Luo Tianchen walked alone on the path shrouded by night, pondering the news he had received that day.
Ultimately, he declined Yao Chengho’s offer to walk him home. Instead, he chose the dimly lit riverside path, sparsely populated, where he could feel the cool breezes sweeping in from the river, tousling his long hair.
A peculiar complexity settled in his heart. It turned out that the confession wasn’t a coincidence after all; he had met Yao Xinchang back in his first year of high school, inadvertently raising a ‘love flag’ then. Yet, to his chagrin, he retained no memory of that time whatsoever.
But could he truly be blamed? After all, her brother himself admitted that Yao Xinchang was quite inconspicuous back then, and Luo Tianchen, too, was going through a difficult period. Even if he had said or done something, it was surely forgivable to have no recollection of it, wasn’t it?
Considering the information he’d gathered today, the likelihood of Li Qiqiao’s suicide diminished significantly. If Yao Chengho’s words held true, then Li Qiqiao and Yao Xinchang were highly likely connected to the Witch’s Game. However, Li Qiqiao’s stomach hadn’t been cut open, and Xia Luohua had explicitly stated she wasn’t a participant. What could possibly explain this discrepancy?
Furthermore, if she was indeed murdered, who was the culprit, and by what means was it accomplished?
According to Xia Luohua, participants who acquired a ‘Witch’s Seed’ would experience enhanced physical abilities. However, these improvements were confined to human limits, at best transforming an ordinary girl into an athletic prodigy. To reach a monstrous level like *hers* was almost unfathomable, thus, Luo Tianchen had to consider possibilities within human capabilities.
The rooftop, the frayed rope, bloodstains on the window, and watermarks along its edge. The last person to see her, Ji Zhilan; the timestamp; the student ID; the suicide note; the pregnancy test results—these were all clues pointing to a suicide.
The Witch’s Seed, the brutalized Yao Xinchang, the old classroom with no key-borrowing records, the timing of the party, the girls venturing out late at night three years ago, the successive deaths within the clan, and Chairman Yao’s mention of a ‘price’. These, conversely, were the clues pertaining to the Witch’s Game.
The common link between these two sets of clues was Li Qiqiao. But she, too, was dead.
No, something crucial was still missing. Without it, the true events remained obscured, impossible to reconstruct.
‘What, then, was still lacking?’
So engrossed was Luo Tianchen in his thoughts that he completely failed to notice the obstruction directly in front of him. The result was a graceful, albeit undignified, tumble to the ground, accompanied by a shriek that sounded suspiciously like a maiden’s.
” ‘Ow, ow, ow… Who on earth is so inconsiderate as to leave things lying around?’ ” Luo Tianchen scrambled to his feet, grumbling as he brushed the dust from his clothes.
What exactly had tripped him? It felt too soft to be a stone, more akin to cotton or linen, he mused, turning his head to investigate.
By the faint glow of his phone, he finally discerned the object: a long, black robe, typical of those worn by nuns in countless anime and novels. That wasn’t the main point, however. The true focus was the mysterious shape concealed beneath it.
‘Stop, stop!’ Despite a faint sense of unease stirring within him, he couldn’t suppress his burgeoning curiosity. He reached out and lifted the hood of the nun’s habit.
It was a small girl.
She appeared to be only about ten years old, perhaps a little more, with a rare cascade of lustrous silver hair. Her angelic face was serene, eyes tightly closed, and her body utterly still. Were it not for the faint whispers of breath from her nostrils, Luo Tianchen might have assumed she was no longer among the living. He found himself captivated by her sleeping face, as if gazing upon a priceless artifact, and for a moment, time itself seemed to vanish.
Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered. It seemed she was about to awaken.
Though his curiosity burned, wondering why she lay there, a deep inner voice urged him to leave. He knew, with absolute certainty, that if he lingered, he would inevitably find himself entangled in some unwelcome trouble.
” ‘My apologies, my apologies,’ ” he murmured silently, pressing his palms together. Then, he rose to leave.
My pants were clutched.
Silently, he turned around, only to see a small hand, as pristine and white as jade, gripping his pant leg.
” ‘Um, is there something you need?’ ” Luo Tianchen asked, forcing a strained smile.
The girl remained silent. Since she was still face down, he couldn’t discern her expression.
” ‘Well, if there’s nothing, could you please let go?’ ”
Silence.
” ‘Hello?’ ” Luo Tianchen tried to move his foot, but it made no difference. ” ‘Fine, I’ll just walk home like this,’ ” he thought sarcastically. Even though the girl was surprisingly light, and dragging her didn’t impede his walking, the grating sound of the fabric scraping against the ground was utterly unbearable. After only a few steps, he was forced to stop.
He crouched down, attempting to pry her small hand from his pants. To his surprise, despite her diminutive size, she possessed considerable strength. After struggling for quite some time, he still couldn’t dislodge her.
‘Why wouldn’t she let go, even now?’
Ultimately, Luo Tianchen had no choice but to give up before he accidentally hurt her. Silently, he lifted her from the ground into his arms.
” ‘So, what exactly do you want me to do?’ ” he sighed.
” ‘…Hungry,’ ” she finally uttered after a long pause.
Half an hour later, under the astonished gaze of the snack shop owner, Luo Tianchen quietly led the satisfied nun-loli out of the establishment. His eyes kept drifting to her stomach, which, remarkably, showed no signs of expansion.
” ‘Hmm? What is it?’ ” She seemed to notice his gaze and offered a pure, innocent smile.
” ‘No, nothing at all.’ ” Luo Tianchen was merely pondering where exactly those ten skewers of meat and bone, five grilled chicken wings, four sausages, seven portions of grilled squid, three rice cakes, four cups of vermicelli, and twenty shrimp had disappeared to.
” ‘Thank you, Lord, for granting me sustenance in my time of need. Amen,’ ” The first thing the loli did upon stepping outside was press her hands together in prayer.
‘No, your God had absolutely nothing to do with it. *I* was the one who bought you the food, alright?’
” ‘No, that’s not it,’ ” the little loli declared, utterly serious. ” ‘It’s precisely because of the Lord’s arrangement that I had this encounter with Big Sister. You could say, Big Sister, that you are God’s messenger!’ ”
” ‘God’s messenger? My apologies, but I’m hardly such a lofty being,’ ” ‘If anything, I’m more entangled with witches,’ Luo Tianchen mused inwardly. ‘But this child is clearly a Christian, isn’t she? Is it her family’s influence? To be wearing a nun’s habit at such a young age… And that silver hair—she must be a foreigner. Why would she suddenly collapse from hunger in a place like that, and yet speak such fluent Chinese? Has she been in China since she was little? Did she suddenly get separated from her family?’
” ‘Huh? Big Sister, could it be that you’re an atheist?’ ”
” ‘Who knows?’ ” Luo Tianchen replied casually. ” ‘Gods, or whatever you call them, only exist if you believe in them, right?’ ” His mind, however, was entirely focused on how to get her home. It was already so late, and it was certainly not good for a child to be wandering around, especially such a remarkable loli. It would be disastrous if she were discovered by certain perverts with peculiar tastes.
” ‘No, that’s not right,’ ” she countered, responding to his words with surprising earnestness. ” ‘Gods have always existed within each of us. However, many people have forgotten their presence, which is why there’s so much sin in the world today.’ ”
‘Oh, wow. So young, yet so concerned about society. Though her perspective is a little nuanced, I truly wish those self-centered individuals who only care about themselves could hear her words.’
” ‘Because there’s no real need, is there?’ ” Luo Tianchen found himself saying, his interest unexpectedly piqued by the little loli. ” ‘Humans are creatures who only do what benefits themselves. If a God truly exists, they must be omnipotent, right?’ ” ” ‘But if that’s the case, why would they bother listening to the pleas of mere humans and help them fulfill their wishes? “God won’t help me achieve my desires anyway, so I’ll just rely on myself.” That’s what many people think, and that’s why they don’t believe in God.’ ” He hadn’t intended to say so much.
” ‘So, how would you respond?’ ” Luo Tianchen wondered, anticipation building. ” ‘Would she quote scripture, or would she be at a loss for words?’ ”
” ‘No, it’s not like that,’ ” she stated clearly. ” ‘Big Sister, you’re mistaken. It’s not that humans need God; it’s that God needs humans.’ ”
” ‘…Huh?’ ” Her words stunned Luo Tianchen. ” ‘But God is omnipotent, right? Why would an all-powerful being need insignificant humans?’ ”
” ‘Because God is lonely,’ ” she whispered softly. ” ‘Because God is omnipotent, no one can truly approach or see them. Yet, God constantly watches over us, envying human lives, hoping someone will believe in them and speak to them. Is that not allowed?’ ” ” ‘At their core, God is merely a child afraid of solitude.’ ”
Luo Tianchen was speechless. It was the first time he’d ever heard someone preach in such a manner.
” ‘So, will you join me in believing in this lonely child, and offer them a little warmth?’ ” The little loli stepped in front of him, turned, and opened her arms, a saintly smile of compassion for all beings gracing her lips. Her large, ruby-like eyes gazed intently into his as she spoke.
Luo Tianchen gently tapped her on the forehead. Caught off guard, the little loli let out a mournful ‘Awoo,’ then rubbed the spot he’d tapped, looking up at him with teary eyes. ” ‘Waaah… Big Sister, do you still not want to believe in God?’ ” she sniffled.
” ‘Probably not,’ ” Luo Tianchen conceded.
‘What a novel way to preach. If my resolve hadn’t been strong enough, I might have actually believed you.’
” ‘Then what would it take for Big Sister to join the embrace of the Lord?’ ”
” ‘Perhaps one day, when I am utterly desperate, when I no longer even believe in myself, then perhaps I will believe in God,’ ” Luo Tianchen replied vaguely.
” ‘It’s a promise!’ ” The little loli beamed, extending her right pinky finger. ” ‘Pinky swear, hang a hundred years, never change!’ ”
‘Hey, hey, hey, shouldn’t you be swearing to God here instead?’
” ‘Alright, alright, never change,’ ” Luo Tianchen agreed. ” ‘By the way, where do you live? Your parents must be worried sick.’ ”
” ‘Then, when you are desperate, I will come to your side once more,’ ” she declared. ” ‘At that time, Big Sister, you will believe in God with me, won’t you? This is our agreement.’ ”
” ‘Huh? What?’ ” Luo Tianchen turned his head, only to find that the little girl had vanished.
‘Did I just encounter a ghost?’
‘I should probably just hurry home.’
Even though he had walked quite a distance, the little girl’s voice seemed to linger, echoing in his ears, refusing to fade: ” ‘The promise, it has been made.’ “