A blue planet.
It was the home they had always watched over.
In Lu Ye’s eyes, a planet emerged, his vision rapidly drawing closer.
His mind came to a halt.
So, his first life was actually on Earth.
Rain poured down in torrents.
A highway overpass.
The sound of the rain was sharp and incessant, thunder roaring, the sky and earth blurring together.
A tiny Lu Ye crawled out of a car, his small mind still echoing with his parents' curses and accusations.
They had been using the vilest language imaginable to attack each other — the two people closest to him.
The woman called the man useless, a spineless coward, saying marrying him was the worst decision of her life.
The man called the woman lazy, as worthless as a pig, saying even a dog would wag its tail in gratitude for a single meal.
They argued, screamed, their faces twisted with rage.
Little Lu Ye sat in the backseat, clutching his stuffed toy, his expression blank.
He felt nothing. This was normal. This was what he was used to.
Eventually, the woman snapped.
She grabbed the steering wheel, yanking it violently.
The world spun.
There was a sharp pain.
Lu Ye crawled out of the car, sitting alone in the downpour. Large trucks roared past, blaring their horns.
Lu Ye finally regained his senses.
He stood up, walked to the front of the car, and saw his parents.
Their bodies were twisted, drenched in blood.
But at this moment, they were so... peaceful. Not at all like their usual terrifying selves.
Thick smoke rose into the sky.
Headlights shone through the rain.
Someone rushed over, scooping Lu Ye up and carrying him away.
Lu Ye looked back at the burning car, his small mind forming a peculiar thought:
Metal... how can it catch fire?
He watched as people rushed to the car, trying to open the doors, but they couldn’t.
The flames grew stronger.
The rain couldn’t extinguish the fire.
Voices shouted in panic.
In Lu Ye’s dark eyes, only the burning flames reflected.
Eventually, everyone retreated.
All they could do was watch as the vehicle was consumed by the flames, its occupants burning alongside it.
Lu Ye thought to himself, “Now, they won’t argue anymore, right?”
He was carried into an ambulance.
“What’s your name?”
A woman in a green nurse’s uniform asked.
“Lu Ye.”
“How old are you?”
“Four.”
“It’s okay, little one. I’m going to take you somewhere safe.”
“Okay.”
Lu Ye remained calm, not crying, not fussing. It was as if he was already used to being in unfamiliar places.
He was taken to the hospital.
Various examinations were conducted, and the results were surprisingly good.
Perhaps because he had been holding a stuffed toy in the backseat, Lu Ye hadn’t ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) suffered any serious injuries.
“Patient Lu Ye, age four. Parents deceased in a car accident. We contacted the grandparents, but both sets are already deceased. None of the other relatives are willing to take him in.”
“What about his parents’ assets?”
“After investigation, both parents were heavily in debt, liabilities far exceeding assets.”
“So, he has nothing? Just the ragged clothes on his back?”
“Strictly speaking, yes.”
“Contact the welfare institution.”
Lu Ye didn’t understand what they were discussing. He only felt that without his parents around, the world had become so... quiet. Peaceful.
Later, a middle-aged man appeared in front of Lu Ye.
“You’re Lu Ye, right?”
The man wore a gentle, warm smile.
Lu Ye nodded.
“I’m the director of the welfare home. My name is Li Kaoshan. From now on, you’ll be living with me at the welfare home. Is that okay?”
Lu Ye nodded.
“Good boy.”
“I’ll be taking the child now. All the paperwork is done. If there’s any follow-up, you can contact me. Such a poor little thing.”
Li Kaoshan picked up Lu Ye and carried him to a rickety van.
Inside the van, Li Kaoshan’s smile remained gentle.
“Lu Ye, before you enter the welfare home, there’s something very important I need to tell you.”
Lu Ye looked at Li Kaoshan.
“This very important thing is that you must be obedient. Very, very obedient. Grandpa Director hates disobedient children the most. If you’re disobedient, you will be punished. Understand?” Li Kaoshan’s smile was natural and warm.
But Lu Ye felt a chill run down his spine.
He curled up, his small face tense and serious.
“I’m always obedient.”
“That’s great. Remember what you said. Always be obedient!”
The welfare home came into view.
“Let’s welcome our new member of Sunshine Welfare Home, Lu Ye!”
Clap, clap, clap...
A wave of applause echoed through the room.
A group of children, some older, some younger, all orphans, looked curiously at Lu Ye.
Among them, two pairs of eyes stood out.
“So, this is Husband’s past life? Doesn’t seem all that dangerous,” Yin Qingcheng muttered to herself.
If there was no danger, it would be easier to act!
“Ding! So, this is the host’s past life? Back then, this system wasn’t with him. But now that I am, with Shen Xitong protecting him, who dares to bully the host?”
“Now, who would like to take care of Lu Ye and be his buddy for the next month?” Li Kaoshan asked with a kind smile.
“Me!”
“Me!”
Two voices shot up immediately.
Of course, it was Shen Xitong and Yin Qingcheng.
However, the surrounding children all gave them puzzled looks.
Shen Xitong reacted quickly.
“I... I need to go to the bathroom!”
“You lazy brat, always finding excuses to slack off! Hurry up and come back!” one of the caregivers scolded impatiently.
“Okay... I won’t go then...” Shen Xitong whimpered softly, her face filled with fear.
Li Kaoshan’s warm gaze fell on Yin Qingcheng.
“Qingcheng is such a good child. Since she wants to help Lu Ye, from today on, all of Lu Ye’s tasks will be done by Qingcheng!”
Yin Qingcheng: ???
“Lu Ye will stay with... with Xitong then. Xitong, you’ll teach him the rules. If you can’t, you’ll be punished too!”
“Yes, Director! Lu Ye, let’s go!”
Shen Xitong grabbed Lu Ye’s small hand and led him away.
Yin Qingcheng remained in place, her expression dazed.
The caregiver’s shadow loomed over her.
A hand clamped down on her arm, pinching her hard.
“You. Why aren’t you moving?”
