Chapter 36: The Witch and the Pocket Watch.

Inside the car.

Streetlights receded one after another.

Su Nian was still looking out the window, but I knew she was waiting.

In the rearview mirror, those dark red eyes glanced back every few seconds.

She was waiting for me to speak.

Xiao Xi sat beside her, clutching her pink water bottle, also sensing the tension.

She looked at Su Nian, then at me, and finally lowered her head, pretending to drink water.

Two more intersections passed in silence.

“About that question.”

I finally spoke.

Su Nian’s shoulders shifted.

She didn’t turn around, but her ears perked up.

“What Chuxue gave you was the industry-standard answer,”

I said.

“A standard answer means that — under normal circumstances — that is what you should do when encountering such a situation.”

She finally turned her head and looked at me.

“Then why… wasn’t yours?”

I kept my eyes on the road.

The headlights lit the way brightly.

“Because for me, for you, and for us — that question simply doesn’t apply.”

She was stunned.

Xiao Xi also looked up.

“It… doesn’t apply?”

“No.”

“Why?”

I looked at her through the rearview mirror.

“If it is an Idol I am managing, they will definitely win the Newcomer Award, or something even higher, within 1 year of their Debut.”

She opened her mouth, wanting to protest.

“But what if — “

“There is no ‘what if,'”

I replied, my tone leaving no room for doubt.

“Or rather, if the situation is truly that special, then we handle it specially.”

The underlying meaning was clear — such a failure was simply impossible for an Idol under my care.

The strength was already there.

As the Gemstone Princess herself, Alice would never allow such a thing to happen.

“Remember, those test questions always have a premise — that your performance is excellent enough.”

“Oh…”

Su Nian and Xiao Xi were both a bit speechless.

“The performance is excellent enough, and the person is excellent enough.”

“In my hands, that is ‘normal.'”

“Since that’s the case, the so-called Newcomer Award — isn’t worth worrying about.”

They weren’t silenced by my arrogance.

Rather, hearing my words, they felt it was so plausible that they simply didn’t know what to say.

Silence returned.

The car continued to drive.

***

The Next Day

The training room door was pushed open.

Sunlight cut in at an angle from the window, spreading a warm rectangle on the floor.

In the mirror, Su Nian was already standing there.

her ponytail was tied tighter than usual.

She held her new phone in her hand, the screen lit up with a photo of Alice.

Seeing me enter, she immediately put the phone down.

“Good morning, President — !”

Her voice was louder than usual.

I looked at her.

“Morning run.”

“Yes — !”

She turned and ran.

When she reached the doorway, she stopped and looked back at me.

“President!”

“Yes?”

“Today… should we run a bit faster?”

I looked at her.

“…Whatever.”

She smiled and then rushed out, her ponytail swaying in the morning light.

Xiao Xi squatted in the corner, watching the scene.

She looked at the door, then at me.

“President.”

“Mm?”

“Su Nian… seems especially happy today.”

I walked over, intending to turn off the screen of the phone Su Nian had left behind.

Before the screen went dark, I saw the wallpaper.

It was a silhouette photo of Alice against the sunset.

The ribbons.

The stray hairs.

The shadow of the eyelashes.

I looked at it for 2 seconds before the screen turned black.

I put it down and turned to walk out.

As I reached the door, Xiao Xi’s voice came from behind me.

“President… where are you going?”

“Joining the run.”

***

By the river.

Su Nian ran ahead, her pace faster than usual.

I followed behind, not on a bike this time, but having changed into sportswear for the first time in a long while.

At 3 kilometers, she looked back.

“President — !”

Her voice was loud enough for the whole riverbank to hear.

“You’re running today, too — !!”

I gave her a look — ‘Focus.’

She understood, smiled, turned back, and continued running.

Even faster.

At 5 kilometers, the time was 30 minutes exactly.

That was 47 seconds faster than yesterday.

She leaned on her knees, panting heavily.

Sweat dripped from her chin.

I looked at the timer and said casually, “Faster.”

She looked up.

“How… how much… faster…”

“Forty-seven seconds.”

She was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

“Hehehe… President… you ran too…”

My state was the opposite of hers.

I was very calm.

“Yes.”

My rhythm and breathing were well-controlled, so that speed and distance only made me break a light sweat.

***

Back in the training room.

Su Nian stood before the mirror, preparing to practice her dance.

I sat on a newly purchased mat.

Xiao Xi squatted in her corner.

Silence.

Then —

Click.

The door opened.

A hand pushed the door open, holding a cup of black tea.

Then that person walked in.

Snow-white hair.

A snow-white dress.

Smiling eyes.

Su Nian was stunned.

Xiao Xi was stunned.

I sat there, unmoving.

The person stood at the door, looking at the three of us.

She blinked and then spoke, her voice slow and leisurely, carrying the pleasure of a homecoming.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

There was a second of silence.

Then —

“Miss Chuxue — !!!”

Su Nian rushed forward, lunging at her.

Chuxue was knocked back a step by the impact.

The tea in her hand wobbled, but not a drop spilled.

“Miss Su Nian,”

she said with a smile,

“are you always this enthusiastic?”

Su Nian hugged her, unable to find words.

She just held on.

Xiao Xi ran over from the corner as well, standing beside them and looking up.

“Miss Chuxue… you’re back…”

Chuxue looked down at her.

“Yes. I’m back.”

“President Lin, did you miss me these past few days?”

“No.”

She laughed, looking even happier than before.

The training room felt full again.

Su Nian practiced her dance in front of the mirror.

Chuxue leaned against the wall, holding her eternal Black Tea Cup, watching with a smile.

Xiao Xi squatted in the corner, clutching her knees, watching it all.

The empty spot was finally filled again.

Raise hand.

Turn.

Pose.

Raise hand.

Turn.

Pose.

Sweat dripped down, soaking into a small dark patch on the floor.

It was just like before.

But it was also different.

Because that smiling voice had returned.

“Miss Su Nian, keep your wrists a bit higher~”

“Yes — !”

***

Night.

Illusion Theater.

A 15,000-seat venue.

Backstage.

The dressing room door was closed.

I sat before the mirror.

My makeup was already done.

Pink twin-tails.

Glittery eyeshadow.

The person in the mirror was also looking at me.

Alice.

Watching Su Nian today made me think of — my sister.

And then I thought of — the Witch.

But I don’t like the Witch.

I looked down, clutching a pocket watch in my hand.

The Witch’s Pocket Watch.

It was once a signature item of the Witch, something she carried for every performance.

Silver.

Old.

The edges were slightly worn.

There were scratches on the cover, crooked like a child’s handwriting.

I usually kept it in an inconspicuous black box.

People only knew it as the Witch’s Pocket Watch.

They didn’t know that there are seven of these pocket watches in total.

I stared at the watch, looking at the scratches on the cover.

I thought of things from a long time ago.

I thought of that person.

I thought of her standing on stage.

I thought of the day she disappeared.

And then, I thought of — Su Nian.

The way her ponytail swung when she turned to call out to me after finishing her 5-kilometer run today.

The image overlapped with a silhouette in my memory.

But it was different.

That person had already reached the end of her life.

That silhouette would never return.

My sister.

I closed my eyes.

My hand clutching the pocket watch tightened slightly.

The dressing room was very quiet, save for the hum of the air conditioner.

In the hallway outside, the occasional sound of staff walking by could be heard.

There was still some time before I had to go on stage.

I sat here alone, keeping the pocket watch in a place where no one could see, but gripping it tightly in my palm.

Thinking about those things.

Things I couldn’t tell anyone.

I quietly waited for the time to perform…

“Master Alice! 10 minutes to go!”