The Foolish Boy didn’t care, dashed upstairs, jumped onto Uncle Ah Fei’s bed with a brisk step, and buried his face in his arms, still shivering uncontrollably despite being in a familiar environment.
Li Wenli and the others had already cleaned the place, and the tattered quilt Uncle Ah Fei used was buried with him, leaving only a wiped clean bed.
The cold moonlight streamed through the window, slowly covering the back of the foolish boy as if draping him with a silver blanket.
However, the blanket had no warmth, and the foolish boy did not notice this silent moonlight; he still couldn’t help shivering uncontrollably on the bed.
Just as the Foolish Boy was trapped in terrifying memories of being chased, suddenly, a scent of meat filled the room.
Soon, a warm hand rested on his shoulder.
"Shivering , are you hungry?"
The voice was soft and warm, pulling the Foolish Boy back from his fright, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a seven or eight-year-old girl standing in front of him.
Her brows and eyes were full of worry, strikingly similar to his Royal Mother.
But this was just a fleeting memory, and soon the Foolish Boy noticed Bai Sasa standing beside him with Bai Lingyu and Xiao Shan also carefully watching him.
As the Foolish Boy was stunned, Bai Sasa extended a bowl to him, inside which was a large piece of fragrantly grilled meat.
The Foolish Boy immediately forgot his fear, staring intently at the piece of meat.
"This is the thank-you gift that eldest sister asked me to give you."
Bai Sasa mustered her courage before placing the bowl with the grilled meat by the Foolish Boy’s side.
Thanks to the Foolish Boy’s antics the night before, Bai Sasa had developed an inexplicable fear of the boy, so even though she later learned it wasn’t intentional, she still felt uneasy inside.
The eldest sister saw her weakness and thus had her bring the grilled meat to this brother, saying that fear in mind was most deadly; without addressing it, the problems would only grow, hence she had to confront her fear head-on.
Thanks to the eldest sister’s arrangement, Bai Sasa saw the pitiful and vulnerable side of the Foolish Brother, lying helplessly on the bed sobbing and in tears, which somehow reminded her of her days fleeing hardship.
Back then, she and Xiao Yu, treated like two-legged sheep, would also hug each other seeking warmth.
The Foolish Boy, frightened by the carcass of the Human Eagle, immediately ran to Uncle Ah Fei’s room, surely they must have had a deep connection before.
Now, having lost Uncle Ah Fei, the Foolish Boy was like drifting duckweed in the ocean, helpless and isolated.
Bai Sasa’s heart softened immediately, and her tone grew gentler.
The foolish boy glanced at the grilled meat placed beside the bed and quickly grabbed it and started gnawing on it.
Tasting the flavor of Salt for the first time in years, the boy showed a fleeting expression of emotion.
He looked at the meat with surprise, as if searching for some memory, but overwhelmed by his cravinigs, he wolfed it down without further thought.
Bai Sasa, watching the Foolish Brother’s demeanor, couldn’t help but sigh, "Take your time eating. If it’s not enough, come and find us later; we still have plenty more."
The Foolish Boy ignored her, continuing to eat delectably.
Bai Sasa then took her two younger brothers downstairs.
On the way home, they saw the men from the Tube-shaped Building gathering in twos and threes, having closed their doors.
What was usually a silent Death Valley at night was now lively with every household starting fires for grilling meat, thanks to the Man-eating Eagle.
The people, who lived off the meager vegetables and husks distributed by the authorities, had long forgotten the taste of meat.