"Big sis, big sis, can you tell us more about the Monkey King today?"
"I want to hear about magical girls!"
Within a week, Shen Yi had successfully familiarized herself with the people here.
At the end of the day, they were just a bunch of kids. Aside from occasionally snatching things from each other, the situation wasn't much different from when Shen Yi was at the orphanage.
They would voluntarily offer tributes, begging to hear a story.
Someone had even secretly saved up a tiny, shiny stone picked up from who knows where, placing it solemnly into her palm in exchange for a new tale.
Shen Yi turned no one away and accepted everything.
Through her observations over the past few days, she discovered that although her newly taken underling, Dahei, was the group's favorite target for bullying, he actually seemed to enjoy it.
When older kids patted his shoulder or shoved him, he wouldn't fight back; he would just silently walk away, only to casually rejoin them a little while later.
Come to think of it, over the span of three months, something akin to friendship had blossomed among them.
"Why are you always so happy even though you get bullied every day?"
Today, it was Shen Yi and Number Four's turn to go out and look for food.
Shen Yi scaled the tree in a few swift moves. With her agile movements, she effortlessly picked the fruits that others would have had to spend ages knocking and beating the branches to get.
She accurately tossed the fruit right into Number Four's arms.
Number Four looked up, the sunlight filtering through the leaves and landing on his face as his eyes curved into two little crescents.
"Dahei gets bullied by everyone all day, so silly." As Shen Yi spoke, she accurately lobbed a finger-sized fruit at his forehead. "You are the most easily bullied kid I've ever met. I boss you around all day, and you never even get mad."
"Do I?" The boy rubbed his slightly reddened forehead and smiled. "I think everyone is really nice, and you are really nice too, sister."
Not long ago, he had changed how he addressed her from "big sis" to simply "sister," attempting to close the distance between him and Shen Yi.
Number Four didn't really like calling her "big sis" like everyone else did.
It failed to highlight his special status.
After all, he was the one who brought her back.
Shen Yi tossed down a few more ripe fruits from the tree, then jumped down and landed.
This series of movements was as smooth as flowing water. Her steps were so agile and light that she seemed to be floating, far exceeding the capabilities of an ordinary person.
However, Number Four was busy picking up the fruits and didn't notice.
Shen Yi clapped the dust off her hands.
Number Four immediately came over, offering her the fruits bundled up in his jacket.
Shen Yi casually grabbed one and started munching on it.
Number Four picked out the smallest fruit and took tiny bites, his voice slow as he planned, "We can leave the rest for Mianmian and the others, but we should hide a few more for ourselves, otherwise you'll get hungry."
His tone was mild yet earnest, his eyes round. His solemn, old-fashioned demeanor only made him look incredibly adorable.
Even the coldest person wouldn't be able to help but soften up when faced with such a sweet little bean.
Shen Yi fished out two pieces of melted chocolate from her pocket and handed them over.
Her second brother loved sweets and would often stuff some into her pockets.
Shen Yi had felt them when she first arrived, but she hadn't taken them out, intending to save them for herself.
Sweets were a rarity in this kind of environment, and high-calorie chocolate was an absolute treasure for replenishing energy.
The chocolate clung softly to the golden foil, looking especially tempting in the humid air.
Number Four's eyes widened instantly.
Shen Yi stuffed both pieces of chocolate into his palm and said softly, "Here, eat it."
He didn't take them, shrinking his hands back and shaking his head. "I don't want it."
Shen Yi forced them into his hands. "Just take it when I give it to you. I'm your big sis, you have to listen to me."
"I don't need to replenish my energy right now, really."
She was telling the truth.
Shen Yi had discovered that her body didn't seem to need much energy in this space-time, or rather, the rules here were different for her.
She barely felt any hunger.
"I feel like you have a bit of a self-sacrificing personality, Dahei." Shen Yi looked down into his eyes. "Growing up like this, you'll easily get bullied."
Number Four dazedly accepted the chocolate.
Many elders had said similar things before.
But when those elders spoke, their tone always carried a condescending scrutiny.
Or they were evaluating whether he had any value, whether he was worth cultivating.
Number Four didn't refuse again. He carefully peeled open the wrapper of one candy; the chocolate inside had melted, sticking gooeyly to the foil.
He took a tiny nibble, the bitterness and sweetness of the cocoa melting together on the tip of his tongue.
The boy's eyes lit up. He looked up and flashed Shen Yi a somewhat shy smile.
Shen Yi patted his head.
*
Time was a very vague concept on the island.
Shen Yi didn't know exactly how long she had stayed.
Two months, maybe longer.
Number Four was still the same.
Small, dirty, quietly following behind her like a little tail that never barked.
When Shen Yi arrived here, she was wearing two layers of clothing.
Because of this, she could wash her clothes and alternate between them.
Whenever he had free time, Number Four would run to the seaside to wash her clothes for her.
Shen Yi sat with him by the sea, the waves licking the beach one after another, making a soft, rustling sound.
The girl squatted on the ground and, suddenly feeling a bit curious, reached out and lifted the bangs on the boy's forehead.
Shen Yi's voice was eager. "Dahei, Dahei, wash your face a little cleaner. You're so dirty like this, it's not cute at all."
Number Four was slowly washing the clothes. Caught off guard when the bangs on his forehead were lifted, he looked a bit bewildered.
"Let me help you wash your face, don't move, don't move."
Shen Yi dipped her hands in the water. Her touch wasn't exactly light; it was as if she were scrubbing a somewhat dirty white radish. Number Four swayed back and forth under her scrubbing, but he never dodged.
Number Four was completely helpless against her.
Her personality was already a bit headstrong, and especially since his status was still that of her underling, his opinions didn't matter much.
With his face washed clean, his eyelashes were still stained with a bit of moisture.
Looking at this face, Shen Yi covered her mouth and fell into an eerie silence.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on his face, illuminating the water-washed skin and making it look incredibly smooth.
The boy's exquisite facial features were completely presented before her.
The curve of his brow bone, the height of the bridge of his nose, the shape of his lips, and his pure black eyes that were still a bit moist from washing his face—there was none of that unfathomable calmness, but rather a touch of pitiful vulnerability.
