Chapter 88: Illusionary Mirror

His face made her gasp. He was too adorable.

The boy had a pair of large and round eyes, long eyelashes, a sharp nose, and small red lips. He looked especially exquisite.

It was a pity that he was too thin, and there was no flesh on his face.

The boy’s eyes were a little dull. After a long time, they finally shone. “Thank you, Sister.”

Xia Muqing couldn’t help but reach out to touch his face. “Why did they hit you?”

The boy shuddered and lowered his eyes in disappointment. “Father is dead. My mother doesn’t want me anymore. They all say that I’m a bastard. Sister, I’m not a monster.”

He was afraid that Xia Muqing would ignore him because of this, so he explained nervously.

Xia Muqing opened her mouth and asked, “Why did you say that you’re not a monster?”

The boy continued, “They said that b*stards will become monsters when they grow up.”

Xia Muqing suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She held his hand and said, “Come, I’ll bring you home.”

Fear flashed across the boy’s downcast eyes, but he still held her hand. He didn’t want to leave this source of warmth.

Xia Muqing didn’t notice that she had followed the boy to a village.

She was already panting heavily by the time she reached this place, and she tried to catch her breath.

The boy stopped and asked, “Sister, are you very tired?”

Xia Muqing paused awkwardly and shook her head. “It’s okay. Let’s continue.”

She kept complaining in her heart. What kind of place was this? Why did she have to pant with every other step she took?

Despite saying that, the boy still slowed down subtly.

This touched Xia Muqing. He was such a considerate and cute child, how could those people bear to hurt him?

Everything here was no different from an ordinary mountain village. On the way, when they occasionally met some villagers, they would quickly avoid the boy when they saw him, as if he was a dirty thing.

The boy was used to it, but now, he felt ashamed and could only tighten his grip.

Xia Muqing could feel his uneasiness and she clenched his fist tightly.

The boy lived in a dilapidated hut with leaks everywhere. No, to be exact, it resembled a fence.

It was like a place for livestock.

Xia Muqing felt even more pity for him. She couldn’t imagine how this child had survived here alone.

This emotion turned into anger when she saw the people inside.

The boy called out timidly, “Mother.”

Xia Muqing frowned and looked over.

A woman dressed in luxurious clothes sat in the courtyard. Any hairpin on her head could allow this child to live a much more comfortable life.

The woman seemed to despise everything here, including her son. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said, “Pack up and follow me.”

The boy’s eyes were filled with disbelief and surprise. “Mother, are you here to bring me home?”

The woman put down the handkerchief in her hand and finally smiled. “Yes, but I don’t think you have anything to pack. Just come with me.”

Her disdainful gaze was obvious.

The boy approached her, but she avoided him and instructed, “Xiaotao, bring him along. Let’s go.”

The servant behind the woman also had a flash of impatience. She barely responded and said, “Yes, Aunt.”

The boy didn’t notice any of this as he was too happy.

However, Xia Muqing felt that this woman didn’t really want to take the boy away.

The woman looked as if she had just seen her. She frowned and asked, “Who are you?”

The boy answered first, “Mother, this sister saved me today.”

The woman nodded with a shrug and left.

However, Xia Muqing could clearly see a hint of disgust flash across the woman’s eyes when the boy called her Mother.