.

Soon, they picked out several sets of well-fitting dresses for Wang Xiaojuan in the clothing shop, including plain martial arts practice garments and a few sets of small skirts in youthful colors; though simple, it was already the first time in Wang Xiaojuan's life that she had dressed so neatly and decently.

The little girl looked at herself in the mirror, so delicate in appearance and bright-eyed, and for a moment scarcely recognized herself.

Inside Sky Wind Martial Hall, Li Tianfeng had just finished brewing tea when he saw Gu Chang'an bringing Wang Xiaojuan in.

"Master." Gu Chang'an bowed.

Li Tianfeng put down his teacup and looked at Wang Xiaojuan with a smile, "Is this the little girl you took in?"

Gu Chang'an nodded, "She said she wanted to practice martial arts, so I brought her here."

Li Tianfeng looked Wang Xiaojuan up and down, nodding slightly, "So young, yet she still has some backbone."

As he spoke, he walked over and reached out to rest his hand on her wrist.

A moment later, he raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Xie Lanzhi happened to be coming over from the back courtyard and asked curiously, "What is it?"

Li Tianfeng withdrew his palm and smiled, "This girl has a good constitution; although she hasn't practiced martial arts, her tendons and bones are unobstructed and her breath flows smoothly, a fine piece of raw material. If nurtured from a young age, she may well amount to something."

Gu Chang'an was startled, lowering his head to look at Wang Xiaojuan, and saw that her eyes were also wide open as if unable to believe it.

Xie Lanzhi smiled, "Then stay and practice; our martial hall can still afford to raise a child."

Wang Xiaojuan hurriedly bowed, "Th-thank you, Master, Mistress!"

Gu Chang'an patted her head without speaking, his brows and eyes smiling.

Days passed steadily like this for three days.

Wang Xiaojuan followed Gu Chang'an to Sky Wind Martial Hall early every morning, following Xie Lanzhi and the other disciples to practice the most basic horse stance and breathing techniques.

She was earnest and persistent, and though she suffered hardships, she never uttered a single word of complaint about fatigue.

Her complexion grew rosy, and she became much more cheerful.

Gu Chang'an sometimes wore a smile at the corners of his mouth, sometimes only listened, and most often, watched her slowly walk out of the shadow of losing her family.

As for himself, he did not slack off either.

Daytime meant practicing martial arts and sparring; nighttime meant meditating, cultivating, and refining saber techniques.

Occasionally, he would exchange pointers on martial techniques with Li Hongye, or laugh and drink together under the trees.

The two would talk about constabulary affairs, gang movements, and also share some less-than-proper amusing stories.

Although Li Hongye had a sharp tongue, her gaze grew increasingly tender.

Gu Chang'an looked at her smile, a sense of belonging inexplicably welling up in his heart.

That feeling of no longer being alone.

He knew that such days might not last long, but he also knew—

To protect it, he was willing to become stronger.