“I’m not cold.”
Luo Ling’s voice trembled slightly in the chilly mountain wind, but he did his best to sound steady.
“I run in the mountains all the time. This bit of cold is nothing.”
He spoke with forced composure, his gaze falling on the lost little girl before him.
The girl looked no more than seven or eight, dressed in a clean, light-colored dress that seemed out of place in the desolate forest, like a fragile flower that had wandered into the mud.
Luo Ling tightened the thin coarse cloth shirt on his body, the mountain wind lifting its hem.
The chill pricked his skin like countless needles, making him shiver uncontrollably inside.
But he couldn’t let it show.
This little girl looked so delicate and weak, alone in the mountain forest at dusk—she must be terrified.
Luo Ling felt that helping this lost child find her way home was far more important than enduring a bit of cold himself.
He straightened his slightly hunched back, trying to make his smile look warm and reliable.
The girl, whose name was Eve, bit her pink lips, a flicker of gratitude passing through her clear eyes.
She carefully took something wrapped in layers of oilcloth from a small, finely made leather bag beside her.
(Only then did Luo Ling notice such an item next to someone so small—the style was novel, not something any ordinary household in the Village of Falling Winds would have.)
The oilcloth was waterproof and looked high-quality.
She held the object out to Luo Ling, her voice weak but clear.
“This… this is for you. Thank you for helping me.”
Luo Ling froze for a moment, surprised.
He looked down and took it—the object still held a trace of warmth.
Carefully, he untied the knots of the oilcloth, layer by layer…
When the final layer was peeled away, a small, exquisite, milky-white bread appeared before his eyes!
Luo Ling’s eyes lit up instantly, shining like kindled stars in disbelief—it was wheat flour! White bread made purely from wheat flour!
In their Village of Falling Winds, and even in nearby villages, wheat flour was a rare treasure.
Only during festivals or major events—weddings, childbirths—would a family grit their teeth and spend long-saved money to buy wheat flour in town and make a little white bread for the elderly and children to taste.
It was a luxury rarely seen throughout the year.
Normally, common villagers like them ate black bread mixed with coarse grains or even wild vegetables—rough, hard to swallow.
Often, they couldn’t even afford black bread and had to live on sweet potatoes and potatoes, those filling root crops.
Luo Ling couldn’t even remember the last time he’d tasted pure wheat bread.
Perhaps, ever since he came to this barren world, he’d never had it at all?
“This… this is too precious…”
Luo Ling’s cheeks flushed, embarrassed to accept.
A piece of white bread like this could fetch nearly the price of half a chicken in the village.
He had only done a small favor—how could he accept such a heavy gift?
“It’s all right,”
Eve shook her head gently, pushing the bread forward with her small hands, her attitude firm.
“My mother prepared lots and lots of delicious food for me. This is for you. You deserve it for helping me.”
Her eyes were clear and sincere, without a trace of falsehood or reluctance.
Luo Ling looked into Eve’s eyes, pure as a mountain spring.
The words of refusal hovered on his lips but couldn’t come out.
At that moment, his stomach let out an uncooperative “guuuu—” that echoed through the quiet forest.
Luo Ling’s cheeks turned scarlet as he bowed his head in embarrassment.
He stopped resisting.
Holding the small, fragrant white bread in both hands, he solemnly thanked Eve.
“Then… thank you, Eve.”
Then, he carefully took a bite, as if savoring a rare treasure.
The bread’s texture was unexpectedly soft, with an indescribable fluffiness.
As soon as it touched his mouth, the rich aroma of wheat filled his senses, mingling with a subtle, natural sweetness—the full-bodied taste unique to wheat, pure and simple, yet incredibly delicious.
That warm sweetness flowed down his throat, like a current spreading through his limbs, sweeping away the shivers and discomfort brought by the cold.
Luo Ling closed his eyes, savoring the rare taste, a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness welling up inside him.
He ate in small bites.
Eve rested her chin on her hand, watching him curiously, then glanced at the small rabbit by the fire, which had stopped trembling and was making faint “squeak-squeak” sounds.
A relieved smile finally appeared on her face.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining on the two children and the little flames, forming a warm and peaceful scene.
Luo Ling looked at the smile on Eve’s face, bright as sunshine after rain.
Her golden curls shimmered under the light, and her sapphire-like eyes were filled with innocence and gratitude.
A strange, unprecedented feeling rose within him.
It was like seeing a beautiful flower bloom on barren land.
He thought, this girl named Eve really was like a spirit who walked out of the forest.
“What’s your name?”
Eve asked curiously.
“My name is Luo Ling.”
“Luo Ling…”
Eve repeated the name softly, then broke into a big smile.
“Luo Ling, you’re so kind.”
Luo Ling’s cheeks burned again.
He hurriedly lowered his head, pretending to focus on eating the bread.
But his heart thumped like a small rabbit trapped inside.
He didn’t know that this chance encounter in the forest would completely change the “simple and peaceful” life he longed for.
He also had no idea that the golden-haired, blue-eyed girl before him—so like a forest spirit—would become the most important, and most painful and cherished, person in his future life.
Right now, he was simply a country boy, grown up eating handouts, who just wanted to help a lost little girl.
And Eve was merely a girl temporarily separated from her mother, in need of help.
Beside the fire, the small rabbit slowly regained its strength, nibbling softly on the grass Eve handed over.
The two children sat close together, sharing the sweet bread, listening to the birdsong and the rustling of leaves, forgetting their troubles for a while.
The setting sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the entire forest in a golden, gentle light.
“Luo Ling, my mother will definitely come to find me.”
Eve gazed into the distance, hope shining in her eyes.
“Yeah, she will.”
Luo Ling nodded.
“It’s getting dark. It’s not safe in the forest. Let me take you back to our village first.”
He pointed in the direction of the Village of Falling Winds.
“My grandmother will make you something delicious.”
He had already decided to protect this girl, as mysterious as a spirit, until she found her mother.