Chapter 188 - 170: You can call me Ah Xin, too...

Xiao Mo heard the noise and immediately sat up in bed.

He grabbed the shovel he kept by the head of his bed, carefully opened the door, and stepped out into the courtyard.

’If it’s a thief, I’ll sneak up and whack him with this shovel!’

It was late at night. Moonlight spilled into the courtyard, draping everything in a soft glow.

The noise was coming from the kitchen.

Aided by the moonlight, Xiao Mo lightened his steps, cautiously making his way toward the kitchen one step at a time.

The "thief" hadn’t closed the door; it was left ajar.

Leaning against the doorframe, Xiao Mo cautiously peered inside.

"Hm?"

Xiao Mo froze, stunned by what he saw in the kitchen.

Inside, Xiao Mo saw only a "boy" who looked no older than nine or ten.

This "boy" had short hair and wore tattered, filthy clothes. They were covered in mud and dust, as if they’d just come tumbling down a mountain.

The "boy’s" face was smeared with charcoal, and there were even clumps of dried mud in their hair.

[The little girl has appeared before the Host.]

Suddenly, the voice of the Hundred Generations Book sounded in Xiao Mo’s mind.

’So she’s the little girl.’

Xiao Mo was a little surprised.

To be honest, if the Hundred Generations Book hadn’t told him, Xiao Mo really wouldn’t have guessed she was a girl.

After all, what stray child wasn’t skinny? Besides, most of her face was covered in soot, making it impossible to see her features clearly.

But her eyes were incredibly striking.

They reminded Xiao Mo of his first life, of the first time he met Qingyi.

Back then, Qingyi had looked much the same, and her eyes, too, had been stunningly beautiful.

The only difference was that Qingyi’s eyes had been filled with wariness.

This girl’s eyes, however, were incomparably clear, as limpid as a glacial spring on a ten-thousand-year-old snowy mountain.

It was as if nothing in the world could ever taint their pure gaze.

She stared at the leftover food kept in a pot of cool water, swallowing repeatedly.

The little girl looked extremely hungry. Her throat bobbed, and several times she reached a hand toward the pot.

But each time her hand was about to touch the food, she would snatch it back. This happened over and over again, her inner struggle obvious.

She was wrestling with whether she should steal someone else’s food.

Finally, the little girl gripped her left wrist with her right hand and shook her head forcefully.

After taking a deep breath, she hopped off the wooden stool, preparing to leave the kitchen.

But when she turned and looked up, she jumped in fright.

A person was watching her through the crack in the wooden door.

Since he’d been discovered, Xiao Mo didn’t hide anymore.

He pushed the kitchen door wide open and walked toward the little girl, one step at a time.

The little girl kept backing away. In her panic, she picked up a branch from the kitchen floor and held it with both hands, pointing it at Xiao Mo.

In that moment, Xiao Mo could see fear in her eyes, but even more so, confusion.

Xiao Mo guessed that she could normally read people’s thoughts and understand their emotions, which gave her a sense of control.

After all, most fear stems from the unknown.

But now she had met him, and because of the Hundred Generations Book, she couldn’t see a single one of his thoughts.

This unprecedented uncertainty was what made her truly afraid and bewildered.

For every step Xiao Mo took forward, the little girl took one back.

Finally, Xiao Mo took the bowl of leftover rice from the large pot on the stove, pulled out a pair of chopsticks, and offered them to the little girl. "Do you want this? If you want it, you can have it."

The little girl glanced at the rice in Xiao Mo’s hands, then back at Xiao Mo, and couldn’t help but swallow.

"GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE..."

The little girl’s stomach growled.

But she still didn’t move forward, still hesitating.

Xiao Mo placed the bowl and chopsticks on the stove and took a few steps back.

After another moment, as if confirming that this boy truly meant her no harm, the little girl finally stepped forward, carefully picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat, one mouthful at a time.

She ate quickly, but her mouth was small, and she stuffed her cheeks with every bite.

"Slow down, don’t choke." Xiao Mo ladled a bowl of water from the water vat and placed it beside her.

Before long, the little girl had finished the entire large bowl of rice and the water, her little belly bulging.

"Are you full?" Xiao Mo asked with a smile, trying his best to appear friendly and show her he meant no harm.

"I... I’m full..." The little girl nodded. "Thank you... You’re a good person..."

"In the Western Regions, being a good person isn’t always a good thing, is it?"

Xiao Mo shook his head and muttered to himself.

"Why didn’t you just steal it earlier?" Xiao Mo looked up and asked curiously. "You didn’t know I’d found you, anyway."

"Sister Zi said stealing is wrong," the little girl said earnestly. "Even though I was really hungry, that was your food. If I ate it, you wouldn’t have anything to eat."

"Sister Zi?" Xiao Mo was taken aback. He hadn’t expected to find such a sensible, kind person in the Western Regions. "Then where is your Sister Zi?"

Hearing Xiao Mo’s question, the little girl lowered her head.

"I don’t know either. We were living in a cave, but when I went back two days ago, Sister Zi and the others were gone. I’ve been searching and searching, walking all over the mountain for so long, but I can’t find them anywhere..."

"So you ended up here? And you haven’t eaten for two days?" Xiao Mo asked.

The little girl shook her head. "I ate some berries."

Xiao Mo: "..."

"How about this? I happen to be living alone, so why don’t you stay here for a few days? We can look for news about your Sister Zi together. What do you think?"

Xiao Mo urged, his tone full of sincerity.

"Otherwise, you won’t find her just wandering around by yourself, and you could starve. Besides, what if your Sister Zi is looking for you and finds her way here?"

"No, I can’t." The little girl shook her head. "Sister Zi said I can’t just accept handouts from others. I can’t eat your rice for free."

"You wouldn’t be eating my rice for free," Xiao Mo said after a moment’s thought. "You can help me with the laundry, cook, and lend a hand around the house. In return, I’ll give you food to eat. How does that sound?"

Wangxin lowered her head and thought it over seriously, looking conflicted.

Xiao Mo wasn’t in a hurry; he just waited patiently for her answer.

Finally, Wangxin hugged her small hands to her chest and said nervously, "Okay, I... I agree... But you... you can’t bully me..."

"Don’t worry, I won’t bully you..." Xiao Mo said with a smile. "My name is Xiao Mo. What’s yours?"

"Ah Xin..."

The little girl blinked.

"My name is Jiang Xin.

Sister Zi calls me Ah Xin...

You can call me Ah Xin, too..."