A delicate little girl lifted the felt curtain and poked her head out of the tent. Her small, pale face was framed by long, thick, straight eyelashes, each tipped with a single bead of dew. Beneath them, her naturally sweet doe eyes were enough to melt anyone’s heart.
For several seconds, Zhongli Ting was stunned into silence.
Who could have guessed? That dirty little girl he had randomly picked up on the mountain would be such a radiant beauty once cleaned up. And this was only a face that hadn't even fully matured yet; one could only imagine how many hearts she would break when she grew up.
*Couldn't she have just grown up normally?* he thought. *If she grows up like this, how many of my subjects will she lead to ruin?*
Zhongli Ting let out a soft sigh.
A femme fatale in the making, indeed.
***
Although he was the one who had brought her back, Zhongli Ting hadn't paid much attention to her. Since the day he settled her in, he hadn't spent much time in his own tent. He spent his days training and his nights squeezing into a bunk with Wei Ling.
It wasn't that he was completely indifferent; he had sent people out to make inquiries, but there was never any useful news. It was as if the child had simply sprung from a crack in a rock.
As time passed, Zhongli Ting eventually gave up hope of finding her a home. He entrusted some of his soldiers to find a reliable family in the nearby villages that lacked children.
It wasn't hard to find one; before long, they located a couple willing to adopt her.
Zhongli Ting requested leave from the camp to deliver her personally.
Ruhuahua followed him obediently. The sentries at the camp gate greeted them respectfully: "Young General."
Zhongli Ting gave a slight nod.
Only once they had left the camp grounds did Ruhuahua realize where they were heading. "Brother, where are you taking me?"
She hadn't stepped outside the military camp even once since arriving.
Zhongli Ting turned back to look at her.
The little girl was wearing a faded red dress. Even though they had found the smallest one in Chunfang, it was still far too large for her. The sleeves he had rolled up for her had slipped down at some point, making her look like a little opera performer.
His heart stirred, and he couldn't help but smile. "Brother is taking Huahua to buy some new clothes."
The way the little girl called him "Brother" so sweetly—even though he was only a stand-in—made him feel that sending her away like this was perhaps a bit heartless.
Zhongli Ting took her to a clothing store in town.
The shop offered ready-made garments, but one could also choose fabric for custom tailoring. Pressed for time, Zhongli Ting opted for the ready-made clothes. He swept his eyes over the rack and pointed casually to a red coat and skirt. "This one."
"Huahua, go and try it on."
While Ruhuahua was trying on the clothes, Zhongli Ting picked out a few more. He was never short on money, and this being his first time buying clothes for someone, he found the experience novel and ended up picking out several more items.
Ruhuahua tried them on one by one. Perhaps due to Zhongli Ting’s keen eye, nearly all the dresses fit perfectly; those that didn't were adjusted by the shopkeeper on the spot.
Ruhuahua whispered, "It’s too much, Brother."
The little girl already had innocent, clean features. Dressed in her new little red skirt, she looked vibrant, charming, and utterly precious.
"It’s not too much. Our Huahua deserves to be dressed beautifully." Zhongli Ting felt his taste was impeccable once more and tilted his chin to signal the shopkeeper to settle the bill. "Wrap up those ones I picked earlier as well."
After paying, Zhongli Ting took the bundle of clothes in one hand and used his free hand to pat the small bun hairstyle on Ruhuahua’s head. "Consider this a farewell gift from your brother."
Ruhuahua touched her hair, stunned, as if she didn't understand. "Farewell... gift?"
"That’s right." Zhongli Ting bent down to meet her gaze, his lips curving into a slight, cheerful smile. "Our Huahua is going to have a mother and father soon. Aren't you happy?"
Ruhuahua remained stunned. "Mother and father?"
"Brother, have you found my home?"
"Well..." Zhongli Ting hesitated. He shook his head. "How about this: Brother will find you a new mother and father, okay? I promise they will be very, very good to our Huahua."
Ruhuahua didn't answer. She only stared at him, her eyes unblinking, the light in them gradually fading. "Is it because I was disobedient that you want to give me away?"
"What kind of talk is that?" Zhongli Ting raised an eyebrow, his tone lazy. "Isn't it a good thing for Brother to find you a mother and father who will dote on you?"
Ruhuahua bit her lip. "Can’t you dote on me, Brother?"
Zhongli Ting shook his head. "Little girl, that’s different. You are still young; you need a stable family."
"Brother..."
"Alright, Huahua, I won't hurt you." Zhongli Ting looked at the road ahead; they hadn't even reached the halfway point. "Are you tired? If you’re tired, Brother will carry you."
Ruhuahua shook her head. "I... I’m not tired."
In truth, having walked for half the day with Zhongli Ting, her feet were already aching, but she was afraid he would think she was being difficult.
Zhongli Ting was used to harsh training and hadn't thought much of the distance. But after walking a bit further and hearing the little girl’s ragged breathing, he realized that this distance was truly an overload for a small child.
Zhongli Ting crouched down in front of her and turned his head slightly. "Come on."
Ruhuahua said, "I... I’m not tired..."
Zhongli Ting urged her, "Little one, this is my first time carrying someone—don’t you dare refuse to give me face."
Ruhuahua moved slowly toward him, leaned over, and hesitantly hooked her arms around his neck. "Brother..."
Zhongli Ting supported her with one hand and stood up. "What is it?"
Ruhuahua didn't even dare to breathe, fearing she would crush him. "If you can't carry me anymore, remember to throw me down."
"..." Zhongli Ting couldn't help but turn his head slightly. "Little one, let me ask you something."
Ruhuahua stared at his profile, noticing his long eyelashes. "Brother..."
"Do I look that frail and weak to you?"
"No, that’s not it," Ruhuahua buried her head and whispered, "Brother will get tired too."
The little girl assumed that since she was so out of breath after walking for so long, there was no reason the person walking with her wouldn't be exhausted as well.
"Hm?" Zhongli Ting hadn't caught it clearly, but he didn't pay it much mind. He shifted her weight higher and muttered carelessly, "How are you so light? Like a feather."
Ruhuahua buried her face and smiled, saying nothing more.
The destination Zhongli Ting brought her to was a reasonably prosperous mountain village. While not wealthy, the villagers lived decent lives; at the very least, there was no one suffering from starvation or lack of clothing.
Zhongli Ting delivered her all the way to the destination, where the adoptive couple had been waiting at the village entrance for some time.
Zhongli Ting set her down, and Ruhuahua hid behind his back in fear.
Zhongli Ting walked over, exchanged a few brief words with the couple, and then gently pushed the little girl’s back. "Go on."
"Brother..." Ruhuahua looked back at Zhongli Ting, clutching his clothes tightly. She didn't speak; instead, tears began to fall, plop by plop.