Chapter 9
The soft patter of small footsteps soon echoed from the hallway as the children began to wake up.
Little Jian was the first to emerge, rubbing his eyes with one hand while yawning widely. When he stepped into the dining area and saw both Ruo Lan and Jin Kai already sitting at the table with breakfast neatly laid out, his sleepy face instantly brightened.
"Wow! Big Brother Jin Kai is eating with us again!" he exclaimed, his voice still a little hoarse from sleep but full of energy.
One by one, the others followed. Little Hao came next, then Little Ling with her messy twin braids, followed by quiet Little Yun, and finally Little Mei, who was clutching the edge of her sleeping robe and rubbing her eyes cutely.
The children climbed onto their usual chairs, their eyes wide with pleasant surprise at the sight of the warm breakfast already waiting for them.
Ruo Lan smiled gently at the group. "Good morning, everyone. How was your sleep, children?"
Little Jian answered first, puffing out his chest proudly. "I slept great, Elder Sister! I dreamed I was a powerful cultivator fighting sea monsters!"
Little Hao grinned as he picked up his chopsticks. "Me too! But in my dream, I caught an even bigger fish than Elder Sister does every morning."
Little Ling giggled softly while helping Little Mei settle into her seat. "I slept well… but I kept dreaming that Big Brother Jin Kai was telling us stories. Is that going to happen soon?"
Little Yun, as usual, was quieter but offered a small nod. "I slept peacefully. Thank you for asking, Elder Sister."
Little Mei, still half-buried in her chair, peeked over the table with bright eyes and said in her tiny voice, "Mei-Mei slept with the pretty seashell you gave me… It was nice."
Ruo Lan's expression softened with affection as she looked at each child. "That's good to hear. Eat plenty today so you can grow strong."
Her gaze then shifted warmly toward Jin Kai, who was sitting quietly beside her. "And how about you, Jin Kai? You look much better this morning. Did you sleep well too?"
Jin Kai gave a small, genuine smile, his voice calm and gentle. "I slept deeply. Thank you. My body feels much stronger today."
Little Jian immediately leaned forward, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Big Brother, you really do look better! Yesterday you were sleeping like a log the whole day. We thought you turned into a sleeping immortal!"
The children laughed lightly. Little Ling tilted her head curiously. "Big Brother Jin Kai, are you going to stay with us for a long time? You can be like our new big brother!"
"Yeah!" Little Hao chimed in. "You can help Elder Sister catch fish and tell us stories at night!"
Little Mei clapped her small hands together. "Big Brother… stay!"
Ruo Lan chuckled softly, a faint blush touching her cheeks as she glanced at Jin Kai. "Children, don't overwhelm him. Jin Kai is still recovering."
Jin Kai looked around the table at the five eager faces, then at Ruo Lan's warm and slightly embarrassed expression. A comfortable, unfamiliar feeling settled in his chest — something close to belonging.
"I'll stay as long as I'm welcome," he said quietly, his tone sincere. "And I'd be happy to help with whatever I can."
The children cheered softly, their innocent joy filling the small cabin. Even Little Yun gave a rare small smile. The breakfast table felt lively and warm, filled with chatter, laughter, and the clinking of chopsticks.
As the meal came to an end, the children grew restless with excitement.
"Big Brother Jin Kai, come play with us!" Little Jian said, jumping off his chair. "We can build sandcastles on the beach!"
Little Hao nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Or we can look for pretty shells!"
Little Ling tugged gently on Jin Kai's sleeve. "Please play with us…"
Even Little Mei reached out her tiny hand toward him. "Play…"
Jin Kai glanced at Ruo Lan, who was already starting to gather the empty bowls. He stood up and said, "Let me help you wash the dishes first."
Ruo Lan shook her head with a gentle but firm smile. "No need. You should go play with the children. They've been waiting for you to feel better. I'll take care of the dishes."
"But—"
"I'll be okay," she insisted softly, her eyes warm and reassuring. "Go on. Have fun with them. I'll join you later once I'm done."
Seeing the determined look on her face, Jin Kai finally nodded. "Alright… Thank you."
The children let out happy cheers and immediately surrounded Jin Kai, grabbing his hands and pulling him toward the door with surprising strength for their small sizes.
"Come on, Big Brother!"
"Don't be slow!"
Ruo Lan watched them leave with a soft, contented smile on her lips as she carried the bowls to the sink. The sound of the children's laughter and Jin Kai's calm voice drifted back into the cabin from outside.
The children dragged Jin Kai out onto the warm golden sand, their small hands gripping his fingers with eager excitement. The morning sun shone brightly overhead, and the gentle sea breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean.
"Big Brother, let's build the biggest sandcastle ever!" Little Jian declared, already kneeling down and scooping up handfuls of damp sand with great enthusiasm.
Little Hao nodded vigorously. "Yeah! We'll make it so tall that even sea monsters can't knock it down!"
Little Ling smiled shyly as she gathered seashells to decorate the walls. "I'll find the prettiest shells for the windows."
Little Mei toddled after them, clutching a small bucket. She looked up at Jin Kai with big, sparkling eyes and held the bucket out to him. "Big Brother… help Mei-Mei?"
Jin Kai smiled softly and crouched down beside her. "Of course. Show me what to do."
The next hour passed in a blur of laughter and innocent joy. Jin Kai helped Little Jian and Little Hao pile sand into tall towers, using his steady hands to shape the walls while the boys added "defensive" moats and bridges. Little Ling carefully placed her collected shells along the battlements, explaining each one's "special power."
Little Mei sat right next to Jin Kai the entire time, occasionally patting his arm with her sandy little hand and giggling whenever he made a funny face or pretended to struggle lifting a big clump of sand.
"Big Brother is so strong!" she exclaimed happily after he lifted a particularly large mound for her.
Little Jian looked up from his digging, his face smeared with sand, and grinned widely. "You know, Big Brother… you're really fun. Even Elder Sister doesn't play with us this much because she's always busy."
Little Hao nodded in agreement. "Yeah! You don't get tired like the other grown-ups. Can you stay with us forever?"
Little Ling added quietly but sincerely, "I like having you here. It feels… nicer when you're around."
Jin Kai felt a strange, warm tightness in his chest as he listened to their innocent words. He had never experienced anything like this in the God Realm, no one had ever looked at him with such pure, uncomplicated affection.
He reached out and gently ruffled Little Jian's messy hair. "I like being here with all of you too," he said honestly, his voice low and warm. "We can build as many sandcastles as you want."
Little Mei suddenly crawled into his lap, leaning her small head against his chest without hesitation. "Big Brother… warm," she mumbled contentedly, closing her eyes for a moment as the sun warmed them both.
Jin Kai froze for a second, then carefully wrapped one arm around the tiny girl, supporting her gently. The simple trust she showed him made something inside him soften even further.
From a short distance away, Ruo Lan stood near the cabin entrance, quietly watching the scene unfold. A gentle, heartfelt smile graced her lips as she saw the children laughing and clinging to Jin Kai so naturally. She didn't interrupt — she simply let them have their moment.
As the sandcastle grew taller and more elaborate under their combined efforts, the children's laughter rang out across the beach. Little by little, Jin Kai could feel the invisible wall between him and this small family beginning to dissolve.
He was no longer just the injured stranger who had washed up on their shore.
To these children, he was starting to become "Big Brother Jin Kai" someone they genuinely liked and wanted around.