One-of-a-Kind Tenderness

The gentle song swept over the flower fields, drifting away on the wind and carrying longing to those far away.

Shen Qingling sang beautifully, like a walking CD player.

Though he had been an actor in his previous life, he had also received professional vocal training. On top of that, the Original Host had been blessed with an exceptionally good voice, so he sang even better than professional singers.

But more moving than any of that was the sense of story in his singing.

The lyrics of this song went straight to Lin Xingmian's heart.

It was as though every line was something she wanted to say to her grandmother.

Her grandmother had turned to smoke and drifted into the distance, but the love she had given had never left.

Shen Qingling only needed to teach Lin Xingmian the song a few times before she had nearly memorized all the lyrics.

Whenever she sang it, she could not help choking up, her tears falling uncontrollably.

Scenes from the past flashed through her mind one after another. In her memories, there was that aged face, gentle and loving; that warm, large hand holding her tiny one; that stooped figure sheltering an entire world for her.

Shen Qingling felt that she sang it even better than he did.

When she sang, "I speak to you, so why do you stay silent and not answer?" a butterfly landed on Lin Xingmian's hand.

Lin Xingmian stared blankly at it.

Shen Qingling said softly, "Someone once told me something."

"A loved one who has passed away has merely stepped outside of time and become one of the most fundamental parts of the universe. Molecules and atoms slowly rebuild themselves into other things around you."

"The tree that shelters you from the wind and rain in the future is her. The sweater that keeps you from the cold is her. Even the little ornament on your desk that you look at when you are tired is her."

"Her identity as your family member may have disappeared, but in truth, she will be everywhere from now on. She has left, yet she is scattered all around you."

"Just like the butterfly before you. It is her too."

Lin Xingmian took his words to heart.

She closed her eyes and kissed the butterfly.

Watching this, Shen Qingling felt that Lin Xingmian truly looked like an angel at that moment.

After the butterfly flew away, Lin Xingmian said softly, "Teacher Shen, I think she has already answered me."

Shen Qingling gave her a gentle smile.

He seemed to understand a little why the system had wanted him to pursue the Goddess.

He had saved a girl trapped in darkness.

After that, the two of them walked along the path for a while and chatted.

Lin Xingmian still did not say much, but she was already far better than she had been when Shen Qingling had first met her.

As long as she was willing to speak, she was moving in a better direction.

Shen Qingling said that time healed all wounds.

But the girl denied it.

"No. Time cannot. Teacher Shen healed me."

Her eyes held a steadfast, warm smile, as well as an undisguised fondness for Shen Qingling.

But perhaps she still did not understand what kind of feeling it was.

She only knew that she liked Teacher Shen very much.

She liked being with him, liked talking to him, liked listening to him sing... Even just quietly watching him made her happy.

Being beside him made her feel safe. She no longer doubted herself every moment, nor constantly recalled those unbearable memories and moments when she had not been loved.

For a girl who had never known love, she had no way of distinguishing this feeling. She simply defined Shen Qingling as the teacher in her life who had saved and healed her.

Seeing a different light in her eyes, Shen Qingling was happy for her too.

Tilting her head, Lin Xingmian continued, "Does the gift Teacher Shen mentioned still count?"

"123?"

"Mm."

"Of course it does."

The girl revealed a shy smile, her large eyes brimming with anticipation. "Can I choose all of them, Teacher Shen?"

She wanted all of 123.

Was she being too greedy?

She wanted to go to the pet shop with Teacher Shen and see cats that could talk. She wanted to go to the flower shop with Teacher Shen and see rainbow-colored flowers. She wanted to go to the candy shop with Teacher Shen and buy candies that would make people laugh when they ate them.

She wanted to go to so many places with Teacher Shen...

Shen Qingling agreed immediately. "You can."

There seemed to be stars in Lin Xingmian's eyes. When she was happy, two rosy blushes rose on her cheeks, sweet as a little cake.

"Will Teacher Shen come teach me every weekend from now on?"

"Mm. There's more time on weekends, so if we go out, we won't have to rush."

Shen Qingling suddenly found it a little amusing. "Other teachers teach their students knowledge, but I'm always thinking about taking you out to have fun. Am I being a little neglectful of my duties?"

"Everything Teacher Shen does is right. Mianmian likes going out with Teacher Shen."

"If you want to draw, then we'll draw. If you want to go out, then we'll go out. Or we can bring our drawing boards outside and sketch from life."

"Sketching from life... Okay..."

In the blink of an eye, it was four in the afternoon.

Shen Qingling took Lin Xingmian back to the Lin Family.

After taking the little angel home, he had to go to the Song Family for dinner.

It really had been a busy day.

After Shen Qingling left the Lin Family, Lin Xingmian dug out the phone Ji Yunmiao had given her.

She rarely used her phone, and it was already covered in dust.

"Can it still be used...?"

In order to stay in touch with Teacher Shen, she had to start using her phone.

With Ji Yunmiao's help, Lin Xingmian logged into her WeChat account, which she had not used in a long time. There were only a handful of contacts in it.

She felt like a caveman who had been cut off from society for ages. It had only been a year, yet she had already forgotten how to use a phone.

The girl frowned slightly, her delicate brows knitting together in frustration.

Ji Yunmiao comforted her, "It's okay, Mianmian. We can take it slowly. You'll learn as you use your phone more. You're so smart—you can learn anything quickly as long as you're interested in it."

Lin Xingmian smiled faintly. "Mm, I want to add Teacher Shen on WeChat and talk to him."

Thinking of something, she asked worriedly, "When should I talk to Teacher Shen? Will he be very busy? Would I disturb him?"

"About that..."

How was she supposed to tell Mianmian? Shen Qingling really did seem cold at school. Whether he replied to WeChat messages from ordinary people was uncertain.

But Shen Qingling seemed rather patient with Mianmian. In front of her, he was practically like a different person—gentle and easy to talk to. He probably would not mind Mianmian messaging him too much...

Ji Yunmiao hesitated. Should she give her younger sister a reminder?

"Sis, what's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. I just want to tell you that Teacher Shen is actually a very aloof person at school. Many people want to talk to him, but he has strong boundaries and usually keeps to himself."

"But he's very different with Mianmian. Sis has never seen him be so gentle with anyone else, so he probably won't find it annoying if Mianmian messages him."

Lin Xingmian understood what Ji Yunmiao meant. Teacher Shen treated her differently from everyone else.

She felt a little dazed. Why was that?

"How does he treat you, Sis?"

"Politely, but with distance."

So the tenderness he showed her was one of a kind.

Something wonderful changed inside Lin Xingmian.

It was as if a little flower had quietly bloomed in her heart.

She was delighted and shy, yet she did not understand where those feelings had come from.

The girl returned to her room and buried her face in her blankets.

Her face felt hot. She bit her lip, trying to calm herself down.

But some strange feeling kept crashing around inside her, and her heart was beating so fast.

Only when she could barely breathe did she throw back the blankets and sit up. At once, she saw the painting by her bed.

She got out of bed and walked over, unconsciously tracing Shen Qingling's side profile on the boat in the painting with her finger.

Cool and distant... with sharp, defined lines...

Yet on that face were a pair of gentle eyes.

Lin Xingmian fell into a daze.