"Tsk tsk, was little Pei Ji this soft and cute when he was young?"
He Zhi Zhou looked at the little bean sitting on the stool with interest, his lips curved up: "Come on, Pei Ji, call me brother."
Pei Ji kept his head down and did not look at him.
"Don't bully him."
Ningning protected Pei Ji in front of her: "Be careful when he regains his memory and pulls out his sword at you."
After finding out that Pei Ji had turned small, she quickly sought help from the Master. Tian Xian Zi had experienced this before and, after a thorough examination, assured her that there was no major issue; with some rest, Pei Ji would recover.
And because Pei Ji was too thin, Tian Xian Zi insisted on taking the two to the cafeteria, where they coincidentally ran into He Zhi Zhou and Zheng Wei Qi.
Pei Ji, who usually seemed like a killing god, was now obedient and shy. Zheng Wei Qi watched with overflowing maternal love, her face full of strange auntie smiles: "Little Ji Ji, don't mind that uncle, come and play with this pretty sister."
He Zhi Zhou: "Don't think I didn't notice you deliberately messing up the generational hierarchy, hey!"
"Pei Ji's sea of consciousness has not healed yet. He must have secretly practiced swordsmanship, causing spiritual chaos, meridian disturbances, his body reverting to its childhood state, and his memories also going back to that time."
Tian Xian Zi stroked his chin, assessing him: "It's not a big deal. As long as we let him recuperate properly and his spiritual power returns to normal, he will recover—come on, obedient disciple Pei Ji, call me Master!"
The more he spoke, the more he enjoyed it, crouching in front of Pei Ji making faces: "Repeat after me, the number one in the world, Mas-ter."
Standing at Pei Ji's side, Ningning didn't hear what "the number one in the world" Tian Xian Zi was teaching; instead, her sleeve seemed to be suddenly caught by someone, the force very light and almost imperceptible.
She lowered her head instinctively and met Pei Ji's dark eyes.
He was not used to this noisy environment, feeling uncomfortable being stared at by so many strangers.
The child's clear eyes lacked the dark aura, resembling unpicked black grapes coated with morning dew. He seemed a bit afraid, pinching her sleeve with his thumb and forefinger, blushing when their eyes met, hastily lowering his head.
Super cute critical hit.
Ningning's heart melted into water.
"Damn it, even as a child, this brat still sticks to Ningning."
He Zhi Zhou devoured lemons, his face contorting in sourness: "Are we, a group of aunties, uncles, and grandpas not good enough?"
Tian Xian Zi's grandfather kept hitting his head.
"It's the nestling behavior, not familiar with the surroundings, would especially rely on the first person they see."
Ningning squatted down, looking up at him: "Are you hungry? The porridge is almost ready."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Wei Qi exclaimed: "Hurry hurry, the porridge is ready!"
Pei Ji didn't like greasy food and, considering his current condition, couldn't bear overly spicy flavors. After much deliberation, they finally ordered a bowl of sweet rice porridge for him.
"Be careful, disciple, it's hot. Here, let Master blow on it for you."
Tian Xian Zi, not used to taking care of children, awkwardly fed him the porridge. When the porcelain spoon touched the boy's pale lips, Pei Ji's long eyelashes quivered, hesitatingly stiffening.
Suddenly, his right hand was gently held, in a comforting warmth, Ningning softly said to him, "It's okay, don't be afraid."
So Pei Ji opened his mouth and swallowed the spoonful of sweet rice porridge.
Tian Xian Zi was ecstatic as if he had obtained a peerless sword manual, his mouth almost reaching the sky, laughing maniacally through voice transmission: "Look, look, look, he's eating! I fed him!"
The porridge was a bit hot, but not uncomfortable, spreading warmth just right. The sweet sugary aroma filled the air, causing him to show a bewildered gaze again.
So warm.
The warm flow trickled down from his tongue, through the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, overflowing with warmth, filling every cold and dry corner of his body.
The pain, suffering, bitterness, and loneliness, all dissipated because of this warm flow.
Ningning placed his small hand in hers, asking in a gentle tone, "How does it taste? Do you like it?"
He must be dreaming.
Pei Ji nodded absentmindedly, his tongue subtly curling up, licking the residual sweetness in his mouth.
He dared not hope for such delicious and warm food; in winter, just being able to eat a steamed bun to fill his stomach was enough for Pei Ji.
Not to mention... there were several people surrounding him, all smiling and being unbelievably kind to him, which he found hard to comprehend as he was supposed to be a repulsive, inhumane creature.
Tian Xian Zi fed Pei Ji spoon by spoon, and Pei Ji ate mouthful by mouthful. Zheng Wei Qi probably knew about Pei Ji's childhood experiences and whispered, "His mother is really... Brother Pei is so thin that when I wanted to touch him earlier, he instinctively moved back to avoid it. How many times must he have been abused?"
He Zhi Zhou sighed, "After his mother passed away, Pei Ji also had a tough time."
Both of them were born into cultivation families, living a pampered life without ever experiencing hardships.
Ningning listened silently, gripping Pei Ji's hand tighter with her right hand.
All bones, covered in scars and calluses, novels and TV dramas often said that children were supposed to feel "soft and tender" to the touch, but he had none of that.
Pei Ji didn't like crowded places, feeling too restrained to speak in front of everyone. Tian Xian Zi and the others were considerate, saying goodbye to the little boy after feeding him the porridge.
Zheng Wei Qi was especially fond of children, giving countless reminders before leaving, frequently glancing at Pei Ji's pale face: "Ningning, you must take good care of him. When it gets cold, remember to give him more clothes and blankets, tell him to drink more hot water."
Ningning smiled and replied, "Okay."
