The day Mother died, there was only one person who didn’t shed a tear.
She held a black umbrella, standing before the grave, watching them bury the coffin into the earth.
Father, dressed in a suit, pretended to wipe away tears with false sincerity, and the little cronies he brought with him mimicked the BOSS’s act, wailing like lost souls, as if it were their own mother who had died, not hers.
Estelle listened to the weeping that filled the hall; her once indignant young heart gradually settled into calm.
When Mother was alive, he and she had barely any contact at all, so now that she was dead, how could he manage to squeeze out a few tears? How ironic.
The cold rain struck the surface of the umbrella, making a soft, drumming sound that seemed novel and caught her attention.
She spun the umbrella, and raindrops scattered along its ribs, the icy rain instantly transforming into blooming silver flowers, unfolding layer after layer.
For some reason, this made her recall the scene when Mother would take her to watch the rain as a child:
Mother would wrap her in a quilt, point to the raindrops clinging to the glass, and give each drop a name, tell each one a story.
Mother had a wonderful gift for storytelling, and every tale was vivid and unique.
She once asked, where did all those stories come from?
Mother answered, “In a faraway place, there is Another World, a world where people just like us live, but they exist only because of their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—so their lives are even more dramatic.”
Then, what stories were these countless silver petals spinning out at this moment meant to tell?
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, as if she’d returned to those happy times, nestled together with Mother.
Her childish laughter floated over the silent graveyard, and the mourners turned to look at her, their faces flashing surprise, shock, sorrow, even secret delight.
Too many, too complex—Estelle couldn’t remember them all.
The only thing she remembered was this: she spun the umbrella’s handle, letting the rain shower them, laughing freely at her mother’s funeral.
A laugh should be brilliant.
“That child… what’s wrong with her? Her mother is already…”
A laugh should be ecstatic.
“So pitiful. She must have lost her mind from the shock.”
A laugh should be for herself alone.
“So young… such a pity…”
A laugh should be lonely.
“Isn’t all the Campbell Family’s fortune going to that Huaxia Man now?”
Those strange gazes were like thorns, yet they were kept at bay by the girl’s solitary, radiant smile.
A large, gloved hand pressed down on her umbrella—and at the same time, pressed down all the unfriendly stares and speculations.
Estelle lifted the umbrella in confusion, only to see the face of the man who should be called her father.
Father had a long scar across his face, making him look quite fearsome.
Mother used to say that was a medal from the days when Father fought to build his career.
“Estelle… no, Yunxue.” He finally spoke. “From now on, I’ll take care of you.”
Liar.
Estelle—Qiao Yunxue thought—he couldn’t even take care of Mother, so how could he take care of her?
Out of all the days in a year, how many did he actually show up for Mother and daughter?
She knew he had countless lackeys, helpers, accomplices, but what did that matter?
Could any of them bring Mother back?
Father took off his hat and placed it on her head, shielding her from more of the rain, and also hiding her eyes that were gradually growing moist.
“At this point… is there any meaning in saying such things?” she whispered.
Father knelt down and, with difficulty, said, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
What good is an apology?
Would Mother come back if he apologized?
Would an apology make up for the time he owed Mother and daughter?
All lies, all of it.
She thought.
She would never believe him again. No… she would never believe anyone again.
Anyone could disappoint her, just as Father disappointed Mother. The only one she could rely on was herself.
The heavy rain kept falling; how the funeral finally ended, Qiao Yunxue could no longer remember.
She caught a chill in the rain that day, burned with a high fever, and at forty degrees, she vaguely saw Mother again, who told her she was going to “Another World,” a “World of the Have-Nots.”
Because of that, for the next seven years, she searched for that world, trying to recover the regrets in her heart, to find the missing piece of her life’s puzzle.
Qiao Yunxue withdrew from her thoughts, a surge of mixed emotions welling up inside.
How many years had it been since she felt like this?
He was just some penniless nobody she’d found at random, and yet he’d gone to such lengths for her—truly surprising.
As her mind spun, she suddenly heard a security guard report, “Miss Qiao, the sonic detector is reacting. Something’s approaching.”
She quickly gathered her thoughts, her voice turning cold. “Have everyone ready. As soon as the target appears, move in.”
“But… but we still can’t confirm the target’s identity—”
“No matter if it’s a person or a thing, move in as soon as you see it! I’ll take responsibility for any accidents!” she snapped, annoyed.
The first checkpoint was composed of twelve specially-trained hunting dogs, four squads of civilian-armed security guards, a smuggled-in sniper, plus bear traps, infrared sensors, and sonic detectors arranged along the road and on both sides.
She stared tensely at the intersection, knowing from Shen Yao’s instructions that the Strangeness was approaching step by step.
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a Mechanical Watch identical to Shen Yao’s.
If Shen Yao’s judgment was right, there would be a brief time distortion when the Strangeness appeared.
At a certain moment, the detector let out urgent beeping, and the second hand of her watch abruptly froze.
A single second suddenly stretched into an eternity, so long it defied reason!
Even though the intersection remained deserted, Qiao Yunxue still issued the order: “Now! Move in!”
The Security Team Leader froze for a split second, but immediately ordered the dogs released and led his team to the intersection.
As he expected, they found nothing—the bear traps on the ground remained untouched.
He waved to Qiao Yunxue, signaling that there was nothing unusual here.
Yet only Qiao Yunxue could hear the detector’s alarm turning into a long, continuous tone, and see the stopwatch on her watch twitching, its pace erratic and spasmodic!
Shen Yao’s prediction was right!
She had underestimated that penniless boy!
The Strangeness was already at the intersection! Only those without Inspiration couldn’t perceive it!
The only ones reacting were the twelve Alsace Wolfdogs, barking madly at the empty lot ahead, their howls mingled with both warning and fear.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by, and all twelve hunting dogs fell silent, collapsing in trembling submission.
In the next instant, all twelve wolfdogs dropped dead on the spot, while the security guards nearby hadn’t even realized what had happened.
They stared in shock at the canine corpses, confusedly looking to their employer.
Qiao Yunxue suddenly understood: the Strangeness only harms people or animals with Inspiration……
These ordinary people couldn’t catch it, nor would it hurt them.
Then… wouldn’t Shen Yao be in danger?
His Inspiration was stronger than most—what kind of Strangeness would he encounter?!
The thought sent a sharp unease through Qiao Yunxue’s heart.
Her watch resumed ticking normally, and the detector fell silent.
This could only mean one thing: the Strangeness had already left, moving on to the next location.
No longer caring about the personnel posted here, Qiao Yunxue jumped onto her electric scooter, riding through the frigid night wind of the city, speeding toward the next checkpoint.