Chapter 145

"A sex parlor?" Zhang Qiu asked in surprise. "I mean, is this really necessary? What are you trying to gain?"

"Isn't the answer obvious? Of course, it's for the money," Cassandra said lazily. "When I was still working part-time at a convenience store, I heard that one could earn more at a sex parlor. Cui Ge needs better nutrition, and he also needs tuition for primary school."

"So, you practiced Animagus diligently just to safely earn money from a sex parlor?" Zhang Qiu tapped the table thoughtfully. "No wonder, you needed a flexible animal form that is easy to escape in; birds are the most suitable."

"Of course, I only took 'green orders' because I was still in love with Dark at that time, but even the income from just green orders far exceeded what I earned at the convenience store."

"What is a 'green order'?" Zhang Qiu asked, puzzled.

"It means no hanky-panky." Cassandra concisely avoided the topic and turned to continue talking about Cui Ge's childhood.

"So what does 'hanky-panky' mean?" Harry turned his head to ask.

"You aren't at the age to understand that question yet." The Doctor awkwardly brushed it off.

"... Every time I returned home, Cui Ge would always be sitting on the tatami mat very obediently. Even though I always returned very late, he would always wait for me with his eyes wide open." She gave a hiccup from the alcohol. "Uh, sorry, I remember you wanted to ask about Dark at the beginning, right?"

"It's fine, I'm quite curious about your Muggle life as well."

"I shouldn't have gone off-topic. I'd better talk about Dark properly." Perhaps due to the alcohol, Cassandra's face was incredibly red.

"The first time I met him was in the library of the Magic Institute. At that time, I was deeply attracted by the fantasy of the Wizarding World and would soak there every day. At first, he just sat in a seat near me. After about a week passed like that, when I was already completely familiar with his face, he sat down beside me that night."

"Dark isn't a student at the Magic Institute, right?" Zhang Qiu asked while taking notes.

"Correct, he was an exchange student from Ilvermorny. It seems Ilvermorny often holds such exchange activities. I could see blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners in the school every year, but he was the first one to strike up a conversation with me."

"Were you already as pretty as you are now when you were in your third year?" There was a hint of skepticism in Zhang Qiu's tone.

"Not at all. At that time, I was unremarkable. My hair was always messy because I neglected to groom it, and because I was obsessed with studying, I didn't have many friends."

A strange feeling spread through Harry's heart, but he couldn't grasp any specific doubts.

"Oh, alright, let's continue talking about Dark. Why do you think he fell in love with you?" Zhang Qiu followed the topic.

"To be honest, I don't know." Cassandra didn't seem very confident. "At that time, I was still a bookworm, always thinking about making myself look less 'Muggle' through hard work. Perhaps if I had to say, my face shape might have fit the American aesthetic since I was young... maybe? I'm not sure."

"Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about Dark. After we met in the library for the first time, our relationship progressed very quickly. That was almost the sweetest time of my life—watching the stars on the lawn every night, snuggling in his arms..."

"In short, after you had been dating for a while, you began your 'attempts at love'." Zhang Qiu signaled that she didn't need to say any more specific details about their dating. "I am more interested in knowing your frequency and timing."

"Well, talking about this kind of thing in a place like this..."

"It's fine, these British people don't understand Chinese."

"Alright, if you really want to know." Cassandra was silent for a moment, then continued, "The first time we stole the forbidden fruit was the day after Christmas. I remember it very clearly; that day Dark said he really liked my thigh-high socks..."

"Perhaps you don't need to say all these details." Zhang Qiu flipped through the pages of her notebook, feeling somewhat awkward.

"You're really no fun." Cassandra lazily took a sip of her drink. "The first time, he tried his best to be gentle, but it still hurt a lot, and I rested for nearly a week. After that, we did it almost every weekend until the end of January, when the term ended and he said he had to leave."

"End of January? The term ended?" Zhang Qiu was clearly stunned for a moment. "Oh, I remember now, the domestic system divides terms based on the Spring Festival."

"What is the Spring Festival?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"The most important traditional festival in the East, usually occurring on a certain day in early February," the Doctor explained concisely.

"Because the exchange activity was about to end, we were both very reluctant to part with each other. Dark promised that after he returned to the United States, he would find a way to transfer schools as soon as possible." Cassandra continued, "But from then on, there was no more news of him."

"Can you be sure when you conceived?" Zhang Qiu flipped through the diary.

"Cui Ge's birthday is October 27, 1982, so it might have been one of those times in January." Cassandra recalled nonchalantly. "I felt a bit unwell in May, so I went to the school infirmary for a check-up, and that's when they found out I was pregnant. At the time, the teacher at the school infirmary told me they could secretly help me abort it, as if nothing had happened."

"But you chose to keep him." Zhang Qiu nodded gently. "That was a very great decision."

"That's right. At that time, I loved Dark deeply, so I refused the teacher's kindness. This meant I had to drop out of school, and I could almost never touch the Wizarding World again." Her tone carried a hint of regret, but it quickly became firm. "As things stand, what is comforting is that Cui Ge is very sensible. I don't think I regret keeping him."

"Cui Ge is actually two years younger than me? He started school a year early?" Harry reacted belatedly.

"Starting a year early doesn't have much of an impact... Oh, but according to his actual birth date, he actually skipped two grades." The Doctor touched his chin. "And he still successfully completed his first-year studies; he is indeed a quite excellent child."

"You know the rest of the story. I returned home with a big belly and almost scared my grandfather to death." Cassandra said with a hint of disappointment. "Then, I raised Cui Ge alone with great difficulty. Although I could take an extra job at the sex parlor, treating my grandfather's illness also spent a lot of my savings... In the end, I still couldn't afford the primary school tuition, so he could only go to the grocery store to watch TV every day."

"Last July, Tang Nade came. When he found me, I thought Dark had returned, but unfortunately, it wasn't him."

"How did Tang Nade find you?" Zhang Qiu narrowed her eyes and asked.

"He just came directly to my house. When I returned home after working, I found he was already waiting at the door." Cassandra said. "He told me that Dark had gone missing during that study tour, when he went to Africa in the second half of the school year..."

"Let me reconfirm," Zhang Qiu suddenly sat up straight. "You and Dark met in September 1981, had your first relationship in December 1981, parted ways in February 1982, and finally gave birth to Cui Ge in October 1982, right?"

Cassandra counted on her fingers, calculated the time slightly, and then nodded, saying, "That's right."

"And during this period, only the two of you knew about the matter between you. Even when you were expelled from school, the school authorities still didn't know who the child's father was?"

"Eh? Really? Now that you mention it, it does seem to be the case." Cassandra blinked. "They didn't ask either. Besides, my dating Dark should have been quite obvious..."

"From the whole story, I've discovered three problems. I don't know how you've considered them." Zhang Qiu flipped the diary to the previous page. "First, the exchange with Ilvermorny was proposed by the Magic Institute; in other words, they wouldn't have gone to Africa for an exchange in the second half of the term at all, but should have returned directly to the United States. Second, even if that year's itinerary was special, how did Tang Nade know of your existence when Dark went missing in Africa? Finally, assuming he learned about your situation through correspondence with Dark, why did he wait until last year to come and find you?"

"I don't know. Perhaps there were other reasons." Cassandra avoided her gaze. "Maybe he didn't have money or something..."

"The Fontroy family is one of the wealthiest families in modern America. Tang Nade's pocket money alone could exceed the lifetime earnings of most Yingzhou people. And even if he couldn't get away himself, he could always hire a professional agent or arrange for a family butler to find you."

Cassandra was silent.

"More importantly, since he came to find Cui Ge at this time last year, then in terms of reason and sentiment, he shouldn't have left you alone in Yingzhou. Moreover, even now, if you hadn't come over yourself, you would actually still be staying there, right?"

"In fact, he told me it was because the elders in the family didn't like me." Cassandra said unhappily. "He didn't suggest that I appear near Cui Ge openly, so I don't dare use the name Daisy now; I just hope everyone calls me Cassandra."

"This is strange, isn't it? With Dark having been missing in Africa for many years and almost effectively dead, for Cui Ge, the only remaining bloodline, and you, the widow, no elder of any major family would be as cold as you described."

"But..." Cassandra's face was pale. She managed to say the second half of the sentence, "He at least gave me a sum of money so I wouldn't have to go to work anymore."

"For a family like Tang Nade's, one million yen is at most his pocket money for a week, yet you think this can compensate for the first half of your life?" Zhang Qiu said with disdain.

"He also told me not to make a fuss. If I made the elders feel displeased, he said he wouldn't be able to provide much help either..."

"It's about time to face reality, Cassandra." Zhang Qiu sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, Tang Nade is Dark."