A soft melody rang out from the alarm clock, not an irritating ringtone but a gentle song.
Wency let out a quiet clearing sound from her throat as she naturally sat up from bed.
She had never been someone who slept in.
To her, that was simply a waste of time.
After turning off the alarm, she headed toward the bathroom.
Just as she was about to turn on the cold water out of habit, she suddenly remembered the company was closed today.
There was no need to rush.
So she switched to hot water instead, slowly enjoying the warmth cascading over her body.
She even hummed softly while carefully scrubbing herself clean with soap.
After finishing her shower, she used a dryer to blow the remaining water droplets from her feathers.
Wrapped in a towel, she walked into the kitchen to drink coffee and eat oatmeal porridge.
At the same time, she scrolled through the news on her phone, leisurely enjoying the rare moment of rest.
She continued reading casually until one particular headline caught her attention.
“Brutal Murder Incident Occurred on Main Street of Huashan City Last Night.
Ten law enforcement officers were severely injured and sent to the hospital, two confirmed dead from excessive blood loss.
According to official reports, the suspect remains at large.
Nearby residents are advised to minimize outdoor activity and keep doors locked.” Seeing that the incident had occurred in Huashan City — and seemingly very close to Lidi’s living area — Wency immediately felt concerned and planned to call him later.
But as she continued reading, her concern quickly turned into shock.
“The wanted suspect has been identified as Lidi, male, red fox clan, age 27.
Confirmed to possess dangerous weapons and judged mentally unstable.
If sighted, citizens are advised to immediately contact the relevant authorities.
Do not approach the suspect under any circumstances.
Wait for law enforcement personnel to arrive.” Below the article was a front-facing photograph of Lidi.
At first, Wency had assumed it might simply be someone with the same name.
That illusion shattered instantly.
The photograph was unmistakably him.
“Lidi?
What happened…?” She completely lost her appetite for breakfast and immediately tried calling his phone to confirm the situation.
The only response she received was that the number was currently out of service.
Growing increasingly anxious, she decided to head over to Lidi’s house personally.
Just as she stood up to change clothes, a knock sounded at the front door.
“Black Guard investigation.
Please open the door and cooperate.” Wency looked through the peephole and confirmed there were indeed two Black Guards outside before replying, “Please wait a moment.
I’m changing clothes.” Less than a minute later, Wency opened the door wearing casual clothes.
“How can I help you?” The two Black Guards stood outside in full black armor.
Their reflective visors caught the rising morning sunlight, naturally inspiring fear and authority.
Yet for some reason, in Wency’s eyes, the two Black Guards looked strangely…
dark.
The one in front raised a tablet in his hand and spoke flatly.
“Routine investigation.
Please cooperate.” Wency did not ask further questions and simply stepped aside to let them enter.
The two wasted no time walking directly inside.
Their footsteps were steady and rhythmic as their eyes rapidly swept across the living room, kitchen, and dining table.
One of them immediately walked deeper into the house to begin inspecting the rooms.
Meanwhile, the other operated his tablet while questioning Wency.
“Do you know this individual?” An image appeared on the screen.
It was Lidi.
Wency recognized him instantly and answered honestly without hesitation.
“Yes.
He’s the son of my close friend.” Then she asked worriedly, “I also saw the news about him just now.
I want to know what exactly happened.” The Black Guard merely continued operating the tablet, his voice cold and emotionless.
“I am not authorized to disclose case details.
This is also for your own protection.” Wency frowned in dissatisfaction.
“But I’m his guardian.
How can I not know?” “It is precisely because you had this relationship with the suspect that’s why we came here to investigate.” The Black Guard stopped typing before continuing.
“And he is already beyond the legal age of adulthood.
You are no longer his guardian by law.” Wency still wanted to argue, completely ignoring the Black Guard’s standard detached responses.
At that moment, the other Black Guard finally emerged from the rooms and interrupted them.
“Confirmed.
Nobody else present.
The suspect has not been here.” After hearing his partner’s report, the first Black Guard turned back toward Wency.
“One final question.
When was the last time you saw the suspect?” Still irritated, Wency answered with open disdain.
“Yesterday morning at the company.
Then our workplace shut down for a week because of that Sudadi flu outbreak thing.
I haven’t seen him since we got off work at noon.” The Black Guard ignored her tone and simply typed a few more notes onto the tablet.
He then signaled his partner to leave.
Before walking out, he said to Wency, “If the suspect contacts or approaches you, report it immediately.” But when he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped and turned back toward her.
“And one more thing.
We know you possess a flight license.
It would be best not to attempt helping the suspect escape.” After leaving behind that completely emotionless warning, the two Black Guards departed.
Wency shut the door, and silence once again filled the house.
She returned to the dining table and stared at the unfinished cup of coffee, still giving off faint wisps of heat.
“Lidi…
what exactly did you do…?” Suddenly, another knock sounded.
But this time, it came not from the front door — It came from the back entrance.
“Auntie Wency…
open the door…” An extremely weak voice came from outside.
Wency instantly recognized the owner of that voice.
She hurriedly unlocked the back door and pulled it open.
What greeted her eyes was Lidi collapsed on the ground, drenched in blood.
“Li—!” She instinctively nearly shouted his name but quickly covered her own mouth, afraid of drawing the attention of the Black Guards who had only recently left.
She immediately dragged the bloodied Lidi into the house.
The difference in body weight made the process difficult, forcing Wency to struggle for several moments before finally pulling him into the kitchen.
Only then did she fully see the condition his body was in.
Lidi’s situation was far worse than he himself had imagined.
The moment Wency touched him, she felt that his body temperature was horrifyingly high, almost like boiling water.
The blood covering him had already dried into ugly clumps across his fur.
Several cuts had sliced through the fur on his body, yet strangely, none of the wounds were actively bleeding anymore.
With nowhere else to go, the first place he had thought of was Wency’s home.
Relying solely on the last scraps of his remaining strength, he had hidden and staggered his way across the city.
Now, he had finally reached his limit.
“Lidi, wake up.
What happened to you?” But Wency’s voice echoed in Lidi’s ears like distant reverberations fading away.
As though finally realizing he had reached somewhere safe, the nerves that had remained tense for so long finally loosened.
His consciousness slipped away completely.
Lidi fainted once again.