Chapter 64: Time to Go

In the shadow of the bed, by the wall.

Bai Li curled up there.

If Lin Du suddenly woke up, she could quickly lie down and hide.

This posture made her feel safe, with a lower center of gravity and a more stable body.

This was Bai Li’s combat stance.

She first noticed the newspaper on the wall.

A full page of newspaper was framed in a picture frame, the corners already yellowed and curled.

The newspaper’s date was six years ago.

The frontpage headline was written in bold black letters:

“Large Monster Invasion, City Center Severely Damaged.”

Below were a few blurry photos: collapsed buildings, burning streets, people being carried on stretchers.

In the lower right corner of the newspaper was a black-and-white portrait.

Bai Li moved closer.

Below the portrait there was a line of small text:

“In Memory of the Fallen—Lin Zheng.”

That firefighter.

Bai Li silently recited this name in her heart.

Lin Du’s father.

Regular features, with some resemblance to Lin Du around the eyes and brows, but a harder outline, a weathered look shaped by time and wind.

Bai Li stared at that black-and-white photo for a while.

The person who never returned from the monster attack.

Beside the newspaper, a string of something hung from the wall, tied with a thin cord.

Bai Li leaned in, squinting her eyes to look carefully.

Silver-white fur, strand by strand, shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

“Is this… animal fur?”

Bai Li reached out, gently touching the strand of fur with her fingertips.

The touch was soft, with a slight tickle on her fingertips.

‘Hiss—looks a bit familiar?’

She looked down at her own tail.

Same color, same texture.

‘Could it be her own tail fur?’

Bai Li was briefly stunned, then recalled.

Not long ago in the alley, she’d let him touch her tail for a while.

Was it from then?

But such a big clump—it would only come off if you pulled it, right?

‘Was she shedding? Or… was it from a pet he used to keep?’

Lin Du had once mentioned to her that he’d kept cats and dogs.

Maybe it was just a coincidence that the fur color matched hers.

‘It’s not a big deal.’

No, none of that mattered.

She had more important things to do right now.

Bai Li shook her head, dismissing the thought.

She moved away from the wall and crept toward the gaming desk, alternating her palms and knees in a light motion.

She crouched beside the gaming chair, looked up, and scanned the desktop.

A half-finished drink, a black monitor with a thin layer of dust on the screen, as if it hadn’t been turned on in a while.

The keyboard was mechanical, the keycaps not heavily worn, only the WASD and spacebar showing a slight shine from occasional use.

From the keyboard’s condition, it seemed he wasn’t very into gaming, or at least didn’t play often.

Bai Li’s gaze moved to the mouse.

The mouse was ordinary, not an expensive gaming model.

But its surface had a clear patch of discoloration—the paint on the left button had worn off, revealing gray-white plastic underneath, the edges smooth.

Bai Li stared at that worn patch.

A thought suddenly popped into her head.

‘This guy… does he like playing galgames?’

Only games that required repetitive clicking would leave such wear on the left mouse button.

And those kinds of games were often…

Bai Li’s face flushed slightly.

She hurriedly looked at the Enter key.

No, no.

She shook her head.

‘Distracted. What does it matter what games he plays? I’m not here to investigate his hobbies—I’m here to find secrets.’

Bai Li pulled back from the gaming desk and prepared to move toward the bed.

Suddenly, Lin Du turned over, the rustling sound of the quilt.

“Mm…”

Bai Li froze, her whole body rigid.

He shifted from lying on his side to lying on his back, his arm extending from under the blanket and resting beside the pillow.

Moonlight fell on his face, casting the shadow of his eyelashes onto his cheekbones, quivering slightly.

Bai Li’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, thumping so fast it felt like it would leap out of her throat.

She crouched beside the gaming chair, on all fours like a statue.

Holding her breath, she watched Lin Du’s face, staring at his eyelids.

Fortunately, he had only turned over.

He didn’t wake up.

Bai Li waited for a long moment before slowly exhaling.

Her back was already soaked through, cold sweat trickling down her spine.

She stayed crouched, watching Lin Du’s peaceful sleeping face in the moonlight, her heartbeat gradually calming.

He was truly fast asleep, wrapped tightly in the quilt, leaving only his head and one hand exposed.

Every eyelash was clearly countable, as if marking time.

Bai Li felt a slight stir in her heart.

An emotion she couldn’t name or describe rose from the depths of her soul—warm like spring river water, yet turbulent like a summer thunderstorm.

She placed her hand over her chest, feeling the soft fabric beneath, and beneath that, the beating heart of a young girl.

‘I’ve been feeling a bit off lately,’ Bai Li thought.

She shook her head and looked at the final spot—the bedside table.

A black phone with a tempered glass screen protector lay face-up nearby.

A tissue box sat within easy reach, made of wood, with some nicks on the corners.

Then, Bai Li’s gaze locked onto something.

Like a sport band, but narrower.

A metal wristband lay quietly beside the phone, its design simple.

But what caught the eye was the red gem embedded on the side of the band.

Only half the size of a pinky fingernail, yet pure in color, like a drop of congealed blood, or a sealed ember.

Bai Li slowly reached out, her fingertips hovering above the wristband.

She hesitated for a second, then gently pinched the edge of the band and picked it up.

It felt cool and heavy, not as light as an ordinary accessory.

She held it in her hands, turning it over and over.

There were a few faint scratches on the surface of the band, but none deep enough to damage the gem.

Bai Li stared at the gem for a few seconds, feeling she had seen it somewhere before.

The red gem glowed faintly in the dark, flickering, as if something living were hiding inside.

‘Must be a favorite accessory of his,’ Bai Li thought.

There was nothing strange about a guy wearing a wristband.

She placed the wristband back in its original position, exactly the same angle and placement.

That was about all she could investigate.

She’d seen everything she could see.

Bai Li leaned against the edge of the bed and glanced around the room.

Even if there was a secret room here, she couldn’t find it.

She couldn’t exactly pry up the floorboards.

The stone in her heart had finally settled.

‘What secret? Wasn’t that fooling me?’

She’d been so nervous before coming here, expecting to see something shocking.

And what did she find?

An ordinary high school kid’s room.

Nothing unusual.

That Sitiao Shizhi must have been talking nonsense.

‘Really can’t lie without blushing.’

‘“Lin Du is mine…”’

Bai Li recalled Sitiao Shizhi’s words and rolled her eyes.

‘If we’re talking about distance, I’m the one closest to Lin Du. We go to school together, eat breakfast together, walk home together. I even know he doesn’t snore when he sleeps. Who does that Sitiao Shizhi think she is? Just a person Lin Du helped once, and she dares to say “Lin Du is mine”? Shameless.’

The more Bai Li thought about it, the more dissatisfied she felt.

Her tail flicked behind her twice.

She lay on the bed, chin resting on the edge, watching Lin Du’s sleeping face.

His nose was straight, his lips slightly pursed, the corners of his mouth turned down a little.

Even asleep, he seemed to be thinking about something.

Bai Li rested her chin on her hands, her lips unconsciously curling up.

Her tail swayed gently behind her, her ears drooping softly.

“Hehe…”

Bai Li quickly covered her mouth, stifling the silly laugh that almost escaped.

No, she couldn’t keep staring.

She had to leave.

She turned around, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed herself up from the floor.

Suddenly, the tip of her tail seemed to touch something.

Before she could react, a tremendous force abruptly clamped down on her tail.

“—!!”

Bai Li let out a startled yelp, then quickly covered her mouth.

This guy…

‘He couldn’t have woken up, could he?!’