She unfolded the slip of paper, finding it covered in writing—it looked just like a practice sheet for calligraphy.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it, and since Xia Xiaoling was a teacher, it was normal to have such things at home.
Wu Menghan paid it no mind, casually setting it aside and softly asked, “Teacher Xia, do you enjoy practicing calligraphy in your spare time?”
“Mm? I do, whenever I have a bit of free time. Why?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Not noticing anything unusual, Wu Menghan saw there was nothing more she could help with, so she left directly.
Xia Xiaoling scratched her head, a little confused, then her gaze finally fell on that little slip of paper.
She opened it and saw the page covered with writing—it looked pretty good.
But this wasn’t her handwriting.
“Strange, where did this come from?”
Xia Xiaoling frowned, turning it over to see the words written on the back.
“I don’t want to become a monster. My instincts are devouring me…”
The handwriting wasn’t very nice, standing in stark contrast to the writing on the front—it was clear at a glance that the two sides were written by different people.
The words on the back left Xia Xiaoling baffled, feeling like some kid’s prank.
“Wu Menghan, whose paper is this?”
“Eh? Wasn’t it you who wrote it, Teacher?”
“How could I write something like that?”
Hearing this, Wu Menghan frowned, got up, and came over to Xia Xiaoling, glancing at the back of the paper.
Her pupils contracted sharply—she recognized the handwriting. It was her brother’s.
Wu Menghan snatched the paper, checking it carefully, her body trembling slightly.
“Brother… Brother! It’s him, it’s him!”
Her voice was so loud it startled Vivi in the other room.
She hurriedly stood up from the bed, pressing her ear to the door to listen.
Wu Menghan’s expression was twisted and unsettling.
“Wu Menghan, what’s wrong?”
“Brother, that damned brother really isn’t dead, ahahaha, he really isn’t dead!”
Her laughter was manic, making Xia Xiaoling’s heart skip a beat—she thought it might be necessary for Wu Menghan to see a psychologist.
“Calm down, what’s going on?”
Wu Menghan didn’t answer, only stared fixedly at her, clutching the paper in her hands as if it were a treasure.
Her entire state was extremely unstable, as if she were falling into madness.
“Teacher Xia, where did this slip come from?”
“I don’t know whose it is, I don’t recall anyone who’d write something like this.”
Wu Menghan nodded silently, glancing at the tightly closed door.
This slip of paper couldn’t have just appeared here for no reason.
Since neither of them knew about it, could it have been Vivi?
Her eyes lit up at the thought. If that was the case, then was Vivi sent by her brother?
No, that can’t be right. Her brother had never interacted with girls.
Wu Menghan fell into confusion again, yet her body was already standing at the closed door.
Knock knock knock~
She rapped on the door, the sudden noise startling Vivi into a step back.
Swallowing nervously, Vivi suddenly remembered there was still a slip of paper and a phone in the bathroom—this was going to be a problem.
Vivi hesitated, unsure whether to open the door, but then saw the handle begin to turn slowly.
A chill ran through her, and she quickly crawled into bed, pretending to be asleep.
Creak~
The door opened. Wu Menghan walked in. Seeing the dark room, she switched on the light and noticed the little loli already fast asleep.
She opened her mouth, but in the end didn’t have the heart to wake her.
With a self-deprecating smile, she wondered what was wrong with herself, to actually think Vivi—a little girl—could have something to do with her brother.
She knew her brother better than anyone. She was perfectly clear about his relationships.
“Mm? Is Vivi asleep?” Xia Xiaoling’s voice sounded behind her.
“Yes, she’s asleep.”
Wu Menghan replied simply, turning around.
“Teacher Xia, it’s getting late. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“Mm, get some rest. We have class tomorrow.”
Wu Menghan was silent for a moment, then nodded. Now, her mind was far from her studies.
When her brother was still around, she could focus on her studies, hoping to repay him one day.
But now, was there really any point in going to school?
The complexity of her feelings left Wu Menghan in turmoil.
She left the Resident Building, standing beneath the cool moonlight, staring down at the paper in her hand.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. It wasn’t as though she had no options.
With how advanced modern technology was, she could ask the police for help and have the fingerprints analyzed.
Wouldn’t this be the strongest proof that her brother was still alive?
Hope rekindled in her heart, and a smile finally broke across Wu Menghan’s face—the happiest she had been since her brother went missing.
Upstairs, looking at the sleeping Vivi, Xia Xiaoling wanted to ask her some questions, but couldn’t bear to disturb the little loli’s rest.
She hesitated by the door for a while, then sighed helplessly and closed it.
The room grew dark. Vivi opened her eyes a slit, making sure Xia Xiaoling had left before sitting up in bed.
Her sister’s voice and behavior just now had not escaped her notice—it was very unlike her usual self.
This made Vivi feel uneasy.
She was certain her sister had taken the slip of paper, but what would she do with it?
Go to the authorities for help?
At this thought, Vivi shuddered violently.
It seemed she would have to continue with her plan, otherwise, sooner or later, her identity would be exposed.
A slime girl like her—neither this society nor any official organization could possibly tolerate such an existence.
A chill ran through her body, and the little figure curled up into a ball, feeling weak and helpless.
Before she left, there was one more thing she had to do.
She needed to delete the contents of Xia Xiaoling’s phone, leaving no traces behind.
The light outside the door turned off. Xia Xiaoling had already returned to her own bedroom.
It was still a bit early to act. Vivi planned to wait until Xia Xiaoling was asleep before sneaking out.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. Without a phone or a clock, Vivi could only estimate time by her own senses.
An hour could have passed, maybe even longer.
Her eyelids drooped involuntarily. Vivi bit her lip gently, struggling to keep herself awake.
At last, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She crept out of bed and opened the door.
The living room was pitch black; nothing could be seen.
Vivi moved lightly, both hands gripping the doorknob, her heart uneasy.
She took a deep breath. The moment she pressed down on the doorknob, Vivi steeled herself and entered Xia Xiaoling’s bedroom.
The room was dark, only vague outlines could be made out—a person lying on the bed.
Vivi exhaled softly, scanning her surroundings, but saw no sign of the phone.
She moved skillfully to the cabinet, quietly opening it. Inside were several phones, one of which was the one Vivi had used.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, feeling as though a pair of eyes was watching her from behind.
Vivi quickly powered on the phone, found the content she had written in the memo, and pressed delete.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead. The moment she turned off the phone, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But she didn’t notice—the phone had a “recently deleted” feature.
Thinking she had covered all her tracks, Vivi tiptoed to the door. Just as she was about to close it, she saw Xia Xiaoling turn over, her eyes curved in a smiling gaze at her.