A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

The sound of a little mouse echoed in Nuannuan's mind.

Want some warm food?

Nuannuan stopped eating her meat bun, tilting her head in confusion.

The warm food wasn't tasty; the meat was sour.

She remembered a story her mother told her: when a bad guy kidnapped a child, the flesh would turn sour.

"He was behind the woodpile outside, it was scary, his green eyes were fierce."

The little mouse was still squeaking, and its voice sounded frightened.

Nuannuan held the meat bun in her hand, saving it for when she got hungry later that night.

She licked the oil from the corner of her mouth, thought for a moment, and then ran out of the house.

Mom and her brother told her to be a brave baby. Nuannuan hugged the meat bun, her little legs carrying her, her tiny figure looking even smaller in the snow.

It was quiet outside; it was already dark, and only the cold wind was howling.

A sliver of light shone from the house into the courtyard, but it was still difficult to see clearly.

Nuannuan walked to the woodpile the little mouse had mentioned, stood on tiptoe, stuck out her little bottom, and tried hard to look inside.

A pair of green eyes appeared to glow in the pitch-black night.

Those eyes were so fierce that Nuannuan was startled and quickly shrank back, but she didn't run back.

He saw clearly in that one glance that it was a young man, not a wild beast.

Moreover, he was a very handsome young man, huddled in a woodpile, wearing few clothes, with a pale face, bloodless lips, and several cuts.

Nuan Nuan also smelled a bloody odor.

The young man noticed someone and gave a low warning sound, still holding a sharp stone in his hand, waving it as if he was about to hit someone.

He was driven to the brink, and his whole being exuded a fierce aura.

"Get out of here!"

His voice was hoarse and weak, but he looked fierce.

If it were any other child, they would have been terrified and cried, but Nuannuan wasn't afraid. She felt sorry for the little boy.

She leaned forward, held up the meat bun in her hand, and spoke.

"Hey bro, don't be so fierce."

"Brother, you're not fierce."

"Warm and cozy won't steal your nest, Warm and cozy will give you a bun to eat."

She passed the steamed bun forward, and the aroma of meat wafted through the cold air, making it especially tempting.

"It's plump and smells delicious!"

The boy's green eyes were fixed on her, and he gripped the stone in his hand even tighter.

He fled all the way from Beijing to here, and witnessed too much of the ugliness of human nature; he trusts no one.

This little girl, I wonder whose bait she is.

But then my stomach started growling.

The sound was especially loud in the quiet night.

A blush of embarrassment rose on the boy's pale face.

Nuan Nuan heard this, and her big eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Brother's hungry! Eat some buns, then you won't be hungry anymore!"

She took two more steps forward and stuffed the meat bun, still warm from her palm, into the boy's cold hand.

The boy's hands were cold, like ice cubes.

His hand trembled slightly; the warmth and aroma of the steamed bun made him freeze.

Nuan Nuan took the opportunity to reach out her little hand and touch his forehead.

"oops!"

She gasped and quickly withdrew her hand.

"It's so hot! Hotter than the embers in the stove!"

This older brother has a fever!

"you……"

Just as the boy was about to push her away, he felt dizzy and his vision went black.

He hadn't eaten for several days, was injured, and had a high fever; he was holding on by sheer willpower.

Now, if I relax my mind, my body can't hold up.

Nuan Nuan panicked when she saw him swaying unsteadily.

She turned and ran into the house, shouting as she ran.

"Mom, Dad, come quick! There's a boy in the woodpile about to fall over!"

Su Xiulan and Gu Jianguo, who were talking inside, were startled when they heard the shout.

"What's that child shouting outside so late at night!"

Su Xiulan complained, but she had already rushed out quickly.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Nuannuan tugging at her clothes, pointing incessantly toward the woodpile.

"Mom, look! My brother's sick, he's burning up!"

Su Xiulan looked in the direction she pointed and, with the light from inside the room, saw the figure huddled in the corner.

She was startled.

"Whose child is this?"

She took a few steps closer and saw the boy's pale face and bloodstains on his body. Her heart skipped a beat.

This child's origins are unknown, and he's injured. If we get involved with him, it could be a huge problem.

Their family has only just started to settle down a little, and they can't afford any more trouble.

"Nuan Nuan, we...we can't interfere."

Su Xiulan pulled Nuannuan back into the house, her voice filled with difficulty and fear.

But Nuannuan wouldn't leave. She hugged Su Xiulan's leg, tilted her little face up, and looked up with watery eyes.

"Mom, my brother is so pitiful, he's going to die."

"A good child doesn't stand by and watch someone die."

"Mom is a good child, and Nuannuan is a good child too."

The little girl's words struck Su Xiulan's heart like a hammer blow.

She looked at her daughter with clear eyes in her arms, then at the boy who was about to faint, and her defenses crumbled little by little.

Yes, she couldn't bear to stand by and watch someone die.

At this moment, Gu Jianguo also came out leaning on his cane, with Da'an and Xiao'an following behind.

"What happened?"

Su Xiulan pointed to the woodpile, "Jianguo, this..."

When Gu Jianguo saw the child, his brows furrowed.

The boy dropped the steamed bun in his hand to the ground, his body went limp, and he completely lost consciousness.

"No! We need to be saved!"

Upon seeing this scene, Su Xiulan no longer cared about whether it was troublesome or not; this was a human life at stake.

She immediately turned to Da'an and said, "Da'an, quick, carry this child inside!"

Da'an nodded without saying a word, walked over, and easily carried the boy, who was not much younger than him, on his back.

The boy was carried into the warm house and placed on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Su Xiulan quickly went to fetch hot water, while Gu Jianguo checked his wound.

The wound is on my arm, and it looks like I was cut by some sharp object. Although it has stopped bleeding, the surrounding skin and flesh are inflamed.

Nuannuan nestled beside the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the unconscious young man.

His eyelashes are so long, even with his eyes closed, he still looks so handsome.

His face was too pale, and his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were having a nightmare.

Su Xiulan wrung out a hot towel and carefully wiped his face and hands.

The boy's body was burning hot, and he began to mumble incoherently.

"...Don't kill me..."

"...Food..."

The whole family was heartbroken. What had this child gone through?

Su Xiulan fed him some warm water, and his brows relaxed slightly.

In his coma, he seemed to have returned to that escape route, where there was no light, only darkness and cold.

But this time, there was a pair of bright, sparkling eyes and a meat bun with a milky aroma; that was the only warmth he found along the way.

He unconsciously smacked his lips twice, as if savoring the taste of the steamed bun.

Seeing him like this, Nuannuan ran to the kitchen again, picked up the bun that had fallen in the snow, brushed off the snow, and carefully placed it next to the boy's pillow.

"Brother, here's a steamed bun for you."

The whole family felt terrible looking at the child.

Gu Jianguo sighed and covered the boy with the blanket.

Just then, the unconscious boy uttered another incoherent phrase. His voice was very soft, but the room was quiet, and everyone heard it.

"...Mom...I must go back..."