"I’m not sure if it’s her, but that’s what the old benefactor told me. There was no one here when you arrived, but just as I learned that the person who could save Chen’Er was right beside you, she appeared. Let’s give it a try." Mufeng’s expression was conflicted. But when he saw the little girl staring at Chen’Er in his arms, he gritted his teeth and decided to take the chance.
With that thought, Mufeng walked over to Bi Wan’s side and said to the little girl, "Little one, can you please save my Chen’Er...?"
The question was startlingly abrupt. Bi Wan gave Mufeng an odd look. ’This little girl hasn’t said a word since she woke up,’ she thought. ’She looks to be only about three years old. It’s doubtful she can even understand what Mufeng is saying, let alone save someone’s life.’
But to everyone’s surprise, the little girl gave a very solemn nod. "Mm..."
"Sigh, I’m getting my hopes up too much. It seems the old benefactor just wanted to send me away and had no intention of treating Chen’Er. To use such an excuse... how could a three-year-old girl possibly save... Huh? Did you just nod?" Mufeng’s face had been a mask of disappointment, as he had subconsciously assumed the girl couldn’t save Chen’Er. But when he processed what had happened, he realized the little girl had indeed been nodding.
"Mm..."
The little girl, whose complexion had shifted from purple to a faint rosy pink, hummed softly. Surprisingly, her voice was very pleasant.
Mufeng was overjoyed. "Then what do we need to do?" he asked immediately.
The little girl gave Mufeng a simple, innocent look. She pulled up the front of the Snow Floss coat wrapped around her, gesturing for him to place Mu Chen inside. Mufeng did as she indicated. ’Although physical contact between men and women is improper, they’re just two small children.’ He dismissed any other thoughts.
Mu Chen was transferred from Mufeng’s arms into Bi Wan’s. Holding two children bundled in a Snow Floss coat was clearly difficult for Bi Wan, so Mufeng hurried over to help her support them both.
As Mu Chen was settled inside the Snow Floss coat, a flicker of surprise crossed the little girl’s face. Clearly, his incredibly high body temperature had startled her. Though she couldn’t remember where she was or even who she was, she understood one thing: the little boy beside her wouldn’t last much longer.
The most surprising thing to her was that when Mufeng had asked if she could save the little boy, her subconscious had told her that she could. The method was simple, too—all she had to do was place her hand on his head.
Following the guidance of her subconscious, the little girl gently placed her small, purplish hand on Mu Chen’s head. As she felt the terrifyingly high temperature, her palm suddenly flashed with a faint, barely perceptible blue light. With their current Martial Artist Realms, it was impossible for Bi Wan and Mufeng to notice this light. So, they simply stood by, watching in curious silence.
The blue light from the girl’s hand seeped into Mu Chen’s forehead. In an instant, it vanished, transforming into a faint blue halo that enveloped his mind.
While doing this, the girl was carefully studying the little boy before her. ’He looks quite ordinary, but his features are delicate and handsome,’ she thought. ’He doesn’t have sharp brows or starry eyes, but he possesses a patience and perseverance beyond that of a normal person.’ His brows were knitted tightly, and his chapped lips were pursed. His small face was flushed a strange, feverish red, but beneath it, the girl could tell that his complexion was unusually fair.
"Nngh~"
With the infusion of the faint blue light, Mu Chen felt a wave of coolness wash over his head, which had felt like it was about to explode from the heat. The sensation was incredibly soothing, and he let out a subconscious groan of relief.
Hearing the groan, Mufeng and Bi Wan both froze, thinking something had gone wrong with Mu Chen. But when they saw his tightly knitted brow suddenly relax, their tension instantly evaporated, replaced by an unconcealable joy.
The girl’s method of healing was simple—so simple that no one could possibly fathom how she did it. Mufeng and Bi Wan certainly didn’t understand. As they watched Mu Chen’s flushed face gradually return to its normal color and his chaotic breathing stabilize into a gentle rhythm, the hearts that had been hanging in their throats finally settled.
But just as they were rejoicing, the little girl’s eyes suddenly closed, and she fell into a deep sleep. Mufeng quickly shifted his body, catching her before she could fall.
"She seems exhausted," Mufeng said, letting out a breath as he felt the girl’s steady breathing.
Bi Wan nodded. "Yes. When I found her in a snowdrift, she was on the brink of death. If I hadn’t found her when I did, she would have been frozen solid here within another six hours."
"So it seems heaven truly has a virtue in cherishing life. You saved her, and she in turn saved our Chen’Er. ’Good deeds are rewarded with good fortune’—there really is truth to that saying." Mufeng sighed wistfully. He was a man who yearned for freedom and believed in equality and mutual aid. The world was full of injustices, but all he ever wanted was a peaceful and happy family. "Wan’Er, what should we do about this child?"
Bi Wan frowned at his words. "What do you mean, ’what should we do’? We’re taking her home, of course! Don’t tell me you want me to just abandon her here? Mufeng, Mufeng... I never knew you were such a person."
"Huh?" Mufeng was taken aback by her words, but when he understood what she meant, he slapped his forehead. "Listen to me... Chen’Er just recovered, and I’m so happy I’m not making any sense. What I meant was, what are our long-term plans for her? Do we keep her at the Mu Mansion, or do we try to find her family? For her to be found buried in a place like this... there are only two possibilities. Either she got lost, or she was left here on purpose."
"You mean, abandoned?"
"Yes."
"Those are the only two possibilities. For now, let’s just take her home. We can post notices in town and see if anyone comes to claim her. If no one does... I’ll adopt her as my own daughter. But I prefer to believe the first possibility. This little girl is so adorable. What kind of fool would abandon her?"
After this, Bi Wan and Mufeng fell silent for a moment. Having made their decision, they started back for the Mu Mansion.
「The next morning.」
Inside Bifeng Garden at the Mu Mansion, a soft yawn broke the room’s tranquility. Mu Chen slowly opened his eyes. It was the first time he had ever slept so peacefully, and the only night he hadn’t been tormented by pain.
But as his vision focused, he froze. Lying in front of him was a little girl. She was staring at him curiously with big, bright blue eyes. Nothing like this had ever happened before. But Mu Chen was still little, and his thoughts were simple. So, after a moment of surprise, he broke into a smile.
"Who... are you?"
His voice was childish. Mu Chen was only two, but he showed none of the usual shyness around strangers; instead, he was quite open. As if infected by his smile, the little girl smiled back. But when he asked who she was, she found she couldn’t remember at all. She could only reply in her light, ethereal voice, "I don’t know my name. I can’t remember."
"Oh, so you don’t have a name."
"CREAK..."
A soft creak came from the door, followed by streams of sunlight pouring in. A gentle-looking woman entered, carrying two bowls of hot soup. Seeing Mu Chen and the little girl sitting up in bed, the woman smiled. "Chen’Er, little one, you’re both awake. We were in such a hurry yesterday that we didn’t have time to prepare another room, so I had you sleep here with Chen’Er. Neither of you ate anything all day yesterday. This is some chicken soup I had prepared. Come and drink it while it’s hot."
Hearing Bi Wan’s voice, Mu Chen cried out "Mother!" in delight and jumped right off the bed. He quickly slipped on his shoes with his left hand, hurried to the table, picked up a spoon—also with his left hand—and began to drink the soup in large gulps.
The little girl, however, was staring intently at Mu Chen’s right arm. At the empty sleeve where his arm should have been. Bi Wan, being perceptive, quickly noticed the girl’s gaze. With a wry smile, she asked, "Find it strange?"
The girl shook her head but didn’t speak. Bi Wan glanced at Mu Chen, who was wolfing down his soup, and continued, "This child has been tormented by illness since he was very young. Fate is unfair. He’s only a child, yet he must face pain that many adults couldn’t endure. For the past two years, the pain has kept Chen’Er from sleeping almost every single night. But your arrival changed everything. Last night, for the first time, his illness didn’t act up."
As she spoke, Bi Wan paused, then gave a self-deprecating smile. ’What am I doing? How could a child possibly understand all this?’ she thought. "Oh, by the way, I completely forgot to ask yesterday. Little one, what’s your name?"
Before the girl could answer, Mu Chen, who had just finished his bowl of chicken soup, wiped his mouth and chimed in. "Mother, she... she doesn’t know what her name is."
"Oh?" Bi Wan turned a questioning gaze to the little girl. "Is that true?"
The little girl nodded with a soft "mm." Bi Wan sighed. "That will make finding your family even more difficult. In that case... since you’re living with us in the Mu Mansion now, it’s not very convenient or proper to keep calling you ’little one.’ How about I give you a name?"
The girl didn’t hesitate, nodding once more. Seeing how agreeable she was, Bi Wan smiled. "Since fate has brought you to our Mu Mansion, you shall share our surname, Mu. And since I found you in the ice and snow, I will call you Bingling."