A Stranger in the Family

Ye Xing looked extremely sad. She thought that ever since she transmigrated here, her lightning - warrior father was probably still out there, gallivanting around the battlefield with his princess. She guessed it would be another year or two before they remembered their wandering child of love.

Don't ask her how she knew. She was just used to it by now.

She was just an unwanted kid :)

"My parents are in a very far - away place. They probably can't meet you," Ye Xing said.

Gary looked up. Seeing the complex expression on Ye Xing's face, he thought that by "very far - away place", she meant her parents had passed away. So his heart ached even more.

"You've gotten so skinny. You must not have had a proper meal in a long time, right?"

Ye Xing blushed. "It's okay. I just don't eat much."

"Do you have a place to live now?" he asked.

"Umm... not for the moment, I guess." Ye Xing scratched her head.

After leaving the hospital later, she'd go and ask about the rental prices. Even though she only had ninety - two star - coins left, she had hands and feet. Even if she was short on money, she could always find a job she could do... right?

"If that's the case, then, would you like to come and stay at our place for the time being?" Gary held Ye Xing's hand with his big hand. "We'll take good care of you."

Ye Xing was taken aback.

"And you saved my wife. Consider it as our way of repaying you, okay?"

Gary's words were sincere, his face earnest. His eyes, looking at Ye Xing, were filled with hidden grief and fear.

Fear that she would reject.

Ye Xing couldn't resist that look and said, "But that would be too much trouble for you."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. We'd be really happy if you agreed." Gary wiped his face.

Ye Xing hesitated for a moment and then nodded. She asked again, "May I ask, when you looked at me like that at first, did I remind you of someone?"

Suddenly, the ward fell silent.

After a long while, Gary, who was sitting stiffly by the bedside, finally moved. He took out a photo from his pocket and handed it to Ye Xing.

Looking at the happy family in the photo, Ye Xing couldn't help but touch her face.

"You look so much like my daughter. The moment I saw you, I even thought you were her grown - up self, and that my daughter hadn't passed away at all..." Gary's eyes were red.

After that, Ye Xing finally learned about what Gary's family had gone through two years ago.

Due to a sudden cold - wave storm, the Class - C planet where Gary's family used to live was instantly devastated.

At that time, Gary was on another planet, engaged in business cooperation and negotiations. It was only when he heard the disaster broadcast that he rushed home non - stop. But all he saw were his wife and daughter, their bodies nearly frozen stiff by the cold wave.

On the way to the hospital, his 15 - year - old daughter, who had a weak constitution, passed away.

His wife, after a day and a night of emergency treatment, barely managed to survive, but her body was left with an incurable cold - related illness.

His wife, who had lost their beloved daughter, was depressed all day long, and the cold - related illness relapsed from time to time. In order to relieve his wife's pain, he had to move his wife to the well - known Randall Star, which was always as warm as summer. He spent his days shuttling between his business and his wife.

He asked the nanny at home to make decoctions to dispel the cold for his wife every day, and the floor tiles were all made of heat - generating flame crystals. He bought everything he could find that could absorb the cold, but his wife's health still deteriorated day by day.

Until today, when the cold - related illness relapsed again, and he was on the verge of despair, he met Ye Xing. 

Ye Xing really resembled his daughter. In her eyebrows and eyes, if she were two years younger, she would be almost identical to his daughter.

So he thought, could this be the compensation from the heavens for the two of them? Could it be that his wife's condition would improve, and they would get to meet a child so similar to their daughter again?

When Gary's wife, Chris Hurley, woke up, what she saw was her usually serious - faced husband chatting happily with a girl like a child.

"Honey, you're awake." Gary quickly helped her up, only to see her staring intently at Ye Xing.

Gary lowered his head. "Honey, this is Ye Xing. She's the one who saved you today."

Ye Xing quickly waved her hand.

The term "savior" made her feel rather awkward.

On the bed, Hurley's eyes widened, and her lips trembled. "She, she..."

Gary held her hand. "I know what you want to say, but... she's not our daughter."

Hurley's eyes dimmed instantly.

Gary added, "But her parents are no longer around, and she has no place to live here. So I was thinking..."

"Is she all alone?" Hurley's voice was hoarse.

Gary nodded.

She reached out her hand to Ye Xing. Ye Xing stepped forward, "Hello, I'm Ye Xing."

Hurley gently touched her, caressing her almost - fleshless face with pity. "Why are you so skinny?" she said.

Ye Xing scratched her head.

"If you don't mind, come and live with us, okay?" Hurley gently stroked her head.

Ye Xing nodded.

A smile appeared on Hurley's face. She said to Gary eagerly, "There's no point in treating my illness anymore. Staying in the hospital is just a waste of time. Gary, let's take Xiaoxing home."

Ye Xing's eyes widened. She was about to say there was no need to be in such a hurry, but Gary had already said, "I'll go through the discharge procedures right away."

???

"Don't you need to rest a bit longer? You just woke up and now you're getting discharged..." Ye Xing said in a low voice.

Hurley rubbed her head, her eyes full of love. "It's okay. We're used to it. Every time we come to the hospital, it's just like changing a place to live. No doctor can cure my illness. All they do is tell me to rest more."

Hurley's voice was gentle, as if she was just stating something unimportant.

Ye Xing felt a pang of pity. So she slowly mobilized the power in her body.

"Tweet - tweet!"

Ye Xing:? Outside the window, several turquoise - colored birds were fluttering their wings and circling.

!!!

Ye Xing was startled. Why were these birds here?!

Hurley turned her head following the sound, and her laughter was gentle. "So they're Wanling Birds. It's really rare. We don't usually see them. They're the auspicious birds of our Federation."

Ye Xing's face remained expressionless upon hearing this.

Auspicious birds? I think they're more like death - bringing birds! 

As soon as Ye Xing started to mobilize her power, these birds showed up. Ye Xing couldn't help but wonder if their heads were equipped with radars, they reacted so quickly.

Not wanting to be caught by the patrol team so soon, Ye Xing had to suppress the urge to directly remove Hurley's cold - related illness.

After all, she had already cleared half of the cold - related illness in Hurley's body at the beginning. It wouldn't relapse for about half a year.

And in such a long time, she was bound to have the opportunity to get rid of the remaining half.

Gary soon came back, and then led Hurley and Ye Xing out of the hospital.

Outside the hospital, a driver in black was waiting with a stretched - out "car". Ye Xing was dazzled by this other - world vehicle. Like someone who had never seen the world, she looked around and touched everything.

Hurley smiled and took her hand. "Okay, we can look at it later when we get home."

Ye Xing nodded and was then led by Hurley to sit in the back of the car.

All the way, Hurley kept asking Ye Xing about her age and hobbies, but not a single word about her parents.

The stretched - out "car" soon drove into a villa area and stopped outside a three - story villa.

"Xiaoxing, let me show you your future home," Hurley said happily, taking Ye Xing's hand. Gary, beside them, sighed with emotion. After two years, he finally saw the smile on his wife's face again.

And all of this was brought by Ye Xing.

Ye Xing was led into the villa. It was the servants' day off, so there was no one in the villa. But the moment Ye Xing stepped in, a wave of heat instantly enveloped her.

She looked carefully and found that the floors and tiles inside the villa were made of neatly - cut dark - red crystals. And the heat was coming from these crystals.

"Do you think it's too hot?" Hurley asked, a bit annoyed, thinking that she would have these flame crystals removed later.

Ye Xing quickly shook her head. "I think it's just right. It's warm and very comfortable."

Hurley felt sorry for her being so sensible and hugged her.

After that, Hurley took her upstairs, personally picked a room with the best ventilation and lighting for her, and then immediately asked someone to start decorating it.

When everything was set up, Ye Xing entered the room.

Goodness, whose little princess's bedroom is this? Does she deserve to live here?

In the end, the little princess Ye Xing, who thought she didn't deserve it, still moved in. The huge wardrobe and dressing table, and the super - soft bed nearly two meters wide made Ye Xing reluctant to leave.

She never thought that one day she could be a little princess.

Ye Xing wiped away a tear of bitterness.

After rolling on the bed twice in excitement, Ye Xing suddenly thought of Guan Jin.

They had agreed that she would add him on the light - brain when she got home.

But... what was a light - brain?

Sitting on the bed, lost in thought, Ye Xing thought she might have to go out again.

Just then, Gary and Hurley knocked on the door and came in. Ye Xing sat up straight and saw that Gary was holding a box.

Hurley opened the box, took out the latest model of light - brain from it, and said, "We didn't have much time to prepare a gift for the first meeting. Seeing that you had nothing on your wrist, we took the liberty of buying a light - brain for you."

Hurley taught Ye Xing how to use the light - brain. When she learned that Ye Xing's identity hadn't been registered in the Federation yet, she said that Gary would take care of it later and told Ye Xing not to worry.

Surrounded by the kindness of the two, Ye Xing felt like she was floating in mid - air, as if in a dream.

"From now on, consider this your home. If you need anything, just tell us. Don't be polite," Hurley kissed her on the forehead.

Ye Xing blushed.

After the couple left the room, Ye Xing finally came back to her senses.

Following what Hurley had taught her, she registered a light - brain account. When entering the user name, Ye Xing thought for a while and then typed a few words. Then, she sent a friend request to Guan Jin and waited quietly for his reply.

On the other side, at the Guan family's.

Guan Jin had been sitting there, staring at his light - brain for hours, not even having his meal, waiting for Ye Xing to add him. 

But after such a long time, the light - brain still didn't show any sign of a new message. This made Guan Jin start to wonder if he had been deceived again.

"Ding - "

A notification sound rang out. Guan Jin immediately opened his light - brain and found a friend request. His face lit up with joy, but then he sneered when he saw the name of the new friend.

["The Strongest Mecha Soldier of the Federation"]?

Who gave you such confidence?

However, when his eyes landed on the note below that read "It's me, Ye Xing", Guan Jin's hand trembled.

He took back his rude words just now.

Then, for Ye Xing's contact note, he carefully typed six characters.

["Protect Our Little Darling"]

Guan Jin hugged his light - brain.

This was great. He was now someone who had added the healer's light - brain contact.