The wooden cabin was extremely crude, but Xing Lian didn’t mind. After glancing around, she closed her eyes.
She had walked such a long way that her body couldn’t take it anymore and desperately needed rest. Just like that, she drifted into sleep without realizing it.
When Xing Lian regained consciousness, it was already evening. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and looked down, touching her stomach.
“I feel a little hungry.”
Maybe because she’d been hungry so many times, she had developed a psychological scar. Even the slightest hunger made her uncomfortable and anxious. But there was nothing to eat in the cabin—only a water jug.
Xing Lian got up from the bed, walked to the small table, and poured herself a cup of water to drink.
As the clear water went down her throat, she was surprised. The water was actually sweet, with a pleasant aftertaste—much like the legendary mountain spring water. But after looking around, she wasn’t surprised anymore.
‘This is already in the mountains, so mountain spring water isn’t strange.’
Thinking that, she took a few more sips. But drinking water didn’t satisfy her hunger. With a hesitant expression, she walked outside.
Xing Lian wanted to find something to eat, but she was a stranger here. How could she look for food? Was she supposed to beg? She couldn’t bring herself to do that, but aside from that, there seemed to be no other way.
She took a deep breath. ‘I can’t stand being hungry. If I have to lose face, so be it.’
Just as she left the small cabin and was about to head toward the cat-girl group, a small figure came to her on its own, greeting her warmly.
“Big Sister, you’re awake! I came to find you earlier, but you were asleep, so I didn’t disturb you. Now that you’re finally awake, let’s play together!”
Running up to her was the little one who had saved her earlier. If she remembered correctly, the kitten-girl’s name seemed to be Lulu.
“I don’t want to play. I… I…”
Xing Lian’s face turned red. She faltered, unable to speak.
“Big Sister, what’s wrong?”
Black Cat Lulu looked curious.
“Well, I…”
Even though she really didn’t want to say it, she was truly hungry. Finally, she forced the words out.
“I feel a little hungry. Do you know where I can get something to eat?”
“Huh? Big Sister, you haven’t eaten?”
“No. You know I just got here.”
“If you haven’t eaten, then follow me.”
Lulu took her hand and led her in a certain direction.
‘Where is she taking me? To her house? Wouldn’t it be a bit bad to be fed by a little kitten?’
If possible, she wanted to earn food through her own labor. Xing Lian’s cheeks burned.
But when they arrived, she realized she had misunderstood. Lulu hadn’t taken her to her own home. Instead, they stopped in front of a small awning, where Lulu looked up at the cat-girl inside and said,
“Sister Xiaoyue, I’ve come to get food. This sister didn’t get hers earlier, so there should still be some left, right?”
‘Fetching food?’
Xing Lian was surprised. She had thought everyone here fended for themselves, but it turned out food was distributed uniformly. But she wasn’t a villager here, and she had just joined. Was there a share for her? Worry crept into her heart.
Unexpectedly, the cat-girl glanced at her and nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, yes. Miss, you’re the new arrival today, right? Here, this is your share. Since you came so late, this is all that’s left.”
The cat-girl handed her the food: two steamed buns and a small bowl of side dishes.
Xing Lian noticed that behind the cat-girl were several large pots, with a few vegetable leaves and pieces of meat floating in them, along with scraps of other food. She had indeed arrived too late—the good stuff was all gone. But she had no right to be picky about something free.
Xing Lian thanked her gratefully. The cat-girl’s cheeks suddenly flushed, as if she had been drinking.
“No need to thank me. Take these too.”
The cat-girl pressed a few fruits into her hand. These obviously weren’t part of the allocated food but her private stash. Why give them to her…?
Xing Lian’s eyes flickered. ‘It must be because of my face. I knew I could live off my looks.’
She smiled at the cat-girl, then turned to the little one.
“Lulu, thank you. I got the food. You…”
“Big Sister, are you trying to send me away? I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with Big Sister.”
“How could I? Of course I wouldn’t send you away. I can’t thank you enough.”
It was because of the little one that she had gotten food. If she used her and then discarded her, what kind of person would that make her?
Xing Lian was very grateful to the little girl. Besides, she wanted someone to talk to and learn about the situation here. So she took Lulu’s hand and walked back to the cabin.
Back in the small cabin, Xing Lian split a bun, put the side dish inside, and started eating big mouthfuls. As she ate, she felt a little bad about doing it alone, so she stuffed a small fruit into the little one’s hand.
The little girl didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the fruit and started nibbling. The two ate and chatted.
From the little girl, Xing Lian learned a lot of information. For example, how many people were here, and their basic circumstances. Just as she had guessed, everyone here was a commoner from nearby villages who had fled into the mountains to escape the war. They had been here for several months.
“I see.”
After learning this, Xing Lian asked the little girl what kind of work someone like her, who joined midway, would be assigned.
“What work? Lulu isn’t sure. Do you want me to ask for you?”
“Yes, please.”
Xing Lian nodded.
“No trouble at all. I’m happy to do things for Big Sister.”
The little girl smiled, staring at her with shining eyes. Being looked at that way by others usually made Xing Lian uneasy, but the little girl was so young that she didn’t think much of it. The little girl’s eyes were pure; her liking for Xing Lian probably meant just that—she thought she was a pretty big sister.
Since the kitten-girl had helped her so much, after dinner, Xing Lian agreed to play with her.
But “play” wasn’t really anything special—just walking around, sightseeing, admiring the flowers, and talking about whatever each found interesting.
The kitten-girl seemed very happy, and Xing Lian was also very happy, but not because of the play. It was because of the atmosphere here. She had felt very uneasy when she first arrived yesterday, worried that her striking appearance would cause her to be bullied. But after wandering around the camp, she found that although the people were drawn to her looks, they could restrain themselves. Everyone liked her and eagerly came to chat, but besides that, they didn’t do anything to her.
Xing Lian was very pleased. ‘Indeed, people in villages are very simple and honest.’
But happy as she was, she still kept basic vigilance. After parting with the kitten-girl, Xing Lian returned to the cabin and propped the door shut with a wooden stick.
The cabin door had no lock, so this was the only way to block it. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone breaking in at night. After blocking the door, Xing Lian went back to the bed and sat down.
Since she was in the mountains, and the room wasn’t a proper one, there was no lighting inside—only a small stub of a candle.