Xiaoxiao held his hand and walked with him down the corridor of the orphanage.
The orphanage, which was vague in Yin Xiu's memory, was far more dilapidated than he had imagined. It had been neglected for years, with broken windows, crumbling walls, and moss covering the ground. It was clearly leaky and drafty, and it was not a normal place for children to live.
But for those who are homeless, it is their only place to live, and even though it is dilapidated, it still brings them peace of mind.
For them, who have nowhere to belong, belonging is the thing they crave most.
They want to own a house, a house that can accommodate both siblings, and that will be their home, so having a house is enough.
"Brother, I've learned how to knead dough! Although my sister says my hands are too small to knead properly, if I knead slowly, I'll be able to make delicious steamed buns." Xiaoxiao stretched out her hand, her small, tender palm waving in the air. Recently, she didn't know what she had been doing, but her fingers were peeling and cracked.
Yin Xiu took a deep breath, grasped her small hand and squeezed it, "From now on, your brother can come."
"It's okay! I'm already saying I want to be independent!" Xiaoxiao stubbornly pulled her hand away. "I can help my brother too. The dough I kneaded was what he ate for breakfast today."
Xiaoxiao smiled and took Yinxiu's hand, eagerly pulling him to the orphanage's kitchen.
Before we even got close, we could hear the laughter of several children gathered around a small table. "There are a few extra steamed buns today! Hey! They're mine!"
"Me too! Me too!" Several children rushed forward, grabbing at the food. "I'm not full yet!"
"These steamed buns are small and ugly, and they won't fill your stomachs. You can have them."
The leader of the group was a strong, tall boy. He had already eaten his fill, so he huffed and tossed the small steamed buns into the arms of the other children.
No matter where you are, there is always a leader in a small group of children. The other children have to watch their mood. A few small steamed buns are thrown over, which is a treat for them who are not full. They stuff them into their mouths without saying a word.
Just as he was wolfing down his food, he caught a glimpse of Xiaoxiao leading Yin Xiu to the doorway.
Her once innocent and carefree face was now puffed up with anger. She pointed angrily at the children, "How dare you steal the steamed buns I made for my brother! I made them!"
"Who would know you made it? This is a shared system, food is meant to be shared. Just because you made it doesn't mean it's yours!" The leader of the children immediately stood up arrogantly, not taking Xiaoxiao seriously at all. "Besides, we've already saved two for you, you should be grateful you have anything to eat."
His stern expression and cold demeanor were obvious, and the other children remained silent.
Of all the children, only this brother and sister disobeyed him; he had disliked them for a long time.
Xiaoxiao usually wouldn't mind if her brother took a couple of candies, but today, something she made for him early this morning was quietly taken away.
Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, tears welling in her eyes with anger, grabbed the broom next to her and rushed over, yelling, "Spit it all out!"
Even at such a young age, she knew when to protest. If she tolerated it once, the next time it would escalate. She would never allow it to happen a second time.
She had just picked up the broom and was about to rush over when a hand suddenly reached out and stopped her.
"Brother! Why are you protecting them!" Xiaoxiao glared angrily at the grinning children, her eyes filled with resentment.
Yin Xiu casually took the broom from her hand and said lightly, "This won't work, it's too light."
Xiaoxiao was taken aback. Turning her head, she saw Yin Xiu rummaging through the cabinet next to her. She wiped away her tears and asked, "What are you looking for, brother?"
"I don't know. I'll just have to find something that will prevent them from eating anymore. If that doesn't work, I'll just have to slap them in the face," Yin Xiu muttered. He couldn't remember the layout of the orphanage at all, and he couldn't find anything suitable.
"Brother, I understand!" Xiaoxiao's face lit up with joy, her eyes reddening as she ran to the cabinet on the other side, took out a pair of pliers, and said, "Brother, use this!"
Her smile was innocent and romantic: "If I pull out my teeth, I won't be able to eat!"
As soon as she said that, the children next to her were shocked and stared at Xiaoxiao with wide eyes in disbelief. How could she say such cruel and terrifying words!
"Okay, that's the one." Yin Xiu nodded in agreement and went over to take the pliers.
The other children were terrified when they saw this, but they dared not leave because the tallest of the group was still glaring at them with some resentment.
If they run away here, the leader of the kids will teach them a lesson later. They've always ganged up on these siblings to steal their things, and they can even win a group fight!
"You used to steal my candy, now you steal my food, what will you steal from me in the future?" Yin Xiu stared at the child indifferently, his eyes cold. "I'm giving you a lesson this time. If you dare to do it again, I'll be even tougher than this time."
As soon as he stepped forward, several children rushed up to him, trying to pin Yin Xiu down first.
When he first arrived, Yin Xiu was very thin and weak, and he was malnourished because he didn't have enough to eat. But recently, in order to keep the orphanage running, he has been arranged to work secretly. With a fixed amount of food and labor, although he is very tired every day, his body has also improved. He is no longer unable to move when he is held down like before.
After struggling free from the other children, he lunged at the child standing at the back and began to wrestle with him.
"Go, brother!" Xiaoxiao found a rolling pin somewhere and rushed over while they were fighting, swinging it at the leader of the kids.
The child grimaced in pain, and Yin Xiu took the opportunity to pin him to the ground.
A pair of pliers snapped into the boy's front teeth in an instant. Yin Xiu stared at him coldly, "If you move again, your front teeth will disappear."
Compared to scars that will heal over time, the missing front tooth that everyone can see when he opens his mouth is a bigger blow to someone like him who reigns supreme among children.
The child on the ground was burning with rage. He never imagined that one day he would be ridden on by the very person he had always bullied.
He glanced at the children around him; all their eyes were fixed on him as he was pinned to the ground, his front teeth clamped shut, preventing him from giving orders. It was an utter disgrace.
"Don't mess with us again. If you mess with us again, I'll pull out your teeth again." Yin Xiu stared at the other party, and before the child king could back down, he suddenly exerted force with his hand.
Letting him off is impossible; it will only embolden him. Even if he gets scolded afterward, he will still have to do this to let people know that no one can ever ride roughshod over him again.
A heart-wrenching scream burst from the child's mouth.
But it wasn't the kind of shouting a child should make; it sounded more like the voice of an adult.
Yin Xiu was stunned and took a step back. His vision turned red rapidly, the scene twisted and turned, and even the child's face in front of him became distorted.
He subconsciously turned his head to look in Xiaoxiao's direction, only to find that the orphanage had disappeared. He was now standing in the blood-red corridor of the hospital, holding a scalpel in his hand, and at his feet was a player whose teeth he had pried out with the scalpel.
Hearing the screams, countless players emerged from their rooms, their eyes all focused on Yin Xiu.
Yin Xiu was stunned for a while before he recovered.
Level 3 mental illness: Hallucinations may occur, and there may be an uncontrollable urge to attack those around the person.