His cold tone revealed not a hint of concern.
Faced with those frigid eyes, the little girl instinctively shrank back, only to realize a moment later that her behavior might be deemed impolite towards this seemingly benevolent older brother who had saved her life.
Thus, she hurriedly nodded and replied, "Yes, I feel much better."
"That's good," he replied indifferently, nodding slightly before turning to leave the room. His icy voice echoed as he said, "You've just recovered; your body is still weak. Do not move around too much. Stay in bed while I go fetch you something to eat."
"Something to eat?" The little girl blinked in surprise, suddenly aware of the gnawing hunger in her stomach, having been unconscious for several days.
During this time, she had scarcely eaten, relying solely on the doctors in the hospital who had used healing magic to sustain her basic vitality. Now, upon his mention, she felt the sharp pangs of hunger clawing at her insides.
Lying weakly on the hospital bed, a flurry of questions filled her mind, such as how this older brother had found her and why he had chosen to save her.
What would happen after she recovered? She had no money left, not even enough to buy a ticket back to Shurima. It seemed that even affording a meal would soon become a challenge.
Could it be that she truly had to return home? But... but that felt so unfair!
She hadn't accomplished anything yet, and to return in such a defeated manner would surely invite ridicule. Oh, the frustration!
Sitting on the bed, her adorable little face furrowed in concentration as she contemplated her uncertain future, but no matter how she thought about it, it seemed that returning home was the only option.
Oh, how disheartening! How could she possibly go back like this? She had intended to earn some money by selling her stuffed toys, yet why hadn't she made even a single copper coin in the past three days? Wait... stuffed toys?
The thought of her large bag of stuffed toys sent her into a panic.
She quickly sat up, her anxious gaze scanning the room until, in a corner, she spotted the familiar large bag, and she let out a sigh of relief.
She wanted to get out of bed to check on her beloved toys, to see if they were alright or if any had been lost, but she found herself too weak, realizing that she would likely be unable to stand if she tried. Thus, she reluctantly abandoned the idea.
Leaning against the headboard of the bed, she gazed out the window at the thick blanket of snow covering the branches, her thoughts drifting...
The door to the hospital room opened gently, and it wasn't long before Xiao Mu Yu returned.
He approached the bedside, carrying a bowl of steaming meat porridge.
Annie had seen others buy this porridge on the streets; it smelled delightful and was said to be delicious, but it cost five copper coins a bowl—a price that had seemed exorbitant to her when she had been nearly penniless.
Thus, during her days of wandering, she could only catch a whiff of its aroma as she passed by, while the thought of actually purchasing a bowl to taste had remained a mere fantasy.
Silently, he pulled up a chair beside Annie, his cold voice cutting through the air, "Eat."
"Uh... thank you, big brother, but..." Watching him hold the porridge in his left hand and a spoon in his right, the little girl cautiously asked, "Are you... going to feed me?"
"..." His indifferent gaze swept over the somewhat embarrassed girl. After a moment of contemplation, he set the hot porridge on the bedside and replied coolly, "Very well, eat it yourself."
With that, he stood and moved to the side, granting her space.
Annie breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, she had felt incredibly embarrassed and troubled just a moment ago. As a distinguished seventh-tier sorceress—though currently down on her luck—she still considered herself a formidable individual.
She was no longer a child, and being fed like a toddler was an experience reserved for those who were merely two or three years old, right?
Having been self-sufficient since the age of three, little Annie held a deep disdain for her peers who still clung to their parents, seeking affection.
Moreover, in the knightly tales she had read, it was typically only the injured heroine who would coyly ask the hero to feed her.
But she was a seventh-tier sorceress; how could she possibly emulate those delicate, helpless girls? Besides, while this older brother was indeed her savior, he was not someone she had feelings for—how could she allow him to feed her?
As she pondered these thoughts, she extended her small hand toward the bowl of steaming porridge beside her. Grasping the edge of the bowl, she lifted it...
"Eh?" Annie froze, the bowl refusing to budge. Had she truly weakened to such an extent that she couldn't lift a mere bowl?
At that moment, the pervasive weakness coursing through her body brutally reminded her of the harsh reality, yet she found it hard to accept—or perhaps, she simply refused to believe it.
What a joke! She was a seventh-tier sorceress, a powerful adult—how could she possibly be unable to lift a bowl?
Ahhh! That must have been an illusion, surely a figment of her imagination borne from her prolonged hunger! She refused to believe she couldn't lift even a simple bowl.
As she reassured herself, she exerted all her strength into her hands—yet the bowl remained unmoved, steadfast in its position.
In her disheartened gaze, the wisps of steam rising from the bowl seemed to mock her silently.
Just then, the sound of cold footsteps approached, causing Annie to stiffen and quickly lower her head, too embarrassed to look at the figure returning to the bedside.
How mortifying!
The little girl's cheeks flushed a deep red, and from Xiao Mu Yu's perspective, he could even see the warmth spreading to her ears.
Sitting down indifferently, he said nothing more, simply lifting the bowl and coldly stating, "I... will feed you."
Typically, his emotionless tone would instill fear in her, but now, that same indifference alleviated much of her embarrassment and awkwardness.
Tentatively raising her head, she was met not with a mocking smile or a smirk, but with the same cold, expressionless face, as unyielding as a stone statue.
Annie let out a sigh of relief as she watched him gently blow on a spoonful of porridge before offering it to her. After a moment's hesitation, driven by the hunger in her belly, she opened her mouth...
Xiao Mu Yu remained silent, and for a brief moment, Annie found herself at a loss for words, unable to believe that she was actually accepting such a familiar gesture from a stranger—an act typically reserved for lovers in knightly tales!
Yes, while this older brother was her savior...
That didn't mean she had to offer herself in return, did it? At most...
At most, once she returned home, she could ask her father to reward him generously. It seemed this older brother had nearly exhausted his funds to cover her medical expenses, after all.
Yes, he must be in dire need of money now, and when the time came, she would ask her father to give him a substantial amount. Surely, that would bring him joy.
As she mechanically sipped the hot porridge, the little girl pondered these adult thoughts.
Yet, despite her musings, her embarrassment remained unabated. Although she had no mirror to see her reflection, the fiery warmth on her cheeks told her that she must be blushing as deeply as a ripe apple.