"Don't die... don't die..."
That gentle call kept echoing in Bai Heng's ears.
The surroundings were utterly silent. Every now and then, snow-laden pine branches made faint rustling sounds.
Bai Heng could smell the delicate fragrance of irises and feel an embrace as soft as cherry blossoms.
After an unknown amount of time, a chill surged into his lungs, passed through his throat and the root of his tongue, then came out in a cough:
"Cough..."
"Are you awake?" That gentle voice became clear again. She lightly shook Bai Heng's shoulder, her tone excited:
Bai Heng's senses gradually returned, followed by the stinging pain of his wounds. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a hazy white until his vision cleared.
Above him were pine branches framing the sky, and... a girl's concerned eyes.
She looked only five or six years old. Her smooth silver hair was neatly tied behind her head with a black hairband. Her eyelashes were especially long, her little face rosy and fair, her delicate nose small and refined, and her lips clearly defined. Her watery pink-blue eyes had taken in Bai Heng's reflection and were staring at him without blinking.
She was clean, and beautiful... That was Bai Heng's first impression.
Most children in the slums were filthy. Some were covered in mine dust, others smeared with engine oil, and their messy long hair simply never had the time to be cared for.
After all, the lake had only just thawed. Few people wanted to fetch water and bathe at this time of year, lest they catch a cold.
For children in the slums, catching a cold was no small matter. Many received no medicine in time, and with their weak immune systems, died from nothing more than a minor cold.
"Are you