Before long, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance.
Hearing it, Xu Qing said, "That should be my mom."
He hurried over to greet her.
Tang Xue came in from outside carrying two bags full of vegetables. Seeing Xu Qing, she casually asked him to come and lend a hand.
Xu Qing quickly stepped forward and took one of the bags from his mother.
As Tang Xue entered the house, her gaze swept around. She soon noticed the somewhat dirty silver-haired girl sitting on the sofa, and a puzzled look immediately appeared on her face.
"Xiao Qing, who is this?"
Xu Qing hurriedly explained, "Mom, I ran into her on the street. She seems to have gotten separated from her family and has nowhere to go. She also ran into some thugs earlier, though in the end, uh... anyway, I was worried about leaving her outside on her own, so I brought her home."
Seeing this, Gu Yuena stood up from the sofa of her own accord and obediently walked over to Tang Xue, saying timidly, "Hello, Auntie."
Her voice was clear, melodious, and very pleasant to hear.
Though Tang Xue still had questions, looking at the little girl in her somewhat bedraggled state, she could not help feeling a little pity for her. Her expression softened as she nodded.
After putting down her things, Tang Xue walked over to Gu Yuena and asked, "Little girl, what's your name? How old are you?"
"Gu Yuena. I'm five and a half."
"Then where is your home? Do you have any way to contact your family?"
Faced with these questions, Gu Yuena shook her head, putting on a bewildered expression as though she could not answer any of them.
Xu Qing sighed helplessly beside them.
Looking at her somewhat dirty little face and clothes, Tang Xue said gently, "Let me help you wash up first. Look how dirty you are all over."
With that, she took Gu Yuena into the bathroom. Gu Yuena did not resist in the slightest, quietly cooperating with Tang Xue.
After the bath, Tang Xue found a few sets of clean clothes from when Xu Qing was little and helped Gu Yuena change.
Seeing the completely refreshed Gu Yuena before her, Tang Xue's eyes could not help brightening slightly.
What a beautiful little girl!
With silver hair like snow, clear purple eyes, delicate, adorable features, and rosy skin so tender it seemed water could be squeezed from it, she looked just like an exquisite porcelain doll, instantly making it hard to look away.
The more Tang Xue looked at her, the more she liked her. Unable to resist gently stroking her soft silver hair, she smiled tenderly and said, "What a pretty little girl."
Seeing the two emerge from the bathroom, Xu Qing's eyes immediately lit up. He had to admit that Gu Yuena really was beautiful after washing up.
Tang Xue turned to Xu Qing and instructed him, "Xiao Qing, I'm taking Nana to the administrator to look up her identity information and see if we can help her find her family. Be good and stay home. Don't go wandering off."
"Okay, Mom," Xu Qing replied.
Earlier, Xu Qing had already mentioned to Gu Yuena that his mother might take her to the administrator to check her identity, so he was not too worried.
Holding Gu Yuena's hand, Tang Xue opened the front door and went out.
Xu Qing stood at the entrance and watched them walk away. Only after their figures disappeared around the street corner did he close the door.
In the backyard,
there was a small garden filled with flowers Tang Xue grew, many of which Xu Qing could not name. At the center of the garden stood a large tree twenty centimeters in diameter, with a pale green lawn beneath it.
There was also a small clump of Blue Silver Grass at the edge of the lawn.
The evening breeze brushed gently through the courtyard, and the leaves rustled softly. Everything around him was so quiet that only the faint sound of the wind remained.
Xu Qing went to a shaded spot beneath the large tree, sat cross-legged, and began following the meditation method he had learned in class, attempting the first meditation session of his life.
Xu Qing slowly closed his eyes and cast aside distracting thoughts. Soon, his entire being grew still.
Next came sensing his Martial Soul and the faint but real Soul Power within his body.
And maintaining a mental connection with them.
Gradually, Xu Qing's consciousness emptied completely.
Within his perception, his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul slowly appeared, its pale blue leaves swaying gently in the air.
Through the Blue Silver Grass's senses and his own mental connection, he clearly perceived countless traces of faint energy drifting through the air.
Is this the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth?
As he slowly drew in and absorbed the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth,
the next moment, Xu Qing experienced a wondrous illusion. He seemed to have become a blade of Blue Silver Grass, rooted in the earth, his limbs stretching out as he slowly absorbed the special energy of heaven and earth in the air.
Gentle energy flowed into every limb and bone, nourishing his flesh, and a refreshing sensation spread throughout his body.
Only after meditating for an unknown length of time did Xu Qing slowly emerge from his meditative state.
He opened his eyes. He did not feel particularly excited; instead, a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
He could feel that the Soul Power within his body was indeed growing, but the pace was simply too slow.
At this rate of cultivation, breaking through to rank ten would take him at least three years, just like Tang Wulin.
Looks like I'll have to approach this from another direction. As for the parallel Earth,
damn it, with so many zombies around, how could Xu Qing possibly calm down enough to concentrate on meditation and cultivation?
Xu Qing slowly stood and stretched his limbs, stiff from sitting for so long.
The evening breeze in the backyard was slightly cool. Brushing against his face, it calmed his tangled thoughts.
Xu Qing composed himself and turned to go back inside. At a glance, he saw that his father, Xu Yan, had already returned home and was sitting quietly at the dining table.
Xu Yan and Gu Yuena, who sat beside him, noticed Xu Qing almost simultaneously. Xu Yan spoke first. "Finished cultivating?"
Xu Qing nodded lightly without saying much, washed his hands, and then sat down at the dining table as well.
Before long, Tang Xue emerged from the kitchen carrying steaming dishes, placing them on the table one by one.
Once Tang Xue sat down, Xu Qing pretended not to know anything and casually asked, "Mom, how did it go? Did you find Nana's identity information?"
Tang Xue sighed softly and said helplessly, "There wasn't a single bit of information about Nana in the administrator's records. There was nothing else I could do, so I followed the procedure and helped her register a new identity."
Xu Qing nodded, not particularly surprised, though he still pretended to know nothing.
"Then, Mom, what are you planning to do about Nana?"
Xu Yan asked in return, "Xiao Qing, what would you like us to do?"
"Well, Dad, I already promised Nana earlier that she could stay with us for now, until her family is found. Would that be okay with you?"
Xu Qing looked at them nervously. After all, this was an agreement he and Gu Yuena had made on their own. If his parents refused, he would not know what to do next.
Gu Yuena sat quietly beside them, her purple eyes resting on Xu Qing as she took everything in.
Xu Yan looked at his apprehensive son, then turned to the quiet little girl beside him and immediately burst out laughing. "You little rascal. All right, I'll stop teasing you. Look how nervous you are. Don't worry, we've already discussed it with Nana. She's willing to stay with us for now. I just wanted to hear what you thought."
Tang Xue nodded along and gently added, "That's right. Nana is such an adorable child. We could bear to send her to a place like an orphanage, too. You two must get along well from now on."
Hearing his parents' answer, Xu Qing's suspended heart finally settled completely, and a smile appeared on his face.