Turn around.
It really was a woman, but she was far too young and too short.
But this tiny little thing has such big eyes!
Under the moonlight, her neat bangs completely covered her eyebrows, revealing a pair of large, round eyes that were bright, clear, and seemed to sparkle with starlight. She had a clever look in her eyes, which were full of curiosity and a little fear, like a kitten seeing something new, wanting to touch it but not daring to, so it slowly reached out its paw to explore.
Upon noticing her attire, Jin was speechless. She was not yet of marriageable age, only about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was practically a little girl!
The little girl stood there with her hands behind her back, tilting her head to intently observe him. When he turned around, she was a little startled and moved back slightly. Her little face was bathed in moonlight, making her look delicate and lovely.
Jin frowned; he loathed those eyes.
I haven't seen eyes like that in a long time—pure, clean, and bright, like the sunlight of day, illuminating him so clearly that he had nowhere to hide.
Jin also disliked those eyes; they made him feel like he was running around naked. He maliciously wondered what the girl would look like if he poisoned her eyes.
Soon, he remembered the rules of the sect in frustration: this girl was clearly not a martial arts practitioner, and even the dignified sect leader could not touch her.
So he turned back and said, "Get lost. This cult leader treats you like you're invisible."
.
The little girl clearly didn't read the room and stood still.
Jin couldn't hold back any longer. He wasn't so stupid as to think that the little girl shared his hobby and liked to run around at night. As for why she came out alone in the middle of the night and why her family didn't care, he was too lazy to think about such questions.
He simply turned around, suppressing his anger: "What are you doing here?"
Sensing the unfriendly tone, the little girl shrank back, stared at him blankly for a long time, and then pouted, "What are you doing here?"
Forgot this isn't the Thousand Hands Sect? These days even little girls dare to be so arrogant. Master Jin choked for a moment, then turned away and ignored her. Fine, this magnanimous master won't stoop to the level of a child.
After a while, someone approached.
Jin is about to lose his temper again.
"Are you hungry?" A small hand reached out, holding something that smelled familiar.
Jin was taken aback.
The little girl blinked her big eyes and said softly, "I brought osmanthus cake."
Jin was getting impatient and raised his hand to push her away, but before he could do so, the little girl had already lost her patience. She grabbed his hand and placed the cake in his palm: "I have more."
There was a white handkerchief and several pieces of cake on the stone next to it.
The little girl sat down next to him: "This is osmanthus cake, it's delicious."
Look at the cake in your hand. It's not very well made. It's just a regular takeout cake. Jin even sneered, "What kind of desserts haven't I tried? Why would I care about a mere piece of osmanthus cake?"
He coldly retorted, "I'm not hungry."
To my surprise, as soon as I said that, my stomach started growling.
Jin wanted to slap himself to death. Damn it, he had been so focused on passing on his skills and practicing martial arts all day, and then he had played the enthronement ceremony. He had forgotten to eat. Now, the dignified leader of the sect was losing face in front of a little girl.
The little girl laughed, her voice like the tinkling of bells.
Jin became increasingly embarrassed and made a fierce face: "What are you laughing at!"
The little girl immediately stopped laughing, blinked twice, stuffed the cake into his mouth, and comforted him, "Don't worry, it's my treat."
Despite being able to dodge the action, Jin Huanlai inexplicably opened his mouth and bit it, leaving Jin speechless with the cake in his mouth. Oh well, this cult leader is being kind by eating your cake; I'll just compensate you with a basketful from now on.
The taste seems pretty good...
.
Seeing him obediently eating the pastries, the little girl was pleased and asked, "What's your name?"
Jin asked, "Why are you asking this?"
The little girl argued confidently, "You ate my food, so you should at least let me know you."
As expected, he was indebted to her. Jin sighed and turned to look at her: "I'm a thief, are you afraid?"
The little girl was stunned.
Jin raised an eyebrow.
The little girl snapped out of her daze: "I don't believe it."
“I really am a thief, I steal things every day,” Jin said, throwing down the osmanthus cake and sneering. “Look, I ate your cake, why would I lie to you?”
After confirming that he wasn't lying, the little girl thought for a moment and said, "Then you must be the worst thief."
What?! Jin was dumbfounded and utterly shocked. What do you mean by the worst thief? I am the King of Thieves!
Who says I'm the worst?
"If you could steal anything, why would you be hiding here crying from hunger?"
Jin retorted angrily, "Who said I cried!"
The little girl pouted: "You were crying."
"You..." Jin Huanlai was actually a little annoyed, pointing to his eyes, "Look, crying requires tears, do you see any? Do you see any?"
"Let me see." The little girl actually touched his face with her hand.
Her small hands were slender and soft, smooth and comfortable to the touch. Jin Huanlai was momentarily lost in thought. She was very close, carrying a faint fragrance, like the delicate scent of osmanthus cake, yet perhaps not. Her small face was exceptionally clear, with a tiny mouth and a delicate nose. Jin Huanlai thought to herself, this girl will definitely be a beauty when she grows up. Come to think of it, her body isn't really that of a little girl; she has almost everything she should have…
While she was having impure thoughts, the little hand suddenly withdrew.
The little girl guiltily looked away: "You..."
Jin asked, puzzled, "What?"
"You're very pretty." The little girl pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and seemed a little embarrassed.
Upon hearing this, Jin's ulterior motives vanished instantly. Instead, he was left speechless, both amused and exasperated. "You touched my handsome face all over and then said that? This is... being taken advantage of by a girl!"
The little girl was puzzled: "That's strange. I clearly saw you crying just now. Men cry when they're hungry too."
Jin replied, "Who said I was hungry?"
The little girl pointed out: "If you weren't hungry, why would you eat my cake?"
With the evidence irrefutable, Jin had nothing to say. At the same time, he came to his senses. Who was this Jin the Elder? The dignified leader of the Thousand Hands Sect, actually arguing with a little girl. If word got out, wouldn't people laugh their heads off?
He touched his face in frustration. He hadn't gained any advantage and had even been taken advantage of. Tch!
.
Who says men cry when they're hungry?
"That's what my wet nurse said."
Jin almost spat out his drink: "Is that so? You've never seen a man cry?"
The little girl proudly raised her face: "Of course, my little brother cries when he's hungry."
Jin retorted, frustrated: "Haven't you seen other men?"
"And my dad, and the others... I've only seen them from afar," the little girl said dejectedly. "My dad won't let me go out, so you see, I have to sneak out every night. I didn't expect you to arrive before me tonight."
She pointed to the large rock beneath her: "This is where I'm sitting."
Is this a complaint that I, the leader, stole your territory? Jin was both amused and exasperated. Having taken the cake from someone else, he decided to offer some kind advice: "What if you run into bad people while running around like this?"
"There are no bad people here." The little girl wouldn't listen.
Jin was too lazy to say more.
The little girl thought for a moment and asked, "Why would you become a thief? Don't you have any money?"
Jin Huanlai froze, his gaze suddenly turning cold. "Ha, so you're implying I'm poor? I just added new rules, and you had to come along. Well, don't blame me then. It's a pity such a pleasant voice has to stay silent for a year..."
However, I hesitated for a moment.
The little girl suddenly stood up and ran, saying, "Wait for me."
Seeing the small figure disappear into the bushes, Jin finally came to his senses, let out a slight breath, and looked at the flowing water. It would have been too easy to chase after her to enforce the rules, but he didn't. He felt a little tired and didn't want to move anymore. Moreover, it seemed beneath the dignity of a dignified leader to chase after and bully a little girl. Or rather, subconsciously, he simply didn't want to chase after her.
Alright, today is the auspicious day of my ascension to the throne, I'll let you off this time, just don't let me run into you again.
.
Unfortunately, before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea was up, the little girl's voice rang out again.
"You really came back?" Jin glanced at the osmanthus cake next to him and smiled maliciously. "As expected, you can't escape trouble. This leader is merciful and was willing to spare you, but you wanted to come back yourself. Who can you blame? This leader will also treat you to a piece of cake."
Just then, the little girl ran up to him and handed him the things with both hands: "Is this enough?"
A handful of broken silver coins.
Jin was stunned.
The little girl threw all the silver into his arms, happy: "That's enough to buy lots of osmanthus cakes. This is all I have, but I can ask my dad for more. If you're hungry, come find me."
"Tch, I've thrown away no less than ten thousand jewels and jades, why would I care about your paltry silver!" Jin wanted to grab it and throw it back, but he couldn't lift his hand.
The little girl sat down next to him and comforted him, "Don't worry, my family is rich. You can come to my house and steal from me in the future."
Jin opened her mouth again, her smile looking more like a grimace. This girl must be crazy!
He took a deep breath and asked seriously, "I'm a thief, aren't you afraid?"
The little girl asked curiously, "Why should I be afraid?"
Jin smiled but remained silent.
.
For a moment, the sky and earth were still.
The little girl asked, "Why are you here too?"
Jin remained silent for a long time before saying, "Because the person I love died."
The little girl nodded understandingly: "Then you must be very sad, right?"
"have no idea."
"I'm very sad too."
Jin asked, bewildered, "You?"