Chapter 75: Such a Beautiful Child
In the corner of the space, there was a dirty little blanket, two small pillows, and a few worn-out household items, showing signs of being slept on.
This was likely Lin Fangzhi’s resting place.
This meant he could enter and exit this space freely.
No wonder he had managed to survive while wandering for so long.
When Su Tao let go of his hand, the image in her mind automatically faded away—truly magical.
She couldn’t help but feel envious.
Seeing that there was still a lot of space, she added five barrels of fuel, fifteen 20-kilogram water containers—essential items, the more the better—and even a foldable dining table for six and some tableware for Lin Fang Zhi to store away.
On the road, they could simply pull out the table and dine wherever they stopped.
Thinking about how difficult it might be to retrieve items in such a packed space, Su Tao asked Lin Fang Zhi to wait a bit while she purchased twenty floor-standing storage racks from the system shop.
While buying, she remembered that poor little blanket—likely too small even to cover Lin Fang Zhi’s feet.
So she also bought a large 1.8-meter bed, a storage wardrobe, a desk and chair, a folding screen, and other items.
Then, she called him over to store everything in his space, instructing him to organize the items neatly on the shelves.
Lin Fangzhi didn’t understand and extended his hand again: “Hold.”
Su Tao: “…”
Fine, hold hands then. Though he was technically half a year older than her, his mental state was that of a child—probably no big deal.
Once again, the dim space appeared in her mind.
Lin Fangzhi said, “Think about it—they’ll move.”
Su Tao felt proud of her comprehension skills. She immediately understood and began visualizing arranging the items neatly on the racks in her mind.
Sure enough, with her mental control, the barrels of fuel lined up perfectly.
The water containers were also all placed together on a large shelf.
Instant noodles, household supplies, and other items were neatly assigned to their designated shelves, making everything easily accessible.
All the supplies were arranged against one wall.
On the opposite side, Su Tao placed the large bed against the wall, set the desk and chair tightly to the left of the bed, and put the wardrobe at the foot of the bed.
The folding screen separated this resting area from the storage area, creating a strong sense of security.
After organizing everything, Su Tao let go of his hand and encouraged Lin Fangzhi to go inside and take a look.
He didn’t physically enter, but his eyes widened, unfocused—clearly, he was seeing his formerly shabby space transformed in his mind.
He murmured a few words: “Bed, table, cabinet, chair—I know those.”
Then, a confused expression appeared on his face.
Su Tao realized he must have seen the folding screen, so she explained, “This is called a folding screen. You can think of it as a foldable, movable wall.”
Lin Fangzhi silently took note, repeating the word like a child learning to speak: “Folding screen.”
Su Tao praised him and patiently continued, “Tonight, you can sleep in my living room or in your own space. If you sleep in the space, remember to lie on the bed, okay? I’ll take your little blanket and dirty pillow, wash them clean, and return them to you. How about that?”
Though Su Tao wanted to throw them away—they were both old and filthy—she recalled how Zhuang Wan had once mentioned in casual conversation that children often get attached to old things, especially those lacking a sense of security. To them, familiar items were like treasures.
She thought Lin Fang Zhi might be this kind of child.
Lin Fang Zhi understood, hesitated briefly, but ultimately chose to trust Su Tao. He watched with wide eyes as she took his little blanket and small pillow and placed them into a large, rotating machine that whirred and washed them with water.
His heart whimpered along with the washing machine’s hum.
Su Tao led Lin Fang Zhi to the bathroom, teaching him how to use the toilet and the shower.
At first, Lin Fangzhi was very resistant to new things. He tried to escape several times, but Su Tao, with a stern face, called him back every time.
“Are you a good boy?”
For just the affirmation of being a “good boy,” Lin Fang Zhi forced himself to touch the icy cold faucet and adapt to the sudden spray of water from the shower.
As she taught him how to use things, Su Tao also introduced him to the appliances:
“This is the sink. You need to wash your hands here before and after eating and using the bathroom. This is the showerhead…”
Lin Fang Zhi was quite smart—he could remember everything after hearing it once. However, he still couldn’t shake his fear of new things. Even when he learned how to use them, he needed Su Tao to stay nearby.
Su Tao had no choice. Since he was a peer and of the opposite gender, she could only turn her back to him while he bathed.
Zhuang Wan brought over some clothes, all of which belonged to the father and son in Room 006. The sizes didn’t fit them, but they were just right for Lin Fang Zhi.
After seeing him clean and dressed in proper clothes, his slightly long hair draped down, giving him the look of a delicate, feminine girl. Zhuang Wan couldn’t help but praise:
“What a beautiful child! Just too thin—you need to eat more.”
Su Tao wanted to cut his hair, but Lin Fangzhi shook his head vigorously, looking at her with a pleading expression.
Zhuang Wan, being a mother, couldn’t bear that look. She coaxed him, “No cutting, no cutting. Long hair looks good too!”
With scissors in hand, Su Tao felt like the evil stepmother.
Having no other choice, she found one of her own hair ties, dried his hair, and tied it up.
Su Tao felt a bit helpless. With his hair tied up, he looked even more like a girl. This wasn’t ideal.
When Shi Zijin returned and saw Lin Fangzhi with his hair up, for a moment, he wondered if his memory was playing tricks on him. Wasn’t he a boy during the day?
Su Tao explained: “During the day, his hair was tied up in a messy bun, so it didn’t look that long. After washing it at night, I realized it’s almost as long as mine. It was covering his eyes, so I just tied it up.”
Shi Zijin, noticing Lin Fang Zhi’s fearful gaze, remained silent for a while before saying:
“Do as you see fit. Give me the communicator, and I’ll install his chip locator for you.”
After installing it, Shi Zijin patiently taught her how to use it.
Lin Fang Zhi stood awkwardly to the side, feeling abandoned and ignored. The little bit of warmth and reliance he had just found began to slip away again.
Xue Dao straightened up, licked his hand, and let out a soft “woof.”
Lin Fangzhi paused, then imitated it by squatting down. The boy and the dog just sat there, watching Su Tao and Shi Zijin.
When Su Tao finished, she looked up and saw the pair. She quickly pulled Lin Fang Zhi up:
“You silly child! It’s a puppy, and you’re a human. The sofa is so big—why don’t you sit on it? You’re sitting on the floor with it, and I just got you all cleaned up!”
Then, she began teaching him to recognize things: “This soft thing is called a sofa. It’s meant for people to sit on. Of course… if the puppy wants to sit, it can too. The thing in front is a coffee table. It’s shorter than a regular table and is used to hold…”
Lin Fang Zhi felt the warmth return.
Shi Zijin, standing nearby, began to realize something was wrong. His expression grew increasingly grim.
Lin Fang Zhi, being highly sensitive, immediately sensed the change in atmosphere. But he didn’t understand why. He looked anxiously between Shi Zijin and Su Tao.
Su Tao asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Shi Zijin frowned, “What are you teaching him? Chen never mentioned he had intellectual problems.”
