Chapter 305

Chapter 305: Sister Ellie, the Orphanage, Sparkling Blessings

This was not the biggest or most famous church in town.

On the contrary, it was not grand or magnificent. The bright pink brick walls were vivid, with colors shifting beautifully with age and moisture. Gothic eaves and a cross on the dome were covered with lush green plants.

Sunshine poured like water, cascading down from the cross, shining on the beautiful peach-shaped windows, and casting shadows on the bare Roman columns flanking the entrance steps.

Behind the small church was a bright yellow semi-circular chapel, next to a light green building that seemed to provide a place for children to live and play, looking colorful and quite fun.

Charlotte showed a look of longing. Even though the place was remote and a bit old, she preferred staying in this little church filled with childhood memories over living in the castle.

"Let’s go, we are going to see Sister Ellie."

Miss Saintess said this as she pulled Chu Yuanqing through the door.

The Pure White Witch quickly interrupted and said with some hesitation:

"Wait, it’s too casual to go in like this; I didn’t bring anything."

"And… I just realized something!"

Chu Yuanqing’s cute little face grew serious. She leaned closer to Charlotte, who looked curious, and whispered in her ear:

"Well, even though we are definitely real heterosexuals, Sister Ellie probably won’t think so."

Charlotte blinked in confusion and pinched Honey Qing’s beautiful face. She looked down at the delicate skin beneath the fabric, the elegant collarbone, and the fullness that rose and fell with each breath, and said seriously:

"Little Qing, even if Sister Ellie can’t see you, you can’t fool yourself. Your chest is bigger than mine, and you still think you are the middle-aged office worker from a few months ago?"

The Last Diva said, unable to resist hugging the other person and sniffing the fragrance of the Flower of the Soul. A satisfied smile appeared on her perfect face as she remarked:

"Although this perception is quite cute, I really like it."

Chu Yuanqing bashfully swatted away the other person’s small hand and said seriously:

"The point is not this; anyway… we do not look like heterosexuals."

And in her mind, most religious groups only support heterosexuality and consider everything else as wrong.

If Sister Ellie believes this too, then she definitely needs to warn Charlotte not to act carelessly, or it could be troublesome if they are rejected.

Charlotte understood Chu Yuanqing’s worries and patiently explained:

"It seems Little Qing has really completely forgotten Sister Ellie. Although she is called a nun, she is definitely the kind of ‘not proper’ one."

"Moreover, just think about it; to build an orphanage and a church in Final City, being nuns who care for and protect the children, surely they must be quite special."

Chu Yuanqing only slowly understood after hearing this.

Although Final City is a blessed place, created with noble spirit and meaning, its residents are a mixed lot, often causing many conflicts over resource allocation and the duty to explore disaster zones.

Simply put, a blessed place is not the same as a paradise; it only means that you don’t have to worry about being killed by disaster beasts or eroded by disaster auras for a time and can enjoy a certain order along with basic resources.

However, terrible acts of burning, killing, and looting, along with various human flaws, still fill the world with signs of an apocalypse.

At first, the orphanage and the church were not officially established institutions; those who could build them must at least have blessings and be of higher status and somewhat special.

Charlotte passionately explained:

"Sister Ellie wasn’t a nun back then; she was already incredible before the arrival of the Calamity God, actively fighting on the battlefield against the Disaster Wave for a long time even while blind, and later retired due to injury."

"Sister Ellie is an excellent, upright, and optimistic person, and after retiring, she didn’t want to waste her blessings. Coincidentally, there was an old church site over there, so she simply rebuilt it and started gathering orphans."

The Last Diva smiled and said:

"Little Qing knows about the images of the Calamity God, right? So, Sister Ellie doesn’t believe in any religion; she believes in the god inside her heart, which would seem very unconventional today."

Chu Yuanqing pondered:

"So, following this logic, she should not have become a nun this time or had any reason to start an orphanage."

Charlotte proudly and happily said:

"I know the reason! Because Sister Ellie said that after she found me, she suddenly realized that there are many lovely children like me who have no one to care for them."

"Then, she felt that she couldn’t just sit by and do nothing, so she traveled around, and after arriving in this little town, she found, quite by chance, an abandoned small church."

"With the help of the townspeople, Sister Ellie decided to open a small orphanage here and also became a nun."

Chu Yuanqing thought that Charlotte was probably brought to Sister Ellie by a higher power; otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen?

But after that, it was most likely Sister Ellie doing things on her own.

"In any case, Sister Ellie will definitely like Little Qing, so let’s stop talking here and go inside together."

As Charlotte spoke, she continued to hold Honey Qing’s hand and pushed open the door of the small chapel. What came into view was the large Corinthian columns, colorful pointed windows, a simple yet solemn altar, and a pointed arch statue of the crowned Virgin Mary, with a discarded baptismal pool nearby.

Chu Yuanqing followed her in, observed for a moment, and said:

"I don’t see anyone, but it’s very clean."

Charlotte skillfully took her for a tour, and then continued walking forward, passing through the area where the guests normally stayed, and walked to the outdoor courtyard, which was filled with playful entertainment facilities, looking like a small park.

As the two walked in, several children were playing the game of wooden soldiers.

Under the banyan tree, a blonde girl with a bun spotted Charlotte with sparkling eyes. She showed an expression of surprise, immediately dropped her other friends, ran over to hug Charlotte, and said sweetly:

"Sister Charlotte, you’re back!"

Charlotte gently patted the child’s head and smiled, saying:

"After all, it’s almost your birthday, so you should go home to celebrate! Has Nia been listening to Sister Ellie lately?"

The little girl lifted her head and replied seriously:

"Of course! Yesterday I even helped Mother Ellie wash vegetables and I did my homework well. Sister Charlotte, can you read me a cartoon book tonight?"

However, before Charlotte could respond, the other children rushed over to her like little chicks around their mother, asking for hugs, being sweet, seeking compliments, and wanting to play together…

"That’s unfair! I helped Mother Ellie wash vegetables yesterday too."

"Sister Charlotte, I also want to listen to the cartoon book!"

"I want to hear you sing, shall we go to the music room?"

"Sister Charlotte, who is that pretty big sister next to you?"

Charlotte handled everything skillfully. She called out each child’s name with warmth and care, happily handed out the prepared gifts, and gently advised everyone:

"You must take good care of your doll. Don’t get angry and bully it like before."

"The remote-controlled car can only be played with in the room and the park. If you play with it in the kitchen or the church, Sister Ellie will be angry!"

"Emma, this is the book you wanted last time, but some words might be a little hard. If you don’t understand, remember to look it up in the dictionary or come ask me."

"Nia, do you like the pretty dress I promised you? Don’t forget to take a picture with your sister once you put it on!"

After all the children received their gifts, Charlotte quietly took out a big bag of beautifully wrapped mysterious gifts from behind her, pretending to be serious, and said:

"Ding ding ding! Let’s see what this is! It’s Mozart chocolate balls that all the children will love, and magical fruit candies that won’t give you cavities no matter how much you eat!"

In an instant, the children cheered in delight.

Charlotte smiled brightly as she held the little hand of the Pure White Witch and said:

"This gift is from the big sister next to you. She is very important to me, so you all need to get along well!"

As her words finished,

Chu Yuanqing immediately felt the children’s warmth as she was surrounded by little human cubs. She was greeted by pairs of clear, innocent eyes, who knew nothing of the world, quickly becoming lost in a sea of "Why?" questions.

"Big sister, are you a good friend of Sister Charlotte?"

"Beautiful sister, why is your hair white? Are you sick?"

"Golden eyes! So pretty!"

"What is your name, sister? Will you come to play with us often?"

The Pure White Witch’s kind and gentle charm, in the orphanage, seemed like the most terrifying trap, especially with Charlotte’s help. This made the little ones who just received gifts offer their precious tokens of friendship.

Candies, hair clips, wildflowers, cartoon stickers, toy cars…

Charlotte admired the warm picture of everyone living in harmony until Honey Qing’s arms were filled with various gifts, and she looked at her for help. Then, Charlotte clapped her hands to get the children’s attention and asked:

"Okay, okay, I’m going to take this big sister to give gifts to the other children, and then we’ll go meet Sister Ellie together."

"If you all have anything to say, don’t rush. Today I will bring many good friends over, and we can have fun together tonight!"

"So, do you know where the others are?"

The children eagerly raised their hands, excited to speak:

"I know, I know! Jon is in the room reading, Claire is doing her homework, the little brothers and sisters are sleeping, and some are playing football on the grass outside the church."

Nia blinked her eyes and said seriously:

"Mother Ellie said that Sister Charlotte would come back today, so after cleaning Sister Charlotte’s room, she went out to buy your favorite food to prepare for dinner."

Charlotte puffed her cheeks and complained:

"Huh? I clearly didn’t tell Sister Ellie and wanted to give her and everyone a surprise! How did she guess my return date?"

Nia tilted her head, her golden hair tied in a bun swaying, showing the childish expression of a little kid, and said sadly:

"Because Mother Ellie is amazing! Even if she can’t see, she can predict the weather, does laundry and cooking, has never fallen, and has never lost when playing hide and seek or statues with us."

Emma said in admiration:

"Last time, I secretly covered Mother Ellie’s eyes and let Nia ask her to guess who it was. Mother Ellie immediately shouted my name and even guessed I hadn’t done my homework. She’s super impressive."

Charlotte picked up on the key words; she gently rubbed the child’s cheek and pretended to be serious as she said:

"Emma didn’t do her homework? How naughty! At dinner tonight, I’ll have to put more carrots in your bowl as a punishment."

Emma was suddenly frightened by the terrible punishment. She covered her mouth with her hands, afraid to say anything else about the "bad things" she had done.

Chu Yuanqing wanted to laugh. She squeezed Charlotte’s hand to make her stop "scaring" her, then stood up and sprinkled silver magic into the sky.

In an instant, colorful petals fell softly, mixing with the mist to form a small rainbow bridge that caught the children’s attention.

"Thank you for your gifts, I will return Sister Charlotte to you later."

At the moment when the children were distracted, the Pure White Witch immediately copied Miss Saintess’s actions, grabbed the other girl’s little hand, and used magic to disappear.

Then, she walked out of the courtyard and entered the house with Charlotte, which had light green eaves.

"The third floor is for fun, the second floor is where the children sleep, and the first floor is for learning and eating."

Charlotte took Chu Yuanqing’s hand, walked quietly, turned back with a charming smile, and gracefully introduced her home, saying:

"Besides me, there are several children who study in other places; although it is vacation time now, most of them have chosen to take holiday jobs."

Chu Yuanqing asked:

"There should be about twenty children here, can Sister Ellie take care of them all by herself?"

Charlotte replied:

"Sister Ellie can really handle it, but to make sure she doesn’t struggle too much, I asked some kind uncles and aunts in the town to help out, and every week, a few volunteers come to lend a hand."

"And, the Sparkling Blessings I give to this little town can also help in this way; those notes and colorful lights will take care of the children and protect Sister Ellie from any accidents."

Chu Yuanqing nodded in agreement, as she had noticed that too.

Charlotte’s gifts to the town filled every corner with her colors; if fans could see it, they wouldn’t be able to resist coming daily, and some would even want to live here year-round.

These wonderful fairy-tale phenomena and the harmony flowing in the air created a lot of cute and interesting "Easter eggs" and had many magical effects.

For example, the residents within the town are healthier than those outside, their moods are happier every day, and they even receive blessings that prevent tragedies.

Especially the last blessing, which is based on Charlotte’s Patronus Magic—[Decorate Phantasm]—it gives permanent residents a charm for safety, protecting them from gas explosions, sudden deaths from staying up late, accidents from falling, car crashes…

Even if these unnatural accidents happen, under the blessing’s protection, they will not lose their lives, or they might not get hurt at all.

The people that Charlotte cares about the most will receive extra favor from the Sparkling Blessings.

You could say that even Ellie, a blind girl with no special traits, can live comfortably, just like anyone else, thanks to the blessings that surround her, with the help of cheerful notes or a cartoon version of Little Charlotte.

Chu Yuanqing sighed and said:

"So, you should know where Sister Ellie is, right?"

Charlotte confidently pointed her finger and explained seriously:

"Of course, within the blessings’ reach, it’s just like my barrier."

"But then it won’t be fun; it won’t feel like hide and seek, and the excitement will disappear."

"Right now is perfect; I can look forward to seeing Sister Ellie at any moment. Life should be full of surprises, and Little Qing needs to learn to embrace the unknown; she can’t be so stiff."

Chu Yuanqing thought Miss Saintess made a good point. After listening, she put away the children’s gifts and tucked them into the Space for Couples, suggesting:

"Then let’s walk around together and finish giving out the gifts you prepared for the kids?"

Charlotte agreed to this suggestion, happily ignoring the phones in the room that were ringing with messages from little idols complaining.

After that, Miss Saintess turned into a game of hide and seek, catching the children who had not received gifts with Honey Qing. They greeted everyone, gave gifts, introduced their girlfriends, and asked about Sister Ellie’s whereabouts, showing great skill in their "business."

An hour passed quickly, and even the baby lying in the cradle, who had just learned to crawl, received a new pacifier. Almost all of the gifts prepared by Charlotte were given out.

"It seems like she really hasn’t come back; let’s go for a stroll in town."

Charlotte was undeterred. Like a game of hide and seek, she avoided the children’s paths, excitedly leading Honey Qing to a secret route she used to climb over walls.

"This is the place! I used to sneak out from here when I was younger because Sister Ellie mentioned it many times, but I never fell once; isn’t that amazing?"

"Yes, it’s just like before. The church in Final City is even more run-down. Every time I dragged Little Qing out to play, Sister Ellie would catch us perfectly; it was so scary."

The Last Diva showed a bright smile, gracefully lifting her skirt, revealing her ankles and calves. She stepped along the green plants and stones, quickly climbing up the wall.

Miss Saintess stood on top of the wall. She untied her ribbon, letting her azure hair sway gently. Then, playfully, she spread her arms wide, as if walking on a balance beam, going around in a circle.

Suddenly,

The girl turned to look at the Pure White Witch in the light. A bright smile danced on her rosy lips, and her eyes shimmered with colors that flowed like the morning light. Her hair swayed in the gentle breeze, as if inviting others to a dance.

Chu Yuanqing watched her lively and youthful love, and in a daze, she felt younger herself. She followed her partner’s lead to climb up on the wall, acting playful and childlike, as if returning to many years ago. She smiled brightly.

In the haze, a faint voice whispered in her ear:

[Charlotte, why did you sneak out to play with Little Qing again?]

As the pieces of memory scattered, that gentle and steady voice, so very familiar, echoed from below the wall:

"Charlotte, why are you bringing other children to do such unladylike things again? It’s dangerous up there; come down quickly."

Below the wall, in the familiar shade of green, a hazy figure caught her eye.

The strong feeling of déjà vu flooded her chest like golden sand, and even though only vague pieces remained, they brought a warm comfort to her lonely heart in the sunlight.

Chu Yuanqing’s eyes were filled with confusion as she looked into those honey-colored empty eyes, as if traveling through heavy time, whispering like a dream:

"Sister Ellie…"