Chapter 2: Lorien's Strange Man
In the tin hut, Mingnuo took a shower and changed into furry pajamas with two cute little lamb horns on the hood. He snuggled in the warm quilt, staring at the closed door in a daze.
Suddenly, the door moved and creaked.
Ming Nuo happily threw back the quilt and rushed towards Ming Chuan impatiently in his slippers, "Dad! I missed you so much!"
Mingchuan put down the peach, opened his arms, hugged Mingnuo, and rubbed his chin on his fluffy hair. "Daddy misses you too. Look, Daddy brought you a gift."
"Peaches?" Ming Nuo stared blankly at the big pink peaches and pursed his lips. "How much does this cost..."
Mingchuan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. He looked at Mingnuo, who was reluctant to eat even peaches, and the overwhelming guilt and regret almost tore him apart.
Mingchuan took the peach and peeled it for him. "It's not expensive. Eat it quickly."
"Can you split it in half?" Ming Nuo didn't eat the peach and begged Ming Chuan, "We'll each have half. I can't finish it."
In the end, the peach was divided into two halves, half each for the father and son. Mingnuo ate the sweet peach, leaning on his father's shoulder, feeling that he was the happiest child in the world.
After eating the peaches, Mingnuo returned to bed and covered himself with the quilt, while Mingchuan went to wash up.
There was only one room in the tin hut, and Mingnuo and Mingchuan slept together. Mingnuo put the painkillers he bought for his father under his pillow. After Mingchuan quietly lifted the quilt and lay down in him, he snuggled into Mingchuan's arms and called him "Dad" sweetly.
Mingchuan touched his head and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
"This is for you." Ming Nuo handed the painkiller to Ming Chuan and explained its function to him. "It can relieve pain. The doctor said there is no time limit. If you feel pain, take three pills."
Mingchuan stared blankly at the painkillers in his hand, his throat aching. "Thank you, Arnold."
In fact, all the painkillers were no longer effective for him, but he definitely couldn't tell Mingnuo this, because he knew the child was scared.
Ming Nuo smiled, nestled in Ming Chuan's arms and told him about the new friends he met today and the interesting things that happened.
Mingchuan learned that he had gone out during the day and warned him, "The security here is not good. Next time you go out, remember to bring the knife I gave you. Do you still remember what your father taught you before?"
Ming Nuo was full of confidence: "I will!"
"That's good." Mingchuan tucked the corner of the quilt for him and said slowly and solemnly, "If someone bullies you, kill him."
Mingnuo nodded and said yes.
"Want to play with the Brain for a while?"
"want!"
Mingchuan took off the silver-white intelligent computer from his wrist and put it on Mingnuo.
The intelligent computer sounded an alarm indicating that it was not worn by its owner. Mingchuan set its default owner to Mingnuo, and the intelligent computer then fitted Mingnuo's slender wrist and stayed quietly in his hand.
Ming Nuo turned on the blind mode and happily browsed through the intelligent brain for a while, browsing the hottest events on the star network in recent times.
The Perseus Empire has issued a new law prohibiting the flow of bionic machines from the Saichuan Empire into its territory. Does this mean that the two empires are about to go to war?
[The path to the throne of the Emperor of Perseus Empire, and the cause of his death after taking office as Emperor remain a mystery.]
[Helios Academy freshman training has concluded, who will take the top spot?]
[Ming Jue, head of the Ming family of the Saichuan Empire, was granted the title of Duke by the Emperor.]
【……】
Basically, most of the information on the Star Network is about the Perseus Empire and the Saichuan Empire. Mingnuo has no interest in these royal secrets and political affairs. He just glanced at it and formed a basic impression of these two behemoths in his mind.
The relationship between the Perseus Empire and the Saichuan Empire is very bad, and a fight may be brewing.
The emperor of the Perseus Empire was very terrible. In order to become emperor, he may have killed his fathers and even his younger brothers who were only a few years old.
What a terrifying killing god! Ming Nuo trembled with fear. The next second, he saw the Ming family of Saichuan Empire. He was stunned and was about to tell his father that this family also had the surname Ming, but when he turned around, he found that Mingchuan had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.
At half past eleven, the intelligent computer activated the underage protection mode and forced Mingnuo to log off and go to sleep. Mingnuo was also sleepy and snuggled in his father's warm arms.
Mingchuan subconsciously hugged him and patted his back gently. Mingnuo fell into a dream in this embrace full of security.
Perhaps because of the painkillers Mingnuo gave him, Mingchuan looked much better these days. He still went to work every day and came home after ten o'clock in the evening to bring all kinds of delicious food to Mingnuo.
He also sewed a small white shoulder bag with a small lamb horn for Mingnuo and put various snacks in it. During the day, Mingnuo would carry the small shoulder bag and go out to play with Sane and the others.
Once, Sane came to look for Mingnuo early in the morning and happened to see Mingchuan going out. The two met at the door. Mingchuan looked up and down at the red-haired boy and asked, "Who are you?"
Mingchuan was similar to what Sane had imagined, with a thin figure. But when Sane met Mingchuan's calm black eyes, an inexplicably strong sense of crisis urged him to quickly escape from this dangerous existence.
This person is very dangerous. Saen clenched his hands and looked up at Mingchuan like a stubborn little wolf. "I am Saen, I am here to find Mingnuo."
"Is that Saen?" Ming Nuo recognized his voice and ran out excitedly, introducing him to Ming Chuan, "Dad, he's a good friend of mine."
Mingchuan had heard the name Sane from Mingnuo. His expression softened and he smiled at Sane, "Well, I heard our Arnold mention you."
"Thank you for taking care of our Arnold every day."
Looking at the friendly smile on Mingchuan's face, Sane instantly felt a sense of crisis. He was an orphan, without parents, and didn't quite understand how to get along with elders. He waved his hand and said, "It's no big deal. No need to thank me."
Mingchuan pulled Mingnuo to his side, put a small crossbody bag on his back, and gently combed his silver hair with his fingers. "Then I'm going to work. Did you remember what I told you yesterday?"
Ming Nuo patted his messenger bag and nodded, "I'll remember that."
After Mingchuan left, Saen looked at Mingchuan's back and thought, "Your father must be very good to you."
Ming Nuo smiled and said, "Yes, my father loves me very much."
"Your father is very thin, but he raised you to be plump and white." Saen pinched the fat on Mingnuo's face, "You are a fat little lamb."
Mingnuo pouted and slapped his hand away, while San laughed and hooked his shoulder.
San took Mingnuo to an abandoned steel processing plant, which had long become a dumping ground for industrial waste, but for the poor children in the dungeon, it was a treasure land where they could "pan for gold".
Ming Nuo was in a huge open space, which was littered with metal garbage. He couldn't see clearly what was under his feet, nor could he tell which ones could be sold. He almost fell down after taking a few steps.
"Follow me." Sarn couldn't bear it any longer and pulled the little blind man to his side. "I won't care if you fall."
Ming Nuo pursed his lips and said, "Can I hold the hem of your clothes? I can't see which foot you are taking."
Sarn: "...Hold it."
Mingnuo happily grabbed the corner of his clothes and clung to him. He couldn't tell which ones could be sold, so Sane helped him find them and then carried them to the iron merchant, and gave all the money he earned to Mingnuo.
"Don't give me money, I don't want it." Ming Nuo was unwilling to take the money. He felt very sorry and waved his hand to refuse. "I didn't do anything and I caused you trouble. I'm already very sorry."
"Here I am, take it!" Saen shoved the money into Mingnuo's hand in a rough voice. "Who said you didn't do anything? Didn't you run around with us all day? You must be tired too, okay?"
Ming Nuo knew that he wanted to help him, so he looked up and thanked him sincerely, "Saen, thank you."
Sarn snorted, "Just follow me closely and don't cause me any trouble."
Seeing that San gave his money to Mingnuo, others also wanted to help him, but San blocked them all. He scolded these young children angrily, "Why give him money? Is your family rich? I gave it to him because my family has no one left. Can you compare with me?"
Upon hearing this, everyone took back the little money they had.
Ming Nuo was already very grateful. He took out a handful of candies from his small bag and shared them with his friends. "They're delicious. There are grapes, strawberries, and apples in them..."
Sane readily accepted the candy, peeled a strawberry flavored one and put it in his mouth, "Thanks."
Mingnuo's eyes were curved with a smile under the white cloth. Although he couldn't see Saen's face clearly, he could imagine that Saen would smile happily when he ate the candy, because his candy was really sweet.
"Is that an intelligent computer on your wrist?" Sane suddenly asked Mingnuo. He stroked his chin and looked at the intelligent computer on his wrist. The intelligent computer was snow-white in color, and the complex texture could be vaguely seen on the strap. It was low-key but revealed a sense of luxury, and it looked very expensive at first glance.
Sane had seen something like this on a very wealthy man's wrist before, but it wasn't as beautiful as the one on Mingnuo's wrist.
Ming Nuo nodded: "Yes, my father gave it to me."
Sane touched the intelligent computer, and a tiny electric current pricked his finger, causing him to retract his hand instantly, and more doubts arose in his mind.
Ming Nuo gave him the feeling of being neither poor nor unpoor. He gave off the aura of a noble young master who was ignorant of the ways of the world, and behaved like a beggar who was so poor that he had to beg for food. However, the intelligent computer he used was terribly advanced.
Contradictory and difficult to understand.
Sane was so upset that his head ached, so he simply put all these things aside and strolled around the street with Mingnuo.
As Mingnuo walked, he began to squeeze towards Sane. Sane was forced to walk on the manhole cover. Unable to bear it any longer, he pressed his shoulder and said, "Can't you even walk in a straight line?"
“I will,” Ming Nuo retorted softly, “I feel like there are more people on the street, and they’re looking at me.”
Saen looked around. There were indeed more people on the street today than before, and most of them were strangers. Several of them were followed by bodyguards.
Perhaps because Mingnuo was so pretty, they subconsciously looked at him when they passed by. Mingnuo awkwardly hid behind Saen.
"What are you looking at?!" Saen glared back with a fierce face. Although he was not very old, his eyes were very fierce. Everyone nearby knew that this kid fought for his life and did not want to cause trouble, so they paid much less attention to Mingnuo.
Ming Nuo exhaled softly, "Thank you."
"You're so useless." San tapped Mingnuo's forehead. "You're as soft as a sheep. You're bound to be bullied badly."
"Little lambs are not soft-tempered." Mingnuo corrected Sane's misconception of lambs. "Lambs can poke people with their horns, and they can be very fierce."
Sane chuckled, looked at Mingnuo who was speaking righteously, and followed his words, "Alright, alright, I apologize to the lamb, and I apologize to you too. You sheep can be very fierce too, and when you get angry, you'll use your horns to hit people."
Ming Nuo was a little proud and nodded, "Yes, that's it."
Sarn was practically adorable. Didn't this guy realize he was also calling him "Baa Baa Sheep"? He might not be able to react if he got scolded one day.
Sane felt the burden on his shoulders getting heavier, but he didn't think it was a bother. He raised the corners of his lips slightly and put his hand on Mingnuo's shoulder, "Should I take you home now?"
"I have to go home." Mingnuo couldn't find the way home by himself. He groped for Sane's arm, grabbed his sleeve, and thanked him, "Thank you for taking me home every day."
Sarn walked towards him, his flamboyant red hair fluttering in the wind. "I brought you out here, so naturally I have to send you back safely. I'm very responsible, okay?"
Ming Nuo smiled and nodded, "I know, Saen is a very responsible brother."
Sane's face couldn't help but blush, but he stood straight, protecting Mingnuo behind him, clearing the way for him like a guard, determined to send Mingnuo home safely.
Just a short distance from their home, a strange man stopped them. The man was tall and slender, wearing a windbreaker, but his face was extremely ordinary. He smiled at Ming Nuo and said, "Kid, what's your name?"
Sarn looked at this inexplicable man warily, pulled Mingnuo back, and said in a bad tone: "Are we familiar with you?"
"I'm sorry, I just saw that he looks a lot like one of my elders, so I wanted to ask. Maybe his father and I are old acquaintances?" The man explained with a smile and looked at Ming Nuo. "So, can you tell me your name?"
Ming Nuo carefully identified the man's voice. Although it was nice, he was sure he had never heard it before. He pursed his lips and said, "I don't know you."
The man persisted and said with a playful smile: "Hey, tell me your name, maybe I know you."
This man was so weird that an alarm sounded in Mingnuo's mind. He ignored the man's words and walked around him with Sane. Sane stared at the man the whole time and threatened him not to move.
The man raised his hands to show that he really wouldn't do anything to them.
But as he watched the two teenagers leave, the man suddenly shouted, "Lorian!"
Mingnuo and Sane didn't understand what had suddenly happened to him, so they ran even faster.
man:"……"
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