Chapter 295: The Warmth He Could Not Let Go

But the man only smiled without getting angry and pulled him into an embra

He struggled and shouted to be let go, but Qiong Xing would not release him.

A few times, his hands even struck Qiong Xing in the face, yet the man still refused to let go.

"I am sorry. I am sorry for asking such painful things. You have been trying so hard, haven’t you? You worked hard, struggled, and survived all this time, didn’t you? I am sorry for asking in such a cruel way."

Then do not ask if you are just going to apologize, the boy thought.

What could someone like him possibly understand?

Even as anger rose inside him, part of him still felt happy that Qiong Xing had acknowledged him.

Acknowledged his existence.

There were probably countless people in the world living through circumstances like his.

And yet, hearing someone say that he had worked hard and survived, while holding him tightly like this, made him feel that Qiong Xing was truly seeing him.

His mother had called his name at the very end too.

But her eyes had not been looking at him.

It had only seemed as though she wanted everything to end as quickly as possible.

He cried and struggled while shouting that he hated him, but the gentle hand stroking his back never let go, and that only made him cry harder.

At some point, exhausted from crying, he must have fallen asleep.

Even after he woke up, those hands had still not left him.

When he shifted slightly, a hand softly patted his back as if telling him it was alright to keep sleeping, and he drifted off once more.

"It seems you are awake. The food is ready, so let us eat together."

After sleeping a while longer, he finally woke up again.

A bowl was placed into his hands, but the muddy-colored soup inside looked unfamiliar enough that he instinctively wondered if it was really food.

Still, the adults around him were eating it without hesitation, and the delicious smell tempted his hunger enough that he cautiously took a bite.

"...Ah, this is good."

"I am glad. There is plenty, so eat as much as you like."

It was the first proper meal he had eaten in a long time.

Though he remained wary, he continued eating.

He had no idea when he might next have the chance to eat like this again.

He had to eat while he could.

"Is your stomach still alright? I added rice at the end, so if you can still eat, go ahead."

The bowl handed to him this time contained rice soaked in that same mysterious soup.

His stomach was already full, but once he tasted it, the rice slid down easily, and he found it incredibly delicious.

After finishing every last bite, he cautiously watched the others, wondering what would happen to him now.

"You are full now, right? Rest for a little while, and then we can talk about what comes next."

With that, Qiong Xing led him to the sofa and tucked him in.

It was treatment more suited for a baby, but his stomach was full, his body felt warm, and drowsiness quickly overtook him.

But when he tried to get up, thinking this was no good, a gentle hand stroked his head and stopped him in place.

"It is alright. After bringing you this far, I am not going to hand you over to the guards. For now, rest properly and let your body recover."

"You are just saying that because you plan to sell me off later. I am not stupid."

As if he would fall for something like that.

He tried to force himself upright, but the man sat down right beside him and once again pulled him onto his lap.

"Now you will know immediately if I move away, right? Well, you do not have to force yourself to sleep if you do not want to. Your stomach just needs a little rest, or you will start feeling sick. That is what this break is for."

"I am not some little kid."

"All the more reason then. Being able to manage your own condition is what makes someone an adult."

Ever since earlier, no matter what he said, Qiong Xing always had an answer ready, and what frustrated him most was that none of it felt wrong.

On top of that, he was old enough that being placed on someone’s lap so easily was embarrassing.

"Please humor this foolish old man for a little while. I ate too much too, and now my stomach hurts."

That was obviously a lie.

The entire time during the meal, this man had spent all his time taking care of him instead.

What is this?

You should eat this too.

The plates kept being handed to him one after another, and he had simply eaten everything placed before him.

There was no way this man had eaten enough to be full.

And calling himself an old man did not suit him either, since he clearly was not that old.

"You really are stupid."

"That is true. Pitiful, right? So please keep me company."

At some point, thinking about it all started to feel ridiculous.

A man this bad at lying probably could not trick him even if he tried.

Letting all the tension leave his body, he rested his head against Qiong Xing’s shoulder.

"If you sell me or anything, I will never forgive you."

"I will not. Even if you were the one asking for it."

"There is no way I would ever say that."

"Then everything is fine."

Listening to the man’s quiet laughter, he slowly closed his eyes.

As he drifted off, he wondered when the last time was that he had been able to sleep this peacefully.

"Naps really do feel nice, don’t they?"

"You really likes them. That part of you is kind of childish."

"They say children who sleep well grow well, you know?"

"No, I have never heard that. Who even says things like that?"

Listening to their silly conversation, he quietly fell asleep.