Chapter 11 Hey, Forensic Big Brother! 11

The little boy took a step back, looking at him with an extremely indifferent expression, his eyes devoid of the tenderness he once showed toward Qingtian.

Just as the man was about to get up, Luocheng stepped forward, and his sharp, pointed knife once again mercilessly stabbed into the man's other knee.

Now he could not stand up at all.

"You... you... what are you doing!" At that moment, the man, miserably lying on the ground and completely gripped by fear, cried, "I... I am your father! How can you do this to me?"

The lights in the room were very dim.

The blood on the floor had already stained the books that Luocheng had accidentally knocked over while trying to evade.

The little boy stood beside the man, now appearing like a demon from hell.

There was not a trace of emotion in his eyes.

"You used to be my only family, but not anymore." In the little boy's vacant eyes, a happy smile emerged. "Because I already have a princess; a knight only needs to be loyal to the princess, not to family," he said in an extremely childish manner.

But at that moment, the man's shouting became a bit too loud, so Luocheng used his knife to slit his throat.

Now he was completely unable to make a sound.

The knife also pierced the joints of his hands; he lay on the cold floor in excruciating pain, his face etched with despair as he looked at the boy. His eyes had turned blood-red with tears streaming down, his hands desperately covering his throat, and his mouth kept repeating "Help me, help me, save me." Even though he could no longer produce any sound, he pleaded with the little boy with his eyes.

But seeing him like this, Luocheng's expression remained utterly devoid of emotion.

He slowly closed the door.

The little boy, holding the bleeding knife, slowly walked out.

For someone without genuine feelings, even if they disappear, it wouldn't attract any attention, would it?

The next day, Qingtian, as usual, followed Luocheng to collect garbage, but the person who had pushed her to the ground yesterday was nowhere to be seen.

Even though that area had plenty of cardboard boxes, he hadn't come to collect them.

Qingtian didn't pay much attention—heh heh! Since he wasn't here, does that mean they could collect here?

After all, this place is close to the garbage charging station, which is more convenient.

Qingtian, holding Luocheng's little hand, ran around here collecting garbage.

While picking up items, she instilled in him the idea of being a good child, and the little boy obediently nodded before silently continuing his work.

Suddenly, he asked a rather inexplicable question, "If I were a bad child, would you still play with me?" His deep, dark eyes stared quietly at Qingtian, carefully concealing his fear.

"Yes, of course I would. I believe you can eventually become a good child," Qingtian replied, not giving much thought to his question, considering it just a casual remark.

"Mm, I am a good child," the little boy said with a firm nod.

Seeing Qingtian's helpless expression, his small hand almost reached out to stroke his hair in comfort, but then he remembered how dirty his hands were—oh well!

Better not; halfway, he withdrew his hand.

Luocheng immediately understood what she intended and bent down, resting his head against Qingtian's hand.

In a tiny voice he said, "You touch."

"My hands are dirty; I can't touch you," Qingtian quickly pulled her hand away.

"Alright," the boy said, lowering his head in disappointment, his fair lips pressed tightly together.

This child is so adorable—I just want to kiss him to death.

So Qingtian did just that, planting a heavy kiss on his disappointed little face.

The boy looked up in surprise.

Blushing, he lowered his head, his eyes too shy to meet Qingtian's, and in a very timid voice he whispered, "You... you... you kissed me!"

"Mm~!" Qingtian, with a roguish arch of her cute little eyebrows, replied in her soft, girlish voice, "What's wrong with me kissing you?"

/

Chapter 12 Hey, Forensic Big Brother! 12

"N-no... nothing, I...I'm going to pick up some cardboard boxes." As if something were chasing him from behind, he quickly ran off.
He squatted on the other side, his ear tips so red they were almost unrecognizable.

He nearly crumpled the cardboard box into a ball.

"Host, is it appropriate for you to tease a little kid like that?" the system asked casually, pinching its nose and taking a sniff.

"It's nothing! It's just a kid," Qing Tian replied with a dismissive wave of her small hand.

"Uh... then you should take it easy. Don't you forget how he nearly killed you," the system reminded.

"That wasn't him—time and space are different. The one now is a brand new Luocheng, a gentle and kind person. When he grows up, he'll definitely be a good person. Don't worry!" Qing Tian reassured.

"Alright! Then do as you please. If anything's wrong, just call me. I'm going back now to eat some cucumber-flavored chips and boost my nutrients," the system said.

Qing Tian looked at the little round object floating in the air with puzzlement, wondering if it could open the snack bag.
But swallowing her words, she didn't ask, fearing it might hurt its pride.

After the system returned, Qing Tian continued diligently searching for bottles.

Just like yesterday, Qing Tian and Luocheng didn't come back until evening.

Stars dotted the night sky.
The city plunged into darkness as colorful lights were slowly turned on.
Airplanes streaked through the night, their white lights blinking on and off.
Street vendors set up their stalls along the roadside, and pedestrians—those just off work or fresh from a meal—ambled about.
The streets grew increasingly crowded and lively.

Qing Tian kept the money she earned today instead of giving it to Luocheng, because during the time they spent together, she had never seen him eat anything decent. In the morning, if he bought a meat bun, it would be good.
But every morning, when she secretly followed him, she never saw him buy any bun—he always had plain steamed buns.
He was already so thin, yet he never once had a proper meal.
She had thought about buying some ingredients to cook at his place, but was afraid his father might be home.

In fact, that man's soul had long since vanished from this world.

So tonight, Qing Tian planned to treat him to a good meal—a way to help him get some proper nutrition.
Combined with yesterday's earnings, a little over a hundred yuan should be enough for both of them to have a proper meal.

Under the starlight, the surrounding lights shone brightly.
The two little ones each carried a large black bag, and both of them exuded a nauseating, rotting odor.
The little girl still looked presentable, wearing clean, nicely styled clothes, but the little boy's attire was far too shabby—there was even a large hole in his clothes.
Although his features were delicate, his pale complexion clearly betrayed the effects of malnutrition.
Still, the odor clinging to them was unpleasant, as if they had been crouching in a dumpster.

The guard at the mall entrance thought they wanted to come in to play, but fearing complaints—this was a high-end mall—he decided to drive them out.
Then, just as he was about to chase them away, Qing Tian glanced inside and grabbed Luocheng's little hand, and they left together.

Luocheng looked back with his dark, gloomy eyes at that place, then turned around and followed Qing Tian as she left.
After passing those bustling streets, the two children gradually entered the darkness.
After crossing that street, a little further on was the barbecue district—this was a good spot that Qing Tian had the system locate.

Earlier, she had thought about taking Luocheng to eat at the mall, but any restaurant there cost several hundred at least—even over a thousand in some cases—and she simply didn't have enough money right now.

/

Chapter 13 Hey, Forensic Big Brother! 13

So let's go eat at that place with great value for money!
Just like this place—although it isn't as luxurious or neat as a shopping mall, it is situated behind a large mall, so the security is somewhat better.

And it's very lively.

Here, she can buy more food.

Because the barbecue aroma is so strong, even the smell on them is partially masked; as long as there isn't close contact, you won't be able to detect the odor.

And while Luocheng was following her, he noticed that the direction was completely different from the way home, but he didn't mind at all.
Wherever she went, he went.
Besides, there's no one at home.

"Luocheng, today it's my treat for dinner!"
The little girl's bright eyes, illuminated by the lights, looked even more beautiful—dazzling like crystals.

But the little boy fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "No."

Qingtian: ?

"Why ⊙⊙?"
The girl's voice was soft, yet her tone was defiant.

"I'm treating you," the boy said firmly.

Knowing that he didn't want to spend her money, Qingtian had a plan:
"Next time! Next time! This time I'll treat you to barbecue, and next time you should treat me to a feast, okay? I'm hungry~!"

Luocheng still didn't want to agree, but he couldn't resist Qingtian's pleading little eyes.
Every time she acted coy, whatever she desired, he was willing to give it to her—even if it meant sacrificing his heart.

With eyes as dark as a deep abyss, he stared intently at Qingtian, and finally he nodded.

"From now on, you have to treat me to a feast!"

"Mm, mm, I definitely will," the boy declared in a crisp voice.

"Alright."

Qingtian held his hand, and the two of them carried their neatly folded black sacks.

Although they appeared somewhat dirty to passersby, the barbecue stall owner didn't mind at all; as long as someone came to eat at his stall, they were his customers.
And besides, such exquisitely cute little children were really rare!

The uncle smiled warmly at Qingtian and said, "What would you two little friends like to eat? Uncle will make it for you!"
While he busied himself with the barbecue—constantly flipping the skewered ingredients—his eyes kept watching Qingtian and the others.

"Uncle, I'd like to have shrimp congee."

"Alright."

Because her hands had touched many disgusting things today—and although she had washed them, she hadn't used soap, so they still felt dirty—and also because the food in the refrigerator was placed a bit too high, with many items out of her reach, Qingtian ran over to a waiter.

"Big brother, could you help me get something?"

"Of course."

The man, probably in his twenties, looked a lot like the barbecue uncle but without his ruggedness; his skin was fair and his features delicate—likely the uncle's son.

Under Qingtian's direction, the man smiled as he opened the refrigerator to fetch some skewers, and after the system quickly calculated the price, Qingtian picked up the barbecue skewers as instructed by the system.

Fortunately, the prices here were low, so she could take a bunch—along with some greens.

After everything was taken for the barbecue, Qingtian tugged at the man's finger with her small hand.

"Big brother, may I pay the bill now?"

The man squatted down to look Qingtian in the eye; even though he could already smell her, he completely ignored it.
When his family was in hardship before, he even went out to collect garbage by himself—raising enough money for tuition in just one summer to help ease his family's burden.

So he disregarded the smell on Qingtian and Luocheng, and instead felt that these two children deserved encouragement.
Although he didn't know their true motives for collecting garbage, he found their spirit commendable: "Of course."

/

Chapter 14 Hey, Forensic Big Brother! 14

"Thank you!" Qing Tian nodded politely, counting on her little fingers how much money there was to give. Then she took out the money earned today along with yesterday's earnings and handed it to the man. Although it was only a small amount of change, the money had been neatly stacked by Qing Tian.

The man showed no sign of disdain on his face; he casually counted the money and then put it in his pocket.

Qing Tian led the obedient Luocheng by the small hand to sit under a string of lights. This spot was a bit more secluded, a short distance away from where most people gathered.

From here, one could clearly see the starry sky, and beside them stood a large tree.

The two sat quietly, with Qing Tian leaning back in the chair and gazing up at the stars, while the little boy watched her intently without blinking, as if his eyes could contain nothing but her image.

Although the surrounding noise was loud, it seemed as if Qing Tian were isolated from it all.

With her eyes closed, she could clearly feel the gentle cool breeze slowly blowing by and softly caressing her cheeks.

"Luocheng, close your eyes. The cool wind is coming; it feels so nice!"

The little girl opened her eyes, and her bright, watery eyes met Luocheng's gaze. Noticing his focused attention on her, Qing Tian asked in confusion, "Is there something dirty on my face?" She recalled that she had just been talking with that older brother, and surely he had seen it—was he going to laugh at her?

Instantly, Qing Tian felt a bit shy.

"No," the boy shook his head.

"Really, nothing?"

"No," Luocheng shook his head firmly.

"Oh! Then why do you stare at me so intently?" Qing Tian asked, her bright eyes fixed on the little boy.

At this, Luocheng became somewhat bashful and, in an extremely soft voice, said, "You look nice."

That simple sentence made Qing Tian overjoyed. No girl ever disliked being told she was pretty, and Qing Tian was not about to feign modesty.

"Ahem, I think so too."

"Now close your eyes so you can feel the cool breeze," Qing Tian quickly changed the subject.

The little boy, with his attractive fox-like eyes, obediently stared at the girl with deep, soulful gazes. Then his long, slender black eyelashes slowly closed as he savored the feeling of the gentle wind on his face.

Before they had kept their eyes closed for long, that older brother came over with shrimp porridge and barbecue.

"Hey, what are you thinking about with your eyes closed!" he joked in a charming, magnetic voice while scooping the shrimp porridge into bowls for both of them.

Qing Tian was the first to open her eyes. "Older brother, close your eyes so you can feel the gentle breeze."

At that moment, Luocheng also opened his eyes wide, his expression silent as he looked at the person who had captured her attention, lost in his own thoughts.

"Really? Then you are amazing. The shrimp porridge is very hot—be careful not to burn yourself when you eat it!" the man gently reminded them.

"Mm, thank you, older brother."

Even the usually silent Luocheng managed a quiet "Thank you."

"No problem. Enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, just call me!" The man patted Qing Tian's and Luocheng's heads with a large hand.

"Okay."

Then the man went back to help out. There were more items on the table, and it seemed that there might be a lot left over later.

Picking up a small spoon, Qing Tian's tender little mouth blew on it, then carefully took a sip. Her round, big eyes squinted as she said, "Delicious! Luocheng, you should try some."

"Mm, mm," the little boy imitated Qing Tian by blowing on the spoon first and then taking a sip.

"So, how is it? Delicious?" Qing Tian watched Luocheng with hopeful eyes.

"Delicious," he nodded obediently.

/

Chapter 15 Hey, Forensic Big Brother! 15

"Hehe, I just thought you'd like it."
Then Qingtian stuffed seafood and similar items into his bowl.

Just as the boy was about to take the food out, Qingtian said, "I don't like these, and besides, these were ordered for you. If you don't eat them, just throw them away." Then Qingtian pretended to be angry and turned her back to Luocheng.

"Don't be mad at me," the boy said, lowering his head in silence.

"Alright then—you must finish eating," she added.

"Mm mm."

The shrimp congee had an abundance of shrimp—in fact, there were many shrimp and hardly any rice.

Of course Qingtian knew that it was that big brother and the stall owner who had given extra.

Looking back, she saw that they were still busy.

Such kind, good people!

If she and Luocheng went elsewhere, needless to say, many people would surely disdain them. But these two had never experienced that.

That big brother noticed Qingtian's glance and, amid his busy work, turned back to wave and smile at Qingtian and Luocheng before continuing to take orders for the customers.

Qingtian used her little hand to push all the shrimp in the stone-pot congee to one side, then occasionally ate a few herself.

But most of the shrimp were reserved for Luocheng.

Whenever he finished the contents of his bowl, Qingtian would refill it with shrimp congee—fearing that if he only ate rice he would get full—so she always served him with extra shrimp and little rice.

Fortunately, Luocheng's appetite was actually quite large; he only ate less because he had no money.

Due to the seating arrangement making feeding inconvenient, Qingtian simply moved a stool next to Luocheng.

She helped him get the meat out of the shells and put it into his bowl.

With her small hand propping up her cheek, she watched the boy eat with wide eyes.

Meanwhile, Luocheng's ears turned rosy and he dared not look at her. Yet he clearly enjoyed being with her as he silently ate the food she fed him.

In the distance, two people who had finished their work watched this scene. They were the big brother and the barbecue uncle that Qingtian called.

They stood at the barbecue stall; the young man stood beside the uncle, tossing a chicken leg in his hand.

The uncle put his hand on the young man's shoulder, and both of them glanced over at Qingtian. "Son, if you were half as smart as that little boy, maybe you'd have my daughter-in-law by now."

"Why don't you just say they're siblings!" the young man replied casually.

"Even though I'm old, my eyes are still sharp. Look at those two little ones—one is dressed so exquisitely that you can tell it's beyond what an ordinary family can afford, while the other little boy's clothes have been washed to a pale state. Although both look refined, their features are completely different. Hmph, your old man still has some observational skills, huh!"

"Not bad. By the way, Dad, you're already fifty—when are you going to think about finding me a stepmother?"

"Don't change the subject. There's nothing for the little one; what does an old man need with a stepmother? Look at those two kids—how great they are! If only you had snatched a little girl back in the day, it would have been wonderful."

"Boss, order some food!" a rough voice called out.

"I'm going to order," the young man said as he pushed away the hand on his shoulder.

Then he walked away.

"Here he comes."

This kid really—every time the talk turns to when he'll get a girlfriend, he bolts.

He's already twenty-four and his old man hasn't seen a trace of a daughter-in-law.

Other guys his