Chapter 21: Stars in Her Eyes

As the only large city within a hundred-li radius, houses in Maple Forest City were naturally not cheap.

Ling He’s assistance was a drop in the bucket, and Jiang Wang himself had little savings. Fortunately, there was someone who did not lack money.

Jiang Wang carried Jiang An’an straight to Zhao Rucheng.

“Give me some silver,” Jiang Wang said directly.

Zhao Rucheng was staring at Jiang An’an, and Jiang An’an was staring back at him. Hearing this, he casually asked, “How much?”

“How much silver would it take to buy a small courtyard near the Dao Academy? Just enough for me and my sister to live in.”

“Why buy a courtyard? You two can just live here with me. I have plenty of empty rooms.”

Zhao Rucheng winked his left eye at Jiang An’an, then blinked his right eye, occasionally flashing a smile he thought was handsome. Of course, his appearance truly could be called handsome.

Jiang Wang glanced at Jiang An’an before saying, “We need a home of our own.”

He did not care where he lived, but little An’an was different. The little girl had just been sent over. No matter how strong she acted, her heart was inevitably fragile and sensitive.

“Oh.”

Zhao Rucheng rubbed his chin and thought for a moment.

“My family seems to have several houses near the Dao Academy. Let me ask.”

He turned his head and shouted, “Uncle Deng!”

Before long, a mild-tempered middle-aged man walked in and bowed meticulously.

“Young Master.”

“Do we have a suitable house near the Dao Academy? Free one up and hand the deed and land title to my Third Brother.”

The steward called Uncle Deng replied, “There’s no need to free one up specially. There are currently three empty ones. Which one would you like?”

Zhao Rucheng looked at Jiang Wang again.

“Third Brother, what do you think?”

Jiang Wang smiled gently at the steward.

“Sorry to trouble you, Uncle Deng. The house doesn’t need to be too large. It’s enough for just me and An’an. The most important thing is that it’s close to the Dao Academy, so I can return home to accompany her at any time.”

The steward returned a smile.

“There is a small one-entry courtyard in Flying Horse Alley behind the Dao Academy. I just don’t know whether its arrangement will suit your taste.”

“Let’s go! We’ll take a look!”

Zhao Rucheng immediately said, “Just give me the key.”

Although Jiang An’an did not like to speak and did not pay much attention to people, that delicate little face, carved like jade and powdered like snow, naturally made people like her.

Along the way, Zhao Rucheng kept teasing her.

“An’an, who do you think is more handsome, Brother Rucheng or your Brother Wang? Ah, I asked an invalid question. How could there be any comparison?”

“An’an, An’an, do you see those candied hawthorns over there? Come into my arms, and we’ll buy the whole bundle! How about it?”

“An’an, do you know you’re very heavy? Look how chubby you are! Your brother’s arms are about to break from carrying you! Why not let your Brother Rucheng hold you for a while?”

Little An’an had remained silent against a thousand words, but upon hearing this, she tilted her head and looked at Jiang Wang.

“Are you tired?” she asked softly.

Jiang Wang smiled gently.

“Not tired at all. I could hold you until next year without letting go.”

The small courtyard in Flying Horse Alley was quite good. There was one main room, one south room, and two side rooms to the east and west. Though no one lived there, all the necessary facilities were complete. They only needed to buy some daily necessities to move in right away.

The room decorations were also elegant and comfortable.

Jiang Wang held little An’an’s hand and walked through every room, making sure she showed no resistance.

“Good. We’ll take this place.”

Jiang Wang smiled brightly at Zhao Rucheng, who had been chattering nonstop around little An’an.

“Give me the key. You can go back now.”

“Got it!”

Zhao Rucheng very self-awarely turned and left. As he crossed the doorway, he suddenly turned back and waved to An’an.

“Your Brother Rucheng is leaving. Don’t miss me too much.”

Little An’an trotted over and, amid Zhao Rucheng’s brilliant smile—

firmly shut the courtyard gate.

At night, Maple Forest City, which had been noisy all day, quieted down.

The little earthworm in the Heaven-Connecting Palace completed its final leap and spat a round dao essence into the star formation.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, ending today’s meridian cultivation.

The accumulation of dao essence, one by one, day after day, night after night—every small effort would not be wasted. They would eventually become the foundation formation and open the path to transcendence.

It was precisely because of countless dull days and nights of cultivation that one could later enjoy the brilliance of soaring through the blue heavens.

The room was very quiet. Jiang An’an lay on her little bed, her small hands properly placed outside the quilt, completely still.

Because An’an was too young, Jiang Wang had specially asked someone to make a small bed so she could sleep in the same room as him. One large bed and one small bed were placed on opposite sides of the room, facing each other.

Quietly listening to little An’an’s breathing, Jiang Wang said softly, “An’an, you haven’t fallen asleep yet?”

A somewhat panicked little girl’s voice immediately sounded in the room.

“I… I’m asleep.”

Jiang An’an’s nervousness made Jiang Wang’s heart ache. Such a young child had already learned to read people’s moods. Only because Jiang Wang had told her before his meridian cultivation that she should sleep early, she became anxious when she failed to fall asleep.

A little girl not even five years old had suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar place, suddenly leaving her mother. The fact that she had not cried loudly was already extremely strong of her. How frightened must she be inside?

But of course, those matters should no longer be mentioned.

“Mm, but Big Brother can’t sleep,” Jiang Wang said even more gently. “Do you want to look at the stars?”

After a while, a mosquito-like “Mm” sounded in the room.

“Then get up.”

Jiang Wang rose and lit the oil lamp, then walked to the small bed to help An’an put on her outer clothes.

Those hands that moved so nimbly with a sword were especially clumsy when caring for a child.

“That’s not how you wear it. Brother, you put it on backward…”

Jiang Wang sheepishly withdrew his hands.

“Then An’an, you put it on yourself.”

The two of them busied themselves for a while before walking out of the room.

At that moment, the bright moon hung in the sky, and starlight glittered faintly. Clean moonlight filled the empty little courtyard, making this night, which should have felt lonely, become soft and warm.

“Are we looking at the stars in the courtyard?” Jiang An’an asked, tilting up her little head.

“Of course not.”

Jiang Wang suddenly hugged her tightly, sprang from the ground, and leapt onto the roof.

Jiang An’an screamed. When they landed on the rooftop, her little face was already flushed red.

Jiang Wang lowered his head and looked at her, feeling a little guilty.

“Did I scare you, An’an?”

Jiang An’an blinked her large eyes, faint excitement hidden within them.

“Brother, can you fly?”

Although she seemed eager to try again, Jiang Wang did not want to hop around on the rooftops like some monkey and make people laugh.

“Not yet. But when Big Brother becomes accomplished in dao arts, I definitely will. When that time comes, wherever An’an wants to go, we’ll fly there. How about that?”

“Okay.”

Jiang Wang took off his outer robe and spread it on the roof, then lay beside it, resting one hand behind his head.

“Come, lie down like Big Brother and look at the stars.”

Little An’an obediently lay down on Jiang Wang’s outer robe, placing her small hands carefully behind her head as well. She opened her dark, round eyes wide and looked straight at the starry sky.

Countless stars glittered across the vast night, competing with one another in brilliance. Within endless darkness, countless lights were born. The galaxy was boundless, holding countless dreams and memories.

“That one is the Purple Star. That one is called Yuheng… The Southern Dipper is over there, look, there…”

“They’re twinkling. It looks like they’re blinking.”

“Only when our adorable An’an blinks does it look like stars. For someone like your Brother Yehu—the big-bearded one you saw during the day—when he blinks, it only looks like an ox bell.”

Jiang An’an giggled.

“Do you know, An’an? These stars are all countless millions of li away…”

“How far is countless millions of li? Is it farther than Fengxi Town to here?”

“Much farther than that. Far beyond measure. If there were a road leading to the stars, and an ordinary person walked from birth until death, they might only have just begun the journey.”

“Ah?”

An’an was a little surprised.

“That far?”

“Yes, that far. They cross such an immense distance through endless darkness to send their light before your eyes. They offer you beauty that might have already gone out tens of thousands of years ago.”

“They’re so nice.”

“Father is like one of those stars. He may have left long, long ago, but in a very, very distant place, he is still working hard to shine. And with that light, he keeps us company. So no matter when, don’t be afraid, all right? Big Brother will always be with you, and so will the stars.”

“Brother.”

Jiang An’an’s voice was very small.

“My mother doesn’t want me anymore, does she?”

Jiang Wang fell silent for a moment.

Should he tell her the truth? Tell little An’an that she was a burden who had affected her mother’s life?

Should he angrily condemn Aunt Song’s selfishness and make little An’an hate her own birth mother from now on?

How should he answer?

He had no time to think for too long, because silence was also a kind of harm.

In the end, he only turned sideways and gently but seriously held An’an’s little hand.

“An’an is so adorable. How could anyone not want you? It was Big Brother who really, really wanted to live together with you. That’s why I insisted Auntie send you here. When Auntie left, she cried so sadly. She couldn’t bear to part with you either.”

“Really?”

Starlight and moonlight both rested on Jiang An’an’s little face, caressing the tear tracks that had not yet faded. She was as beautiful as a spirit of stars and moon.

Though her face still carried lingering confusion, those large eyes brightened all at once.

[End of Chapter]