Yueci Porcelain walked arm in arm with Nishikino An for a short distance before finally releasing her hand.
She looked up to find Nishikino An watching her with an amused glint in her eyes.
“I really didn’t expect… you’d actually call me ‘auntie’…”
Though her tone carried a smile, it made Yueci Porcelain shiver slightly. Why did Nishikino An suddenly feel so terrifying?
“I didn’t expect to run into Eiko Sakurai either,” Yueci Porcelain replied, wiping away nonexistent sweat with an awkward explanation.
They’d reached the restaurant entrance and were ready to head home.
The staff had already brought Nishikino An’s car to the front. She took the keys, opened the driver’s door, and slid into the seat.
Yueci Porcelain followed, settling into the passenger side.
The engine rumbled to life with a soft *vroom* as the key turned.
Nishikino An floored the accelerator, and the red Ferrari shot forward.
“It’s fine. I’m not angry,” Nishikino An said with a smile, not glancing at Yueci Porcelain once.
Though she claimed no anger, she didn’t seem calm at all.
Yueci Porcelain felt a cold sweat trickle down her back. This version of Nishikino An felt far scarier than before.
Still, age and weight were women’s secrets. It was normal for a girl to dislike being called “auntie.”
Yueci Porcelain stared awkwardly out the window at the blur of scenery rushing past. The speed made her heart race.
“Eiko Sakurai hasn’t changed much after all these years…” she said, forcing the topic shift.
Nishikino An noticed the deflection but didn’t call her out.
Her tolerance wasn’t that small—being called “auntie” had only mildly annoyed her.
The anger was an act. She was simply intrigued by Yueci Porcelain’s assumption that she was upset.
“True. She’s aged well,” Nishikino An replied, playing along.
“Twenty-three years have changed Eiko Sakurai a lot. She’s the headmaster of Lai Te Academy now,” she added absently, eyes on the road.
Hearing “headmaster,” Yueci Porcelain’s mouth parted slightly in surprise. It made sense, yet still caught her off guard.
Eiko Sakurai’s father had been Lai Te’s previous headmaster. Her own parents had been close friends with him—they’d grown up together.
After her parents died in a car crash, Eiko’s father funded her education and medical care.
She and Eiko Sakurai were childhood friends.
Given her father’s position, Eiko inheriting the role wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“Never thought I’d bump into her there,” Nishikino An clicked her tongue. A sharp turn nearly threw Yueci Porcelain from her seat.
Her feud with Eiko Sakurai dated back twenty-three years.
Though young then, she’d met more people than most her age.
At their first meeting, she’d found Eiko Sakurai’s mannerisms fake and doll-like—utterly unlikable.
Today, Yukiho Doi reminded her of Eiko. Maybe that’s why she’d adopted her?
But Yukiho Doi lacked something Eiko had—she couldn’t quite name it. Just a difference in aura.
“She saw you today. She’ll investigate you later.”
“But… don’t worry too much. You’re a girl now. She won’t connect you to Yueci Ru right away.”
“She might think you’re his blood relative—like a daughter. She’ll probably try to approach you.”
“Just act convincingly. Make her believe you’re only Yueci Ru’s relative.”
Nishikino An’s mind raced, her words never pausing.
Yueci Porcelain nodded. It was the only option.
Thinking of Eiko Sakurai, a wave of nostalgia washed over her.
Who’d have thought the little sister she’d known twenty-three years ago would now stand tall as an academy headmaster?
Perhaps this was the cruelty of time.
Her old partner had become police superintendent. Her little sister, a headmaster. She wondered how the others were faring.
Yueci Porcelain tried recalling old friends but only remembered a few prominent faces.
Everyone seemed to have climbed high—except her, stuck in place.
The thought brought unexpected sadness.
She watched streetlights blur past the window, her mind drifting.
Honestly, she couldn’t face Eiko Sakurai.
Twenty-three years ago, on the dusk before her disappearance, Eiko had confessed to him.
That day, the sunset glowed warm, the breeze gentle.
But he’d refused.
A dying man like him shouldn’t drag down someone with a bright future.
She barely remembered Eiko’s reaction—rejection stung the same for anyone.
His sudden vanishing might help her move on.
After he disappeared, she’d surely meet better men—healthy, with promising futures, who could protect and cherish her…
That was the life she deserved.
He was just a passerby in hers.
I wonder if she’s married now? Yueci Porcelain thought with a self-deprecating smile.
—
They arrived home past midnight.
After a quick wash, they retreated to their rooms.
Yueci Porcelain lay in bed, staring at the dim ceiling.
Overwhelmed by the day’s events, exhaustion pulled her into sleep.
She dreamed.
“Ah Ci, I’ve liked you for so long. Will you be with me?”
The girl’s silky black hair fluttered in the breeze. Sunset light bathed her face and half the street in orange warmth, wrapping the scene in tenderness.
Yueci Ru sat weakly in a wheelchair. The wind carried the scent of gardenias from her hand.
His fingers rested limply on the armrests as he strained to lift his head toward her.
“Sorry.”
The gentle voice, laced with frailty, slipped out uncontrollably.
The dream froze in that instant.
Finally, he watched her lips move slowly, as if speaking to him from afar.
But the dream shattered. She couldn’t hear or touch it.
She could only watch the illusion break like porcelain shards on the ground…
She woke.
Yueci Porcelain stared blankly at the dark ceiling.
Sleepless night.
