Time travel, quick transmigration

Shi Yan filled a copper washbasin with some water and took a clean cotton cloth she had found into the room where Xiao Huanling was.

The room was quiet. Shi Yan entered the room and walked towards the bed behind a wooden screen.

Xiao Huanling had his eyes closed and didn't react when Shi Yan approached. Shi Yan guessed that he must be asleep, so she naturally moved less.

Shi Yan placed the copper basin on a shelf to the side and sat down on a wooden stool beside the couch. The sleeping Xiao Huanling possessed an innocent and pure charm. Only when she was closer did she notice the exceptionally beautiful shape of his eyebrows and his unusually thick and long eyelashes. Shi Yan couldn't help but be captivated by his appearance. She usually judged people by their eyes first, then their overall features. She had noticed Xiao Huanling's exotic, deep, yet gentle and beautiful eyes when she first met him.

"It's outrageous for a boy to have such long eyelashes. He's obviously good-looking, and his eyelashes are curved downwards like a baby's, so obedient and docile. But what about you? You're not obedient at all."

"You're not a pure Central Plains person, are you? People from the Central Plains wouldn't have such fair skin, and such deep facial contours and features. Nor would people from the Central Plains have such faintly bluish eyes."

Shi Yan muttered a few complaints to herself, then wrung out a cotton cloth, bent down, and began to wipe Xiao Huanling's face, which was covered in dust, dirt, and blood.

Because she was so captivated by Xiao Huanling's beautiful and delicate appearance, Shi Yan's movements were extremely careful, slow, and gentle. She herself was surprised that she could be so considerate towards a stranger.

"My God, how come this kid's lips are so tender and the color is so alluring, like flower petals."

The impactful sensation of the wiping on Xiao Huanling's lips left Shi Yan stunned.

"Um, um, cough... what am I thinking about?"

Realizing she had been staring at a young man's lips, Shi Yan mentally berated herself and quickly snapped back to her senses and regained her composure.

"Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper. Do not be seduced by beauty..."

After washing the cotton cloth in a basin and wringing it dry, Shi Yan placed it beside Xiao Huanling. Her hands, with their distinct knuckles and long, slender fingers as beautiful as jade, hesitated for a moment before bending down to lift it up and wipe him.

Forgive her, she only has mild mysophobia and mild obsessive-compulsive disorder. She can't stand seeing beautiful things get dirty and ignores them. She definitely didn't want to take advantage of the handsome young man by holding his hand.

"You've really hit the jackpot. Not just anyone can be served by me."

Shi Yan stared at Xiao Huanling for a few moments, but when she looked away, she noticed a tear in the corner of his eye.

For some reason, her heart was stirred, and she couldn't help but lean forward to take a closer look.

"Why are you crying...?"

"Does it hurt that much? If you know it hurts, why did you make yourself look so disheveled, covered in injuries? But it's not surprising that your arrogant personality offends people."

"Remember this pain, cherish yourself and protect yourself in the future. If you hadn't met me, you might have lost your life, you know that?"

Perhaps because Xiao Huanling seemed too fragile in her eyes at that moment, out of a sense of pity, Shi Yan reached out and tidied up his slightly messy hair at his temples, then patted his head twice to comfort him.

Xiao Huanling was trapped in the desolation of being abandoned by his mother outside the gate of the Xiao family mansion when he was a child, as well as the inferiority and timidity he felt due to his Han-Hu bloodline for a long time during his childhood. He spent his days in a daze in a small courtyard. He endured the indifference of the mistress of the Xiao family mansion, the dislike and exclusion of his elder brothers, the dislike of his father, and the neglect and bullying of the servants in the mansion. He was trapped in those chaotic memories and cried sadly in the middle of the night, just like many times before.

Little did he know that he had revealed his vulnerable side to Shi Yan. In his dream, he was tormented and torn apart by loneliness and desolation. The pain in his body made him feel as if he had returned to his childhood, to those days when he was beaten and scolded by wicked servants and licked his wounds alone.

He once again tasted the despair of being abandoned by his own mother in childhood. His mother was a Hu woman who frequented the most famous tavern in Chang'an. She was a talented singer and dancer, with stunning beauty, captivating charm, and a bold and unrestrained personality, attracting countless men who would spend lavishly on her. If it weren't for her irresistible allure, how could she have crossed paths with Xiao Song, the then Right Chancellor? Xiao Huanling never knew how his mother became Xiao Song's mistress, or why she abandoned him at the gates of the Xiao residence when he was six years old, disappearing without a trace.

He didn't understand why that woman gave birth to him if she didn't love him, and then cruelly abandoned him after giving birth to him.

The stinging pain from her wounds and her resentment towards her mother, coupled with her longing, caused Xiao Huanling to sob softly, her sobs sounding like those of a wounded young animal.

When Shi Yan heard Xiao Huanling crying softly, and with tears streaming down her face, she became somewhat anxious.

"Is it really that painful?!"

"Don't cry, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. You're a man, you can't cry like a little girl just because of a little pain. You're not a little girl."

Although he spoke dryly, the person, overflowing with compassion, had already reached out to wipe away the tears of the crying boy, and the gesture was incredibly gentle.

"Sweetie, you have to be strong. I'll cook you something delicious once you're better. Or, how about I treat you like my little brother, and I'll be good to you, okay?"

"Xiao Ba, come out here and tell me what's wrong with him. With the longevity points you gave him, he shouldn't be feeling so bad."

"His behavior is a bit abnormal."

"Uncle Zhang went to fetch a doctor, but he won't be back anytime soon. It's not good to just let him suffer like this."

Shi Yan saw that although Xiao Huanling had stopped sobbing, he was still silently shedding tears, clearly feeling sad and somewhat anxious.

Upon hearing Shi Yan call him, 0804 suddenly flew out of her sea of ​​consciousness and hovered in mid-air.

"Yan Yan, you called me."

Shi Yan nodded.

"Could you check on him and see what's wrong with him?"

0804 glanced at the person lying on the tatami.

"He's fine, perfectly fine. Just take some medicine for his injuries and apply some liniment to the wound. He'll be completely healed in less than ten days."

Shi Yan had some doubts.

Is it true?

0804 said irritably, "Of course, I never lie."

Shi Yan could tell it was angry.

“I naturally believe what Xiao Ba says. But… look at him like this…”

0804 understands. "Oh...it's nothing serious, he was just dreaming. He dreamt about some unfortunate things from his childhood, so he's sad and upset."

Shi Yan finally understood and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see."

"Xiao Ba, do you know his background? Can you tell me about it?"

This was the first time Shi Yan had ever felt curious about someone in this parallel Tang Dynasty.