The Past and the Rain

School bullying.

As someone who had experienced it firsthand, Su Mu still trembled at those memories, her cowardly heart craving escape.

She hadn’t triumphed over it. She had only fled, numbing her soul, enduring suffering not as herself but as an onlooker, a wooden puppet without a heart, letting others knead her at will, waiting until they grew bored and let her go.

After all, back then, she was truly isolated.

An ordinary person in a world where superhumans naturally stood above.

Utterly powerless in every way.

Thinking back, running away back then had been wise. Going to university might have been nothing but a continuation of that misery.

Later, as superhumans became more numerous, their value depreciated.

Life became a bit more tolerable, but she still always felt inferior, unable to hold her head high.

If, now, those bullies from the past stood before her in luxury cars, all glamorous and polished…

What would she do?

Hmm…

Hard to say now. The old her—the one who planned to reset her life if she hadn’t awakened superpowers in four years—would have thought: since I’m going to die anyway, why should only I suffer? I’ll take one with me.

As information about superhumans spread online, she understood they were not omnipotent gods. Cut off their heads, pierce their hearts, fill their lungs with poison gas—without extra vigilance, an ordinary person could kill them. It wasn’t impossible.

For example, when fixing their air conditioner, replacing the Freon, adding a little something—with the resolve to trade one life for another, who cares what happens after? The feasibility was high, wasn’t it?

…

😮!

“Big Log! Over here! Over here!”

“Hm?” Su Mu looked up and saw Ruoruo waving with a smile. She smiled and waved back.

As they drew closer, Bai Ruoli studied Su Mu. Though smiling, the other’s spirits seemed low.

“Mr. Su, are you here for ancestor worship too?”

“Mm… no, my ancestral home isn’t here. I just came to visit a friend,” Su Mu replied with a gentle shake of her head.

“A very important friend?”

“We haven’t known each other long, and we’ve never really talked before, but I think she’s a friend.”

“I’m sorry, I brought up something painful.” Bai Ruoli apologized.

“Don’t worry about it, Miss Bai. And as you said, for the deceased, on this day of reunion, what they’d want to see is smiles, not sadness.” Su Mu shook her head with a smile.

“Ruoruo, did you talk to your mom and dad?” She crouched down and looked at the little girl gently.

“Yes! I told them I’m going to become really strong and protect my sister!”

Su Mu smiled and patted her head.

“Mm, they must be so happy! They’ll say you’re amazing, Ruoruo!”

😊

Since they met, they walked together, and their itinerary merged.

It felt natural.

‘Xiaoqian, any suspicious characters tailing us?’

“Host, nothing unusual so far.” Her scout, Su Xiaoqian, reported.

Su Mu looked around and nodded.

“Mr. Su, you seem a bit on edge?” Bai Ruoli asked softly.

“Ah, I just heard things have been a bit unsettled lately. As a man, when accompanying two ladies, it’s my duty to see them home safely—can’t let my guard down.” Su Mu scratched his head, looking sheepish.

“Ah…” Bai Ruoli was taken aback. That was the reason? She touched her cheek, momentarily at a loss.

It wasn’t like she could say that both she and Ruoruo were Flower Seed Maidens, and Mr. Su only needed to protect herself.

“Big Log, so cool!”

“Really? I think my current look can meet normal human aesthetic standards,” Su Mu boasted, raising her chin proudly.

“Mr. Su, is that narcissism or self-deprecation?” Bai Ruoli laughed helplessly.

“Miss Bai, a beautiful woman without appearance anxiety wouldn’t understand.”

“Uh… beautiful woman?” Bai Ruoli looked away, embarrassed. “You really know how to talk, Mr. Su. But I have some self-awareness.”

“My sister is definitely a knockout!” Ruoruo chimed in.

“See! Ruoruo’s right!”

“I said…” Bai Ruoli’s face reddened, and she finally sighed. “Forget it, I’m not dealing with you two.”

…

****

…

“Host, sorry, I didn’t find any suspicious characters.”

“…”

Su Mu smiled and saw off the Bai sisters, then returned to her room.

Seeing Su Xiaoqian’s dejection, she reached out a finger and gently stroked her little head to comfort her.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “Maybe we were wrong. In the original timeline, Ruoruo was threatened, so she was jumpy and paranoid. A sudden outing made her feel like someone was watching. If there really was a stalker, Saint Lily and I would have noticed.”

She paused, then continued, “Dandelion’s words: a prophecy ability user keeps an eye on the future. If the future hasn’t changed, they rarely take extra action.”

“My enemy is in the shadows, and I don’t know which move is their hidden piece. The whole situation feels controlled, and I’m forced to see threats everywhere. It’s a horrible feeling. I need to find a way to flush them out.”

“So I’m going to play dirty.” Su Mu forced a smile.

“?” Su Xiaoqian looked puzzled.

“Forced sealing? Then what if the executor is gone?” Su Mu smiled. “Speaking of which, the C-rank super squad that first attacked me was ‘War Shadow,’ right?”

“As Su Mu, a grudge-holding little girl, it’s only natural that I make sure they end up in the hospital.”

Su Mu smiled, then after three seconds…

“Let me save first. Also, there’s something else to do.”

…

That night, in an internet café, someone in a hood, glasses, and a mask stared at the screen, utterly astonished.

Zhao So-and-so, Zhang So-and-so, Li So-and-so—all involved in campus bullying, tormenting classmates, and even causing deaths during school years. Solid evidence, detailed records.

And the teachers who turned a blind eye for personal gain, the victims’ parents who accepted bribes—every transaction and chat log was laid bare.

The report ended with: ‘To all victims: give the world and yourselves another chance. Don’t do anything reckless. If justice is absent this time, it becomes evil. I’ll seek justice for you.’

She stared blankly, then saw the comments section unanimously supporting the blogger, condemning the bullies, and encouraging the victims.

She tightened her grip on her bag. Inside was a fruit knife.

She typed a comment: ‘Thank you for speaking up, but I can’t endure anymore.’

She had prepared for this day. She had already submitted her resignation, cutting off all retreat.

From the café window, she watched the bar across the street. Today was the company dinner—her former company’s dinner.

Choosing this day clearly meant it wasn’t a proper dinner. No ancestors to speak of, so no point in leaving any descendants.

It had been raining since evening, heavily.

She kept watching until an unforgettable figure appeared.

“Ding~ Your customer is urging.”

It was a notification from a designated driving platform. She knew everything about the customer’s car.

She picked up her phone. A drunken male voice came through. She lowered her voice, “Yeah, I’m the driver. I’m nearby, coming right now.”

She stood up and took a deep breath.

Putting on her raincoat, she stepped into the rain.

Just one step away now.

“…”

But when she sat in the driver’s seat, she froze at the little girl in the passenger seat.

An unexpected complication.

Was she a relative of his? Or the woman’s? Or the man’s?

From the back seat came drunken urgings and a woman’s coquettish voice. The destination: some hotel.

The car started.

Then…

Arrived.

She watched the man and woman enter the hotel, her eyes wide with rage. She wanted to go after them, but the girl took her hand.

“Hello, is this XX Hotel? Room 207 is soliciting. I’m a concerned citizen—call me Red Scarf.” The voice was distinctly young, unlike the girl’s appearance. It sounded familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere.

“…”

“Forget today. Go home and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. Someone wants me to tell you: you’re a good girl. She never hated you. She doesn’t regret saving you. You don’t need to say sorry. You’re not the one who did wrong.” The girl let go of her hand.

“Su… Su Qi…” She finally realized, panicked, reaching out.

But instead, she received a hug.

She froze, then hugged back.

Tears mingled with rain, and she wept uncontrollably like a helpless child.

“Wuwu… Su Qi… I’m sorry…”