"I'm back!"
In the old building in the incredibly cramped slum district, there was one place formed by the gathering of children abandoned by their parents. They worked together as a group in an organized manner, making it so even adults bigger than them couldn't easily come cause trouble here.
"...Mm."
The only girl living in this room turned back and nodded with an unfriendly demeanor. But that didn't make Xinyao, who had called out a greeting, feel angry at all.
Song Xinyao walked in with a smile. She placed a cloth bundle on the roughly-made wooden table and pulled that girl into a hug.
"Practicing alchemy again today?"
Whether because of being older or because of relative size, when she hugged Bai Fanxian from behind, her chin would always rest on Bai Fanxian's shoulder.
This posture let Xinyao see the same view as her younger sister.
Knowing Fanxian didn't like being fussed over, she closed her eyes, took in that warmth for a moment, then reluctantly let go.
It had been over three years since that day.
On the day everyone in the group learned Fanxian was a girl, each person's attitude toward her changed. They started caring for Fanxian like the group's little sister. None of them had ever had parents to show them warmth — and perhaps that was exactly why they understood, better than anyone, how much it mattered.
From that small group, relationships developed until they became like a family.
"Haoyang sent a gift."
Xinyao pointed at the cloth bundle tied neatly on the table. Even though Bai Fanxian always had a cold demeanor, when she heard the word "gift," she herself was no different from an ordinary child.
Her eyes sparkled as she walked straight to the cloth bundle, making Xinyao laugh softly. Having been with Bai Fanxian all along, she knew Fanxian wasn't what most people assumed.
She just didn't know how to show it... maybe?
Others might think Bai Fanxian was too mature for her age. But Xinyao could clearly see the eagerness when those small hands tried to unwrap the cloth.
"...Ah."
Just a faint exclamation. When the loosely-tied cloth came undone, what was inside appeared before her eyes. It was a book sewn with old thread. But it was the title, written in faint black ink, that made Bai Fanxian's face change.
"...Intermediate Herbs."
Bai Fanxian's small mouth read out word by word. But just that was enough to make Song Xinyao behind her smile broadly.
"Do you like it?"
"...Mm!"
Xinyao could clearly see the faint smile at the corner of her younger sister's lips. She waited until Bai Fanxian carefully flipped through the pages one by one before speaking.
"Got it from the used shop... sorry we couldn't buy you a new one."
Song Xinyao's expression fell.
Over these three years, they no longer needed to go steal food like before. Haoyang had pulled the others together and found them odd jobs. Once they learned Bai Fanxian was serious about alchemy, everyone did what they could to support her.
Moreover, what was even more shocking was that Bai Fanxian could use qi. She had reached Qi Gathering first level at just a few years old!
This was like a light of hope.
When combined with an old cauldron she picked up from the trash pile near the alchemy workshop, Bai Fanxian could start refining simple elixirs herself!
Selling those elixirs became how they kept themselves fed and clothed.
None of them knew just how "strange" Bai Fanxian's elixirs were compared to ordinary ones.
"...This book is perfect."
Bai Fanxian spoke softly. She hugged that book as if it were precious and walked to the other side of the room's wall.
There were old books related to alchemy all over, and she carefully slid the new book onto the shelf.
These things were gifts that she herself and all the older brothers and sisters found for her. Whether from trash piles people didn't want, or from used bookstores where each person sacrificed their own share of hard-earned money to buy.
They were Bai Fanxian's treasures.
"Won't you read it right away?"
Xinyao asked in surprise. Normally when Fanxian got a new book, she wouldn't waste even a moment to read it.
"Mm... I want to finish refining this first."
She shook her head and pointed to the cauldron sitting on the stove. It was the elixir Bai Fanxian had been refining until just before Song Xinyao came in.
"A new elixir? Have you named it yet?"
She asked with interest. Bai Fanxian nodded and closed her eyes.
"Restoration Elixir... Grade Two!"
Bai Fanxian's face looked extremely proud of the name she'd given.
"...Of course..."
Song Xinyao held her head and sighed wearily. This child's naming sense had always been like this. She could only hope when Fanxian grew up, she'd learn more about this.
"Anyway... where did everyone else go?"
Xinyao was surprised — since returning, she hadn't seen anyone else in this building.
"...Selling the elixirs refined earlier."
Bai Fanxian answered simply. The Restoration Elixir Grade Two she was refining now had only succeeded this morning. The current batch was the second one.
Several other children had rushed to take the first batch to deliver to Haoyang and the others working outside.
"Must have passed each other on the way..."
Xinyao nodded without thinking anything of it. Over these past few years, this kind of thing happened often.
Since Bai Fanxian didn't receive proper teaching from an alchemy workshop, she relied on secretly watching and memorizing on her own, experimenting with whatever she could find. This meant that many times, even Bai Fanxian herself didn't know what properties her elixirs would have until they were tested.
It was hard on the other children who had to be the test subjects. But strangely, none of the elixirs had ever been harmful — they only made them stronger.
Song Xinyao didn't know at all that the elixirs they ate had all been tested by Bai Fanxian on herself first.
Some caused torment beyond words, or left her unable to move for days. Luckily most were just Grade One elixirs that didn't have ingredients with lethal effects. And she often locked herself in the room for long periods so others wouldn't worry.
Then Bai Fanxian asked something out of character.
"Grade Two elixir... should get a lot of money, right?"
Xinyao, surprised, turned to look and met eyes full of expectation. It wasn't greed, but expectation that this money would make their lives more comfortable than now.
Xinyao knew this well. But when she heard this question, her expression became rather awkward.
"Of course! We should be able to eat good food for several months..."
Even though she said that, in her heart she knew it was impossible.
No matter how valuable the elixir, if those selling it were just orphans like them with no great backing, they'd be forced down to rock-bottom prices. Sometimes they even had to risk danger selling in the black market to exchange for just a few more coins, which wasn't worth the risk at all.
But she also couldn't tell her younger sister full of expectation that directly, so she could only lie to put Bai Fanxian at ease.
"Mm!"
Seeing the happy face returning to work with determination, she couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth...
But never mind! Life now was so much better. She could only hope it would stay peaceful like this until Fanxian grew up...
"..."
*BOOM!*
But that hope collapsed in an instant.
"Fanxian! Xinyao! Get out of here fast!"
A shout came from below where it was chaotic. Commotion covered the slum district that rarely had visitors. People living around here were running out from their own shelters in panic.
"Atao! What's happening!?"
When the door opened, they saw a boy slightly older than Song Xinyao with his hand against the door panting heavily. It seemed his head was injured because Xinyao could clearly see blood flowing down.
"Run first! We'll talk later!"
Atao used his arm to lean weakly against the door. Song Xinyao wasn't a brainless woman who would just panic and do nothing useful in this situation. She quickly grabbed Bai Fanxian's and Atao's hands, one on each side, and dragged them toward the back door.
Something was seriously wrong. There was no advance warning from Haoyang at all.
"W...wait..."
Bai Fanxian looked at the bookshelf that was like her treasure. So many precious memories were packed in there. She wanted to take them along.
But there was no time.
*BOOM!*
An explosion louder than any before drowned out everyone's thoughts completely.
Because the point where it exploded was none other than the building they were standing in!
Xinyao hugged Bai Fanxian tight. The explosion sent debris flying and falling from the second floor. Fortunately, their bodies were strong enough to survive. They rolled on the ground several times before finally propping themselves up.
What appeared before them was the old building they'd lived in for years burning until it became debris. It was collapsing right in front of them. Bai Fanxian reached out without thinking as she watched her bookshelf slowly turning to ash before her eyes.
"Ah..."
The "Intermediate Herbs" book she'd just received flew out and landed in front of her. But because of the heat, it was damaged beyond recognition.
...These things happened so fast even adults couldn't prepare.
Less than a minute ago they were still up there talking happily.
And in just a split second, it had already become a past that could never return.