Chapter 435

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Chapter 435: Fragile Like a Bubble of Pearls

New Year’s Eve wasn’t going well for Judy.

Late in the evening, she was alone on her way back.

She had rushed out of the house in such a hurry that she had forgotten to change her shoes, leaving the house wearing thin slippers and a shirt.

The January night was freezing, and she blew hot air into her hands, still feeling cold.

The blood descendants are living beings. They like to drink blood, but they can also eat food. Their hearts beat, but their body temperature is slightly lower than that of normal humans.

On previous nights, there were stalls along the streets selling hot drinks, but tonight, even the convenience stores were closed. Every household was gathered together, and Judy could only walk alone beneath the streetlights, feeling deeply lonely and solitary.

Her mother, Juna, hadn’t changed much.

After Judy left, there had been signs of self-reflection on her mother’s part. On the surface, Juna had warmly and without any past grievances invited Judy to come home with her brother.

But people have inertia.

Juna had no supporters, and there was no one willing to advise her husband.

On New Year’s Eve, Judy returned home—but she didn’t bring her brother.

She had previously arranged for her brother to stay with the blood descendants’ ancestral land for a while, allowing him to interact with people of his age and heal from the psychological trauma caused by their mother.

During dinner, Juna seized the opportunity to request that Judy return home and reunite with the family.

For a moment, Judy had been tempted. She longed for her family to be normal again. How wonderful it would be to return to a complete family.

She also wanted to return home, but only if that home was no longer a prison.

When she noticed the controlling desire in Juna’s eyes, Judy dismissed the thought and firmly rejected her mother’s request.

This infuriated Juna. She flipped the table.

Judy said nothing and walked out of the house.

The servants didn’t dare to stop her. They couldn’t stop her from leaving, either.

She must have regretted it a little. At least she should have put on her coat and shoes. She had just wanted to leave quickly at that moment. Rushing out in such a hurry, she had made herself look a bit disheveled.

She walked alone down the street, feeling lonely and sad.

The cold wind blew, causing the emotions she had been suppressing to explode and amplify.

It was very cold, and she felt very hungry…

Her body and mind were both weighed down by sadness.

However, she had prepared herself mentally. At least she wasn’t squatting on the street crying. She could hold back her tears, but the silence… she couldn’t bear that.

The unluckiest thing happened again. She wanted to buy a hot drink from the vending machine, but it ate her coins. She had forgotten to bring money when she left, and now the few small coins she had in her pocket were gone.

Judy, already frustrated by a series of misfortunes, couldn’t take it anymore. She clenched her fist tightly, ready to teach the vending machine a lesson. But just as she raised her fist, she lowered it again.

She felt just like this vending machine, all alone. Even on New Year’s Eve, she was by herself. Punching the machine was like reality punching her back—like everyone was a punching bag.

She sighed and walked away. But then, suddenly, she heard a thud. A drink fell from the vending machine.

Turning around, she saw that the machine had spat out a steaming can of coffee. The coffee was then lifted by an invisible force and handed to her.

Judy caught the coffee with both hands. The can was already open. She lifted it and took a sip. The taste of the coffee made her squint her eyes and furrow her brow.

“So bitter…” she stuck out her tongue.

“Bitter is just right. People have to go through hardships when they come into this world.”

A familiar voice surrounded her, and suddenly Judy felt the coldness around her dissipate.

She didn’t know if it was the coffee or something else, but she felt a rush of warmth, lifting her from the suffocating cold.

She took another sip of the coffee. The bitterness spread across her tongue. It was definitely bitter, but towards the end, there was a hint of sweetness.

“Does this mean bitter turns to sweet?”

“No, it’s because some sweetened milk settled at the bottom.” Bai Wei tapped on the can and replied simply.

“Mr. Devil really knows how to talk.”

Judy glanced at the empty space. Even though she couldn’t see anything, she could imagine the young man lazily walking beside her. Even without light to reveal his shadow, she could envision their shadows flickering beneath the streetlamp—sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

Judy asked, “When did Mr. Devil arrive?”

“Not long ago.”

“Were you also celebrating New Year’s Eve?”

“Hmmm, I was watching a TV program earlier.” Bai Wei admitted, “But you don’t seem to have had the chance to watch any programs.”

“I didn’t pay much attention to the time, nor to the show,” Judy replied, “Did you watch it with Michelle?”

…Is this a woman’s intuition?

Bai Wei lied, “No.”

“You’re lying.” Judy said confidently. “The gentleman is lying.”

“Since you already know, why are you asking?” Bai Wei sighed, realizing he was bad at lying since he always got caught easily.

“I know, that’s why I want to ask.” Judy expressed conflicting thoughts.

“You want to know the truth, but you’re afraid of getting hurt. Yet when someone lies, you still want to expose them,” Bai Wei lamented. “The complexity of a woman’s heart.”

“Even Mr. Devil knows I’ll get hurt.” Judy whispered softly.

“It’s quite noticeable. You’re definitely not out here doing performance art in the middle of the night.”

“Then why do we need to find her first?” Judy’s mood sank again. “I’ve been alone on the street for so long, feeling so lonely.”

Bai Wei refused to take the blame. “I can’t predict the future, and I’m not a nice guy. You chose the wrong person to rely on.”

Judy looked down at her own shadow, her feverish mind slowly calming.

“Mr. Devil isn’t just not a nice guy; I can’t even touch you, and you have no warmth.”

“You’re calling me cold as ice, like a block of wood,” Bai Wei retorted, his emotional intelligence on full display.

“I didn’t say that. Mr. Devil did.” Judy said with a mischievous smile.

“I don’t deny that I’m like a block of wood, but being a block of wood isn’t bad.” Bai Wei continued, “Living without a care in the world isn’t tiring. It’s better to stay away from your crazy mother. Hoping she’ll have a change of heart and mend her ways is impossible. We can’t have a happy family tonight, and by now, you should understand… there’s no place for you in this family anymore.”

Judy responded with a simple, “Mm, I know.”

Bai Wei didn’t say anything further. He could tell that Judy wasn’t in the mood for conversation at the moment. She wasn’t unaware of her situation, but she couldn’t get past her own struggle—just like her mother. Both of them couldn’t overcome their inner turmoil.

Half an hour later, Judy could already see her apartment.

She said, “I’m going home.”

Bai Wei replied, “Does a rented apartment count as a home?”

“This will be my home from now on. Wherever I am is my own home,” Judy said sadly.

“Leaving the nest is when a baby bird grows up,” Bai Wei offered as a metaphor to comfort her.

“…what I want to hear isn’t that.” Judy said sadly, standing beneath the lamp, feeling alone again.

The person was right beside her, but felt so far away. Every word seemed close, yet distant.

“Do you want to come in and sit?” Judy asked calmly, trying to maintain her composure.

“No need.” Bai Wei politely declined. “It’s late. Get some rest. I’m planning to go back too.”

Even her calm expression couldn’t be maintained. Judy leaned against the door, her emotions unstoppable.

“Just pretend you feel sorry for me…” She lowered her head, and two tears fell to the ground.

Judy’s voice was hoarse, her figure fragile. She looked weak and vulnerable. “I don’t want to be alone.”

People are different from each other.

Some people, when feeling fragile, want to curl up and lick their wounds alone. Being alone helps them slowly recover their spirit.

Others, when feeling fragile, desperately need to find someone to rely on, to ease their mental stress through companionship.

Michelle, who seems used to relying on others, can handle pressure and burdens on her own when necessary. She grows rapidly.

Judy, who appears independent and confident on the surface, is emotionally fragile and dependent.

There’s no right or wrong personality. Dependent personalities can also unleash great potential, while overly independent personalities can break easily.

Bai Wei, after several busy events, had neglected to notice the differences between them.

To Judy, he had never really cared because she always seemed stable. He had only rushed to see her at the last minute.

Unfortunately, this girl had encountered the most difficult problems, the worst family conflicts. This led her to be in the worst mental state, on the verge of breaking down. A few words from him had made her lose control of her emotions.

Bai Wei realized his mistake but was ready to fix it.

This strong girl had begun to cry, pleading for sympathy and help. What reason did he have to just leave her alone?

A few comforting words didn’t have a decisive effect. If she had her family by her side, it might have helped, but her brother had already been taken away.

Judy’s social circle was very shallow. She didn’t have many close friends.

Michelle wasn’t here, and Alena… the Capesh family was not a good time to contact them.

Bai Wei thought for a moment and said, “Since you have nothing to do, why not help me with an experiment?”

Judy, with red eyes and a hoarse voice, nodded. “Okay.”

She needed the feeling of being needed, even if it meant being a tool instead of just being lonely and chewing on bitterness before falling asleep.

Soft light enveloped her, and the next moment, she found herself on a sandy beach, with the endless ocean stretching before her.

“Where am I?” Judy looked around at the unfamiliar scenery, observing the tides rising and falling. Her suppressed emotions quickly began to dissipate.

“Welcome to the Broken Paradise,” Bai Wei’s voice echoed. “Tonight, since you have nothing to do, why not accompany me in picking up trash all night?”

“Trash? What is that?”