TIAN GUAN CI FU Fan fic stories

LITTLE TREASURES

- CHAPTER 1 -

How did it get this late again? Xie Lian thought, giving a deep sigh as he hurried along the dark street bathed in the pale glow of streetlights. I didn't mean to work such a long day today... ah well, I guess it doesn't matter. It's not like I have anything more important to do at home, anyway.

The chilly evening of early autumn made him shiver, and he hastened his steps to get back to his apartment as quickly as possible. He was already looking forward to an evening of rest and peace — maybe he could finally finish that book he had been reading for a while, and enjoy a cup of his favourite tea...

Xie Lian was almost back home, relieved at the thought of getting back to the warmth and comfort of his apartment very soon, when something caught his attention.

He stopped right in his tracks, turning to look at the narrow alleyway he was passing by. A small figure was huddled there, having pressed itself against a wall and sitting so still it was a wonder Xie Lian had even noticed it. At first glance he had thought the small shape hiding in the shadows was a stray animal, but when he stepped closer and had a better look, he realised it was a young child.

Surprised — and rather upset to see such a small child all alone at this hour — Xie Lian approached carefully. "Hi there", he called softly. "Are you okay?"

The child raised his face, his big eyes giving Xie Lian a dazed stare. He didn't respond, and Xie Lian knelt in front of him. "Where is your family?" Xie Lian was shocked to see how dirty his worn-out clothes were, stained all over with mud and dust as if he had been wandering through the town and walked across every puddle of muddy water that the heavy rain earlier had left behind.

"I don't know", the boy whispered. "I don't have a family... Only Dad, and he's not here..." His lip trembled.

Xie Lian was at a loss. The boy couldn't have been older than four or five years old; wherever his parents — or father, it sounded like — had gone, it had been extremely irresponsible to leave him all alone, even if it hadn't been late at night. Maybe he got separated from his family somehow and wandered away on his own, Xie Lian thought, although the fact that the boy's clothes were so worn out seemed to suggest he wasn't taken very good care of overall.

As Xie Lian realised what he was thinking, he quickly admonished himself for making assumptions without knowing anything about the child or his caretaker; maybe they were just poor. And gods knew Xie Lian wasn't one to judge people for not being able to afford luxuries.

Xie Lian turned his attention back to the child, giving him a small smile. "What's your name?" he asked, realising the top priority right now was to reunite the child safely with his family.

"I'm Guzi..."

"It's nice to meet you, Guzi. I'm Xie Lian. Listen, it isn't good for children to be out this late at night. Are you sure your dad isn't here somewhere? Did he tell you to wait here?"

Guzi shook his head. "He's not here..."

Something stung at Xie Lian's heart as he heard how miserable and scared the boy sounded. What on earth could have happened? he thought. He must have gotten lost, but he's so young... you'd think a parent would keep a very close eye on such a small child. Especially this late in the evening!

Xie Lian asked Guzi to sit still while he walked around for a bit, looking for people close by who might have been trying to find their child. It was no use; the streets were completely empty. It was late, the neighbourhood where Xie Lian lived wasn't a very lively one anyway, and the night was getting darker and chillier with every passing moment.