Zhao Xiaokui, with no place to call home, had nowhere to go.
Shen Zhifei sensed that she didn’t want to go to those two luxury homes and took the opportunity to suggest, “How about you come home with me?”
Zhao Xiaokui got into Shen Zhifei’s car.
On the way back, she was even quieter than when she came, sitting in the passenger seat like a Barbie doll that had suddenly lost all its vitality.
Even her seatbelt was fastened by Shen Zhifei.
She had once been so, so looking forward to returning to human society. But now, her expectations were shattered like broken glass, all turned into emptiness.
Her heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, and her entire chest was faintly aching.
The garage door lowered slowly, the surroundings gradually darkening. Shen Zhifei didn’t turn around, listening to the sobbing sound beside her. Her lips pressed into a straight line.
But she didn’t disturb Zhao Xiaokui, who was healing her wounds in the darkness.
In the rearview mirror, the girl sitting in the passenger seat, legs curled up to her chest, head buried between her knees, sobbed quietly, appearing frail and helpless.
She was so powerful, yet so fragile.
…
In the internet age, the speed of information spread far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.
Sometimes, a video could go from release to trending in just a few hours.
Li Songya just opened her frequently used short video app and was startled by the flood of information rushing in like a tide.
Her phone, of average quality, took a while to process the messages, leaving her bewildered for a moment before she could regain her composure.
Unit 602 had a deep green iron anti-theft door. Both the door and the frame were corroded by time, covered in mottled rust. In the middle of the door, a rhombus-shaped “福” character was pasted, with a hole drilled right in the center of the peephole.
She had just raised her hand when the door swung open from the inside.
“I knew you’d come back now. I’ve cooked your meal. Look at you, never at home all day long. Other kids finish school at five and are home by five-thirty. You, on the other hand, always play outside until six-thirty before returning home…”
Grandma?!
Zhao Xiaokui greedily widened her eyes, staring at the elderly lady in front of her, who was much taller and more spirited than she remembered.
As Grandma continued speaking and noticed her lack of reaction, unlike her usual playful demeanor, she suddenly appeared on the verge of tears. “What’s wrong? Did someone bully our little tyrant? Tell Grandma, Grandma will help you deal with them!”
The old lady intentionally put on a fierce expression, but Zhao Xiaokui bit her lip, staring at her, trembling all over, tears pouring out of her eyes in large droplets.
The old lady crouched down, wiping away her tears with her hands. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s not pretty when you cry.”
Her hands were not delicate at all; years of hard work had made them as rough as sandpaper. However, Zhao Xiaokui felt an unprecedented gentleness from them.
“Grandma, Grandma—”
She rushed forward, embracing Grandma’s neck, crying loudly in her arms like a child.
“Grandma, Grandma—”
She had so much to say, but her mind was blank. She couldn’t express anything, only knowing to repeatedly call out to her closest person, freely and heartily crying in their arms.
Grandma gently patted her back, showing a faint smile. “Here, here. Grandma is here!”
“You lied to me!” Zhao Xiaokui accused with tears and sobs. “You lied to me. You left a long time ago. You left, abandoned me here. You don’t want me anymore…”
“But haven’t I always been here?”
Withdrawn from Grandma’s embrace, the old lady’s gaze was still warm and embracing, just as Zhao Xiaokui remembered it, full of love.
At this moment, Zhao Xiaokui felt like Grandma knew everything—just like every time she got into a fight, no matter how well she hid her wounds, Grandma would secretly apply medicine at night. Just like every time she failed an exam, Grandma wouldn’t mention anything, silently buying her favorite food.
She said, “Haven’t I always been here?”
“The house was demolished, and the home is gone…” Zhao Xiaokui choked out.
“It’s okay,” the old lady stroked her head, a smile on her face. “A single house doesn’t represent anything. A true home is where you are with family. I’ll always be here, and you’ll always be at home.”
Bathroom.
The sudden, sharp, and ear-piercing ringtone echoed in the room.
“Peng—”
Without any mercy, Zhao Xiaokui threw her phone toward the corner where she played music.
Under her strength, Carrot 8 almost instantly shattered into pieces. Parts and fragments scattered all over the place, even the tiles hit by the debris showed cracks.
The bathroom door was violently pushed open. Shen Zhifei entered, and at a glance, she saw the phone fragments on the floor and noticed the person sitting in the water.
The girl was completely naked, partly obscured by her long hair, her chest heaving dramatically. Her eyes were bloodshot, resembling an enraged wild beast.
Zhao Xiaokui’s current state made every nerve in Shen Zhifei’s body scream with the word “danger.”
Shen Zhifei approached step by step, her heartbeat echoing the intimacy of being close to an uncaged lion.
“Xiaokui.”
Hearing her name, Zhao Xiaokui turned her gaze.
Shen Zhifei slowly crouched down, then kneeled on the edge of the bathtub, extending her hand towards Zhao Xiaokui.
She gently embraced the seemingly fierce girl, like comforting a pet, continuously stroking her long hair.
Zhao Xiaokui, now submissive on her shoulder, suddenly opened her mouth and fiercely bit her shoulder.
“Hiss…”
Shen Zhifei sucked in a breath due to the pain, but she didn’t push Zhao Xiaokui away, nor did she struggle. Even in the moment of pain, she controlled the impulse to break free.
“Good… good…”
Under her soft and patient soothing, Zhao Xiaokui finally loosened her grip.
Shen Zhifei felt warm liquid trailing down her back. If it wasn’t Zhao Xiaokui’s saliva, it might be her blood.
Shen Zhifei frowned momentarily but then relaxed. Soon, a sensation, akin to an electric shock, trembled through her body.
The girl extended her tongue, licking away the blood bit by bit. The crimson in her pupils gradually transformed into bright amber.
“Sorry.”
“It’s nothing.”
Zhao Xiaokui glanced at the four tooth marks she had bitten into Shen Zhifei’s shoulder, revealing her sharp fangs.
Her previous tiger-like fangs, although sharp, were not as prominent. These sharp fangs were changes brought by her first-tier metamorphosis.
Everyone undergoes unique changes during advancement. Some grow taller, some shorter, some run faster, and some become more resistant to extreme temperatures.
Zhao Xiaokui’s changes tended more toward the characteristics of a mermaid. Sharp teeth assisted mermaids in cutting and tearing food in the deep sea, much like sharks on Earth.
She even thought that during a future advancement, her legs might possibly transform into a mermaid’s tail.
As Zhao Xiaokui’s thoughts wandered, Shen Zhifei spoke up, “I believe the person who just called you is probably your manager.”
“Who?”
Zhao Xiaokui couldn’t quite grasp who Shen Zhifei was referring to.
“Qian Wenyi.” Shen Zhifei, who had understood the ins and outs before coming, clarified, “Your video of saving someone went viral online, and he’s probably looking for you because of that.”
“He shouldn’t be looking for me.” Zhao Xiaokui licked her sharp tiger fangs. The human oral structure was somewhat different from a mermaid’s, and these perfectly shaped fangs were a bit uncomfortable for her. Ignoring the odd sensation, she casually added, “I’m not Zhao Zijin.”
