The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Thunder rumbled incessantly outside, and heavy rain pounded against the windows.

Yuncheng hasn't had such a heavy thunderstorm in many years, and such dense and continuous lightning is almost a first.

Xu Nian lay curled up on the bed, cold sweat pouring down her face.

He trembled uneasily, his lips twitching incessantly.

Xu Nian struggled to escape that cold, rainy night, but each time she thought she was waking up, she found herself falling back into that wardrobe.

The thunder grew more and more intense, and he was on the verge of a breakdown.

Just then, a warm embrace gently held him.

"The dark sky hung low."

"The bright stars are with me."

"The insects fly, the insects fly."

"Who are you thinking of...?"

A gentle song begins, like a sweet spring flowing into the mouth of a traveler lost in the desert.

Xu Nian felt a sense of relief, and her tense nerves gradually relaxed.

His body stopped trembling, and his tightly closed eyes stopped shaking.

The rain kept falling, as if trying to wash away all the dirt and mud from this world.

The thunder roared incessantly, determined to deter all injustice and illegality in the world.

In the dilapidated little house of just over ten square meters, the two embraced tightly, snuggling together and sharing the warmth of each other's bodies, a stark contrast to the biting cold outside.

......

The rain stopped early in the morning.

The first rays of morning sunlight shone on a corner of the room, and the puddles reflected the white clouds outside the window.

Xu Nian slept exceptionally well that night, and was not even awakened by the early morning cicada chirping.

A drop of water fell from the roof onto his face. Xu Nian's eyelids twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, he regained consciousness.

He saw Xu Xi pressed tightly against him in his arms, her slender arms wrapped around his neck, her head buried in his chest.

In the summer, the thin clothes were like two sheets of paper, and he could clearly feel Xu Xi's warm skin.

It's very flat and very hard.

When Xu Nian embraced a man of similar age for the first time, he immediately felt a reaction in a certain part of his body, and a blush instantly spread across his cheeks.

The girl in his arms was still breathing evenly, seemingly unaware that she was being slowly pushed away.

Xu Nian stood up, rushed to the tap, and splashed cold water on her face, panting heavily to calm her inner turmoil.

Looking through the cracked mirror, Xu Nian was astonished to find that the house was spotless.

The old tables, chairs and benches were neatly arranged, the simple stove that was covered in grease now gleamed, and the floor that was once covered in mud was now spotless.

Even his dirty clothes, which had accumulated over many days, were washed clean one by one and hung under a leak-proof roof.

All the clutter was gathered up, and the water stains on the walls were wiped dry. This dilapidated and simple house had a completely new look.

It seemed that Xu Nian was the dirtiest person left in the whole house.

Xu Nian turned her head to look at Xu Xi, who was lying on the bed.

Did she do it?

If it weren't for the arrival of the Snail Fairy, it would definitely be this skinny little girl.

Xu Nian felt a strange impulse rising within her.

For the first time, he had the idea of ​​keeping Xu Xi here.

Xu Nian's thoughts were in turmoil. He slowly pushed open the door, took out the pack of cigarettes he had picked up yesterday from his pocket, and sat in the corner where Xu Xi had sat last night, puffing away.

The heavy rain washed away all the mud from the shantytown, leaving the once garbage-strewn alleys spotless.

Groups of two or three workers yawned as they walked to work.

The cheerful chirping of birds brought a touch of life to this lifeless slum.

"She's a very hardworking and capable girl. Please take good care of her and find her a better family."

When Xu Xi woke up, she only heard this sentence.

She hurriedly got up and was horrified to see a neatly dressed policeman sitting next to Xu Nian.

"According to regulations, we will first look for her other relatives. Only if we cannot find them will we consider finding an adoptive family."

Sitting next to Xu Nian was the fat policeman who had interrogated her yesterday.

"Don't worry, we will strictly screen adoptive families. Only families that meet the requirements will be eligible to adopt."

Xu Nian nodded and turned to look at Xu Xi, who had already gotten up.

His expression froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

He walked up to Xu Xi, hesitated for a long time, and then stammered out his words.

"Go with the police officer. You're so pretty and capable, you'll definitely find a better place to go."

After saying that, he raised his hand and gently brushed Xu Xi's messy hair back.

Xu Xi's eyes reddened, and she struggled to say something, but after seeing the resolute look on Xu Nian's face, she swallowed the words back down.

She nodded mechanically.

This time, she kept her promise.

Before getting into the police car, Xu Xi looked back at Xu Nian one last time.

Her eyes were filled with despair.

Xu Nian turned her head away, somewhat unable to meet Xu Xi's gaze.

The police car, sirens blaring, drove away from the shantytown.

People who saw the police car all kept their distance, their eyes filled with a hint of fear.

Most of the people living here have been involved in shady dealings.

Xu Nian watched the police car drive away and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He was certainly reluctant to see Xu Xi go.

But Xu Nian knew that with her own circumstances, she had already done her best to support herself.

People die every day in the shantytown, and Xu Nian doesn't know if she will live to see tomorrow's sunshine.

He couldn't afford to feed another mouth, even if that mouth wasn't picky at all.

Goodbye, Xu Xi, I wish you a bright future.

......

"Here you go. This time, the ink I used is waterproof, so it definitely won't fade."

Xu Nian took the brand-new fake ID card and examined it carefully under the sunlight.

It looks almost identical to the real thing, and the anti-counterfeiting labels are also very lifelike.

For several days after Xu Xi left, Xu Nian was busy running around looking for another job to make a living.

However, since the fake ID was no longer valid, although most employers agreed to hire him after seeing his face and muscles, they all turned him away after learning that he was a minor.

"Son, employing child labor is illegal. I just want to earn money, but I don't want to go to jail. You should look for somewhere else."

In this society, it is just as difficult for minors to find a job to make a living as it is for people with disabilities.

Capital is profit-driven, and there are additional requirements and restrictions on employing disabled people and minors, but there are tax subsidies for employing a certain percentage of disabled people.

No company would hire a child to work for them.

Left with no other choice, Xu Nian went back to the place where she had previously obtained the fake ID and had a new one made.

He reached out and stroked his own photo on his ID card; this time, the rubbing didn't blur it.

"Why didn't you let me use this ink last time?"

The shifty-eyed fake document vendor chuckled sheepishly.

"This thing is heavily investigated and difficult to obtain. We only managed to get a little bit in the last two days. Just use it, and everyone will keep quiet. Except for those who check online, no one can tell it's fake."