In summer, the cicadas hid among the gaps in the trees and wailed.

Ci'an sat beneath the shade of a tree, watching the little flowers.

She paid no attention to anything else.

Slender wisteria vines twisted around the branches and leaves, while sunlight broke them into countless fragments that danced across the flower buds swaying on the ground.

Bloodstained scales adorned the stems of the flowers that were still waiting to bloom, glittering brilliantly in the light.

She watched them with single-minded concentration, as though she were admiring a supreme work of art. Even when she heard someone calling from a distance, she paid no heed.

Only when the voice had drawn as close as it could did someone grab Ci'an by the arms and pull her up from the ground. The person dragging her was not much taller than she was, making the effort look especially strenuous.

The girl's complaints came from behind her. Her arms were held tightly by hands that felt as hot as fireballs.

"Next time, you can't cheat like this. Hide-and-seek ended yesterday. A whole night has already passed, so the agreement doesn't count anymore. Do you understand?"

The girl was fuming as she spoke. Then, for some reason, her fingers suddenly loosened, and she fell to the ground.

The attempt to pull Ci'an up had failed. She stood up on her own and turned to look at the girl, who was baring her teeth in pain. Ci'an remained completely indifferent.

The girl on the ground immediately put on a fierce expression and scolded her in exasperation.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot! I fell down. As my friend, shouldn't you come over and help me up? Hurry up and help me!"

Hearing this, Ci'an slowly walked over and did as she was told.

The girl lightly took the hand extended toward her, brushed the bits of grass clinging to the hem of her white dress, and stood up, her smile returning.

"That's more like it. If you do things this way, no one will secretly call you stupid. You have to become smarter—much smarter. Even if you can't become particularly clever, you should at least try your best. Adults don't like stupid children, even if you're as pretty as you are."

She proudly lifted her chin as she repeated the great wisdom she had overheard from the adults, waiting for her little friend's admiring praise.

But she had forgotten that the friend standing before her wasn't as clever as her other friends.

The girl remembered this belatedly and smacked her forehead in frustration.

"Oh, right! Do you still remember what Madam said yesterday? Come back with me quickly. If Auntie Yu finds out you're missing, she'll scold me again."

Ci'an's hand was caught by the girl's sweaty, grass-stained hand, and she followed her back, listening to her endless complaints.

"Why did you come here instead of taking your afternoon nap? You made me search everywhere for you. There's nothing fun here at all. It's hot and noisy, and there's this weird smell too... Hmph. If Madam hadn't asked me to look after you, I wouldn't bother with you at all..."

Ci'an stared at their joined hands for a while.

Then she turned back toward the base of the tree.

Her snow-white little face showed no expression at all, and the calmness in her eyes was frightening.

Such lifelessness had no place in a child's eyes. Against that exquisite, flawless face, it made her look like a beautiful doll.

The girl's childish voice gradually faded into the distance.

On the grass beneath the broken shade of the trees, the little flowers swayed in the breeze.

Beside them lay a goldfish, its abdomen split open, its eyes bulging wide in a deathly, unblinking stare.

The two girls sneaked back from the garden into the imposing villa. Thinking they had returned without incident, they reached the second floor. They had just tucked Ci'an back into the soft bed when the bedroom door was knocked on at regular intervals.

The girl had no time to give any instructions. She exchanged a knowing glance with her little friend and hurried over to open the door.

A middle-aged woman with meticulously combed hair stood outside. She lowered her eyes toward the girl whose disheveled appearance gave everything away and asked, as usual,

"Little Xin, has Miss woken up?"

Kai Xin instinctively nodded. Under the woman's stern gaze, she became somewhat guilty.

"Yes, Auntie Yu. Miss just woke up."

"Why are you covered in sweat? Did you sneak out to play again?"

"No—ah, wait, that's not right. I only went out for a little while, Auntie Yu. Really, just a little while. I only went out after I saw that Miss was asleep. I really didn't take Miss with me to do anything bad."

Realizing there was no way to hide it, Kai Xin simply decided to take all the blame herself. At that moment, she felt incredibly heroic. Anyone who had a loyal friend like her was surely blessed beyond measure.

"No next time. All right, go home. You don't need to come back this afternoon."

"Got it, Auntie Yu! You're the best! Hehe."

Kai Xin secretly glanced back once.

She thought that after being such a good friend, not receiving even a word of thanks was rather unfair. But then she remembered that she had no idea what delicious food her father might have prepared for her at home, and that single concern vanished from her mind.

Her happiness visibly returned, and she couldn't wait to leave.

"Such a lack of manners," Auntie Yu muttered, unable to resist scolding her as she watched her go.

She entered the bedroom and, as expected, found the doll-like girl lying on the bed with her eyes open. She hadn't even taken off her shoes. Helpless, Auntie Yu decided that at least this saved her the trouble of putting them back on.

"Miss, it's time to get up."

Auntie Yu leaned slightly forward, her gaze falling on the smooth, pitch-black strands of hair spread across the pillow. Deliberately, she avoided looking into those lifeless eyes.

The dark, heavy eyes moved slightly.

Ci'an obediently answered with a single word.

"Okay."

The expensive white dress still had tiny bits of grass hiding among its folds. It was no longer suitable to wear, so Auntie Yu chose a modest little black dress for the girl, paired with matching leather shoes and a sun hat.

Before going downstairs, she also made sure both of the girl's little hands were washed completely clean.

The afternoon dessert was a matcha cake.

Its vibrant pale-green color reminded Ci'an of the grass.

She scooped up a spoonful and put it into her mouth.

After that, she stopped eating it.

Instead, spoonful by spoonful, she dug the cake out and put it into the cup of milk.

The pale green cake mixed with the sticky milk, quickly becoming diluted and dissolving. The food that had originally been so pleasing to the eye became almost impossible to swallow.

Ci'an stared at the cup for a while, then suddenly spoke.

"It's gone."

The maids lowered their heads and remained silent.

Auntie Yu asked, "Miss, what is gone?"

"The fish."

The fish tank in the living room was empty.

Auntie Yu reassured her, "Don't worry, Miss. I'll have someone look for it."

Ci'an turned her face toward her.

Auntie Yu immediately ordered, "Go look for it now."

A maid hurried away.

Ci'an set down her glass of water, placed her feet on the floor, and held out one hand.

A moment later, Auntie Yu lowered the veil of her hat and gently took the girl's soft little hand.

The driver had already been waiting in the courtyard for quite some time. A bodyguard bowed slightly and opened the rear door of the car.

After helping the youngest young lady of the family into the car, Auntie Yu watched this strangely familiar departure in silence for a long time.

The car drove for a while.

The bodyguard opened the door, and a well-dressed woman got into the car and sat beside Ci'an.

A reassuring presence spread through the small, enclosed cabin.

Ci'an blinked.

Then she reached out her little hand and tugged at the smooth white dress that felt like satin.

"Mom."