Looking at the dazzling array of phones, Vivi fell into deep thought.
She had imagined that Xia Xiaoling’s family was wealthy, but she hadn’t expected them to be this rich.
Many of the phones here were the latest models from big brands—she hadn’t even seen them before.
If she could stay, she really did want to remain by Xia Xiaoling’s side.
Looking at her own body, Vivi let out a helpless sigh.
She was now already a Slime Girl, and even her consciousness was beginning to transform into that of a Slime Girl.
For her own safety, for Xia Xiaoling’s safety, and for the safety of those around her, she had to leave.
At least, before she completely turned into a Slime Girl…
Thinking this, Vivi gritted her teeth, picked the cheapest phone, and packed some basic necessities.
She left a note behind and hurriedly left.
Outside on the street, pedestrians came and went as Vivi walked alone down the avenue. Her goal was simple: to find a place with few people.
Since she’d become like this, staying here would only bring trouble.
As she walked, she paused in front of a crosswalk and saw a few children hiding behind adults, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy.
“Hmm? What… am I envious of?”
Her memories were a bit blurry. Vivi patted her cheeks and opened the phone to make a note.
She didn’t want to become a complete Slime Girl—at the very least, she wanted to leave something of herself behind.
She wrote down her feelings and what she was experiencing at this moment, then let out a long breath.
Time gradually passed until noon. She had arrived at the outskirts of the old city.
Though called “the outskirts,” it was actually still part of the old city.
Years ago, the old city had been very prosperous. Though it was just an ordinary county town, its consumption power could rival that of a city-level metropolis.
But in recent years, the area had declined, become desolate, and the population had drained away.
She felt a pang of emotion, gazing at the endless rice fields, recalling her childhood days in the countryside.
Taking out her phone to record this, Vivi suddenly remembered that phones needed electricity.
If she went somewhere remote and deserted, there would basically be no electricity.
She slapped her forehead. She really had muddled herself silly—how could she forget something so important?
She had no money on her, and going back would take half a day.
“Ugh~”
Vivi squatted on the ground in frustration, her tiny fists repeatedly knocking against her little head.
“So stupid, so stupid, so stupid—why did I get so dumb!
“Will I really turn into a dumb loli in the future? I don’t want that kind of thing, no way!”
Her eyes rimmed red, and Vivi felt that she was in an awful state.
But life had to go on—it’s not like there were no options left.
She decided to rummage through the trash bins; maybe she’d find something useful.
(Pink-haired/black-haired loli rummaging through trash jpg…)
***
After finishing a day of work, Xia Xiaoling leisurely sat in her office drinking tea.
Looking at the time, it was almost the end of school.
She stood up and went to her class. The students were already trickling out of the classroom.
Wu Menghan, carrying her backpack, noticed Xia Xiaoling standing at the door. Remembering Vivi’s earlier state, an inexplicable hope rose in her heart.
“Teacher Xia, is Vivi okay?”
“Hmm? Her? For now, I let her stay at my place. That girl wouldn’t let me take her to the police station no matter what, so this is all I can do for now.”
Xia Xiaoling shrugged helplessly, looking a bit tired.
“I see… Then, could she stay at my place? It’s just me at home…”
“Sigh, she already refused, there’s nothing I can do.”
Wu Menghan nodded in disappointment, a trace of frustration welling up inside.
All of this was caught by Xia Xiaoling.
“Teacher Xia, then can I go visit her?”
“Yes, you can. I’ll take you to see her in a bit.”
“Oh right, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, I’ll take you for something tasty.”
To ease Wu Menghan’s anxiety, Xia Xiaoling took the initiative to invite her.
Wu Menghan shook her head and smiled softly.
“It’s fine, I brought my own food.”
Xia Xiaoling was about to say more when she saw Wu Menghan take out a few squashed pieces of bread from her bag and stuff them in her mouth.
“You’re eating just that?”
“Mm, cough, yeah. It’s cheap—three yuan a piece.”
Xia Xiaoling rubbed her forehead and earnestly said, “Menghan, you’re still growing, how can you eat just this? Come, come, let teacher take you for a good meal.”
“Um, no need, teacher. If you keep insisting, I won’t go with you.”
Seeing her insistence, Xia Xiaoling sighed helplessly and said no more.
Very soon, Xia Xiaoling and Wu Menghan arrived at a high-end apartment complex.
The level of luxury inside was something Wu Menghan had never seen before. She looked left and right, curiosity written all over her face.
“Alright, alright, didn’t you want to see Vivi?”
At Xia Xiaoling’s words, she settled down, a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, I’m just surprised.”
“You’ve never been to a place like this before?”
“No.”
“You’ve never even seen it?”
Wu Menghan shook her head again. Seeing this, Xia Xiaoling felt a bit sorry for the girl and said, “Teacher will give you a gate card later. You can come anytime you want.”
“Better not…”
“Aiya, it’s just a gate card, only for entering the complex, not my house key. If you ever want to visit teacher’s home, you can come anytime.”
Wu Menghan nodded, agreeing.
“In the past, how did you and your brother live?”
Xia Xiaoling was curious, but as soon as she asked, she regretted it a little.
“Well… we lived on the inheritance our parents left behind.”
“I see…”
Xia Xiaoling didn’t ask further, not wanting to touch Wu Menghan’s scars. But then she heard her continue, “My brother is a really good person. He took care of me since we were little.”
“We have a great relationship. Don’t be fooled by his tall and strong appearance—he’s actually very sensitive inside.”
“I remember when he was in junior high, he liked a girl. Watching her hang out with other boys, he got so mad that he cried and made a fuss at home.”
Wu Menghan laughed as a line of tears slowly ran down her cheek.
Listening to Wu Menghan’s story, Xia Xiaoling felt that something was off.
The story Wu Menghan was telling sounded more and more familiar—she felt like she had experienced something similar.
But she didn’t say anything, just quietly listened to her talk about her brother.
Soon, the two of them arrived at Xia Xiaoling’s front door.
She inserted the key and opened the door, but the apartment was pitch black.
Xia Xiaoling’s heart skipped a beat. She had a vague sense that something wasn’t right.
“Is she asleep?”
“I don’t know. Probably.”
Xia Xiaoling shook her head, turned on the lights, and saw a note on the table.
She picked it up. It read:
“Big Sister Xia Xiaoling, thank you for taking care of me. For my own reasons, I have to leave. Please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. Also, I took one of your phones, a charger, and some spare change…”
It went on, listing things she might need for daily life.
At the bottom of the page was a final line.
“I’m sorry, sis. Consider these borrowed—I’ll definitely pay you back someday.”
“Left by Vivi—”
Seeing this, Xia Xiaoling couldn’t even get angry. She only felt a bit sorry for the child.
“Teacher, Vivi she…”
Wu Menghan said anxiously, but Xia Xiaoling interrupted her.
“Don’t worry, let me see which phone she took. Maybe it has a tracker.”
Hearing this, Wu Menghan finally felt completely relieved.