vncnus Page 286
Page 286
It simply flowed quietly, with a liquid-like luster.
It's like the white snow hidden deep beneath a thick layer of snow.
……
?
In an old apartment building, the musty smell in the stairwell mixed with the odor of disinfectant felt like a damp razor blade pressed against the throat.
The motion-activated lights stopped working on the seventh step, and the sharp cries of stray cats could be heard from time to time in the vicinity.
The conditions here are so poor that it's hard to believe this is Tokyo.
That's true, it has nothing to do with region or country; in fact, only a small group of people are ever truly wealthy.
Misaki lightly stepped over the rotten wooden steps, letting out a tooth-grinding groan.
She glanced back warily.
No one followed.
Phew... Looks like I've finally gotten rid of that older brother.
Misaki pulled up her sleeve, revealing an adorable digital watch. The watch face was so bright that you could see the shadow of her trembling eyelashes reflected in it.
This was a birthday gift her mother gave her a long time ago.
The screen is displaying the time—19:43.
This was much earlier than she had returned before.
Misaki's eyes flickered slightly, and after putting the watch away, her mind quickly became active.
She was so scared that she ran straight home in a panic.
But this is far too dangerous.
If they trace it back to me, wouldn't I be in big trouble?
Misaki pursed her lips tightly, her eyes reflecting a thoughtfulness unlike that of her peers.
That older brother is right... I should indeed target some students; I can always lower the price.
Anyway, her flowers only cost around 1,000 yen, which was bought at a regular flower shop.
Wait a minute, following this line of thought, wouldn't it be more successful to sell flowers to couples?
Furthermore, many girls are vain, and boys are concerned about saving face, so you can try to raise the price a bit...
Misaki subconsciously touched her pocket, and only after confirming that the money was still there did she feel completely relieved.
It seems that only cold banknotes can give this seemingly ten-year-old girl one of the few remaining feelings of security.
Misaki noticed through the blinds that the lights in her house were still on.
A few snowflakes landed on the window, creating a faint halo of light in the darkness.
Forget it, I won't sell flowers tonight. I've earned enough. I'd better go home and see my mother.
Under the dim light, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock was particularly jarring, drowning out the sound of footsteps.
"No need to run anymore. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you, I just want to talk to you. Besides, even if you run, you can't outrun me."
A voice, both strange and familiar, struck Misaki like a thunderclap.
The key that was turning suddenly stopped.
Misaki suddenly turned around, her back hitting the rusty fire ladder, making a tinkling sound like a wind chime.
The stray cat lurking in the shadows seemed to be startled, and its green eyes suddenly went out behind the trash can.
Why is this guy so persistent?
And how exactly did they catch up?
Misaki's gaze quickly fell on a series of footprints on the snow.
She then realized what was going on.
Because of her age, her size is very small, making her easily identifiable.
Even so, it doesn't make sense, does it?
Because in some places the footprints have been covered by others, and besides, not all places have snow.
"Can we talk somewhere else? If you agree to my request, I will return all the money I cheated you out of. I swear I won't run away this time."
Misaki took a deep breath and made her final request.
There seemed to be some taboo here that frightened her, and even her voice was trembling. This time, it was definitely not an act.
"This should be your home, right?"
Su Qing didn't reply, but just glanced at the key on the doorknob and made a perfunctory confirmation.
"This isn't my house...this is a stolen key!"
Misaki clenched her fists, her nails leaving crescent-shaped marks on her palms.
She had never felt so unlucky. Even when she was looked down upon and insulted by people selling flowers, she never complained or blamed others, wondering why she wasn't born into a better family.
No, perhaps I've thought about it countless times.
It's just that it's been shattered countless times in the cold, hard reality.
Now all she can do is pray that Su Qing can leave this place as soon as possible.
But all of this was contrary to expectations.
When you feel panicked, it seems like all the bad luck in your life is about to come.
"Saki, are you outside? Who are you talking to?"
The gentle, weak female voice instantly melted the icy silence.
It also melted away all the forced composure on Misaki's face.
"No, no one. I was just talking to myself!"
Misaki hurriedly agreed, but the footsteps approaching from behind the door grew clearer and clearer.
How to do how to do?
The one thing she did that she didn't want her mother to know.
Su Qing was still standing there; it was too late to leave now.
Moreover, the other party doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving.
Misaki held back her tears, which were about to fall, and looked at Su Qing with pitiful eyes, pleading in a very low voice.
"Please, don't tell my mom what I did. I'll do anything, please, okay?"
……
……
Chapter 342 Mother and Daughter
?
Su Qing looked down at Misaki, said nothing, and simply nodded.
Misaki had no other choice but to pray that the other party would keep their promise.
Because the old door was creaking.
Soon, a woman with long hair and a young appearance emerged from behind the door, probably only thirty years old.
In the dim light, the woman's sickly pallor was particularly striking.
"Saki, why didn't you come in right away? What are you doing at the door? Um... who is this?"
The woman must be Misaki's mother.
She seemed quite surprised by Su Qing's unexpected visit.
"Hello, sorry to bother you, I am..."
……
Misaki's family.
Su Qing was sitting on the cushion, opposite Misaki and her mother.
"Oh, so you found Saki's digital watch and came here to return it to her?"
Sato covered his mouth in surprise after hearing Su Qing's explanation.
Yes.
Her surname isn't Hoshino; that's just a setup for the little girl to further garner sympathy.
After all, what she did was not honorable, and no matter how foolish she was, she wouldn't use her real name.
"You could say that. There were just too many people at night, but luckily the children's footprints were quite unique, which is how I followed them."
Please forgive me if this has caused any misunderstanding.
Su Qing sat on the cushion and began to recount the explanation he had prepared.
When Misaki checked the time, her glasses were so shiny they reflected light. He was nearby at the time and naturally noticed it.
"Then I should thank you even more... Oh, look how inconsiderate I am, not even making you a cup of hot tea in this cold weather."
"Misaki, go boil some water, then bring over a few packets of tea."
Sato looked at Misaki sitting to the side. The little girl was nervously rubbing her hands, her head down, and she would occasionally steal glances at Su Qing and her mother.
Upon hearing her mother's words, she seemed startled and appeared unexpectedly flustered.
"Okay, Mom, I'll go right away."
As she stood up, Misaki glanced at Su Qing with an almost pleading look.
It couldn't be clear what she wanted to say.
Actually, Misaki didn't want to go. What if Su Qing secretly told her mother those things while she was away?
But she couldn't find a suitable reason to refuse, so she had no choice but to place all her hopes on others.
Sato watched Misaki walk towards the kitchen; it wasn't actually that far.
At this time, Su Qing was observing the environment inside the apartment.
The structure of this old apartment is very simple and the area is so small that even the boundary between the kitchen and the living room seems blurred.
Su Qing's gaze suddenly fell on the floor.
Past rainy seasons have caused mold to spread across the tatami mats, forming eerie maps. The edges of the straw mats are curled with brownish-red folds, resembling tea leaves pickled in water.
The environment wasn't exactly great, but even so, the furnishings inside were very tidy, and there was even a pleasant fragrance in the air.
That's the scent of lily of the valley.
Su Qing noticed the faded origami cranes in the corner. On one of the wings, the words "Mom, get well soon" were written crookedly, the ink blurred into pale blue clouds by time.
At the same time, Su Qing also noticed that there was a red scarf that Misaki had taken off on a table not far away, and bottles and jars of medicine were placed next to it.
He recognized those medications; they were usually only taken by cancer patients.
The dean had also taken it before.
"Xiaoxiao... is a very well-behaved child. She has been very sensible since she was little. This house is the one she cleans every day. Isn't that amazing? She is only twelve years old."
Once Misaki was out of sight, Sato slowly withdrew his gaze and said softly.
"Twelve years old? That's really remarkable."
This age is pretty much what Su Qing estimated.
However, Misaki looks a bit too young.
"So... can you tell me now what exactly my Misaki has been doing outside?"
Sato's gentle smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression as he suddenly asked the question.
"That watch was a birthday gift I gave her a long time ago, and she has kept it very well."