Chapter 41: Late-Night Home Visit

On the day of the parent-teacher meeting, Lin Yun noticed Xia Liang standing alone under the library porch.

This was purely a coincidence.

Had he not been thinking about his daughter’s studies after the meeting ended, and thus glanced in that direction while passing the library, he would never have realized that Xia Liang was leaning there all by herself, wearing a gloomy expression completely unlike her usual self.

It was that very scene that made him decide then and there that he had to find a time to properly understand Xia Liang’s situation.

After all, he had only known Xia Liang for a month under the identity of Cui Que, yet he had vaguely sensed that there were many strange things about this child.

The subtle attitude during their first meeting at the appliance street; a personality completely different from the school reputation Lin Xiaolu had described; the hesitation when she claimed to have run away from home; and the lonely expression she wore alone at the parent-teacher meeting... these many unsettling behaviors seemed to point to a single fact: Xia Liang’s relationship with her family did not seem to be a happy one.

That was why, today, under the pretext of a study session, Cui Que decided to go and take a look at Xia Liang’s home.

Xia Liang’s home was also in the Xizhao District, located in an old residential complex on the edge of the Third Ring Road, which was said to have been built over twenty years ago.

She did not want to fly, so Cui Que did not ask, following silently behind her. The two walked through the complex gate, turned a corner, and could see rows of weather-beaten six-story residential buildings.

The distance between the buildings was quite large, and the housing structure was rather old; it seemed well-suited for installing external elevators, and maintenance would likely be convenient, too?

Looking at the rows of buildings, Cui Que couldn't help but let her mind wander, then immediately shook her head, chasing these messy thoughts out of her mind.

Walking into a residential building along the stairwell, the two soon arrived at Xia Liang’s home.

"Please, come in."

Xia Liang opened the door, pressed the light switch in the entryway, and gestured to Cui Que: "None of the slippers here are being used, so Little Senior can just pick any pair."

Cui Que looked down at the floor and found that, just as Xia Liang had said, several pairs of slippers of different sizes were neatly lined up at the entrance.

Is there no one home?

This sight made her feel suspicious, but she didn't say anything, merely nodding at Xia Liang.

After changing shoes and walking into the living room, the full picture of the house came into view: the interior space was not large; although it was a common three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, the total area was relatively small. The decoration and furniture in the home were somewhat old, but it was cleaned very thoroughly, and the items were arranged very neatly, giving it a sense of simple warmth.

The only strange thing was that, whether it had to do with her lifestyle or not, Cui Que saw almost no household appliances in this home.

Not only were there almost no white goods, but there was also no television in the living room; although a TV stand was clearly placed against the wall facing the sofa, there was only a vase on it.

Coupled with this layout, the house lacked a sense of human presence, or rather, one could not feel the atmosphere of daily life.

Without the sound of voices, the entire home was in complete silence, with only the fluorescent light on the living room ceiling emitting a faint hum.

"Would you like some tea?" Xia Liang asked with a smile as she walked to the tea cabinet in the dining area.

"No need." Cui Que was still looking around, responding casually.

"Then are you just tired and planning to rest?"

Xia Liang blinked and said: "You should take a shower before resting, right? It might just take a little time to heat up the water."

"It’s not that urgent..." Cui Que appeared distracted.

"If you’re going to sleep, where would you like to sleep?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Xia Liang interrupted her again: "There is a spare room, the bedding inside has been washed and changed, but if you want to sleep with me, that’s fine too?"

"I’m more used to sleeping alone."

"Eh? Since you’re already here, isn't it better to sleep together? I actually quite want to be with Little Senior."

"Don't trouble yourself, I’m just borrowing a place to stay for the night."

"Then should I go to the spare room to prepare the bed?"

"That’s not necessary either."

"Ah, why don't you sit down first?"

"...Xia Jin."

Interrupting Xia Liang’s barrage of questions, Cui Que looked at her calmly and asked straightforwardly: "Is there no one else in your home?"

With that one sentence, Xia Liang fell into silence.

Or rather, the reason she had been asking questions incessantly just now, even going so far as to interrupt Cui Que to try and change the subject, was a form of avoidance. She had already guessed the question Cui Que might ask next, and was simply avoiding it, not wanting to mention it.

The smile on Xia Liang’s face remained, but it was no longer natural. After a long silence, as if resigning herself to fate, this professional smile finally collapsed into helplessness: "They aren't here."

"By 'not here', you mean..." Cui Que couldn't help but frown.

"Not here means not here; they are not in this home, and they will never come back again." Xia Liang said lightly.

She looked at Cui Que with a complex expression, and Cui Que looked back at her in silence; the humming of the overhead light remained, noisy enough to be somewhat annoying.

"Huu—"

Before long, Xia Liang shifted her gaze, sat down leaning against the sofa, and let out a long sigh, as if she had set down some burden, and asked:

"Little Senior, you came over—was it really to confirm this?"

"That’s right." Still chewing on the meaning of the word "not here," Cui Que answered without hesitation.

"Why did you notice?" Xia Liang turned her face to look at her, "Was it because of that conversation in the living room at Xiaolu’s house before?"

"Not entirely."

Cui Que also walked to the living room sofa and sat down along the armrest: "More than that conversation, the main reason is that you seem very lonely."

"Lonely?"

Reaching out to touch her own cheek, Xia Liang was dazed for a moment, then revealed a self-deprecating bitter smile: "Why would it be loneliness... is it really that obvious?"

"Just take it as an adult’s intuition."

Cui Que lowered her eyes, brushing past the topic: "After all, we are already companions, so I felt I should get to know you better; I hope you don't feel offended."

Xia Liang was undoubtedly a member of the Fang Ting City magical girl squad now; in theory, everyone should let down their guard and become more united. However, Lin Xiaolu held unilateral hostility toward Xia Liang, so there had been no progress in their relationship.

Cui Que had originally felt that she was from the older generation, and that it was best for the children to resolve such emotional relationship issues themselves. But seeing the situation gradually becoming serious, leaving it alone was definitely not a wise move, so she had no choice but to step in herself.

Now that she had chosen to act, she had to go deeper and understand the real answer.

"...Little Senior’s way of putting it is too cunning."

Listening to Cui Que’s explanation, the smile on Xia Liang’s face became a bit more bitter: "If you say it like that, I have absolutely no room to refuse, right?"

She leaned against the sofa, her expression dazed, and then closed her eyes: "However, I also feel that Little Senior and Xiaolu are both people worth trusting, and I shouldn't keep such things in my heart."

"Then, please don't take it too much to heart; just treat it as a pastime and listen to my story."

Her tone slowed down, and she spoke with a hint of nostalgia: "This is indeed my home, and it was indeed the place where our family of three once lived, but now, only I am left here."

"My father is dead." Xia Liang slowly raised her head, "My mother is in prison."

Her words made Cui Que’s eyes widen gradually.

The fluorescent light overhead was still bright, but at this moment, even that annoying electrical hum briefly vanished.

After pausing for another moment, Xia Liang tilted her head to look at Cui Que, her voice astringent: "The reason is that she killed my father."