A Bitter Reunion and a Fleeting Escape

It must be said, time truly flies. She remembered a time when she wasn’t known by the name “Bai Muxue”.

The little girl, then merely an infant, would curl into a tiny ball on the bed. A slightly firm poke from her finger would send the baby into a fit of wails.

Yet, when she stopped poking, the infant would squirm and fuss, as if complaining about being ignored.

A bitter taste coated Bai Muxue’s throat. She had braced herself for the little girl’s absence at her funeral. Yet, confronted by the girl’s actual presence, she found herself flustered and utterly at a loss.

According to the pact she had forged with the mysterious girl in black, she was forbidden from revealing the truth to the little girl. Should she fail, the agreement would be voided on the spot, and everything she had gained would be mercilessly reclaimed.

But if Bai Muxue couldn’t tell her the truth, what could she possibly say? To tell her not to grieve, to study hard, make progress every day, and remember to indulge in games and anime?

A ripple stirred within Bai Muxue’s heart, and she instinctively whispered.

“Xingwan…”

Standing beside Bai Muxue, Shen Jingyi overheard her murmur. Following Bai Muxue’s gaze, she spotted the graceful figure.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Then, she turned her attention back to Bai Muxue.

“Xingwan? Tang Xingwan?”

A hint of surprise laced the girl’s tone.

Hearing those three familiar words spoken by Shen Jingyi, Bai Muxue’s delicate frame trembled slightly. “You… you know her?”

“Not really, no. I’d heard her name during a school cultural performance; she has a beautiful singing voice.”

As Shen Jingyi spoke, she thoughtfully stroked her delicate chin, a pensive expression gracing her pretty face.

‘She had just heard that this memorial service was being held for someone named… Tang Mu?’

‘Tang Mu… Tang Xingwan… Judging by their ages, they must be father and daughter?’

‘So, what was Bai Muxue’s connection to this father and daughter?’

‘Considering Miss Bai’s unusual behavior just now… She was clearly here specifically for Tang Xingwan. But if Tang Xingwan had already appeared, why did she hesitate to approach her?’

Shen Jingyi quietly glanced at Bai Muxue, whose eyes were darting away. A thoughtful arch appeared in her brow.

Before Shen Jingyi could delve deeper into her thoughts, she saw the girl beside her bury her pretty face behind Shen Jingyi’s back, her delicate frame trembling faintly.

As if by doing so, Tang Xingwan wouldn’t see her—though Bai Muxue herself wasn’t entirely sure what she was so afraid of.

“Sh-Shen, Teacher Shen, please block me. Just for a moment.”

“Mm, she can’t see me, she can’t see me…”

Shen Jingyi: “…”

‘This young lady’s thought process was truly unique, as always… Where had her usual capricious, arrogant, and domineering demeanor vanished to?’

This was the first time she had witnessed such a side of Bai Muxue.

Shen Jingyi pursed her lips, about to speak, when her gaze seemed to catch something unexpected. Her tone shifted, and she murmured softly:

“But… it seems she’s already seen you?”

Bai Muxue froze, then stiffly peeked out half of her pretty face—Sure enough, Tang Xingwan politely nodded to others, before walking directly towards Bai Muxue.

“Eek—”

Upon seeing this, the girl buried her face back into Shen Jingyi’s long skirt, seemingly attempting to conceal her inner anxiety in this manner, like a trembling little parrot.

‘She recognized me? Was this some kind of telepathy between father and daughter? But how could that be!’

“…It seems she’s not coming for you.”

In the enveloping darkness, Bai Muxue heard Shen Jingyi’s voice once more.

At her words, Bai Muxue subtly turned her neck, peeking at Tang Xingwan from the corner of her eye. Yet, she dared not stare too overtly, only taking a fleeting glance before her gaze snapped back, as if scalded.

Fortunately, Tang Xingwan halted a few meters away, turning to sit in a nearby seat. Several leaders from the Disaster Prevention Bureau then approached her, seemingly offering their standard condolences.

“Oh, thank goodness, I knew it…”

Bai Muxue let out a breath of relief, patting her flat chest. Then, with her back to Tang Xingwan, she slowly rose.

Shen Jingyi paused, bewildered. “Where are you going?”

“Ugh, this is so boring. I’m going to wander somewhere else; this place is stifling—”

Bai Muxue feigned a sigh, then deliberately took a circuitous route, circling out through the main entrance, and darted away, vanishing into the crowd.

****

‘Stifling, indeed… In truth, she was simply afraid of being seen by Tang Xingwan.’

As the image of someone’s flustered retreat flickered in her mind, Shen Jingyi lowered her head slightly, a subtle, fleeting smile playing on her lips.

‘Though she was reluctant to admit it… this side of Bai Muxue was unexpectedly, surprisingly adorable? Ah!’

‘What was she thinking!’

Shen Jingyi snapped back to reality, patting her slightly flushed cheeks, and reined in her scattered thoughts.

‘No more idle thoughts… That young lady had most likely fled by now, and there was no longer any reason for her to remain here.’

‘Still, it wouldn’t be proper to leave immediately. She should wait until the gentleman was laid to rest and she had offered her condolences before departing…’

As Shen Jingyi, having made up her mind, prepared to stand, a faint ache suddenly pricked her chest. The small box she carried against her felt distinctly warm.

“There’s a magic fluctuation nearby… Has this place been targeted by a monster?”

The girl’s gaze sharpened incrementally. Scanning her surroundings for any anomaly, her entire being exuded an aura as sharp as a sword.

“Damn it, Tang Xingwan is gone too?”

****

In the garden beneath the Disaster Prevention Bureau building, Bai Muxue was curled up on a bench, engrossed in a match-three game.

During less busy periods at work, she would often hide here to slack off. Back then, she figured promotion was a lost cause anyway, so she might as well enjoy each day as it came.

The afternoon after the rain was pleasantly cool. A faint scent of blossoms and damp earth permeated the air. The girl, one hand deftly operating her phone, seemed utterly content.

‘Hmm… if she lingered here a little longer, the memorial service should be over soon.’

As she played on her phone, for some reason, scenes of her frolicking with Tang Xingwan as a child resurfaced in her mind.

“I give up, you little imp! Can’t you run a little slower? I can’t keep up…!”

“Nyah nyah nyah, haha! Old Dad really needs to do more exercise, right?”

‘Looking back now, she truly couldn’t keep up…’

The “she” who was once by her side had passed away many years ago. And now, she herself was even a full head shorter than that girl… Haha.

A smile, tinged with both nostalgia and resignation, graced Bai Muxue’s face, yet, inexplicably, a wet tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

“I don’t think I’m that old yet… So why am I getting all sentimental and weepy?”

The girl casually wiped away the moisture from her eyes. She lowered her head, about to leave, when a pristine white handkerchief appeared within her field of vision. A small cartoon figure was embroidered upon it.

“Um, if you don’t mind, perhaps use this to wipe your eyes?”

Eh? Bai Muxue heard the faintly familiar voice, and her body stiffened slightly. Then, she mechanically raised her head.

—What met her gaze was a graceful figure.

Ink-black hair was tied into twin pigtails that fell past her shoulders. A small, delicate bow adorned her bangs, which brushed her forehead.

Her bright black eyes shimmered faintly, and faint dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. Her fair skin, smooth and delicate, was tinged with a soft, rosy blush. Even beneath her JK jacket, the girl’s slender, well-proportioned figure was evident.

The exquisite, lovely girl stood bathed in the soft sunlight, politely and kindly blinking her bright eyes at Bai Muxue.

Tang Xingwan.

Bai Muxue stared blankly for a moment, then slowly parted her lips.

“Ah…”