Chapter 3

"What do you mean you want to eat some bread, I'll cook noodles for you," Lu Shu was reluctant . In order to buy bread for Lu Xiaoyu, he would have to brave the cold weather and walk across two streets to reach the 24/7 convenience store .

"The noodles you cook for me are always tasteless, I'm not eating that . Go get me some bread!" Lu Xiaoyu was not very pleased .

"Nope, not going," said Lu Shu as he was about to change out of his shoes .

"Then how about you break that open and let me eat that walnut hanging from your neck," suggested Lu Xiaoyu with a sparkle in her eyes .

"Like hell I'm doing that, can we stop harping over this? " Lu Shu felt irritated as they had conversed over this matter . That trinket hanging around Lu Shu's neck was not a walnut at all . It only looked like one due to the ridges covering it, a slight black discoloration as well as its oddly round shape .

This ordinary-looking trinket was abandoned together with Lu Shu outside of the orphanage . Although Lu Shu had always claimed that the caretakers in the orphanage were not exactly the most responsible, he had to admit that they did have quite upright morals . If not, this trinket would have been long gone .

It may seem like just another useless object but to Lu Shu, but it held a certain level of significance and a form of hope in his heart .

What if . . . Just what if, his biological parents were to search for him by identifying this pendant, would having it on him not be the best evidence to as proof of his origins?

Even though he did not fully comprehend the concept of 'parents', Lu Shu had single-handedly gotten by pretty well throughout these years .

Initially, when couples came along to the orphanage for adoption, Lu Shu would always look forward to finally being able to understand what 'parents' really meant when the headmaster brought him up to meet these couples .

However, what little hope he had would disappear in a puff of smoke whenever the former despised his frail, sickly looks .

Lu Shu would occasionally think to himself that he personally did not really need these 'parents' at all .

But whenever he was just about to dispose of that pendant . . . . . . He would always feel reluctant and could not bring himself to do it .

"I'll say it one more time, this is not something for you to eat," Lu Shu declared rudely .

Not wishing to back down, Lu Xiaoyu argued, "It’s just a 'walnut', what's this compared to the old man's medicine!"

Lu Shu was stunned at that very moment, her reasoning and logic made so much sense!

"Lu Shu, you've changed, you weren't like this before! " Lu Xiaoyu calmly continued, "Just last year you even helped me with . . . . . . "

With dissatisfaction written all over his face, Lu Shu replied, "Hey Lu Xiaoyu, enough of this . . . . . . if you continue to watch those romantic soap operas, I'm telling you, I will smash the television! "

"Then get ready to pay the landlord $800," Lu Xiaoyu responded with composure and an air of coolness .

"Fine, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go get you that bread! " as Lu Shu turned around and left the apartment .

The winter in Luo Cheng was indeed rather chilly as Lu Shu tightened up his collar whilst standing outside his front door .

All of a sudden, he felt a certain moisture on the top of his eyelids . He looked up and wondered when did these fine, delicate snowflakes start falling from the sky .

The elegant, gently falling snowflakes which descended upon the ground seemed like fine hairs, coating the ground, rooftops and Lu Shu himself .

How did his relationship with Lu Xiaoyu turn out so well? Lu Shu pondered as he stood outside admiring the falling snowflakes, not really sure of the answer .

Maybe it was when he was having a fever at 14 years old in the orphanage and Lu Xiaoyu offered him a glass of warm water? Or maybe because Lu Xiaoyu was always there to scream and notify the headmaster whenever he was being bullied in the orphanage?

Or was it because they both had no one to depend on and only had each other?

Or actually, was it due to Lu Xiaoyu's unfounded trust and reliance on him which caused him to emulate a certain form of responsibility towards her .

"Ahh, who cares, " Lu Shu laughed to himself, since he did not have any parents or relatives, what harm could having a 'little sister' bring about anyway? Even though this little sister was always bugging and irritating him .

The day lasted shorter during the winter and since it was the third day of the new year, the streets were mostly empty, apart from the occasional passing delivery van .

"I guess the lives of others were not exactly very easy if they had to perform delivery work during the New Year . "

There wasn't a reason but Lu Shu suddenly recalled today's incident again where the acrobatic performer was taken away .

"Could that performer be the fabled person who wielded supernatural power which everyone on the net was discussing? Could sorcerers really exist?"

"Why did such matters feel like an illusion in the past but this year, it suddenly seemed to pop up, rushing into everyone's lives?"

There was another person today who left a huge impression on Lu Shu, which was none other than that youth called Zhi Wei whom he met while leaving the backstage area .

Lu Shu was lost in his thoughts of whether those people could have actually existed which would make the world a whole lot more exciting .

At that moment, a sound-shattering gust was hurled towards Lu Shu's direction . Due to the lights from the two huge headlights in the background, one could see the snow splendidly flutter in an unnatural way . Lu Shu turned back instinctively towards the bright lights coming from behind, blinding him such that he felt dizzy .

Even in this state, he was still able to make out that the source of lights was from a huge delivery van . It sped towards him like a roaring beast .

The shrieks of the brakes slamming against the wheels and the screeches of the skidding wheels resonated with each other .

But this 'beast' had lost all control .

Time seemed to pause momentarily as the vehicle skidded across, with the atmosphere distorted with pressure and tension . And on this dark, silent night, Lu Shu was hit by this humongous "beast" .

His contorted, mangled body laid across the snowy background as warmth welled up within him . Lu Shu suddenly remembered the saying that just moments before death, one would fondly relive their entire life's memories .

Lu Shu shut his eyes in an attempt to embrace this opportunity to recall the looks of his parents who abandoned him outside of the orphanage . . . but to no avail .

He felt his life slowly fading away and finally coming to an end, just like every other wonderful thing on Earth .

In that instant, the pendant on top of his chest suddenly crumbled . No . . . the only thing which crumbled to fine dust was the solid, rigid outer shell which Lu Xiaoyu once tried to smash open using a hammer .

It finally revealed what was within – a tiny, mysterious object which looked a little like an almond but also somewhat like a star .

The star-like object then entered his body and infused within him . Lu Shu felt its power coursing through his veins throughout his body and upon releasing its last surge of warmth, it vanished into his senses .

The power surging within Lu Shu's heart was as strong as a tailwind blowing throughout the entire Pacific ocean .

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

With strong, pounding heartbeats, a white light was burning brightly from within his heart .

Indeed, another flame of life was born from his once extinguished life force . This sort of delight had finally greeted Lu Shu in such a long time, bringing him a certain feeling of joy and comfort .

This seemingly inextinguishable flame was burning brilliantly and it felt like it was a gift from heaven especially for Lu Shu himself .

Time resumed and Lu Shu struck the floor with a loud thud, seemingly lifeless .

The delivery man got off his vehicle and stared at Lu Shu, who was sprawled on the ground, in disbelief and regret . If only he had driven more carefully and less recklessly, things would not have turned out like this .

The driver slowly inched towards the lifeless body on the road, without any concern for his vehicle since it was fully insured .

Thousands of reparations cost could be covered . . . but compared to the boy's priceless life, it was considered negligible .

All of a sudden, the boy's body jerked and the driver, filled with surprise and suspicion, quickly made his way over .

Even before he got close enough, Lu Shu rose and stood up with blood all over his face, "You've gotten yourself into some deep sh*t now !"