Chapter 1436: Thank You, Uncle
Just as Yan Jiayu raised her leg high, ready to deliver a kick to the head, the person suddenly vanished. Her foot was about to hit the ground, but she somehow managed to pull it back, forcefully sweeping through empty air with a whoosh before gently lowering it. Then she looked up with a grin and said, "That was close. If I'd smashed the floor, I wonder if that would count as a crime."
Li Kun and Duan Cheng exchanged a knowing glance. The former laughed and said, "Too bad he got away, but judging by the look of things, he probably won't be coming back."
"Really is a shame." Yan Jiayu only mourned for a second before saying, "I made plans with the fruit shop owner to stay at her place tonight. I'll head off now."
Xu Huo nodded. Once she was far enough away, he said to Li and Duan, "Where are you two planning to stay?"
They had to get up before dawn tomorrow to start work, so of course they'd be squeezing into the large communal bunk bed provided by the boss. Thinking about this, Li Kun couldn't help but envy Yan Jiayu. "I don't know how she managed to get so chummy with the people of Gem City so fast. It's like she knows everyone in the whole city."
"Maybe it's because she's young," Xu Huo said, opening the gate of the performance venue's courtyard to see them off, showing no intention of inviting them to stay overnight.
After they left, Xu Huo returned to the back of the stage and raised his hand to knock on the wooden planks.
The small piece of wood below was removed, and the little bald head popped out. He looked around first, then pulled a photo from his pocket and held it up. "This is a picture of my mom and dad."
Xu Huo took out an exquisitely crafted dressing mirror—a small prop he'd picked up from another player, not worth much, and had been sitting idle in his item slot.
He placed the dressing mirror on the table. Once a face was reflected in the mirror, the lights around its rim automatically lit up.
The little bald boy gripped the edge of the table with both hands, standing on tiptoe, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the mirror. "Wow... it glows by itself... Why does it glow without electricity?"
Xu Huo didn't answer the question. Instead, he placed the photo of his parents next to the mirror and gestured for him to close his eyes first.
The little boy was very obedient and lay properly against the edge of the table.
Xu Huo opened a small-scale spiritual realm, then pulled a chair over to the table and tapped the little boy's head. "Can you climb up by yourself?"
The little boy opened his eyes and looked at the mirror first. Seeing nothing there, he looked a bit disappointed, but after glancing at Xu Huo, he still climbed onto the chair and stood up.
"Look at the mirror again," Xu Huo prompted.
The little boy slowly turned his head.
On the smooth, bright surface of the mirror, two figures slowly emerged. They walked towards him from a distance, smiling and waving at the little boy in front of them.
"Dad! Mom!" The little boy instinctively reached out, but before his hand touched the mirror's surface, he pulled it back. Instead, he leaned his little face closer, his clear childlike eyes fixed on the smiling pair in the mirror, and whispered, "Dad, Mom, can you see me from up on the stars?"
The people in the mirror didn't answer, but the little boy didn't mind. He continued contentedly, "I know you're not coming back. Don't worry about me. I'm living well. The neighbor uncles and aunties take good care of me. Lots of little friends come to play with me every day. I only go home to sleep when I'm too tired to play. Sometimes I even forget about you..."
"But I always brush my teeth and wash my face carefully before bed. I only get into bed after I'm clean... Mom and Dad's bedsheet is too big. I can spread half of it on the bed and cover myself with the other half. It's like Mom and Dad are holding me. But Auntie said the bedsheet is dirty and needs to be washed."
"I don't think it's dirty. It smells like Mom and Dad. I'm afraid if I wash it, the smell will be gone. But Mom said I should be a clean child..."
The little boy's eyes reddened as he spoke. "Even though I want to be a clean child, I miss the smell of Mom and Dad even more..."
The mirror only held two lifelike illusions that smiled and looked like living people, unable to give any response.
But soon, the little boy rubbed his eyes and put on a smile again. "Actually, I'm very happy alone. Dad, Mom, you be happy up in the sky too..."
The figures in the mirror gradually blurred. The little boy watched them with cherished reluctance, then waved at them. "Goodbye, Mom and Dad."
As the figures grew fainter, the little boy finally couldn't hold back his tears. He sobbed and asked Xu Huo, "Can I kiss them?"
Xu Huo nodded, watching as the child leaned in and carefully pressed his lips to the mirror's surface.
The light on the mirror vanished, and it returned to its original state when it was first taken out.
The little boy's crying didn't stop. It gradually turned into loud wails, as if he wanted to shed every last tear.
Xu Huo stood quietly by his side until he felt the time was right, then took out a lollipop and handed it to him. "Uncle will treat you to some candy."
The little boy, still hiccupping with sobs, peeled off the wrapper and put the candy in his mouth. He licked it a couple of times, found it tasted good, and gradually stopped crying. After a moment, he said, "Can you sell me that mirror?"
"Your mom and dad won't appear in the mirror again," Xu Huo reminded him.
The little boy said he knew that. "But I feel like Mom and Dad came down from the sky. They live in the mirror now. I just can't see them."
He pulled all the gems out of his trouser pocket, counting them one by one with his small hands. "I'll give you all these. I have a lot more at home. You can come home with me to get them."
A hint of a smile finally appeared on Xu Huo's usually expressionless face. He gently patted the child's head. "Since this mirror can't be used a second time, it's no longer a treasure to me. I'll give it to you as a gift."
"Thank you, Uncle!" The little boy nimbly climbed up, hugged the mirror tightly, and ran to the door before turning back to say, "Uncle, those gems are my gift to you too!"
After the child ran out, Xu Huo smiled and gathered all the gems into a small pouch, placing it in his luggage compartment.
A good night's sleep. The next morning, after eating breakfast delivered by a neighbor, Xu Huo met up with Yan Jiayu and they walked to the King's Castle.
Their performance tools would be delivered later by the guards. After waiting half an hour at the gate, a butler came to escort them into the castle. He warned them in advance not to wander around the castle, especially not to enter the Rose Garden. It was planted by the King for the Queen, and aside from the gardeners who tended it, no one was usually allowed inside.
"However, the castle is very large. You can stroll around near the small building." The housekeeper pointed to a few sparse potted plants in the bare courtyard beside the corridor. "This is beautiful too."
The housekeeper led them into a lounge. "Lady Liya is currently reading to the Queen. You can rest here until you are summoned. If you need anything, you can tell Xiao Si."
A young woman with a charming appearance stepped forward and gently lifted her skirt in a curtsy. "Greetings to you both. I am Xiao Si, the Queen's personal maid. Please feel free to ask for anything you need."
The moment they saw the person standing before them, both Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu's expressions shifted slightly.
(Chapter End)