Minutes after they ate, Fei Zhuo, seated on the grass, let out a small burp as he patted his stomach; with the amount of what he had eaten earlier, you could see his bright eyes and a huge smile that showed he was satisfied.
"That was the best food I've eaten my entire life!" Fei Wanrou, who was seated behind her little brother, let out a chuckle and said,
"Don't worry, in the future, you'll have tons of those, and not only that, you will have to taste different cuisines!" hearing that, Fei Zhuo who still can't get over of what he ate was awakened when he heard "you will have to taste different cuisines," and with that, he looks at his elder sister excitedly.
"Really? I couldn't wait! " Fei Zhuo's eyes shined brightly as he gazed through his sister's eyes.
"Zhou'er, come here!" a tall man stood before them as he softly waved his hands, gesturing for Fei Zuo to come.
"Father!" he quickly ran and then tightly hugged his father's thigh, who was like a giant in his eyes.
"Father, why are you here?" he asked confusedly. "Well, don't you think you have forgotten something?" looking like a doting father, Fei Zhen lightly pats his son's head, making Fei Zhuo's cheeks flush red.
"Well.." feeling flustered, Fei Zuo asked himself if he had forgotten something, which unconsciously made him more adorable.
"Look at you, you're all now dirty. Let's go home now so that you can freshen up and sleep. A growing child needs more sleep," his father reminded him as he picked him up in his embrace and then looked at his eldest daughter. Understanding her father's look, Fei Wanrou nodded in response as she stared at her father's fleeting back.
When her father and brother's figures have gone far, she turns around to be greeted by someone.
"What a lovely family you have," the coachman praised as he looked in the direction where her father and brother had left. Fei Wanrou didn't talk but stared directly at the man. Sensing her look, the man swept his gaze to the petite young girl and smiled.
"You should protect this precious family of yours. " Fei Wanrou stood as her heart started to beat quicker, confused. Why is he telling her about that?
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing..It's just that this kind of family most likely ends up being destroyed," The coachman sighed as he eyed the young girl one last time and then left. Feeling weird, she shrugged in response but kept his words in her mind.
The day ended quickly as the surroundings slowly darkened. One by one, the villagers let out some lanterns that lit the village.
Fei Wanrou decided to hurry and left before it became completely dark.
The villagers also started wrapping their things up while others returned home.
Fei Wanrou walked seemingly preoccupied as the cold breeze engulfed her rather white skin and slim body, with her hair swaying gently, and her malnourished face illuminated by the moon. The feeling of getting shivers down her spine somehow made her relax. The area was awfully quiet, making even the slightest sounds stand out.
Hearing the leaves crisp as her feet stepped on them made her close her eyes for a little while and let the darkness take over her when suddenly—
*crisp* *crisp* *crisp*
She opened her eyes as soon as she heard dried leaves being stepped on in the woods; the fact that she couldn't see who was out there put her on edge.
She immediately ran behind a tree to take cover, but because of that, the person around the area also heard the sound she made.
Fei Wanrou couldn't help but curse. The unknown man shouted, "Who's there?!" the man directed the lantern in her direction.
Fei Wanrou didn't move as she tried to hold her breath, but the unknown person walked closer and closer. Fei Wanrou felt her heart beat faster, cold sweat trickling down her temples; she could barely breathe. She was anxious, afraid, and confused.
"I know you're there," the man said. His hoarse voice destroyed the stillness of the night. The hairs on the back of her head started to stand. She felt like the man was staring at her, directly at her, even though the large tree was between them. She felt him smile coyly as if teasing her, even though such a perception would be ridiculous.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." she heard his lips smack together as if he was wetting his dry lips with his tongue. His voice was low, husky, cold... Again, Fei Wanrou heard the dry leaves cracking, and as the sound got nearer, everything around her seemed to stand still.
The tension that was wrecking her made her forget how to breathe. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and her heart was beating as if it was going to go out of her chest.
She was afraid. Dread filled her when the sound stopped; her world stopped.
Suddenly, a loud noise was heard.
The sound was similar to that of the wood being struck down by an axe. The cold metal swing was heavy as some dried leaves were winded up from the ground. Before the man could see behind the tree, a soft purr could be heard as the startled cat quickly ran toward the forest.
The man was angered and directly went after it, fleeing the area that was a few meters away from the tree where Fei Wanrou was hiding.
She suddenly felt drained; the tears attempting to flow earlier continued. Her hands were still shaking, and her legs felt strained as if she ran kilometers, thus making her unable to walk properly. With small sanity left, she remained in her place and stood quietly.
"F*ck this, I will hunt you, and it's good timing that I didn't have my dinner yet," she heard the man curse as he went deeper into the forest.
When the man finally left, Fei Wanrou felt as if her lungs had been taken away from her while her whole body was shaking in fear. There were so many questions running through her mind. What if she didn't hold her breath? What if she couldn't hold herself up a little longer? What if the man didn't pick the wrong tree and so many more?
She took a long breath when she finally ran toward the small courtyard to be greeted by her younger brother, who was waiting for her at the door.
"Sister! you're finally here!" her brother smiled sweetly as he held his sister's trembling hands; Fei Zhuo frowned at her sister's pale-looking face. He was about to ask her when a loud sound was heard in the sky.
Fei Wanrou and her little brother look up to see a bright light flashing through the darkness. Fei Zhuo, who was still a child, couldn't help but admire the flashing light through the sky.
"Wow, sister, did you see that?" Fei Zhuo swept his gaze to her sister, who turned even more pale as if she realized something.
Fei Wanrou stood for a few minutes, taking deep breaths, then finally spoke. Looking at her young brother, she slowly kneeled on the floor as they stood at the same height and whispered, "No matter what happens, sister will save you."