I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"Since it's a city, hmm... there should be police or something, right? I should be able to ask for some help, after all, I'm still just a kid... Achoo!"

Xi Wang tightened her slightly tattered coat to keep her small body warm.

"...he was still a very pitiful child."

He muttered to himself as he walked toward the exit of the alley.

Pat pat pat——

Faint footsteps echoed with his steps, and the sound of his bare feet on the cold, dusty ground made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

He walked slowly, emerging from the dim corner and heading towards the light-lit exit.

pat-

When he stepped out of the alley, everything around him seemed to have changed, or perhaps... something had changed within him.

But anyway...

Welcome to a new "day"

Chapter Two: A Home Where One Can Find Peace and Security

"Flour, milk... potatoes and carrots, um, plus some fresh vegetables and fruits, that should be enough."

The middle-aged man with slightly graying hair muttered to himself as he checked the list in his hand.

"The guests are coming tomorrow, so I need to make sure the little ones eat well... Oh right, I should also prepare some snacks as a reward for them... Hmm?"

As if he had made preparations in the past few days, his brows gradually relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face. His gentle temperament made him look exceptionally kind and approachable.

However, at this moment, he stopped on his way home and looked at the small figure standing at the intersection, looking very confused.

The boy's slightly long, dark hair looked rather odd, and it was messy and unkempt, clearly having been neglected for a long time. His face was haggard, as if he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. His clothes were also dirty, and apart from the overcoat he was wearing, he only had a very thin undershirt that didn't fit properly. He would definitely catch a cold dressed like that. Even though he was wearing an overcoat, it was tattered and couldn't keep out the cold wind at all.

However, her eyes were very clear, though filled with a sense of bewilderment at her surroundings, but... they were very beautiful.

Was she abandoned? Or... something else?

He frowned again, thinking of some unpleasant things, but then his expression relaxed, a kind smile appearing on his face. He exuded a gentle aura and walked up to the bewildered child who needed help, just like any other day.

"You seem to need help, child."

He spoke as usual.

"Woo..."

The boy seemed a little timid, shrinking slightly and looking at him warily.

“Don’t be afraid, child. I am the priest of the church nearby. It is my duty to help those in need, let alone a child like you.”

As he spoke, he took a step back slightly and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender to show that he posed no threat. This would quickly put the wary children at ease and at least prevent them from resisting him excessively.

"God...Father?"

The boy pondered the word for a moment, seemingly considering its meaning. He then looked at the black robe he was wearing and the exposed cross pendant. Combined with his timely actions and gentle demeanor, the boy gradually relaxed and seemed to believe what he said.

"Yes, Father, you can call me that, just like the other children."

The priest laughed; his nearly half-white hair and gentle smile made him look very kind. Then, he looked puzzled and asked.

"Child, how did you get here? Are you lost? Or...are you missing? Your parents are really something, letting you come out dressed like this, so irresponsible...you'll get sick like this."

As he spoke, he slowly stepped forward, taking off his long black robe as he did so, while observing the boy's expression.

"parents?"

A hint of confusion flashed in the boy's dark eyes as his attention was drawn to his parents, and he paid little attention to the approaching priest.

"My mom and dad... seem to be gone..."

As if remembering something, the boy said this, his tone and expression becoming somewhat downcast.

"Oh... I'm sorry, child, I brought up something that upset you."

The priest's expression turned compassionate, and his words were full of apology, but judging from his eyes, he didn't seem surprised by the answer.

At this moment, he had already arrived in front of the boy.

"Then how did you get here? This isn't a place a child like you should be going around. There are a lot of bad people here. You should go to the police station or an orphanage, or at the very least, you should come to the church... Yes, the church where people like me exist."

As the priest spoke gently, he knelt down and personally draped his own clothes over the poor child. The boy did not resist much, perhaps because the priest's words and concern made him lower his guard.

"I...I don't know..."

The boy responded with a bewildered look, as if the question was troubling him greatly. So much so that when the priest pulled him into his arms, he did not resist. He even reached out and gently grabbed the priest's shoulders, using his hands to support himself slightly so that the priest could save some effort.

"What a well-behaved yet pitiful child..."

The priest noticed the boy's actions and laughed happily.

Are they homeless orphans?

The priest thought to himself that he was quite pleased with the answer, and the corners of his mouth and his tone turned up slightly, though this was all concealed. It seemed that he was simply happy because the child was well-behaved and sensible.

After making a conclusion about the boy's origins in his mind, he continued walking towards "home"—or rather, the church.

“But don’t worry, child. It’s my duty to help those in need, especially a child like you. Speaking of which, my church is somewhat like an orphanage. There are many children like you there. You can rest here with me for now. This area isn’t very safe. In a couple of days… no, tomorrow, I’ll take you to the police station to see if we can help you find your relatives. If not… you can stay at the church too, so you’ll have a home.”

"Is...is that so? Thank you, Father!"

Seemingly because of the priest's promise, the boy's expression recovered slightly, and his tone became lighter, carrying the unique vitality of a child.

"You're welcome, it's my duty... By the way, child, I don't think I've asked your name yet? May I ask?"

“Of course! Father, my name is Xiwang!”

"[Hope]...?"

The priest glanced at the child he was holding. Thanks to his words, the poor boy had regained some energy and a smile had appeared on his face. A bright smile flowed from his clear eyes, seemingly able to infect others unintentionally.

"What a great name."

The priest smiled and sighed, perhaps infected by Xi Wang's emotions, his smile widening, as if he really liked the child.

----------

You met a kind priest who seemed to care about you, this poor child, and treated you with as much gentleness as possible.

Soon, you lowered your guard, perhaps because of his concern, or perhaps because he promised to take you to the police station the next day... In any case, you let him take you back to the church.

As the priest said, there are many children here in similar situations to you, and they are all being cared for by the priest and several nuns.

The children welcomed you warmly and were very enthusiastic about your new companion... except for a few children who seemed a little shy and didn't dare to come forward, just sitting quietly in their seats, occasionally glancing at you.

Here, you enjoy a warm dinner with the children, play with them, and are ushered to a bath by the priest amidst laughter. Afterward, you lie down together on a slightly firm bed and are covered with warm blankets.

The children in your room seemed very excited; even after the nun turned off the lights, they didn't go to sleep but kept asking you all sorts of questions.

You gave them a simple answer, but when you mentioned meeting the priest, they seemed to get a little emotional, and you could feel their gratitude towards him in their words.

Everything here is so nice that you start to believe the priest is a good man—even if you don't yet know his name.

The next day, several people came to the church and discussed something with the priest. Judging from their gaze and actions, the main focus of their discussion was the children, and of course, you as well.

The other children said that he was a teacher from a school. Every now and then, that school would send a few people to take some suitable children to study there. They said that life there would be better than here, and that there would be opportunities to go to university and even help them find jobs.

[This sounds like a welfare school specifically designed for kids like you.]

Although the children don't know what "university" and "work" are, they do know that they will have a better life if they are taken to school by their teachers.

"Is it really that good?" You subconsciously wondered, but soon the priest and the teachers came over to talk to you.

Their words revealed their concern for you, this poor child.

"Perhaps such a place really exists." Touched by their kindness, you temporarily set aside your doubts.

In the afternoon, the teachers left; they seemed to have finished their investigation and needed to return to the school to submit their reports. The priest, as promised, took you to the police station.

The police officer who met with you seemed to be an acquaintance of the priest. He seemed to know that the priest would occasionally find orphans who would come to him to look for their relatives and register their information.

[Soon, the officer provided information—they couldn't seem to find your file; it appears you were trafficked from abroad; plus, you said your parents are deceased and you're trying to find other relatives…to be honest, this is a bit troublesome.]

Simply put, it takes time, and during the waiting period, it seems you can only stay temporarily in the priest's church.

The priest skillfully comforted you, and your low spirits improved.

Over the next few days, you became very close to the children in the church, and you suddenly realized that living here wasn't so bad after all.

About a week later, the priest received a phone call. You noticed that his expression was initially puzzled, and he seemed to subconsciously ask the caller a couple more questions. After receiving the answer, a bright smile returned to his face.

That evening, the priest told you, with a hint of sadness, that the police had not found your relatives, and it seemed you would have to stay there.

Although you felt a little disappointed, you weren't too heartbroken because you've found a "home".

A few days later, the teacher from that school came again, driving a rather strange school bus, to pick up a few children.

The church also appropriately held a farewell party, which could also be considered a welcome party for you.

After the joy came the parting, but no one was sad; they were simply happy and looking forward. The children saw them off, wished them well, and hoped that one day they too could go to a school where they could "live a better life."

You mingled among the children, bidding farewell to your lucky companions. However, you also noticed that the shy children remained standing at the farthest point, neither laughing nor cheering, simply watching quietly.

You feel something is wrong and ask others, but you only get the response, "Those guys are bad kids, don't talk to them," whether you ask other children or the nun.

You feel confused and want to approach those "bad kids," but before you can even speak, they either scoff and leave, or hide away in fear, or simply run away.

You asked the priest, and he seemed pleased with your actions and didn't object to your contact with those "bad kids."

"You just want to be friends with them, that's a good intention, don't worry about anything, just do it, child"—that's what the priest said.

Encouraged by the priest, you believe you are doing the right thing and begin to actively engage with those "bad kids."

Perhaps because of your enthusiasm, those "bad kids" have slowly begun to accept you, and some of the nicer ones have even become your friends... Although you feel there's still some inexplicable distance between you and them, all of this is enough to make you feel exhilarated, especially when you discover that these so-called "bad kids" aren't actually bad at all.

However, just when you want to introduce your "bad boy" friend to the other children, you discover that you have already been categorized as a "bad boy" by others, including your former close friends, the nuns, and even... the priest.

Although the priest's attitude didn't change much, and even became more enthusiastic, the nuns and other children began to intentionally or unintentionally refuse to speak to you.

Besides, you noticed that the church food had also decreased significantly. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that the church food started to decline gradually after the teachers from that school took the children away. However, the reductions were always small, and the reasons given by the nuns and priests were quite convincing, so you didn't pay much attention to it.

[Of course, what puzzles you most is the other children's attitude towards the "reduced food intake." They seem to have gotten used to it, and even take the fact that "the daily meals are very poor" for granted.]

You suddenly understood why the children were so eager to be picked up by their teachers, and why they were so happy and cheering during that time—because it was only during that short period that they could eat well and be full.

You realize that things aren't as wonderful as they seem, or as you imagined.