Xiong Jingfei spun around with her basket in the air, making all the herbs collected go flying behind her. She was prepared to throw it at whatever was charging at them. It was a good thing she was able to stop herself from throwing it. It was a boy, not much younger than her. 

He fell backward out of shock and hit his bottom on the ground. He had ragged clothes on but with no shoes. His foot was bare with marks of cuts and sc.r.a.ps. 

Loud and heavy footsteps approached Xiong Jingfei and Xu Song from the behind. However, she wasn't afraid of those steps because they were nonother then her own people. 

"I-I am hungry... Please, don't hurt me..."

Xiong Jingfei did not lower her basket, nor did she anything about the little boy's pleas. 

"Mi- Opf!"

The basket went flying and hit the soldier who spoke first. The weaved basket barely caused any pain, but took him by surprise to see one flying and thumping him in the head. Rubbing his head, he corrected himself and said, "S-sister, is everything alright?"

"Yes," Xu Song replied, picking up the basket that rolled back to them. She began picking up the herbs lying on the ground. 

"Then this one..." Captain Hu looked at the boy up and down. It was only a child. At most, he was no more than six or seven-year-old. 

"Ignore him!" Xiong Jingfei shouted. A flash of temper lighted her eyes. 

Even the soldiers, including Xu Song, were in shock at Xiong Jingfei's sudden change in character. She was normally very quiet and had a soft voice. The most impact ran through the soldiers, it first time hearing her shout or raise her voice. 

Xiong Jingfei ignored their shocked faces. In a thunderous voice, she shouted again at the boy, "Go away!" 

The boy scrambled onto his knees and putting his hands together, "Please let me stay for the night! I will leave by tomorrow morning!" 

He tried grabbing the end of Xiong Jingfei's dress. His fingertip only got the chance to graze the edge of her hem before getting kicked away by one of the soldiers. 

"Weren't you told to leave? Scram or else!" The soldier threatened him, raising his fist in the air. 

"Don't hurt him," Xiong Jingfei went back to her calm self, but the threat was still there. "Leave. We do not have any food to spare."

"Your leftovers are good enough! Please just let me stay for the night... I'm hungry... I won't survive out in the woods by myself..." The boy begged and cried, rubbing his hands together. 

"What happened? What happened?" Xiong Guang excitedly life her dress up a little and ran. 

She didn't realize the soldiers were missing until she kept hearing Xiong Jingfei's continuous shouts. Dropping everything she was doing. She came running too. In an instant, that excitement of hers died just like that. It wasn't anything to get all that worked up over. It was just a dirty boy sitting on the ground. 

Xiong Guang stood next to Xiong Jingfei, and behind her back, Xiong Jingfei pinched her. It was enough for Xiong Guang to yelp and rubbed her sides. 

"Mi-... Second sister," Xiong Guang quickly change her words, seeing the warning in Xiong Jingfei's eyes. "Second sister, what does this boy want?" 

"Food and a place to stay for the night," Xiong Jingfei replied. She didn't take her eyes off the boy for even a second. It felt like they were having a staring eye contact. "Eldest sister, what do you think we should do?"

No one answered her. Clearing her throat, Xiong Jingfei asked again, "Eldest! Sister. What do you think we should do?" 

Xiong Jingfei broke her eye contact from the boy and looked at Xu Song, who had obviously forgotten she was playing the eldest sister role. 

"Oh, uhh... Hmm..." Xu Song pondered, "We should-"

"Wait," Xiong Jingfei interrupted Xu Song. Behind her veil, a small smile appeared on her face, " We should let him stay just for tonight."

"Wait... What..." Xu Song couldn't comprehend with Xiong Jingfei's drastic change. One second was telling the boy to leave and now for him to stay. "O-okay, we will do what you want... Second sister." 

Xu Song was struggling to call Xiong Jingfei, Feifei, but now she has to call her second sister around strangers. 

"Yes! Yes! I promise I would leave first thing tomorrow morning!" The boy happily replied, wiping away his tears and didn't hesitate to stand up from the ground. Quietly, he scored at Xiong Jingfei, but it didn't go unnoticed by the person it was directed towards. 

Xiong Jingfei took the basket out of Xu Song's hands and shoved it into his. "Don't expect to eat for free. Go wash these."

"Okay..." The boy grumbled, obediently taking on the duty of was.h.i.+ng and walked into the forest. 

"You, follow him." Xiong Jingfei ordered the soldier standing next to Captain Hu. 

As she walked away, she took one quick glance at Captain Hu, and he nodded his head at her. He was the leader of the eight soldiers on this journey with her to the border. His mission was to make sure she gets to her father safe and sound. 

Moments later, the boy returned with the herbs. Surprisingly, he thoroughly washed and rinsed them. Harshly, he dropped the weaved basket next to Xiong Jingfei. Some of the water droplets on the leaves splashed out and got the side of her body and face. 

"Hey!" Xiong Guang stood up from her sitting position next to Xiong Jingfei. She pointed her finger at him, "How dare you dirty my Mi-Second sister!"

"Ah!" The frightened boy screamed and got down on his knees. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Please don't force me to go away!" 

"Younger sister, it is only water. It doesn't hurt." Xiong Jingfei put her hand on Xiong Guang's arm to settle her down. "Give him food, in repayment of the task he completed." 

Xiong Guang hmph and huffed before walking towards the basket of food. Taking one of the bundle up packages, she marched back and handed it to him.  

"Thank you! Thank you!" The boy shakily took the food out of Xiong Guang's hands. In which, she retracted her hand quickly. Afraid her clean hands were going to get dirty. 

Xiong Jingfei watched as the boy had no reaction to Xiong Guang's obvious disgust towards him. Though she didn't miss it. The eyes of displease as he slowly at his food. When he got his food, he slowly opened the wrapping and took his time to finish the small amount of food given.

She didn't think further into it and took a handful of herbs out of the basket. Taking out a small knife, she delicately cut them into thin pieces. She didn't move away from the boy either, she sat next to him like he wasn't a pesky fly. 

"Wow! You have steady hands!" The boy stopped eating to give Xiong Jingfei a compliment. All of the cuts she made, they were all even cut to the same width. 

Xiong Jingfei stopped cutting. Turning her head, the only word came out of her mouth, "Eat."  

She wasn't acting disgusted like Xiong Guang because of him for being dirty, but she wasn't on friendly terms either. There wasn't a hint of friendliness emitting or opening for him to enter. 

Without warning, she stabbed the dagger into the wooden cutting block. In an icy tone, "Be careful, you might accidentally die from eating way too much."