A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Uncle will take you home."

Zhou Wenqian's voice was like a solid barrier, instantly isolating Su Nianci from all outside prying eyes and dangers.

Lei Ming's pupils suddenly contracted the moment he saw Zhou Wenqian pick up Xiao Shitou!

For the first time, a hint of undisguised surprise and wariness appeared on his perpetually icy face!

He couldn't understand it!

Just half an hour ago, Zhou Wenqian was merely a "teacher" who was full of curiosity and admiration for Su Nianci.

How did he suddenly become a protector who willingly takes on the role of "father" in the blink of an eye?!

What exactly happened in between?!

Lei Ming's gaze, like a physical searchlight, swept back and forth between Su Nianci and Zhou Wenqian, trying to find even the slightest flaw.

However, Su Nianci simply placed her small hand into Zhou Wenqian's large and warm palm, her face showing the purest trust and peace of mind that comes from a child finding someone to rely on.

Zhou Wenqian, however, completely ignored Lei Ming's scrutiny. Holding the sleeping Xiao Shitou in one arm and Su Nianci by the other, his gaze was calm and firm as he walked straight toward the car door.

That posture seemed to be declaring to the whole world—

These two kids are my protection from now on!

Lei Ming's brows furrowed into a knot.

He watched helplessly as Zhou Wenqian, with his two children, brushed past him.

He wanted to speak up to stop them, to question them.

However, he could not find any reason.

Zhou Wenqian is a professor at a military medical university and a highly educated intellectual. He has a legitimate status and sufficient reason to help the two "orphans of martyrs".

Why should he, Lei Ming, interfere?

He could only watch helplessly as the three figures, one tall and two short, disappeared into the crowd of people getting off the bus.

A strong sense of unease, like the prey had escaped control, welled up in Lei Ming's heart.

He never expected that this little fox would find him a powerful... backer without him even realizing it!

"Captain Lei!" A young police officer behind him approached. "Those two kids... are we just going to let them go like that? Is there no need for further..."

"No need." Lei Ming coldly interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the noisy crowd. "Harbin is only this big."

"A fox will always show its tail eventually."

……

When Su Nianci's feet truly set foot on the soil of Harbin, she truly understood what a "winter that can kill" meant.

An indescribable, bone-chilling cold swept in from all directions in an instant!

That wasn't the damp, cold kind of cold found in the south.

This is a pure, violent, and aggressive cold!

The air felt like it had turned into countless tiny ice needles. Every breath felt like swallowing knives, a burning pain running from my nasal cavity to my trachea and then to my lungs!

The old military overcoat she was wearing, which she had gotten from an old scavenger, was thick, but it seemed somewhat inadequate in the face of such low temperatures.

The wind, like a raging beast, roared relentlessly across the station square. The swirling snowflakes were no longer just drifting; they pelted down like a sandstorm, making it impossible to even open one's eyes!

Visibility was less than five meters!

The whole world seemed to consist of nothing but a vast, chaotic void, and the ceaseless sound of the wind in my ears.

"Sister..." Little Stone woke up in Zhou Wenqian's arms, chilled to the bone. His dog-skin hat almost completely covered his face, leaving only a pair of large, dark eyes filled with fear. His small body was still trembling like a sieve even in his thick cotton coat.

"Don't be afraid, little stone, your sister is here." Su Nianci used her own hands, which were almost numb from the cold, to tightly grasp her younger brother's equally cold little hands.

"Let's get out of here!" Zhou Wenqian shouted in his wind-blown voice, "It's too windy in the station square! Let's get to the roadside! I'll see if I can flag down a car!"

Holding the little stone, he shielded the two children from most of the wind and snow with his own body, and laboriously moved towards the road.

In the station square, everyone was just like them, all bundled up like dumplings, heads down, backs bent, trudging through the ankle-deep snow with difficulty.

No one spoke loudly, because if they opened their mouths, they would be filled with ice shards.

The entire city seemed to have been silenced by the terrifying blizzard, leaving only the solo of the wind.

As Su Nianci followed behind Zhou Wenqian, she felt her strength draining away at an alarming rate.

The distance of less than 100 meters felt like an eternity for her.

Her lungs felt like they were on fire.

Her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

A layer of white frost had already formed on her eyelashes.

This is...winter in the North.

This is the survival challenge she is about to face alone...

For the first time, she felt a slight unease about her future.

In such an environment, can she really survive on her own with her younger brother?

Fortunately, she now has Zhou Wenqian by her side.

Finally, they moved to the side of the road.

However, the scene before them plunged their hearts into despair once again.

The streets were deserted.

There wasn't a single car in sight, not even a bicycle or a human figure.

The thick snow had completely covered the road surface, turning it into a white, endless "snow river".

"Damn it!" Zhou Wenqian couldn't help but curse under his breath, "The snow is too heavy! All public transportation is probably suspended!"

This news was like a bolt from the blue for Su Nianci, who had just arrived in this unfamiliar city!

What does the suspension of transportation mean?

This means they are trapped!

This means that Zhou Wenqian cannot take them back to his own home or to the military medical university!

This means they are likely to be homeless tonight!

"Uncle Zhou, then... what should we do now?" Su Nianci's voice trembled slightly, a tremor she herself was unaware of.

Zhou Wenqian's expression was also extremely solemn.

He glanced at the little stone in his arms, whose lips had turned purple from the cold, and then at Su Nianci beside him, whose face was also deathly pale. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

"We can't stay here any longer!" he said decisively. "If we stay any longer, the child will freeze! We must find a place to shelter from the snowstorm!"

"Come with me!"

He no longer hoped to flag down a car. Instead, carrying Xiao Shitou and holding Su Nianci's hand, he walked along the sidewalk in one direction, head down.

He seemed very familiar with the area.

"There's a state-run hotel not far ahead! Let's go there first! No matter what, let's check in first!" he shouted to Su Nianci.

State-run hotel!

These four words were like a beacon, rekindling a glimmer of hope in Su Nianci's heart, which had almost been frozen!

Yes! As long as they have a house to shelter them from the wind and snow, and as long as they have hot water, they can survive!

They braved the wind and snow and walked for nearly ten more minutes.

Su Nianci felt that she was about to reach her limit.

Just then, Zhou Wenqian stopped.

"We're here! This is it!"

Su Nianci looked up and saw a three-story old building in the Suzhou style standing in front of them amidst the wind and snow.

At the entrance of the building hangs a faded sign that reads "Forward Hostel".

The hotel doors were tightly shut.

Zhou Wenqian stepped forward and knocked on the door forcefully.

After a long while, the door finally creaked open a crack.

An elderly man wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and a cotton hat peeked out from the crack in the door, looking at them warily.

"What are you doing?!" The old man's tone was very rude.

"Comrade, we are passengers who just got off the train! We would like to stay somewhere!" Zhou Wenqian said politely.

"Accommodation?" The old man looked them up and down, then shook his head without hesitation. "No accommodation! No accommodation!"

"Why?" Zhou Wenqian asked anxiously, "We'll pay!"

"Even if you pay, you can't stay here!" the old man said impatiently. "Can't you see this awful weather? The hot water pipes in the hostel burst last night! Now, no water, no heating! People are freezing to death, what kind of place is this?! It's been closed for ages!"

After saying that, he was about to close the door.

"Comrade! Comrade, wait a minute!" Zhou Wenqian hurriedly used his hand to block the door. "Then...do you know if there are any other hotels around here?"

"Other hotels?" The old man scoffed, looking at the three men as if they were fools. "Where do you think this is? We're the only ones around here! If you want to find others, go look in the city center yourselves! But I advise you not to waste your time! With this much snow, I bet all the hotels in the city are full!"

"Alright, alright! Stop blocking the door! The cold wind is blowing in!"

The old man slammed the door shut in front of them with a loud "bang"!

That tightly closed door, like a cold wall, completely shattered their last glimmer of hope.

Zhou Wenqian's body froze on the spot.

Su Nianci's heart grew colder and colder.

No water, no heating, nowhere to stay...

This city, in its coldest and most ruthless way, gave these outsiders a cruel... intimidating experience.

"Uncle Zhou... Uncle Zhou..." Su Nianci's voice trembled, "Where...where should we go now...?"

Zhou Wenqian did not answer.

He silently took off his thick woolen overcoat and wrapped it around the little stone in his arms, keeping the small body completely covered.

He himself was wearing only a thin sweater, exposed to the blizzard at minus twenty degrees Celsius!

His usually refined face revealed a ruthlessness that Su Nianci had never seen before!

"Walk!"

He squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

"Even if we have to walk, I'll lead you all to the city center!"