Chapter 203: Little Sister
She wasn’t the kind of kind-hearted person who would take a dying stranger home out of compassion.
Most of the time, she went out of her way to avoid trouble. She knew full well that she was just an ordinary human — neither an augmented nor an extraordinary being — and the only way to survive was to stay away from anything that smelled of danger.
But…
She didn’t think any further. The woman carefully avoided Xu Zhi’s wounds, frowning as she went to a locked drawer and pulled out a small bottle of ointment — the “lifesaving medicine” of scavengers. It was a general-purpose salve for external injuries, the kind black-market doctors in the flatlands prescribed. Not expensive by normal standards — but for someone like her, even that was a luxury.
To scavengers, such ointment was as precious as gold.
She usually didn’t use much of it — her cautious nature kept her safe most days — but now, she nearly emptied the entire bottle treating Xu Zhi’s wounds.
Once the medicine was applied, she dressed the girl in her own clean clothes, tucked her under the thin blanket, and finally let out a long breath. Xu Zhi’s lips were still pale, her face flushed unnaturally red. The woman reached out to touch her forehead — burning hot.
That wasn’t a good sign.
The girl’s wounds were horrifying, and it was a miracle she was even alive. Now, on top of that, she had a fever — a fever that felt like death reaching out its hand.
But the woman had no fever medicine at home.
After a moment’s hesitation, she silently fetched a basin of cool water, soaked a towel, wrung it out, and placed it on Xu Zhi’s forehead. The faint chill seemed to ease her pain; the deep frown on her face relaxed ever so slightly.
Then the woman poured half a cup of water and gently fed it to the unconscious girl. Thankfully, even in her coma, Xu Zhi’s body still responded — her throat moved as she swallowed. She was terribly thirsty, it seemed.
There was still a will to live. That thought brought the woman a small measure of relief.
She refreshed the towel, placed it back, and when she was sure the girl didn’t need her immediate attention, she turned toward a locked cabinet.
Inside wasn’t much. The ointment was gone, and the rest was a small collection of “junk” she’d scavenged — things that might sell for a few coins.
From a hidden compartment, she pried out a blue cloth pouch — her savings.
She glanced back at the unconscious Xu Zhi, bit her lip, and took the pouch out.
Would this be enough? She didn’t know.
“Knock, knock.”
The sudden sound froze her in place.
Quickly, she shut the drawer, put the money back into the wardrobe, and looked once more at Xu Zhi before going to the door.
She had a good idea who would visit at this hour, but she didn’t open immediately. Instead, she called out cautiously:
“Who is it?”
“Yánxīn-jie, it’s me, Xiaoran.”
A young, gentle voice came from outside. The woman relaxed slightly and opened the door. Standing there was the little neighbor girl — Ye Ran.
“Yánxīn-jie, I saw your light was still on,” Ye Ran said, puzzled. “You came back so early today — did something happen?”
The woman — Qi Yanxin — had saved the girl’s life last year. Since then, Ye Ran’s family often looked out for her. Knowing Qi Yanxin had gone scavenging tonight, yet returned so soon, the girl came to check in.
Qi Yanxin hesitated briefly, then nodded. “Yes. I found my sister. Just brought her home.”
It was a lie. She had no idea who the girl was.
But if Xu Zhi survived, she’d need a believable identity.
“Eh?!”
Ye Ran’s eyes widened, then she broke into a smile. “That’s wonderful! You’ve been looking for your sister for so long — you finally found her!”
She was a little doubtful — the timing was awfully coincidental — but her joy drowned out the questions. Asking now would’ve felt heartless.
“She’s injured,” Qi Yanxin continued. “So I won’t be able to work for a few days. I’ll need to take her to see a doctor.”
Like most scavengers, Qi Yanxin worked day shifts as a laborer in the industrial zone — black-market work that at least kept her fed.
“I see. I’ll tell my dad to help with your leave.”
Ye Ran’s father held a minor position in one of the black factories, able to smooth small things over. That gave their family — and by extension, Qi Yanxin — a little protection in the slums.
“Do you have enough money, though? Doctors are expensive…”
In the slums of the flatlands, medical treatment was the greatest luxury of all.
“I’ve saved some,” Qi Yanxin replied.
“Okay. But if it’s not enough, please tell us! Your sister is my sister too!” Ye Ran declared, patting her chest.
Qi Yanxin smiled softly. “She’s a bit older than you — you should probably call her jie, not mei.”
“Eh?” Ye Ran’s face fell in mock disappointment before brightening again. “Alright then — your sister is my sister too, jie or not!”
“It’s getting late,” Qi Yanxin said gently. “Go home. Everything’s fine here.”
Ye Ran nodded and left.
Her small silhouette soon disappeared into the drizzle. The slum’s lights were sparse — most of the illumination came from the industrial zone nearby. Dim red warning lights mixed with icy blue glows, spilling through the gaps between shacks like the distant light of civilization leaking into the sewers.
Qi Yanxin’s face flickered between shadow and cold light, and her expression turned heavy. The conversation had stirred old memories — of her real sister.
She had found her sister once. But by the time she did, the girl was already dead.
Just like tonight — her sister had lain pale and lifeless atop a garbage heap. The only difference was that Xu Zhi still breathed.
That night, she hadn’t even managed to bring her sister’s body home. The massive garbage compactor had devoured the entire mound. Qi Yanxin had been thrown aside only because she was still alive — her sister had vanished into the machine, leaving nothing behind.
Since then, she had tried to uncover the truth — but there was no trail to follow. She had no power, no status, and no means. Deep down, she knew: even if she spent her whole life searching, she might never find answers.
Sometimes, she wondered why she kept going. What meaning was there in clinging to this pain?
And then, tonight — in that same kind of cold rain — she found Xu Zhi lying atop the trash, pale as a ghost, yet still alive.
It had felt like fate.
She hadn’t hesitated long. She’d brought the girl home.
Even if it was only pity, she wouldn’t take it back.
She would save her.
Closing the door, Qi Yanxin filled half a cup of warm water before returning to the room. But as she approached the bed, she stopped abruptly —
The girl who should’ve been unconscious for days, grievously wounded and burning with fever, was awake.
Xu Zhi’s eyes were open — dazed, unfocused — and she was staring weakly in Qi Yanxin’s direction.
