“Open the door!” *Thud, thud, thud!*
Three aggressive knocks sounded along with the shrill voice of a middle-aged woman.
The two were in the middle of a pleasant conversation about old memories. To be interrupted so suddenly by such an unreasonable noise was frustrating.
Lin Xiaojue frowned. The tone of the person outside was commanding, as if she were trying to oppress someone.
“Ah…” Xia Yao put away her phone, a flash of unease crossing her face. Lin Xiaojue caught it instantly.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll get the door.”
She stumbled a bit as she tidied her clothes and stood up. She glanced at the water basin, her gentle eyes hesitating for a moment before she eventually carried it out.
*Click.*
The door was shut tight.
Soon, the sounds of a harsh scolding drifted in from outside, accompanied by a faint, cautious apology.
“How many times have I told you? Don’t just let strangers into the house!”
“A friend? Not even a friend! Look at what you’re doing now. How old are you? Do I still have to look after you?!”
“Oh? You said it yourself, just this once. I’m telling you, only this once!”
The middle-aged woman’s shrill voice grew louder and louder until it suddenly went quiet, as if she had achieved her goal.
It was pure oppression, commanding someone as if they were a possession or a doll, without a shred of sentiment or respect for their freedom.
The room felt empty and cold. Lin Xiaojue couldn’t help but pull the quilt tight and sit up. Her silver hair cascaded around her, surrounding her and creating a small, peaceful space.
Her hands suddenly clenched.
There were countless people like that in society. Her mother had once been the same, wanting a hand in everything, controlling her child’s life so completely it was as if she were playing a sub-account in a game.
Right here.
Allowing herself to be manipulated.
The mother was always right, and the child was always wrong. Her experience was everything, and her perspective was the only yardstick.
But she didn’t realize that even a yardstick has markings.
Although her mother’s attitude changed after Lin Xiaojue’s academic failure, it was only a regretful reflection that she hadn’t known enough at the time.
However, that was enough, since the woman had already passed away.
The commotion outside gradually died down. The door clicked open, and Xia Yao walked back in, carrying another basin of hot water.
Her head was bowed, and her thick bangs cast a shadow over her face, making her look helpless and full of self-doubt.
She placed the basin by the bed and repeated her previous actions: soaking the towel and wringing it dry.
She moved mechanically, numbly.
Lin Xiaojue couldn’t find a spark of life in her. The lively and cheerful Xia Yao from just a moment ago seemed to have had her soul sucked out.
All that remained was an empty shell, sighing with a sorrowful expression.
If she had at least thrown something in anger, it would be better, but Lin Xiaojue saw no emotion at all. Xia Yao was moving like a living doll.
She was bottling everything up inside.
Suddenly, in that instant, Lin Xiaojue realized why Xia Yao always lost control.
Years of hard work had gone down the drain because of this cramped, oppressive environment that was as leaky as a broken basket.
This was far more tragic than a simple failure of emotional management.
A soft sensation brushed against her forehead. Xia Yao was gently wiping her face, bit by bit.
“Predecessor…” she whispered, her pale face looking slightly sickly. A ripple appeared in the calm of her eyes.
“I spoke to my parents. It’s just… you can stay here for a while, but it can’t be for more than two days.”
“I’m sorry…” Xia Yao added, then realized something else and apologized again. “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t use your title. I just said a female friend was staying over for a bit.”
She pulled the towel back, unable to meet Lin Xiaojue’s gaze.
Xia Yao had never mentioned anything about being a magical girl to her parents. In their eyes, the only things that mattered were the daily necessities of life.
As for things like residual beasts, since there were people to clean up those monsters, they felt they only needed to avoid those unstable factors in their daily lives.
Consequently, stubborn people naturally wouldn’t allow their daughter to do something so dangerous.
No one wanted to take a risk in exchange for an unstable outcome. Life was meant to be long, and a temporary thrill was nothing compared to long-term, steady gains.
Even if the current advantages were laid out right in front of them, they still believed in their own judgment.
And now that everything had come to an end, life had returned to its usual peace and stability.
The more stubborn a person was, the more they believed in their own decisions.
Xia’s Mother was the most stubborn of them all.
The only person she had ever cared about was Lin Xiaojue, back when she had visited the Xia family in her male form.
“Daughter, I see that guy named Lin Jue. He has so many women around him. It’s not good for you to be like this, is it?”
At the mention of Lin Jue, Xia Yao had turned beet red. She stammered, unable to answer, and Xia’s Mother instantly turned cold.
“I’m telling you now, don’t hang around him, or I’ll break your legs.”
“You can tell just by looking at him that he’s a scumbag. If he wants my daughter to marry him, I won’t allow it.”
“And those women around him don’t look like good people either.”
At the time, Lin Xiaojue had been wearing a faded white shirt and canvas shoes, looking like a shy student.
In the eyes of Xia’s Mother, it was just an act of playing nice.
A poor student, a piece of trash.
The mother had belittled Lin Jue in Xia Yao’s ear more than once, and she hadn’t even spared his teammates.
The woman loved to gossip behind people’s backs. Xia’s Mother was the type to say one thing to your face and another behind your back. Xia Yao didn’t want her teammates to know her mother was like this.
‘So be it. I’ll just endure it.’
The teammates visited one after another, and the mother’s verbal abuse became more intense each time. Once, unable to contain her anger, she had even stepped forward and hit her daughter.
Fortunately, Xia Yao had escaped quickly.
Returning home trembling, she didn’t even know why she had to come back or why she had to listen to her family.
She was just being manipulated like a marionette, just as she was now.
The white bedsheets filled her vision, and the room felt increasingly empty and quiet. Xia Yao felt as if she were shrinking. The world was so huge, and it was doing everything it could to crush her.
Cramped, suffocating. It felt as if someone were tightly clutching her throat, making it impossible to breathe. Something sharp in her heart was constantly trying to break through her chest and rip her open.
Xia Yao’s hand went limp, and the towel slipped, splashing into the water.
She clutched her chest nervously, gasping for air, desperate for more oxygen.
“Xiao Xia.”
In that moment, a voice broke into her mind. Xia Yao didn’t notice it; her pupils dilated slightly as she began to lose focus.
“Xiao Xia!”
*Slap.*
Two warm, small hands cupped her cheeks. A tender warmth flowed into her mind, and Xia Yao suddenly snapped out of it. She stared blankly at the silver-haired girl in front of her, her shock lingering.
Lin Xiaojue frowned, concern etched on her beautiful face.
During their previous conversation, Xia Yao had been avoiding the topic of who had saved her, only telling her that she had been unconscious for a day and had been brought home.
However, from the video of Xia Yao at the seaside, it was clear she could swim. She had just been hiding it.
‘Why, Xiao Xia?’
‘Why won’t you tell me?’
But more than that question, Lin Xiaojue knew there was something more urgent to address.
“Xiao Xia, come here.”
She took Xia Yao’s hand and made room on the edge of the bed.