The white eagle seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at the scene before it.
The original surrounding scenery had disappeared, and in its place stood a small girl, about seven or eight years old, all alone.
In the noodle shop on the street, warm yellow candlelight spilled out, illuminating an ordinary wooden table on which sat several bowls of steaming noodles.
Around the table, a family of three sat together, sometimes talking in hushed tones, sometimes smiling. The warm atmosphere seemed to be wrapped tightly in an invisible veil.
The little girl stood outside the noodle shop, her eyes filled with undisguised envy through the half-open door.
Bai Ying's gaze slowly focused on the little girl. Although he had never seen Bai Ying as a child, when his eyes fell on the familiar features of the little girl, his heart trembled. An inexplicable intuition told him that the lonely little girl in front of him was Bai Ying in her childhood.
Bai Ying watched the happy family of three quietly for a while, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed, and a trace of loneliness quietly crept onto her brow.
She sighed softly and slowly turned around, as if she couldn't bear to look at the scene that was piercing her heart any longer.
At her feet, a small pebble lay quietly. Bai Ying stretched out her foot listlessly and gently kicked the pebble. Each kick carried a hint of disappointment.
Her figure appeared even more frail in the dim light and shadow on the street, and she was shrouded in a layer of depression.
Bai Ying frowned, a pang of pity rising in his heart. He subconsciously took a step forward, walking up to Bai Ying. His usually cold face now showed a rare gentleness as he softly asked, "Little girl, what's wrong? Are you craving the noodles at that noodle shop? Do you want to go in and eat? Daddy... Uncle will take you in, okay?"
Bai Ying was lost in her own thoughts when she was suddenly struck up a conversation with someone, which startled her slightly.
She slowly raised her head, her clear eyes filled with surprise as she looked at the unfamiliar man before her.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded gently and replied in a clear voice, "Okay."
Bai Ying assumed that Bai Ying could only watch longingly as the people in the noodle shop ate noodles because she had no money.
So he led Bai Ying into the noodle shop, found an empty seat, and ordered a steaming bowl of noodles from the shopkeeper.
A moment later, the noodles were served. Bai Ying looked at the noodles in front of her, a hint of barely perceptible joy flashing in her eyes.
She picked up her chopsticks and ate quietly, making almost no sound throughout the process, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her joyful mood.
Soon, Bai Ying finished her noodles. She carefully took out a spirit stone from her bosom, held it out to Bai Ying with both hands, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Uncle." After saying that, she turned around and left the noodle shop with light steps.
Bai Ying stared blankly at the spirit stone in his hand, which emitted a faint glow.
He knew perfectly well that this ordinary bowl of noodles could be bought for just a few copper coins in the mortal world, which was worlds apart from this spirit stone.
He originally thought that Bai Ying was short of money, which was why she looked at the family of three eating noodles with such envy. But now it seems that this is not the case.
Filled with doubt, Bai Ying didn't hesitate and took off after Bai Ying in the direction she had left. He hadn't run far before catching up with her. Panting, he asked, "Little friend, you were carrying such valuable spirit stones, why didn't you go inside and eat noodles yourself?"
Hearing this, Bai Ying blushed slightly and lowered her head shyly, saying softly, "In the sect, when the senior and junior brothers celebrate their birthdays, their parents always come to accompany them. They say that every time it's their birthday, their parents take them out to eat a bowl of longevity noodles. I... I'm really envious. I also want to be able to eat a bowl of longevity noodles with my own father and mother."
At this point, Bai Ying raised her head, a sweet smile blooming on her face, and continued, "Thank you so much, Uncle. Actually, today is my birthday, and having you sitting next to me made me feel like I was celebrating my birthday with my father. I'm so happy."
After saying that, Bai Ying bowed respectfully to Bai Ying again, and then skipped away and disappeared at the end of the street.
White Eagle stared at White Firefly's small figure gradually receding and disappearing around the street corner, his fingers unconsciously clenching tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
His feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, yet a strong urge surged within him, driving him to chase after them. But the moment he lifted his foot, the surrounding scenery distorted and shifted once more, like a dreamlike bubble.
In the blink of an eye, a heartwarming yet bittersweet scene unfolded before Bai Ying's eyes: in the courtyard of the house, Zhou Ying was bustling about, holding a beautifully embroidered garment in her hands. The silk threads on the garment shimmered with a soft luster in the sunlight, and every stitch was the result of painstaking effort.
"White Eagle, look how beautiful this dress is! Do you think Xiao Di will like it?" Zhou Ying asked with a smile and her eyes full of anticipation. She walked up to White Eagle, unfolded the dress, and looked at it from left to right, as if trying to find a positive answer in White Eagle's expression.
Immediately afterwards, she walked briskly to the neatly arranged jewelry boxes to the side. Gently opening one, the jewelry inside instantly shone with dazzling light. Each piece was extraordinary, crafted from the world's most precious materials and meticulously carved and polished by skilled artisans.
These were all birthday gifts that Zhou Ying had carefully prepared for Bai Di. "Xiao Di will look absolutely gorgeous wearing these. I need to prepare several sets for her so she can change them up," Zhou Ying murmured to herself as she carefully examined the jewelry, her smile growing even wider.
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