The little girl was sitting on her father’s lap. Zhao Xing hadn’t really looked at her before; he didn’t know anything about her emotional disorder and was afraid his gaze might trigger her.

Looking closely this time, he could see the flush on her face from her earlier crying. Her arms and legs were still twitching slightly, and a whimpering sound, her voice now hoarse, escaped her throat.

Wang Fang was heartbroken, trying to give her daughter some water, but the girl wouldn’t drink.

Since the task prompt mentioned an item she was carrying, Zhao Xing paid special attention to what little Baozhu had on her.

Her hair was styled in small pigtails tied with pink ribbons that looked completely normal. She wore a tiny gray jacket over a pink dress and a pair of shiny children’s shoes. There was nothing extra.

He couldn’t see what was in her pockets, but children’s clothes didn’t have much space in them anyway.

As Zhao Xing observed, he suddenly realized that Baozhu’s hands weren’t flailing randomly. She was repeatedly patting the same spot near the corner of her jacket, as if she wanted to touch something but didn’t dare.

With the movement, the corner of the jacket flapped about, revealing—

Understanding dawned on Zhao Xing. An outsider probably wouldn’t recognize it, but as a semi-local, he knew exactly what it was.

It was a local tradition to get safety talismans for children. They were made by drawing a charm on yellow paper with chicken blood, which was then sewn into the inner corner of a child’s clothing.

His grandfather had gotten one for him when he was young. The yellow paper was handmade by monks at the temple and smelled strange. Along with the scent of chicken blood, it was a torment for a child with a sensitive nose. He remembered it took him days to get used to it.

This talisman was probably something Auntie Wang got for little Baozhu out of concern for her, but she couldn’t have known that Baozhu’s special condition would cause her to react so strongly and negatively to it.

Now that he’d found the source, the solution was simple. Zhao Xing said, “Wang Fang-jie, I notice she keeps patting the corner of her jacket. Do you think something is bothering her?”

Wang Fang and Qi Jiangming both paused, then followed Zhao Xing’s gaze. He was right!

They flipped over the corner of the jacket, revealing the safety talisman inside. The couple remembered it, of course, but it had never occurred to them that this could be the trigger.

Zhao Xing brought over a pair of scissors and carefully snipped the talisman off.

Sure enough, the System immediately displayed a new page: 【Congratulations, Host, on completing the Daily Task!】

Looking back at little Baozhu, her struggles immediately ended. The crying stopped. Her eyes gradually cleared, and she spoke her first words in a hoarse voice: “Mama, I’m thirsty.”

Wang Fang was overcome with emotion. “Yes! Okay, okay, Mama will get you some water…”

After drinking some water, little Baozhu slowly drifted off to sleep.

This time, Wang Fang and Qi Jiangming didn’t dare to think about leaving. They held Zhao Xing’s hands, their gratitude overflowing. They felt like travelers in a desert who had just found an oasis.

Being the parent of a child with an emotional disorder was incredibly difficult. Baozhu’s symptoms were considered mild, but even so, every episode required a trip to a professional facility for one to two hours of treatment before she would slowly calm down.

For her to not only stop on her own but also fall peacefully asleep felt like a dream to Wang Fang and her husband.

Zhao Xing felt a little embarrassed by their rambling thanks. It was a bit of a struggle, but he eventually persuaded the exhausted couple to get some rest.

Once they were upstairs, Zhao Xing hurried back to the storage room he was using as a bedroom, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see what goodies I got from this task!”

【Congratulations, Host! You have received the following rewards: 15 Points, Windows: Scenic Vista, Threshold: Unwelcome Guests.】

【Windows: Scenic Vista: Crafted from Knot wood and Deepsea Ice-crystal. Looking through these windows will make the scenery outside appear more beautiful, even inspiring a sense of open-hearted grandeur.】

【Threshold: Unwelcome Guests: Made from the scraps of Soul-seeking Wood. After installing this threshold, unwelcome guests with malicious intent will experience some… turbulence upon entry.】

After reading through the descriptions, Zhao Xing practically bounced with excitement. “System, did you see that?!”

The System was also excited. “Yes, Host!”

The man and the System spoke at the exact same time—

Zhao Xing: “We finally have windows!”

The System: “The guesthouse’s security is now guaranteed!”

Zhao Xing quickly corrected himself. “And at the same time, the guesthouse’s security is now guaranteed!”

The System: “…”

It managed, with some difficulty, “Right, Host. Hurry up and install them!”

Even if it hadn’t said anything, Zhao Xing was already on it. He opened the System inventory and selected “Apply.”

On the walls, the ugly, white-patched window openings began to disappear, bit by bit, as if erased by a giant eraser.

Meanwhile, a series of beautiful windows appeared out of nowhere, lining up in front of the window openings. Then, all at once, they floated forward and slid into the spaces perfectly. It was a sight that would make anyone with OCD feel incredibly satisfied.

Zhao Xing hurried to the nearest window for a closer look.

The frame was a tasteful, textured gray-wood color. It wasn’t made from a solid piece of wood but looked like thin branches had been twisted together, with delicate, five-petaled flowers of the same color dotting the gaps. It was both exquisite and elegant.

Regarding the glass pane, it showed a faint blue tint from the side, with delicate, wave-like ripples rippling through it. But when viewed head-on, it was completely clear, flawless, and didn’t even reflect light. If you couldn’t reach out and touch it, you’d think nothing was there at all.

Zhao Xing let out a few sounds of admiration before looking through the window to the outside—

It was the same scenery he’d known his entire life, but looking out the window was like seeing it through a beauty filter. The mountain peaks across the way suddenly looked majestic and bright, and the lush green slopes appeared so fresh and lovely…

He felt like he’d been overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of the landscape. A heroic feeling swelled in his chest, ready to burst out—

“Holy crap, it’s gorgeous!”

…He’d tried to think of a line of poetry, but nothing came to mind.

Zhao Xing clicked his tongue in wonder. “This Deepsea Ice-crystal is amazing. I wonder how hard it is, though? The wind gets strong in the mountains and can blow rocks around. What if it gets smashed?”

It would be such a shame if it broke.

The System immediately reassured him. “Please rest assured, Host. Deepsea Ice-crystal comes from a certain oceanic civilization, harvested from tens of thousands of kilometers beneath the sea. It can withstand millions of tons of water pressure. Its hardness is comparable to diamond!”

Reassured, Zhao Xing stood at the window for a long time, admiring the view before he was satisfied enough to move on to the next reward.

“System, is this the threshold? It doesn’t look any different from the old one!”

Zhao Xing stared at the dark wooden threshold at the entrance, which was about five centimeters high. The only difference was that it looked newer. And that was only thanks to his recent deep clean; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to spot even that much of a change.

He then stepped back and forth over it a few times. Nothing happened.

The System said, “Please note, Host, the threshold only works on guests with malicious intent.”

Zhao Xing replied, “I was trying really hard to have malicious intent just now. I was thinking that as soon as I got inside, I’d set the house on fire!”

The System thought, …And you want me to praise you for that?

It said, “You are not a guest.”

Fair enough, Zhao Xing thought. If the threshold worked, he’d find out sooner or later. If it didn’t, well, getting a new threshold for free was no loss.

He decided to go back to his room and sleep. He had to get up early tomorrow to feed the birds, after all!

---

The next morning, Wang Fang opened her eyes to the sound of birdsong. She felt incredibly light, the anxiety that usually weighed on her heart completely gone. How long had it been since she’d slept this well? It felt like not since her daughter’s diagnosis…

Wait, where was her daughter?

Wang Fang shot up. The spot next to her on the bed was empty. Her husband and daughter were both gone. But she could hear the sound of a child’s clear laughter coming from downstairs.

Without a second thought, she threw on her clothes and rushed down.

As she descended the stairs, she heard Zhao Xing’s grumbling voice. “You again! How much have you eaten already? Can’t you let the other birds have a bite? I’m telling you, no bullying, you hear me? There’s a child watching!”

The child’s voice chirped, “Wow! Ah Xing-gege, the big black bird stole your bun!”

Zhao Xing cried, “What ‘gege’? I told you to call me ‘shushu,’ you’re getting the generation all wrong… Hey! Put my bun down! I hope you choke on it!”

Wang Fang found them amidst this chaotic scene and looked up.

She saw Zhao Xing covered from head to toe in birds. One was perched on his head, another on his shoulder, and one was trying to burrow into his pocket to see if there were any treats… while Zhao Xing was wrestling with a large black crow over half a steamed bun.

Even more birds were on the ground, pecking at bun crumbs, chirping and cooing as they ate, chattering about who knows what.

And little Baozhu, bundled up warmly, was sitting on a small stool, clapping her hands and letting out peals of clear, bright laughter.

Watching this scene, Wang Fang couldn’t help but feel her eyes becoming misty. How long had it been since she last saw her daughter laugh so happily? Usually, at the treatment center, she would sit quietly and play games even when she wasn’t having an episode.

Wang Fang never even knew her daughter could laugh with such radiance.

Zhao Xing finally won the tug-of-war for his bun. He turned and saw Wang Fang, and was instantly embarrassed. “Wang Fang-jie, you’re up?”

Seeing his messy hair, which was flecked with bird feathers, paired with his handsome, youthful face, Wang Fang couldn’t help but smile. “What’s that phrase people use? A runaway D*sney princess?”

Zhao Xing gave a dry laugh. He didn’t know why, but after a few days of feeding them, the birds had gotten bolder and bolder. Not only were they not afraid of him, they were now exceptionally friendly—perhaps a little too friendly.

Wang Fang swept her daughter up into a hug, planting a kiss on her rosy, smiling cheeks. She turned to Zhao Xing and said with deep sincerity, “Ah Xing, thank you for taking us in for the night. I don’t know if Baozhu’s body could have held up if she’d cried for another whole night…”

Qi Jiangming nodded along. “That’s right, that’s right. We really can’t thank you enough. If something had happened to this little treasure of ours, my wife and I… we couldn’t have gone on. You must let us thank you properly!”

Zhao Xing quickly waved his hands dismissively. Was he joking? Three people for one night was 60 points! He’d have to feed a lot of birds to earn that back. This was simply mutual aid; there was no need to talk about life debts.

But this only moved Wang Fang and Qi Jiangming even more. What an upstanding young man! He was willing to let them stay in his unopened guesthouse for a night and didn’t hold it over their heads at all.

And so, the way they looked at Zhao Xing became even warmer.

The family of three had to leave early to head back. They were still concerned about Baozhu’s health and wanted to get her checked out quickly.

As they stepped out the guesthouse door, a System page suddenly appeared in front of Zhao Xing.

【Time to check the guests’ reviews!】

Zhao Xing’s eyes curved into a smile. Points, here I come!