"Little Sevia." Elia's calm voice pulled Tang Xin back from her distraction, "These children..."

Just then, the door of the foster home was banged on forcefully, breaking the silence of the night streets. The children, who had just managed to fall asleep, were awakened by the noise, and faint cries of children could be heard inside.

The two looked outside the foster home and saw a homeless man in tattered clothes, deep-set eyes standing in front of the door, emanating a foul odor. His ten frostbitten, cracked fingers clung tightly to the iron gate of the foster home, with mud embedded in his nails.

Elia frowned with helplessness on her brows and eyes, taking a wooden stick and stepped forward, hitting the homeless man's hand clutching the iron gate: "Leave here, leave here now!"

Unexpectedly, the homeless man's dark eyes turned and locked onto Elia's face, as if lost in past memories, a flicker of clarity in the murkiness, "Dean Elia..."

He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. After looking up and seeing the 'Iris' foster home's sign clearly, it was as if he had been struck heavily, causing him to stagger back a few steps, shaking.

Hearing this familiar voice addressing her, Elia paused slightly, looking at the somewhat familiar, disheveled figure, quietly whispering, "Chris, is that you? Chris..."

"How did you become like this?"

Tang Xin found the name familiar too. She remembered that this homeless man and she were sent to the Iris Foster Home in the same year, although she never had a particularly good impression of him, or rather, she didn't have much of an impression of any of the children from that year.

Years had passed, and she had long let go of the petty childhood squabbles. She never expected to meet again in this manner, seeing his current state stirred a feeling of things having drastically changed in her heart.

"No one acknowledges me... no one acknowledges me... I can't leave here, Dean Elia."

"Hurry, come in, child. Do you want something to eat or drink?"

Elia opened the iron gate, her tone full of concern. She reached out to the figure outside like she did many years ago, but he silently avoided her.

The homeless man's gaze regained some clarity as he shook his head, as if afraid the stench on him would defile the 'home' of his childhood. He didn't step inside the gate, nor did he make contact with the woman, just sniffled.

"Can you give me a few paintbrushes or a can of paint?" the homeless man said, "Perhaps, that would be useful to me."

"I really want to leave here and go to a place that's not cold, a place with color."

With lips trembling like a child, the homeless man pleaded, "Help me this one last time, Dean Elia, I won't come here again."

After receiving the paintbrushes, the last glimmer of clarity in Chris's eyes seemed to dim. He forced himself to appear more spirited, straightened his back, and looked over to the blue-haired girl on the steps, despite the fact that she held no color in his eyes, her splendid attire worlds apart from him.

The little monster who always had a stiff face had already spread their wings to fly to higher and further places.

"Hey, Sevia, didn't expect to see you in a place like this."

Tang Xin didn't respond. Chris shook his head, never expecting forgiveness from her. He was just a homeless man, while her status might be much more esteemed, perhaps she was already a great artist, known beyond the Piano Key District — but he didn't know. Like most children from here, his world was only as large as the Piano Key District.

"I'm sorry for teaming up with Mel and others to exclude you before..."

"Using children's pranks to cover up the harm caused to you was really terrible. I've always felt I owe you an apology. I'm sorry."

While saying these words, Chris never dared to meet those ocean-like calm eyes, fearing the disparity in their statuses would crush his bent back, as he turned and ran into the night without looking back.

The brief interlude ended. Elia sighed softly, the wrinkles on her brows deepened. She came forward to lift Tang Xin's hand, gently patting it, saying nothing.

When the children here grow up, they'll leave the foster home to face the cold and sorrowful world alone, pondering what to do with their future. Perhaps the more sensitive girls could stay and become nursery teachers at the foster home. However, the fate for most of the children from the Piano Key District leaving the foster home would end up like Chris, becoming a homeless person, struggling under the help from the Life Daylight human rights organization. The future for them seemed bleak and dim.

——Why does life cry out?

As a child, under the guidance of a nursery teacher, Tang Xin was taken to observe a painting of a woman giving birth. Upon hearing the child's cries, she asked Mrs. Elia such a question.

Because they are not ready to face this unknown world yet.

This was the answer Mrs. Elia gave her at the time.

A hammer is given its purpose from the very beginning of its creation.

But how can a person, in the chaos of amniotic fluid within the womb, comprehend the meaning of their birth?

Thus, everyone comes into this world naked, because they are not yet prepared to face it.

"Little Sevia, the winter has gotten colder." Elia said lightly, standing beside Tang Xin. She was older now, her back slightly hunched, while the little girl who once clung to her waist crying had grown taller than her.

Tang Xin understood the meaning in her words, she slightly lowered her eyes, "Tomorrow, let's have the children here put on warmer clothes and have better meals, it's the time for their bodies to grow."

"Yes." Elia's smile was full of kindness.

Looking through the window at the rows of small figures who had entered the dreamland, wearing thin clothes, with her silhouette reflected on the frost-covered window, she wore a floral dress beneath, draped with a thick velvet shawl. Her face, worn by the frost, bore wrinkles yet always looked kind and benevolent, unlike the gaunt people here.

...

"Damn, who are you guys? I warn you, restricting others' freedom and kidnapping is a violation of the 'Starry Melody', you're breaking out of prison, the Tuner won't let you get away with this!"

In a small motel, a disheveled man was held aloft by two strong figures, kicking his legs and yelling at something, coarse curses coming from behind adjoining doors. Only then did Ince slump his shoulders and quiet down, yet still muttering nonstop.

Seeing no one paid him any mind after a while, Ince meekly pleaded:

"Please, say something. I'm a little scared."

Since leading the Sugarmen in a furious charge into the Rongsen Media building last time, he was sentenced to 6,327 years of imprisonment. The food at the Piano Key District prison was terrible to the extreme; Ince was nearly driven mad by the mushy food infested with roaches and bugs. Each of his cellmates, one and all, could be taken out and shot on sight by the Ascetic Sect as mentally insane.

He had no doubt that his cellmate, who chewed on toenails all day, would one day paint themselves and laugh maniacally while stabbing his rear, all the while babbling about noble art, truth, and philosophy.

Just now, the guard had opened his cell door, and then the two strong men picked him up like a chick from his slumber, making him think he was dreaming if not for having left Blank Prison.

Is it possible that the higher-ups showed great mercy and changed his over-six-thousand-year sentence to a death penalty?

The thought made Ince unable to contain his excitement; he was eager to escape that hell.

In the midst of his thoughts, the two strong men brought him to the destination and discarded him forward like trash. He slid on his knees straight to a girl's legs.

"Miss Xu, the person you named has been brought here for you."

Looking up, Ince, for a moment, felt as if he was seeing an angel who would free him from suffering. The girl's golden hair was so dazzling, flowing down to her shoulders, with a black shawl over a white shirt, sitting cross-legged on the bed, her gaze indifferent, the black cotton socks on her legs seemed warm to hug.

"Mr. Ince, long time no see," Xu Xiaoyou said while eating sunflower seeds.

Hearing this voice, Ince felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, burning with rage!

Damn, even if he turned to ash, he wouldn't forget this voice; who called this thing an angel!? Although he somehow couldn't quite remember the details, he was sure that the golden-haired girl before him was the devil who once lured him to charge Rongsen Tower!

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