Foster Son, Don’t Be So Crazy (7)

"Are you alright?"

Song Jia leaned forward and tried to touch the bruise on Xiang Feng's right cheek. But the child shrank back.

"Don't touch me!"

Song Jia's hand paused in mid-air. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, you're safe now. I won't hurt you."

She looked at the seven year-old boy whose eyes were still red, his face pale. Her heart ached.

"I'm called Jia. What's your name?"

His eyelids flickered. He pressed his body against the wall, his scar hidden away from her. He slightly moved his lips.

"Xiang Feng."

Song Jia hesitated and then took off the hood of her cloak.

Both Nian Shou and Xiang Feng stared at her.

"Xiang Feng, I'm going to take you away from this place. Is that alright with you?"

Song Jia held her hands out to him, exposing her wrists. She tried to look as open and honest as possible.

However, Song Jia had no idea how much her appearance shocked them. In this world, people were only born with dark-colored hair and eyes.

Seeing her hair the color of spun-gold tumbling over her shoulders, Xiang Feng was suddenly struck mute. He felt like the sunshine he was trying to reach before had suddenly transformed into a living person.

"Xiang Feng?" Not hearing his answer even after a long moment had passed, Song Jia's expression showed a bit of her panic.

Nian Shou recovered his senses and remembered her words from earlier.

"You're going to take him away? Where?" he asked.

"It doesn't have anything to do with you." Song Jia pursed her lips and glanced at Nian Shou, "Why? Are you going to come with us?"

Nian Shou thought about it and shrugged. "Why not?"

Song Jia: "..."

She did not really want this person to come with them. She looked back at Xiang Feng.

She asked, "Do you want this person to come with us?"

Xiang Feng looked back and forth between her and Nian Shou. He resolutely shook his head.

Song Jia felt a sense of victory. Her little trick worked. He had indirectly permitted her to take him away!

"Then he won't come." She held out her hand to him. "Let's go."

Xiang Feng paused, then nodded. His small hand grabbed hers. On the corner of her eye, Song Jia saw him tug his hair down to cover his scar.

"Oy, oy, oy!"

Nian Shou blocked them. He showed Song Jia his hands that were still bound.

"You captured me, so you have to take responsibility! How could you simply leave me like this?"

Song Jia raised her hand threateningly. "Do you want me to knock you out again?"

"You're going to leave this place right? Take me with you."

Song Jia looked at him. He had helped her once, so maybe she should return the favor. He probably didn't want to stay in this place any longer than Xiang Feng did.

She scowled at him. "Alright, but after we leave, you go on your own way, and we go ours. No more following behind me like a lost dog!"

Nian Shou's face twitched at the word 'dog'. But he still nodded at her, "I understand."

Like this, three shadows, two big and one small, sneaked around the camp and set three wooden barracks on fire. While the soldiers were busy trying to contain it, Song Jia carried Xiang Feng and Nian Shou one by one out of the barbed fence that surrounded the perimeter by jumping using her anti-gravity boots.

As soon as they got out, Song Jia immediately put space between her and Nian Shou, while shielding Xiang Feng behind her. Song Jia still didn't fully trust him.

"Remember our deal. You go your own way, we go ours."

But when she tried walking away, she found Nian Shou still following behind her. Song Jia spun around and glared at him.

"Why are you still following us?"

He was smiling. "I said I understood. But I never promised you that I wouldn't follow."

He jerked his chin at Xiang Feng. "Are you planning to adopt him?"

Looking at her protective posture over the child, Nian Shou knew that his guess was right. He didn't have a home to go back to. This girl seemed interesting, so he was willing to tag along.

Xiang Feng looked at Song Jia. She was planning to become his...mother?

Song Jia didn't deny his claim. After seeing Xiang Feng's frail appearance, she became determined in her heart to protect this child from harm and treat him lovingly like a mother would. No child should ever be robbed of their innocent childhood!

Nian Shou nodded as if she had responded to his question.

"If you're planning to become his yimu [1], then why don't I become his yifu?" [2]

[1] Foster mother

[2] Foster father