Without a second thought, he gently laid Xi Yiqian down and covered her with the blanket.
"Go to sleep," he said, lightly pinching her delicate cheek before turning off the light.
Xia Liang turned and walked over to the sofa. It was tiny, so small that even Xi Yiqian would have found it difficult to lie on, let alone soone of his size. Resigned, Xia Liang simply sat leaning back, closing his eyes to rest.
Xi Yiqian's room was truly miniscule. Without even trying, Xia Liang could hear the soft thumping of her heart.
An unknown amount of ti passed before Xi Yiqian's weak voice drifted over again.
"Why don't… you… you… co over…" Her voice was hesitant, and by the end, it faded into an inaudible whisper.
Xia Liang chuckled softly. "Heh… Have you already forgotten what I just said?"
"No… I haven't…" Xi Yiqian quickly explained. "You… you're different."
"Different? Am I?"
Xi Yiqian looked up at the ceiling. "Mhm," she affird. "You… you're a good person."
…
You're a good person? A dark look crossed Xia Liang's face. That's not exactly a complint.
Feigning a fierce tone, Xia Liang said, "No, I'm a bad guy. I'm even worse than that drunken brute you ntioned. If you ask to co over again, I'll eat you up!"
"Oh…"
After Xi Yiqian's response, the room fell silent once more. After a little while, Xia Liang heard the distinct sound of soone stumbling outside the door. He extended his Void Domain and guided the drunk man away to another location.
Sensing that Xi Yiqian was still awake, likely still worried about the drunkard's arrival, he sighed but offered no explanation. Instead, he used a thread of his Spiritual Power to help her relax. Instantly, Xi Yiqian yawned, and soon, she was sound asleep.
「The next morning.」
Xia Liang opened his eyes. "What are you doing?"
In front of him, Xi Yiqian was carefully trying to lift a blanket to place it over him. She was startled when his eyes suddenly flew open, but she quickly composed herself.
"Um… it's chilly in the morning… I was worried you'd catch a cold."
Xia Liang waved a hand dismissively. "No need. I slept fine."
"Oh." Xi Yiqian didn't argue. She simply folded the blanket neatly and put it away before turning back to him.
"You must be hungry… Wait here, I'll go buy you so breakfast."
Before Xia Liang could stop her, Xi Yiqian had put on her mask and slipped out the door.
Ah, forget it. Let her be, Xia Liang thought, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. He hadn't wanted the girl to spend any more money on him.
Five minutes later, Xi Yiqian returned carrying a bowl of black rice porridge and two large at buns. The al cost a paltry 50 cents, but it was undoubtedly another heavy blow to Xi Yiqian's already strained finances, adding frost to the snow.
"Here, eat it while it's hot," she urged, placing the porridge and buns in front of Xia Liang.
Xia Liang didn't move to eat. Instead, he stared at her intently. "Why did you only buy so for ? Where's yours?"
Xi Yiqian's gaze darted away. "I… I don't usually eat breakfast. You… you should hurry and eat," she insisted.
Watching her, Xia Liang knew instantly that she was lying. The truth was, she couldn't afford such a luxurious breakfast for herself. Her plan was to wait until he finished and left, then she would steam a plain bun and eat it with so pickled vegetables. She knew that if she tried to eat her simple al now, this kind-hearted man would force her to eat the better food, even if it ant he went hungry.
Of course, Xia Liang didn't guess all the details; he just knew she was trying to save money. He glanced disdainfully at the porridge, then casually tore open a large at bun, letting its savory aroma fill the small room.
"Don't you know I don't like this for breakfast? I prefer soy milk and fried dough sticks."
"Ah?" Xi Yiqian was stunned, her face imdiately filling with apology. "I'm so sorry… I didn't know. I should have asked you first. I'll go buy so for you right now."
Saying this, she prepared to put on her mask and leave again.
"Hey… wait." This ti, Xia Liang stopped her. While she was still dazed, he pulled her over and made her sit on the sofa. "I'm not eating this. So you should eat it."
Xi Yiqian froze for a second, then realized his true intention. But under Xia Liang's intense pressure and his unblinking stare, she relented, taking one bite after another until everything was gone.
Only when she had finished did Xia Liang nod in satisfaction.
After wiping her mouth, Xi Yiqian prepared to stand up again to go buy him soy milk and fried dough sticks.
Xia Liang couldn't help but touch his forehead. Is this girl really that dense?
"Sit down and don't move!"
Xi Yiqian, who had just started to get up, froze and imdiately sat back down, looking at him with perfect posture. "Mhm."
Xia Liang nodded, pleased. It had to be said, after spending just one day together, he had developed a deep sense of compassion for her. She was simply too kind and pure. His gaze rested on the girl for a long while, until she began to fidget uncomfortably. Only then did he nod again.
"From now on, you'll follow ."
???
Clearly, Xia Liang's words had stunned her. Her eyes filled with confusion, and she instinctively assud he ant to "keep" her. She was about to refuse, but he didn't give her the chance. He slapped the table and glared at her fiercely.
"I'm not discussing it with you, this is an order. From this day forward, you'll follow . You'll work for ."
Faced with the fierce-looking Xia Liang, Xi Yiqian instinctively shrank back. After a long mont, she asked weakly, "Why?"
"Why?" Xia Liang's voice rose sharply. "Because I've helped you—twice. Is that reason enough for you?"
"Oh." This ti, Xi Yiqian didn't argue.
Xia Liang finally nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go." He waved his hand, signaling for her to follow him out the door.
As he saw her reaching for her mask, he said coolly, "You won't need to wear a mask when you're with ."
"Oh." Agreeing, Xi Yiqian then prepared to go to the bathroom to apply her "ugly" makeup, but Xia Liang grabbed her arm and led her toward the door.
Once outside, Xi Yiqian kept her head bowed low, not daring to look straight ahead. Xia Liang felt a pang of emotion. Here was an exceptionally beautiful girl, yet unlike others her age, she couldn't display her charm, couldn't hold her head high and let the world see her beauty. It was almost laughable that this was all for self-protection.
Seeing her like this, Xia Liang didn't force her to look up. Haste makes waste. He knew that getting her to co out like this was already a huge step. Even so, their presence along the street still attracted quite a bit of attention.
The two of them hailed a taxi, and Xia Liang gave the address for the apartnt building gifted to him by the System. As they arrived, Xi Yiqian finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked weakly.
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