Chapter 59 Ambiguous?

[Thanks to the protection of the guards, your journey was smooth. You encountered several attacks from Hilichurls along the way, including a Mitachurl with a Stonehide Lawachurl, but ultimately, you arrived at Qingce Village without any trouble.]

[As you enter Qingce Manor, your mood worsens, as it means the imminent separation from Baoer.]

[Rosaria noticed your emotions but didn't say anything. She simply held your hand and gave you a reassuring smile.]

[Under Rosaria's silent comfort, you quickly adjusted your mood. Baoer is finally going to be reunited with her parents. You can't show your sadness at this time!]

[Following the driver's guidance, the carriage slowly stopped at the station in Qingce Manor. Baoer's home was only a ten-minute walk away, so you planned to walk the rest of the way.]

[Baoer was excited and anxious, seemingly unaware of the upcoming parting, which left you and Rosaria feeling conflicted. On one hand, you were happy for Baoer's return home, but on the other, her obliviousness to the impending separation made both of you want to shake some sense into her.]

[Soon, the three of you spotted Baoer's home. In the yard in front of the house, you saw a man and woman basking in the sun, their backs turned to you.]

["Dad! Mom—" Baoer ran out, shouting loudly at the sight of the familiar figures. But after just a few steps, Baoer suddenly stopped, her words catching in her throat.]

[Following Baoer's gaze, you saw a baby crying for food in the woman's arms in the yard. The man occasionally teased the baby, making the entire family laugh together—a picture of happiness.]

Goodness... What a blow this must be, Tsumugi Kujo thought, feeling a pang of sympathy.

While Baoer's parents had done nothing wrong, having moved forward after the tragedy of their daughter's kidnapping, the scene unfolding before you was undeniably harsh for Baoer.

Kidnapped by human traffickers in Sumeru and brought to a foreign land, Baoer had finally escaped and worked for a year in Liyue Harbor, saving enough money to return home. Only to be greeted by the sight of her parents with their newborn child... That's a critical hit straight to the heart, Tsumugi mused.

If Baoer were a mature adult, perhaps she could handle the situation better.

But she's only an eight-year-old child!

Children aren't meant to be reasonable, Tsumugi Kujo thought, anticipating what might come next.

[The man and woman in the yard didn't seem to hear Baoer's call, their focus solely on the baby. Baoer's face turned from excitedly flushed to pale, then gloomy.]

["Let's go." Baoer turned around and left without looking back.]

[You and Rosaria exchanged glances, silently agreeing not to say anything. It was obvious that Baoer was in a bad mood. Neither of you wanted to upset her further, so you hurriedly followed.]

[Before leaving, you looked back at Baoer's house. The man in the yard seemed to sense something and glanced in your direction. However, since Baoer had already left, the man quickly lost interest when he saw only an unfamiliar girl on the road and returned to teasing the baby in the woman's arms.]

What a sad situation...

Tsumugi Kujo couldn't help but think that this must have been similar to what happened in Baoer's real life before she joined the Treasure Hoarders.

[Afterward, Baoer locked herself in the carriage and didn't come out. A few hours passed, and the moon was high in the sky, yet there was still no movement from the carriage, which made you and Rosaria very worried.]

["Go and talk to Baoer. She must be feeling awful right now," Rosaria suggested.]

["Why don't you?"]

["Do I seem like the type to comfort people?"]

["Uh..."]

[Rosaria's words left you speechless. She wasn't known for her comforting words, and her relationship with Baoer wasn't as close as yours, so it was up to you.]

["Baoer, you must be hungry. I brought you dinner." You knocked on the carriage door, but there was no response.]

[Opening the carriage door, you found Baoer asleep on the seat. Her eyes were red and swollen, with tear marks on her face. It was clear she had been crying.]

[You sighed, gently wiped away the tears on Baoer's face, then held her hand, staying by her side in silence.]

["Mmm..." After several minutes, or perhaps hours, Baoer finally woke up.]

["Are you awake?" You smiled softly, trying to comfort her. You handed her a piece of bread and said, "You must be hungry. I brought you dinner."]

[To save money, most of the food you had brought was bread. Even though you were now at the station, you decided to eat what you had to save money. Though it wasn't tasty, it was enough to fill your stomach.]

["Have you been waiting here for me to wake up?" Baoer asked, still a little dazed. She took the bread absentmindedly and then noticed that you were still holding her hand.]

["Yes, but only for a little while. Please eat something."]

That's a lie.

[Since you had been holding Baoer's hand, you had to kneel in the carriage, and now your knees were red and bleeding, though you hadn't noticed.]

[When Baoer saw your injured knees, she was overcome with concern and began to cry again.]

["Does it hurt?" Baoer asked, her voice trembling as she looked at your injuries.]

["I... it's..." You tried to cover your knees and explain. But before you could say anything, Baoer's face suddenly came closer, and then, your lips met hers, a soft, flexible tongue parting your lips and slipping into your mouth...]