When I got home, I noticed the living room lights were on. Looking down, I spotted an unfamiliar pair of shoes by the entrance. Ducking behind the cabinet, I peeked into the living room to see what was going on…only to lock eyes with a woman sitting inside. It scared the living daylights out of me.
“Lingling, what are you doing over there? Has it been so long that you don’t even recognize your own mother?”
It was my mom.
I instantly whipped up a bright, adorable smile and rushed over to throw my arms around her.
“You said ages ago that you were coming back to keep me company. Why did it take you until today? I’ve been dying of loneliness here by myself,” I whined, burying my face in her embrace.
Mom raised her hand and gently stroked my head. “Mom’s so sorry this time. I was all packed and ready to come home early, but a massive case suddenly dropped out of nowhere. We were severely short-handed, so I had no choice but to head back to the bureau to help out.”
I looked up. “Is the case solved then?”
Mom’s expression darkened as she shook her head. “No. It’s a real headache. There are too many people involved and barely any leads. We’ve been investigating for months with next to no progress.”
“What kind of case could be so tough that even you guys are stumped?” My curiosity was piqued, and I leaned in closer.
“It’s a child disappearance case,” Mom said. “At first, it was just one kid, so we assumed it was a standard missing person case. But then more and more children started vanishing. And then… someone found human tissue in a trash dump.”
Mom stopped dead in the middle of her sentence, her brow furrowing as she stared at me. Intrigued and eager for more, I didn’t think twice about her expression and pressed for details: “And then what? What did you find?”
“Why does a kid like you need to know so much? You’ll just have nightmares. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.”
I didn’t care and kept nagging her for the rest of the story. But no matter what, Mom refused to say another word. She even adopted a stern look, ordering me to go wash up and head to bed.
Of course, I hadn’t forgotten the most important thing. Before leaving, I grabbed her arm. “You promised to take me to pick out a kitten when you got back. Don’t forget!”
Mom nodded earnestly. “I won’t. I’ve already made an appointment with the cattery. We’ll go this weekend.”
“Hehe, awesome! I’m off to bed then.” I blew her a dramatically theatrical kiss and turned gracefully toward my bedroom.
Once inside, I cautiously locked the door behind me.
I had noticed the flash of suspicion in Mom’s eyes earlier. She definitely doubted me.
But still… this is how Wen Ling was supposed to interact with her parents, right?
Who actually knew? This family had barely spent any time together. How could I possibly fully understand how Wen Ling and her parents usually behaved around each other?
I guess I’d just have to fake it for as long as I could.
The next morning, by the time I woke up for school, the house was completely empty.
Mom was already back at work.
Shrugging it off, I grabbed my things and headed out.
As the elevator doors slid open, I ran into the auntie from next door.
“Oh, Lingling, off to school?” she asked, stepping out of the elevator with a warm smile.
I nodded. “Yes, auntie, time for school.” Looking down at the rolling grocery bag beside her, I added, “Did you just finish grocery shopping? You’re out early today.”
“Ah, an old woman like me can’t sleep anyway, can’t sit still. We have guests coming over today, so I need to get things ready.” She glanced down at the bag and instinctively gathered the opening tighter.
“I see,” I replied with a smile. “I’ll head out to school then. Let’s chat next time!”
“Alright, hurry along, don’t be late! Stay safe on the road!”
The snow had stopped, but the accumulation hadn’t been cleared yet. Instead, people’s footprints had carved a narrow path through it.
As I walked, I kicked at the snow banks by the roadside, occasionally stomping into the thicker patches to leave a footprint. I’d admire my handiwork for a good long moment before finally moving on.
Surprisingly, the sun made an appearance today. By the time I reached school, it had risen enough to melt a thin layer of the snow.
“Oh? You’re here.” Sheng Yitang was stirred awake by my arrival. She glanced up at me briefly before drifting right back to sleep.
The classroom was toasty from the heating, making it incredibly easy to get drowsy. Before long, I followed her lead and fell asleep too.
“Wake up, everyone wake up! Class is starting. Wen Ling, Sheng Yitang, stop sleeping. Every time I walk in, your entire desk is passed out.”
I jolted awake to find Mr. Jiang already standing right next to me.
“Are you awake yet? If not, go splash some water on your face in the restroom. We’re starting class.”
I didn’t want to go out and suffer in the freezing cold, so I forced myself to snap out of it and stay awake.
Well… I clearly overestimated myself.
Who knew classical Chinese could be so mind-numbing? Combined with Mr. Jiang’s incredibly monotonous lecture, it was the ultimate lullaby. Within seconds, I couldn’t fight the drowsiness anymore and collapsed back onto my desk.
This time, Mr. Jiang caught me red-handed and banished me to the back of the room to stand up and wake myself up.
By the end of the morning—four classes in total—three different teachers had sent me to the back of the room. I spent nearly the entire morning on my feet.
Even if I wasn’t sleepy anymore, my legs were completely shot.
And the only class where I wasn’t forced to stand at the back? Physical Education, of all things.
Where I was forced to run an 800-meter sprint instead.
In the dead of winter, the sheer exhaustion left me burning hot.
After a grueling morning, lunchtime finally arrived.
Knowing I stood no chance against the stampede at the school cafeteria, I headed straight for “Auntie’s Sour and Spicy Noodles” outside the school gates.
Sheng Yitang, having nothing better to do, tagged along like a puppy when she heard where I was going.
The shop was wonderfully warm, and the lively atmosphere was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of sour and spicy noodles. Tucking into a bowl instantly lifted my spirits.
Sheng Yitang couldn’t handle spicy food at all, so she specifically ordered hers “micro-micro-micro-spicy” just to make it manageable.
“The final exams are the day after tomorrow,” Sheng Yitang said between bites. “Do you have any plans for the winter break? Like traveling or something?”
I shook my head, my mouth full of noodles. “Me? I’ve been everywhere and seen everything. Right now, I don’t want to go anywhere.”
Sheng Yitang looked genuinely taken aback. “Seriously? I had no idea you’ve traveled so much. But aren’t your parents always super busy with work?”
I paused to think, realizing none of my cover stories quite fit. I waved my hand dismissively. “Oh, that doesn’t matter. Long story short, I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to have a peaceful Lunar New Year.”
“Fine then,” Sheng Yitang sighed. “I was actually planning to invite you, Sui Yue, and Shen Leqing so the four of us could go on a trip together. If you’re not going, it won’t be any fun with just the three of us.”
I kept quiet and kept eating my noodles.
After lunch, we headed back to school together.
Sheng Yitang needed to head back to her dorm to pack some things and invited me along. Since I had nothing else to do, I figured it would be fun to hang out and followed her.
Just as we stepped into the hallway, we ran smack into Sui Yue, who was wearing a bright pink set of pajamas. She looked utterly startled to see me; her brain short-circuited, and she stood there frozen, staring at me.
“Whoa, who would’ve thought? The great Young Master Sui actually has a thing for pink pajamas.” I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh, teasing her mercilessly.
Sui Yue kept her hair short, usually dressed in a very tomboyish style, and always joked around telling us to call her “Young Master.” Seeing her stand before me in a pastel pink Hello Kitty pajama set was the ultimate contrast.
The teasing instantly made Sui Yue flush red. She screamed, threatening to kick me out, but Sheng Yitang managed to hold her back and pull me into the dorm room.
As soon as we sat down, Sui Yue locked herself in the bathroom and started yelling at her phone.
“Shen Leqing, this is all your fault! Why did you buy me such a ridiculously pink pajama set?! Sheng Yitang mocked me for three straight days because of it, and now Wen Ling saw it too! She’s going to tease me to death!”
“Ahhh—why do you torture me like this?!”
“Shen Leqing, I’m going to strangle you, ahhhh!”
She was yelling so loudly that even with the bathroom door shut, I could hear every single word clearly from where I sat on Sheng Yitang’s bed.
Amused, I secretly pulled out my phone to record the audio, fully intending to blackmail Sui Yue with it later.
Seeing Sheng Yitang laughing so hard she could barely breathe next to me, I figured she was hiding something, so I grabbed her for an interrogation.
Once Sheng Yitang finally caught her breath, she spilled the tea. “A couple of days ago, Shen Leqing and Sui Yue made a bet. Whoever lost had to accept a dare from the winner, no exceptions. Well, Shen Leqing won and picked out this pajama set for her. Apparently, she originally wanted to pick a short skirt, but since the weather is freezing, she had to settle for pajamas. On top of that, Shen Leqing ordered that she must wear it at all times unless she’s leaving the dorms, and she made me supervise her!”
Hearing that, I burst into an even louder fit of laughter.
“Stop laughing, both of you!” Sui Yue marched out of the bathroom, clutching her phone, her face completely flushed with anger.
I glanced at the screen and noticed Shen Leqing on the video call, already doubling over with laughter.
Sui Yue hadn’t come to school today because she was reportedly visiting her sick cousin. Judging by the background on the screen, she was still at the hospital.
“Oh, Wen Ling, what are you doing in their dorm? If I knew you were coming, I would’ve told Sui Yue to change,” Shen Leqing said suddenly, noticing me.
I glanced at the practically glowing-red Sui Yue and smirked. “I had nothing better to do, so I came over. Changed or not, I would’ve seen it sooner or later.”
“Ahhhh, Wen Ling! I’m going to strangle you too!” With that, Sui Yue lunged at me.
The two of us playfully wrestled around, laughing hysterically, while Sheng Yitang took the phone to record our antics and continued chatting with Shen Leqing.
Once our “battle” ended, Sui Yue and I crowded around the screen. Suddenly, a little girl’s voice came through from Shen Leqing’s end, seemingly greeting us.
The camera panned over to a little girl leaning against a hospital bed, surrounded by an array of tubes and medical monitors. She was smiling as she waved at us.
She had a heart condition—a severe one. I could tell instantly.
My memories from my past life were still intact. I vividly remembered a girl I met at the hospital during the pandemic who had a heart condition. Before she passed away, she looked exactly like this.
“Hello, big sisters. My name is Meng Wuyang. I’m Leqing’s cousin.”
The little girl’s voice was sweet, and though she was smiling, the sheer frailty and exhaustion on her face were impossible to hide.
“Hello, little sister! We’re your sister’s friends. I’m Sister Sui Yue, this is Sister Yitang, and this is Sister Wen Ling.”
I stood on my tiptoes to get a closer look at the screen, speaking gently to her. “You’re so adorable, sweetie. Make sure to get plenty of rest so you can recover quickly.”
Hearing my voice, the little girl looked up and nodded earnestly. “Thank you, sister! The doctor said I’m recovering really well, and I get to leave the hospital very soon!”
Shen Leqing smiled, gently stroking the girl’s hair. “That’s right. Our Wuyang just needs to rest up. Once you’re all better, I’ll take you out to play with these big sisters.”
“Yeah! We’ll be waiting for you to get discharged,” Sheng Yitang chimed in. “When the time comes, we’ll take you to the amusement park!”
Encouraged by our words, the little girl’s spirits seemed to lift significantly.
But as I looked at her, an unsettling sense of dread washed over me.