roccoschili Chapter 126 Birthday
Chapter 126 Birthday
"Wow!"
The sound of candy scattering startled the dancer, but she continued her performance without flinching, her gaze fixed on little Nile, who was blushing as she picked up the candy below the stage.
It's that child who often comes to see her perform.
After the dance ended, the dancer stepped lightly off the stage and smiled as she reached out her hand to the bewildered little Nilu.
"Little one, do you like to dance?"
Nilu looked back at Mu Feng, bewildered. After receiving a subtle wink from him, she nodded vigorously.
The dancer smiled. Perhaps the successor she had been searching for was right in front of her?
She certainly loved dancing, and she dedicated half her life to her passion, all for the chance to perform the perfect Flower Goddess Dance at the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival.
No regrets, just happy with it.
But no matter how reluctant she is to leave, time will gradually distance her from the center of the stage.
As she neared the end of her performance, this dance had to be continued by someone else.
On stage, she noticed the shining light in the red-haired little girl's eyes, which reminded her of herself when she used to lie in a corner of the theater, secretly imitating the dancers' movements.
"From now on, follow me to learn."
Of course, the young female dancer clearly had some other, unspeakable ulterior motives.
If she has a successor, she can then legitimately submit her resignation to Mr. Zuber and travel the world of Teyvat on her own.
Well, she's twenty years old now. It seems like it's time for her to retire.
……
After the performance at the Zubair Theater, the grandest event of the Flora Festival, the float parade, will take place.
However, the atmosphere of this year's parade, which should have been filled with laughter, flowers, and candy, seemed somewhat different.
The actor playing the Knight of the Flowers stood bewildered beside the empty float, waving his arms in front of a docile scholar.
"You can't..."
"I told you, Lord Little Lucky Grass is too busy to attend such a meaningless farce."
"Disperse the crowd immediately, or the Church of Jesus and the Thirty-Man Group have the right to charge you with disturbing the peace."
After uttering a few cold warnings, the scholar turned and left without a second thought, leaving the bewildered crowd standing there, staring at each other in disbelief.
"Ugh……"
The actor playing the Flower Knight sighed deeply, dejectedly put down the small bamboo basket full of Yalda candy, and silently turned to walk away into the distance.
If the gods don't appear, what's the point of the float celebration?
The crowd began to disperse, and whispers rippled through the departing pedestrians, expressing their regret that the Little Lucky Grass King had not been able to attend.
After all, it's her birthday.
"Mom, isn't Lord Little Lucky Grass coming?"
A little girl stubbornly stood still, clutching her mother's sleeve tightly, her gaze fixed on the empty float, her voice filled with longing.
"Oh... Little Lucky Grass King must be very busy... Maybe she'll come next year."
The girl's mother forced a smile as she explained, a hint of reluctance flashing across her face.
"That's it..."
The little girl gazed longingly at the float that seemed never to start again. Her head was bowed, her face terribly pale, and tattered patches concealed the gray-black scales on her arms.
But it seems she won't be able to wait until next year.
From the moment she was born, the shadow of scaly disease loomed over her entire life.
She can't run, she can't jump, and she can't play and frolic in the sun like her peers.
The torment of illness, the fear of watching life slip away bit by bit, and the guilt of watching helplessly as parents sell off their family property just for that one tube of ineffective medicine.
The sun, which appears bright to most people, is more terrifying to her than the night. Only when the moon rises can she find a brief moment of peace.
In her dream, where she was free from illness, a gentle voice listened to her troubles and comforted her pain.
Her home had been sold off until she was penniless, and she had learned to face her fate and death with equanimity. But before that, she had one last gift to give.
That mysterious friend whom all the adults refused to believe, and also her only friend, was the Little Lucky Grass King.
The girl hid the hastily woven flower crown behind her back, her eyes filled with loneliness and sorrow.
Weaving this simple floral crown had almost exhausted her last bit of strength; perhaps she would never live to see the day her divine friend wear it.
"Hello, may I bother you for a moment?"
A small basket of brightly colored candies suddenly appeared before her eyes. The girl looked up in surprise, and a gentle smile came into view.
he is……
"Ah! You're the older brother that the Little Lucky Grass King likes!"
The girl's voice suddenly became excited. She was very familiar with the young genius that the adults kept mentioning, the darling of the Grass God. Even though she was bedridden and recuperating, she knew it all too well.
Perhaps... this way she can also bring her gift to Lord Little Lucky Grass?
The girl tightened her grip on the flower crown.
As if guessing her thoughts, Mu Feng squatted down and rubbed the little girl's dry hair. He took the girl's slender hand and solemnly handed her a basket of candy.
"Na... Lord Little Lucky Grass has some important matters to attend to and cannot attend the Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival. However, she asked me to bring you a gift."
A bright light suddenly shone in the girl's lifeless eyes. She struggled to take the small basket and hugged it to her chest, gently pressing her thin cheek against it as if the basket contained an incomparably precious gift.
"Can I have the flower crown?"
"I will help you deliver this to Lord Little Lucky Grass."
The little girl forced a sweet smile onto her gloomy face. She stood on tiptoe and solemnly handed the hastily woven flower crown to Mu Feng.
"Please, big brother."
Mu Feng slowly stood up. He was facing away from the sunlight, so his expression was not visible.
After carefully putting the small flower crown into his pocket, Mu Feng pulled up the equally silent Xiao Nilu beside him, turned around with difficulty, and left with heavy steps.
"Thank you, big brother, and thank you, Grass God!"
The girl's weak but joyful voice came from behind him. Mu Feng paused for a moment, but he did not turn around or answer. He just continued walking forward.
His hands clenched tightly, his sharp nails scratching his palms and drawing blood.
But he still didn't turn back.
"Cough cough cough..."
After a long day of running around, the girl finally couldn't support her frail body any longer. Her pale face turned flushed, and with a gurgling sound, she vomited a mouthful of blood and collapsed softly into her mother's arms.
"Annie, wake up! Doctor! Doctor!"
The girl's mother screamed in panic, but her cries quickly caught in her throat, and she could no longer make a sound.
They had no money left.
"Mom... Lord Grass God..."
Anne's face was contorted in pain as she muttered unconsciously, desperately reaching out to grasp something, but ultimately only managing to hold onto a wisp of empty air.
I don't want to die.
"Clap!"
The bamboo basket full of candy slipped from her hands as she moved, scattering the colorful candies all over the ground. What was revealed next was a light piece of paper that had been lying at the bottom of the basket.
The girl's mother stared wide-eyed. With trembling fingers, she picked up the thin piece of paper and looked at it over and over again. Suddenly, she burst into tears.
It was a check from the Northern Bank.