Chapter 336: A Strange Person

Ilya held Sakura and Rin's hands, and the three little girls rushed into the yard like a tiny whirlwind.

Golden lion Al was lying on the ground napping, startled awake by their laughter, lifted his head, and a hint of humanlike helplessness flashed in his emerald eyes.

Al! Come play!

Ilya ran over and boldly patted the lion's head—the texture was neither real fur nor cloth, but a warm, smooth material.

Al let out a low "gulu" sound, rose to his feet, four limbs on the ground, and joined the three girls in the "Riding Lion" game.

Although her movements still retained a knightly dignity, the swaying Tail and the occasional gentle nudge with her nose toward the children made her unusually gentle.

In the living room, Chang Yeyue refilled Weigong Qiesi's tea.

The steam from the black tea rose gently, hazing the twilight outside the window.

The yard echoed with the children's laughter—"Al, run faster!", "Wow! So high!", "Rin, hold on tight!"

Chang Yeyue's crimson eyes swept across the yard, then rested on Weigong, and she politely smiled, "The children are having such fun."

Indeed.

Weigong lifted his teacup, his gaze also turning toward the window.

Ilya was riding on Al's back, with Sakura and Rin each holding her waist on either side; the golden lion paced steadily around the yard, and the sunset stretched their shadows long.

The scene was so beautiful it seemed unreal.

He took a sip of the tea and asked, "By the way, San Yue Qi hasn't returned yet? It's so late."

She—

Chang Yeyue shook her head helplessly, her tone tinged with sisterly indulgence, "She probably got lost playing somewhere again. She said she was going to buy reference books, but most likely she saw something interesting and lost track of time."

Girls that age are always like that.

Weigong Qiesi nodded in understanding, "Ilya is the same; once she starts playing, she forgets everything."

Then he suddenly recalled something, "By the way, Chang Yeyue."

Mm?

"On the way back today, I saw a… rather strange person at the corner."

Weigong chose his words carefully, "Red hair, wearing armor that looks like a stage prop, muttering to a utility pole. He seemed mentally unstable."

He set down his teacup, his expression serious: "You two sisters living with the two kids should watch your safety. If you encounter any suspicious person or incident, you can come find me at any time. I live next door, very convenient."

Chang Yeyue's eyelashes fluttered slightly, then she gave a grateful smile, "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Weigong. We'll be careful."

Her voice was gentle and sincere, "But Winterwood City's public safety has always been good; there shouldn't be any trouble."

Hope so.

Weigong Qiesi nodded, then recalled, "By the way, the father of Sakura and Rin you mentioned earlier—Mr. Tohsaka—how is his condition?"

Mm.

He's still recovering.

Chang Yeyue replied smoothly, "The doctor said his condition is stable, but complications from a hip injury are troublesome and require time to convalesce. Sakura and Rin visit him at the hospital weekly, although…"

She paused, her voice adding just the right touch of sympathy, "Mr. Shi Chen seems to be in a bad mood, always keeping himself covered by a blanket, reluctant to see anyone."

Weigong Qiesi nodded in understanding.

"It's inevitable to feel down after such an accident."

Although he didn't know Yuanban Shichen, he had heard he was a respectable gentleman, and such an awkward injury must make his mood complicated.

Indeed.

Chang Yeyue let out a soft sigh, lifted the teapot to refill Weigong's tea, "But Sakura and Rin are both strong, performing well at school. The teachers all praise their maturity."

The two continued chatting about other trivial matters.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened.

The yard game shifted from "Riding Lion" to hide-and-seek; Al, at some point, had curled back into a corner, eyes closed, but his ears twitched, constantly monitoring the children's movements.

It's getting late.

Weigong Qiesi glanced at the clock on the wall, "I should be going back. Alice is still preparing dinner."

"I'll see you off," Chang Yeyue said, standing up.

As he reached the doorway, Weigong turned and called into the yard, "Ilya! Time to go home!"

"Just ten more minutes, Daddy!"

Ilya peeked out from behind a potted plant, her little face flushed, eyes sparkling, "Sakura and I promised to finish that constellation puzzle together!"

Weigong Qiesi shook his head helplessly, "Finish the game and come back quickly; don't keep Mom waiting too long."

Got it!

Chang Yeyue escorted Weigong to the yard gate, watching his silhouette fade behind the white fence of the next house.

On the street

Just a few dozen meters away, Weigong Qiesi saw two figures approaching from the corner.

It was San Yue Qi, and a gray-haired girl he didn't recognize.

Both were wearing Winterwood City High School uniforms—a dark blue blazer, plaid skirt, and white shirt.

But their ways of wearing were completely different.

San Yue Qi was dressed neatly: the shirt buttoned up to the topmost button, the bow tie straight, the blazer tidy, the skirt length just right, a backpack in hand, pink hair tied into twin buns on each side, looking very cute.

The gray-haired girl beside her—

The shirt's top two buttons were undone, the collar sagging; the blazer was not worn, but tied around the waist; the backpack slung over one shoulder with a long strap dragging; the skirt… seemed a tad shorter than required, her hair tied into a high ponytail that swayed with each step.

Of course, the most striking was her expression—golden eyes lacking any highlight, her face void of emotion, like a delicate doll.

"Uncle Weigong!" San Yue Qi shouted upon seeing Weigong, instantly flashing a brilliant smile and waving.

"Good evening, San Yue," Weigong Qiesi said, pausing, "Just got out of school?"

"Hmm! I went to the library with a classmate today!"

San Yue Qi jogged over, then turned around to introduce, "By the way, Uncle, this is my new friend, Xing! She just transferred here not long ago!"

The gray‑haired girl called Xing nodded, her golden eyes looking toward Weigong Qiesi, still expressionless: "Hello."

Her voice was flat, without any inflection.

"Hello."

Weigong Qiesi smiled in reply, "Are you getting used to the transfer yet?"

"Used to it," Xing answered, brief to the point of seeming perfunctory.

San Yue Qi quickly added, "Xing doesn't talk much, but she's a really nice person! She even helped me solve a super‑hard math problem today!"

"Is that so?" Weigong Qiesi looked at Xing, "Your grades are excellent."

"Average," Xing said.

The atmosphere became a bit awkwardly quiet.

San Yue Qi forced a laugh twice, then hurried to change the subject, "By the way, Uncle, is Ilya at home? I think I just heard her voice."

"She's next door playing with Ying and Lin," Weigong Qiesi said, glancing at the sky, "You should head home early too; it's getting dark."

"Alright! Goodbye, Uncle!"

"Goodbye."

Weigong Qiesi kept walking home, and after a few steps turned his head to glance back—San Yue Qi was holding Xing's hand, excitedly saying something, while Xing's face remained expressionless, merely listening quietly.

That kid… is a bit unusual.

Weigong thought.

But he didn't think much.

After all, it's normal for high‑school teenagers in puberty to have varied personalities.