Little Lan Xi was placed on the bedroom carpet by Fu Hui. Fu Hui touched his back and discovered, strangely, that the wings had disappeared.
Fu Hui furrowed his brows and handed him to the nanny to have the mud wiped off his body.
“Did some family lose their child? How is his hair purple?” The bodyguard was still thinking rationally. “Young Master, we should call the police. His parents must be frantic.”
But Fu Hui very quickly showed him that such rationality was unnecessary.
“He was found in the flower bed.”
The bodyguard said, “Mm.”
“Why would he be in our flower bed?”
The bodyguard jolted.
Right. The Fu residence had extremely tight security. How could a child possibly have “flown” inside, hidden in the flower bed, and gone unnoticed all this time? What family could possibly lose a child all the way into this place?
The bodyguard could not make sense of it no matter how hard he tried. He stopped bringing up the police and immediately had a colleague check the surveillance footage instead.
At that moment, the nanny pushed open the door and came out, saying in surprise, “Young Master, that’s a boy.”
Fu Hui secretly thought,
Even better.
That way, he could keep this strange little thing in his own room.
Even at this age, Fu Hui already spoke very much like an adult. Calmly and methodically, he instructed the bodyguard to call the family doctor.
“He has a lot of injuries.”
The bodyguard hesitated. “If this is child abuse, are we really not calling the police?”
But he isn’t even human.
Where would we even go to find the person who abused him? Fu Hui blinked extremely slowly and answered the bodyguard with silence.
The bodyguard did not say anything more.
Fu Hui had not forgotten what he had originally intended to do. Carrying the large shears, he went downstairs again to cut flowers and wrap them, then took food prepared by the household chef and had the driver bring him to the hospital.
The flowers were for Old Master Fu.
The food was for his father, Fu Lin.
Old Master Fu showed little reaction, but Fu Lin was quite pleased. He gave his son a few instructions and said he had been completely overwhelmed lately and would not be coming home.
“You’re in charge of the house,” Fu Lin said with a smile.
Fu Hui nodded and even asked Fu Lin for a card with no spending limit.
Fu Lin knew his son was steady and reliable, so he did not question him. Whatever Fu Hui wanted, he gave him.
On the way home, the first thing Fu Hui did with the card was buy a pearl hair tie. The Akoya pearls had a pink luster that reminded him of the strange little thing’s ears, just as soft and pink.
When he got home, he asked the nanny, “Did he eat anything?”
The nanny knew exactly who he meant and immediately answered, “Half a bowl of porridge.”
“Only half a bowl?”
“Yes. He didn’t touch any of the other food.”
He must be extremely wary, so he doesn’t dare eat too much.
With that thought, Fu Hui went to the bedroom and opened the door, only to find no sign of a living creature inside.
Fu Hui stood there blankly for a moment.
Then he turned around, called the bodyguards in, and had them search everywhere. In the end, they found the tiny figure curled beneath the bed.
His long hair had been rubbed into a mess, several strands clinging tightly to his cheeks and making him look even more pitiful.
He still watched everyone around him with wary eyes.
Fu Hui did not find it strange. It was a creature’s instinct.
He simply pulled the tiny thing out, then had someone thoroughly clean beneath the bed and make a little nest there.
This speechless little thing of unknown origin… Fu Hui still had no idea exactly what he was.
After thinking for a moment, Fu Hui had a bodyguard buy a small bottle of pheromone spray.
He had once heard a classmate who owned cats say that it helped ease their anxiety.
Fu Hui sprayed a circle around the bedside.
Little Lan Xi sneezed inside his nest.
“…” Fu Hui frowned at the bottle and decided it did not seem very useful.
He was just about to throw it away when a bodyguard knocked on the door. “Young Master, it’s time for your lesson.”
Fu Hui put the bottle down and turned to leave.
Halfway there, however, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten to do. He abruptly turned back, took out a silk handkerchief, and returned to the bedside.
At that exact moment, a little head happened to peek out beside the bed.
Lan Xi had grabbed the bottle of pheromone spray. He pressed his face against it, the tip of his nose twitching lightly.
Sniff, sniff.
He could not smell anything meaningful.
He threw the bottle away and crawled out from under the bed, only to bang straight into Fu Hui’s leg.
Both of them froze.
Lan Xi lifted his face. His gaze was wary, now with an added touch of bristling ferocity.
Fu Hui lightly dropped the silk handkerchief over his face.
With his vision blocked, Lan Xi nervously shrank backward.
But Fu Hui immediately crouched and did not let him retreat beneath the bed. Fu Hui pressed his fingers against Lan Xi’s face, tilted his head, then spread his hand completely open over the thin cloth as though measuring the size of that little face.
Only then did he slowly wipe the tiny thing’s face clean with the handkerchief.
After wiping him, Fu Hui left.
Lan Xi blinked in confusion. He waited for quite a while and confirmed that the person would not suddenly return again. Only then did he climb safely out from beneath the bed and start poking and touching everything around the room.
What’s this?
Never seen it before. Bite it.
What’s this one?
Never seen it before. Bite it.
Lan Xi dropped his butt onto the enormous soft sofa and crawled from one end to the other.
So soft. So soft.
His eyelashes fluttered. He wanted to sleep, but did not dare sleep. But I’m really sleepy…
When Fu Hui returned after his lesson, he found Lan Xi curled back inside his nest, fast asleep.
……
The first three days after Fu Hui picked up this “person” passed like that.
The two of them barely interacted at all.
One slept on the bed, while the other hid beneath it.
Every day, Fu Hui asked the nanny what Lan Xi had eaten and how much.
From half a bowl of porridge, he gradually progressed to a full bowl. From porridge alone, he gradually began eating other foods as well.
Lan Xi ate cautiously, carefully testing the boundaries of what was safe.
On the fourth day.
Strong winds rose in the mountains.
The bodyguards hurried around closing the windows.
Fu Hui stood by one of them and noticed that the crystal curtain tieback was missing.
Before he could say anything, the nanny noticed too and immediately fetched a replacement.
The bodyguard said from beside him, “Young Master, there may be thunder tonight.”
As he spoke, he glanced toward the space beneath the bed. It was perfectly quiet there, but everyone knew a tiny little thing was hiding underneath.
Fu Hui said, “I know.”
Is it really all right to keep him like this?
The bodyguard sighed but did not know how to persuade him.
Their young master might be little, but he already had very firm ideas of his own. Forget them. Even if his biological father were here, he would not be able to persuade him at all. He might even end up being persuaded by Fu Hui instead.
At around eight that evening, thunder really did begin.
When the first explosive clap sounded, Fu Hui put down the book in his hands.
Good thing I had them clean thoroughly beneath the bed.
Fu Hui crawled underneath.
Lan Xi trembled.
He had been startled by Fu Hui suddenly crawling in.
But Fu Hui did not know that.
Fu Hui did not really know how to “comfort” someone.
But he had once heard a classmate say that kittens could become so frightened and stressed that they might die. He simply applied the same characteristics of cats and dogs to this strange little thing.
So he imitated his parents, stretched out his arms, drew little Lan Xi loosely into his embrace, and patted his back. Pat. Pat again.
At first, Lan Xi trembled with every pat.
But he soon realized that the gesture carried no malice, and only then did he relax.
Curiously, he nudged himself closer.
Fu Hui heard a clink.
Something fell out of the nest, rolled across the floor, then came to a stop, glittering brightly.
It was the missing crystal curtain tieback.
Lan Xi had hidden it inside his nest.
So whenever Fu Hui was not in the bedroom, the tiny thing would crawl out and wander around.
And steal curtain tiebacks.
Fu Hui lowered his head and once again met Lan Xi’s wary, bristling gaze.
Round eyes.
Sharp little teeth.
Fu Hui’s hand also touched something soft… Wings.
His wings had appeared again.
Fu Hui happily tilted his head.
He had known it. It had not been an illusion. He truly had seen wings.
Fu Hui stretched out his arm, picked up the crystal tieback, and placed it in Lan Xi’s palm.
“For you.”
Lan Xi could not understand him. He only happily clenched it inside his hand, then tentatively tucked it back beneath his pillow.
Fu Hui did not stop him.
Lan Xi became even happier and finally tried leaning his full weight against Fu Hui’s arm.
Fu Hui supported his head and flipped him over.
Lan Xi: ?
He struggled and kicked his little legs, then felt someone grab his wings.
Trembling all over, Lan Xi bared his fangs and bit Fu Hui’s arm.
Fu Hui frowned. “…I’m only checking your wings.”
But Lan Xi could not understand him. He kept biting and did not dare let go, using it to show just how vicious he was and that he absolutely could not be bullied.
It hurt Fu Hui badly.
But at his age, he was precisely at the stage where he was determined never to cry out in pain or shed tears.
Fu Hui clenched his teeth, swallowed the pain, and said, “Your wings were hidden the last two days, so the doctor couldn’t put medicine on them. The wounds are still there…”
Lan Xi did not understand him and only continued biting.
Fu Hui said, “I need to put medicine on them.”
Lan Xi kept biting.
Fu Hui started getting angry.
He forcibly half dragged, half carried Lan Xi out from beneath the bed.
The light illuminated Lan Xi’s face.
A pretty little face, watery eyes, and a blank expression.
Lan Xi’s jaw was actually tired too. His mouth ached from biting. But he stubbornly forced himself to keep looking fierce.
Mm… very fierce.
The corners of his mouth are already trembling.
His teeth could no longer maintain enough strength. The painful gnawing gradually became nothing more than a ticklish rubbing.
Fine. He can’t talk.
And he doesn’t understand a single thing I’m saying.
Don’t get angry with an idiot.
Fu Hui pried Lan Xi’s teeth apart, pulled his arm back, then silently went to fetch the medicine in secret. Yes, in secret. If the bodyguards or nanny saw his arm, it would turn into a huge family uproar.
Lan Xi lay blankly on the floor.
He did not understand why Fu Hui had suddenly left.
After a while, the door opened again. Fu Hui came back and crouched in front of Lan Xi. “There’s something I forgot to give you.”
He opened his palm and showed Lan Xi the pearl hair tie.
Lan Xi’s gaze was instantly captured by the pearls’ luster.
After using it to demonstrate that he meant no harm, Fu Hui curled his fingers and rather clumsily combed Lan Xi’s hair a few times, then tied it up with the pearl hair tie.
With that groundwork laid,
Fu Hui saw that Lan Xi was no longer struggling and was not biting anyone anymore.
Only then did he imitate the doctor again, catch the tip of Lan Xi’s wing, and begin applying medicine.
Partway through, Lan Xi’s wings fluttered several times, and Fu Hui caught them again each time.
By the time the medicine was finally applied,
both of them were covered in sweat.
Fu Hui said, “This is more exhausting than studying.”
It was not a complaint. Just a very objective assessment.
By then, nobody was paying attention to the rumbling thunder outside anymore.
Lan Xi had finally confirmed that this person was safe.
So he shuffled over in a few little steps, voluntarily hugged Fu Hui’s arm, lowered his head, and licked Fu Hui’s wound.
This was an extremely common behavior in Hell.
The licking tickled Fu Hui. He wanted to laugh, but forcibly held it back.
With a stern expression, he pressed down on Lan Xi’s head. “Saliva has bacteria.”
Lan Xi still could not understand him and stubbornly tried to keep licking.
Fu Hui immediately retreated several steps, sat on the sofa, and applied medicine to his own arm instead.
Once Fu Hui finished, Lan Xi came over again.
Fu Hui tilted his head and looked at him. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. This time, he did not stop him.
Lan Xi licked the wound.
“Ptooey, ptooey.” Bitter.
Lan Xi spat it out.
Fu Hui could not hold it back anymore and secretly smiled. “So you’re not mute.”
He decided he would teach this strange little thing how to speak.
“Sleep.” Fu Hui picked him up and crawled back beneath the bed.
Lan Xi struggled once, tugged at the injury on his wing, and had no choice but to stop.
Fu Hui had an excellent routine and went to bed early and woke early.
He fell asleep very quickly.
Lan Xi stared at his face for a long while and repeatedly confirmed that he was safe… Then I don’t need to hide under the bed anymore.
I want the bed!
He struggled twice more. Fu Hui’s arm loosened a little. Lan Xi kept his eyes wide open and stayed awake until Fu Hui was deeply asleep and finally released him completely. Lan Xi crawled out from beneath the bed.
Young Master Fu, who had voluntarily slept under the bed to keep someone company, woke at his usual time the next morning only to discover his arms were completely empty.
He immediately rolled out from beneath the bed with practiced efficiency, stood up, and was just about to have the bodyguards search for someone.
Then he saw the tiny figure lying on his bed, sunk deep into the soft blankets, his little belly gently rising and falling.
Sleeping wonderfully.
Fu Hui: “…”
Then what exactly did I sleep under the bed for?