Willow Brook's mornings always started the same.
Roosters screaming like they were paid for it.
Farmers yelling at the roosters.
Dogs barking at both.
Li Tianlian left the house stretching lazily, half-asleep, hair sticking out in all wrong directions. He didn't bother fixing it.
"Another peaceful day," he muttered, scratching his cheek.
Peaceful was good. Peaceful meant he could keep pretending to be a harmless village boy with no goals in life.
He walked toward the stream—his favorite place to waste time. Sunlight spilled across the water, reflecting tiny sparks. The air was cool. The world was quiet.
Perfect spot for a professional slacker.
He plopped onto his usual flat rock and leaned back.
"Ah… this is the life."
He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the gentle flow of water. The breeze carried the scent of bamboo. It almost made him forget this world would eventually try to kill him.
Almost.
Just as he was about to drift into a nap—
Splash.
His eyes snapped open.
"…Huh?"
He sat up and looked downstream.
At first he thought it was a bundle of clothes caught on a rock.
But clothes don't move.
Clothes don't breathe.
And clothes definitely don't have a tiny hand gripping the riverbank like life depended on it.
Tianlian blinked.
"…Is that… a kid?"
He slid off the rock and walked closer, cautious but calm. The small figure came into focus—a little girl, maybe four or five, soaked to the bone. Her hair stuck to her face, her breaths shallow and shaky.
She wasn't from Willow Brook. He knew every child in the village. This one was unfamiliar.
Her lips were pale.
Her eyes closed.
Her tiny fingers twitched weakly.
She was alive—barely.
Tianlian crouched in front of her.
"…What are you doing here?"
She didn't answer, obviously.
He rubbed his temple.
"Alright. New plan. Don't die."
He gently lifted her. She was lighter than expected, almost frighteningly so.
The villagers would panic if they saw this. His father especially.
But leaving her here wasn't an option. He wasn't heartless.
Lazy? Absolutely.
Heartless? Not yet.
He adjusted her in his arms.
"Let's go. You're heavier than you look, you know that?"
She didn't react. Her head rested against his shoulder, cold as river stones.
He quickened his steps.
---
The Doctor's House
Li Yingshu was already grinding herbs when Tianlian pushed the door open with his foot.
"I brought something," Tianlian said.
His father looked up.
Then froze.
"Lian'er. Where did you get a child?"
"The stream."
"That is not an explanation."
"She was there."
"…And you picked her up?"
"Better than leaving her."
Li Yingshu hurried over, checking her pulse, breathing, temperature.
"She has mild hypothermia… and exhaustion. No obvious injuries. Help me warm some towels."
Tianlian moved immediately. Not lazily—not when it mattered. Within moments, warm cloths, dry blankets, and steaming tea leaves were prepared.
They worked together quietly.
The girl's breathing steadied.
Her eyelashes trembled.
Finally, her eyes fluttered open—large, soft, and strangely clear. She blinked at the ceiling, then at the unfamiliar room, then at the two strangers.
Tianlian waved vaguely.
"Yo."
She stared at him, confused.
Li Yingshu smiled gently. "It's alright. You're safe."
The girl opened her mouth.
"…Mei."
Her voice was soft. Like she wasn't sure if she was allowed to speak.
Tianlian raised a brow. "Your name?"
She nodded weakly.
"Where are you from?" his father asked gently.
But the girl looked down. Her small fingers twisted the blanket. No answer.
Not fear.
More like… she didn't want to say.
Or couldn't.
Tianlian leaned against the wall, arms crossed casually.
"Well, she's not going anywhere anytime soon."
Li Yingshu sighed. "We can let her rest here until she recovers. After that, we'll ask the village elders."
Mei's hands tightened slightly at the word "elders."
Tianlian noticed.
He didn't say anything.
But he noted it.
He always noted things.
---
Later That Afternoon
The girl slept again. Tianlian sat on the porch, chewing a stalk of grass while watching chickens fight over nothing.
He heard footsteps behind him.
His father.
"You found her early," Li Yingshu said quietly. "Good thing you went to the stream this morning."
Tianlian shrugged. "I was gonna nap. Fate interrupted."
His father chuckled. "Lian'er… you pretend a lot, but you're kind."
"I just pick up things I see," Tianlian replied dryly. "Like rocks. Herbs. Stray children."
"…Don't say it like that."
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then Li Yingshu added, "Be careful. A child doesn't end up alone by a river for no reason. Something must've happened."
Tianlian already knew that.
He had seen enough of the real world—even back on Earth—to recognize when something was wrong.
But this was different.
This world hid dangers behind quiet corners.
And a lost girl was rarely just a lost girl.
Still… he exhaled softly.
"For now, let her rest."
"Yes," his father agreed.
---
Evening
Tianlian brought porridge into the small room.
Mei was awake, sitting up slowly. Her eyes widened when she saw him.
He set the bowl down.
"Eat. Before it gets cold."
She hesitated, then nodded.
After a few bites, she looked at him carefully.
"…Why did you help me?"
Tianlian blinked.
"That's a weird question."
"…Is it?"
"Yeah. You were drowning. Helping you was easier than watching you float away."
Her lips trembled—like she wanted to smile but didn't know how.
"What if I… caused trouble?" Mei whispered.
"You?" Tianlian blinked. "You weigh less than a chicken. What trouble could you cause?"
She looked down shyly.
He added, voice softer, "Don't worry. You're safe here."
Mei looked at him as if trying to confirm he wasn't lying.
She relaxed—just a little.
---
Night
After everyone slept, Tianlian stood outside under the moonlight.
The stream flowed quietly.
The village was calm.
But something in the air felt different.
Not dangerous.
Not yet.
Just… shifting.
He looked towa
rd the room where Mei slept.
Then toward the distant forest.
"Peace never lasts long, huh…"
He stretched lazily.
"Guess I should prepare."
Not dramatically.
Not with grand ambition.
Just enough.
Enough to survive whatever the world decided to throw at him next.