He shook his head. “No, I’m not like my sister, I’m not like any of you. I, I…” He was humble and lowly.
He couldn't bring himself to say the last few words.
Lin Qingyan now really wants to know why Yi Zhiheng has been helping her all along.
"Yi Zhiqing, I've been wondering about your identity for a long time. Where have we met before, or what kind of interaction have we had? Can you tell me? I'll be so frustrated if you don't tell me."
"I, we." Yi Zhiheng hesitated for a moment before finally daring to look Lin Qingyan in the eye. But his gaze was still somewhat evasive. A few seconds later, tears welled up in his eyes, and he asked in a choked voice, "Sister, sister, do you still remember that little beggar who was starving to death under the clock tower in the city more than ten years ago? You would give me some food every day back then. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have starved to death long ago."
That desolate autumn, and that frail little girl who gave him a second chance at life, remained a guiding light in his heart for countless years to come, illuminating his path and directing his life.
She was so small and frail, yet her smile was so warm.
She would give him food and call him her brother, telling him to be strong and live on.
Because of her, he no longer despaired of life. No matter how difficult the days ahead or how many hardships he encountered, as long as he thought of his sister, he could get through it all.
He had always hoped to see her again, and unexpectedly, he actually ran into her during this trip to the countryside.
Yet he was so humble, it was ingrained in his very bones. He didn't dare stand with his sister, nor did he dare acknowledge her as his sister.
Upon hearing his words, Lin Qingyan immediately searched through the original owner's memories for images of the little beggar and finally found some fragmented images.
Because of the loss of his soul, the original owner had always had a poor memory, which is why his memories of the little beggar gradually became blurred.
From those fragments of memory, she learned that it was an autumn when the original owner was six years old. Once, while out and about, she saw a little beggar curled up on the ground under the clock tower, almost starving to death.
The little beggar was dressed in rags, practically naked. His body and face were filthy and covered in sores; his small face was almost entirely covered in pustules.
Because the sores oozed pus and smelled foul, no one dared to approach him, and no one was willing to give him a bite to eat. He was so hungry that he couldn't stand up and could only lie on the ground.
Seeing his pitiful state, the original owner saved half of her own cornbread and secretly gave it to him every day for half a month. Later, Fang Huilan discovered that the original owner was secretly giving things to the beggar. Fang Huilan then kept a close eye on Xiao Qingyan every day, preventing her from taking anything out, and even deliberately chased the little beggar away.
The original owner didn't know where the little beggar had gone, and she never saw him again after that.
At that time, the little beggar was still dirty, and the sores on his face had not healed, so the original owner had never seen his true face.
But the little beggar recognized her.
"So you were him all along."
She suddenly remembered the little boy in her dream, the image of the little beggar in her vague memory. It turned out that the younger brother was him.
At that time, they had all lost the protection of their families. As children, they cherished each other and encouraged one another.
"Mm." Yi Zhiheng nodded.
Lin Qingyan beckoned to him: "Come here."
"No." Yi Zhiheng shook his head. He considered himself trash and couldn't pollute his sister.
Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "Xiao Heng." She explained, "I can call you Xiao Heng too."
Yi Zhiheng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Lin Qingyan continued, "Since you've already called me 'sister,' then I'll be your sister. I don't have any relatives left right now, so you can be my brother. From now on, we'll be siblings. What do you think?"
She was not only discussing it with Yi Zhiheng, but also comforting herself.
With her younger brother, she now has family in this world.
"But..." Yi Zhiheng opened his mouth, he really wanted to be his sister's brother, he wanted to have family, "But, am I worthy? Won't my sister look down on me?"
“You deserve it, you deserve it more than anyone else. I don’t look down on you at all. You are just like all of us, no less than anyone else.”
She gradually walked up to Yi Zhiheng, and because of her height, she slightly raised her head to look up at this aloof and self-conscious boy.
"Believe in your sister, and you must believe in yourself. You are better than many people, so don't look down on yourself."
Hearing her gentle yet encouraging words, the boy dared to meet her resolute gaze, and gradually, he nodded.
Then he tried to speak, "I, I, I'm not insecure anymore, I, I want to, I want to." He seemed unable to change himself all at once.
Lin Qingyan encouraged him: "Xiao Heng, say it with your sister: you are not inferior anymore. You respect yourself, everyone respects you, and you are no less than anyone else."
Yi Zhiheng imitated her and said, "I, I'm not ashamed anymore. I want to respect myself. I'm not a beggar anymore. I want to be an ordinary person, just like you."
"Yes, you must respect yourself. You are no worse than anyone else. Now you have a sister. We are siblings. We can depend on each other. Your sister will care for you and take care of you. You are not without anything."
The encouraging and heartwarming words were like rays of sunshine, shining into the boy's lonely and cold heart.
He now has a sister and family; from now on, he is no longer alone.
Regardless of what others think of him, at least he has his sister by his side to support him.
Even in the cold winter, it can warm you up instantly.
"Sister, older sister."
"Yes, little brother. I'm so happy to have such a wonderful little brother."
Lin Qingyan smiled at him, a rare smile appearing on the young man's fair and handsome face.
It feels so good to have family.
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