So this was what it felt like to be cut by a blade? It really hurt.
Chang Yuan's hands trembled slightly, but he still did not let go.
"Brother Chang Yuan!"
Seeing Chang Yuan's hands covered in blood, Airi cried out in shock.
She immediately bent down, preparing to pick up a stone and throw it at them.
But against so many people, what could a small stone possibly do?
Still, this was not a hopeless situation.
Chang Yuan looked at those people, then shouted, "Qianjie, are you going to stay ignorant forever? These people will never thank you, nor do they see you as family. They only see you as a blood bag to use."
The moment Chang Yuan finished speaking, the figure tied to the rack behind them moved.
Crack—!
The figure violently tore apart the rack, casually pulling the wooden stakes from his body with his hands.
"Kid, how exactly do you know my name?"
"We can talk about that later. Save us first!"
"Hmph. If you don't give me a satisfactory answer later, just wait."
Qianjie snorted, then vanished in a flash. Every villager surrounding them fell to the ground one after another.
However, Qianjie apparently did not want to hurt them, so they had merely fallen into deep comas. The worst injuries were probably only a few broken bones.
"Kid, talk. Otherwise, you'll end up just like them."
After finishing everything, Qianjie ignored his own injuries and walked over to Chang Yuan.
Chang Yuan's hands were still bleeding slowly. Seeing this, Airi hurriedly took a small medical kit from her backpack.
She first injected Chang Yuan with antibiotics to prevent infection from those rusty weapons, then disinfected his wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Finally, Airi wrapped his hands layer by layer with bandages.
"Because I know you. You aren't as vicious as your tone and appearance make you seem. You just want a place you can call home. You aren't from this world, so you feel lost here and want to find somewhere you belong."
"..."
After hearing Chang Yuan's words, Qianjie fell silent.
He had never told anyone these things, and he would never tell any outsider.
Yet because of that, he became even more curious about how Chang Yuan knew.
"How did you know?"
"...It's not convenient for me to tell you right now, but we'll definitely meet again in the future. When that time comes, I'll tell you everything. Consider it repayment for saving our lives."
"..."
Qianjie said nothing more. He crossed his arms, turned around, and prepared to leave.
But Airi called out to him then.
"Uncle, do you need me to bandage you, stop the bleeding, and disinfect your wounds?"
"No."
"Okay, I'm coming right over."
Completely ignoring Qianjie's refusal, Airi took the bandages and began wrapping his wounds.
When she was finished, she even tied a bow.
Chang Yuan nearly burst out laughing when he saw it.
If he had not feared Qianjie's fiery fist smashing down onto his head, Chang Yuan would definitely have laughed out loud.
A burly man like Qianjie wearing bandages tied in a bow—oh, this was way too funny.
After Airi forcibly bandaged him and stopped the bleeding, Qianjie quickened his pace as he left.
That little girl was far too enthusiastic. He could not handle her.
"Brother Chang Yuan, don't do anything so dangerous next time. Did you think about what would have happened if you hadn't caught it? You could have been badly hurt."
"But if I hadn't done that, wouldn't you have been the one hurt? I promised to protect you. I won't break my word."
Chang Yuan said with a smile.
If this were the future Airi, perhaps she truly would not need his protection.
But the current Airi had not even come into contact with the Honkai. She was no different from an ordinary person.
Perhaps only after being exposed to a sufficient concentration of Honkai Energy would Airi's hidden power be awakened.
At that time, she would become humanity's strongest fighter. At least until the Fusion Warriors appeared, she had always been the strongest.
But for now, Airi was still an ordinary girl who needed his protection.
"You really are an idiot. It's not like I couldn't have dodged back then."
"But what if you couldn't? I never want to gamble on such an illusory possibility." Unless I have to gamble on you surviving.
Naturally, Chang Yuan did not say that last part aloud.
"Sigh, fine, fine. Looks like I'll have to feed you for the next few days. But what was with that uncle? Why did you know him?"
"...That's my secret. But in the future, I'll definitely tell you. For now, can you let me keep it?"
"Mm, okay. Everyone has a few little secrets, after all. Besides, Brother Chang Yuan wouldn't hurt me."
Airi did not press the matter any further.
Night...
"Ah, open your mouth."
"Ahh~"
When Chang Yuan opened his mouth, Airi blew on the food to cool it before feeding it to him.
"Mmm~, Airi, your cooking has improved again."
"Yeah, yeah. How could it not improve? I really don't understand you. You actually make a girl four years younger than you cook for you. Be careful, or you won't find a girlfriend in the future."
"Hehe, can't help it. I have no talent, so I can only rely on you, Airi."
Chang Yuan shrugged helplessly.
He had absolutely no talent for cooking. If he had, he would not have ordered takeout every day before being transported here.
After all, the money for one takeout order was enough for him to cook for himself for two days.
"So, it wasn't you taking care of me along the way. It was me taking care of you."
"Mm-hm, let's go with that. Keep going."
"Yes, yes, ah, open your mouth."
"You don't have to say that. I can open my mouth myself. I'm not a child."
"Only children say they aren't children."
"Compared to me, you're the one who looks more like a child."
"Bleh, bleh, bleh. Brother Chang Yuan, you need a child even younger than you to feed you. You're the child now, hehe."
One year later...
"So this is Shenzhou? Its style really is different from other places."
Looking at the lanterns and decorations on every household, as well as the corridors and walkways, Airi immediately felt the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
They had arrived at just the right time—it was the New Year in Shenzhou.
"Yeah. According to Shenzhou customs, you have to say 'Happy New Year' whenever you meet someone during the New Year. Some people might even give you a red envelope."
"Mm-hm~? That sounds pretty nice. Hey, Chang Yuan, look. What's that over there?"
Airi immediately grew curious when she saw the character "Five" written on the door of a restaurant.
Chang Yuan turned to look. With only one glance, he could roughly guess what it was.
Before you continue