The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Niu Niu hid behind the proprietress, clutching her apron with her little hands. She curled up into a tiny ball, her little shoulders shaking as she cried. Tears streamed down her face, and her lips were tightly pressed together. At first, she sobbed softly and intermittently, but then the sobs grew louder and louder until they turned into real crying.

"Waaah... Mommy... I want my mommy..."

The proprietress quickly squatted down, hugged her, and patted her back: "It's alright, it's alright, the bad guy has been caught, Niu Niu, don't be afraid, Aunt Li is here."

Niu Niu buried her face in the landlady's shoulder, her sobs muffled, her little shoulders twitching.

Niu Niu stole a glance at Bai Ci, and her tears fell even harder. Bai Ci stood to the side, at a loss. What to do when a human child cries? He had never comforted her before.

"Xiao Qi," he cried in his heart, "what should I do if the child cries?"

Xiao Qi fell silent: "Bai Bai, are you asking me?"

"Otherwise what?"

"I've never coaxed a child before! I'm part of a system!"

"..."

Xiaoqi hesitated and said, "Why don't you teach her to meow like a cat? Or a rabbit? You used to be able to squeak."

"I won't call it."

"Then why don't you pat her head?"

Bai Ci glanced at Niu Niu, who was secretly lifting half her face from the landlady's shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes.

Bai Ci hesitated for a moment, then squatted down, slowly reached out, and gently patted Niu Niu's head.

"It's alright now. The bad guys are gone, don't be afraid." His voice was soft, with a hint of awkwardness.

Niu Niu sobbed for a moment, then finally managed to utter a sentence in her childish voice:

"Brother...you were so fierce just now..."

Bai Ci's hand paused.

"I wasn't being mean to you." He thought for a moment, then added, "I was being mean to bad people."

"You're swearing at me," Niu Niu sobbed, wiping away her tears with her fingers, her little face a mess of tears. "You said that bad person is ugly... so fierce..."

Bai Ci opened her mouth, wanting to explain that "that person is really ugly," but then felt that it wasn't appropriate to discuss this with a four or five-year-old child.

Bai Ci said softly, "I'm sorry."

Niu Niu sniffed, her eyes red as she looked at him: "But...you're so handsome..."

Bai Ci was stunned for a moment.

"It looks even better than before," Niu Niu said earnestly, tears still on her face, her tone resolute.

"Pfft!" The proprietress couldn't help but laugh.

Bai Ci's ears started to turn red again.

The proprietress shook her head with a smile: "This child is both crying and laughing."

Bai Ci stood there, his ears as red as if they were about to bleed. He frantically pokes at Xiao Qi in his mind: "When Huang Mao barged in just now, did you get another one of those candies to give me courage? I'd like to get another one."

"Ding, redemption successful! Strawberry-flavored fruit candy has been placed in your pocket."

Bai Ci reached into his pocket, handed the candy to Niu Niu, and said, "I was fierce just now because bad people were bullying me. I was a little scared."

Niu Niu blinked, seemingly not quite understanding that "even fierce people can be afraid."

"If you're scared, do you eat candy?" she asked.

Bai Ci thought for a moment and nodded: "Mm."

He handed him the candy: "Here, take this. You won't be afraid after eating it."

Niu Niu looked at the candy but didn't take it: "What's your brother like when he's not being mean?"

Bai Ci thought for a moment and said, "I like to curl up in a ball to sleep."

Niu Niu blinked her eyes, seemingly trying to imagine a big brother curled up in a ball sleeping.

"Like that chubby orange tabby cat from before?"

"Like a rabbit," Bai Ci said.

Niu Niu reached out, took the candy, and clutched it in her hand, saying, "Thank you, brother!"

Niu Niu's little brows suddenly furrowed, and she looked down at Bai Ci's neck: "Prince Brother, you're bleeding."

Bai Ci glanced down and saw that the collar of her school uniform had been torn by Huang Mao, and there was a faint red mark next to her collarbone, caused by the collar. It wasn't broken, but it was quite noticeable on her pale skin.

"It doesn't hurt," Bai Ci said.

Niu Niu didn't believe it. She stretched out a finger and touched the edge of the red mark very lightly, as if to confirm something.

"You're lying," she pouted. "It's red, it must hurt."

Seeing Niu Niu's serious expression, Bai Ci honestly admitted, "A little."

Niu Niu put the candy back into Bai Ci's palm.

"You eat it," she said, her tone leaving no room for refusal. "You're in pain, you eat it."

Bai Ci looked at the strawberry candy in her hand, then at Niu Niu's tense little face. The little one was really persistent. Bai Ci looked to the shopkeeper for help.

The proprietress shrugged, giving off a "you made yourself cry, so you have to comfort yourself" look.

Bai Ci had no choice but to turn back, looking at Niu Niu's stubborn little face, and thought for a long time.

Then he unwrapped the candy, divided it in half, put one half in his own mouth, and handed the other half to Niu Niu.

"Half for each of us," he said. "Let's eat together."

Niu Niu looked at the half candy, finally smiled, took it, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Is it sweet?" Bai Ci asked.

Niu Niu nodded vigorously: "Sweet!"

Bai Ci secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The proprietress wiped away Niu Niu's tears, her voice tinged with amusement: "Alright, stop crying? Who was crying like a little kitten just now?"

Niu Niu pouted: "I didn't."

"Yes, yes, you didn't." The proprietress turned to Bai Ci, her smile fading and replaced by a more serious expression. "Thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long those people would have caused trouble."

Bai Ci shook her head: "You're welcome, boss lady."

The proprietress smiled and said, "My name is Li Xiufang, and everyone on this street calls me Sister Li. Don't call me Proprietress anymore, it sounds too formal. Just call me Sister Li."

Bai Ci paused for a moment, then softly called out, "Sister Li."

"Yes," Sister Li readily agreed, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "By the way, I haven't asked your name yet?"

"Bai Ci".

Sister Li read it aloud, then smiled and said, "Bai Ci, it sounds beautiful."

Niu Niu tugged at Bai Ci's sleeve, looked up at him, and said, "Then can I call you Brother Bai Ci from now on?"

Bai Ci looked down at her and said, "Okay."

Sister Li glanced at his torn collar: "You helped me a lot, and you even tore your clothes. How much was this school uniform? I'll pay you back."

Bai Ci paused for a moment, then shook her head: "No need."

"Why don't you use it?" Sister Li asked seriously. "Your school uniform looks expensive, and it's been torn like this; you can't wear it anymore."

"Really, it's not necessary." Bai Ci glanced down at the cut. "It can be stitched up; it won't cost much."

Sister Li opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Bai Ci changed the subject: "Sister Li, aren't you going to the enforcement bureau to give a statement?"

He distracted Sister Li, and she glanced at the clock on the wall: "Oh no, it's already this late."

She took out her phone, which had several unread messages. She scrolled through them and said, "Sister Wang said something came up and she can't come. Niu Niu's sister is at home and will come to pick her up in a bit, but I don't know when she'll arrive."

She looked around the shop again. There were still bits of hair left on the floor, the barber chair was crooked, and the broom was lying on the ground. It was all messed up when Huang Mao and his gang were causing trouble earlier.

Sister Li rubbed her forehead, looking troubled: "The shop is in such a mess that it needs to be cleaned up immediately, but after I finish cleaning, I have to rush to the enforcement bureau. Once I get busy, I really can't find the time to take the kids to school."

Bai Ci looked down at Niu Niu, who was clinging to him. The little girl was already sleepy and listless.

He had noticed the surrounding streets when he entered and knew that this area was full of old neighbors. Niu Niu's house looked to be nearby, just a few steps away and around the alley.

"Sister Li," Bai Ci said, "I'll take Niu Niu home first."

Sister Li paused subconsciously, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. After all, it was their first meeting, and she would never have felt comfortable letting a strange young man take her child home alone under normal circumstances.

But Bai Ci had stepped forward to protect them, and she had seen his character and personality. In addition, Niu Niu had clung to him the whole time and wasn't afraid of strangers at all. The two families lived in the same neighborhood and were very close to each other.

Moreover, the execution bureau has already registered Bai Ci's information, so there is an official record. After sending the person off, you also need to go to the execution bureau to make a record.

Sister Li hesitated for a moment, then her phone rang. She picked it up and glanced at it. The enforcement bureau had just sent a message saying they had arrived and urging her to hurry.

She bit her lip, glanced at Bai Ci again, and tentatively asked, "You? Wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?"

"Okay," Bai Ci said. "Anyway, I'm free now. I'll take Niu Niu home first, and then I'll go to the Enforcement Bureau to find you."

Niu Niu seemed to understand the conversation, and immediately hugged Bai Ci's arm tightly, tilting her little face up to nod repeatedly to Sister Li, her eyes full of dependence.

Seeing that the child completely trusted the other party, Sister Li was completely relieved and finally nodded: "Okay, thank you so much for your help."

She squatted down, zipped Niu Niu's coat all the way up, and wrapped the scarf around her tightly.

"Niu Niu, you go home with Brother Bai Ci. Your sister is home, okay?"

Niu Niu nodded obediently: "Okay."

Sister Li stood up and turned to Bai Ci: "Niu Niu's older sister is named Song Shiyu. She goes to the same school as you, St. Andrew's. She has excellent grades and the school provides her with full financial aid. You might even know her."

Bai Ci didn't reply, but simply nodded.

He didn't say he had "heard of" it. In fact, he knew nothing about it. The original owner of this body was like a transparent person in the academy, and he didn't even recognize all his classmates.

"Niu Niu's home is in the old residential building behind Liutiao Lane, on the third floor, room 302." Sister Li carefully explained the address, then picked up her phone, "I'll call Shi Yu now to explain the situation and ask her to come downstairs and wait."

The call connected quickly. After saying a few words to the other end, she hung up and thought for a moment before taking out her spare phone from the cashier's drawer, opening a video call, and handing it to Bai Ci.

"Here, take this. Don't hang up the video. I'll watch you walk downstairs from here." Sister Li's tone was serious. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that if there's a step or a car on the way, I can call out."

Bai Ci paused for a moment, then took the phone. Li Jie's face was clearly visible on the screen, with a mirror from a hair salon in the background.

"Okay." He held the phone steady, with the screen facing outwards.

Niu Niu curiously leaned over for a look and shouted at the screen, "Aunt Li!"

"Hey, Niu Niu, come with Brother Bai Ci, Auntie is watching you," Sister Li replied with a smile on the other end of the line.

Bai Ci looked down at Niu Niu, who was yawning and seemed a little sleepy. He bent down, scooped her up, and held her in his arms.

The little guy wasn't heavy, but Bai Ci's frail body struggled to hold him, and her arms trembled slightly.

"Brother Bai Ci, your hands are shaking," Niu Niu whispered, leaning on his shoulder.

"...No," Bai Ci said.

"have."

"no."

Sister Li, watching from the other end of the video call, was both amused and exasperated: "Alright, alright, you two should hurry up and go. If you dawdle any longer, it'll be dark soon."

She helped Bai Ci open the glass door, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making Bai Ci shiver.

Niu Niu buried her face in the crook of his neck and mumbled, "Brother Bai Ci, you feel so cold."

"Let's go." Bai Ci carried Niu Niu in one arm and held up his phone in the other, walking into the alley.

Sister Li stood at the door until the two figures, one tall and one short, turned into the alley on the right. Only then did she turn back, pick up a broom, and begin sweeping the floor.

On the phone screen, the alley was narrow, and the streetlights cast Bai Ci's long shadow...