The girl’s eyes were tightly closed, and tears kept falling on Zhang Xiaoman’s body.
For someone who had been blind for over a year, just this bit of light was already enough to satisfy her heart.
For a moment, all the memories that had been sealed deep in her heart surfaced one by one in Lin Sisi’s mind.
The nightmare-like car accident, the departure of her parents, her own life, dreams, and everything she once had, had all vanished like smoke.
The pride and aloofness of the past now seemed like clowns mocking her at this very moment, turning into sharp daggers piercing her heart constantly.
In this dark and lonely year, Lin Sisi’s personality could no longer return to what it once was; from the confident, always striving to be the best genius girl she had become a timid, weak, and easily blushing little girl.
No one could imagine what it meant for a normal person to lose everything, and how terrifying the life accompanied only by darkness and loneliness for over a year was.
There were many times when she thought about just leaving this world and ending all this pain.
But when the cold blade touched her wrist, she ultimately shied away. Having experienced death once, she feared true death—the coldness, chill, loneliness, despair, capable of devouring all the courage and hope in the world.
Lin Sisi did not commit suicide; she dared not face that horror, so she could only choose to be strong.
In her blind life of over a year, she went from initial breakdowns and crying to later becoming numb and persistent.
In those lonely corners where no one was present, she shed countless tears.
Because she once refused to interact with others, she even became deaf to sympathy and mockery, and the only company she had left was endless darkness.
However, it was in this darkness that a man’s figure suddenly appeared. This figure not only entered her life but also saved her life.
Even now, this man still appeared before her; in this dim world, only he was so noticeable.
The girl’s repressed emotions for over a year burst out at once. All her sadness and grievances turned into tears at that moment, scattering over that figure.
Zhang Xiaoman looked at the girl crying somewhat hysterically in front of him and was a bit dumbfounded for a moment, his hands lifted not knowing where to place them, feeling quite awkward.
Zhang Xiaoman felt his bluffing skills had always been very strong, a trait inherited in his genes.
For instance, Sixth Master Pei who spent half his life fortune-telling, and then there was his mother, a PhD in public relations—all closely linked to bluffing.
And he himself would become the Master of the Stars, the one who bluffs the whole world, establishing a powerful organization to combat alien species.
However, the talent for bluffing was inherited, but when it came to emotional matters, he was somewhat lacking. After all, being single for 25 years wasn’t without reason.
If it were any veteran of love at that moment, they might have already been discussing what to name their children.
Gently placing his hand on the girl’s back, Zhang Xiaoman was at a loss for words for a moment and could only pat her while offering some unhelpful comforting words.
After a while, Lin Sisi finally stopped crying.
After such an outburst of emotions, she felt much lighter.
The girl said in a low voice, her face red, her head lowered not knowing how to face this man, she herself was also experiencing the stirrings of young love.
Touching the large wet patch on his clothes from her tears, Zhang Xiaoman smiled helplessly: "It’s okay; some things are better out than kept inside. It’s even more painful to suppress them in the heart."
The room returned to calm, and the dog, who had been curiously listening with perked ears outside, also lay back down in its doghouse.
After another ten or so minutes of adjustment, Lin Sisi’s emotions finally completely settled, and Zhang Xiaoman looked at the time, finally stating the other purpose of his visit.
"Brother Xiao Man, do you want to learn how to paint?"
The girl looked at Zhang Xiaoman with a curious face. With the help of the Spirit Detection Technique, she was now able to accurately pinpoint his location.
"Yes, there are some things on the formations that I need to paint out using a brush, and it has to be with a brush pen, so I thought I’d come to you for some painting tips and to borrow some drawing tools as well," he explained.
Lin Sisi happily agreed and immediately invited Zhang Xiaoman to join her in her studio, which was the room they had been in before.
After listening to her discuss some basic painting techniques, Zhang Xiaoman took a piece of paper and began trying to draw the logo of the Star Alliance.
The brush he held was also made of soft bristles, which felt about the same as a brush pen—either way, they were both beyond his control.
Recalling some key points Lin Sisi had made earlier, Zhang Xiaoman slowly started to paint. With a swing of his arm, a crooked "circle" appeared on the paper.
Zhang Xiaoman’s gaze faltered, and his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"It’s okay, the first circle is always the hardest to draw. You just need more practice,"
Lin Sisi comforted him from the side.
Then, following the method she had taught, Zhang Xiaoman first drew a cross as a guide line, then tried to draw the circle using the four points on the sides.
"Wait, why does this look like a square to me... no, it seems more like a rectangle!"
Lin Sisi couldn’t help but laugh.
"That must be because your guide line was crooked."
Zhang Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Drawing really wasn’t something a novice like him could just pick up.
Looking at the paper, full of misshapen circles, Zhang Xiaoman felt a bit crazed. He hadn’t even started on the Enlightenment Array; just the outer circle was already holding him back.
"This is way too hard..."
He muttered dejectedly, setting down the paintbrush and massaging his sore wrist. Suddenly, he remembered a story he had once read.
"I wonder how many years that supposed transcender spent just drawing eggs..."
He mumbled softly, only to see Lin Sisi fumble for a moment, pick up the brush from the table, and with a gentle twist of her wrist—and with hardly a move of her arm—a perfectly standard circle appeared amidst those crooked monstrosities.
"Wow! You just drew it like that?"
Zhang Xiaoman watched in amazement, his mouth agape.
"This... it’s nothing really, I’ve just drawn a lot, so I’m used to it... you can do it too with more practice,"
Lin Sisi said shyly, her cheeks reddening.
Zhang Xiaoman, looking at the perfect circle before him, couldn’t help but exclaim,
"If I had even one-tenth of your skill, I wouldn’t have to worry at all. You’re so talented; maybe you should just help me with the formation..."