I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"Bravo."

Is there anything you'd like to hear?

"No, either is fine..."

"Okay, then I'll choose a more soothing one."

As Xi Wang said this, she took out her violin, checked the tone briefly, and then slowly pulled the bow, letting the music flow quietly.

???~

Like a mountain stream, like the warm sun at dawn.

After the song ended, the room fell into a brief silence, followed by a burst of rapid applause, as if to make up for the silence.

"Wow, that's amazing... It sounds even better than what I usually hear."

"I'd be so glad you like it, um... but it's already late, you should get some rest. Staying up late is a girl's worst enemy."

"No...no need. Oh, speaking of which...would you like to rest with the lights on? I'd like the living room light on so Mom can see it when she comes home..."

"Is that so? I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

Xi Wang didn't suspect anything and didn't investigate further... It's not good to pry into other people's situations without permission.

And... Mom... won't it be awkward if they come back and find someone left at home? It would be funny if they couldn't explain themselves.

But if I explain it properly, it should be fine, right? Hmm... Ugh... I feel like a lot of new questions will pop up.

...Forget it, let's not think about it too much for now. This whole thing will probably become an interesting anecdote. Even if it gets misunderstood later, it might turn into a funny story.

As Xi Wang thought this, she put away her musical instruments, took out her sleeping bag, lay down, curled up in the corner, gently closed her eyes, and fell into a light sleep.

…………

………………

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Xi Wang woke up... His recent biological clock made him wake up at this time every day.

He first glanced around and found that the living room light was still on, the bedroom door did not seem to have been opened, and the surrounding objects did not seem to be missing... Obviously, the girl did not come out at night.

"That's fine," Xi Wang thought to herself. She quickly and quietly packed her things, took out some cash, put it on the living room table, and weighed it down with a decoration. This was her way of paying for the night's stay. Then she quietly left.

squeak-

However, not long after Xi Wang left, a faint sound of a door opening rang out. The girl hiding inside quietly peeked through the crack in the door into the living room. Only after confirming that Xi Wang had left did she come out with peace of mind. She first checked the items in the living room and the door, and after confirming that everything was in order, she noticed the cash left on the table. After carefully counting it, she realized that it was about the price of a standard hotel room for one night.

"He's a good person..."

The girl muttered to herself.

"And she sings so well, and she's very pretty... It's a pity I don't know her name, and I don't know if I'll ever see her again..."

Last night's gentle melody truly captivated her, but since she was a traveler, a "bard," she must have just been passing through and would probably never see him again.

This was just a minor incident...

"Ugh... No, no, don't think like that!"

The girl hurriedly shook her head, her beautiful purple hair swaying as she did so. She then raised her hand and gently patted her cheek, trying to bring her thoughts back to normal.

"But...Mom still hasn't come back..."

She looked out the window; the world outside was still covered in snow, but apart from the few traces left by Xiwang, there were no other footprints... She felt a little disappointed.

She turned off the living room lights and locked the bedroom door. With a heavy heart, she went back into the room, curled up on the bed, wrapped herself in the blankets her mother had left behind, and huddled there, as if she could feel the faint traces of her mother's presence.

She glanced again at the photo frame on the bedside table, the only photo she had with her mother, and then... she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep—she hadn't slept all night, waiting for her mother, but as always, her mother hadn't returned.

"Mother……"

In her sleep, a single, crystal-clear tear quietly slid down her cheek.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Story of Sirin and the Stars (5142)

Your encounter with that girl was merely a brief interlude; after receiving her help for one night, you should leave.

The snow scene in the small town in the early morning was unexpectedly beautiful. Before everyone else got up, you quietly strolled around the town, taking out your camera to capture the magnificent and tranquil scenery from time to time.

But gradually, you realize that someone is following you... a disheveled person, dressed in tattered clothes, who looks like a homeless person.

[You seem lost in thought, then quickly walk through the street, and the person behind you follows closely... then he bumps straight into you after turning a corner.]

You politely inquired why he was following you, but he didn't answer. Instead, he looked at your delicate face with a hint of wariness and hostility... Then, he turned around and asked about your identity, and what you were doing here, especially last night.

You vaguely guessed what was going on, so you explained your identity in slow and clear words, saying that you were just a traveler passing through this place, arriving late last night, but unfortunately you couldn't find a place to rest... Fortunately, you finally received help from others and didn't have to spend the snowy night there.

At the same time, you asked him if there were any places similar to hotels in town. After giving you a wary look, he still pointed out the location of a restaurant... You could get a room there, which would serve as a substitute for a hotel, except that the restaurant wouldn't be open late at night.

You thanked him and asked if he wanted to come along, so you could reciprocate with a hot drink. However, he refused outright and left, his steps hurried, as if he were running away.

Following the directions, you arrived at the restaurant. After confirming that there were people inside, you gently knocked on the door and inquired whether they offered accommodation.

The restaurant owner seemed a little surprised, after all, this town was really remote and it was rare to see a traveler like you, but he quickly and warmly invited you in and arranged a room for you.

The owner is a very warm and honest middle-aged man with a good temper. He will occasionally tell you interesting stories about the town and describe where there are beautiful snow scenes.

[However, his wife was rather noisy, with a loud voice and a strange irritability in her words... But Xiwang could hear the hidden concern in her voice. She even made your bed while complaining, and asked if you needed breakfast before leaving.]

[Thanks to meeting this somewhat peculiar but very approachable couple who own the town, you can quickly learn about things in town and hear some stories and gossip from them... You even introduce yourself to them as a "bard," someone who has come to find stories and inspiration.]

Your comment amused the two of them, but they quickly realized you must be a singer, and you nodded in agreement, even giving them a short performance on the spot.

The beautiful singing naturally won applause from the two people and even attracted the attention of many other people in the town. You introduced yourself to them briefly and, amidst the cheers of the crowd, agreed to perform for everyone at dinner... as a small token of appreciation to the boss.

However, somewhat unexpectedly... you encountered that girl again that night.

--------

"Hmm...so...that child is your niece? And you're her aunt and uncle?"

At night, Xi Wang looked at the purple-haired girl who was busy in the restaurant and asked thoughtfully.

Although the busiest dinner time has passed, many people are still staying because they wanted to hear Xi Wang play. Many have ordered drinks and snacks to wait for him… Judging from the girl's skillful handling, this restaurant must have previously functioned as a pub, given its large stock of alcoholic beverages…

"That's true, but...sigh...he was a poor child."

He didn't know if it was because the boss and Xi Wang got along very well during the day, but he unconsciously began to sigh.

"Her father ran away before she was born... He said he was going out to make money, but in the end, he never sent a single penny back, and he disappeared without a trace... Tsk, maybe he ran off with some guy."

"Then there's her mother, my wife's sister... Sigh, she was supposed to go out to look for her husband, but after going out in a heavy snow, she never came back. It's very likely..."

At this point, the boss became somewhat grief-stricken, and his voice choked with emotion. Clearly, they had a good relationship with the girl's mother and were willing to take care of the girl when she was alone.

"The child's condition has been somewhat poor since then. Although we can still take care of her daily life and her mother has given her a room, well, her mental state is not very good."

“She doesn’t sleep every night, and she leaves the lights on, saying she’s waiting for her mother to come home so her mother can see her… Speaking of guests, you mentioned you came last night, right? Then I guess…”

"Yes, I saw that the light in her house was on, so I went up and asked for a glass of water... But later, that child even let me stay overnight, so I didn't have to pitch a tent in the snow. She's a very kind-hearted child."

Xi Wang nodded and recounted her experience from the previous night.

"...To be honest, if I hadn't spent some time with you as a customer and realized you were a good person, I would have definitely given you a hard time over this matter."

"Haha, that's only right. In fact, I was quite rude at the time... If she hadn't taken the initiative to care about me and invited me, I wouldn't have agreed... But please rest assured, she went into her room before I entered the house, and I only stayed in the living room to rest for one night. Besides... that child is very lucky to have relatives like you."

Xi Wang wasn't annoyed. After all, no matter how you look at it, he would have some issues. And since the boss was willing to bring it up, it meant that the matter could be easily resolved and wouldn't become a grudge between them.

"They're relatives... but what good is being close to them? We can't take care of her forever... and she doesn't want to be taken care of by us forever."

However, the boss sighed again when he mentioned this.

“We’re moving soon… Our son got married in the city and prepared a house for us, so we’ll have to move there… This child doesn’t want to come with us; she always says she wants to wait for her mother at home, and she won’t listen to anything we say. We don’t know what to do. After we leave, there’s no one here to take care of her. Sigh…”

"Didn't you ever think about bringing her father back?"

"Huh? Why would you look for a bastard who wasn't even there when his wife gave birth, and who didn't even come back to see his daughter after she was born?"

The boss was quite angry when the topic came up.

"He said he was going out to make money, but I think he just went out to fool around. Who knows where he's died... He didn't even leave a photo or send a message, so the child never even knew what her father looked like. She only knew she had a father from her mother... Ugh, never mind, let's not talk about this anymore, it's infuriating."

"Really? Hmm... not necessarily..."

Xi Wang thought of the homeless man who had stopped her, recalling his physique and expression, and remained noncommittal about the boss's statement... However, the boss was not wrong. In any case, abandoning his wife and daughter was ultimately a dereliction of duty as a husband and father.

"Well... but you're right, there's no need to discuss these unpleasant things now."

As he spoke, Xi Wang glanced at the purple-haired girl who was gradually easing up. Seeing that she was also looking at him, he smiled and waved to her, which made her blush and hurriedly run back to the proprietress's side.

"Now, as a reward for having earned a story, it's time for me to take my turn~"

As Xi Wang spoke, he picked up his violin and, amidst cheers and applause, slowly walked to the space reserved for his performance. He stood still, gracefully bowed to the crowd, then lowered his eyelids and slowly drew the bow, letting the music flow.

…………

………………

When Xi Wang's performance ended, everyone left in a hazy, drunken state. After the restaurant prepared to close for the day, Xi Wang went to the restaurant's backyard, where he set up his equipment, adjusting the camera while occasionally looking up at the clear night sky, as if waiting for something.

"Um... hello..."

A familiar, timid voice sounded from behind.

"Ah, hello, child."

Xi Wang could tell who it was just by the voice, so she smiled and turned around to look at the purple-haired girl who seemed a little timid.

"Um...I'm not a child anymore...and you're not that much older than me..."

She puffed out her cheeks, muttering somewhat unhappily, then curiously leaned forward, looking at the equipment Xi Wang had set up, and asked.

"Um... what are you doing here? Brother... oh, excuse me, may I call you that? I just think it suits you better..."

"Of course you can. It's just a form of address. There's no need to take it so seriously. In fact, I'm quite honored to be addressed like that by such a lovely child as you."

"Cute...cute...no, I'm not a child anymore!"

"Yes, yes~ You're a big girl now~"

Xi Wang smiled, then adjusted the camera again to ensure that her recording would be clear.

"As for this, I use it to photograph the starry sky, um... something like time-lapse photography. The one next to it is for recording video. I heard there will be shooting stars tonight, and I want to try to see if I can capture them here."

"A shooting star? Is it the kind that leaves a trail in the sky?"