A Kind Person

Ye Chuan walked aimlessly down the street, his nose lingering on the aroma of food drifting from the various shops.

The wheat scent of freshly baked bread, the greasy aroma of sizzling meat, and the savory smell of hot soup all combined to make his own stomach rumble in protest.

Sure enough, he was hungry too.

Despite this, his body did not feel weak at all; in fact, his stamina was holding up quite well.

He patted his completely empty pockets and let out a sigh.

No money.

He had transmigrated to another world, so why wasn't he given any starting funds? Wouldn't it have been much better if he had bumped into a princess who casually tossed him a bag of gold coins?

Not far down the road, a steaming bread stall on the street corner caught his attention.

Golden-brown whole wheat loaves were neatly arranged on wooden trays, sprinkled with white sesame seeds and still steaming, looking exceptionally appetizing.

Ye Chuan hesitated for a long time before bracing himself and walking over.

Come, come, customer, take a look, delicious bread! the boss called out immediately upon seeing Ye Chuan approach.

We have something for every price range!

Every price range, you say? Boss, do you have any free bread? Ye Chuan asked with a smile.

The middle-aged man looked up, sized Ye Chuan up and down, and immediately furrowed his brows, waving his hand impatiently.

Go away, go away! I'm running a business here, not a charity!

Ye Chuan explained, I have an injured little girl at home. She hasn't eaten all day and is very hungry.

I've lost my memory and I don't have a single penny on me. Could you please give me a little bit of bread first? I promise I'll earn money and pay you back later!

The man's hands paused, and he took another look at Ye Chuan.

Although the young man before him was dressed strangely, his eyes were clear and his tone was sincere. He didn't look like a swindler.

He fell silent for a few seconds before giving a disgruntled snort. You have hands and feet. How did someone as young as you end up in such a state?

The Adventurer's Guild is just down the next street. If you just take on a random errand quest, you can earn a few copper coins to buy bread. You won't starve to death, will you?

Hearing this, Ye Chuan put on a thoughtful expression. The Adventurer's Guild? Thank you for the tip, boss! I'll go check it out right now!

Thank you.

Having expressed his gratitude, Ye Chuan bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Wait! the man suddenly called out to stop him.

Ye Chuan turned his head, only to see the man grab a large piece of freshly baked white bread from the wooden tray, wrap up a large bag of leftover crusts and scraps with oil paper, and shove them into his hands.

Take it, the man said, looking away, his tone still gruff.

It's for the kid to eat. I was going to throw the scraps away anyway, so let's not waste them. Just remember to pay me back for the bread once you earn some money!

Ah... thank you, sir, thank you, Ye Chuan said hastily, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart as he held the still-warm bread.

Alright, alright, hurry up and go. Don't keep the kid waiting, the man said, waving his hand.

Clutching the bread, Ye Chuan jogged all the way back to the dilapidated wooden cabin.

Pushing open the door, he had expected Angelina to still be sleeping, but to his surprise, the little girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, her back against the wall, quietly staring in the direction of the doorway.

Her eyes were wide open, and her small hands tightly gripped the coat Ye Chuan had given her yesterday. It was clear that she had been sitting there waiting for him ever since he left.

Upon seeing Ye Chuan return, a faint, almost imperceptible gleam of light flashed in Angelina's empty eyes.

I'm back, Ye Chuan said with a smile as he walked over and placed the oil paper packages on the bed. Look what delicious food I brought you.

Right at that moment, Angelina's stomach let out an uncooperative growl.

She quickly lowered her head and covered her stomach with her hands.

Ye Chuan couldn't help but chuckle. He opened the oil paper and held the complete, golden, and fluffy loaf of bread out to her.

Hurry and eat, it's still hot.

Angelina looked up at the white bread in Ye Chuan's hand, and then at the bag of dry, hard bread scraps beside it.

She didn't take the white bread. Instead, she reached out her small hand, wanting to grab the bag of scraps.

I'll just eat this, she said softly.

Ye Chuan quickly shoved the white bread into her hands and pulled the bag of scraps in front of himself.

No, you're injured. You need to eat something good to nourish your body. I'll just eat the crusts; I'm not a picky eater.

Angelina gripped the warm white bread in her hands, looking up at Ye Chuan, her eyes filled with confusion.

In all her life, no one had ever offered the good things to her. Everyone always fought for the best parts and threw the leftover crumbs to her.

She hesitated for a moment, then broke the white bread in half. She handed the larger half back to Ye Chuan, poured out the bag of bread crusts, and divided them into two portions as well.

We eat together, she said, looking at Ye Chuan. Though her tone remained flat, it carried a trace of undeniable firmness.

Ye Chuan looked at the half piece of white bread in her hand. He nodded, accepted the half loaf, and then picked up a piece of bread crust and popped it into his mouth.

Alright, we'll eat together.

Only then did Angelina lower her head and begin to eat the bread in small, careful bites.

She ate very slowly and very earnestly, as if what she held in her hands was not an ordinary piece of white bread, but the most delicious delicacy in the world.

In all her life, this was the first time she had ever tasted such soft, sweet white bread.

Watching the way she devoured the food, Ye Chuan slowly chewed on his bread crusts and then looked around, wondering if he should get Angelina a cup of water.

Oh, by the way, Angelina, Ye Chuan spoke up. The bakery boss just told me that there is an Adventurer's Guild in town. I'm planning to go there and see if I can take on some quests to earn a little money.

Angelina looked up, her mouth still stuffed with bread, and asked indistinctly, Earn money... for what...

To earn money to heal your leg, and to buy you new clothes and delicious food, Ye Chuan said, smiling as he rubbed her head.

Don't worry, I'll take good care of you. No one will ever bully you again.

Angelina stopped eating and quietly stared at Ye Chuan.

After a long time, she finally asked softly, Why?

Why are you being so good to me?

We don't even know each other.

Ye Chuan froze for a moment.

Why?

Was it because of a quest issued by the system? It didn't seem like it.

He looked at Angelina's dim and empty eyes, looked at the unhealed scars on her body, and looked at the half piece of white bread in her hands that she treated as a precious treasure, and suddenly, he had an answer in his heart.

There is no why, Ye Chuan smiled, his tone incredibly serious. I just can't stand seeing you suffer, that's all.

Seeing you get bullied, seeing you go hungry, seeing you sleep on the cold floor... it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Maybe I'm just too kind-hearted.

Ye Chuan wasn't sure what kind of person he had been before losing his memory, but he figured—

He must have been a very kind person.

Angelina looked into his eyes and remained silent for a very, very long time.

She lowered her head and continued to take small bites of her bread, her long white hair falling down to conceal her face.

It was just that, for some unknown reason, the slightly dry bread tasted increasingly moist as she ate it.