A few days had passed since that day.
Jing Lei continued with his usual routine: studying in the morning, playing in the afternoon, and practicing martial arts in the evening. It seemed that the fight he had witnessed had inspired him to train harder than before, despite being only five years old.
As the only child of the Jing Merchant Group, Jing Lei had never wanted for anything. His parents also made sure to provide him with all sorts of medicinal pills and nourishing remedies to strengthen his young body.
One afternoon, Jing Lei's parents were enjoying tea with him in the garden. Several hairpins and pieces of jewelry were scattered across the table, apparently gifts his father had brought for his mother.
"It's a gift for you, dear. I hope you like it," said Jing Lei's father, Jing Wenxuan.
His mother, Su Ruyan, gently ran her fingers over the accessories, a smile spreading across her face.
"This is the best gift you've ever given me," she said affectionately.
"Didn't you say the same thing about my previous gift?" Jing Wenxuan teased.
"Every gift you give me is the best."
Jing Lei's parents had always been this affectionate with each other.
While sipping his warm milk, Jing Lei suddenly noticed something among the accessories. There was a small hairpin decorated with a tiny white rabbit. He reached for it and showed it to his parents.
"Mom, Dad, can I have this one? It has Little Snowie on it!"
"Snowie?" His parents exchanged confused glances.
Then Han Yu, who had been standing behind Jing Lei the entire time, spoke up.
"It's the name of the rabbit the young master found and returned a few days ago."
"Ah, that's right." Su Ruyan nodded as she remembered. "You can have it, Lei'er."
Jing Lei happily stared at the little white rabbit ornament.
Just then, his father turned to his mother and said, "The man with thirty-one consecutive victories will be fighting again this afternoon. I hope there won't be too much of a crowd this time. Otherwise, my caravan might have trouble getting through."
The moment Jing Lei heard that the man would be fighting again, he immediately grabbed Han Yu's sleeve.
"Han Yu! Han Yu! Let's go watch!"
His eyes sparkled with excitement, his expression practically demanding that Han Yu take him to the arena again. Han Yu could only look helplessly between Jing Lei and his parents, silently begging them for help.
In the end, all three adults could do nothing but sigh and give in to the young master's wishes.
Once again, Han Yu carried Jing Lei as they left the Jing residence. Before they departed, Jing Wenxuan reminded them to return early. He wanted to spend more time with his son before leaving on another business trip the following day.
Carried on Han Yu's shoulder, Jing Lei hummed happily all the way. He was clearly in a good mood, knowing that he would soon get to see his idol again.
The Red Lotus Pavilion was crowded once more. Just like last time, Jing Lei sat on Han Yu's shoulders so he could see the arena clearly. The moment he spotted the familiar man, Jing Lei's eyes lit up. However, this time, the man had even more scars than before.
Although Jing Lei admired him, he couldn't help feeling a little sad. Why did he have to keep fighting until he was covered in injuries like that?
The matches continued, Thirty-first... thirty-seventh... fortieth... forty-seventh... fiftieth...
Several hours passed. With each passing match, Jing Lei's expression grew increasingly solemn.
"It must hurt..."
He stared at the man's wounds before slowly lifting his gaze to meet his eyes. Despite his injuries, despite his exhaustion, the spark in those eyes had never faded. It shone as brightly as ever. Perhaps other people couldn't see it, but Jing Lei could somehow feel it.
"Young master, we should head back now. The master wants you home before sunset," Han Yu reminded him.
Jing Lei's expression fell slightly. He glanced at the still-ongoing match before finally nodding.
"Okay."
The fight wasn't over yet, but he had to return early. As they walked home, Jing Lei suddenly caught the delicious smell of freshly steamed buns. A street vendor was selling them by the roadside. Seeing the little boy being carried on a teenager's shoulders staring so intently at his food, the vendor immediately called out.
"Fresh steamed buns! Chicken filling, meat filling, vegetable filling!"
Jing Lei's eyes widened at the mention of food. Han Yu immediately understood. He approached the vendor, set Jing Lei down, and bought several steamed buns for him.
Jing Lei happily accepted the bag and took a big bite out of one. Meanwhile, Han Yu turned around to pay the vendor. However, Jing Lei soon noticed that the street was much livelier than he had expected. There were more vendors selling food, toys, and all sorts of interesting things. His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Without even realizing it, he began wandering along the street, looking left and right at the various stalls while continuing to munch on his steamed bun. After paying, Han Yu turned around and suddenly realized that the little boy who had been standing beside him was gone.
"Young master?!"
He immediately began looking around in a panic, hoping Jing Lei hadn't wandered too far.
Meanwhile, inside a worn-out little house...
A woman gently placed a damp cloth on the forehead of a sickly boy lying in bed. Worry filled her expression as she looked at her son. Every day, she prayed for a miracle. She prayed that one day, her son would finally recover. Suddenly, a woman's voice called out from outside.
"Lin Yue! Lin Yue! Something terrible has happened! Your husband fainted after winning his sixtieth match!"
The woman sitting beside the bed immediately stood up and rushed outside. The woman calling her was her neighbor and close friend.
"After winning his sixtieth match, your husband suddenly collapsed outside the arena! You have to come quickly!" the neighbor exclaimed.
Lin Yue's heart sank with worry. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her husband's side, but then she remembered her son. She glanced back at the boy lying in bed, her expression filled with hesitation.
"Lin Yue, don't worry. Your son will be fine. We'll go get your husband and come straight back," her friend reassured her.
Lin Yue nodded reluctantly. She took one last worried glance at her son before following her friend toward the Red Lotus Pavilion. Left alone, the boy eventually noticed how strangely quiet the house had become.
His mother wasn't there.
The door had been left wide open, and the wind kept making the old wooden door creak. Despite his frail condition, he slowly tried to sit up. He removed the damp cloth from his forehead and struggled to get out of bed.
"Where is... Mother...?"
His voice was barely audible. He looked outside, but there was no one in sight. Perhaps his mother had only stepped out for a little while. With that thought, he began walking.
His steps were weak and unsteady, his feet dragging against the floor as he struggled to move forward. His vision was hazy, but he kept his eyes fixed ahead. Every now and then, he reached for something nearby to steady himself.
The sound of the crowd grew louder and louder as he continued walking. He was almost at the main road, where people gathered to buy and sell all kinds of things.
It was a world he had never truly seen before. For as long as he could remember, he had spent nearly his entire life confined to that little bed. He had never been able to experience the bustling streets outside. But before he could reach the main road, his strength finally gave out. He slumped against a wall in a narrow alleyway.
The alley was dark and quiet, shielded from the sunlight by the surrounding buildings. Yet the busy main road was just a short distance away, right in front of him. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the ground.
He no longer had the strength to walk. His body felt as though it were burning from within. Even keeping his eyes open had become difficult. Then, suddenly, he heard a small voice.
"Are you okay?"
A little boy, barely half his size, was kneeling right in front of him.
The boy wore pristine white clothes that looked rather expensive. His long hair was tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon. His eyes were as clear as the sea, and his cheeks were as plump and soft-looking as freshly steamed buns.
"...I'm not okay," he answered weakly.
"Do you want this steamed bun?"
The boy in white offered him a warm steamed bun. He slowly reached out and took it, biting into it with what little strength he had left.
It was warm.
"Why are you sitting here?" the little boy asked.
"..."
"Where is your house?"
"..."
"What's your name?"
The little boy continued asking questions, but he never answered. He simply leaned against the wall, as though it were the only thing keeping him upright while his legs threatened to give way.
"Why won't you answer me?" the little boy pouted, looking rather annoyed.
He took another bite of his steamed bun before finally speaking.
"Why should I answer your questions?", He stared straight into the little boy's clear eyes.
"If you won't tell me... Hmm...", The little boy thought for a moment before suddenly declaring,
"Then I'll call you Xiao Tan! (little charcoal)", He was momentarily bewildered.
"Why? Because I'm dirty?"
His clothes were worn and faded. What had once been black was now a dusty grey, and his hair was a complete mess from spending so much time in bed. Clearly, this boy was younger than him, yet he acted as though he were the older one.
"Because I can see a spark in your eyes!", The little boy's eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"You know, charcoal might look cold and dirty at first, but when a little spark lights it up, it can glow so brightly that it illuminates an entire dark room!", The boy fell silent for a moment.
He stared into the little boy's eyes, searching for even the slightest hint of mockery or sarcasm. But there was none.
"How poetic..." he murmured, Then he lowered his gaze.
"But I'm just charcoal. Nothing can light me up."
He had already lost hope. His family's financial situation was getting worse, and his illness continued to deteriorate. He was nothing but a burden to his family. The little boy suddenly shook his head.
"You just haven't found your fire yet!"
For a few seconds, everything seemed to fall silent.
The bustling sounds of the main road were still there, but all he could hear was the little boy's voice echoing in his mind.
"I... will never find my fire..."
His gaze fell to the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand.
"I'm hopeless. My family has no money, my health keeps getting worse... I'm nothing but a burden to them." Suddenly, the little boy reached into his sleeve and took something out. He placed it in the boy's hand. When he opened his palm, he found a small hairpin decorated with a tiny white rabbit.
"Then you can keep this! Think of it as a good luck charm!"
The hairpin looked rather expensive, even though its little rabbit ornament seemed almost childish. The little boy suddenly stood up, as though he had just remembered something.
"Ah! I have to go back!"
Just as he was about to run away, the boy gathered what little strength he had left and called out.
"Can I... Can I know your name?"
The little boy in white glanced back, "I'll tell you the next time we meet!"
With that, he hurriedly ran off. The boy remained where he was, staring at the little white rabbit hairpin in his palm for a long moment. Then he took another bite of the steamed bun.
"Warm..." he murmured.
"Wu Zhen!"
A woman's worried voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Mother..."
Lin Yue rushed forward and embraced her son tightly, "I was so worried when I couldn't find you in the house!"
Wu Zhen hugged his mother back, his little hand still holding tightly to the hairpin. Noticing what he was holding, Lin Yue pulled back slightly and looked at the ornament.
"Where did you get such an expensive hairpin?"
Wu Zhen remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, with a faint smile, he answered,
"A white rabbit gave it to me."