As he walked through the mall, looking around, he had to admit that the entertainment venues at this school were pretty well-equipped.
There was a doll shop over there, and shops selling merchandise and figurines, plus a cake shop and the like. Once Sakura Airi's grades improved, he could reward her with a little cake. Maybe he could bring her here to look around sometime, too.
Heh, first things first: the cake shop. He'd buy a strawberry cake and taste it for Sakura Airi. It definitely wasn't because he wanted to eat it! He was only checking how it tasted for her.
He walked into the cake shop and said to the staff, "Could I get two strawberry cakes, please? One to eat here, and the other to go."
After paying with points, he found a seat.
Long Aotian looked at the strawberry cake in front of him. How should he put it?
The light, airy layers of cake were decorated with juicy red strawberries, like a tempting sunset. The rich scent of cream wafted toward him. He took a small bite, and the soft cake and sweet jam melted together, leaving him utterly enchanted.
Not bad, not bad. Tastes good, and it isn't poisoned.
Should he just eat Sakura Airi's portion, too?
He picked up his phone, opened his chat with Sakura Airi, and sent her a message.
[Long: image.jpg]
[Long: What do you think? Strawberry cake.]
[Sakura: Wow! I really want some, too.]
Oh? This girl replied fast. Should he tease her a little?
[Long: Aw, what a shame~ You can't have any.]
[Sakura: pout.jpg]
??? This didn't seem right.
Sakura Airi, you were making me feel like I barely knew you.
Oh, right. There was a bit of a difference between the internet and real life. In his previous life, people could talk tough online, but when they met face-to-face, they turned into completely different people.
But Sakura Airi, hadn't we already met? You still feel just a tiny bit unfamiliar to me. (Just kidding.)
[Sakura: I want some.]
[Long: I'll bring you a piece after I finish eating.]
[Sakura: Okay!]
[Sakura: happy.jpg]
Oh, these anime reaction stickers were so cute. Save, save!
Just then, the cake shop door opened, and several girls came in. The familiar group followed a golden-haired girl inside to order.
"Hm?" Long Aotian glanced over, eating with a fork in one hand as he thought, "This world is so small. No, that's not it. This place is small. Can't blame the world."
After Ichinose Honami finished ordering first, she picked up her cake and turned around, intending to find a place to sit.
Was it just a coincidence? Their eyes happened to meet.
"?" Long Aotian blinked, then turned away. Coincidence? Whatever. I'll finish eating and go find my little sweetheart.
He stood up, ready to leave.
"Excuse me, classmate." Ichinose Honami walked over and stopped Long Aotian as he was about to leave. "Sorry, I don't mean to bother you, but have we met somewhere before?"
"?" Long Aotian was a little confused. They shouldn't have met, right? The only time they'd met was in his previous life, when he'd watched the anime. He hesitated, then said, "I don't think so. I believe this is the first time we've met."
"Is... is that so?" Ichinose Honami looked puzzled. She studied Long Aotian's face. He seemed familiar, so she searched her memories carefully.
"Uh..." Long Aotian felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, but then he thought about what Ichinose Honami had just said.
Someone as kind as Ichinose Honami probably wouldn't say that for no reason.
Long Aotian also tried to remember the year after he'd transmigrated. How should he put it? A lot had happened.
When Long Aotian's soul first transmigrated into this world, he was already dressed in rags and begging for food. He remembered that the system had given him his first mission: [Get food.]
But fate hadn't been kind to him. It was hard to beg for food, especially since his body was so weak with hunger that he couldn't even move. He sat by the roadside, completely still, as if he were already dead.
It rained that night...
The rain pelted my ragged clothes and my body. I could barely even feel it.
"Am... am I going to die?" Long Aotian's eyes were half-closed. He fought to keep them open as they drooped with exhaustion. "I'm really a failure of a transmigrator."
Drip... drip... The sound of the rain around him gradually faded.
"Mom." A little girl tugged at a woman's hand and looked at the beggar. "He's so pitiful. He must be hungry. I want to give him my bread."
The woman held an umbrella in one hand and the little girl's hand in the other. She smiled and replied, "My Fengfeng is so kind. Since you want to, of course you can."
The woman let go of the little girl's hand and ruffled her hair. "But be careful."
"Mm." The little girl nodded. "I know, Mom."
The little girl walked over and crouched in front of Long Aotian. The woman followed her, holding the umbrella over her.
"Mom! He's a young man!" The little girl only got a good look at Long Aotian's face after crouching down. Then she asked, "Big brother, would you like some bread?"
In the ears that were on the verge of losing all sound, the sweet, young voice of a little girl reached Long Aotian.
When he heard her, Long Aotian wanted to lift his head, but he no longer had the strength. He wanted to speak, but could barely get the words out.
When Long Aotian didn't reply, the little girl seemed unsure what to do.
"Ah..." As if she knew what was happening, the woman said to the little girl, "Fengfeng, your big brother might be going to another wonderful wor—"
"W... want..." Before the woman could finish, a hoarse voice sounded. Long Aotian, driven by his desperate will to survive, forced out the difficult words. "Feed... me."
His barely audible "Feed me" reached the little girl's ears.
"Oh, okay." The little girl opened the bread wrapper, pinched off a tiny piece, and fed it to Long Aotian.
The little girl didn't look down on him. She kept tearing the bread into little pieces and feeding him.
Her pure, delicate little hand was like a ray of sunlight shining down on me, warm and comforting. It sparkled in my life. Those subtle, pure moments of kindness had all come from a clean little hand.
Long Aotian struggled to chew and swallow the bread. But he didn't care about the bread. He just wanted to raise his head and see the little girl's face.
He couldn't lift his head. "Damn it!!!!!..." After he finished the bread,
[ Ding! Mission complete ]
[ Reward: 20,000 yen and a restored body. ]
The little girl and the woman left... but I hadn't seen the girl's face clearly.
Drip... drip...
After resting for a while, he could lift his head a little. He was so cold.
"Mom." A familiar voice rang out.
Long Aotian hurriedly looked over.
It was the woman and the little girl. The woman held a bag and said to Long Aotian, "There's some water and food in here. Our family isn't well-off either, so this is all we can do for you."
She put the bag in front of Long Aotian, then she and the little girl left.
"Th... thank you," Long Aotian managed to say as he watched the mother and daughter walk away.
Somehow, the rain didn't feel quite so cold anymore.
The first cause in this chain of karma began at that moment...
Half a year later...
A young man with short black hair wore a luxurious suit. Its perfect cut accentuated his elegant figure, and its aristocratic taste was plain to see.
"Hm?" Long Aotian was about to open his car door and go for a drive when he thought he heard a little girl crying. He paused.
Long Aotian followed the sound of the crying, walked over, and looked carefully.
A little girl with short orange-red hair was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees and crying.
"Oh?" Long Aotian went over to her and asked gently, "Little girl, why are you crying here? What's wrong?"
Hearing his voice, the little girl looked up slightly. Her lips trembled, and a sad sound came out. "My sis... sister..."
Long Aotian finally got a better look at the little girl's face. Her eyes were like two clear springs, tears pouring out of them, and her nose was red from crying.
"Here." Long Aotian offered her a tissue. He then took a lollipop from his suit pocket, waved it in front of her, and smiled. "There's no rush to tell me. Wipe your eyes and nose, and I'll give you the lollipop once you're all clean."
As for where the lollipops came from, Long Aotian didn't like smoking, so he sucked on lollipops instead. He usually had one or two in his pocket. Still, this little girl looked kind of familiar.
"Mm-hmm." The little girl nodded, took the tissue, and wiped her eyes. She looked at Long Aotian with a pout. "Lollipop."
"Here." Long Aotian kept his word and gave her the lollipop, though he was a little curious. "What's your name, little girl?"
The little girl took the lollipop, opened the wrapper, and put it in her mouth. Only then did she get a clear look at Long Aotian. He was the handsome big brother! She quickly replied, "My name is Ichinose Kaede."
"Fengfeng?" Could she be the little girl from back then? Long Aotian asked, "Fengfeng, why are you crying here?"
"Wah... wah..." Remembering what had happened, Ichinose Kaede grew sad again. "My sister got scolded by Mom."
"Ah?" Long Aotian was a little confused, but he didn't ask for details. Instead, he said, "Fengfeng, where do you live? Big brother will take you home."
P.S. Long Aotian was starting to look a bit like a trafficker.
"Okay." Ichinose Kaede stood up, held out her little hand to Long Aotian, and pointed in the other direction. "That way."
"..." Long Aotian stared at Ichinose Kaede's outstretched hand, still baffled. Why did he feel like she was messing with him? And wasn't she worried he might be a trafficker?
Long Aotian ruffled the little girl's hair and thought for a moment. "All right, but I need to grab something from the car first. Wait here for a moment, okay?"
"Mm-hmm." Ichinose Kaede nodded obediently, but still held out her little hand. "Hold hands."
He held Ichinose Kaede's little hand as they walked to the parking spot. He opened the car door and took out a beautifully decorated box.
"Here." He handed the box to Ichinose Kaede. "It's a present for you, but you can only open it once you get home, okay~"
"Mm-hmm. Thank you, big brother," Ichinose Kaede said happily.
Inside the box was a hair clip. Don't underestimate it: it was a limited-edition one endorsed by an idol, and it cost 32,200 yen—over 1,600 yuan.
Girls loved it. Long Aotian had been lucky enough to buy the last one. He'd originally planned to use it while taking a drive and picking up girls.
He shut and locked the car door, ruffled the girl's hair, and said, "Let's go. I'll take you home."
"Okay~"
A little while later...
Ding-dong! The doorbell rang~
"Who is it?" A woman's voice came through the intercom by the door.
"Hello. Your daughter was crying outside, so I brought her home." He picked up Ichinose Kaede and held her in front of the intercom.
"Mom... open the door," Ichinose Kaede said into the intercom.
"Okay... okay. Just a moment."
After she finished speaking, he set the girl down.
When the door opened, a woman came out.
Her face was extremely thin, her eyes deep-set. She looked haggard and unwell.
"Fengfeng!" The woman hurried over and hugged the little girl, then noticed the box in her hands and asked in confusion, "What's this?"
"Hello, ma'am." Long Aotian greeted her, then explained, "I gave it to Ichinose Kaede."
"Th-this..." The woman hesitated before saying, "My daughter has caused you trouble. How could we accept your present?"
Long Aotian waved his hand. "It's fine. Would it be all right if I came in for a bit?"
"Of course. Come in."
After going inside, he found a place to sit.
The room was simple, without many decorations. Looking more closely, there seemed to be a heavy silence hanging over it.
Strange. He remembered Ichinose Kaede saying she had an older sister. Why hadn't he seen her?
"Sorry about the mess." The woman brought over a glass of water.
"It's fine." He picked up the glass, took a sip, and looked at the woman. "Do you remember me?"
"Sorry... I don't." The woman looked puzzled. She studied Long Aotian's face for a while, then shook her head.
Long Aotian wasn't surprised. Almost half a year had passed, and back then, helping him had just been a small gesture for them.
"Big brother, can I open the box now?" a little girl's voice asked.
"Sure. I just don't know if you'll like it."
The little girl eagerly opened the gift box. As she lifted the lid, a beautiful hair clip came into view.
The mother and daughter stared wide-eyed at the hair clip in the gift box. They knew it all too well.
"Th-this..." The woman hurriedly tried to take the box from Ichinose Kaede. Her lips trembled as she said urgently, "This is too precious. We can't accept it."
"It's all right, ma'am. You might not recognize me, but do you remember the beggar you helped six months ago? This is something you deserve." Long Aotian waved his hand. He mistakenly thought the gift was too expensive for them to accept, and didn't mind their reluctance.
The little girl examined the hair clip and quickly asked, "Is this the hair clip my sister took?"
"?" At those words, Long Aotian sensed something was wrong. No, not just wrong—twelve out of ten kinds of wrong.
Long Aotian ruffled Ichinose Kaede's hair, smiled warmly, and asked, "Fengfeng, what do you mean?"
The woman hesitated, then told Long Aotian what had happened.
The gist was that it had been Ichinose Kaede's birthday. The woman had learned that Ichinose Kaede liked a hair clip endorsed by an idol, but it was expensive. Wanting to surprise her, the woman had worked even harder, only to overwork herself and end up in the hospital. By then, she could no longer afford the hair clip.
After Ichinose Kaede's older sister found out, she tried to get hired at several shops so she could buy the hair clip for her little sister. But they turned her down because of her age. Long Aotian could relate to that. Later, she learned that only one hair clip was left in stock, which left her utterly desperate. Her growing desire drove Ichinose Kaede's sister to steal it. When their mother discovered what she'd done, she gave her a stern talking-to, returned the hair clip along with compensation, and apologized to the shop manager.
Long Aotian fell silent. What a coincidence. They'd happened to buy that very hair clip for him? No wonder everything had felt so tense when he first came in.
"Sorry you had to see all that."
"It's all right. I understand. I gave the hair clip to Ichinose Kaede, so I'm not taking it back. It's exactly what Fengfeng likes, so please accept it." Long Aotian replied hurriedly.
"Thank you." The woman stood up and tried to bow to Long Aotian.
Long Aotian stepped forward and stopped her from bowing. He told her about what had happened when he was a beggar, and quickly insisted that he was the one who should be thanking them.
Long Aotian thought for a moment, then came up with an excuse and asked the woman, "I really like Ichinose Kaede. Would it be okay if I came to visit sometime?"
"Of course."
They talked for a little while before Long Aotian left.
After that, whenever he had time, Long Aotian went to their house every day, never showing up empty-handed. He brought them as many nice things as he could. Several times, the woman tried to refuse, but Long Aotian fended her off by bringing up what they'd done for him when he was a beggar.
Unfortunately, he never got to meet Ichinose Kaede's older sister. The girl regretted what she had done so much that she shut herself in her room.
Long Aotian didn't make a big deal of it. Family matters were for the family to work out. Later, when he had to leave that place, he left them 3 million yen on his last visit, practically forcing the money on the woman. It took several hours of back-and-forth before he finally convinced her to accept it.
"I'm off. Bye-bye." Long Aotian waved to Ichinose Kaede, then left.
Just then, a bedroom door quietly opened. A golden-haired girl stepped out and watched Long Aotian's side profile as he turned and walked away.
The fruit of that karma was still turning from that moment on~
Before you continue