Traces of the Past and a Peculiar Obsession

“Are you certain it’s here?”

“Cough, cough… I believe so…”

The room, choked with an accumulation of boxes and miscellaneous items, was heavily blanketed in dust, clearly bearing no recent signs of human presence.

At that very moment, Yao Jing and Wu Liyun were meticulously sifting through the room, overturning boxes and rummaging through every corner.

Having left Xiu Lan behind in the desolate wilderness, the two men had made their way to this villa, nestled in the heart of the district. According to Wu Liyun, he occasionally spent the night there; moreover, it was the very place where his late father had conducted research on Bloodthirsters.

Their current visit was precisely to unearth any lingering traces that might have been left behind.

“My father used to be a member of [Starlight], the very research team that developed the inhibitor.”

Wu Liyun recalled, “However, he was always an idealist with poor execution, notoriously ill-tempered, and prone to grandstanding, always telling everyone he was the core of the research. Ultimately, an unforgivable mistake led the exasperated project leader to kick him off the team.”

“Coincidentally, not long after his departure, [Starlight] achieved a breakthrough and held a press conference.”

At this, Wu Liyun couldn’t help but chuckle. “I remember from that day on, the old man would furiously grumble and mutter all day about his achievements being stolen.”

“What happened after that? How did you get involved with the Blood Clan?”

Yao Jing pried open a box, revealing stacks upon stacks of books within. He casually pulled one out, flipping through its pages, hoping to unearth some clues.

“Then one day, I saw him meet a masked man at home in the evening, referring to him as ‘Doctor’.”

Wu Liyun tossed aside the empty box he was holding. “After that, he started tinkering with all sorts of peculiar things at home, but he never told me what they were, no matter how many times I asked.”

“Later still, one day, the old man took me to a mutual aid society, where I saw many people. He told me that if he were to help, he would have to cure my Bloodthirst Syndrome… We’ve already searched this room. Let’s move elsewhere.”

“I never would have pegged you as a ‘second generation’ type. What should I call you, a rich second-gen or a Blood second-gen?”

Pushing the door open, Yao Jing stepped out. “Still, I don’t understand why you’re helping us, let alone why you’d willingly bring me here.”

“Xiu Lan is my friend. I’ll always help her with anything she needs.”

“Is that the truth?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll take your word for it.”

Yao Jing glanced at Wu Liyun, whose eyes darted evasively, practically broadcasting his guilt.

However, the fellow hadn’t made any peculiar moves yet, so it was best to observe him further.

As they spoke, Yao Jing casually pushed open another door, only to be startled by the scene within.

“Holy shit!”

Wondering what terrifying sight had greeted him, Wu Liyun leaned forward to peer inside.

“Holy shit!”

Unlike Yao Jing, however, Wu Liyun’s exclamation was tinged with undeniable shame. It was only then that he remembered this was the bedroom he used when staying here, a room still filled with relics from his teenage years.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Yao Jing clicked his tongue. “I never would’ve guessed you were such a closet pervert, with all these beauty posters on your wall. Let me see who they are!”

“Wait, it’s not what you think.”

His feeble protest was powerless against the gossipy hunter, who strode into the slightly dusty room, casually tearing a poster from the wall before offering his critique:

“…So you like white hair. Why does this feel so familiar…? Huh? Isn’t this [Vanguard]?”

He turned to find Wu Liyun glaring at him with murderous intent.

“Don’t just tear it off! Stick it back!”

An A-rank member of the Association, a hero who saved the world, a slayer of Black Bloods… countless honors adorned the silver-haired maiden on the poster.

Her appearance had remained unchanged since the Great Migration.

Some speculated this was because she had grown so powerful as to transcend time itself, forcing even the gods who governed time and death to yield before her.

Others claimed it was because even the passage of time had bowed before her beauty, willing to bestow upon her the blessing of eternal youth.

Beautiful, gentle, and powerful, she was the embodiment of perfection, consistently ranking among the top five in online popularity polls.

“I can’t believe you’re a [Vanguard] stan.”

Unable to bear the sight, Wu Liyun snatched the dangling poster back, carefully re-gluing it to the wall.

“She saved my life.”

“The number of people she’s saved could practically fill the outer realms.”

Joking all the while, Yao Jing surveyed the wall adorned with various images of [Vanguard], when his eyes suddenly caught an unexpected splash of gray.

“Strange… why is there one with gray hair? Did some AI idiot Photoshop it?”

In a corner by the bedside, a somewhat blurry photograph hung, its distant vantage point suggesting it was taken from afar.

The photograph depicted a dilapidated street, and by discerning the surroundings, one could tell it was one of the abandoned villages outside Dongchuan City.

Yet, within this desolate, uninhabited ruin, a delicate splash of gray stood out. A slender girl, draped in an oversized black coat, stood atop a crumbled wall, gathering her long hair as it fluttered in the breeze.

“This one is…”

Wu Liyun looked at the photograph with a complex expression.

“This is too damn similar.”

Comparing the gray-haired and white-haired figures in the photos on the wall, Yao Jing slapped his thigh.

“Though the hair color is different, their appearances are practically carved from the same mold. And with such completely distinct temperaments… Could it be that the rumored daughter of [Vanguard] is actually her?”

“Wait, [Vanguard] has a daughter? How is that possible? Don’t just make things up!”

“See, you’re getting flustered again. This is top-secret information I coaxed out of my good buddy; it’s all over the Association, guaranteed true.”

Patting Wu Liyun’s shoulder, Yao Jing’s lips curved into an irrepressible grin. “What’s wrong, kid? Why the look like your idol’s been cancelled? If you can’t conquer the mom, how about switching your target to the daughter?”

“Hahahaha.”

With that, Yao Jing burst into laughter, then swiftly slipped out of the bedroom under Wu Liyun’s murderous gaze.

****

“How about this: you introduce your mom to me, and I’ll introduce my sister to you?”

To the well-known male classmate who had sidled up to her, Xiu Lan uttered three blunt words:

“f*ck off.”

“Hey, hey, hey, why so fierce? It’s only been a few days, and you seem completely irritable. Are you really not going to consider it? My sister is a super beauty who ranks high in the city, you know~ And she’s single, never even dated.”

Within Xuyang Academy, Xiu Lan, who rarely attended classes, was on her way to physical education with her classmate.

Unlike her rather neglected status before the Great Migration, where she barely attended a few classes each semester, the current physical education teacher had shed his former frailness, now dominating the field daily, his vigor akin to the midday sun.

After all, while one might not develop any special abilities, stronger physique would always increase the chances of survival should the Black Bloods invade.

Xiu Lan took a deep breath. The hormonal male animal before her was her classmate, roommate, and personal ATM.

Indeed, a personal ATM.

Running errands for him, fetching drinks and snacks, and similar tasks, earned her small tips. Though somewhat embarrassing to admit, Xiu Lan did indeed rely on this damn rich second-generation to cover some of her living expenses.

Perhaps because she had helped him too often, the guy now felt compelled to chime in on every little thing.

‘Why can’t you leverage your wealth as a rich second-generation, gather your cronies, and go bully some men and women? Please, stop crowding me. I’m allergic to men; just let me quietly hide in a deserted shadow.’

“Old Zheng.”

With that thought, Xiu Lan halted, gazing at the damn rich second-generation before her.

“Uh, what’s up, buddy? Why so serious?”

“First of all, Senior Sister Rosa is not my mother. Secondly, I have no interest in your super beautiful older sister.”

“And of course, most importantly,”

the girl, disguised as a young man, articulated slowly, “You really talk too much.”

Having delivered her words, she dashed off, leaving Old Zheng to ponder alone in the wind, utterly bewildered as to which topic had vexed his friend.