Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: Picked Up A Person, Family

As soon as school ended at noon, Lu Mingxue dashed out like a madwoman.

Mi Xiaoliu didn’t chase her. Instead, she walked to the balcony, quietly gnawing on a bun with cucumber, while staring at Yiwen’s lunchbox.

Yiwen got chills from her gaze but pretended not to notice.

Even by the end of the school day, Lu Mingxue had not returned.

As before, Mi Xiaoliu went to the tennis courts and silently sat on the steps, watching her deskmate—the school’s heartthrob—play tennis, waiting for him to finish so they could walk home together.

Something seemed to have happened at school. At the gate, some police officers could be seen requesting surveillance footage, but none of it had anything to do with the students still out on the field.

“Here, have some water.” Yiwen handed Mi Xiaoliu a bottle of colored drink.

Mi Xiaoliu looked confused at the bottle, but took it anyway.

She was too weak to open the cap.

She turned to Yiwen.

Yiwen was speechless, but helped her twist the cap open.

Is this really a guy?

“Yiwen, your turn!” someone from the tennis club called out.

“Coming!” Yiwen replied, then turned to Mi Xiaoliu. “Wanna come along?”

Sitting on the steps hugging her knees, Mi Xiaoliu shook her head and looked down at the step beside her—there was a sweat print left by Yiwen’s butt. It was a little bigger than last time.

So fascinating.

Noticing her gaze, Yiwen’s face flushed. She quickly wiped away the print with her hand.

“Maybe you should head back first. I’ll be playing a while longer—I don’t want to waste your time.” Yiwen offered, a little frustrated.

Mi Xiaoliu didn’t respond. She just stared at her with black pupils behind the glasses, without emotion or intent.

“Why is he here again?”

“Probably Yiwen’s friend.”

People on the sidelines of the court were whispering. For the mostly-female “audience section,” Mi Xiaoliu stood out too much. Anyone else would’ve run away in embarrassment by now.

Yiwen was the one feeling awkward. If not for wanting to find out whether Mi Xiaoliu had anything to do with the recent murder case, she wouldn’t have bothered with him. But after observing him, she felt he didn’t seem like the type who could kill…

It was Yiwen herself who lied and said they lived in the same direction—she couldn’t just admit now that she made it up.

It was just walking a short way together. Was it really worth the wait?

Helpless, after finishing her tennis, Yiwen had no choice but to walk in the opposite direction of her home, then wander aimlessly for quite a while.

Is this going to be my after-school routine from now on?

—

“Where does the landlady live?” Mi Xiaoliu asked Sasha mentally.

She had completed her mission and now had enough money for rent.

“She’s never said that. Just don’t spend the money for now, Master. Wait till she comes to collect it herself,” Sasha replied.

“Okay.”

Mi Xiaoliu looked toward the street vendors downstairs.

Since the building was a small dorm-style apartment complex meant for students, there were often food stalls out front.

New food.

Want to eat.

She had resisted the urge to spend it on memory draws. She still had over 2,000 yuan—an enormous sum.

“Can I eat it?” she asked Sasha in her head.

“Of course you can, Master…”

Mood: UP↑

—

By the time Yiwen got home, the sky was completely dark.

Her house was a two-story bungalow on the south side of Fanzui City. You could just about call it a villa.

From the decor, it was clear this family wasn’t short on money.

Even though she could see the lights on through the window, she didn’t call out. She simply took out her key and quietly opened the door.

“Why are you home so late again?” a sharp female voice rang out the moment she stepped in.

“I got lost,” Yiwen replied flatly.

From the kitchen came a woman in an apron, with ash-blonde hair in a severe style. She looked youthful but clearly middle-aged. Other than faint crow’s feet, her face was nearly flawless, and her curvy figure was still impressive—though not enough to compare with a TV actress.

“Always making excuses. Open your bag.” The woman narrowed her eyes, commanding.

“Mmm.” Yiwen opened her bag and quietly watched her mother inspect it.

Yiwen felt her family was completely dysfunctional. At least, that’s how she saw it.

A lot of espers came from broken families.

“Give your computer to your brother. He needs it for school. Delete all your games.”

“Okay.” She agreed indifferently, glancing at her younger brother peeking around the corner, then turned and headed upstairs.

“And if I ever catch you playing those superhero games again—”

The only response was a heavy door slam, followed by a muffled, “I already ate.”

Changing out of her sweaty clothes, Yiwen sat quietly, staring at a photo on her desk.

In it, the mother who had just scolded her wore a gentle smile for the camera. Beside her stood a thin, white-haired young man, hands resting on the shoulders of a boy and a girl.

That photo captured the family’s happiest moment—its most complete moment.

On the bed lay a pure-white superhero costume, shredded beyond recognition. Even though the door was locked, this still happened.

Expressionless, Yiwen gathered the scraps and threw them out the window. She opened the hidden compartment in her wardrobe—inside were more than twenty identical uniforms, neatly arranged.

Last night, her hair had gotten caught in her mask again. It must have grown longer.

Yiwen took out a pair of scissors and began trimming her hair in the mirror.

Not a perfect cut—but with this face, any hairstyle looked good. (Whoever said she looked like she was balding, get them out of here.)

Her phone rang.

Yiwen glanced at the caller ID and answered, “Hello, this is White Whale.”

“Night Demon has shown up in the city,” the voice on the other end said. After a brief pause, they continued, “He was the last person your father saw before he disappeared. Don’t say I told you—Uncle Chen didn’t want me to inform you.”

—

Standing naked in front of the mirror, Mi Xiaoliu spaced out again.

Looking at her upper body didn’t bring much reaction, but when her eyes dropped to her lower body, she remembered once more: “Oh right, I’m a girl.”

The street food had been delicious—she was particularly fond of the flavor called spicy. Upon seeing her badge, most people turned and fled, leaving only the trembling stall owners to prepare food for her in fear—desperately hoping she’d leave soon, but too afraid to anger her and risk an instant explosion on the spot.

No lines, no waiting. The experience was superb.

The dorm was small, but the furnishings and amenities were far from shabby. There was even a bathtub in the bathroom. Though not large, it was more than enough for Mi Xiaoliu’s small frame to sit comfortably without curling her legs.

Very cozy.

She opened the memory draw interface. Seeing the 2,000 yuan in her balance, she cautiously tapped the single draw button.

Balance -100.

This time, she was lucky—no duplicate memory. The imagery flooded into her brain all at once, making her shiver in the hot water from a sudden chill.

Two weeks ago, on a rainy night, a thinly dressed Mi Xiaoliu placed her water-speckled glasses into the system space, curled up inside a cramped little compartment, and tried to fall asleep. The narrow space and her damp clothes made it hard to sleep—she finally drifted off after two hours, only to be disturbed yet again.

Someone knocked on her makeshift shelter, letting in a sliver of light and revealing a figure standing beside the ATM.

It wasn’t a cop or a security guard. On rainy nights, they wouldn’t drive away the homeless sleeping there.

It was a pink-haired woman in a white lab coat—now her landlady—who had, out of sheer curiosity, bent down and opened the luxury suitcase containing Mi Xiaoliu.

“What’s your name?” she asked. “Why are you sleeping here?”

“I don’t have one,” the girl muttered, sitting up with hollow eyes, showing no sign of irritation from being woken up.

“I asked for your name.”

“Mi,” the crossdressing girl replied with just one word.

“Mi?” The landlady frowned.

“Liu.” The girl added another word.

“Why not go home?”

The girl didn’t respond, quietly lying back down and even reaching out to close the suitcase.

Just like that, she—and the suitcase—was carried back by the landlady.

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