Chapter 69: The Little Girl

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: The Little Girl

Xi Yunxui was almost finished with her meal when Biyu suddenly stopped eating.

At first, Xi Yunxui did not notice the change.

She was seated at the small dining table in the staff kitchen, quietly enjoying the simple meal Auntie Zhang had left for her. The kitchen was peaceful, with only the faint hum of the refrigerator and the occasional sound of King C chewing his carrots breaking the silence.

Across from her, King C had completely focused on his food.

The two carrots Xi Yunxui had given him earlier had already disappeared, and he was now working on the remaining vegetables with the seriousness of someone attending an important banquet.

Biyu, however, had gone completely still.

The small creature’s head slowly lifted from its food.

Xi Yunxui noticed the change when she reached for another bite.

She paused and looked toward Biyu.

"What is it?"

Biyu did not respond.

Instead, its emerald-green eyes narrowed slightly as it turned its head toward the far corner of the kitchen.

Xi Yunxui followed its gaze.

At first, she saw nothing unusual.

The kitchen was brightly lit, and every corner seemed perfectly ordinary. There were shelves filled with cooking supplies, several cabinets, and a small storage area near the back.

Nothing appeared to be out of place.

Then Biyu suddenly hopped down from the table.

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"Biyu?"

The creature ignored her and began walking toward the storage area.

Its movements were unusually quiet.

Xi Yunxui slowly placed her chopsticks down.

King C, who was still chewing on a carrot, glanced toward Biyu before looking back at his food.

"What is that chicken doing now?"

Biyu immediately turned its head and glared at him.

King C froze for a moment.

Then, pretending as though nothing had happened, he lowered his head and continued eating.

Xi Yunxui sighed.

"Both of you should stop fighting for once."

However, her attention remained on Biyu.

The creature continued walking toward the storage area until it reached one of the lower cabinets.

It stopped.

Then it tilted its head.

Xi Yunxui’s brows slowly furrowed.

"Biyu?"

The creature raised one of its wings and lightly tapped the cabinet.

Tap.

Tap.

Xi Yunxui stared at it.

"What are you doing?"

Biyu looked back at her.

Then it tapped the cabinet again.

This time, Xi Yunxui finally realized that something was strange.

The cabinet door had not been completely closed.

There was a narrow gap between the two doors.

Xi Yunxui slowly stood from her chair.

Her first instinct was to wonder whether someone had forgotten to properly close it. However, when she looked more carefully, she noticed something else.

A pair of tiny shoes.

Xi Yunxui froze.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

King C finally noticed that something was happening and lifted his head.

"What is it?"

Xi Yunxui did not answer him.

Instead, she slowly walked toward the cabinet.

The closer she got, the more certain she became that there was someone inside.

She crouched down.

"Biyu, move back."

Biyu obediently hopped to the side.

Xi Yunxui hesitated for a moment before gently placing her hand on the cabinet door.

Then she slowly opened it.

The first thing she saw was a pair of large, round eyes staring directly back at her.

Xi Yunxui blinked.

The little girl inside blinked as well.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The child looked no older than five.

She was dressed neatly in a beautiful little dress, although her clothes were slightly wrinkled from hiding inside the cramped cabinet. Her dark hair had been carefully arranged earlier in the day, but several loose strands had escaped and fallen around her soft cheeks.

She was undeniably adorable.

Her cheeks were round and slightly flushed, while her large eyes were filled with both caution and curiosity.

Xi Yunxui stared at her.

The little girl stared back.

Biyu tilted its head.

King C slowly climbed down from his chair and walked closer.

Finally, Xi Yunxui found her voice.

"Little girl..."

The child remained silent.

Xi Yunxui’s expression softened.

"Who are you?"

The little girl continued staring at her.

Xi Yunxui waited patiently.

Perhaps the child was frightened.

Perhaps she had wandered into the staff quarters by accident.

Or perhaps—

Grrrrrr.

The sound was loud enough to interrupt Xi Yunxui’s thoughts.

The little girl’s eyes widened.

Xi Yunxui looked down.

The child quickly placed both hands over her stomach.

Silence filled the kitchen.

King C looked at the little girl.

Then he looked at Xi Yunxui.

Then his gaze moved toward the food on the table.

Xi Yunxui slowly closed her eyes.

She understood.

The child was hungry.

When Xi Yunxui opened her eyes again, the little girl was looking at her with an embarrassed expression.

Xi Yunxui could not help but smile.

"So, you’re hungry?"

The little girl hesitated.

Then she slowly nodded.

Xi Yunxui sighed softly.

She had been prepared to ask several questions.

Who was the child?

Why was she hiding in the kitchen?

Where were her parents?

How had she even entered the staff quarters without anyone noticing?

However, the little girl’s stomach growled again.

This time, even louder.

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the cabinet.

Then she looked at the small child.

"...We’ll talk after you’ve eaten."

The little girl’s eyes immediately brightened.

Xi Yunxui could not help but laugh.

"Come out first."

The child carefully crawled out of the cabinet.

Once she stood properly, Xi Yunxui realized that she was even smaller than she had initially thought.

The little girl looked around five years old, perhaps even slightly younger.

She stood quietly in front of Xi Yunxui and glanced toward the dining table.

More specifically, toward the food.

Xi Yunxui noticed immediately.

Her lips twitched.

"Sit down."

The little girl did not need to be told twice.

She hurried toward the dining table.

Xi Yunxui quickly reached out and caught her shoulder before she could climb onto the chair.

The little girl turned around.

Xi Yunxui raised a brow.

"Wash your hands first."

The little girl’s face immediately fell.

Xi Yunxui almost laughed.

She pointed toward the sink.

"Go."

The child reluctantly walked toward the sink.

King C watched the entire scene with narrowed eyes.

"She listens to you surprisingly well."

Xi Yunxui glanced at him.

"Don’t start."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

King C immediately looked away.

Meanwhile, Xi Yunxui washed the little girl’s hands properly before leading her back to the table.

She looked at the food that remained.

Fortunately, Auntie Zhang had left her a generous portion.

There was still some steamed rice, braised chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and a light vegetable soup.

Xi Yunxui placed a small portion of each dish onto a clean plate.

She also made sure that the food had cooled enough for the child to eat safely.

The moment the plate was placed before her, the little girl’s eyes widened.

"Eat slowly," Xi Yunxui warned.

The little girl nodded.

Then she picked up her chopsticks.

Xi Yunxui watched her.

The child carefully picked up a piece of chicken.

She took a bite.

Her entire expression changed.

Xi Yunxui blinked.

The little girl’s eyes seemed to sparkle.

She immediately took another bite.

Then another.

Xi Yunxui stared.

King C slowly leaned toward Biyu.

"...Is she possessed?"

Biyu gave him an annoyed look.

The little girl continued eating.

She ate the rice.

Then the vegetables.

Then the chicken.

Then she drank some soup.

She ate with such concentration that Xi Yunxui began to wonder whether she had eaten anything at all that day.

"Slow down," Xi Yunxui said gently. "No one is going to take your food."

The little girl nodded while continuing to eat.

Xi Yunxui narrowed her eyes.

She clearly had not listened.

After finishing the first portion, the child slowly looked up.

Xi Yunxui immediately understood the meaning behind those large eyes.

"...No."

The little girl’s expression fell.

"You’ve already eaten quite a lot."

The little girl looked at the remaining food.

Then she looked back at Xi Yunxui.

Her eyes were practically pleading.

Xi Yunxui pressed her lips together.

She was not going to fall for it.

Absolutely not.

The little girl continued staring.

Xi Yunxui looked away.

The little girl remained silent.

Xi Yunxui looked back.

The child was still staring.

Several seconds passed.

Xi Yunxui finally sighed.

"Just a little more."

The little girl’s face immediately brightened.

King C stared at Xi Yunxui in disbelief.

"You’re too easily persuaded."

Xi Yunxui glanced at him.

"She is five."

"So?"

Xi Yunxui ignored him.

She placed another small portion of food onto the little girl’s plate.

The child happily began eating again.

Xi Yunxui rested her chin against her hand as she watched.

For some reason, the sight reminded her of her younger siblings from her previous life.

Her expression gradually softened.

She had spent many years taking care of them.

Feeding them.

Scolding them.

Worrying whenever they were hungry.

Making sure they had enough to eat even when she herself had very little.

The familiar feeling returned unexpectedly as she watched the little girl happily eat.

For a brief moment, Xi Yunxui almost forgot that she was no longer in her previous world.

Biyu suddenly rubbed its head against Xi Yunxui’s arm.

Xi Yunxui returned to her senses.

She gently stroked its head.

Eventually, the little girl finished eating.

She placed her chopsticks down and looked at Xi Yunxui.

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"Now that you’re full, can you tell me who you are?"

The little girl blinked.

Xi Yunxui waited.

"What’s your name?"

The child remained silent.

Xi Yunxui’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Do you know where your family is?"

Silence.

Xi Yunxui tried another question.

"How did you get inside the Huo residence?"

The little girl lowered her head.

Xi Yunxui immediately realized that she was either unwilling or unable to answer.

She did not want to frighten her.

After all, the child had been hiding alone inside a cabinet in the middle of the night.

Something was clearly wrong.

Xi Yunxui leaned back slightly.

"All right."

The little girl slowly looked up.

"We don’t have to talk about it now."

The child visibly relaxed.

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the clock.

It was already very late.

Most of the staff members had retired for the night.

Xi Yunxui could wake Auntie Zhang and inform her about the child.

However, she looked at the little girl again.

The child was already beginning to look sleepy.

Her eyelids slowly drooped.

Xi Yunxui sighed.

She could not simply leave her alone.

"You’re tired."

The little girl rubbed her eyes.

Xi Yunxui thought for a moment.

"All right. You can sleep with me tonight."

The little girl’s eyes immediately widened.

Xi Yunxui continued.

"We’ll figure out everything tomorrow morning."

The little girl nodded quickly.

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"Come on, then."

She stood from her chair.

The little girl followed her.

King C looked toward Xi Yunxui.

"What about us?"

Xi Yunxui stared at him.

"What about you?"

King C immediately pointed at himself.

"You can’t possibly expect us to sleep in the kitchen."

Xi Yunxui sighed.

"Of course, you’re coming with me."

King C looked satisfied.

Biyu happily fluttered its wings.

Xi Yunxui shook her head before taking the little girl’s hand.

The child instinctively held onto her fingers.

Xi Yunxui paused.

Her heart softened slightly.

Without saying anything else, she gently tightened her hold on the child’s hand.

Together, the unusual group left the staff kitchen.

A young woman.

A mysterious little girl.

A goat-like creature.

And a strange chicken with magnificent wings.

None of them noticed the faint shadow that briefly appeared at the end of the corridor.

The person stood there silently.

Watching them disappear into the distance.

Then, just as quietly as the figure had appeared, it disappeared.

Xi Yunxui remained completely unaware that bringing the little girl into her room that night would soon bring another unexpected change to her life.