A Childhood Revisited, A Past Unveiled

What in the world is going on? Didn’t I get pulled into some game? Why am I here?

Xiang Qi gazed at the buildings before her, a sense of profound familiarity washing over her. It was as if she had seen this place before, an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.

Her brow furrowed slightly. There was something off about the height, too—as if she had shrunk, making everything around her seem much larger.

Wait… Isn’t this my elementary school? Watching a few boisterous children run past her, Xiang Qi immediately recognized it. Though many years had passed, the school that had once cast a shadow over her childhood remained vividly etched in her memory.

Things were certainly becoming interesting.

Extending her own small, fair hand, the young lady still felt a profound sense of speechlessness. It hadn’t been long since she had transformed into a girl. While she had always possessed a delicate appearance, she had undeniably been a boy at heart.

So who was this adorable little girl she now saw? Catching her reflection in a nearby puddle, Xiang Qi shook her head, a vibrant single ponytail swaying with her movement.

She couldn’t recall ever looking like this at such a young age. This appearance, no matter how she looked at it, was clearly that of a young Xiang Ran, not a young Xiang Qi.

‘An illusion? A dream? Or a system?’

‘Who is messing with me?’

Almost instantly discerning the true nature of her predicament, Xiang Qi, with a deep sigh of helplessness, placed the blame squarely on the culprit responsible for all of this—her own father.

It was bad enough that her scoundrel of a father had vanished, but after years of absconding, he had left her with such a mess. Xiang Qi couldn’t help but wonder if she was truly Chen Xuan’s biological son. What kind of father would torment his own child from childhood to adulthood, only to eventually change their gender?

Judging by this, perhaps the man had always wanted a daughter, which meant his son could be tormented with impunity.

Of course, the fact that she was his biological child was undeniable. After secretly using her pocket money to get a DNA test, it had become an established truth.

Her memories were intact, her recollections of past events clear, and her capacity for independent thought complete. If, even with all this, she couldn’t figure out her current situation, Xiang Qi felt she might as well buy a block of tofu and bash her head against it.

“Completely half-hearted.”

At this point in time, perhaps Xiang Qi should have been called Chen Zishu?

“Orange, let’s go play together!” A black-haired little girl naturally took Xiang Qi’s hand, completely ignoring the latter’s helpless expression, and pulled her along.

Xiang Qi loathed her original name. It always made her feel like people were calling her an orange tree.

Though, the name she had adopted to evade potential pursuers wasn’t much better.

“Slow down.”

Pulled forward, Xiang Qi did not resist. Existence implied reason, and this place—whether an illusion or not—surely had its purpose. Since her innate senses weren’t signaling any danger, following its lead seemed like a sensible approach.

She was curious to see what kind of mischief this would conjure.

“Orange, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before.”

The black-haired little girl looked somewhat aggrieved, nervously tugging at the corner of her small dress, mist clouding her bright, watery eyes.

‘My dear girl, where did you learn such dramatic flair?’ Xiang Qi found it quite difficult to deal with this suddenly sulking child. She wasn’t particularly skilled at interacting with others, and her emotional resilience still had much to be desired.

“You used to be even more enthusiastic than me!” Fortunately, the little girl was simple-minded, her temper flaring and fading quickly. She once again took Xiang Qi’s hand, pulling her toward a hidden corner. “We promised to go see Little Flower together. You’re not going to back out, are you?”

Little Flower was a small puppy, less than three months old.

Though her memories remained somewhat hazy, Xiang Qi finally recalled the specifics of this situation.

It was one of the dark chapters of her childhood, one that led to Xiang Qi’s severe aversion to the word ‘friend’.

Indeed, Xiang Qi’s entire childhood was a series of dark histories, varied in their nature, that warped her still-forming worldview beyond recognition.

That particular individual always enjoyed meddling in Xiang Qi’s daily life, creating a host of situations that ordinary people would find unacceptable, leaving Xiang Qi to devise every possible solution to clean up the mess.

Fortunately, that person had died, which finally brought Xiang Qi a few years of peace.

When the black-haired little girl wasn’t looking, Xiang Qi’s gaze softened slightly. Honestly, knowing how things would unfold, she didn’t want to continue. A Saint Seiya would not be struck down by the same attack twice, and Chen Zishu would not fall into the same trap twice.

‘I was so naive back then.’

But now she was Xiang Qi, not Chen Zishu. ‘Orange’ regarded this little girl as a true friend, but Xiang Qi would not.

Finally, the two arrived at their destination. Inside a cardboard box nestled in the corner sat the tiny puppy, its wet eyes captivating and endearing.

“Little Flower is so cute, isn’t she, Orange?” The black-haired little girl squatted, gently stroking the puppy’s head with utmost care, her voice barely a whisper, afraid of startling the small creature.

“Yes, truly adorable.”

Xiang Qi curled her lips into a faint smile. She had been quite innocent back then. This scene perfectly mirrored her memories, identical in every way except for the fact that a little boy had stood there then, while now it was a little girl.

It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Xiang Qi’s dislike for unwarranted closeness stemmed from this very reason. Initially, there was no specific cause, only the fear of hurting herself.

“Poppy, please don’t kill her, okay?”

Even now, Xiang Qi couldn’t forget her hands covered in blood, and a little girl watching her with such despair and helplessness, her eyes filled with confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend why her best friend would harm her.

That day, even the wind was crimson.

“Ah, ah, ah, Little Zishu is truly kind. Since it’s Little Zishu’s request, I might just agree…”

A voice echoed in Xiang Qi’s ear, filled with a fatal allure, as tempting as the deepest-hidden poppy in one’s heart.

“But no, I can’t!”

“Why? Can you tell me the reason?” Xiang Qi lowered her head, biting her lower lip, as if questioning her past self, trying to find an answer.

Like she sensed her companion’s abnormality, the black-haired little girl turned, looking at Xiang Qi with a puzzled expression.

“Because… how can I spare someone I’ve already killed?”