Little Blind Girl

Xiao Fan followed the sound and saw three little boys bullying a little girl.

The three surrounded the girl, punching and kicking her. She could only crouch down in pain, clutching her head. Her jade-green hair had been messed into a tangled heap by the three boys, yet not a single tear fell from her hollow, dim eyes.

Xiao Fan immediately shouted, "What are you three doing?!"

The three children looked toward the voice. Seeing that the newcomer did not seem much older than them, they showed no remorse whatsoever. "Mind your own business! She's a freak to begin with!"

"And what does that make you?"

"Cowards who only know how to bully the weak?"

"Today, I'm going to beat your asses until they bloom!"

Xiao Fan dashed forward and grabbed the three little brats. Not every child could be spoiled by Xiao Fan the way Zi Yan was.

"You!" The three boys were clearly stunned. Xiao Fan hoisted two of them high into the air and kicked the remaining one to the ground.

The boy who had been kicked down was clearly frightened senseless by Xiao Fan and immediately began bawling.

"What are you crying for? You weren't scared when I saw you bullying that little girl just now. Why are you howling now that you're the ones being bullied?"

Xiao Fan did not indulge them and gave each of them a kick.

"Apologize!"

The three had clearly been scared witless and had not even heard Xiao Fan properly.

"What, you three want another beating?" Xiao Fan threatened.

The three hurriedly apologized. "S-Sorry!"

Then they scattered and fled as if their lives depended on it.

Xiao Fan helped the little girl up from the ground, but the instant he reached out, the patch of green scales exposed on her arm made him realize something.

"Qing Lin?"

Qing Lin wiped her dirty cheeks. Her voice choked with sobs, yet there was still no color in those dim eyes. Everything before her was a murky gray.

She pulled a piece of black cloth from her tattered clothes and covered her eyes with it.

After quite a while, Qing Lin finally calmed down somewhat and timidly thanked Xiao Fan in his direction.

"Thank you. Do you know me?"

To avoid frightening Qing Lin, Xiao Fan deliberately moved a little closer. The child seemed to have suffered from hunger for a long time; she was so thin that even her bones were clearly visible.

"Qing Lin, of course I know you. Can you tell me why you became like this?"

Xiao Fan did not know whether his rebirth had caused Qing Lin to change as well. After all, she was the owner of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. If his actions had caused her to go blind, he did not dare imagine how miserable her life would be from now on.

Behind him, Zi Yan clenched her palm as she watched the scene, wanting to say something...

"Qing Lin doesn't understand what Young Master is talking about."

Qing Lin could not see Xiao Fan, but she could sense his presence. Though she could not see him, she could truly feel his concern.

"I mean, what happened to your eyes, Qing Lin? And where is your family?" Xiao Fan held Qing Lin's little hand. Seeing this, Zi Yan unusually did not get angry.

At the mention of family, Qing Lin's expression visibly darkened even further.

Xiao Fan also realized his mistake. "It seemed Qing Lin's mother had passed away when she was very young..."

Xiao Fan knew he had brought up Qing Lin's painful memories. His mind was always so dull; the more he cared, the more easily he made mistakes.

"Qing Lin, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Young Master. Qing Lin's eyes have been blind since she was very little. Mother also passed away not long ago. As for Father..."

"Enough, Qing Lin. Don't say any more."

Xiao Fan pulled the frail, helpless little girl, who had lived alone until now, into his arms.

If it had been someone else, Qing Lin would surely have thought they wanted something from her, or perhaps were merely finding another way to bully her. Yet the person before her gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth.

Xiao Fan's embrace had come a little late, but it still shone into Qing Lin's heart like a ray of light.

When a trace of coolness slid across her cheeks, Qing Lin did not even realize she was crying. The grievances and repression she had accumulated for so many years had finally been released.

She did not understand why people held such immense prejudice against her. She had already tried so hard, tried so hard to live, yet even her own mother had despised her immensely.

Little Qing Lin was truly lost. She did not understand the meaning of her life, but somewhere in the darkness, a voice had always encouraged her.

"Qing Lin, are you willing to follow me?"

Even if Qing Lin's eyes were already blind and the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils could likely never be used again, Xiao Fan did not mind taking this pitiful little girl with him.

"Young Master... Qing Lin is a burden. Qing Lin is unlucky..."

Qing Lin's voice trembled with sobs. She wanted so badly to say that she was willing, but she was only a burden, an existence called unlucky by others. How could someone like her dare burden Young Master?

"Thank you... Young..."

Before Qing Lin could finish, Xiao Fan interrupted her. "Qing Lin, don't be so insecure. Follow your heart. Don't worry, I can afford to take care of you!"

Taking care of one little girl was no different from taking care of two. Xiao Fan did not mind bringing along another Qing Lin at all. Besides, one Zi Yan was worth ten or so Qing Lins. He was now a fourth-tier Alchemist; raising one Qing Lin would be effortless.

"Waaah..."

Qing Lin could not see the world. Her world was black, shrouded in endless darkness.

Her thin, pale, yet unusual little hand unconsciously touched Xiao Fan's face. She could not see him, but at that moment, she felt...

"Young Master must be the most handsome person in the world..."

A light appeared before Qing Lin's eyes, a light that illuminated her world...

"Young Master!"

"I want to follow you!"

Those two short sentences exhausted all of Qing Lin's courage. She struggled, grasping at that sliver of light!

If Qing Lin could see, she would have discovered that her cheeks were flushed red as blood. Her fair skin, in Xiao Fan's arms, was like a piece of soft, warm jade.

Xiao Fan rubbed Qing Lin's little head, then turned to Zi Yan and asked, "Xiao Yan'er, shall we bring her with us?"

"Huh? Xiao Yan'er, why are you crying too?!"

Where Xiao Fan could not see, Zi Yan wiped away her tears. "N-No, it's nothing. Take her in. Whoever dares bully her, I'll beat them up!"

Xiao Fan thought Zi Yan sympathized with Qing Lin's circumstances, so he rubbed Zi Yan's little head as well. "Who would've thought you weren't completely heartless?"

"Hmph!"

"Young... Young Master..."

A soft, timid voice came from his arms. Xiao Fan looked at Qing Lin and explained, "I forgot to introduce her. Her name is Zi Yan, and she is my..."

"She's just someone who eats for free. She's not like you."

Zi Yan immediately protested, "Who eats for free?! I contribute too!"

Although Qing Lin had never seen Zi Yan, she suddenly felt that the name Zi Yan sounded familiar.

"Qing Lin, don't call me Young Master anymore. My name is Xiao Fan. From now on, call me Big Brother."

"From now on, I'm your family."

"B-Big Brother?"

Qing Lin called out tentatively. The word family had never held any feeling for her before.

But this time was different. She...

Had a home.

"Big Brother!"

"..."