The next morning, the faint light of dawn pierced through the veil of night, reflecting a milky white glow across the horizon. The warm sunlight poured down, breathing vitality into the small town.
The sunlight shone onto Gu Lian as she lay on the sofa.
The slightly blinding brightness made her eyebrows twitch, and she opened her dead-fish eyes, with bits of sleep crust clinging to the corners.
She raised her hand to scratch her messy long hair, smoothed out her sleepy-eyed mane, and turned her gaze to the clock hanging on the kitchen door. The hour hand pointed to 6, and the minute hand pointed to 28.
“Yawn, is it already 6:28 AM…”
Yawning, Gu Lian picked up a set of clean clothes from the tea table, slipped them on, and rolled off the sofa.
She interlaced her fingers and stretched them over her head, her slender waist letting out a crisp sound as her body relaxed, helping her gradually regain her energy.
“Humans… really do grow lazy because of a comfortable life…”
Gu Lian sighed and smoothed out the jacket she was wearing; this set of clothes must have been her son’s when he was a child.
It was a blue jacket, but it had several winding cut lines that divided it, revealing her delicate collarbones and fair skin, which complemented the white shirt to soften the visual depth.
The men’s black slim-fit trousers ended above her ankles, revealing her slender, fair ankles. The black socks on her feet provided an even greater visual impact.
She gathered her hair that hung down to her waist and tied it up with a purple ribbon, with two long strands hanging down on either side of her forehead.
Her milky white, melon-seed-shaped face had fine skin, and her phoenix-like eyes and the widow’s peak on her chin outlined a perfect, heroic, yet bewitching contour.
Composure and elegance surrounded her, yet she possessed a youthful, energetic spirit.
Compared to her previously disheveled attire, these clothes perfectly brought out her temperament.
I have to say, the old man’s taste is truly excellent. This deserves a thumbs up!
Walking to the corner of the living room, Yi Yi was lying on the bed in a spread-eagled position, sleeping comfortably. Yi Yi even reached into her collar to scratch, hugging her quilt and continuing to sleep.
It could be said that she had no image at all, perfectly interpreting what a brat’s sleeping posture was.
Looking at the other, larger room, the old man had his arms crossed over his chest. The sleeping posture… well, it made one worry if a custom coffin would be needed after he passed away.
After confirming that Yi Yi was fine, Gu Lian opened the door and walked out of the hideout.
Walking down the street, Gu Lian’s nose twitched. The surroundings were filled with the unique aroma of breakfast.
Smelling how good it was, she found a breakfast shop and ordered the store’s famous vermicelli noodles.
Beside the shop, a senior dance troupe was sweating it out, while the old man sitting next to her was tucking into his steamed buns with relish while watching the elderly women in the dance troupe twist their sturdy waists.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the wind, carrying the lingering warmth of the previous night, brought the last trace of night’s coolness in this midsummer.
The colorful vermicelli noodles were served.
Taking advantage of the fact that the old man beside her wasn’t looking, Gu Lian picked up the egg from his table, peeled the shell, ate the white, and dropped the yolk into her noodles.
Using her chopsticks, she mashed the yolk and mixed it evenly with the vermicelli.
After taking a beautiful bite, her face, which had been set in an expression of enjoyment, stiffened. She quietly put down her chopsticks, confirming in her mind that this bowl of vermicelli was not very good and that she could leave without paying.
But looking at the full bowl, Gu Lian couldn’t help but pick up the chopsticks again and slurp the noodles clean.
Seeing the old man next to her holding a steamed bun to his mouth without taking a bite, Gu Lian glanced over. Where the old man was looking, the senior dance troupe was performing their square dance.
At first glance, there was nothing to see, but upon closer inspection… Holy crap, are these all elderly women?!
Her gaze shifted back to the distracted old man… and the three steamers full of steaming buns in front of him.
If I steal one, I shouldn’t be caught, right… Gu Lian used her chopsticks to secretly snag a bun from the old man and stuffed it into her mouth, swallowing it in a few gulps.
After eating the first one, Gu Lian closed her eyes and snuck another into her mouth. Making sure the kind old man hadn’t noticed her, she ate several more in a row.
At the same time, the irritating health punk music gradually subsided. Gu Lian finally put down her chopsticks and pulled a tissue from the table to gently wipe the grease from her mouth.
The three steamers that had been full of buns were now down to just a single empty steamer. After a while, Gu Lian got up and walked away from the table, pretending that nothing had happened.
Because of the bun-stealing situation, the shop clerk subconsciously assumed that the girl was the kind old man’s granddaughter, so even as Gu Lian walked away, she didn’t call out.
When the elderly dancers were getting ready to pack up and leave, the old man chuckled and stuffed a cold bun into his mouth. But when he reached out to grab another, he grabbed nothing.
“Eh?”
The old man looked down, his expression suddenly bewildered: “Could it be that I finished them all without realizing it? How strange.”
Looking at the three empty steamers, the old man lamented that he was getting old. Confused, he pushed away his chair and said, “Clerk, check, please.”
The female shop clerk hurried over to collect the empty plates and said, “That will be 27 yuan.”
“27 yuan?”
The old man pulled out a 50-yuan note, shocked by the number. No, the math was wrong!
He remembered that a steamer of buns was only 7 yuan; even with the egg, it should be 23 yuan. How could it be 27?
“Did you calculate that wrong?”
The old man handed over the money, full of doubt. The shop clerk took the money and shook her head. “I didn’t calculate it wrong. Three steamers of buns for 21 yuan, one egg for 1.5 yuan, and then your granddaughter ordered a bowl of vermicelli for 4.5 yuan. A total of 27 yuan.”
“No, when did I suddenly have a granddaughter???”
—
Walking down the somewhat deserted street, Gu Lian yawned, scanning the surroundings to ensure no one had seen her movements.
A few minutes later, Gu Lian walked back into the public restroom and arrived at the final stall. She raised her hand and knocked gently on the door, and it opened.
When the Black-robed Man saw it was Gu Lian, he stepped aside sensibly and took the mask from earlier out of his robe to hand to her.
The necessary procedures had to be followed. Putting on the mask, Gu Lian pulled her secret key out of her pocket. The Black-robed Man nodded and reached a pale, withered hand from beneath his robes, holding a metal box.
The secret key scanned the device on the metal box. The Black-robed Man stepped aside and bowed slightly, signaling that Gu Lian could enter.
Gu Lian stepped inside. After she entered, the Black-robed Man gently pulled the door shut.
Click. Gu Lian pushed open the door to the secret room. The Masked Man sitting inside adjusted his mask, pulled open a drawer with a faint, mocking smile, and picked up a file to hand to Gu Lian.
“The owner of this blood, have you killed them?”
A simple sentence, yet it revealed a great deal of information, such as the fact that Yi Yi’s blood test had been deemed incompatible with humans; though, the news itself was already somewhat ambiguous.
“I have already killed them.”
Gu Lian sat down in a chair she pulled from the corner without a change in expression. She already had a general idea about this matter, so there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble. However, this Masked Man… that mocking smile of his made her feel very annoyed.