Grandma

The burly man still led the way.

This time, however, his expression was filled with caution, even a trace of terror.

Bai Xiaodu paid him no mind.

“Relax, I'm not some madman who kills indiscriminately.”

The burly man nodded frantically in agreement.

Bai Xiaodu, of course, read the look in his eyes and shook his head helplessly.

He walked out of the lounge.

The afternoon sun had not yet turned a deep crimson, and the light swirled in the sky, casting visible, shimmering beams.

For a brief moment, Bai Xiaodu fell into a daze.

Demihumans generally had sharp senses, and Bai Xiaodu actually detested the heavy smell of alcohol and lingering smoke.

But when forced by the realities of life, what choice did he have?

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to endure it any longer.

Those lounge managers would never be able to extort him or make unreasonable demands again.

Leaving the venue, Bai Xiaodu slowly breathed in the fresh air carried by the wind. He tilted his head back, his ears unconsciously twitching backward.

His boyish face, which looked incredibly adorable from any angle, was framed by silver hair that now seemed outlined in a faint, golden halo.

He looked so gentle that Liya couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

She even found herself dazed for a moment.

“Miss Liya, thank you for your help today.”

The pleasant voice snapped her out of her stupor. Realizing she had just been swooning, Liya quickly shook her head.

“It was just Lady Xin Hai'an's orders. Hmph, sweet talk won't work on me, so don't think you can win me over with just a few nice words.”

Bai Xiaodu tilted his head, his ears flopping to one side with the motion.

“But I'm simply expressing my gratitude for your help. What does that have to do with orders?”

Liya felt her heart skip a beat in front of that face.

Bai Xiaodu turned and walked ahead.

“It will take some time to track him down, but I should have news soon. I'll contact Sister Xin Hai'an then.”

“Until next time, Miss Liya.”

...

The six hundred thousand credits arrived very quickly.

Pushing his shopping cart, Bai Xiaodu frowned slightly. He had still asked for too little.

After all, he had to boil the frog in warm water; there would be plenty of opportunities to squeeze them for more later.

He purchased meat jerky, chocolate, and candy, sorting them based on the specific dietary needs of the different races of children at the orphanage.

Bai Xiaodu considered himself a detached person, but since Grandma, the director, loved children, he had no choice but to care for them as well.

He had been too busy lately, and only now did he manage to carve out some free time to visit.

He hailed a cab, and the buildings along the streets flashed past like arrows.

Eventually, the car pulled over and the engine cut out in front of the faded rainbow sign of the Sunshine Orphanage.

Bai Xiaodu got out, and the driver, who had been tipped extra, stayed to help him unload the goods.

Standing before the iron-bar gate, Bai Xiaodu nodded to the security guard and handed him a pack of cigarettes.

The Sunshine Orphanage was located on the far outskirts of the city. There wasn't even a commercial street nearby, only a couple of small, run-down shops sitting crookedly on the roadside.

Several sharp-eyed winged children had already dragged their wings over, crowding around him and calling out, “Big Brother! Big Brother!”

Bai Xiaodu nodded gently.

“Where is Grandma?”

Chewing on a piece of meat jerky, a little winged girl spoke with her mouth full.

“She's in... the room where they put on medicine.”

“How has Grandma's health been lately? Has she been taking her medicine on time?”

“Mhm. A few days ago, some people in white clothes came and delivered medicine. I've been getting hot water for Grandma every day!”

“That's good. Thank you. You can have two portions of meat jerky.”

“Thank you, Brother Bai!”

Most of the orphanage's buildings were subsidized housing, with rows of low, dilapidated eaves stretching out.

Because space was so limited, the rooms that should have stretched straight ahead were forced to bend at a sharp right angle.

Grandma had thought about renovating, but unfortunately, government funding was always delayed. The councilors would never prioritize an orphanage run by an ordinary retired veteran.

Bai Xiaodu entered the backyard.

He hadn't lived here initially, but had started out in an orphanage on a frontier planet.

War and famine had brutally crushed his pride as a modern person. All the knowledge from his past life was utterly useless in the face of roaring artillery fire.

Yet, he was incredibly fortunate.

Because the fox-kin were generally highly valued for their appearance, he fetched a decent price. He didn't have to slowly starve to death like his companions.

Instead, he was legally taken away in bulk by human traffickers under the guise of adoption.

Later, an unknown flu spread among the slaves. Fearing they would waste precious medicine, the slavers quickly stopped on another planet midway to sell them off at a low price.

The slaves had long been broken and emaciated by hunger and illness.

Bai Xiaodu clearly remembered the state of his calves back then—they were nothing but bone wrapped in a thin layer of skin.

From among that crowd of lost children sitting on the ground and weeping quietly, Grandma, the director, had ultimately chosen him.

How fortunate he was to have survived to this day.

Looking for the sign for the clinic, Bai Xiaodu gently pushed the door open.

The bitter scent of medicine wafted over, and he stopped in his tracks.

A little grey fox-kin child sat on a chair with tears in his eyes, hissing in pain as rubbing alcohol stung his wounds.

Beside him, the petite, ordinary-looking Grandma comforted him while gently rolling a cotton swab over the cuts on his face.

“There, there... it's alright...”

She noticed Bai Xiaodu, and nodded to him without pausing her hands.

“Xiaodu, you're here.”

Bai Xiaodu stared at the wounds on the young grey fox-kin's face and fell silent.

Although he had already known about it, seeing the child actually standing before him with a face full of injuries still made a surge of killing intent well up in his heart.

The medicine was soon applied. Grandma gave a few instructions, and the young grey fox-kin nodded, obediently leaving the room.

Patting the dust off a cushion, the director gestured for him to sit down.

Bai Xiaodu waved his hand.

“I just came back to see you. I can only stay for a little while, so don't worry about it.”

The director smiled.

“No, you must have run into something major, haven't you?”

Bai Xiaodu glanced at her but remained silent.

Grandma sighed.

“Your spirit is brimming with vitality, and you carry an incredibly strong presence. That's not how a mortal carries themselves. Have you touched transcendent power?”

Bai Xiaodu gave an affirmative grunt.

He wasn't surprised that Grandma could tell.

He knew of her past; she had once been a member of the auxiliary army and had served the Federation for a long time.

Anyone who heard of this past would look utterly astonished. No one could connect the frail, elderly woman before them with a bloody, screaming battlefield.

Looking earnestly into her grayish-brown eyes, Bai Xiaodu spoke softly.

“Grandma, I told you that one day, I would get you a bigger house. It will have a garden and a swing, clean drinking water, and three nutritious meals a day. You won't have to worry about all kinds of messy expenses anymore.”

“I am working hard for this. Now that I've touched the transcendent level, shouldn't you be happy?”