Chapter Index
    Chapter 101: “Don’t Cry”

    That night, Gu Yusen had a dream.

    In the dream, he was only twelve years old.

    *

    Twelve-year-old Gu Yusen was at his most mischievous, gathering a gang of little followers at school every day, always running around and getting into trouble.

    One day, he saw a beautiful little butterfly in the park. Like any playful child, he wanted to catch it, so he gave chase. As he ran, he reached the center of the park.

    A cluster of play facilities.

    A pretty little boy was hiding inside a small mushroom house.

    The little boy had delicate features, his eyes were red-rimmed, and tears welled up, occasionally spilling from the corners of his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. His lips were slightly downturned, his nose twitched, and he let out soft whimpering sounds, his shoulders trembling with sobs.

    His hands clutched tightly at the hem of his clothes, or wiped away the constant stream of tears, his eyes filled with helplessness and grievance, as if he had experienced something extremely heartbreaking.

    The little boy had long hair, and at first glance, he looked like a girl.

    How did Gu Yusen know he was a boy?

    Because his little bird was showing.

    A shameless little boy.

    Gu Yusen felt embarrassed, but the little boy’s clothes were badly torn, especially his pants, which had been maliciously cut open with scissors, leaving him barely covered.

    Like a little beggar.

    “Are you a little beggar?” Gu Yusen squeezed into the mushroom house. It wasn’t big, and his entry made the space even more cramped.

    The little beggar looked up, saw Gu Yusen’s face, and seemed a little confused. He blinked, and the tears in his eyes slid down his cheeks as he did so.

    “Not… little beggar.”

    “Okay, little beggar, why are you crying here? Did someone bully you?” Gu Yusen squatted down, not minding the dirt, and pushed the little beggar’s hair behind his ears, revealing his small face.

    The little beggar had a delicate and beautiful face with fair and smooth skin that seemed like it could be pinched and water would come out. He had long, lustrous black hair that fell softly over his shoulders, the strands shimmering with a healthy sheen.

    His eyes were large and bright, like two sparkling black gems, exuding an intelligent and clever aura. Long eyelashes fluttered gently, adding a touch of liveliness to his gaze.

    He looked like a smart kid.

    “Wow, a really pretty little beggar.” Gu Yusen didn’t usually pay much attention to appearances, but he was shocked by the little beggar’s looks and stared intently for a long time.

    A blush slowly crept onto the little beggar’s cheeks. He lowered his head in embarrassment, only to see his ragged pants again. He felt angry and anxious, and tears streamed down his face like they cost nothing, accompanied by sobs.

    Gu Yusen thought he had made him cry again, and patted the little beggar’s head helplessly.

    “Why are you crying? I just looked at you a couple of times. If you don’t like it, I’ll close my eyes!”

    “Not crying…” the little beggar retorted weakly, bending his knees in an attempt to cover his little bird.

    The child still knew shame.

    Gu Yusen scratched the back of his head, remembering a flower garden he had passed by earlier. His eyes lit up.

    “Wait here for me for a little while.”

    Acting on a whim, Gu Yusen took off running, and the little beggar couldn’t stop him.

    Gu Yusen reappeared five minutes later, his face smeared with black mud. A light rain had started to fall, wetting his hair and even the hems of his pants.

    But he was holding his short-sleeved shirt in his arms.

    He held it out to the little beggar like a treasure and unfolded it.

    Inside was a red rose.

    “I’ll deign to coax you a little.”

    “Don’t cry.”

    “Pretty little beggar.”

    Note