This time, Xia Chen hailed a taxi as well. Along the way, he intended to let Shi Yao go home to grab a few changes of clothes, but the little girl refused.
She no longer wanted to have anything to do with that "home." In their eyes, she was completely superfluous. At home, even getting a hot meal was a luxury, let alone having them buy clothes for her.
The sweater Shi Yao was currently wearing was one she had found on New Year's Eve, enduring the biting cold and hunger alone as she rummaged through several garbage cans outside.
She still clearly remembered that the moment she found the sweater, she had been as happy as a child, jumping up and down beside the trash can, which made her look like an absolute lunatic in the eyes of others.
Only the young girl knew that when the next winter arrived, she would never be cold again.
After hearing about Shi Yao's experiences, Xia Chen felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on his chest, leaving him distressed and suffocated.
It only dawned on him now. He remembered the last time the two of them were in a taxi together; back then, his single-minded goal had been to send the little girl home.
But looking back now, he hadn't been sending the girl home—he had been sending her back to hell. On second thought, just how desperate must the young girl have been back then?
Sensing Xia Chen's low spirits, Shi Yao poked her little head in front of him and offered a sweet smile.
"Brother Xia Chen, don't be sad. I heard someone say that people are born to suffer. Once I finish suffering early on, I'll be really happy in the future."
Looking at the sensible girl before him, Xia Chen felt a sharp sting in his nose. He gazed into her eyes and said in a deep voice, "That's right. From now on, Shi Yao is going to be the happiest person in the world."
After getting out of the taxi at their destination, Xia Chen walked over to the small convenience store as usual, bought a few bottles of beer and drinks, and headed toward the stairwell—except this time, he had a little tail following right behind him.
Shi Yao followed him all the way from the first floor to the seventh. Once Xia Chen unlocked and opened the door, he turned to the girl behind him and asked, "How is it? Are you tired?"
The young girl shook her head, her doe-like eyes staring at Xia Chen in astonishment.
"Brother Xia Chen, your home is so high up."
This was her first time ever climbing to such a high floor.
Xia Chen smiled, pushed the door open, and walked inside.
"Come on in. From now on, you'll live here with me. Are you happy?"
"Happy."
Shi Yao's little head nodded up and down like a woodpecker.
Before stepping inside, she instinctively slipped off the worn-out cloth shoes she had worn for years, revealing a pair of tender, pink little feet.
The girl's fair, clean feet stepped onto the floor mat inside. She turned her little head to look around, her face filled with yearning.
The apartment wasn't actually big. The living room contained just a sofa, a television, and a coffee table, and nothing else.
None of that mattered to Shi Yao, though. As long as Xia Chen was here, that was enough.
"Right, put these on."
Xia Chen retrieved a pair of women's slippers from the cabinet and placed them in front of Shi Yao.
These slippers had been bought by his older sister, Xia Mo, when she last visited his place. Figuring they were women's shoes anyway, anyone could wear them.
"C-Can I wear them?" The young girl's two pink little feet instinctively pressed together. She was terrified that her feet were too dirty and would ruin Brother Xia Chen's slippers.
"Of course you can. Aren't shoes meant for wearing?" Xia Chen spread his hands in resignation and explained to Shi Yao.
Having received an affirmative answer, Shi Yao cautiously slid her little feet into the slippers.
To Xia Chen's surprise, however, the girl's feet were so small that walking in the oversized shoes made her waddle around like a little duck.
"Forget it, we'll leave it like this for now. I'll borrow some money from my older sister tomorrow to get her a new pair, and buy some daily necessities along the way."
Xia Chen thought to himself.
Next, he planned to take Shi Yao to the room he had prepared for her. Hearing that she would have her own room, the little girl trotted along excitedly, waddling like a duck.
"There, you can sleep in here from now on."
Xia Chen pushed open the bedroom door. Inside was only a simple bed—one that Xia Chen had gotten as a buy-one-get-one-free deal because he was cheap—though thinking about it now, that bargain hadn't gone to waste.
"Okay." Shi Yao nodded happily, then turned her gaze to the opposite bedroom and asked Xia Chen, "Is Brother Xia Chen's room in there?"
"Yeah." Xia Chen nodded, since there were only two rooms in total.
"Can I go in and take a look?" The young girl's eyes blinked, a flicker of anticipation shining within them.
Xia Chen scratched his head, suddenly feeling rather troubled. While his room wasn't exactly filthy, it was a genuine disaster area of messiness. Still, he ultimately caved under Shi Yao's sincere gaze.
"I suppose you can, but my room is very messy. Are you sure you want to go in?"
"It's fine. Besides, I can help Brother Xia Chen clean up."
"All right, then."
Seeing that there was no way out, Xia Chen had no choice but to open the door with a wry smile.
The moment the door swung open, the scene inside directly stunned Shi Yao.
The unmade quilt on the bed, clothes tossed haphazardly across the cabinet, and unfinished pieces of chocolate scattered on the floor—if one had to use a phrase to describe the current state of affairs, it would be utterly horrifying.
"I'm done for. If I'd known, I should have cleaned up beforehand. This has truly become a public execution."
Regret flooded Xia Chen's heart, but he forced a calm demeanor and explained, "Actually, I clean it once a day. I just haven't had the time to tidy up today."
Shi Yao pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with excitement. She curved the corners of her mouth toward Xia Chen: "Brother Xia Chen, let me help you clean your room."
"Ah, that wouldn't be good."
"It's okay. Brother Xia Chen, you've helped me so much, just let me do something for you."
Seeing Shi Yao looking eager to try, Xia Chen relented. "Well, alright then. Just tidy up casually, no need to make it too spotless."
"Mm, I know."
Before his voice even faded, the young girl rushed into Xia Chen's bedroom like a white rabbit pumped full of stimulants, bouncing and hopping all the way.
"Does this girl really love doing chores this much?"
Xia Chen looked at Shi Yao "slaving away" inside the room, completely baffled.
Well, this worked out nicely. He could now go look for the clothes his older sister had left behind and see if any fit the little girl.
Xia Chen walked out to the balcony and fished out a large cardboard box from a pile of stored odds and ends. Most of the contents were clothes Xia Mo used to wear.
Besides, she had mailed these over a few days ago out of boredom, wanting Xia Chen to sell them for her. He never expected them to come in handy so soon.
He had actually considered whether he should buy a few new clothes for the little girl, but as the saying goes: it's not that new clothes are unaffordable, but old clothes offer better value for money.
More importantly, these were high-end brand-name clothes worth tens of thousands that Xia Mo had bought while studying abroad. Even though a few years had passed, their quality was still far more reliable than clothing from ordinary shopping malls.
Furthermore, Xia Mo used to change her wardrobe about once a month, so she hadn't worn these clothes for long; they were practically new.
Meanwhile, the little girl inside Xia Chen's room wasn't slacking off either. She was lying flat on the floor, meticulously collecting stray hairs from the surface.
"There, they should all be picked up now. Huh?"
She twisted her aching neck, only to suddenly spot half a piece of leftover chocolate resting not far away.
At the sight of it, an expression of excitement instantly bloomed across the young girl's cold face. Tossing the hard-earned hair aside, she lunged forward like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey.
Picking up the chocolate from the floor, Shi Yao licked her lips. Just as she was about to shove it into her mouth, her brain regained a shred of rationality.
"No, I can't do this anymore. This kind of behavior is not normal."
Thinking this, the young girl headed toward the trash can with the chocolate in hand.
Just as she was about to toss the chocolate into the trash, however, the motion of her raised hand froze.
"Mm, this is really too good. I wish I could eat a thousand more."