The next scene was pitch black, indicating that the little boy had passed out. Xue Ning didn’t know how long he had been in the darkness, but it felt like a very long time before a faint light appeared around him.

The beggar boy lay on a hard bed in a small room, but the environment was much better than before.

In a typical pharmacy room, whether it’s for medical treatment or for resting patients, there would usually be some medicinal herbs. But this place not only lacked medicinal herbs but also everyday necessities; there was only a table and a bed. The furnishings were simple and didn’t look like someone’s permanent residence.

Xue Ning’s gaze shifted to the beggar boy, who was still curled up in bed. His tattered clothes had been replaced with loose and clean ones.

The clothes were a bit old, obviously men’s clothes, so it was clear that they weren’t the boy’s own clothes. The boy’s wounds had also been bandaged neatly, indicating that experienced hands had taken care of him.

Shen Meng walked in from outside, and the boy who had been helped thanked her. Although in the boy’s limited memory, besides those of equal status, it was only natural for others to do things for him.

The teenage version of Shen Meng accepted his gratitude, but her attitude was still very cold.

“I didn’t change your clothes. I rented this yard temporarily. If you have nowhere to go, you can stay here for up to half a year.” The house she rented was not big, and the location was not good either. It cost only ten taels of silver for six months, which was like skipping dessert at the Fuerong Pavilion for someone of her background.

The scenes in the dream then switched rapidly, and Xue Ning watched the little details in this small courtyard like watching a puppet show.

Shen Meng didn’t intend to alert any troublemakers, so she didn’t hire anyone specifically to take care of the boy.

And from the first meeting to the last, she never used her real name, or more accurately, she never told the boy her name. When he said he would be grateful in the future, she simply said it was compensation for that bastard. After all, blood ties were there, but when the time came, she didn’t want this favor to implicate her.

When she said this, she wasn’t actually telling the truth. After all, she never thought a roadside beggar boy could turn the tables with her. As for compensation, it was even more out of the question. She and that bastard didn’t have a good relationship. She probably wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if he died. The reason she said this was just to avoid the boy’s questions.

The boy knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t have the courage to ask, fearing to annoy her.

He had always been extremely good at reading people’s words and expressions, but because of his noble status, he only needed others to flatter him; he didn’t need to please others.

Later, when he fell into difficulties, those people only wanted his life or things he didn’t want to give. He didn’t need to do those things. But this girl was different. As long as he could keep her happy, he could live comfortably. Eating well, dressing warmly, and most importantly, she wasn’t bad-looking at all.

At the beginning of keeping him here, Shen Meng actually didn’t come very often. She wasn’t particularly responsible, nor did she like children. Saving him was just a momentary impulse, and she never thought of being a kind mother to take care of him for the rest of his life.

At first, she would occasionally come to check on him, and when she was in the mood, she would teach him to read and draw. Perhaps it was because the boy was well-behaved and not annoying, or perhaps because there were too many troublesome things, and she didn’t want to stay at home. As time went on, she came more frequently than before.

She chose a restaurant with good home-cooked food to deliver meals to the courtyard three times a day, placing them in a basket. If she came, she would bring some delicious snacks.

She didn’t restrict him from going out to play, but he simply didn’t want to interact with outsiders after suffering so much during those times.

People are vain. Although the child was picked up, his display of dependence on her made Shen Meng feel comfortable, and she was willing to be even nicer to him.

In the end, she even spent some extra money to hire a reliable middle-aged man to take care of the boy. Of course, she claimed he was her brother, and the name she made up for him.

For the boy, the previous days were the happiest in those years of hardship. He could eat well, dress warmly, and wouldn’t get beaten. Although at first, he had to do household chores himself, it was much better than before. When a capable and diligent person was hired to take care of him later on, his life became even more comfortable.

Although the caregiver showed him kindness, after being tricked several times, the boy didn’t intend to show any kindness to anyone other than the girl.

Aside from being cautious, he also lacked a sense of security. At first, it was because of his injuries that he couldn’t move. After being bedridden for half a month, even though the other party said he could go out anytime, he refused to go out.

A water bag may be worthless to someone, but in the desert, she might be willing to exchange a bag of gems for it.

For the boy, the kindness he received earlier served as a spiritual support to keep him from falling into despair during those difficult times. After suffering so much, this kindness he could grasp was the most precious thing to him. During the time spent with the girl, she was his spiritual support and the best hope of the day.

At first, he didn’t completely lose his guard against the girl. In order to make her treat him better, he learned to use means he had once disdained and didn’t need to please her.

For example, waiting obediently at the door every day, being so obedient that it made people feel sorry for him, showing a strong sense of dependence on her, and using his handsome face as much as possible to win her favor.

Even though he did so much, the girl’s attitude didn’t change too quickly, remaining as cold as ever. It seemed she saw through his intentions but chose not to expose them, preserving his dignity.

In the end, when he put some sincerity into it and quietly chose to accompany her during her most vulnerable moments, her attitude improved slightly, and she smiled more often.

By the end, Shen Meng almost spoiled him, like spoiling a dear younger brother. He dared to show some small temper to her and would hold her hand to go to the lantern festival. Her hand was warm, and her embrace was warm too. When she smiled, her cold expression became gentle, making him feel warm all over.

But in the end, the girl left. She had come to this place because of her father, spending more than a year at her grandmother’s house, and picked up someone, which was also very surprising to her.

In their home in the capital, her father fell ill and died. She didn’t plan to take the child there or consider his existence. The method she finally chose was to arrange someone to take care of him, give him a sum of money that could last a long time, and have someone help him find his family.

After all, at that time, the little boy only remembered that he was supposed to wait for his family to find him in the same place, not knowing that he had long left the imperial city and arrived in a city in the south.

On the day the girl left, the boy kept clinging to the door, watching her stubbornly until she left.

In that scene, Xue Ning finally saw the boy’s face clearly—it was his own face when he was a child.